Week #104 (May 29, 2017) THE LAST!

Quote of the week: "Wow! You-a-speak-a that a-language!" (My favorite
African bud in the mission, Elder Nguwa.)

This is it. I come home on Wednesday afternoon. I feel kinda emotional
writing this.

The Church is true. I love Jesus Christ. What a beautiful privilege it
has been to serve Him!

Love,

Elder Cox

My last apartment of Elders

Me, in the last lesson I will probably ever teach (as I spend the next 3 days in meetings before I go home, bleh) 

Week #103 (May 22, 2017)

Quote(s) of the week: 

"These ees goyn to go vayral!" - Primary Teacher in our branch (saying: "This is going to go viral!" in a Spanish accent) when we told her about the #catchthepowerchallenge on Facebook that our mission president started.

It really will though! I nominated a few of you on Facebook for it - Dad, thanks for taking the challenge and making a video! Trevor, you too! Let's do our part to share a verse and pass it on - together, we can fill the earth with The Book of Mormon!

I know that The Book of Mormon is true. I was struck this week as I read it in Spanish and found a fun insight. Alma (one of the central prophets in The Book of Mormon) is an incredible missionary. In Spanish "soul" is "alma." 

I came across Alma 29:9 in Spanish this week which reads (in Spanglish) "this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some alma to repentance; and this is my joy."  I had a double take as I read that verse, but it took on a new meaning to me. 

The most meaningful ministering experiences are truly amongst those who have gone through similar trials or temptations to yours. In doing exchanges and working across the mission these last weeks, I have had a couple of sweet opportunities to help elders get through things I once faced in the mission.  What a blessing. 

Love you all, 

Elder Cox 

P.s. President and Sister Taylor whooped Elder Watkins and me in tennis this morning.

Week #102 (May 15, 2017)

Quote of the week:

"Are you ready to get smoked in basketball now?" - some delusional
12-yr-old on my FaceTime call home yesterday, it was cute.

We have a new investigator named Anielsen from a part-member family.
She is the "Prodigal Daughter" of her family who just came home from a
wild excursion of bad behavior. Now, she has huge desires to change.
She came to church alone yesterday and stayed all 3 hours. It is neat
to see. The Savior is really beginning to change her life.

Elders Callister and I are getting along great - he is gonna change this mission.

Assistant Exchanges with the Allen Zone's Leaders (my favorite old comp: Elder Andersen)

Elder Anderesen and I in their apartment in Allen

Christi Taylor and I outside the Skyline Dr. chapel in Mesquite, TX - totally tender

Highlights of the week: I got to exchange for a day with my favorite old comp, Elder Mitchell Andersen, and last Friday - after almost 2 years thinking she was lost - I was asked to come back and baptize my old investigator, Christi Taylor, from Las Vegas, NV. It was incredible. Definitely can't wait for my family to meet her and some of the other members in that area. 

In the mission Book of Mormon read this transfer, I am just in love with the repeated phrase: "before the pleasing bar of God."

I loved President Uchtdorf's line about judgement day a couple conferences ago: 

"...we will not only be satisfied with the judgment of God; we will also be astonished and overwhelmed by His infinite grace, mercy, generosity, and love for us, His children. If our desires and works are good, if we have faith in a living God, then we can look forward to what Moroni called 'the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge.' ”

I sure love that. God is great, and Jesus is His Son! 

I love them! 

- Elder Cox 

Week #101 (May 8, 2017)

Quote of the week: "Think not what your country can do for you, but
what YOU can do for your country!" - JFK (I went to where he got shot
today - intriguing)

The weeks are rolling along, the work is awesome, our investigators
are awesome, my companion is awesome, but most of all - the Lord is
awesome.

I really know Jesus loves us all. He is the only Way back to our
Father in Heaven!

Photo of the week: street contacted a guy

 with a BYU shirt on, he'd never heard of 

BYU or mormons, funny, eh? 

Week #100 (May 1, 2017)

Quote of the week: (referring to the prospect of his future children
eating pizza with ranch) Elder Hogg said: "I'd allow.... but I'd be
disappointed." This kid is so hilarious. I live with him now.

The week was stellar. With a month left I'm feeling some level of
contentment and satisfaction about my mission; it has been the best
two years. Not slowing down one bit this last transfer though, 
that's for sure - takin' advantage while it lasts!

A couple of investigators I found in old areas got baptized this week;
that is always tender.

Sister Alldredge, the most legendary recent convert and now returned
missionary to ever set foot in the TDM, returned today and said hi to
us while I was playing basketball in my suit (note the untucked
shirt). She's now doing law school at BYU.  Someone go find her and
tell her she's a beast.

The Church is true! It's changed my life as I've implemented its
teachings. You should, too!

Jesus lives and loves us all. I hope you get to read The Book of
Mormon, it's the BEST way to get to know Him.

Love you all,
Elder Cox

Hermana Alldredge

The Villanueva boys (later baptized in the Dallas 4th ward)

Elder Baldwin

Week #99 (April 24, 2017)

Quote of the week:

"Más sacerdotes... más poder" - Our First Counselor in my new Spanish
branch talking about priesthood blessings (translates to: "More
priests... more power" - complete doctrinal disaster)

It was a great week.

My new companion is Elder Jackson Callister from Las Vegas. He played
volleyball for Basic HS and graduated in 2016. Great guy - we are
having a blast together.

President Taylor is incredible, the mission is on fire, The Book of
Mormon is God's word.

-Elder Cox

PS - My boy Manix got baptized!

I helped move out the G6 apartment the other day, and it was raining, such good memories. 

A cake we made for Bishop Hill of the Kessler Park ward (to get referrals)

Got locked out of the apartment

These are me with a couple of people my friends were companions with in Chile - Elder Reyes (knew Dallin Bryan) and Victor someone who knew Harry Truman and Cole Ballard

Elder Brimhall and HIS trainee (Elder Villatoro) - my grandson

Week #98 (April 16, 2017)

Crazy week, training the new missionaries right now - they are
awesome. The church is true.

A talk we gave with President to 2,000 scouts

Returned to Shady Grove to see Yuritzi Hernandez (a street contact of Elder Frausto and I) be baptized

Dalton (Elder Watkins' long-term investigator in Kessler Park ward) at his baptism

bday presents in the mail