Transfer 11

March 28, 2016

Guys, holy cow does time fly!!

There is a new transfer starting! Woohoo! Sister Bedingfield and I are staying together, which is fantastic! There is still more that we need to learn from one another! AND there is some wonderful news! Sister Nai, the Australian, got her visa and is coming to the California Riverside Mission tomorrow! Sadly, I will not be training her, :( but I know that I am where I need to be with the companion the Lord needs me to be with.

Hey! We also had a fantastic week! The Lord blessed us so much! We had a PPI (personal priesthood interview) a couple of weeks ago with the AP's (since I am an STL) and my ZL's. They helped us out a lot with how we can work smarter! They are so great, and I am grateful for my leaders! We applied their input, and we picked up 4 new investigators! Lake, our 9 year old investigator, is on a baptismal date for April 16th, and Dakota is slowly progressing! Sometimes, he falls of the band wagon, so we need to continually work with him and remind him of why he wants to meet with us, he wants to go to the temple with his wife. :)

I also went on exchanges with two of my favorite sisters! Sisters Petersen (s/o it's her birthday today!) and Springer! They are so awesome, and I love them so much! I love being and STL (once again) and helping and befriending the sisters here. They're great! 

My sweet STL companion, Hermana Rutherford, is going home tomorrow... ;(. I have learned so much from her, and she is my missionary idol. I know that she has served with all of her heart, might, mind, and strength. I felt like I did last week. I can feel the FIRE! 

Anyway, things are good! Elder D. Todd Christopherson is coming to our mission May 21st, and I am pumped!!! WOOO! I love the work and the Lord. 

I spoke in church on Sunday about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As I started, I said that I was grateful for the opportunity that I had to speak about Christ's resurrection. I looked down at my notes and back up at the congregation and I said, "I know that  He lives." To whomever is reading this, I know that Christ lives today. I know that it is only in and through His atonement that we can be saved. I plead and encourage each of you to choose the light and hold on to the 'Old Ship Zion' with both hands. You need Jesus Christ in your life consistently and constantly!

I am so excited to hear from our General Authorities this next weekend. It is going to be awesome! I know that they are men called by God to lead us back to our Heavenly Father's presence. I've been reading through the last general conference talks from October, and I love learning from them! 

Go to this website! It's a great talk!

 https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/choose-the-light?lang=eng

Love,

Sister Cozzens

God is great guys

March 21, 2016

Why hello there!

We had a slow week! That is okay! This week is going to be better! You'll see! 

Don't let trials get you down!!! 

Uh... I feel like my writing skills are really bad today! It's fine! 

I went on exchanges with my grand-daughter! Sister Roberts #2!! She is such a great missionary and so smart! She was teaching me all about politics... Since I don't know very much... But she is a great missionary!

So Saturday was my birthday... yes... But it was a great day! I had asked one of the families in my ward to feed us, since I love them. They had contacted my parents and asked what I like to eat! They are great! It was a fun day! Sister McCulloch got me a bunch of presents..haha: some Avenger stickers, a Captain America kite, a dog stuffed animal, Resse's, and a really nice written letter. I do love the people I've met on my mission!

Sister Cozzens' 21st birthday celebration with the 

Bradford family. They ate honey mustard chicken,

Sister Cozzens' favorite dinner.

We had received a referral a few weeks ago, and we called him and set an appointment for Tuesday to meet at the church, and he actually showed up! It was cool! He opened up a lot about the challenges he was currently facing and having a really rough time. He wants to come closer to God. It is amazing how the Lord really does place things in our lives to help us come closer to Him. He gives us trials to make us humble. Ether 12:27-humble yourself and have faith in the Lord, and He will make weak things become strong!

Have a wonderful week!

Sister Cozzens

Sister Cozzens and Sister Bendingfield

Hi :)

March 14, 2016

Hello!

Guess what today is...??? It is my 14 month mark, I feel old, when I see new missionaries. It's fine though! It just doesn't feel like it! I am super duper grateful that I have been and am able to continue to serve the Lord. MISSIONS ARE THE BEST! They are also very hard... but that is okay! Because, just because. Learning and growing. It's good stuff.

We had a slow week, our miles are shot, it's fine. Lots of biking days are in our future! We had two exchanges! I got to see Sister Roberts!! :) My sweet sweet MTC comp! She is on the other half of the mission, but I am her sister training leader, so we were able to go on exchanges and help one another out! This is what happened while we were together:

"We actually had a pretty wild experience. We had an appointment set for the evening, but when we arrived at the investigators home, they were having dinner and asked us to come back in 30 minutes, so they could finish. We decided to go contact referrals. The first house we got to was supper dark, but we tried it anyway. After waiting on the door step for a few minutes, a man who looked pretty young, but had a walker, answered the door. We didn't even get to tell him who were were and why we were there, because he was having a hard time standing up and didn't look so good. We asked him if he needed to sit down, and he went on to tell us that he had just got home from the hospital and was by himself and wasn't doing so good. He said he couldn't figure out how to get his oxygen tank thing to work....I obviously didn't know what to do, but we both got the strong impression we needed to help him. After a few prayers...on my part, we got his oxygen tank running, and he started to feel and look better. He asked us why we came here and how we knew to come. Best question to ask a missionary! We told him that we were missionaries, explained what we do and shared our testimony with him. After we said a prayer with him, he broke down and just sobbed. He told us that we were an answer to his prayers. He invited us back, and said he wanted to come closer to God." - I copied this from Sister Roberts' email, I was too lazy to type it out. :) But it was an awesome experience, and since I was on time to our appointment that night (they usually expect us to be late), they were still eating. I was an instrument in the Lord's hands. 

We had stake conference on Sunday! It was focused on having our homes being a refuge for our families, so we can be out of the world. It was centered on families. God placed us in families to learn and grow. Go to: https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng&cid=PA0414-02 to see more on the family and how God needs our families to be! :)

After stake conference, a member came up to us and told us that a lady that lives with her (nonmember and has taken the lessons a few times within the last 3 years) told her that she is ready to join the church. We later dropped by to introduce ourselves, and when I brought up baptism, her eyes lit up, and I could see the Spirit in her. God is so good. As we continue to take care of our current investigators, and serve with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength, He will bless us. I know that the Lord is so mindful of my situation, and He is aware of yours. He loves you. He sent His son to help us return to His presence. It is up to us and the choices we make, if we want to stay in His presence.

A new Easter video has come out! followhim.mormon.org 

I love the Savior! He is great.

Love, Sister Cozzens

Mt. Rubadoux Zone

Elder and Sister Puskas, the fleet coordinator and

office person (completed their mission)  :(

Sister Cozzens and Sister Turner, (a sweet reunion)

Repentance

March 7, 2016

Why hello!

I wanted to start off by apologizing to all y'all about complaining of how short time I have left and how I'm never going home. The mission has been AMAZING and definitely the BEST decision I have ever made in my mortal life. I do know that I still have (around) 5 months left, and that is still a while to go! I still have a lot of work to complete and the end of my mission drawing nearerish is not going to stop me! I look forward to life afterward to see what the Lord does have in store for my life, and I am so beyond grateful to be serving in this part of His vineyard. I have truly been blessed. 

We met with Dakota last week twice! The first time, he hadn't read his scriptures, but the second time, he had read them every day! It was very cool to see the small progression and God's hand in his life. You gotta love your investigator's agency, when they make the right choices! It isss the best!

We had so many meetings this last week! Holy cows! MLC, trainer/trainee, and the new Easter video that is coming out in a week! That is one good video mis amigos. You can get it on March 13th at followhim.mormon.org. I got to see several of my friends. Some of my favorites are going home in a few weeks. Hermanas Rutherford and Bjork. They are so amazing, and I have been so grateful to serve along side them! 

Have a wonderful week! Remember who you are, what you stand for, and who's watching you. 

#keepthecommandments <-- in this there is safety and peace

Love, Sister Cozzens

Los Hermanas (Spanish speaking Sisters) with English 

speaking, Sister Cozzens

Mt. Rubidoux Zone

MLC-Missionary Leadership Council meeting

Elder Ferrin, Hermana Burris (left), Hermana Bjork,

and Sister Cozzens

Hermana Bjork and Sister Cozzens

The STL's (Sister Training Leaders), Sister Cozzens

calls them her 'Homies'   

Elder Thompson and Sister Cozzens found each other 

again and took this photo for their mothers!

   

Are you on Fire?

February 29, 2016

Why hello Utah and whoever else reads this!

Hola! Como esta? I've been able to practice my Spanish and a little of ASL (American Sign Language) recently! My district leader is deaf, and we do service every week--there are Hispanics there, and they teach me Espanol.

ARE YOU ON FIRE? That has been something our mission president has been focusing on: Getting everyone on fire. The transition plan is: Remember him, learn and teach by the Spirit, teach repentance, and baptize converts. It's been cool to see the effect it's having on the missionaries and the work. Baptisms have really gone up since the transition plan took effect. President Mullen is great. It's cool to see the revelation he receives and the outcome. Also, the MLC (Missionary Leadership Council) helped come up with the transition plan. It's cool being a part of it! (Cool is the new word)!

My poor companion got sick this last week, just for a day and a half. She got well quickly, though! Thursday was the day we spent inside. I decided to take a nap, and I slept for two hours! Who knew that I could sleep that long! I was so tired! But it was so nice :). It was good to spend time with Sister Bedingfield, haha she is great. She is so talented! I wish we had a piano in our apartment, just so she could play, and I could listen to her. She's so good. For all y'all that are thinking about quitting a talent, don't do it.

I went on exchanges with Sister McCulloch. We are in the same district. She is amazing. I am so grateful for her example. I love her! Story time, we were walking in her area, and I was just talking and talking and all of a sudden she was saying "WOAH, WOAH," and I didn't really hear/notice because I was talking :), but then I realized why she was reacting that way. A dog was jumping almost over the wall and barking! Then, I jumped into her arms and screamed a little bit. I'm not sure if you even think that is funny, but she is still laughing and making fun of me for it. I always have "fun" experiences with dogs on exchanges. It's fine.

I struggle at being on time. I am going to master this by the end of my mission, if there even is an end. I'm just not coming home guys, it's fine! The mission is the best way to go! The sons of Mosiah were on their missions for 14 years! I guess the Lord needs me to get married and start my posterity......... We'll see. Anyway, time. I have struggled with that for my whole life (Lindsey can attest to this), but I have decided that it is going to stop!

We shared a couple of lessons with 2 families yesterday! I was so excited while teaching them, but then they both said that they were fine with where they were. We will find those golden contacts!

Are you struggling with something? Of course we all are right? It's life. But, keep in mind to start with the end in mind. Wrapping your head around a challenge always seems to be a little easier when you start with the end in mind. Keep in mind that our Heavenly Father wants all of His children to stay in His presence. He wants all of us to receive eternal life and be "swallowed up in the joy of God." Alma 27:17-18. I know that we need to be those penitent (repentant) and humble seekers of happiness. Follow the gospel, literally hold on to that rod of iron with both hands, even if the world outside is pushing against you. Defend it, follow it, love it. I love it! Jesus Christ and His restored Gospel are the way, the truth, and the life. Live it!

Love, Sister Cozzens

Sister Cozzens and Sister Bendingfield

All the sisters from the district ("they're great") 

went hiking on p-day. Sister McCulloch is 

the blonde one.

The sister missionaries with Sister Tillman. Quoting 

Sister Cozzens: "She is literally the cutest, and I 

stinking love her!"