July 17, 2016 - Nauvoo Temple and Nauvoo Pageant

Patience was baptized!!! It was a miracle and half to help her get to this point but it's been amazing to see the change that has occured in her life and how happy she is now. There is always a new light in people who are just baptized. It's literally a new life, being born again isn't just a fun saying. It's amazing I love being able to witness it.

At the Nauvoo temple with President and Sister Badger

Ran into the Frei's from Syracuse!

The nauvoo stage crew challenged the Elders to a tug of war at pageant.
 Shredded all of our baby soft hands but it's ok because we won.

This week we also went to the temple and pageant with all the departing missionaries. This time my companion Elder Lords was in the departing group, so we also picked up my new companion Elder Devenport at the temple on Tuesday. The pageant was amazing as always, this time it was the actual Nauvoo pageant instead of the British. It is humbling every time to see all that the early saints sacrificed to build the temple in Nauvoo. It really brings home the eternal importance of what happens there.

This Saturday Sam is getting baptized! He is amazing we've only been teaching him for 4 weeks but he is the most prepared person I've ever taught from step 1. Today after church we went over all the baptismal interview questions with him and it was basically a "listen to Sam's testimony" lesson. He sounds like somebody who has been a member of the church for their whole life. He is so excited to be baptized and washed clean and receive the best gift ever the Gift of the Holy Ghost!

Always a funny moment: Was walking out to the truck one day and all the sudden heard a terrible screeching noise that I immediately thought sounded like a wounded rabbit coyote call. Turned around to see a massive hawk pick up a rabbit and carry it away across the park. I guess it doesn't sound as funny writing it out but I died laughing for some reason!

Hope you all had a great week and welcome home Matt and Aaron from the home ward! 

Love Elder Cox