Hermana Courtney Cox Argentina Mendoza Mission 2013-2014: May 19, 2014 ¨just because everything´s changing doesn´t mean it´s never been this way before....¨‏

I have decided as of late that I am learning to love the word CHANGE.

For lots of reasons. But first, the biggest changes:

We got transfer calls last night, and as expected...I am leaving Dorrego. Having Presidente warn me a couple weeks early didn´t exactly soften the blow... but change will be good, and Hermana Cooley is coming to take my spot (i called it :)) so I will rest assured knowing that Dorrego is in good hands with her and Hermana Enos.

I am headed to Urbana B. Valle de Uco. Which is the same zone as where I started when I got here to Argentina. The Hermanas in Tunuyán are the hermanas we´re over, so I might be able to do a couple of exchanges there! My comp is Hermana Hales... and she´s my first comp that has more time in the mission than me/wasn´t in the MTC with me. Big changes, and I am off to the MOUNTAINS! Urbana is seriously GORGEOUS, and I will be able to HIKE again! (I´m looking for all of the good to keep my brain from remembering how frigidly cold it is there.)

This past week was a crazy one... yeah, i know, I say that every time I think. But seriously we´ve been working hard. I hope that all of you enjoyed Hawaii for me, I was praying you´d send some of that sunshine our way, and turns out it worked. Today at least I can´t see my breath. I can´t wait to see pictures and hear all about it!

This week we´ve really been working on getting all of people ¨prepped¨ for baptism.

*Mauricio and Ivana are GOLD. we talked about the priesthood yesterday and he´s super excited. He is already like a member, and will be a HUGE addition to the ward. He finished the Book of Mormon and is making awesome progress with Doctrina y Convenios. It was hard saying bye to them, but they assured me that they are in this for the long haul! Seeing them get married was a HUGE miracle, and I feel so blessed to have been able to work with them. It wasn't so much of a goodbye as it was a ¨See you later¨. I KNOW that is true.

*Tonight we are going to have a ¨mini testimony meeting¨with Camila, Sofía and their parents...to set a fecha and help the entire family to be more involved in their decision to be baptized. THEY taught US a couple lessons this week, and are seriously full of light and desires to be missionaries themselves someday! They too have assured me ¨We´ll see each other in the Celestial Kingdom. ¨!

*Gisela, the girlfriend of one of the jóvenes that´s preparing for a mission has come to church the last 3 weeks, she couldn't listen to missionaries before because she wasn´t 18 and her grandma didn´t approve.. .but she turns 18 next week and is as good as in the water.

The testimonies of the youth here amaze me!!

*We found several new and amazing families this week! The hermanas are going to have their hands full of miracles here in Dorrego.

I´ve been thinking a lot lately about changes. I was reading in the 4th missionary, and honestly some of the things in there literally have changed the course of my mission, and really, my life.

It´s amazing to think back on the last week, the last transfer, the last year (and a little)... and think about the ways that things have changed.... things back home, things in the mission, the lives of the people I meet, the people who come to know the gospel. But more than anything, the change that i´ve seen in myself. Sometimes it´s hard to really measure changes in yourself... because as things change day to day, we just become accustomed to it.

But I´ve thought a lot about how change really is the purpose of this life.... it´s the purpose of this gospel. It´s such a necessary part of our progression... our eternal potential... to be able to change ourselves from bad to good, good to better...and ultimately become like our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. The Atonement is such an essential part in assuring that those changes are not only superficial, but that they are real, lasting, and cause a sincere change in our hearts.

It´s amazing to me the way the Lord can work with his children... each so specifically according to their needs... and many times it is through ways we didn´t even know we needed. What we think we need, and what the Lord knows we need are often different things... But he works WITH us to show us our weaknesses, call us to Him, and test, try, and refine us until we see eye-to-eye.

I love this gospel. I know that it changes lives. I see it every day. As a missionary I often realize that I, Hermana Cox, do NOT have all the answers... but the Lord, sí. We are so blessed to have such a loving Heavenly Father who has provided with a perfect plan, and all the necessary tools to be able to guide us step-by-step along that path. I know God lives, Jesus is the Christ. That Lord hears our prayers, he knows us, our strengths and our weaknesses. He loves us the way we are... but too much to leave us that way. He knows our potential, our eternal goals. And He has given us what we need to reach them.

What are we willing to change?

I love you all so much!

Hasta pronto.