Sister Katelyn Cozzens Mission Blog

January 21, 2015

Week 1, The MTC Experience

Hello everyone!! Sorry it is kind of a novel.... BUT, I want to share EVERYTHING.

The MTC has been surreal, there are too many words to describe this event in my life. I have grown so much closer to Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. I have come to realize that it is the most important thing you need to focus on in your life. Without it, and without being here, I wouldn't have come to this realization, but anyway the church is true!!!!! I am so happy here and the Spirit here is so amazing.

My companion's name is Sister Roberts! She is from Atlanta, Georgia! And we get along really well! She actually borrowed my cardigan the other day!! Sometimes, when we are teaching an investigator, I have no idea what to say and so I look at her and she jumps in and it's always perfect! We always build off of one another!

My roommates left this morning, and we are waiting for the new missionaries to come!! But our old roommates are going to Temple Square! Their names are Sister Sami (from Fiji) and Sister Lysy. They didn't get along very well, which is sad, but it also helped me see that I am so grateful for my companion!

My district is awesome. I call them my family here at the MTC (no offense my real familia :)) There are 5 of us total, which I didn't know was small, when I first got here, but apparently it is unheard of... I am totally okay with it! Their names are Elder Okojie (okojay from Nigeria), Elder Tremea (from West Point, UT), and Elder Cardinal (from Alberta, Canada). The district I have is rare to come by, most districts get really distracted and goof around a lot. But we are really good at staying on task. Just like my companion, we build off of each other's testimonies. I NEVER share in classes, and some of you know that. I always kept my answers to myself in class and in religion classes. But here I share all the time. I feel like 'a know it all' but I'm not.... I just feel prompted to share my insights a lot.... which is good right?? I'm listening to the Holy Ghost and obeying it!! Friday was REALLY hard for my district. Satan was really trying hard to discourage us, and it was working. None of us could concentrate and some of us were asking themselves why they were here. I was crying (of course) which was really embarrassing, because I hate crying in front of people. So, to fix my problem, I went to the bathroom and got on my knees and just prayed. I prayed that I wouldn't be discouraged and that I would feel comforted. When I ended my prayer, I felt so good, and I knew that Heavenly Father answered my prayer. The rest of my district was having a hard time still. One of my teachers (Bro. Whiting) told me, "You are better than you think you are." I love that he also says quite often "God is so good." He walked into class the other day and said "I am so great!! The gospel is true!" He has made my experience at the MTC so much better. I look forward to going to class everyday, because I am learning so much. ANYWAY, back to my district being discouraged. In our afternoon class my other teacher (Bro. Meteer) gave us the idea to kneel in a circle and pray as a district. That experience was so awesome, and we were all overcome with the Spirit. We really had to rely on the Lord to get through that week. Everyone says, "Just make it to Sunday," and it's true. Only through Jesus Christ and putting our trust in Him, could we have gotten through that.

We have had several other experiences where we have nightly discussions about our testimonies, experiences we've had in our lives and in the MTC, and everything that we have heard. I know that we were blessed with this district, because I know I wouldn't be able to learn ANYTHING if I were with another one.

Everyone here is so incredibly nice! My first day, I had to wear a bright orange sticker on my name tag, and everyone said "Welcome to the MTC!!" It was kind of annoying, but it made me feel welcome! And now today, there are a lot of new missionaries and so my companion and I say "Welcome to the MTC!!" They keep walking saying "thanks..." and then I laugh afterward, because literally EVERYONE tells you that. No joke.

A great thing I have come to realize is that you can get so much done if you wake up at 6 every morning AND go to bed at 10:30. It is crazy how much you can do. I think that that was one of the hardest things for me to get used to, always doing something. I'm used to it now, though, and it's awesome.

THANKS MOM AND DAD FOR THE PACKAGES AND EMAILS. I LOVE MY GLASSES AND I AM ACTUALLY WEARING THEM RIGHT NOW.

I LOVE YOU ALL AND I HOPE YOU HAD JUST AS HARD OF A WEEK AS ME, BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE STRUGGLES AND TRIALS, WE NEED TO RELY ON JESUS CHRIST. And we need to have trials in our life for that purpose. It truly is amazing, this gospel.

The Atonement is real and Heavenly Father sent His son so that we may be able to live with Him again. Joseph Smith did translate The Book of Mormon, and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ did appear to him. I love this gospel so much, so, so, much. God is so good, and I encourage you all to think of everything that God has blessed you with and thank Him. He deserves to be thanked.

My purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. I actually memorized that. You should all be proud!!

Peace out, until probably a week and half, because I fly ALL BY MYSELF WITH NO PARENTS to CALIFORNIA next Tuesday. So, until whenever I email you again,

-Sister Cozzens

Love you all!!

Note to family: So I will be able to call you at the airport (don't come visit me ) on Tuesday (January 27th) between 5-8 a.m. My flight is at 8:30, but I have to be at the travel office here at the MTC at 3:35 a.m...how stupid is that ...haha. We land in Ontario, CA. So just beware! Sit by the phone and don't let Dylan go to school until I have called. Love you!! Thanks for everything you've done! The gospel is true my beloved familia. Do everything that you can to keep the spirit with you. I remember what it was like when I didn't have it with me all the time. It is AWESOME having it with me.
xoxo
-Sister Cozzens

It's official!!!