Mission 5% Completed

May 11, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

*Yay* 5% through! Well, I can't remember this week off the top of my head so I'll start with the days. 

5-4-15 Monday

I had my first church tour today. It was kinda fun actually. It was a really good way to explain who we are and a lot of what we believe. Later that night I went and ate dinner at another member's home. This member is a manager at the local O'Charlies and he's a REALLY good cook. He made us the best pastrami burgers I've had in a long time. They may have even topped JCW's pastrami burgers. I told him the reason why I'm serving a mission and he quoted me on FB. I told him "I feel the spirit stronger when I'm teaching people the gospel" and he was blown away at that. I've actually told several people that and they all seem to be extremely impressed when I tell them.

5-5-15 Tuesday

Last week on Wednesday, 6 days ago, we met a man and today we met with him again and got to talk to him with the Branch Pres. We found out today that we first met him the day he was released from prison. He tried to get into contact with his previous church and other churches and they all denied him. So far he says we're the only ones who said we'll accept him. I just think it's interesting how Elder Lynch and I met him the day he got out. 

5-6-15 Wednesday

I had a lot of good teaching experiences today. We ate out with Granny J again and she asked us if we worshipped Joseph Smith in temples. We clarified on that. We taught a man the Restoration and he accepted baptism. That makes 8 now. We found a less-active man who went to church when he was younger but he lost contact with the church when he moved. We been re-teaching him everything and so far we've seen him at church and other ward meetings. 

5-7-15 Thursday

I went on exchanges again today. I was in English, Indiana with Elder Rasmussen for the day. First we taught an atheist who would like to believe there's a God but can't because of all the bad things happening in the world. She had a million questions. We could have answered all of them but it would have taken 6 hours. She also confused us for Jehovah's Witness. (not the first time someone's done that) You'd like her yard, Dad. I took a couple pics. Elder Rasmussen also showed me a talk by Hyrum W. Smith. I don't know the name but it was about belief windows and how people think. Dad would love it. 

5-8-15 Friday

I had my first Zone Meeting today. It's different from Zone Conference. I got to participate in a meeting between the zone leaders and district leaders. I said a lot more than I thought I would. They were discussing disobedient missionaries and I was offering advice on how they could deal with them. After the meeting and later in the evening, Elder Lynch and I met an old Vietnam veteran who has high faith in Christ and is willing to hear more about our church. He invited us in for Dr. Pepper. Afterwards, we met probably one of the most interesting guys I've ever met. He said he wasn't going to listen to our message because he has his own faith, but he also said he knows what missionary work is like because he had a friend who did the same thing. He started offering money and food because he kept saying "I know how hard what you're doing is and if you need anything let me know now." We kept refusing but he kept pressuring us to allow him to help us. I finally said "Alright, here's something you can do for us. Answer me 1 question. Why won't you listen to what we have to say?" He answered with "time". Although he said he had his own faith earlier. We didn't really get anywhere with him but we did give him a BOM and he said he would read it. 

5-9-15 Saturday

We had a fun branch fund raiser today. It was an auction and they were auctioning off things ranging from guns to baked goods. I bought a $10 thing of amazing brownies and a $5 flute that a member of the branch makes out of her own bamboo trees.

5-10-15 Sunday

Today was Mother's Day. I got to talk to my family. It was really good and I didn't realize how much I needed that until after I hung up. During Church today, Elder Lynch and I were a part of every meeting. Elder Lynch gave a talk. We taught two Sunday school classes and we taught how to introduce the Book of Mormon in Priesthood. 

That's the week. If there are any subjects that I kinda leave abruptly, or if you want me to explain them more, just let me know. I kinda write these long emails fast without much editing/refining. 

Love Elder Benjamin Kohkonen Cox

Nice driveway in the woods

Here's an awesome drawing of Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove. I want a copy!

Brownies from the auction

Already 1/2 gone!

My apt

Every night...

April/May Zone Conferences 2015

Sister Brough: Yes, It's Zone Conference time...We started in the New Albany Zone on April 29th and finished in the Crestwood Zone on May 8th. The Missionaries of the GKLM have new ideas how to "TEACH" when you find and "FIND" when you teach. BETTER ways to get the members involved and HOW to be better planners.
We are "Preach my Gospel" Missionaries HERE in the GKLM!