7/31/2018 Insert creative subject line here...again

Hola todos!

Hope you have all had an awsome week! Mine was pretty solid again, I just learned that my email last week didn't send, sorry about that. Summer in on the wind down, so thats been nice, granted, its still 90+ degrees with 400% humidity, but hey, better than 100+...right? This email is definitely gonna be on the shorter side, we haven't had the chance to meet many new people, but I can talk about the new people in this area that we talk with!

First off, Darlene! Darlene is a super sweet lady in her 50's that lives in an assisted living home because of some mental trials, but she is hands down one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met and has an awesome testimony of the Gospel! She was baptized about a year ago, and so we get to go over and teach her a bit once or twice a week, but she calls us at least 3 times a day (to say good morning, good night, and usually once in the middle)! She just calls and tells us she loves us and asks what we're doing and stuff and I love it!

As for friends that we are teaching, we have the Erilus kids: Austin and Karma. Austin is 10, and is really nice, he likes youtube and cartoons and stuff (shocker) but is also really good at drawing. The best way to describe Karma is an exact copy of Zurry from the show Jesse (if any of y'all other than my little sister have seen that). She is super sassy and kinda "bossy", but all in a super cute way and she is absolutely hilarious. Their mom was baptized a few years ago, but got super busy and kinda forgot about the churh, she recently decided that she needs the blessings again, and wants her family to have that happiness the Gospel offers. Then we've got Ian who is a 23 year old who has recently hit a super tough point in his life, and heard about the Church and felt strongly he should talk with us. He talked with a member friend of his, and we got in contact. He is a super cool guy, who is honestly and truly looking to change his life and follow Christ and it is super inspiring! We have a few others, but I'll touch on them next week (this is getting kinda long for the "shorter side", haha)

I hope that y'all have been having a great time back home/wherever y'all are. Its crazy to thing I'm a few weeks off from my year mark, feels like I hopped on that plane last week, haha (I'm sure my mom feels much different). But in all honesty, this has been an absolutely amazing year! And I'm stoked I get to do this for another! Spending all your time and energy serving everyone you see is one of the most invigorating and fulfilling things I have experienced! And you don't have to be called as a "full-time missionary" to do it! I know I recommend this a lot, but it's just so darn true, and I can't stress it enough; if you ever feel down, or just want a boost of energy or joy, look around, and find an oppurtunity to serve someone! Like we learn from Mosiah 2:17 "When ye are in the service of your fellowbeings, ye are only in the service of your God" and then later on in 7:33 it is explained that "If ye will serve the Lord with all dilligence of mind, he will deliver you out of bondage"! So, if we serve others, we will be delivered from our bondage (stress, anxiety, fear, regret, anger, depression, etc.) It is a promis straight from God! Give it a shot! Love y'all! Have an awesome week! 

<3 Elder Fox

Bye Bye Boonies 7/17/2018

Hola everyone!

Hope you've all had another awesome week! Mine was absolutely incredible! We made some amazing progress with some people that I have been teaching since I first got to this area 3 months ago, and met some people that I am so stoked to teach...and I just found out I'm leaving tomorrow! :D Mixed emotions!!! But yeah, good times, I'm gonna talk about everyone anyway because I love them, and still care about them, but sadly will not be able to teach them.

We met a really amazing guy named Lazaro and his wife Indira. They have a few kids, and he is never not smiling, its awesome! We knocked on his door, and he was pretty interested, so we left him with a pamphlet. Next day, we saw his car, so we knocked, and he explained he read it! (note: this happens roughly 2% of the time, never in only a night). He then asked how he could get a Book of Mormon, we said we had one for him, and he was super stoked! He said he would read it, and ask if it was true, so yeah, really awesome guy. His wife was really cool too! And the kids were adorable.

We made some awesome steps forward with some people we have been teaching, but most impressive was Loaiza! Her daughter (age:16) met with missionaries and was baptized about a year ago. Loaiza has not been willing to promise to baptism, but has allowed us to come over and talk because she liked the spirit we brought! (or "feeling" in her words). Long story, short, she had a super tough week and went through a ton of crap, and found herself in a place where her last options was to pray for what she needs to do. She said all she could think about after that was us, so she asked us to come over the next day. She explained what she went through, and that she was ready to do whatever it takes to follow Christ! She is now preparing to be baptized on August 18!!! I am so stoked for her! 

So yeah, awesome stuff happened, and I'm pretty bummed I've got to leave it all behind, but I don't have a doubt in my mind that it should be any other way! The Lord really does micromanage His work, and the coolest thing is, that He can do the same with our lives, if we let Him. He is all-knowing, all-poweful, and all-loving...I think He's quite a bit more qualified to lead my decisions than I am, haha. One of my favorite verses from the Book of Mormon to date is 1 Nephi 1:20, which is a promise that the Lord is giving to all of us: "And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands". I feel like when He is saying "lands" he is talking about our situations/surroundings, and basically all of our life goals are to achieve a certain situation (well off monetarily, happy family life, etc.), and to achieve a goal we need a plan. But, think about it no matter what our goals, no matter how good of a plan we may make, we cannot take everything into account, our plans can never be perfect. But His always are! And He already has one made, just for us! And He's offering it to anyone willing to take it, and follow it. The only truly perfect plan that will cause up to end up in the best/happiest situation we could imagine (and then some)! It's AWESOME! Hope you all take the chance to look at the plan He has for you, and to ask what your next step is, LOVE Y'ALL!!! Have an awesome week!

<3 Elder Fox

PS: new address: 1545 Marden Ridge Loop, apt#306 Apopka, FL 32703

Happy America 7/10/2018

Hola todos!

I am so sorry for missing my email last week, I just lost track of time and totally spaced it, but not much has happened, so y'all ain't missing much, haha. And, it only makes sense that this week was quite a bit lower on the intesity scale. After how nuts the one 2 weeks ago was. Nothing super spectacular or crazy. We did meet some really cool people, but nothing very interesting really happened to me in specific. I hope you have all had a great week though! And an awesome 4th of July!

So, we met some really awesome people! One lady named Wendy was born Catholic, but she decided that she wanted to study on her own, and figure out what seems right to her. After a bit of Bible reading, she decided to look for a church that was closer to what the Bible taught. She didnt really find one she liked, so she just kind of became a non-denominational Christian, but has already discovered a lot of truth like families are eternal, priesthood authority is necessary, and paid positions in a church is not right. She was stoked to talk to us, and is really excited to keep meeting with us! We also met a guy named Shaun while helping one of our neighbors move. We heard she was moving in, and so we got some members to come help. And her buddy was there helping (Shaun), and he was blown away by the fact that we "walked the walk" and actually went out of our way to serve. He was pretty stoked to recieve a Book of Mormon, and figure it out himself if it is true. We also met a lady that was baptized around 20 years ago, but hasn't been to church in a loooong time. She was excited to see us, and said that she has been wanting to come back to the church, especially with her kids and grandkids. We also met her 9 y.o. grandkid, Danny, and he is AWESOME! Seriously, he asks more intense and honest Gospel questions then most adults I have gotten to teach, its nuts.

4th of July was pretty funny. So wet season here just means that it rains every day, and the "rain" is essentially a waterfall that covers a few square mile area. And TONS of lightning. Like every other second for an hour or two straight. Its really intense, and quite entertaining (as long as your not outside, because umbrellas don't survive). So it was raining for most of 4th of July, but we went to a huge firework show put on by the next city over: Kissimmee (because literally nothnig happens here in Poinciana), but we found out that they had to delay it until 10:00 due to lightning, and our curfew was 9:30, so that was a pretty anticlimactic day, we did see some fireworks on the way home, haha. Hope you all had a good 4th! It's a pretty awesome holiday when you think about it! Freedom is one of the simplest forms of happiness there is!

I love the idea that God is all about Freedom. That's all he really wants for us! One of His greatest gifts to us is the ability to choose. We are free to choose whatever we want (not gonna talk about consequesnces for now), its awesome! Think about it, if you spent all your time and effort putting together billions of incredibly complicated and immensely expensive machines that have quite limitless possibility, including the ability to destroy a lot of other things you have created, wouldn't you at least want a little control? I'm sure He does, but He loves us more than He cares about Himself! He has given us the World to explore, talents to develop, friends to uplift, families to strengthen, and lives to live! Its AWESOME!!! This life is so cool!!! I hope you all remember what a gift your Freedom is, not only in this country, but as a Child of a Loving Heavenly Father! Love Y'all! Have an awesome week!

<3 Elder Fox