New Year, New Assignment.....

So yesterday was Monday, and normally that means missionary mail, however, this week, just these words, 'Hey mom, I don't have time to explain this whole week, but it was good.'  He did reply in the affirmative that he was being transferred, but, didn't have time to talk.  According to the missions FB page this just a little of what 'a good week' means....

They had a visit from Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve. This is what the mission looks like when they are all together.....

^Anyone up for a game of  'Wheres Waldo', Elder Cox edition?

President Mullen, the Mission President has invited us to participate with the mission in reading the Book of Mormon in the next 6 weeks.  Challenge accepted at the Cox house and we invite each of you to join us in that!

At this time I haven no idea where he is being transferred to, will update all of you as soon as I have more info!

To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart. ~Phyllis Theroux

So I am looking for fun ideas of things to send to Mike, letter, packages..... and thought I would share a few of my favorites...... and advice that I have picked up and thought I would share with anyone who is writing to him, or thinking of writing to him.

Things to ask about ·           The work ·         Their schedule ·         The culture ·         Their  experiences ·         Who are they teaching? ·         When they tell you about an investigator, follow up and ask about them	Things to share ·         Insights you’ve gained in the scriptures, seminary or Church lessons ·         Testimony building experiences you’ve had ·         News about mutual friends who are also serving missions	Things to avoid ·         Asking how many baptisms they have had ·         Don’t complain or criticize  if  they have not written back to you ·         Mentioning problems that arise at home.  There are some problems they should know about, but many that would only distract or worry them unnecessarily
Good things in small packages ·         Missionaries love receiving thoughtful packages but make sure to honor the guidelines of their mission ·         Remember to keep your  gifts simple.  Include an extra item for their companion	Messages from Family and Friends ·         Tell them the important things that are happening in your life with school, family, and the gospel. ·         Encouraging, friendly, non-romantic letters ·         You can help them focus on the work of the Lord with uplifting letters and reassurance that they are where they need to be.	·         Avoid gossip stories or what party you went to last week ·         Do not write “I love you”  “I miss you”  “I can’t wait to see you again"..this is very distracting. ·         Avoid romantic allusions

so now, on to the 'fun' stuff!!!

"Open When..." Letters!

If you don't know what Open When letters are they are letters you write ahead of time and label then "Open When..... (fill in occasion)"

A couple of my ideas were:

-you are sick

-need encouragement

-the weather is bad

-you are home sick

-miss me

-you need a pump of patriotism

-you need to be uplifted

-you get a baptism

-you need a good laugh

-you have 6 months left

-its the last day of your mission

The only question will be if he can be disciplined enough to not open them all at once!!!!

and I am going to put mine in homemade envelopes! 

Setting this up at our house what a great idea!

Blow up a balloon, write your letter in marker, deflate, pop in mail, voila!

Send a small package in a soda pop bottle, I have the how to's if you like, or check out the missionary board on pinterest!

Write your letter on the back of a small puzzle, take it apart and send it off, great activity for a p-day

New year, new start.....and things to share with you!

We got to hear him singing Christmas carols with his zone, that was a fun treat!  We also got to talk him on Christmas day, while I loved every second of it, I missed him terribly for the next few days.

 Just an FYI for you future missionary moms, the call is a bitter-sweet blessing.. 
But look at that smile!  He is so happy to be there, and is working hard!

The following pictures are from a zone conference November 2013

Dad I thought you would especially enjoy this one, notice his mouth....

 

Happy Birthday to Mike, tomorrow!!!  He just found out that he is getting transferred  and while I know how much he loves the people he has worked with and served, I am so excited for the new adventures that await him.  

So Potlatch Idaho, personally I have never heard of it before so here is the results of my initial google-ing:
Potlatch is roughly 75 miles south of Spokane, just north of Moscow, Idaho.  

Potlatch is a city in Latah County, Idaho, United States, located about 6 miles east of the Idaho-Washington state border, in the north central part of the state. Wikipedia

Area: 274 acres (111 ha) Population: 812 (2012)

Population 812, 812!  That makes it smaller than Parowan, so from the big city to the small town, he should feel right at home, can't wait to here all about next week!  This is a copy of his email, so please don't blame for the spelling, grammatical  and other errors that may, or may not exist in the following:

OK DOKAY soooo. i leave for Troy and Potlatch Idaho i leave tomorrow at like 8:30. so well this week was pretty slow and i forgot my planner to tell you all what happened specifically.  the missionary shirt idea is doing really well here and i am sad that i cant see it grow to it's full potential. Momma gave me another lavalava and a hawaii towel and a cool necklace. i am  going to go say goodbye to all my peeps and then for my B-day i leave Moran Prairie. my new comp is Elder Bobo. i havent met him yet but i heard that this was his last transfer. i love you all and as of this day there are only 19 1/2 months. ill see you all then love ya.

Elder Cox

Oh and a word of caution to the people of Idaho, Mikes new area is a car one, so he will be behind the wheel of a car, and hopefully walking. A lot.  

Between his busy life and my busy life and our crazy schedule here at home, there either hasn't been time for Mike to update us, or time for me to update the blog.  So here goes nothing.......

Not sure of all of the names of these amazing young people, but Mike, Elder Kelley, and Elder Wong are in this group, Mike on the far left, Elder Kelley on the right , and Elder Wong chilling on the floor.  (Elder Kelley has been called to serve somewhere in Argentina, and was only with them for a little while.)

For a brief glimpse into the life of my missionary, may I present the following video for your viewing.......enjoyment?  It is as usual Mike eating something, and the rest of us have no idea why he thinks it is a good idea......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1j-CRRLVHE&feature=youtu.be


I had a discussion about what 'treats' to send these three elders, more because I didn't know what Elders Wong and Kelley enjoyed, Hannah's response, they will eat anything, obviously, that she gives them. (at least anything that she gives Mike.)

He has had two baptisms I will update correct names and dates when I have the letters sitting in front of me.

This first picture was taken in Sept, I think.....

This is Jan, she was baptized just last Saturday, Oct 12,2013.  Mike said that the day before and the morning of her baptism they had some training meetings.  When the Saturday meetings were over they went to fill the baptismal font and there was no hot water, they tried again, still no hot water. They formed a hot water brigade between the kitchen and the font, but any of you who know the size of the fonts know that it was a futile effort.  Poor Jan was baptized in a chapel, and can still tell stories of being baptized in very, VERY cold water.


I think I mentioned in an earlier post that Mike has been living with Brother Fletcher in Spokane, and while I don't know the story behind this, I do know that all of Brother Fletchers Elder say beep beep, as in the Road Runner, so here you go.....

and I think maybe the most disturbing image I have seen to date, besides the accident pictures in June, of course is this one....

Can you believe they let Mike drive?  In Spokane???  (just kidding, sort of.)  (Insert smiley face here)

Mike is doing so well, every letter  and email home is positive and he talks about new people he has met, different service projects he has been involved with.  It is amazing to see my same sweet, dorky, lovable boy, but also see the growth in him, guess he really hasn't been my 'boy' for a while, but is truly growing into one of the most amazing men I have been privileged to know.  

His birthday is coming up quickly, it will be difficult to be away from him, but wouldn't want him anywhere other than where he is right now!!!  If you would like to add to the birthday box, let me know.  And he love mail, as do all missionaries,  So feel free to write or email  him at the following, just to say hello, or to ask questions about the work he is doing?

michael.cox@myldsmail.net     or    

 Elder Michael Cox

644 Richard Allen Ct

Spokane WA 99202

Highlights of the last two weeks!

Feeling like a little bit of a slacker, sorry last week was crazy here.  Will attempt to highlight the best of the last two weeks for everyone today.

First order of business, Brother Fletcher recorded Mike opening his 'care' package:

Love this!!!!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4498173712736&set=vb.1842204838&type=2&theater

There are still more stories trickling in from his crash, if you have a story would you please message it to me, then we can add it to the others!

Elder Felshaw is stuck with him for another 6 weeks or so, his address is the same as well.  They have several investigators they are teaching and one with a baptism date set.  They had the opportunity to give a blessing to one of the investigators who was in the hospital.  He says things are going well and is still so happy to be out, and excited about the things he is doing.

He has found a new hero, for those of you that REALLY know Mike, this won't come as a shock, but his name is Hank Smith, he is Luke in the following clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-cVTeW29eo

I knew that since he was staying in the states and not going foreign we wouldn't have to worry about him being hungry or eating strange foods, not that I have found much he won't eat, but it is good to see that the members in Spokane are taking such good care of him.  This is so gross!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ijh9ZvLWMxA#at=15

So as you can see, life is pretty much normal for Elder Cox.  Until next week, stay happy, stay healthy and remember we love you!!!

 Just in case anyone was wondering, we, I, did not send a letter last week, as I was a little upset at the having to wait to hear the 'rest of the story'.  I did however, send a care package.  It was not a  nice 'hope you feel better soon' package, it was more of a ' really, that's all you have to say' kind of package.  On top was a get well card, my only hand written note said 'Don't do this again!  Love you!"  On the bottom was a set of training wheel he could attach to his bike to keep it upright from now on, if I had had the time I would have run to Cedar City and found a set with pink and Disney princess on it, he was saved from that much embarrasement! ;)

Stuffed in the middle were the following item with a tag attached that read:

Airheads            you are one
Smarties             please let them rub off
Dora Bandaids   were you lost?  Do you need a map? 
Look bar             Look out!
Ace bandage       to wrap around your poor face and hold it in place while it heals
crunch bar          your poor face
toilet paper         to sleep on, soft for his face.  (lame I know)
Capn crunch       his new nickname
instant oatmeal  were they in hurry because they were late?  Maybe this could help next time.
chicken noodle soup  because it makes everything feel better
hersheys kisses   magic mommy kisses (what they would ask for when they were little with scrapes
                            and bumps)

I really have no idea where he gets his quirky personality from, obviously not his mom!  ;)

Drum roll please.......... his letter arrived, it was a bike accident, and while I know the details of the story, I don't want to publish what I know just yet.  Apparently, he has taken a page from his dad, and anyone else that received letters this week, heard a slightly different version of the story.  So if you did in fact receive a letter, please post your story below so we can all compare notes on what happened.  He did knock himself out, he even forgot he was on a mission for a second.  I personally think that there are much easier ways of getting out of a little work.  They were forced to drive the car for a week as he was under Dr's orders not to ride the bike, and there was no heavy manual labor, so no service projects. 

I know he is feeling better because he sent a second letter, well maybe a note is a better word.  They don't know what to cook and night and could I please send recipes.  Figures that he only misses me for my cooking.  ;) 

He informed us that while he was at the MTC he was in the choir, of course, and that he was the only who sang while doing a handstand, why am I not surprised?!?  Z was that something you taught him?  Should we blame that on All State choir maybe?

He misses  helping with summer theater, and hopes we all break a few legs there, as well as the cast of the upcoming show at PHS. 

He says that mail from home would be great and there are a few of you he hopes to hear from soon, if not I am to 'go and punch you in the face'.  Please write, I really love you all too much to punch you!  (Phillip, this may or may not have been meant for you specifically!)

Other than the obvious bumps and bruises he is still happy and excited about the work he is doing, which makes it much easier to have him gone.  He passes on his love to everyone, so if you are reading this know that someone in Spokane loves you and thinks of you!

I spoke too soon......

Not the kind of pictures a mom wants to see in her email. All I know is he didn't have to go to hospital, no idea what happened. He said the story wad in my letter, so while I wait I thought you all should wait with me. (thank you!)

First letter from Spokane.....

First letter from Spokane arrived on Sat. He loves it there, and thinks it is beautiful. He is so really happy with his trainer. Elder Felshaw 'is cool'. He is serving in the Moran Prairie ward with two sets of Sister missionaries. He loves the people and sounds so happy and excited to be there. Will post pics later this week. The mission boundaries changed today, not as drastically as I had thought. The mission borders only changed on the western edge in Washington state. Excited for him and to hear about the adventures awaiting him.

No letter today, but, I did get a surprise phone call from a distant Mitchell cousin, Barbara. She lives near Michael and also has missionaries in her home. Her missionaries share a car with Mike and his companion so she has seen him a couple of times in the last week he has been there. Such a small world! Hope we hear from him next week! Thank you all for your support, it means so much to know he is in your thoughts and prayers!

He made it!!! Look at all of those Sisters!!! Only 749 days to go!

Flying away!!

Today was the big day, he left the MTC! We know he was at the airport sometime around 11-11:30 because I was the lucky recipient of a phone call from Rendall Seely, aka Joseph. He bumped into Mike and about 30 other missionaries heading out this morning. Learning to look forward to these wonderful missionary moments ! He is excited to get out into the field and get to work, he mentioned the choir in his letter, not sure if he sang with them, but would not surprise any of us if he did. He informed us the guys in his zone make up songs and raps, sure that that is something that they love hearing in the halls. In true Micheal fashion his favorite story is a little on the 'no you didn't! side' and when he gets home he can tell you the story. He is happy and sooo excited, it rubs off all the way through the mail in his letters. Hope we hear from him next week but not sure what his schedule will be with the transfer.

Letter written on day 4 at the MTC!!

He is learning lots and has a few growth moments.  It is official, he is the youngest elder in his district, and his zone.  He is the senior companion and he and Elder Lu are the sacrament organizers for their branch.  Highlights of his first week, lessons on prayer and revelation, letters from home, and getting to talk to Elder Brett Adams.  ( I think talking to Brett was better than a letter from his mom, just saying!)

He is happy and excited, it is good to hear that in his letters, it makes the separation a little easier on the rest of us!! He will probably only be at the MTC another week or so, watch out Spokane, here he comes!

First letter arrived today!!!

Happy Birthday Matt, Harold and Grandpa Russell, sent out on your birthday!!!






He is doing well, said that the first day was 'quite a rush', and he felt like 'one of the guys'.  (Supernatural fans will get the second quote.) 

He shares a room with his companion, Elder Lu, and two other young men, Elders Williams and Howard.  His companion reminds him a lot of Fletcher, and was studying Music Theory at Harvard, yes our sweet Mike has been teamed up with a smart boy.  In the whole district only he and Elder Williams are 18, not sure how many are in his district, but still. He is excited and enjoying things, he hopes that he will settle in soon.

Contact information is in one of the earlier posts, he would love to hear from all of us!!! Emails are great, but we were told that the missionaries REALLY look forward to letters.

Only 727 days left!!!

Mikes email and MTC address, for those so inclined to write him!

Mike's email will be the same throughout his mission, so feel free to write this in ink. michael.cox@myldsmail.net

His address at the MTC, and he will only be here for a very short time, so write this one in pencil;

Elder Michael Alan Cox
JUN17 WA-SPO
2005 N 900 E Unit 57
Provo UT 84604

Although he won't be at the office a sure way to get letters to him after he leaves the MTC is to send to the following address, which as the office is permanent, feel free to write in ink again.  :)

Elder Michael Cox
Washington Spokane Mission
820 S Pines Rd Ste 101
Spokane Valley  WA 99206-5420


While email is quick and easy for us, we were told that the missionaries look forward to those actual snail mail letters, so if we all send one that way once in a while, he would appreciate it!

 











759 days to go........
(give or take)

Yesterday was the big day, we dropped him off at the MTC.  There were SO many people, it was CRAZY.  It was also exciting to see so many young men and women who were excited about what they were doing, it made the whole thing a little easier.  Photos to come, can't wait to hear from Elder Cox himself, we will keep everyone posted!!!!