Merry Christmas 2015

December 21, 2015

Hi to all!!

I had a crazy week! Three 24 hour exchanges! It was good though, I was able to be busy, work hard, and spend time with other missionaries!

On exchange with Sister Rasmussen's 

companion

Sister Rasmussen and companion

One of our investigators came to church! Her name is Christina! She is the cutest girl. She's in her twenties, so we relate very well, and we get along great. She was saying in our Gospel Principles class that her mom had asked her that morning why she kept going to church if her boyfriend (who is in the YSA ward, she has a daughter) was in a different ward. She told her mom that she liked the people in our ward, and she likes what is being taught! Our ward is pretty great! GO CANYON CREST!!

On one of my exchanges, with Hermana Visick, we were having a really slow day. We hadn't gotten in with anyone until 4:30. I had been thinking about why we weren't getting in with anyone, and I recognized that my attitude towards the work wasn't where is should have been. I should have been excited and had faith that we were going to find people to teach! I said a prayer and told Heavenly Father that I knew that there were people out there and that we were going to pick up new investigators. The next door we knocked on, there was a woman cooking dinner. I said to her "We just wanted to drop by and share a short message with you," and then she let us in!

Sister Visick and Sister Cozzens

What are our attitudes towards the situations in life? Are we being positive and looking to follow the Spirit continually? Are we exercising our faith continually?

Now it is Christmas! Our Father in Heaven gave His son to us. Jesus Christ is our Lord and our Savior. A Savior was born, and He is the Gift. I love Christmastime, to think of and feel the joy of Christmas and of Christ's birth.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!


-Sister Cozzens

Sister Cozzens with her district

Christmas Nativity from Sister Cozzens' family

The Sisters' mini Christmas tree

The mission home is STUFFED full of Christmas

packages for the Elders and Sisters!

Elder Just with more packages

Half of the Zones from the California Riverside Mission 

got together at the Grand Building to eat and receive

their Christmas packages. Can you find Sister Cozzens?

There she is again...far right

Sister Cozzens, far left, waiting for her packages

Sister Cozzens with her Zone

What lack I yet?

December 13, 2015

Hi there!

Another week went by so fast! It doesn't even feel like Monday! So weird! We worked hard this week! We've been pondering what we can work on so that we can see even more success! We have decided that we are going to work with the ward even more. I'm sure that there is other stuff that we can work on, and the only way to find that out is through prayer!

It reminds me of the talk given at the last General Conference-"What Lack I Yet?" As we read the scriptures, ponder, and pray, the Spirit will give us inspiration that will benefit and guide us on our journeys.

We had an appointment this week with our investigator, Adam! He is Jewish and he is very interested in learning about the gospel. He's slowly reading the Book of Mormon and has a lot of questions. The last few lessons have been him asking questions and now his questions are starting to die down, so we are going to jump in with the Spirit and teach him about the Plan of Salvation. We asked him what he is wanting to get from the meetings that we are having with him, and he said that he wants to know that this church is true. He also accepted baptism, when he came to know that it is true! We are really wanting to strengthen and help him develop a relationship and testimony of Jesus Christ: How He is our Lord and our Savior, and through Him we can receive strength in ever aspect of our lives. I am so grateful for Him. We need His light in our lives.

I went to the temple this week! I love the temple! How often are you going???? Going to the temple is the best place to find refuge, inspiration and comfort! There are so many people that need their work done! I know that the temple is the Lord's house and that we need to do work there. We can and will receive revelation for ourselves, as we ponder and embrace the Spirit there.


-Sister Cozzens

Sisters Garlitz and Cozzens at the Redlands Temple

A cat that kept following the Sisters

Sister Cozzens on an exchange with Sister Buhler

On an exchange with another sister--

"I love the Sisters here!"

Great scriptures to study during the Holiday

Season that testify of the birth of our Savior 

I Like Christmas Music!

December 7, 2015

Hi!

I only have one Christmas song..... OH COME ALL YE FAITHFUL, by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and I listen to it every morning! Yay, Christmas! Also, there is a new video that the church came out with, and I failed to mention it last week! Go to christmas.mormon.org, it's nice!

Okay, while we were walking this week, there was this man in his garage. I was a little scared to talk to him (he was hiding behind his computer) but we need to TALK WITH EVERYONE! I noticed he had a bike by his porch, so I told him that he had a cool bike! He then leaned over to see us, put his arm in the air and said "I do not want to talk to you! Go away!" It was quite funny. I walked away laughing pretty hard. He'll learn about the gospel one day. ;)

The church has been sending us referrals to contact, that have been referred for the last 3 years! We went to contact one, Maureen, and they got home right when we pulled up! We went to introduce ourselves, and she looked really confused, but let us into her home right away. She said to us, "So how does all of this work?" We explained our purpose, what we do, and how much this will bless her family. She is really interested, but she is going to be in the Philippines for the next month, which is okay. She told us that she's seen missionaries there before, but she's always been too scared to go say hi to them and ask them questions. :) But she met us! She was a blessing and an answer to our prayers!

We had MLC this week and a big focus was on loving the Lord. Here are some scripture references that you can study! It was great training: Mark 12:28-33, Matt 22:37-40, D&C 20:31, and John 14:15. When we put the Lord first and love Him, the rest of the commandments will fall into place. Love the Lord with all of your heart, might, mind, and strength. D&C 59:5

I have come to love the Lord. I love Jesus Christ so much. He is our Savior. Feeling His love is amazing. I want to have that feeling with me always. The only way to have it is to be obedient to what He has commanded us to do. 1 Nephi 3:7

Have a great week! and love the Lord!

-Sister Cozzens

Sisters Cozzens with Sister Rasmussen, her

STL companion

Sister Young and Sister Cozzens on 

exchanges- "I love her."

Photo taken by Debbie Palmer, a home-share 

parent for missionaries. Sister Cozzens was on 

exchanges with Sister Buhler, who lives in their home.

Canyon Crest Ward Christmas party

Riverside Zone

Sister Training Leaders at a MLC at the Mission Office

Found on the Riverside California Mission Friends and 

Family Facebook page. Posted by Debbie Giles Palmer

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Last Week

November 30, 2015

Hi there! 

We had a slow week, since we weren't supposed to proselyte on Thanksgiving, and we had to make walking a big priority, to make up for what we didn't walk on Thanksgiving! We walk 1.5 hours/5 days a week. 

On Thanksgiving Day, we ate dinner with the ward mission leader and his family. I am grateful for the meal that they prepared! It was delicious! But, I definitely wasn't with my family, so that part was a little tough. In the morning, we played football with the missionaries! I suck, but it was fun nonetheless! Then from 6:30-9 pm, we played dodge-ball and other games with some missionaries in the mission! It was quite fun! That was my favorite part! :) It has been hard getting to know all the missionaries up here, because the missionaries down in Hemet are my best friends, but it is okay. I'll make friends here!

Sisters Cozzens and Garlitz on 

Thanksgiving Day

I love Sister Garlitz! We laugh all the time. She is an awesome missionary, and I am so glad that we were doubled in together! <--- that sounds super cheesy, but she is great, haha. :)

  

So update on that guy from UPS! We met with him on Saturday, and though he is only 19, and we need to pass him over to YSA, we taught him the Restoration! He accepted our invitation to read the Book of Mormon, pray about it, and be baptized! A miracle and a testimony to me that we need to talk with literally EVERYONE. We don't know who the Lord is preparing! All we need to do is invite, even if that means giving them a card with our number on it!

I literally love my ward. Dinner every night is a blast. This ward is just so much fun, and I love them! The Canyon Crest Ward! WOOT WOOT! 

Miracle: An investigator that we've never met, Christina, but talked to on the phone last week, told us that she would be too busy to meet or come to church this month. Then, she called us this morning and set up an appointment for Friday!! 

I was reading in the New Testament yesterday about Jesus (of course) and I was reading about the morning that He appeared to Mary Magdalene after He was resurrected. She came to the sepulcher and saw that the stone was not covering the opening. She ran to the disciples and told them that they had taken His body, and they all ran back to the sepulcher. I would be running too. They were so distraught. They walked with the Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer. I am excited to walk with Him during the millennium. I just want to see Him! I know that He lives! He loves us! He is our Lord, our elder brother, and the Messiah. We need to live the gospel and come unto Christ, always. I love Jesus Christ so much. He is coming! And I am super excited!!

-Sister Cozzens

Sisters Garlitz and Cozzens fed ducks on p-day

Sisters from the Riverside Zone

Elder Leininger, Sister Cozzens DL. "He is 

deaf and such a cool guy!"

The Sisters found Olaf..."Merry Christmas 

from California!"