Week #26 (December 7, 2015)

Quotes of the week:

#1) Totally crazy dude on his porch *accompanied by dramatic hand motions*
"You know when you got your intellectual over here, and your soldier
over here, and your spiritual in the middle?!"

#2) Baptist convert giving her testimony this Sunday:
"I'm gonna be honest, I'm having a culture crisis in the church, I
just wanna shout 'Halelujah!' and (pointing behind her) CAN I GET
SOME DRUMS?!"

#3) Another Baptist convert during Sunday school:
"Mmmmm I luh me sum Jesus!"

This week was a long one, every now and then you get a little sad in
the mission. But I know this next one will be a bit brighter, there's
always hope and happiness ahead, just like Holland says.

We have some great people really progressing towards baptism, I'll
send pictures of there services here in a few weeks, but until then,
just keep praying for Roy, Hazel, Jackie, Shaqueeta, Oscar, José, and
The Aldrege family- they are so close!

Miracle of the week:
One of our investigators who is preparing for baptism shared an
amazing experience.

She said she came home one day and her mom was watching an anti-Mormon
documentary, she started yelling at her and berating the church.

She said she just started praying that her mom would calm down, and
then, her mom just chilled out. Like completely calmed down right in
front of her. She said it literally was like an instantaneous thing,
really dramatic.

I can honestly say I've seen and been a part of miracles in the
mission field. I've said things in blessings and made promises in
lessons I can't support logically, but they happen.

Truly my witness of this gospel doesn't come from those, though. My
witness of the gospel is the same it was when I was a 14 year old who
prayed about it for the first time.

I know that our Savior lives, I know Joseph Smith was another one of
his prophets.

Be good this week!

-Elder Cox

With new companion, Elder Maxwell

**an additional experience he shared in his family email

I can honestly say that we experienced a miracle this last week.

I was driving home and approaching the freeway when I felt that we shouldn't get onto the freeway. So I kinda swerved out of our lane going to the on ramp and kept going towards a part of the area I've never seen. Felt prompted to turn onto another random street.

I stopped and pointed to a random house and said' "we are gonna knock this door."

Some random guy named Jeremy we'd never met came out. He knew quite a bit about the church, had been before, and told us he was just thinking about coming back recently, and committed to come to church. As he told us all of that info my jaw literally dropped. Amazing.

With the way the work is, I've had a lot of those prompting experiences having to do with knocking or teaching a specific principal.  The Spirit is a real thing.

I know that this week he will work with me to get me more energy and more happiness in the work.

I know that this work is God's, the sacred truths of the Gospel are so special and unique. Enjoy them and study them daily!

-much love
Elder Cox