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

Week #97 (April 9, 2017)

Quote/scene of the week: Our investigator got up in testimony meeting
and talked all about how many times she's been shot, other instances
when she almost died, the tough life in the hood, and ended it all
with a song she sang - awesome.

The previously mentioned contrast in our ward's demographics was
epically apparent when we dined that night with the most stable young
couple, the Busby's - who just got in from California where he
finished law school at Stanford. Kessler Park Ward = The Twilight
Zone, I love it though.

Highlights of the week were many. 2 investigators passed baptismal
interviews for this coming Saturday, awesome. President got back from
70's trainings in Salt Lake and did a Q&A with us and the office
staff. My companion and I got the best note ever from lil Sis. Busby
at dinner (see pic below). It was just all around awesome sauce.

The coolest line from President Taylor's Q&A with us was this one:
(after being trained by the entire quorum of the 12 and President
Monson all week)
"It's all real. We really have prophets. Jesus really lives. This is
really His Church."

He is my idol in so many ways.

Love yall, keep reading and praying and going to church!

Elder Cox

Super cute little Sister Busby drew the elders a picture

Elder Baldwin - old mission bud

The Galvan Family (favorite family from Shady Grove)

Week #96 (April 3, 2017)

Quote of the week: "This means he is no longer 'P-Tay'.... Now, he's 'Seven-Tay'!" *this is one elder's revelation for the nickname update we'll give president since he was called to the 70's.

Been a killer week - mostly because of conference. Pretty neat watching President walk up the stand, and listening to Elder Christofferson's talk. Between those two things, I don't think I ever need to watch television again. D. Todd gets me EVERY conference, I don't know how he does it. 

I was particularly touched by the thought of guilt culture vs. shame culture as I reflected on what motivates me to change, or often times "who." Another talk that caused some good reflection was Elder Uchtdorf speaking about fear and encouraging us to recognize when we motivate others through it or allow ourselves to be influenced by it. 

Every conference I hear a few "personal calls to repentance" that really shake me up as well. Elder Rasband's call to be a "first-responder" to spiritual promptings definitely stung good.

My companion and I are still trying to get on the same wavelength - probably due to the fact that I am just a weirdo, but thankfully he is patient. The Church is true. Jesus lives. Thomas S. Monson is His prophet in these latter days. We are His Saints in these latter days. What a blessing it is to serve in His kingdom!

Me holding the parakeet at the home of a part member family in the Oak Cliff English Ward (Kessler Park)

Week #95 (March 27, 2017)

Quote of the week comes from a random, 65+ year old man, which he says,
as I slowly back away from him in a parking lot:
"The universe... vibrations... (hands above head, fingers pointing
down and wiggling)

It was kind of a you-had-to-be-there experience.

So many miracles this week, like wow.

The biggest one by far being Nathan. He was a referral who
missionaries met in another part of Texas, and just so prepared. After
the first visit, he read 3 Nephi 11 three times and decided he needed to
be baptized by priesthood authority.

I feel so blessed right now in my mission; too blessed.

I know that this is the truth from God. Please look into it if you
haven't already!

-Elder Cox

P.S. Happy Birthday Matt Cox! You are the best dad ever.

Baby owl some investigators had when we found them

Meetings this morning with the other assistants - I felt unwelcome (notice the peanuts on the table)

Week #94 (March 20, 2017)

Quote of the week: "The faintest ink is better than the brightest memory."

Quote is pertinent because I have written like half of my journal this
transfer on napkins due to indigent circumstances.

Lot's of excitement out here in the TDM. We are going for 200 baptisms
in the month of April (for Easter), a record for TDM history. Lots of
prayers and fasting going down for this event.

My companion is a beast. He is the coolest, chilliest Hawaiian bro.

We are kind of confused because we go home together and with the whole
AP thing it is more than likely that we finish together (which is like
unheard of). Oh well, we'll see what happens.

The church is true, the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and Jesus Lives!

Love you all,

Elder Cox

(Went to drop off some missionaries at the temple and saw this guy - 

the cop who responded to my car wreck! What a tender mercy)  

And then here is Elder Watkins and I with Elder Brimhall and Elder 

Baldwin who I trained and help train - our Zone Leaders 

Week #93 (March 13, 2017)

Here are some pictures, can you throw together a little email and just
tell everyone I am healthy and happy and I only had time to write my
precious mother?

Playing with the Sword of the Spirit in the mission office.

Elder Soto from California and I on exchanges back in my old area of Carrollton 3rd

Elder El-Bakri going home, soon after I was called to be an assistant in his place 

Week #92 (March 6, 2017)

Super busy today, getting transferred to be with Elder Watkins from
Hawaii. Super excited!

We had a sweet week - we helped Natalie (this little girl) get baptized.

We did exchanges on a bike for the first time in forever - that was fun too.


The Church is truer than ever. Jk it's always been this true. Jesus lives.

Natalie at her baptism (I'm holding her program)

peanut incident #2 - Agua de Mani, "Peanut Water"

Me and the Rossow's (a family from Longview 4th Branch) - I went with the Assistants out east this week, incredible experience. President put us up in a hotel with him. 

- photos of my favorite family in Longview, the Rossows, got to go back out there this week too, lots of exchanges, lots of fun.

Week #91 (February 27, 2017)

Quote of the week:

"I am glad I could realize that this is the true church."
- Francisco Polio, 16, at his baptism Sunday night.  

Picture: Elder Frausto and I with our investigator, Fransisco Polio at his baptism, incredible
It sure is. Love you all.

-Elder Cox 

Week #90 (February 20, 2017)

Quote/scene of the week:
Met another guy from Vegas in the mission, and he played vball for Basic too.
Oh yah, and Elder Andersen visited the mission so that was special.

Things are rolling forward here in Irving - or as it is said in
Spanish: "Ear-Bing"

Francisco, a youth we have been teaching who just moved from El
Salvador just passed his baptismal interview; he is incredible. I was
so excited the lesson he accepted the invite to be baptized that I
took a picture with him.

Fransisco Polio - one of my favorite investigators of all time

With my trainees, left to right (Elders Frausto, Brimhall, and Bailey) - I also helped train Elders Stowe and Baldwin for a little less than a transfer each

Week #89 (February 13, 2017)

Quotes/scenes of the week:

It would probably be the multiple instances of "I am so sorry you have
been so deceitfully tricked into doing missionary work for this
church... Can I please speak with you about 'the truth'?"  Priceless.

Spiritual thought for the day: How to deal with the straight up antis.

Confession: I get a total kick outta Bible-bashing, and that is really
bad, totally unproductive.

The best and only way to diffuse an anti situation is with total,
untouchable, pure testimony.

I usually tell them something like this:

"All I know is that when I was 14 years old I read this Book, and I
prayed and asked God if it was the truth, He answered me and told me
it was. Now if you think I am deceived, you can think that, but I just
don't believe God would let me be tricked like that, honestly."

And let's be real, would ANYBODY believe that God would deceive a 14-yr-old?!

No, atleast nobody who believes in any god at all would. I can tell
you I am at 100% peace in this gospel we believe, and I know Joseph
Smith was, too.

The Church is true, because the Book is TOO!

-Elder Cox

P.s. how cool is my mom, eh? A valentines package

Mom's Valentine's Day package

My Two Trainees (Elders Frausto and Bailey)

Week #87 (January 30, 2017)

Quotes of the week:

1) Scottish man where we were giving service (to be read in full
Scottish accent)
"I know you speak Mexican! I heard ya speakin' it!"

2) Mexican guy in Walmart, directed to another Mexican woman (who we
had just barely invited to check out Mormon.org)  points to us and
yells (in Spanish):
"DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM! THEY LIKE TRUMP!"

3) Some teenager (as he runs into his apartment fearfully):
"AHH! It's the CHURCH PEOPLE!!"

What a week, eh? I feel like everything crazy is happening now that I
have a Hispanic companion. We had like 5 people just feed us this week
outta nowhere - should I feel profiled?

Elder Frausto is a beast, fresh outta the MTC, fluent in Spanish, and
basically knows more than I do about how to do missionary work. I am
lead to ask, who is training whom?

Our area is on fire, the sisters who got double transferred out were
doing some serious work, I feel so blessed. We had our first appt with
Eva Martinez last night (their #1 investigator) which consisted of
facetiming the District Leader in for an interview and scheduling her
baptism, what a dream.

I am so much more aware lately of the Savior's grace. Every day I feel
so indebted to Him as I constantly rely on His tender mercies to carry
me through tough situations. He lives, He lives who once was dead!

Nowhere is grace more fully understood than the Book of Mormon. Feast
on it, just as Elder Frausto and I feasted on these tacos.... Love you
all to KOLOB and back! But especially Mom, Dad, Abs, Owe, and Will -
miss y'all the most!

-Elder Cox

Tacos with Elder Frausto

Elder Frausto's first door knock

Week #85 (January 23, 2017)

Quotes/scenes of the week:

1) Car wreck last Monday definitely takes the #1 spot today, that was exciting.

2) My brain is not remembering anything.  We'll blame it on the
concussion from last Monday.

Can't tell you all just how blessed I have been feeling all week to
have survived that accident and with practically no injuries to show
for it too -- the Lord watched over me.

Transfer calls still haven't come out today, but according to an email
last night I am leaving Carrollton and Elder Hafen. Sad to leave and
excited to see what the future holds. I can't even fathom the thought
that my next area could very well be my "last area" in the mission,
ugh.

Of course, it's right when I felt like things were coming together in
this area and I was getting in the swing of things that this happens,
but in the words of Arnold Shwarzeneger: "If it burns, it GROWS!"
Change needs to hurt a bit I suppose.

The Church is true, Jesus lives, how grateful I am to (still) be in
His service!

-Elder Cox

Zone Conference trip to the temple

Elder Hafen and I at the temple    (left) and Elder Frausto (my new   trainee who I was doubled into Shady Grove with) on the right 

Week #84 (January 16, 2017)

(A series of updates throughout the day)

9:47 PST  - What's up mom! This is Sam, just letting you know, Elder Hafen and I
got in a pretty bad car wreck. My shoulder is pretty hurt, but I am
okay. No worries you will be getting more updates momentarily. I love
you!

Puked right after this picture, rough

They said nothing is broken. Yes my iPad is toast. Here is a pic of
the other side.

6:38 PST  Hey ma and pa, pretty wiped out right now.

Super sore from the car wreck, it was pretty serious, but I am just
overwhelmed by gratitude for the fact that it was not worse in any way
- the Lord has blessed me.

Mom and Dad - your emails this week were so good, I will respond next
week more in depth.

For now, just know how much I love you and miss you all, you are the
best family I could ever ask for and this whole event has only made me
feel more grateful.

Love you to Kolob and Back!

-Elder Cox