February 24, 2015 - Blog Material

In about 12 hours from right now I will be leaving to get on a plane to head out to Iowa. And yes I'm writing this at 3:00 in the afternoon which means I am leaving here at 3:00 a.m. so I might be getting my first nap of the mission on the plane!

I am very excited to go out, but I am also very sad to be leaving the MTC. This place is the most spiritual, happy, uplifting place I have ever been in my life. Every single day I have spiritual and learning experiences that literally change my life and have made my testimony of the Holy Ghost grow SO much. I've always heard people say that the spirit will tell you what to say in the times that you need it, and I thought I knew what that was. For example when I would bear my testimony or something like that back at home. But now I truly know what that means while I've been here and been in lessons with investigators. I will be in the middle of a conversation with an investigator and words will flow out of my mouth and I have no idea where they came from or how I thought of something like that. 

Some spiritual highlights of this week:

I had the opportunity to hear the Character of Christ talk, by Elder Bednar. It's a talk he gave here at the MTC so it is only shown to missionaries while they are here at the MTC. This talk changed my life and the way I look at the world it was amazing I can't even explain it. A summary won't do it any justice but the basis of it is that the Character of Christ is that he turns out to others when we ourselves would turn inward. Which means when Christ was going through difficult times He didn't turn inward and feel sorry for himself, He turned outward and turned His trials into blessing other's lives. 

- Testimony meeting with the district before everyone went their seperate ways (yes I made everyone cry again it was awesome). During that testimony meeting everyone in our district ended up kind of sharing a trial they had gone through. I know that we were all put in that district together for a reason because every single person in my little district of 8 have been through some BRUTAL trials in our life. Health trials, family trials, depression, you name it. There was a Sister in my district who is from Aurora and had several of her close friends who were shot in the theater shooting there a couple years ago. It was amazing and so humbling to hear how the gospel had all helped them get through those things.

- Got to give Sister Schrader a blessing and help Elder Keele give his first blessing. 

- Singing Called to Serve with all the departing missionaries was THE COOLEST thing in the world!! I couldn't stop smiling for like 20 minutes after that.

- Every minute of everyday I feel the spirit and I have never been happier in my entire life.

While I have been here at the MTC I have gained a true appreciation for the trials that I have gone through. I have such a strong testimony that everything that happened to me, happened at a specific time for a specific reason. I would never wish my trials upon my worst enemy, but they have helped make me into the person I am today and I wouldn't want to be anything else. I know that I was sent on this mission at this time so that I could meet people who I can connect with my story. Starting with my district. We were put together so that we could share our trials with each other and help uplift and inspire each other through the gospel. I have never shared more about my health trials than I have here at the MTC with these 7 other people. They have helped show me how, if we have a positive attitude about them, Heavenly Father helps us turn the terrible things that have happened in our lives into situations that truly "Give us experience, and shall be for our good." (D&C 122:7)(My favorite scripture) 

Love Elder Cox

February 17, 2015 - MTC - Letter numbre uno

Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 20:55:32 -0700
I am alive.

Subject: letter numbre uno

Just kidding I'll actually write. Cuz I need you to send me some stuff. I only have about 5 minutes so it's going to be quick. First of all I LOVE the MTC! Everything happens fast here and moves on quick but it's awesome. I'll send more details about my district when I have more time to write they're hilarious. I just got called as district leader so that's cool. I promise my letters will be better when I have actual time to write but this one is basically just to tell you I'm alive.

Mom can you send me:

- My orange shoes

- a copy of my farewell talk

- a copy of my priesthood line of authority

- The list of all the emails. I don't have anybody's.

- A big bag of wint-o-green lifesaver mints. you can't chew gum here and everyone's breath smells bad

Also wanted to tell you my P-day is on Tuesday. I have seen Hanna both days so far it's way cool. And if you could get those things to me before sunday that would be awesome :) Love you

February 17, 2015

Guys I love the MTC! My comp and my district are hilarious! We are literally known as the ADD district. Especially around Keele, he's a drummer and there is not a minute of the day that goes by that he is not drumming a beat on the desk with his pencil or just tapping on his leg with his fingers and tapping his foot.I'm actually doing a lot better with the waking up at 6:30 thing than I thought I would.  

In my Journal I write a highlight funny/cool of the day thing of the day, and so far they've all happened right before we got in bed. 

As for the spiritual side of the MTC it is unreal. I did not think it was possible to learn this much in this short amount of time. I feel like I have been in here for a month and it's only been 6 days. I thought I was pretty prepared until I got in here, Then I got here and had no idea what I was doing. But now I feel pretty good about everything and comfortable again. I speak spanish a lot to people and make them think I'm going somewhere spanish speaking but I really only know like 10 sayings. Then there was a English-Japanese dictionary in one of the rooms we were studying in, so I learned some Japanese and  some got people with that too. 

I would be lying if I said I haven't gotten a little homesick. But mostly the first 2 days. Now I'm good. I don't have time in the day to think about anything else. haha sorry mom still love you and miss you!

Thank you all so much for all the notes and letters and emails! I don't have anyone's emails I left them all at home! 

Ryan thanks for the Pokemon card in my suitcase. Elder Keele is pretty into pokemon and he told me it's a way weak one though so thanks alot. And mom my district loved the PBB's!

Love you all. Elder Cox

I will definitely be posting this as the first letter of the mission. So happy to hear that you like the MTC and look forward to hearing more...details! That is cool for you to be a district leader, Dad was made DL on his first MTC day as well. Here are your first set of questions.  With Coco it was easiest if I numbered and then she answered seperate from her long letter? Here goes...I'll answer the questions first and hopefully that will get the creative juices flowing cuz I struggle at this writing thing. I'm getting better at my journal but I get on the computer my brain goes blank.

1.Are you at the main campus or west? 1. I'm on the main campus                                             2. how many in your district?2. There are 8 people in my district. Elders: Keele, Underhill, Jessop. Sisters: Kelly, Carter, Tambasco, Schrader. Sisters Tambasco, Schrader, and Carter are coming to Des Moines with me. Elder Underhill and Jessop and Sister Kelly are going to West Virginia. Elder Keele is my comp and he's going to Hawaii.                                                  3. Do you know any one? Where are they from?3. I have seen Hanna almost every single day. We took pictures together at the temple on Sunday, then today in front of the big mission map thing (Just for you Grandma). Then other people I know that I've seen: Adam Schank, Zach Wright (who is in Hanna's district and going to Brazil), Kami Dixon, Brielle Griffin, and Kaelis.                                                                                                                                    4. where are they all going?answered in #2                                                                                          5. how is Hanna? good I have seen her every day.

6. are you feeling okay? take the onguard the whole time you are in the MTC, we are a bit sick with sore throats, ear aches and stuffiness etc. keep it away! Yes

7. how is your face? good

8 how is the food?okay 8. They fed us really good steak the first night we were here to make us think that the food was really good. But the rest of the time it hasn't been too great. Not terrible but not great.

9. Did you get the dear elder letters?  Let me know that you got all of this as well.  Yes

10. do you know how much you are loved?Yes

**sent-orange shoes, farewell talk, line of authority, CTR ring, will send emails before tuesday

All my love, mom

awkward pic cuz can't touch each other. 

Me and Elder Keele (he is a mix of Mitch Rogers and Logan Barber)

In front of the map for grandma