Monday, July 18, 2016

HELLLLOOOOO!!!


July 18, 2016

Hi there!
We had a slow week, not very many people were interested. They were actually kinda rude, but that is okay! It doesn't change my testimony! I'll just tell them "I told you so" during the Millennium. We did walk a lot and talked to 126 people. I also hit my 18 month mark, that was crazy.

We went bowling today!! It was Elder Zeng's first time (he's from China). 




"Happy as a clan!"


Elder Zeng



Though the work is slow, we will keep pressing on. God will bless us and everything will be okay! I am going to finish strong and not get trunky! My focus is to bring the Spirit at every opportunity, so that people can feel it and want us to come back!

I am grateful for the gospel and for the priesthood! Don't be afraid to ask for a priesthood blessing. I was prompted to get one last night. There were a bunch of people in the home, so I got nervous and scared (idk why). I left the home, without acting on the prompting, and as I walked further away from the house, I knew that I needed to go back and ask, so I did. I am so grateful to have the priesthood in my life, and I am grateful that we can receive words and direction, directly from our Heavenly Father.

Have a great week! 


A pitbull that ran at the Sisters, then started 
following them. They had to tract a
couple of houses to find his home.


"He's super cute and nice. His name is Shargy."


A picture with the "Wolfee Donuts" car, where 
Arianna Grande sued them. 


The Sisters decided to get treats from the ice
cream truck.

Monday, July 11, 2016

BAPTISM!!!!!!!

Why, hello there!

So my fourth of July was AWESOME. We have the best zone ever. We all made our own pies as companionships, and we had to test them all out! Whoever won, idk who the winner was, but we got to eat pie. We also played humans vs. zombies (church walking dead version) Monday night. It was the greatest! The humans had Nerf guns, and the zombies chased the humans around the church, don't worry, the chapel and baptismal font were off limits. Not sure how obedient it was, but we had lots of fun. :) 

Making pie and improvising for an apron


The zone eating pies...


Sister Cozzens with Sister Garlitz (previous 
companion)


We had found lots of solid potentials on Friday and Saturday last week, and we were so excited to go see them, yesterday. Then, it turned out that no one wanted to listen to what we had to say and this one guy, Jeff, (pray for him) was trying to teach me the truth. He kept calling us to tell me what was right and that we are being deceived. So, yesterday was a rough day. Satan has been working on me and this area, and I know that it is because I am going home soon, but I refuse to budge. 

Though I got a little discouraged yesterday, I was able to GO BACK TO CANYON CREST IN RIVERSIDE AND GO TO A BAPTISM!!! Sister Garlitz and I picked up Sandra, back in December, when we were companions. She fell off the face of the earth, when Sister Bedingfield and I were companions, and after I left, she showed up to church and got baptized yesterday! It was a nice surprise, and I was able to teach the Restoration with my buddy, Sister Garlitz, while Sandra got ready. 


Sandra's baptism


Sandra with Sister Cozzens


I was able to bear my testimony, through lots of tears, that God has given us families, that we need Christ to be the center of our homes, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that Christ lives. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and all of His children. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that he restored Christ's church. This gospel is the only way back to our Father's presence. We have the priesthood authority needed to baptize, confirm, administer the sacrament, do work for the dead, and interpret scripture and everything else involved in the church. 

My dad apparently taught yesterday at church about conversion and the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's, (I love the Book of Mormon, it's so good) and how we need to DAILY work on our conversion. We need to grow daily, and the Lord will help us and enable us through our trials, as we submit and learn what He needs us to learn. I love this gospel. I love Jesus Christ. I love being a missionary. I love the work of the Lord and what an amazing opportunity I have been blessed with, to be an instrument in our Heavenly Father's hands. Just as Ammon boasts of our God (Alma 26:11-16), I am so grateful for our Father in Heaven. He is so good.

Well, I am a missionary! There's my testimony for you!

Love, 
Sister Cozzens



A member stuck the Sister's card on an investigator's
door on a nail


The biggest flautas of my life



"I found this fun flower thing, in a lady's
yard and snuck a picture. Hopefully she
wasn't home." :)


THE NASTIEST CREATURES BESIDES SPIDERS!
The jade beetles are NASTY....BZZZZZ. They
are huge and green.


Sisters Rodriguez and Cozzens



Sister Cozzens, Sister Moore, and Sister 
Rodriguez...YOMO (You Only Missionary
Once)

"A picture Sister Garlitz sent to me of when 
we went to the temple last transfer. She's the 
greatest."



Friday, July 8, 2016

Happy 4th of July!

July 4, 2016

Hello!

I wanted to tell you a funny story, and you can choose to laugh if you want. I wish Sister Turner were here, because she could tell the story much better than me. Neither Sister Rodriguez or I speak Spanish. There are times, being in California, where you are bound to run into someone that doesn't speak English, which happens quite often. One day, we happened to run into a man, that only spoke Spanish. So, we start our Spanish contact, and don't judge: "Somos representantes de Jesu Cristo, de la iglesia de jesu cristo de los santos de los ultimos dias. We're sharing a dos minuto video de jesu Cristo, can we share with you?" Then he just went off in Spanish, and when I don't know what they are saying, I just smile and look at my companion, even though she doesn't speak either, and he kept talking. I understood a few vocab words, we were trying to communicate, and I was desperate. I was praying for the gift of tongues, but nothing really happened... So, we stood there for a few  minutes, thinking of how to form a sentence and saying "si" every once in a while. Then, he just decided to start speaking English! He knew how to speak, perfectly mind you, the whole time! We laughed, but I really was quite embarrassed. He wasn't interested, but he was nice. and that is my story.... Not sure if it was even funny, but that's okay!

Thursday: We picked up an awesome investigator-Lorena! Sister Rodriguez and I had just gotten out of the car to go seeking with faith (walking around a neighborhood) and there was a lady across the street and a ways down, but I saw her waving, so I waved back. I said, "Let's go talk to her!" We crossed the street and when we got over to her, she said "I was waving to my neighbor, not you." She wasn't rude, but don't we all hate when that happens! It is so awkward! But, we ended up being able to share the followhim.mormon.org video with her. 

Saturday: Sister Rodriguez had a baptism in her old area, so I was able to see Lorena with a young woman from our ward. We were able to teach the Restoration to her. The Spirit was so strong and one thing she told us was that whenever she starts having questions about things, religious people always show up. She was having questions about why there are so many churches, and she smiled more throughout the lesson, as we continued to teach her. She accepted a baptism date for July 31st- my mom's birthday (I think). Hopefully she comes to church, so that she can get baptized! I was also testifying about God and Jesus Christ appearing to Joseph Smith, and I said:  "I know that he saw God and Jesus Christ, because I have prayed about it, and I have received an answer from God." She then asked if she could keep the pamphlet, and we invited her to pray about Joseph Smith and the Restoration, and she said "Yes, I will!" 

I invite you to pray about this message, continually. Continue to read the Book of Mormon to strengthen your testimony. Christ's gospel has been restored. Pray to find those that the Lord has prepared for you to share the gospel with. I love this gospel. I love this church. I am so grateful to be a part of it. I was able to go to a child of record baptism on Saturday. They shared a video with everyone, called: The Power of God- it's a Mormon message.  https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/power-of-god-2
Watching that helped me see even more how real this gospel is. This gospel is a life long commitment. God has created a plan, and it needs to be a part of every aspect of our lives. The church is true! :)

Love,
your fellow missionary friend
Sista Cuz


Sister Cozzens and Sister Pielstick "I went
on exchanges with SISTER PIELSTICK. 
What a girl, I love her. My old companion--
of 5 days."


Sisters Cozzens and Rodriguez