Zach called home again this week. I knew it was transfers this week and I emailed him and told him I was anxious to hear the news so to let me know as soon as possible. I waited ALL DAY LONG and he finally called at 6:15 pm. I asked him what happened and he was stalling (💩). He finally asked me what I thought happened and I said that I thought he was being transferred. And....................I was right. Zach was transferred yesterday to the North Hollywood Zone, serving in the North Hollywood Stake in the North Hollywood Ward (that's a lot of North Hollywood 😂😂). The N. Hollywood area is basically in the Burbank area (I asked and he said Burbank is just 3 miles from him). His new companion is Elder Laybourn and he is from Idaho. Zach will be a District Leader again and he has a lot of work ahead of him. This was an inspired transfer call and without saying too much, Zach has his work cut out for him. President and his wife have every confidence that Zach is the man for the job so I am sure things will go really good. He has a lot of changes to make and things to fix, but he is a valiant missionary and rule following kind of guy so I'm sure he's up for the tasks ahead!!
Zach said that when he got the call, he cried. 😢💔 He loved the Woodland Hills ward so, so much! He will miss the people and the area a lot but the plus side is he is only about 12 miles away so I'm sure they can go and visit him. He said that he was sad and cried for a while and then on Monday he felt better about it and knows that he is needed in the North Hollywood Ward. He said that it is mostly a Polynesian ward so that's cool and he's excited to get to work there.
I asked about Ted and he said that he had to move his baptism back to July 6th because his buddy, that is coming from Utah to baptize him, had to have stomach surgery and can't come until July. Zach will be able to go back for the baptism though and that's exciting because he loves Ted! I also asked about Kendall and he said that she is moving but will continue with the lessons in her new area.
Zach said that he wants to find a job as soon as he can when he gets home so he can start saving money. He said that he has plans. I asked him what and he said that it has to do with October and my birthday. I said what plans? And he told me that he wants to take me to Red Lobster for my birthday because I love seafood and no one else does--except for him now. He said that he has eaten a lot of seafood and has really come to love it (smart boy). I LOVE this kid!! The fact that he wants to get a job so he can take me to dinner just melted my heart (I'm sure he has other plans for his money as well but.... 💕).
Pictures
1-2 Zach
3-8 Zach and Elder Reid at the Zoo
Zach called again yesterday. He said that they had a fantastic week. I asked him why and he said that they are teaching a new person!! Her name in Kendall (I asked if it was Kendall Jenner 😂😂 he said no) and she left the church and had her name removed from the records years ago, but she is ready to come back and be a part of the church again. Zach is super excited about it and says she's great!!
Zach said they had Zone Conference and it was amazing! They were fed pulled pork sandwiches and that they learned a lot and had a good time. Luckily for me, Sister Haynie posted pictures on Instagram and Zach was in 2. YAY!!!!
Zach said that his feet are getting so much better. He uses the gel on them twice a day and has seen so much improvement. We bought him some Gold Toe socks for his birthday and he said they are fantastic and help with his sweaty, sweaty feet (he gets that from his dad 😂😂). He said that he has learned to take hygiene more serious while on his mission (not that he was dirty or didn't take care of himself but............no more wearing the same pair of socks 3-5 days in a row like he used to in elementary and jr high) which is fabulous!!
Zach was able to go to the LA Zoo yesterday. They got free tickets with their library cards (which is cool). He said that it is a huge zoo and they saw so many cool animals. He said that there are tons of flamingos and that they are so close you can basically reach out and touch them. He said they were there from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm and they never repeated any animals or places. He said it was a lot of fun.
Zach told me to start making a list of all the movies he's missed while he's been gone, especially all of the Marvel, Star Wars and DC movies, so we can start watching them when he gets home. He said it was hard being in LA and seeing all of the billboards and hype about movies and then having to wait to see them.
Transfers are next week and he thinks that he will be transferred. He really would like to stay in the Woodland Hills ward until his mission is over, but he thinks that won't happen. He loves the ward and all of the people he has met there so it will be hard if and when he has to leave.
I asked Zach if he had thought anymore about what he wanted the airport homecoming to look like and what about after (that day). He said that he only wants family there (us, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) and that after he would like to go out to eat at either Cafe Rio (there is only 1 in his mission so he was only able to go there once) or Astro Burger. He also said that he would like to have a breakfast/brunch after he speaks on Sunday instead of an open house the night before.
Zach has really had an amazing time on his mission. He said that he feels so in-tune with the spirit, so much so, that he cries a lot (I've passed it on to him too 3/3 😂😂). I love hearing how mature and grown up he sounds and I seriously can't wait to hug and kiss him on August 21st!!
Pictures (at the entrance of the Zoo, Zoo ticket, Zone picture that Tone Halverson sent me and Zone Conference pictures)
Zach called again last week. First he called on Mother's Day and we got to talk to him for like 2 hours. We were at my brother's for a combined 18th birthday party for my niece, Eden, as well as Mother's Day. Zach was able to talk to my parents, my brother, sister-in-law, all 3 of my nieces, Hannah, Olivia, Matt and of course me. It was great to see hoe happy everyone was while talking to him. It made me realize how much they all love and miss him (maybe not as much as me but still 😂😂).
Zach is doing really good. He is sleeping so much better which is helping with his mood. He is still a Zone Leader so lots of meetings and helping other Elders/Sisters so he keeps really busy. He told me that he wouldn't mind at all if he stayed in the Woodland Hills ward to finish out his mission. But........he's already been there for 6 months so we'll see what happens at transfers on May 28th.
Zach has been telling us about Ted, who is there only really strong investigator right now. He went into a little more detail on Sunday about Ted. Ted has been investigating the church since 1968. He is a retired police detective with the Los Angeles police department. He has seen some stuff--both happy and brutal. He has always liked the idea of the church and what it stands for but he has just never been able to commit..........UNTIL NOW!!!! Ted set a baptismal date for June 15th!! He did however say that if Zach gets transferred, he better be allowed to come back or he won't go through with it. This just goes to show that missionaries are called where they are needed and that calls are truly inspired!!
On Monday for P-day, Zach went to Santa Monica and played basketball with a bunch of missionaries. He said that he had such a great time with all of them and that it was a low key day and just really fun.
This kid LOVES his mission!! He is sad that it is almost over. I asked him what he wanted the airport to look like and he said that he just wants family there and then maybe go to lunch somewhere after. He also said that he wants to do a breakfast/brunch after his homecoming talk instead of an open house the night before. Things are getting real (and I love it)!!
Zach is grateful for all of the prayers, love and support that he gets from everyone. He didn't send any pictures this week (sad) but hopefully tomorrow.
Zach called again yesterday. He is doing great! He had a great birthday and was well taken care of, which I am so grateful for!! He said that his feet are getting better and that's great news! He also bought some sleep aid and had a good nights sleep all week, which has helped his mood and made him feel so much better.
He said that they really just did the same old things this week, missionary work, meetings and more meetings. Nothing too exciting to report.
I asked him what he wanted to do about his homecoming and he told me he wasn't ready to talk about that yet. 😔 Don't get me wrong, I am so happy that he loves his mission but I am so ready to have him home.
He said that he went bowling yesterday and that it was fun. He also got a haircut (which you will see was greatly needed when you look at some of his pictures 😂).
He and his companion have felt the impression to do family history so he asked me a bunch of questions about that. We really didn't talk about much else, but all that matters to me is hearing his voice!!
Pictures/Video:
1 - Elder Reid taking a nap
2-3 - Sitting on a couch
4 - Rocking someone to sleep????
5 - Zone board
6-12 - He was dared to try and eat all of the Costco food with chopsticks
13 - Birthday lunch
14 - Zone birthday party
Zach called again this week (yay) which was great because it was his birthday!! He called in the morning to let me know that he had lost his debit card 😲. He called the credit union and had it cancelled which was a good thing. Matt was able to stop by a branch and get him a new card and I sent it off in the mail yesterday. Whew!!
He told me that he got his birthday party in a box that I sent and it was well received by all. Elder Seipel made him a cake, which he accidentally dropped, but then recovered and made a new one. Zach's companion sent out a text to the entire zone that it was his birthday so they all got together and had a little party for him with 2 cakes. Zach said that he got cake smashed in his face and that there is a video of it. He also said he would send it to me but..........😂😂
Then, Julie and Olivia (members from the Wilshire Ward) drove up to his area (which is not a short drive) and took him and his companion to dinner at a nice Korean BBQ restaurant. They also took him some birthday donuts (delish). While at dinner, Julie sent me a video chat so the girls and I were able to see him on his big day. LOVED that!!!! Julie is amazing and we are so grateful for her and Olivia!!
Zach went on exchanges with one of the presidents assistants. Matt and I received an email from him that I will post here (I literally opened the email at work and was bawling like a baby).
Hi Cox family!
This is Elder Messick. I'm a Missionary here in Los Angeles, and I had the opportunity to spend 24 hours with your son this last week.
I was super impressed with him. He is so cool! So I decided to ask for his parents' email, because you guys deserve to know what kind of a Missionary he is.
His teaching skills are unrivalled. He teaches so simply and bears such a powerful Testimony. His words carry all the power and authority you'd expect from a Servant and Ambassador of Jesus Christ. When he speaks, people listen.
We taught this one guy named Bruce who is typically pretty difficult to deal with, but as Elder Cox bore his Testimony on the Restoration you could see Bruce's ears perk up and his heart soften. It was such a Spiritual experience for all 3 of us.
Your son is also super easy to get along with. I loved talking with him. He's so friendly and amiable. That'll take him far in life. I go on lots of 24 hour exchanges, and not every Missionary is quite like that.
Thanks for sharing your son with us. I know it's not easy, but he's such a valuable Missionary. I wish we had more Missionaries like him.
I'm not sure what you did to raise such a spectacular son, but you definitely did something right. Just thought you'd like to know that.
Have a great week!
-Elder Messick
WOW!! As a parent, this meant everything and I will cherish it forever!! I am so happy to know that other people can see in Zach what we always have. He is pretty darn amazing!!
Zach said that Ted is still doing good and that they were meeting with him again on Tuesday. Zach stays plenty busy with all of the driving they do and all of the meetings they go to and that's a good thing!!
Zach is still really struggling with being able to sleep. He is only getting a few short hours a night and it is really taking a toll on him. He has been taking Melatonin but I don't think it's helping much. I gave him a few more ideas to try so we'll see how it goes.
Julie took several pictures and a video of his birthday night so enjoy!!
Zach called again this week (yay for me!!). He is doing really well and sounds amazing but tired. He is still having trouble sleeping so that's a worry. He and his companion get along great (which is a relief to me) and he lives in an apartment with 2 other missionaries. He is still a Zone Leader so that means a lot of meetings and helping other missionaries but he really enjoys it.
Their investigator, Ted, is progressing along nicely. They are meeting with him again today so that's great. Zach think's he will be baptized soon--which is awesome!! They don't really have any other prospects but they keep plugging along and are valiantly trying to find more people to teach.
His feet are getting a little better. The gel helps but it's hard because he has to wear his shoes all day and his feet sweat so........he tried to take them off when he can but that's usually only at meal times.
He loves LA and the people out there. He said that generally, they are all really nice but of course there are some that are mean and rude. He loves his mission and he is sad that it is almost over.
Zach and his companion were invited to 2 Easter dinners, one at the Bishop's house and one at the Elder's Quorum President's house. They accepted both invitations, thinking that they were spaced far enough apart that they should be fine. Well..........turns out that wasn't the case and he WAY over ate but did sleep good that night 😂😂. At the Bishop's house they were served lamb and tri-tip and he said it was delicious. Then at the other house they served tri-tip as well. And funny side note, the Elder's Quorum President lives in Kanye West's neighborhood. He said they didn't see Kanye or Kim sadly. He has only really seen one celebrity and that was Kevin Hart and he said that he is really short. 😂😂
Zach went to the swap meet yesterday because he really wanted a pair of Huraches for his birthday. He wanted a specific kind (dressy) so I told him he'd have to find and buy them since I had no idea if they would fit or what exactly he was looking for. So he found them yesterday and the best part, the man sold them to him for only $30!! The only picture he sent me was of the shoes so enjoy!!
Zach called home yesterday. He sounds great!! He was able to see his counselor, Garrett which was very helpful for him. A lot of Zach's issues are stemming from an inconsistent sleep pattern. He is not getting the amount of sleep he needs so it is triggering the depression/anxiety/PTSD. I told him to buy some Melatonin, which he did yesterday so we'll see if that helps.
He said that they had to drop some of their investigators because they just weren't progressing. But they are teaching a man, I believe his name is Ted (but my memory is garbage), and he came out to SLC and went to General Conference in the conference center and he was very moved, especially by the prophet. Zach thinks he will be baptized very soon. They are meeting him for lunch today so hopefully things go well.
Transfer calls came in and.........................surprise, surprise, Zach is staying in the Woodland Hills area another transfer and will still have Elder Reid as his companion, which is great because Zach really likes him and they get along really well.
Zach said that 2 people in the ward he is serving in passed away on the same day so they went to 2 funerals this week. One on Friday and one yesterday. He knew the one sister pretty well. She had Alzheimer's and her husband quit his job 5 years ago and took care of her. Zach said he never left her side in all that time and that he is a great example of pure love. So sweet!!
Zach's birthday is coming up so we talked a lot about what he'd like. He wants a pair of Huraches that he will get in LA, Gold Toe socks and then he asked for pantry items to make meals. He said that the end of the months are struggles for them money wise so staples that can be made into quick and easy meals would be helpful. He also told my mom that gift cards are good too (like to In and Out and other food places). 😂😂
I sure love Zach!! He has grown so much in the almost 2 years he's been gone. He is stronger and braver than most people his age and I am so proud of him!!
Here are some pictures that I took from an Elder in his Zone. Bowling and lunch.
