This Just Keeps Getting Better...

Why hello everyone! I bet you're all wondering, "Where in the world (okay, not the world) is Sister Cox? Well, I don't know how I got so blessed but I'm actually serving in NAUVOO!!!, which is part of the Iowa Des Moines mission.

 

When we got off the plane on Wednesday, Mission President Jergensen and his wife, met us and we drove to the mission home for dinner and a testimony meeting.  After dinner I thought I could just slip under the radar since this technically isn't my mission; but nope, they had all the visa waiters stand up so it is known to the world and that's what all 8 of us are classified as..."the visa waiters". It's was fun though and they're happy to have us. 6 of us are waiting to go to Brazil and 2 are going to Argentina. Word on the street is I'll be here for at least 2 transfers, so at least until the end of the summer and probably into September.  It was amazing.

  

The next day (Thursday) we met our companions. I'm in a trio! Sister Thompson is our trainer, she only has 2 transfers left :( She's from Spokane, WA and is sweet and funny and a hard worker. Sister Call is being trained with me but was actually called to this mission.  She's from Star Valley, Wyoming. They are AWESOME. I love my companions so much. We all get along really well and we all add something different to the companionship.

We drove 2 hours to our new home after transfer meeting. We will be living in Carthage, IL, in the attic of an old Baptist lady named Mama Joy...she is so sweet.  And since there is absolutely nothing here, we slept. There are no light switches in the house, just knobs and strings to turn lights on and you get motion sickness walking around too much because our floors are like little hills! There are also vents in the middle of the floor, it's funny. 

My new address is:

632 1/2 Locust Street

Carthage, IL 62321

Yes, it's a half...not a joke!!!

 

We had our first dinner appointment Thursday night and it was the normal chicken and green beans and Jell-O but then we got offered shark for the next time. Interesting! It is very country here...dirt roads, we get lost a lot, and EVERYONE has a dog. So my first experience on the mission was feeding a member's 2 dogs spray cheese. Funny town I tell ya...This is such a tiny town and I was a bit shocked when we first got here but the people are so kind and made the new Sisters feel really welcomed. I truly do love it. 

 

Here are a couple phrases I've learned so far:

 

1) Farsee: this is a way of giving directions. Someone will say "it's a couple farsees down that way" and it literally means as far as you can see. Hilarious.
 
2) Couplefew: an amount of an item. No one really knows how much a couple few is...no one...but it's some amount.

 

We will be doing a lot of service in our mission because in this town, either all of the people are members or they already know about the church and want nothing to do with it. This is historically where Joseph Smith was murdered in 1844 at Carthage jail.  Some tension and animosity that built up in the past against the church still lingers. But it's gotten much better over time.

 

So on Saturday we were able to go to Missouri for service! My first time. I'm excited to say that I have already been in 3 different states in the first 3 days of my mission. Impressive huh? Kidding, I just think it's cool. We wore the yellow Mormon Helping Hands smocks and did some tornado clean up. It was great, but HOT!! My allergies have been killing me here-just like home so nothing new for the summer. But again it's great :)

 

There were tons of trees that got knocked down so people chain-sawed them and we carried them up to the street or just made piles for them to burn. We have an awesome district and some great Elders and Sisters ready to work hard. Most of them have all been out for a while, there's 9 of us in my district and they are all gems.

 

There are SO many bugs here because we're right on the Mississippi River so I'm adjusting to that while getting eaten alive every night. There are tons of dogs as well and I don't think we've been to a house yet where there wasn't a dog. And there are more things on the road than cars so that's funny...this city girl is just out of her element for this small town but I'm adjusting. It's not about me though and I love it!! I usually just laugh because everything here is foreign to me.

 

Also exciting - we get to help out with the Pageant here this summer! So if any of you lovely people at home are planning on making the trip, I will most likely see you. I am loving it here, I have amazing companions and even though it's not Brazil, I know I'm here for a reason.

This next week I'll be sad that I'm not home to celebrate 2 important days with my family! Mom-HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY on Friday! I love you! I wouldn't be where I am today without you and can't thank you enough for your support throughout my life and now especially on my mission. I wish I could be there with you to celebrate - but how about I teach the gospel instead? :)

And Dad-HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! I am continually grateful to have a Father like you who is always there for me. I can't thank you enough but I will continue to try.

I love you all so much! I'll keep you posted on my happenings.  Just know that I am so happy and so grateful and humbled to be placed here during a most exciting time in Nauvoo! Til next week...

 

Sister Cox