James Tenth Letter from Tampico and Final Week With Elder Gonzalez

Hola family and friends,

So this is my last week here with Elder Gonzalez.  Then he moves on to another companion somewhere new.  Its been a wonderful experience to be with Elder Gonzalez.  We were just thinking how we wanted to stay in this ward together for another change.  It's funny how they force you to be together and want you to work together and have a friendship.  And within a short period of time once you have built this friendship, they rip you apart and want you to do it all over again with someone new.  ha ha.  That's the fun part of the mission.

I've enjoyed this experience here.  It has been the peak, the sweetest joy of my life so far.  This week has been truly a great learning experience.  As I said earlier we found a wonderful family, the family Flores contacting on the street.  Jorge, the father has a true testimony these things are true for himself.  I believe it was over a week ago that he told us in one of our visits that he wants to be baptized.  Needless to say he and his family will be getting baptized this Saturday.  It was a great experience yesterday.  He and his family always come early and come completely dressed in their Sunday best.  And yesterday was Fast and Testimony Meeting.  So I was sitting up on the stage waiting my turn to bare my testimony.  I met eyes with Jorge sitting in the crowd down below.  And I could see he wanted to give his testimony.  So I signaled him to come but nothing happened.  I bore my testimony and then went to go back and sit with his family. I talked to him for a minute and told him he was allowed to go up and bare his testimony if he wanted to.  He said he would love to.  So he went up there and bore a powerful testimony.  I could feel that he knew for himself these things to be true.  It was a great experience to see an investigator stand up in front of all the members and bare witness these things are true.  His wife read the whole Book of Mormon earlier and found for herself these things to be true.  We have great hope for this family.

As soon as a member told Jorge about the Priesthood and how he could bless his family by the power of God that really solidified it for him. He knew then that he wanted to be baptized and receive this Power to bless his family.  I have never seen someone so ready as he is.  Now I know a little bit more about what it means to feast upon the words of Christ.  He feasts upon them.  And desires and loves them. Definitely a testimony builder for me.

Thank you all for your letters and those who remembered my birthday.  I spent my whole time reading them that I don't have anymore time to write more of all the wonderful experiences that are happening in my life here. I wish I could tell you all about what is happening here but I would write a book if i did. Maybe after the mission I'll write one.   ha ha.  Thank you all for your love and prayers.  I love you all.

Love,

Elder James Cox