¡Greetings from Melo!
This will be the last time I can say that "greetings from Melo." I love my Melo with my whole heart. Can you believe it is changes AGAIN!? Why is time going by soooo fast?! Sunday night after conference, I received a call telling my that I am leaving Melo and for my last 2 changes, and I am going to train! I am going to train another oro! Oh my goodness I couldnt believe it. Last night, I found out where I will be serving my last 2 changes. My new area is PIRIAPOLIS! (Which happens to be Hna Coxs first area!) You have got to look it up online to see what it is like! My area is right along the beautiful ocean. It is the most beautiful place in Uruguay, so I have heard. I am beyond excited to train. Those were such fun times training my sweet Hermana Fuentes almost a year ago. I feel blessed that the Lord has enough trust in him to train another one of his valient missionaries. But, I dont think any area will be as beautiful as Melo. I will miss the people of Melo with my whole heart.
Love has been a topic of conversation between Hermana Cox and I. We have shed a few tears because of our separation. We were recalling back to when we got set apart and when we were oros, our first change here in Uruguay. Other missionaries told us that they loved the people so much. I honestly couldnt imagine loving these people. I mean, their culture is SO different, their food, clothes, and even their language! I could not even understand what they were saying! I could not even imagine loving a people so much. I remember praying with all of the energy of my heart the first few months of my mission to love these people of Uruguay. Now I can say that I love them. I really do. Its going to be a super hard day today saying goodbye to my dearest. I feel like a peace of my heart is being ripped out.
But, I do feel something special for Piriapolis. I know that their are people waiting for the gospel. I feel like it is calling my name. It will be yet another adventure in a whitewash training, but I will love every minute of it. Hermana Cox has such wonderful things to say about this area. President Cook wrote me this message this morning..."I think you will love your final assignment as you share your love, testimony and lessons learned in the mission with someone who will be looking to you for strength at every turn. See you soon. PC"
Conference was so wonderful, wasnt it? Our sweet investigator Maria del Carmen came. She loved every minute of it and afterwards, she told us that she felt fire in her chest. How blessed we are to have a prophet of God, a guide and a mouthpiece for us. Wasnt that so fun for one of the speakers to be from Uruguay! He is from Minas...my new zone! haha. Rocke came to the conference for all three sessions Saturday. It is so amazing! The members are showing so much love for him. His testimony that he shared the day of his baptism has touched everyones hearts! He has been so blessed physically and spiritually. He came to the conference dressed all nice in his new tie, white shirt, and shoes that the members gave him. The smile on his face was just priceless. For one of the first times in his life, he felt loved and important. Makes me so happy.
I must tell you all and mom, dont be too upset. Hna Cox and I have topped the list for the craziest things that we have eaten. Are you ready???? COWS STOMACH! haha. It was actually the stomach part, but the outer lining of the stomach. Sunday, before conference, we were eating at a members home and out they bring the food. They told us, "Dont worry, hermanas, it is not our next door cat or dog." Hermana Cox and I looked at each other a bit worried. I am sure you can imagine how the story went....haha
I am so grateful for you. I love my family with my whole heart.
I am so thankful for the many, bounteous blessings that Heavenly Father has blessed us with, Hermana Cox and I as well. I have seen His hand in our lives and especially in my mission. Just as our profeta testified in conference, we are His children and He knows us perfectly and individually. Hna Cox and I have had such a fun time this week, recording all of our Uruguayos testimonys on our cameras. It has been the most rewarding thing and we know that it will be a treasure for the eternities. Just to hear them express that they know that their savior lives and loves them and to hear them bear powerful testimony that this is the true church, and to hear the gratitude in their words for missionaries who found them, makes my heart sing. I have witnessed miracles here in Melo and have been completely changed because of them.
I love you!
Hermana Coon
Rocke, awesome man!
Our angels!
Andres´ house!
Our sweet hermanas.
Mispuros!!!! It is a fruit definitely unheard of in the states! They are so yummy!
Our lider misional del barrio! mission leader I think it the name in english! haha
Hermana Cox's letter to her family
Hi family!!!!
Well it is nice sunny spring morning here in Melo. The time has come for me to say goodbye to my beloved companion and best friend Hermana Coon. On, Sunday night, the assistants called our phone asking her if she would train this next change! I am so excited for her and super jealous of her oro. She has no idea what great experiences are in store for her. The assistants told us that we would knowMonday night where she would be training, along with the rest of the changes. It was nice of them to give us a heads up. But it doesn`t make this any easier. I can`t believe that we have been able to spend these last 4 months together. Oh how I love Hermana Coon! We have been through it all together. I know when I have found a great friend because they make me want to be a better person, and that is exactly what Hermana Coon has done for me. I love her so much and we will be best friends forever! We knew this change was bound to come. Last night, they called us to tell us that Hermana Coon will be training in Piriapolis!!!!! I am so jealous and excited! She will be ending her mission where I started mine. She will be able to meet all of the wonderful people there including Victoria!!!! I am so excited for her. It is the most beautiful place of all of Uruguay! She will be a wonderful trainer! I am staying here!!!! Yeah!!!!!! My companion will be Hermana Ramache. She is from my group but she will be ending with Hermana Coon because she is a latina and they are only in the ccm for 2 weeks. But I think she is from Columbia. I don`t know much about her but I know she is awesome! It is going to be a great change! Hermana Zelaya and Hermana Leiva are both leaving and we will be back to 4 hermanas in the ward again. Hermana Altamirano is staying and her companion will be Hermana Fragapani from Germany. She is Hermana Alvarado`s oro. So, it will be an interesting change. But we are really excited! These goodbyes are difficult though, and I am not even the one saying goodbye. Hermana Coon has changed so many lives here. It is incredible to see how many people are in mounring to see her go.
It has been a super crazy week! Tuesday morning, we headed out to 33 to do an intercambio with Hermana Johnson and Hermana Denos. I was with Hermana Johnson and poor girl, she is not doing well with her knees. We had to walk at snail`s speed the whole day and even take a few breaks to sit down because the pain was so bad. I don`t know how she does it. She has so much faith and never complains. She has been in area the majority of her mission because it is the smallest area in the mission. She is an incredible teacher and missionary! We are definitely praying for her.
That night we slept a few hours there and at 3:30 in the morning we took the bus from 33 to Montevideo for concilio. It was once again an incredible concilio! I feel like I am learning so much for the incredible leaders of the mission. Every time I leave, I learn things that I want to apply to be a better missionary and instrument in the Lord`s hands. I was able to accompany two elders singing an arrangement of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. It was fun to play again.
We made it back to our area late Wednesday night. On Friday, we did another intercambio with Hermana Zelaya and Hermana Leiva. I worked with Hermana Leiva in their area. It was a wonderful intercambio and it reaffirmed my conviction that Gianola really is the promised land.
GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!! Wasn`t that just amazing?!?!?! On the mission, going to the temple and watching general conference are like christmas!!!! It is the best! Oh how I loved conference! We were able to watch it in English. Saturday morning, they played a rebroadcast of the women`s meeting. WOW! So powerful! I went to conference seeking an answer to a specific question in prayer and it was answered word for word what I needed to hear in Pres. Uchtdorf`s talk at the end of the women`s meeting. At the end of his talk, I felt like he was talking directly to me. Incredible how that works.
Rocky came to all of the session of conference on Saturday. He even went back with one of the members to the Priesthood session at 9 that night. He was wearing church clothes that some members had given to him. He felt so special. He was just beaming. Maria del Carmen also went to the Saturdayafternoon session. We talked to her after and she said that she felt the spirit so strong. She described it as a fire in her chest and a peace and tranquility. She said she felt so great and knows that she needs to get baptized. She is reading more than what we left for her in her Book of Mormon to read. She is progressing really well. And we are hoping that she will be ready for baptism and stop smoking before the 18th.
Sunday before conference, we ate lunch with the Rodriguez family. They were the ones that gave us lunch on my birthday. We always love eating with them because they give us vegatables and prepare a really nice lunch always. It was Hermana Zelaya and Hermana Leiva`s turn to eat with them, and we were a bit bummed. But they called us Sunday morning telling us that they weren`t going to have time to walk all the way over to their house becuase they live in our area. So, we quickly and gladly told them that we would go for them instead. We ate so nice vegatable soup and then they brought out the plate of food. It was mashed potatoes and then a slab of ......i don`t know what. Their girls asked what it was but they told us to try it first before they would tell us. So we began to eat it and then they told us it was the outside of cow stomach. Mmmmmm. Mmmm. There was a lot of fat in it but the meat part of it was like lamb. Yeah, so that is a write home moment. We usually eat normal food but that was definitely a first........and a last now that I think about it.....At least I hope. I would rather not repeat that meal again. haha
Well this week, Hermana Herrera, Hermana Schaelling, Hermana Elmont, Hermana Neuffer, Hermana Flores and about 10 other hermanas will be retunring home. I can`t belive how time flies. It blows my mind because they are the group right ahead of me. Where has the time gone?
The Lord has blessed us immensely in these last 3 changes. No matter what happens no one can take away these incredible experiences that we have had together.I have never experienced such happiness like I have in these last 3 changes. I have seen miracles. I have seen people completely change their lives because of the gospel. I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for blessing me with the gospel in my life and for blessing me with such a wonderful family and wonderful parents. I was reminded once again in conference, of the wonderful blessings that we have as members of the church. I wouldn`t be where I am today if it were not for the incredible parents that I have that are perfect exmaples of true discipleship. I know that Christ lives. I know that this is His church and that He is directing this work. I am so grateful to be a missionary. I love you all! Have a wonderful week!!!!
-Hermana Cox :)
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