President's Day

February 16, 2015

Hey There!

So President’s Day (p-day) ha ha…  I’m so clever.  Anyway, the library is closed today, so no emailing today!  We could do it tomorrow, but the library is in Norco (where we live, like 15 minutes away from the area) and we have a lot of appointments this week, so no time!  I apologize if I worried you at all!  I am OKAY!!  I’m writing a letter for this week.

Last week, we put 3 people on date for baptism!  IT is so exciting!  It is amazing to see how much the gospel changes someone’s life and how great a desire they have to learn more!

I went on exchanges with Sister Pope (Thursday night-Friday night).  We had a sleepover!  I’m sorry mom.  It was definitely different, because she has a car in her area, but I’m on a bike in mine!  It was a nice change though, and it was fun to spend time with her!  I just love her!  We got the whole day to catch up and ‘hang out’.  But we also did work!  Heavenly Father gives us miracles everyday, and it is so cool to see his hand in my life as well as the investigator’s lives.

This week, I have also understood how important members are in the work.  They play a huge role in the investigator’s conversion.  It’s the fellowship, friendship, and the knowledge they have that add to the lessons that much more!  They also invite the spirit and touch the hearts of the people so much more than we can.

Yesterday, some Elders in our district were holding a baptism for a family that they have been teaching. We were invited to go, and we were asked to teach them the restoration.  But when we walked into the building, there was a happy, calm spirit there.  When we saw the family dressed in white…I can’t describe the spirit and the feelings felt.  It was an amazing experience. It just bore witness to me how happy Heavenly Father is when his children obey his commandments and make covenants with him through baptism.

I know that Heavenly Father is our eternal father in heaven.  He watches over us and guides us in the right direction.  That direction is Jesus Christ’s gospel and all the small aspects within it.  I know that he wants us to obey his commandments and make and keep sacred covenants with him.  I love him, and I love his son’s gospel.  Jesus Christ’s gospel has been restored to its fullness today and Joseph Smith played a key role in the restoration of his gospel, through the priesthood power given to him by God.  Jesus Christ lives.  His gospel lives and is thriving.  I love being a missionary and taking part in bringing God’s children unto him.  The work is amazing, and it has only been 3 weeks.

Make good choices everyone!

Sister Cozzens

On exchanges with Sister Pope (both are 

serving from the Springwood Ward)

Elder Thompson, Elder Murray, Sisters Pope and

Cozzens. They all played in the WX High School

Orchestra together!

Farmer's Tan

Hi everyone!

It is hot now, and I get very sweaty #missionlife. I am wearing sunscreen everyday (be proud mom!)! My farmers tan is breaking in. It's great.

You meet so many interesting people everyday. There are so many religions here (I have yet to meet a Jehovah's Witness, but I'm looking forward to it)... Muslims, Buddhists, Orthodox, Catholic, Christian. It's crazy. It's interesting to see and meet these people. We talk to them about their beliefs! It's amazing how people are comfortable with talking about it!

Some of the people we meet, we ask if they have time to hear a message about our Savior and how it can bless their lives and they say yes, right then and there. So we jump right into it! This one guy was washing his car, and we walked up to him and asked if we could share a message with him and he said sure. We taught him the restoration, and it was cool to see his reaction, because we told him that Christ's church has again been restored to the earth. We gave him a Book of Mormon, and we are hoping to see him again this weekend!

One of the members of the ward is in charge of activity days, and they asked if we could come share our testimonies and the story of why we decided to serve a mission. It was a really cool experience. The Holy Ghost teaches. I'm grateful to be here and to teach by the Holy Ghost.

I know that Christ's gospel is again on the earth today. I know that Joseph Smith was chosen by God to be a prophet and to restore his church. God is the same God today as he was back in Abraham's time. Why wouldn't we have a prophet today?

Good luck to everyone in the real world! :)

-Sister Cozzens

p.s. Something I learned from the white bible (missionary handbook). D&C 11:21 "Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men." See also D&C 84:85. This can go along with not only church related things, but also if you study the material first and gain knowledge by having a desire, you will be blessed to keep that knowledge for tests! For me, studying the scriptures and the other tools that I have been given are really important. I can't just expect God to give me the information, while I am teaching people. I need to study and know the material in order for God to guide me.

Testimony

February 2, 2015

Dear Familia,

I failed to bare my testimony in my email.  I was writing another email, baring my testimony, when the computer logged me off.  We go to a library, hence limited time.)  And I just said oh well, I can wait until next week!  But false!  My testimony is important!  And one of the most important things!

The mission (only 3 weeks) has definitely enhanced my testimony.  A man asked how I was converted into the church, meaning what is my conversion story.  NOW for those of you who think that conversion is only for non-members, think again.  There are members of the church who don’t have testimonies in the gospel.  I remember praying several times, when I was younger, to ask if the church was true. I felt stupid asking, because it was kind of a ‘duh’ moment.  I always have known it was true.  I just didn’t have a super strong testimony in it.  I never needed to pray to ask if it was true, I just needed to put forth the effort to strengthen my testimony ( i.e. prayer and scripture study).  Don’t just read them…yes, there are wonderful stories in the scriptures, but it’s pointless to just read them.  Study them, learn from them, apply them to your life.  The scriptures are God’s word given to us.  Words from His mouth.  I just received revelation.  Like right this moment!  Think about when you are sitting in a spiritual setting (church, seminary) and you think of something (revelation)... you should write it down.  Revelation is given to us from God.  Think about that.

I think that the words written by Nephi, Helaman, Alma, and the other authors of the Book of Mormon were consistently receiving revelation from God as they were writing.  Back to personal revelation.  Why would it be important to receive revelation??  The revelation and promptings by the Holy Ghost are from God.  Lehi received revelation to send Nephi and his brothers back to Jerusalem, 1 Nephi 3:7.  God commanded them to go.  So, wouldn’t our personal revelation and promptings be like little personal commandments from God?  I was prompted to serve a mission (hint: commanded more like).  But these “commandments” or “promptings” or “revelations” are part of the plan that God has for each of us.  I think that is so important.  What would have happened if Nephi wouldn’t have gone back to Jerusalem to get the plates?  Or Samuel the Lamanite didn’t go back and preach to the Nephites,  Helaman 12:3, Helaman 16:1.  Samuel saved so many lives from destruction.  Nephi brought those plates back.  It was all their choice, whether or not to obey those promptings.  The prompting that we receive could just affect only our lives, but it could affect many others as well (i.e…my mission).  Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us.  I know that He lives.  The Holy Ghost plays the biggest role in our personal conversion and God’s other children.  I pray that we may always follow a prompting given to us by the Holy Ghost.

Why not follow a prompting given to us from God?  Who cares if it is embarrassing for us, different, or even weird.  This is God’s plan.  His plan and we need to follow it.

I Love you.  I invite you to study, actually study and discuss the words in the Book of Mormon.  Stay Strong!  God is on our side as long as we do right!

Sister Cozzens