Hey all,
Why so many questions in the last dear Elder? I don't have all the time in the world... joke lang.
Almost everyone in our district of ten got hit somehow be the illness. Even I got a runny nose for a couple of days. Now friends get mail before family cause usa(1), i can email you and duha(2), cause i did.
The investigators are actually our teachers. we have two teachers cause they study at BYU sometimes and only have us half days each. At first though we didnt know that our first investigator was our teacher until she turned up one day and started teaching us. Cool huh?!
My schedule is basically two 3hr classes, 1hr language study, two 1hr personal/companion study, 45mins breakfast, lunch and dinner, and 1 gym session each day. Pdays is laundry for 3hrs, temple for 3hrs, devotional fireside and district meeting for 3hrs and everything inbetween is personal time. We only have to wear suits on Sunday or to firesides and meetings with the Branch Pres.
Lunch and dinner... well you'll see in the pictures and yes, there is bar freezers with icecreams or iceblocks which you can just grab and eat at lunch or dinner or breakfast even... but only if they have restocked them.
For the blog though, just let everyone know I'm doing well and enjoying myself, especially eating food and gaining weight...(still only 61kg, so dont get too worried). Ive also been exercising to keep healthy. For the blog post this up for me please:
Nagtuo ko sa Dious ug kang JesuKristo. Nasayud ko nga tinuod ang simbahan ni JesuKristo. Nasayud ko nga tinuod ang Basahon ni Mormon ug sa pulong sa Dios. Nasayud ko nga tinoud ang propeta si Joseph Smith. Nasayud ko nga ang ebanghelyo ni JesuKristo nagpalig-on sa mga pamilya. Sa ngalan ni JesuKristo, Amen.
Naghigugma ko kanamo.
Thats just a short testimony in Cebuano and me just letting everyone know that i love them.
I hope everything is well with you all in Australia. Have fun this week.
Much love, and missing you all, nahigugma ko kanamo,
Elder Taylor Addison Cox
From Terri:
As you can see, Taylor is learning the language quite easily. (Well it looks like it to me!!) So through the blog you'll see bits and pieces of his letters with Cebuano written through them. That is how he practices as well.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Letter #2. (Aug 10, 2011)
Hi all,
The email was not long! It was plenty long I thought... joke lang. Its just because of the time restriction its hard to write longer emails. Only 30mins on Pday isn't much at all. =[
Our district has been plagued with illness this last week. Just the flu or something, so we are doing okay. Hopefully it will be gone in the next few days.
This past week has been maayo kaayo, with some unfortunate events of illness. So far we have learnt to pray, bear testimony, greet, and some other basics in Cebuano. In the first week we taught 4 lessons to an investigator in full Cebuano. Walay Ingles! This week so far already another lesson but with a different investigator... so now we have 2 progressing investigators. In my district everyone is going to Cebu except 1 elder who is going Tagloban but speaking cebuano.
I've met a few Aussies actually... the guy from Harvey Bay came and said hi to me the other day, don't remember his name though. Also some guy from Perth knows Ma and Poppy... small world hey! And then there is this guy from Melbourne, an Elder Mits who knows the Orros and is friends with Benjamin. Even smaller hey?! And he is in the same district going to the Philipines as well.
My kauban, Elder Ervin is from Farmington New Mexico (go look it up) and when I said he's like a Mormon Jack Black, I meant exactly that. Think of how Jack Black is personality wise and tone it down to a Mormon level of humour and spirituality and thats my kauban. He has a great testimony and knowledge of the gospel, and I learn so much from his take on the gospel and the scriptures. Then I help him with the language with pronunciation and sentence structure. We work together quite well.
What do I want sent... here's a list:
Cherry ripe
Boost bars
Love you all, tell everyone to write to me (hand written snail mail is much better, please!) and I'll WILL try to write this week (not like last week when i said i would but didn't)
Missing you all muchly, especially Australia...
Elder Taylor Addison Cox
The email was not long! It was plenty long I thought... joke lang. Its just because of the time restriction its hard to write longer emails. Only 30mins on Pday isn't much at all. =[
Our district has been plagued with illness this last week. Just the flu or something, so we are doing okay. Hopefully it will be gone in the next few days.
This past week has been maayo kaayo, with some unfortunate events of illness. So far we have learnt to pray, bear testimony, greet, and some other basics in Cebuano. In the first week we taught 4 lessons to an investigator in full Cebuano. Walay Ingles! This week so far already another lesson but with a different investigator... so now we have 2 progressing investigators. In my district everyone is going to Cebu except 1 elder who is going Tagloban but speaking cebuano.
I've met a few Aussies actually... the guy from Harvey Bay came and said hi to me the other day, don't remember his name though. Also some guy from Perth knows Ma and Poppy... small world hey! And then there is this guy from Melbourne, an Elder Mits who knows the Orros and is friends with Benjamin. Even smaller hey?! And he is in the same district going to the Philipines as well.
My kauban, Elder Ervin is from Farmington New Mexico (go look it up) and when I said he's like a Mormon Jack Black, I meant exactly that. Think of how Jack Black is personality wise and tone it down to a Mormon level of humour and spirituality and thats my kauban. He has a great testimony and knowledge of the gospel, and I learn so much from his take on the gospel and the scriptures. Then I help him with the language with pronunciation and sentence structure. We work together quite well.
What do I want sent... here's a list:
Cherry ripe
Boost bars
Love you all, tell everyone to write to me (hand written snail mail is much better, please!) and I'll WILL try to write this week (not like last week when i said i would but didn't)
Missing you all muchly, especially Australia...
Elder Taylor Addison Cox
First REAL letter!! (Aug 3, 2011)
Hi all,
Today is Tues and my Pday... finished washing this morning and attended a temple session after lunch. It was amazing to go through the temple here. From the outside it looks the same size as Sydney temple, but on the inside... WOW! It is just HUGE! But what an amazing experience. Now about my companion. His name is Elder Irvin, and to describe him... he is basically a Mormon version of Jack Black. He keeps everyone in our district sane. I'm sure you've heard this, but Elder Lambert is in mine and Elder Irvin's residence, with his companion Elder Ursenbach.
could send some more cherry ripes, boost bars, and maybe some more musk sticks. It is soooo much fun to see the look on the American missionary's faces when they eat the musk sticks!
I've sent a letter today to Tom, through our post box, so if you could give it to him when you go visit that would be great. Also if you havent already, could you put my mailing address up on the blog and email my friends in the book of emails to tell them not to email but to write cause I only get 30mins to email each Pday.
The suit will still fit cause its too big for me anyway... and just a note... I've gained 5kg in the last week. Haha. Finally!
Missing you all & lots of love,
Elder Cox
From Terri:
I edit Taylor's letters to post some of it on his blog as some of the stuff he writes is just for his family.
Today is Tues and my Pday... finished washing this morning and attended a temple session after lunch. It was amazing to go through the temple here. From the outside it looks the same size as Sydney temple, but on the inside... WOW! It is just HUGE! But what an amazing experience. Now about my companion. His name is Elder Irvin, and to describe him... he is basically a Mormon version of Jack Black. He keeps everyone in our district sane. I'm sure you've heard this, but Elder Lambert is in mine and Elder Irvin's residence, with his companion Elder Ursenbach.
could send some more cherry ripes, boost bars, and maybe some more musk sticks. It is soooo much fun to see the look on the American missionary's faces when they eat the musk sticks!
I've sent a letter today to Tom, through our post box, so if you could give it to him when you go visit that would be great. Also if you havent already, could you put my mailing address up on the blog and email my friends in the book of emails to tell them not to email but to write cause I only get 30mins to email each Pday.
The suit will still fit cause its too big for me anyway... and just a note... I've gained 5kg in the last week. Haha. Finally!
Missing you all & lots of love,
Elder Cox
From Terri:
I edit Taylor's letters to post some of it on his blog as some of the stuff he writes is just for his family.
I'm here. (Jul 28, 2011)
Hey all,
This is now the '3rd day' in the morning and we, the international missionaries are getting taught how to use the computers to email. So far I have been in the temporary accommodation with other international missionaries, and I ended up with 3 other elders from Japan! One speaks some english, one a little less, and the other almost none. But we've had fun trying to teach each other to understand our own languages.
The flight was good, and it ended up there was no one sitting next to me... empty seat. So I let the girl next to me use it so she could lie down to sleep (cause I'm kind like that).
We are getting our 'mga kauban' or companions later today, and I'll send another email detailing more about the experiences here. But to tell you know, I will definitely be gaining some weight while I am here. The food is filled with sugar, espeially at breakfast. Donuts, pancakes, maple syrup and sugar filled cereal... its just the best!
I'm enjoying every minute here so far, its just a great experience, and there are so many faithful elders and sisters. Their spirits are so strong!
Lots of love,
Elder Cox =]
This is now the '3rd day' in the morning and we, the international missionaries are getting taught how to use the computers to email. So far I have been in the temporary accommodation with other international missionaries, and I ended up with 3 other elders from Japan! One speaks some english, one a little less, and the other almost none. But we've had fun trying to teach each other to understand our own languages.
The flight was good, and it ended up there was no one sitting next to me... empty seat. So I let the girl next to me use it so she could lie down to sleep (cause I'm kind like that).
We are getting our 'mga kauban' or companions later today, and I'll send another email detailing more about the experiences here. But to tell you know, I will definitely be gaining some weight while I am here. The food is filled with sugar, espeially at breakfast. Donuts, pancakes, maple syrup and sugar filled cereal... its just the best!
I'm enjoying every minute here so far, its just a great experience, and there are so many faithful elders and sisters. Their spirits are so strong!
Lots of love,
Elder Cox =]
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