Faith is Home!

We are absolutely ecstatic to have our sweet girl home again.   You can find her own stories about her mission here. 

She served honorably with all her heart.  One Finnish family in her last ward summed up their feelings about her beautifully by writing that they could substitute “Sisar Cox” for the word “love” in the hymn “Love at Home” and have it all play out accurately.  We Coxes all wholeheartedly agree. 

Faith has a marvelous ability to distract herself from her sadness through various creative means in order to serve and comfort others, excel academically and generally accomplish whatever is needful in the most spectacular way.  

The structure of mission life effectually peels off the layers of distraction to the barest of life’s essentials. 

These conditions revealed to Faith that she had unwittingly procrastinated the demanding work of grieving the loss of her mother. She had “cheated grief” to support her younger siblings and become a stellar student, and without those occupations, grief reared up as a mountain of sadness demanding to be digested.

Mission life also calls for the most robust emotional states as it involves repeatedly inserting oneself into the spaces of those who would prefer to avoid being bothered.  As an introvert, Faith did her level best, but it wore on her.

She found that the state of her emotions had her feeling like a burden on her companions (though I’d never believe any of them actually feel that way), and made the work utterly debilitating.

She plugged away and received all available help, but it became apparent that the work of healing would be better undertaken in the presence of home and family.  With the full endorsement of her mission president, stake president, bishop and parents, she made the bold and prayerful choice to return home to us:

Bold in the sense that it’s a jolt to her own perfectionism and unmitigated success in the eyes of others, and prayerful in that she made absolutely certain that she felt the confirmation of the Holy Spirit and the approval of Heaven.

Her mission was a priceless experience.  It revealed to her wounds that yet required healing, and opened the door for her to give herself permission to do so.  It was humbling, in many ways strengthening, and beautifully edifying for her.  It also did immeasurable good in the lives of those she served.  She is already doing immeasurable good in our family again just by being here.  

And as she now knows the wisdom of embracing her difficult feelings rather than stowing them away, she is free to undertake the necessary repairs, and clear a space for awaiting joy.

Faith has returned with honor and served just the mission intended by Heaven and we’ll have words with anyone who implies otherwise. No one messes with our Faith.

Eternal and boundless love to Faith and all of the wonderful people who have supported and continue to support her spectacular journey!  So many thanks.