News for the week, Karen and Lindsey got baptized!  Lindsey asked me to do the confirmation on Sunday, which is usually not preferable because I'm not someone who's going to be in her life for a long time, whereas a member of the ward would be around for a while and she'd be able to say, "Hey, that's the guy that confirmed me."  She did have a member baptize her though, so that is still good.  Don't get me wrong, I was honored to do the confirmation, and it was a really cool experience!  

We kind-of had a "falling out" with one of our investigators.  His fiance, who is a member and that's what sparked his interest in the first place, broke up with him.  He was super sad about her breaking up with him, and he hasn't met with us since.  We've gone by a couple of times but he would just say "tonight is not a good night" and close the door.  It's super sad, especially because of the amazing progress he had made!  We helped him quit smoking, drinking coffee, and all sorts of things.  I'm sure we can still get him in the water, but I guess it's just on a different timetable than we thought originally.  Shucks!

Oh yeah!  Mom, you asked about the Gilbert Temple open house last week, and I forgot to mention anything about it.  We actually had the opportunity to go to the open house with the Frias family and it was super sweet!  Originally they didn't want us going to the open house at all, then they said we can go if we have a really good reason, then they said that we really need to do anything we can to go.  So we managed to scrounge up a caravan and went down there with the Frias'.  They basically committed themselves to be sealed a year from their baptism which was really cool!  You could tell that they felt the Spirit.  The building was way awesome too.  It was probably the coolest temple I've seen thus far!  

Speaking of the temple, one of our investigators went to the open house as well with a member of the ward.  She texted us about her experience and said: "I cried the whole time!  My chest was filled with warmth and I didn't know what that feeling was!"  We then told her that it was nothing at all, and that she should just shake off that feeling because it doesn't mean anything.  JUST KIDDING.  We taught her that it was the Spirit that she felt, and that through baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost she could have that feeling all the time.  She said "That would be amazing!"  There are some other complications that are keeping her from being baptized, but we'll figure those out!  She's progressing so much faster than I would've ever thought.

I dunno if I ever mentioned, but I was reading through the New Testament and I finally finished!  It was awesome to read it through on my own, because I don't think I had ever done that before.  Even more, President Toone challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by the end of next transfer, so that should be a really cool experience!  Maybe the family could take the challenge too and read the Book of Mormon in the next 7 weeks?  Could be cool!

I logged on to family search the other day.  For whatever reason, I have the most fiery burning desire to do family history lately!  I noticed that there are names that are ready to request temple ordinances... just sitting there!  So, get it done!  It's either now, or during the Millennium.  :)

In less-spiritual news, I got to play racquetball last P-day, which was way super fun!  We found a court and went and played.  I probably mentioned, but in the first apartment I was in there were 2 rackets just chilling in there, so I took them and have been carrying them around with me this whole time.  Finally got to use them!

We met a lady who is from Haiti, and she barely speaks English.  She speaks French and Creole, which I hadn't even heard of until I got here on the mission.  We had a lesson with her and her husband who speaka da English and it was really interesting!  We would teach and he would translate everything that we said.  We're just randomly asking members of the ward if they speak French or Creole, but we haven't had any luck yet :)

Welp, that's all there is to report on this week folks.   I love you all!

-Elder Cox