Week 58

Hello Everyone :D

Yes I told you you had nothing to complain about with your cold! bc guess what!!!! it SNOWED!!!!!! just a little and then it hailed but IT SNOWED!!!!!!!!!!!

and we had a power out on Wednesday night so no heaters THAT WAS COLD we could see our fog breath inside like it was outside....

Last Monday we went to Waiotapu I think you saw L's photos. but I'll send you some more. 

I text J to go see him tonight but no reply yet. we'll see. we're going on exchange with the APs tonight so hopefully he's there haha. N is really keen on doing Family History so her and her husband will probably do that sometime this week. We found a new investigator last night on the street H, he said to come over. We had dinner at the B's last night and Opa (grandad) asked if I was a missionary and I said yes he said "I didn't think you were an Elder. Where was your companion when you slept here??" that's when it clicked that he thought I was someone else who stays with them hahaha. Sis B asked if you were the bishop Dad, someone from Aus had been visiting. 

We had an amazing lesson with Sis D, she said she didn't understand the atonement so we read Alma7:11-13 Here. but sister D usually keeps reading so she finished the chapter with us. but anyway she got to v14-15 (14 Now I say unto you that ye must ^arepent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

 15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth ^abeset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.) and she said (I think it was to herself but I heard) "I wouldn't mind being baptised" so we continued reading and after we had finished reading and explained everything I brought it up, and she said that she had been thinking about it but she had some things she wanted to sort out (smoking) so we said we would help her quit and set her for baptism on the 15 of August. so Wed hopefully Elder Tibbits (ZL) and I  will be doing the stop smoking thing with her (bc he knows it quite well). And Bro B said he would pop by in the week and see how she was doing.

I went on an exchange with Elder Tibbits on Sat morning that was good we had an awesome studies. I noticed something in Ether when the Lord spoke to the brother of Jared "Go to work" (Eth 2:16).Here. We found them 3 new investigators. One asked "so what's the Book of Mormon" and we thought they were going to pull a 'don't add' but they said (it was a couple) yeah the Bible doesn't have everything, we'd love to read it. and what made it even more of a miracle it was some guy we stopped on the street to talk to who said 'I'm busy' we asked if he knew anyone who would be interested in hearing a message and he said "go see my sister she lives there." that never happens hahaha

It's Elder Tuiaki. no stitches just butterfly tape. (I spelt it wrong!)

@ TAYLOR By blue writing do you mean hyperlinks or what? complete, does that mean more details??? oh btw ~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR SATURDAY! :D ~~ 

Scriptures:

Isaiah 61:1 Here.

Jacob 1:8 Here.

Love you

Elder Cox

From P-day activity last week.

Elder Glass, Elder Gilmour, and Elder Cox. (Reilly)

Reilly, Elder Nikau, and Elder Glass.

A member's adorable little boy, 

who fell asleep during FHE.

It SNOWED, then hailed!!!

(This looks like the hail.)

Leaving messages!

More messages.

And even more messages!

Week 57

Hi Everyone :D

It was sad to hear about President Packer on Saturday. N said that the same thing happened on his mission A few of the apostles all passed away in a short amount of time. that means there will be 2 new apostles at next conference (I assume they'd be called by then)

Elder Vaili is 20, so still no comp younger than me hahaha. We've been trying to find a dentist to do his root canal. earliest we got was 15 July so next week by the looks.

J's kids have been sick so he said it was best we didn't go over, but I've been working out with him and his brother at the gym in the morning and he said today he wants to get a time for us to come over. He was at church on Sunday too! 

Well we saw Sis D again and she wants to quit smoking so we're going to try help her with that, Bro B (HP group leader) knows her form when her son was on a mission and so her household had Home teachers because J (her son) is a member. anyway he went and talked with her too and bc it's school holidays now and Bro B is a teacher we're hoping to set something up. 

I went on Exchange with Elder Gilmore this week, that was pretty fun haha We had a mean lesson with their investigator; a member's friend who had some questions about what happens after we die so Plan of Salvation was the perfect lesson and they were keen on learning more!

We saw S and A this week, they invited us to have dinner with them on Wednesday we haven't caught them in a long time so it's good that they're back on the radar. 

We had a heap of referrals this week to contact but none of them were interested.... but at least we got some referrals, that was nice to have.

 N got confirmed by D (her husband) on sunday :) yay!!!!  

@DAD yes, lesson learnt i'm not lending my bike out anymore....

Photo:

This is what happens when you play touch inside the hall and you run across the concertina doors with your head. ouch.....

Love you all,

Elder Cox.

Elder Toanki after playing touch in the hall

and colliding with a concertina door.

And a close up!

A family that feed the missionaries a lot.

The stone they broke while chopping wood.

His words...."Must be all that going to the gym!"

Week 56

Hi Everyone :D

No I didn't freeze much last week.

N's baptism was good, I played the piano, and talked. No her confirmation is this sunday, it was stake conference yesterday. Sis D is finally enjoying the book of mormon after we convinced her to read the intro so she could understand more about it. We haven't seen J, we want to see him tonight. We got some referrals this week from the LA so I guess they're the ones to go to. We helped that lady's nephew? I think (that stopped us) hook up a horse cart he lives down the st a little. Elder Vaili's from Savaii.

Stake conference was good, Elder Nielsen spoke. we sung hymn#98 at the adult session and he said "they're dual purpose missionaries! they can teach and they can sing!" (I played 2 verses and 2 were acopella) and all the members from fairy springs ward "you can play Elder Cox?!?" Elder Nielsen is very good and explaining the scriptures and making them come alive. he was speaking about Mark 4 and how the Saviour had been teaching all day and he finally found a pillow (he made that quite humorous)  to sleep and the storm and the disciples came and woke him up "What would you or I have done if someone had woke us up?" and he continued sharing his message about the story but I'm not going to write it all bc that will take too long.

@ DAD Yes some youths we were talking with rode our bikes. (He needed to get his wheel re-aligned, and his Dad asked "Why?")

Scripture

Romans 12:2, 21 Here.

Love you all

Elder Cox

District Activity.

Writing in the sand.

Week 55

Hi Everyone :D

Yes we can wear beanies, yes I have a beanie, no I don't wear it haha (I asked him can they wear beanines, seeing his maximum temperature some days this week will only be 8c)

No holes in the jumper. make it dirty to clean it??? that makes total sense..... I'll give it a go. no I didn't satck - i'm to good to stack my bike now i've been riding 1 year :P (Last week his jumper got caught in the wheel of his bike, just told him a way to try and get the grease off it)

Elder Niu'unga left I got Elder Vaili from Samoa - another islander haha  

a bit about the new district;

Elder Glass is with Elder Tuiaki (tongan from utah) 

Elder Gilmore is training Elder Kinau (from Australia fairfield stake haha) and E.Gilmore is the DL too 

Elder Ioteeba is with Elder Fili (Yes elder Fili again)

ZL are Elder Noa and E. Tibbits 

Sis Frederick is training Sis Vailea (from tonga)

I played the piano at sis D's volunteer work - an old people community centre haha they enjoyed it. N is all good to go. We had a pretty cool exp when we were biking in the street (E. Niu'unga was still here) and this woman just stops her car and asks us if we're the mormon missionaries and if we can come over some time. 

Taught sunday school this week trying to get youth to participate in a lesson is like pulling teeth esp when they have smart phones..... was I ever that bad?? (He was never that bad!! He didn't have a smart phone!! hahaha)

We're climbing a mountain for p'day apparently so should have some good photos next week.

have some photos from the past week.

Love you all

Elder Cox 

Ice on the ground still at 11am.

Look Mum...No hands!!

And Elder Niu'unga can do it too!

Elder Tuaki and Elder Nui'unga.

Elder Niu'unga saying goodbye 

before he was transferred.

Reilly and his new companion Elder Vaili.

Week 54

Hi Everyone :D

This weeks been alright. No news about transfers, as always :P  We had FHE with J on Monday and they loved it, surprising enough he knows the primary songs... so I don't know what's stopping him from being baptised, he seems to have a decent knowledge of things and he has nothing against the church. and then we had dinner with them as well.
no H hasn't set another date :/ and yep N is all good, with it at first I think she was a little disappointed about not being able to get baptised in a river, but it looked like she thought about it and realised it doesn't really matter where we get baptised as long as it's water. Sister D is a tough one hahaha she is very .... stubborn (like most catholics I suppose haha :P) but she is willing to keep commitments just not baptism  

 We helped the G Family move some more this week too after they fed us smoked fish for dinner.

Photo below is what happens when you hang your jumper off your bag and the wheel decides to grab it .... any suggestions on how to get rid of the chain grease from the jumper, I soaked it washed it... 

Ether 14:23 - Here. Rotorua....hehehe (Because of the sulphur thermals!)

Love you all :D

Elder Cox

Reilly's District.

Week 53

Hey Everyone :D

Week was good, met N who was happy that we we believed that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are separate beings. H felt like it was too fast so we haven't set another baptismal date with him. N asked if she could be baptised in a river. (not sure if I told you) so we asked Pres and he said no haha (that wasn't a surprise tbh) We helped 2 member families move on saturday service for the week hahaha. Then on the way to church our WML asked if we could take gospel principles so we taught that and then there was no Elders Quorum Presidency there either so we got asked to teach that too bc the High Priests were doing something so we couldn't combine. Sis D (one of our investigators) almost came to church but she didn't, at least she's still reading scriptures. hopefully tonight we have a FHE with J. 

Today we did outdoor laser tag for P'day it was heaps of fun :D so yeah 

Pres Rudd quote:

"Anyone who regards the Sabbath as a day of rest isn't very active in the church"

Scriptures:

Ether 2:14 - Here. don't forget to pray.

Mormon 9:14 Here. - if you're unhappy living the gospel don't think it will be any different in the celestial kingdom.

Not much to say so that's all for this week

Love you all

Elder Cox

Photos from laser tag.

More laser tag.

Week 52

Hey Everyone :D

This week was awesome we didn't get out too much having the Zone conference all Tuesday and Mission conference all Saturday and Church sunday, too many meetings hahaha.

This was a Frozen week, literally. We put a yoghurt tub with water in it outside over night and half of it was frozen in the morning (pics) and the frosts hahaha Elder Niu'unga thought it was snow "Is that snow??!?" HAHA but I guess he's never seen frost before either being from Tonga and all, and we could even see our breath INSIDE the flat!!! 

Zone Conference we all went to Pres B's and no Dad I didn't lay down. I was smart tho bc even tho everyone thought it was freezing I wore a short sleeve so I would have to get out of everything to get jabbed. (He got his flu shot. He usually feels dizzy or faints when he gets needles...it's just how his body reacts!) We were with Tauranga zone as well so I got to catch up with Elder Morley. I got the package you sent. President is good, we all love his sense of humour. He talked about the greatest thing he could teach us as our Mission President is to live by the Spirit. 

Mission conference was amazing. yes I got to see Elder Pinono and Sister Inia and Sister Snow. Elder Pinono says hello (he was very adamant that I got that message to you ok hahahaha he told me like 5 times to say hello to you and Dad)  We only got to shake Elder Cook's hand as we went past. He did it at the start of the meeting, he wasn't expecting so many of us but he said he wanted to shake all our hands. And Taylor, guess what, he said he assigns missionaries to Mission Presidents not missions or countries haha you could see Pres Rudd was very happy about that after he said it haha 

Now I'm not sure if he was your boss, but the name rang a bell so did you work with Paul Coward Dad?? bc he was one of the seventy who spoke at the conference. He gave us counsel to Love our companions, the people we serve, our mission president and his wife, and to love the Lord. he spoke about some more things too but my note book is in the flat. Elder Cook invoked a powerful blessing at the end which we were all very grateful for. 

It was sad to hear about Elder L.Tom Perry dying, I thought he looked quite healthy but it seems like the Lord needs him on the other side.

13 degrees isn't cold Mum..... hahahahaha :D I'm still cheeky I know

We went Site seeing for P'day today (hence the late email) so have a bunch of photos :P 

Scriptures:

1 Nephi 3 Here. and 4 Here. How the tried to get the Brass plates. 

Attempt 1: chance and did not seek the Lord's advice despite it being a commandment from Him. did not get the plates (chap3 v10,11).

Attempt 2: made a plan but still failed to include the Lord, used their own logic, ie the wisdom of man. did not get the plates (chap3 v22-26)

Attempt 3: Were led by the Spirit and received the plates (chap4 v6,7,18)

lesson to learn; include the Lord in you plans and Live by the Spirit and you will have success

1 Nephi 5:21-22 Here. (don't know if i've already sent this) Scriptures are desirable and of great worth :)

Love you all 

Elder Cox

Catching up with friends at conference with 

Elder Cook, one of the Twelve Apostles.

Elder Pinono and Reilly.

The frozen water they left outside overnight.

How much ice was in the container.

Frost!!

Where he went for P-day today.

More of the lake.

Looking from a different angle.

Reilly and some of his district. 

"Look what I found!!"

The back of the Ute.

Reilly and other Elders again.

His friend from home, Elder Glass, 

who was called to the same mission, 

and now they get to see each other on P-days.

More of the lake.

"Badge in the sand" photo.

If you can call it sand!

All the badges of the missionaries in the district.