Week 34 & 35 - El Oro Ha Llegado

 Our Investigators

This week was a week of miracles for us.  First, we went to the temple with an investigator and two less active members to see the visitor’s center.  They are all women and none of them are married.  When we got there, my companion was like “look!”  In front of the temple at 4 o’clock on a Tuesday were a bride and her family taking pictures on the front temple steps.  I was like “Let’s Go!”  We ran the hermanas over there and they were all like “Ahhhhh!” They started asking questions about what they needed to do to enter the temple and were super motivated to start the process. 

The second miracle is that we went to a multi-zone meeting in Amecameca.  We had enough money to get there, but we honestly didn’t have enough money to get back. Ha-ha. We honestly didn’t know which combi (mini bus) to ride and a bunch of them were passing by.  Finally, we decided to take one that said Chalco.  When it got close to time to pay, we asked the driver how much it would be (you can’t see the driver in combi's – there’s like a black caged window and you talk to him through a little hole).  The driver was like “nothing, hermanas.”  We were like “what?”  He said, “No hermanas.”  “I’m the hermano that just spoke in your meeting.”  “Don’t worry, I will take you where you need to go.”  We had some Elders with us and they were like “how did you expect to get home if you didn’t have money?”  We were like, “well, the Lord will provide.”  Turns out he did!

The third miracle is that one of my investigators from San Pedro is getting baptized!  She is the one that could not hear, talk, or read.  Wow, I am so happy for their family.  I wanted to go to the baptism, but it’s super far away and we wouldn’t have gotten back before curfew.

The fourth miracle is that the other night we were returning back to our house and we were hungry.  We had 5 pesos, so we thought we would stop at this bread shop and buy sweet bread or something.  So we picked one out, and when we went to pay, the lady said, “take it.”  We were like, “we can’t just take it!”  She said, “I’m not a Mormon, but my husband is. Just take it.”  We were really grateful!

The fifth miracle occurred when a man contacted us in the street a few weeks ago.  We weren’t able to visit him until just a few days ago.  He is literally the definition of a golden investigator.  He told us he wants to be closer to God.  He’s studied our religion and it’s clear that the church has had a lot of success, so God must be with us.  We talked to him about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, the two hardest things for people to accept – and he was like, “Well, everyone believes in something, right?”  He said that it was a blessing to have the missionaries in his home and he felt a lot of peace.  He cried when we asked him if he would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized, and he said yes.  He is so ready for the gospel.  During the lesson, I kept having this image come to my mind of him in temple clothes.

I have felt true joy many times this week.  The Lord has truly been watching over us.  I am grateful for the miracles that occurred this week.  I am also grateful that the Lord has blessed me with the BEST family and friends in the world.  You guys really are the best, of this I am sure.  I love you!

XOXO,

Hermana Cox

Week 33 – SaNtA BaRbArA !! (She lives in Ixtapaluca, Santa Barbara, MX)

We went to see other pyramids in our area with a cute family

This week we went to visit Paola, one of our investigators.  She said that the other night her Mom was questioning her about the church and she started whipping out answers about the Book of Mormon and how after his resurrection, Jesus appeared in the Americas, etc. She said, “I don’t know how, but I started saying things that we learned from the lessons, and things I had never heard before.”  We shared with her John 14:26, about how the Holy Ghost reminds us of those things we have learned.  She said she is happy because she has found real “tranquility” or peace and she said she knows it doesn’t come from napping or watching TV.  It comes from learning more about God.

We are visiting with family right now that is super awesome.  The daughter is 16 and super pretty.  My comp and I have been visiting a lot with her and her Mom.  Monse (the daughter) loves English, so we practice together, she’s way cute.

Yesterday was the rededication of the temple in Mexico.  Elder Eyring and Elder Holland came and we got to watch it for television.  Elder Holland said that we should be precisely where the Lord wants us to be – and the Lord wants us to be in the temple.  In respect to family history work he said “we promised our parents we would not forget them” and “I will keep the promises I made.”  Elder Eyring said that the temple is a place of illumination.  He said, “You will receive answers for the very things of which you have prayed.”  He also said, “Answers will also come to the questions that we have not been wise or humble enough to ask.”  I loved that part.

“We build temples so that the Son of God will have a place to manifest himself unto his people.”

I love the temple.  Our zone has an appointment to go at the end of October.  I was able to assist the open house five times.  I can’t wait to go back.  I testify that the temple is “la casa del senor.” 

Love, Hermana Cox

Week 32 – Ixtapaluca and Wal-Mart

Courtney didn’t have time to write a letter, but here is an excerpt from her quick note to us...

I have great news!  I am happy and healthy!  I am in Ixtapaluca, Santa Barbara and my companion is Hermana Cervantes from Sonora, Mexico.  She is super nice and has 29 years.  We get along well and I will learn lots from her.  My area is great!  I feel like I am in America.  There is a Wal-mart and a Sam’s Club close to my house.  We went to Wal-mart today and I have never felt weirder in my life.  I felt like I was just walking around Wal-mart in LV.  The members’ houses are a little more American and so is their food.  I have made some awesome friendships here already and we took a lot of members to the temple this week.  I got an email from one of the young women in my old area saying she missed me!   I don’t need you to send me anything for Christmas.  I just want a picture of San Diego and for you to tell me that we are going there when I get home!  I will send pictures next week!

Love, Hermana Cox

Week – 30 & 31 Temple Trips, Lepers, Dogs, & Songs

Sorry it has been so long since I have written.  But do not fear, I have stories for you.  First, the temple in Mexico City is being rededicated, so right now they are holding the open house.  Hermana Guerber and I were able to go twice with investigators.  They were very impressed by its beauty and took lots of pictures of the outside.  Because it’s in Mexico, the temple has a lot of cool Aztec designs.  My favorite room was the sealing room because everything was white and bright.  Last week my comp and I, and our zone leaders went to visit a hospital where about 15 leper patients are living.  We visited with about 5 of them and sang them hymns.  They loved it and one of them tried to sing the hymn back to us!  It was a special experience.  We have washed 4 dogs in the last 2 weeks, doing service.  I am really overcoming my fear of dogs.  These past few weeks Hermana Gruber and I have started every lesson with singing a hymn.  Our voices fit together quite nicely and we have had a lot of spiritual experiences in our lessons through music.  One of our less actives was crying when we sang, “I Need Thee Every Hour.”  Hermana Guerber goes home tomorrow so these past few days have been almost all food appointments because everyone wants to feed her before she goes home … and give her things, which has been great for me!  I have met a lot of really sweet families.  I gave a talk about missionary work in sacrament meeting.  My health little by little is improving, and by the end of my meds I should be rid of all evil.  “Adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise.  Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way….  We can learn wisdom, become stronger and experience joy.”   –Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Week 29 - Marriage Proposal

Courtney seems to be doing better with her health.  She has been working each day and says she feels “super good.”  She has been serving in Amecameca, but transfers are this coming Monday.  She is not sure where she is going but thinks maybe a town called Ixtapaluca.  She expects to be transferred, in part, because her companion, Sister Grueber, is finishing her mission and returning home.  When asked about Sister Grueber, Courtney said, “She reminds me a lot of Marisa, we are having a good time.”  She also said, “My companion and I got a wedding proposal this week.  He even offered us his chickens.  He also told us to kiss him and just pretend that we were his granddaughters.  We told him we can’t do it.  He told us to ask for God’s permission.  I told him … God says no.  Haha!”

Thank you for your support and prayers for Courtney!

Week 28

Courtney has been sick for 3-4 weeks now, but is starting to feel better.  She is sorry she hasn't felt well enough to write a lot.  Here are some excerpts from her email to Darren and I.  We appreciate your prayers in her behalf.

I am in Amecameca now (10 miles north of San Pedro).  I have a new companion and her name is Hermana Guerber and she is from Arizona and she leaves in two weeks.   We haven't had a ton of lessons so I don't have a lot of stories.  We did find a new investigator that is so ready to be baptized.  Her husband and daughter died in the same month.  She said that she was sad and we were like "hey!" we have a message of happiness for you.  I am doing better with my health right now.  I am not as tired anymore and my body doesn't hurt.  I am out working every day.  After the storm, comes the sunshine.  I have been feeling more sunshine the last couple of days.  I am feeling a lot better.  A lot.  Ok love you, bye!

Week 25 - Baptism and Influenza

Many things have come to pass.  I am sorry I haven't written in awhile.  Hermana Salome was baptized.  The ordinance was a little tricky because she can't see, but we got it all worked out.  She told us she had a dream.  Two of her children passed away when they were just babies.  In her dream, she said that her two children were standing in front of the church, and it was weird because they were not babies.  They had grown up and looked like they were 6 or 7 years old.  They were waving her on and saying "Mom, we are waiting for you here."  I am grateful for that dream because it really helped her to have the faith to be baptized. 

We went to visit her a few days after her baptism and she was super sick because her blood sugar was really high.  We talked with her husband and he said he was heating up the food for them to eat.  He left for a second and I checked to see what  was heating up on the stove.  He was heating two pots of farm milk with rice.  My comp and I ran home and whipped up a quick chicken noodle soup with eggs and gave it to them to eat.  We went back to visit them two days later and they were like "Yeah, we are leaving, we are going to go live and work on a ranch in the mountains."  We were really happy for them because they have work, but we will miss them.  I know that her husband finally finding a job that can feed them is a blessing of Hermana Salome's faith to be baptized.

Hermana Lourdes was also baptized and her countenance has changed so much.  Before she was always so stressed and worried all the time and now she's smiling and calm.  We are really happy for her. 

We had changes this week and my companion and I are training a new missionary here in San Pedro.  We had a lesson this week with one of our investigators who can't read, talk, or hear.  He is married to a hermana in our ward and we have been teaching him through videos.  In this lesson, we watched a video of Christ performing miracles.  After the video, the wife talked to him through a type of sign language they can understand between the two of them.  She told him that if he has faith, he can be healed through a priesthood blessing and be able to talk. 

We had her ask if he would come to church and he said no because he has fear that his parents will be angry with him.  She explained to him that the has his own family to take care of, too.  I was thinking "What do I do when I need something from my Dad?"  I called over the daughter and I said, "Go give your dad a hug and a kiss!"  She did it haha !  Then he started crying and we talked about how Jesus would be sad if he wasn't at church.  He said he would come and he and his wife were crying and she was hugging him.  It was sweet and the Spirit was there.

Our cute new companion is from El Distrito Federal, two hours from the mission.  She is perfect. She is so ready to be a missionary and we are practicing her English because she wants to go to BYU ... just like me!  Right now, I have "influenza."  I have to stay in bed for a little bit.  Hermana Crickmore said it was going to be a surprise, but since I am sick she told me the exciting news ... her daughters are coming !!  She wants us to have a basketball game!  I love my family and friends. 

XOXO, Hermana Court