12.20.16 Merry Christmas!

First off, I can't believe Christmas is this Sunday! Time seriously is going by way too fast. Transfer calls (if there is going to be a change) will come on Christmas day, but even though both of us hope that there won't be any change made, we know that we will go where we are needed, and I wouldn't have that any other way. This week felt a bit slow due to Zone Conference, exchanges, and snow storms, but as always we were able to see the work go forth!

So, last Tuesday we had our Zone conference, and the conference was really centered on teaching repentance, and helping others prepare to make covenants to Heavenly Father. One really interesting thing is that in missionary work, we call people to repentance by leaving them with commitments that help them make a change in their lives and develop faith. One thing that I have learned is that as a missionary, if you're not doing your part in leaving those you teach commitments and invitations to come closer to Christ, than you're not raising your voice of warning. Right after our Zone Conference, we had a Christmas party, where some of the missionaries preformed in a mini talent show and they also had some activities. It was a blast and just a good way to draw closer together with our zone and the Rigby zone! 

Thursday I went on an exchange to Rexberg with Sister Eas from Hawaii! It just so happened that Friday morning, there was this blizzard that hit, and the whole mission received a text message from President Nelson saying that we weren't allowed to drive, and we either had to stay home or walk around to proselyte. Since there was no way we were just going to just chill at the house all day, we walked around Rexberg in the snow- something that I would not suggest to everyone, but it honestly wasn't too bad! :)

Since we couldn't drive that day, our exchange lasted another 24 hours, which is just crazy!

Sunday, we were sitting in sacrament meeting up in Newdale when all of the sudden we received this text message from on the the in-active families that we have been working with in Teton, saying that they decided to make it to church and were wondering where we were at! We quickly hurried over to Teton, although we didn't make it in time for their sacrament meeting, (the sad part is that just that morning we at first felt like we should go to that particular ward in Teton, but we dismissed the thought since we had attended that ward just the week prior) we were able to help the kids to go to all of the right classes, and we attended Sunday School and RS with the mother, who hadn't attended church in years. We were also able to go sacrament in another ward with two other less actives we have been seeing! It was so wonderful to see both of the wards reach out to those who attended church with us. 

I swear miracles happen everyday, but here are just a few of them that we experienced this week. First off, last night we had some appointments fall through, and while we were trying our back up plans, I just was feeling a bit disappointed. But I was thinking that there had to be somewhere that we needed to be, so I said a quick prayer and a name came as clear as day to me. I turned to Sister Camarena and asked her if we could go try this one particular in-active woman. What was really neat is that Sister Camarena had been thinking about her strongly as well, so we went over to see her. Sure enough, she was home and we were invited in. We had been trying to set something up with her for a long time, and that night she happened to be there. Another prompting I received was just right after I said my closing prayer for my personal study Sunday morning. The thought came to mind to bring this one nice Book of Mormon I have that has tabs in it, with certain questions written inside, and the scriptures that answer those questions marked (hopefully that makes sense). I at first brushed the thought away, since I always carry a Book of Mormon anyway and I didn't really want to get that particular one I had to be damaged in anyway. But then I remembered a certain time that I had had a thought of bringing something and not acting upon it, and regretting it later. So I ended up taking the other Book of Mormon with me as well. So, in Sunday school with the one woman we have been working with, she needed a copy of the scriptures to follow along in, and I just gave her the copy I had with me. I watched as she ended up turning to each and every tab and reading the questions and the verses marked in it. She leaned over to me and asked where I had gotten it, and was super excited to read more! It was a really neat thing for me to see just how important it is to follow even the smallest of promptings! Also! This morning we had the privilege of going to the Rexberg Temple, and I had an amazing experience there! It is such a blessing to have a temple so close by, I love that we are able to see it from Sugar City. 

Since we were snowed in an we could only walk around Rexberg for so long on Friday, I was able to finish reading Doctrine and Covenants, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do so in one setting. I really only had 10 or so sections left, but I felt like I needed to learn all that I did from those particular sections at that time. Here are just a couple of scriptures from my reading then that stood out. 

~D&C 132:3

~D&C 136:31

I love you all, and hope that each of you have a wonderful Christmas! I know that Jesus really is the Christ, and this Christmas season my hope is that we can all thing of a way to align our lives closer to Him. We each have such a unique role to play here on earth, I know that to be true with all of my heart.

-Sister Cottrell 

12.12.16

Hi everyone! So since they changed our Zone Conference from Wednesday to Tuesday (tomorrow) we ended up not switching our P-day, but we will have it changed next week so that we can go to the temple. :)

This week was really good, despite the normal hard missionary moments that always occur! This past Monday night, we shared the Christmas Initiative with the one less active family, and that somehow ended up leading into a conversation of promptings of the spirit. They shared a few experiences when they both had been saved by following promptings. Pretty soon, their teenage daughter who we know pretty well (she's not a member, and a bit of a rebel. She's always friendly enough to us, though!) ended up joining us, and shared a near death experience that took place just a few days ago. She and her boyfriend had slid off the road and ran into a fence. She felt very strongly that God had a part to play in protecting them, and told us that she felt closer to God than she had in a long time. I felt so strongly that I should right there formally invite her to draw close to Him again, and we offered the discussions to her. She really opened up and said that she felt that was something she was ready for, and she right there pulled out her phone to plan a time that worked with her and her mom's schedule. It was just so powerful to me, because I've known her every since I first came into the area. It just added another testimony to me that Heavenly Father really is preparing the hearts of His beloved children! I know I say that like every week, but it's so true!

We also had the opportunity to pop in on a few ward parties, which was really neat because we had both less actives that we are working with and potential investigators that showed up! The greatest part about though, was seeing the ward reach out to them. I'm seriously so grateful for the wonderful members who help us in the work! As we attended one of the wards in sacrament meeting, one Sister who we know came up to us and told us that this one young non-member family went to their ward's Christmas party (unfortunately, we had an appointment and didn't make it to that ward's party) and the wife even mentioned that they would like to go to sacrament meeting! We are working with our Ward Mission Leader in that ward, and we both feel that they would be willing to meet with us through an invitation from the members they are friends with. We are very excited to see what might come from it!

We are still teaching our 12-year-old investigator, who just loves church and has been going for a solid month now! He's grandparents still want him to show that he's really dedicated, so they want to hold off him getting baptized for a little bit longer, but we know that he's on the right path. Another really neat experience was during another lesson with the Brother who we've been working with, and again he read another six chapters from the Book of Mormon (and we only committed him to two chapters last time!) The spirit was so strong while we were keeping the lesson focused on faith in Christ, and we all of the sudden felt prompted to bring up his tobacco, which he always used to jokingly offer to us in the past. He admitted that he would like to get off of it, and he knows he needs to do that to get active in the church, but that he's been chewing tobacco for almost fifty years. We talked about Lord can and will give him strength, and he said that he would think about asking for a blessing to help him. He kind of laughed as he mentioned how funny it would be when he would ask this one friend (who is an amazing member and helps us in the work!) for a blessing, and how he's been trying to get him to go to church for years, and then the Sisters show up! He very seriously though asked his wife though if she would like him to take her to the temple, and we know that he really is thinking about making some changes. He's coming a long way.                      

We also had exchanges this week, and I was with Sister Naitoko (from Tonga) in our area for a day! I learned a lot and we had a great time. I also just adore Sister Camarena! We teach really well together and are just getting closer each day. It's been neat watching her slowly start to love the people who I've been working closely for awhile now. I can't imagine what it will be like when I'll  eventually have to leave.

As a mission, we have a Book of Mormon reading daily chart, and we have now started over to the beginning. In 1 Nephi 4:6-18 it tells of Nephi and his experience of following the Holy Ghost. I think we forget (or, at least I do!) that the spirit often speaks to us through our thoughts in our hearts and impressions in our mind. He will also bring things to our remembrance (just like in verse 14). We need to just follow the guidance and trust in Him. :)
Also, one less active who we are working with was talking to us about how she doesn't understand why God would ever command His people to build a beautiful temple when those funds could be spent on helping the poor and needy. During personal study, I came across D&c 124, where in verse 21 The Lord calls on his servant to care for the poor, and then just a few verses later He gives the commandment of building a temple. It helped her understand that Heavenly Father is mindful of His Children's needs. It also helped her to see that Heavenly Father has always commanded His Children to build temples (D&C 124:38, and then Solomon's temple).

I just want to leave you all with my testimony that Jesus is the Christ. I can't tell you how amazing it is to share that with others each day! I really have felt like I've changed so much already on my mission in ways that I didn't expect. I'm so amazed at how the spirit is able to work through us to declare the gospel. I couldn't do anything on my own, and I'm thankful of the help I receive each day from the enabling power of the Atonement. I hold a deep love for all of the people I have met so far on my mission. I love each of you, thank you for your support!

-Sister Cottrell

12.05.16-- 4 Months out!

This week we had Zone Training and a special Sisters Meeting, where all of the Sisters in the whole mission got together for a training! 

Okay, so one wonderful thing about the Christmas Initiative is that it gives us an opportunity to go see people who we have maybe tried in the past, but who weren't super interested. One lady we decided to go see, I actually had met during my second week here, and that last time she flat out told us that she wasn't a member and that she wasn't interested. Well, to my surprise when we tried her again she invited us in and was way super friendly. Apparently, missionaries have been teaching her father who lives sort of near by, so maybe that's why she was a whole new different person and invited us in. We were able to share the Christmas Initiative with her and her two kids, and then we tied that into the Restoration a little bit. She is now really open and we have an appointment with her for tomorrow! We haven't been able to find new investigators recently, because we have been running into a lot of people (sometimes not very polite..) who just tell us they're "good" before we can really get a word out. 

We are still working with a lot of in-actives, and it's been amazing to see their progression! We have been meeting with this one lady who recently has been re-activating, and she used to just be super firm on not having any interest in going through the temple. However, we've been working with her, and she's starting to show more and more interest, and she's opening up to us why she's nervous about going through. It's amazing to see the change of people's lives as the spirit will testify of truth and what they need to do to become closer to Christ. 

Something that really stood out to me during a message at Zone Training is that you need to personally be converted in order to be able to help others on their journey towards conversion. During the Sisters meeting, we had some training on how to be able to teach about the different roles men and women play (for those who we teach who have concerns about women and the Priesthood). When you think about it, we are born through women, and when you're born, there's blood, water, suffering, and pain involved. The only way to get back to our Heavenly Father is through Christ, who suffered for our sins, and bled and died for us. When we are baptized, water is involved, and when we take the sacrament the bread and water represent the blood and his body. Women have the ability to bring children into the world, and in order to balance things, men hold the priesthood and are able to preform the ordinances that are essential to make it back to Him. Moses 6:54-60 came to my mind, and I think goes a lot with what we were discussing at the Sisters meeting. We also had training on clothing, hair, and things like that really only apply to the Sister missionaries. 

Also, I love my companion! We are really growing closer together each day, and I'm learning so much while training. 

-Matt. 20:30-34 This story really hit me! Do we sometimes see others who are calling for help, but we then tell them to "hold their peace"? Christ asked what the two blind men needed, and then He healed them. Right away, they followed Him once they could see on their own. 

-"Heaven is a continuation of the ideal home" (Preach My Gospel, pg. 85). I just love this quote! I'm so very thankful for being raised in what I think was an ideal home (not perfect, but close!). I'm forever grateful for being placed in my family, and I want to thank my parents and siblings for making our home one that really is a heaven on earth. 

One important thing to mention is that next week we are switching our P-day to Tuesday, so that we can go to the Rexberg Temple. :)

I love you all!

-Sister Cottrell 

Pictures: Sage went out to teach with us one evening, and is waiting for her mission call! One of the roads just right outside of Newdale :)