Week 99 in LA--Emails From Mission President, New People to Teach and a Funny Ward Party

Zach called last night. He was hanging out with Elder Montgomery and his companion for P-day, but it got way too hot so they went back to their apartment and just chilled there. He said they went to Burbank and just had a pretty chill day. 

He is doing really good. They were able to find 2 new people in the ward to teach with a possible third (they are meeting with that person this week). He is super stoked about that. Even though he only has 22 days left, he said he is still going strong (which I think is great)! 

We talked about college. He is all enrolled in LDS Business College and his transcripts and already earned college credits are being applied to his application this week so everything should be all good to go this week. He was required to write an essay as part of the application process. I asked him when he was going to make time this week to do that so that the application process would be complete. He told me that he had already written and submitted it. Go, Zach!!!! Things are falling right into place and I think this will be the perfect place for Zach to go right now. We all feel really good about it so that's a bonus! 

We talked about his missionary release. He wanted to get it done asap so that he doesn't have to have a companion, wear church clothes, or not be able to watch TV or listen to music. He was very concerned about this. Luckily for him, I had already contacted our Stake President and had it all set up. He was very glad. He said that he is truly ready to come home now. He is tired and wants to take a lot of naps. 😂😂

He said that the ward he is serving in had a Pioneer Day party, talent show and dance. Of course they were invited so they went. He said that a lot of funny and crazy things happened at the party. The guy running the music for the talent show forgot his aux cord so he was just holding phones up to the microphone. The DJ (who is not a member) showed up to get ready for the dance and offered his. The man blatantly ignored him several times. Zach decided that he would politely talk to the man because he was being so rude. Zach told him that the DJ was offering him his aux cord and that it was very nice of him. The man flipped out, screamed at Zach that he didn't want to use his aux cord, and was very rude about the whole thing. Zach was MAD!! He said he had to walk out and calm himself down. He said that he was salty the rest of the night.

We talked about some other things, random things. personal things, etc. It really was a great conversation. We actually messaged back and forth all morning and then had the 1 hour phone call. It was great!!!! 

Our Bishop as well as Matt & I received emails from President Cordon this week. It is so nice to hear such great things about your son!!

Email to the Bishop:

Dear Bishop Stone,

On 21 August 2019, Elder Zachary Matthew Cox, will return home after having served an honorable and successful mission. President Brumble will release him and present him with his certificate of release.

Elder Cox has been a terrific missionary and has grown through his service. He has seen and been part of many miracles in Los Angeles. He has learned to love, work hard and serve the Lord. I would encourage you to bless him by putting him to work with a challenging assignment, such as fellowshipping less active members back into activity.

Sister Cordón and I love him dearly and will miss him. He has committed to continue to grow in his discipleship for the rest of his life. Our prayers will be with him forever.

Yours in the service of our Master,

Valeri V Cordón
President
California Los Angeles Mission

Email to Matt and I:

Dear Brother and Sister Cox,

On 21 August 2019 Elder Zachary Matthew Cox will be given an honorable release from the California Los Angeles Mission.

Sister Cordon and I love Elder Cox.  You can be very pleased with the contribution that he has made while serving in the California Los Angeles Mission. He has blessed the lives of many, including those who have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ as a result of his efforts and those he has helped to return to activity within the Lord's kingdom. His name will be remembered for generations to come among many. He has grown in his testimony of the Savior and in his ability to work with people. We also have been deeply touched by his service in the mission and we trust you were greatly blessed through his labor.

Elder Cox will be part of our lives forever. Sister Cordon and I are grateful for all he has done to help the Lord hasten the work of salvation. We feel that he and his colleagues have a rendezvous with destiny. Our prayer is that he will continue to grow in faith and good works as he continues to serve our Heavenly Father.

Sister Cordon joins me in wishing you and Elder Cox the best.

Sincerely,

Valeri V Cordon
President
California Los Angeles Mission

Pictures (I got no explanation for any of the pictures so........😂😂)
Zach and Elder Meldrum
Zach with a pot on his head
Zach ripping a shirt

Week 98 in LA--A Funeral and a Dodgers Game

Zach called Monday night and it was later than usual because they got on the wrong train to go home from Universal Studio's. Instead of N. Hollywood, they ended up in the heart of Hollywood (at Grauman's Chinese Theater) and there was a movie premiere. He said that it was well blocked off but they could see the red carpet. It was for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and he was bummed that he didn't get to see Leonardo DiCaprio and Brat Pitt. 😂😂 They got on the right train and made it home in time for us to talk for about 30-40 minutes. 

I asked how his week was and he said it was good. They had to go to a funeral for a lady who had very recently converted to the church. She was only 60 years old and she died of natural causes. She and one of her granddaughter's were the only members of the church so Zach said that her funeral was quite different than he's ever seen. He said there were a lot of "Amen" shouts and stuff like that. He said after it was over, there was a full on basketball game that broke out in the gym during the luncheon. He said that the ward fed them Costco meatballs covered in BBQ sauce and then the family brought a whole bunch of "ghetto food" that was nasty. They made Zach and his companion take all of the leftovers and he said they didn't want to be rude so they took it, but when they got home, it went right down the garbage shoot. 😂😂

Zach and his companion, Elder Meldrum, got to go to a Dodgers game on Friday night. They had to take a less active with them to be able to go. Elder Neil L. Anderson, of the Quorum of the Twelve, threw out the first pitch and there was a huge fireworks show after the game and he said that they played a bunch of funky music from the 80's (nope--when I got the videos the music is from the 70's, but what's a decade difference?! 😂😂). They played the Miami Marlins and the Dodger's won 2-1. He said it was a great game and that he had a lot of fun. 

We talked about his My Plan interview. He had it with President Golrath (I'm sure I didn't spell that right). He is in the mission presidency and he LOVES Zach and Zach loves him. He is really sad to see Zach go home and he made him promise that when we go back in December, that he takes us to his house to meet him. Zach told him what his plan was when he got home. He told Zach that a lot of missionaries are having problems with the Pathways program not accepting their previous college credits (which Zach has 10 of) and with transferring over credits when they move to a college. He told Zach about LDS Business College and the benefits of going there to finish his associates. This man is a self-made business man with his own software company and his own email domain (Zach is pretty impressed by that) so he is taking his advise (and the funny thing is, our Bishop said the same things to Matt on Sunday so I guess they were inspired) and registered at LDS Business College. He will have several companions that he served with there with him so I think it will be a good thing!!

He talked to his dad for a few minutes and then he had to go. We were a little bit past his P-day time (oops) but I loved talking to him, hearing him laugh and joke around and just knowing that he is doing good and finishing strong!!

He sent a bunch of pictures and 2 videos (he makes an appearance in the first video and in the second video you can hear him singing Rocketman--LOVED them). They are all of the baseball game except for the 2 from the funeral.

Week 97 in LA--Good Week

Zach called on Monday. He called earlier than he usually does because his companion had an appointment so I got to talk to him for over an hour--it was great! We talked about so many different things. Talking to him now is like talking to a best friend and I love it!!

He said that his week was good. He and his new companion, Elder Meldrum, get along really well. Zach said that he is very funny and super nice. He said that they went out and contacted a lot of people in the ward during the week and that's about it. He said it was good though.

I got a phone call from Brother Lee who is in the ward. I made a big Facebook and Instagram post about it. To paraphrase, this elderly gentleman is very thankful for Zach because he holds the door open for him and greets him every Sunday. He is very impressed by Zach and his manners and he said that Zach is a very spiritual man. It was a very nice phone call to get as a mom. 

Zach said that the past 2 years are really starting to catch up to him. He said that he is super tired--probably more like exhausted. He said they come home and he intends to do things but finds that he falls asleep by 9:00-9:30 every night. He's one tired guy!!

He talked a lot about coming home and how for the first week he will probably be busy getting a phone, car, getting his room in order, trying to find a job and most importantly, taking a lot of naps. 😂😂

I asked him if he took any pictures this past week and he said a few. I asked if he had any of himself and his companion and he said no. I told him to take a selfie of the two of them and then to text me all of the pictures he had. Guess what?!?! I never got any pictures (shocker). 😂😂 I told him that pictures are the only way I get to see him and his response was that I get to hear him and I'll get to see him really soon so it shouldn't matter. Punk!! That is really all we talked about and since there are no pictures, this will be a short one. Hopefully next week will be a bit longer and include some pictures. 

Week 96 in LA--Last Transfer

Zach called on the 4th of July which was awesome and totally unexpected. Everyone got to say hi to him and or talk to him for a bit. I of course got the longest time and it was amazing!! We talked about anything and everything and we had a really nice conversation. He had to be in his apartment at 6:00 that night because things get a little crazy in LA on the 4th. They were invited to a 4th of July party by a Jewish man. Zach said that he is the nicest guy and told them that he loves the missionaries and that they are always welcome at his home. At this party, they like to try different kinds of food so Zach was able to try duck, venison and one other meat that I can't seem to remember. He said that he liked the duck best. After dinner was over, they loaded them up with lots of food to take home (like LOTS), which was so nice. He said that the majority of the people there were non-members or inactive's and they had a lot of great conversations with them. He said that there was a gay couple and they were pretty stand off-ish with them. Zach felt the strong impression to go over and talk to them. They thought that Zach and his companion hated them because they are gay. Zach sat with them and told them that in fact, he loved them. They went on to have an amazing conversation and were so thankful that Zach took the time to talk to them. Zach said that it was amazing!!

He called again on Monday. He said that their P-day was extended because they had to drive to the mission home for Zach to get his temple recommend renewed. He now has a recommend signed by a General Authority, but only for the duration of his mission. Kind of cool!! He said that President Cordon is such an amazing man and that he really likes him a lot. 

Ted was baptized on Saturday. Zach was able to go to the baptism with one of his former companions, Elder Leavitt. They swapped companionships for the day and drove to Woodland Hills. Zach said that the traffic was really bad so they barely made it in time (with only 3 minutes to spare). So, sadly, they missed most of the photo opportunities, only getting one picture because traffic is so bad and they had to leave right after to get back to their companions. However, Zach said that it was an amazing baptism!!

Transfer calls came in on Sunday night and..............Zach will be staying in the North Hollywood ward only, he is no longer district leader and his new companion is Elder Meldrum. Elder Hill will be serving in the Studio City ward with a brand new missionary as a trainer. Zach said that he was super sad that he wasn't assigned to be a trainer. That is the one thing he wanted to do before he went home, but it wasn't in the cards for him. I told him that he had the amazing experience of being a district and zone leader for half of his mission and that is a great thing so not to be too upset about it. He was feeling much better about it on Monday night when we talked. This is his very last transfer and he said that all of the people they were teaching were in the Studio City ward so they have a lot of work to do in this 6 weeks.

He said that he is ready to come home. He has accepted that his time is almost done, he's not at all trunky and he will finish strong, but he is ready to come home, get a job and start college. He has made plans for himself so he doesn't waste time and is productive when he comes home. This guy has matured so much and he has such a good head on his shoulders! He is going to do great things in life!!

He taught me the restoration lesson over the phone. He has it memorized (along with all of the others). We had a nice and kind of deep gospel conversation and it was really good. We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon. He said that he set a goal to read it completely before he comes home and he is doing it along with a study guide that was given to him. I am excited for him to bring that home so I can read and study with it. So cool!!

We were able to talk for 1-1/2 hours and it was so nice. At the end of our call, Elder Hill got on the phone and thanked me for raising such an amazing son and he said how much he enjoyed having him as a companion. So sweet!! 

He sent quite a few pictures and a video of all of the fireworks that were going off all around them (they may or may not have went up on the roof to watch them--shhhhhhh!!). Sadly, the video won't share so I'm not going to be able to attach it here. 

**A few side notes--Zach felt both of the earthquakes and was able to email us on Sunday letting us know he was ok (which I already knew thanks to Julie). Zach was really glad that he got to spend time with Elder Leavitt on Saturday and again on Monday because he goes home today. Also, when Zach went to get his recommend, he said that this car was trying to "run him over" but he realized that it was Jeffrey (Elder Yi). He was in town for a few short days so it was a total coincidence that Zach got to see him but he was super glad that he did!!

Pictures
1-4 P-day with Zach, Elder Hill, Elder Leavitt and Elder Jeon
5 Ted's baptism day
6-10 Some of his district
11 Zach and Elder Hill chilling on their couch

Week 95 in LA--Back to Two and a Famous Guitarist

Zach called again yesterday. He called really late so we only had 15 minutes to talk. He said that a missionary had to go home early due to medical issues. He has a seizure after church on Sunday (they were back at their apartment) and when he fell because of it, he broke his jaw. Zach said that he was seizing for around 2 hours--which was super scary. The decision was made that he would go home for surgery because he only had 2 weeks left of his mission. So scary and so sad!! Because of that, his companion needed a companion so they transferred Elder Laybourn there. So, that leaves Zach with just 1 companion now, Elder Hill, and they still cover both the North Hollywood area and the Studio City area.

He said that Kyle, Julie and Olivia took them to lunch on Friday. Julie was awesome and took pictures and sent them to me. They went to a pizza place and Zach said it was really good. They are so awesome and they take such good care of Zach!!

He said that they did a lot of proselyting last week--like a lot. And that it was just a normal missionary week. And then he said, "Oh yeah, I went on splits with Elder Sands and I got to meet Michael Herring. He is a famous guitarist who has played for Prince, Boys II Men, New Kids on the Block, Christina Aguilara and others." Um..........hello?!?! That's a pretty big deal!! Prince is one of my all time favorites!! He got to go to his home and see his guitar collection--which was a huge deal for Zach. It was perfect timing too because he left to tour with Christina Augilara the next day in Europe. Soooooo cool!!

He said that he is super excited for the baptism of Ted on Saturday. One of the members of the Woodland Hills ward, Brother McKeown (he is the Elders quorum president and Zach had Easter dinner at his house), was a guest speaker at zone conference. He talked about Essentialism, which is actually a book that he wrote and he travels all over the world speaking to people about it. He geared it more gospel centered for the zone conference and Zach said it was great. He said that when he saw him, he came over and gave him a big hug and told him how much he misses him. He also told him that he was super excited to see him at the baptism and that he would bring Zach a copy of his book, signed. Zach said he is from the UK and is a really cool guy. 

That is really all we talked about because of time. Oh, I did ask him if he was feeling better after that nasty stomach bug and he said that yes, they were all better. Whew!! I also asked if he had met his new mission president and he said that they are meeting him today.

Pictures
1-2 Lunch with Kyle, Julie and Olivia
3-4 Service projects
5 Zach with President and Sister Haynie before they went home
6-7 Last zone conference with Haynie's--Zach and his zone and eating lunch (he's at the very end of the table on on the right)
8-10 Zach selfies??