11/6/17 Happy Halloween!

Alright, so one of my goals is to be better at sending out an e-mail with more of the miracles and the events that happen each and everyday! So here it goes :)

On Monday, I would have to say that one of the miracles was that with this family we are teaching, the mom for the first time said that prayer! She actually volunteered and asked to say it as soon as we mentioned that we would like to have a prayer, and it was so wonderful. One of the things I love is being able to see how the change in others, which occurs when your faith in Jesus Christ expands and grows! One other neat thing that happened was actually while we were shopping during our preparation day, we ended up talking to this lady, and we found out that she  used to meet with missionaries, but hadn't in awhile and we happened to know the missionaries in her area and encouraged her to reach out to them. She felt that it wasn't a coincidence that we ran into her, so she said that she would :) 

Tuesday I felt like we did hardly anything, because I had a mission council meeting and so Sister Ekenstam was on an exchange in another Sister's area, and then we worked all the rest of the afternoon, but we had to be at a church building as a zone by 6pm, and we couldn't leave until 9pm, so we were kind of in a "lock down" ;)

The next day we had our first District meeting as a new district, which was really good! We discussed the power of using the scriptures to become better teachers, and I can honestly say that there have been so many experiences when the things that I studied that very day, we end up using to help answer someone's concern or question! We also had a powerful few discussions, one of which one of our investigators told us that they do believe the Joseph Smith was a prophet, and I know that that testimony really came through their personal study of the Book of Mormon! Someone also was really excited to learn about how there is a pre-existence, and I just thought about all of the different times that we have taught the plan of Salvation, and how so often many people don't realize that they lived with Heavenly Father before they were on the earth, as Spirits. I know that I've taken this knowledge for granted.

We were able to contact/teach a variety of people I felt like on Thursday! One lady in particular was from South Africa, one (a young family) just moved from North Virginia, and she let us in after we were able to teach her the first discussion she agreed to learn more, and she set up a time for her husband learn as well, so that was a miracle right there :) We also met with this really nice lady who gave us water, because she used to be a Jehovah's witness and understands what it's like to go proselyting. Those were just a few of the things I remember!

So, Friday marked my 15th month mark, and I'm just can't believe how fast time goes by, I was talking with another Sister who actually goes home the same time that I do, and we discussed just some good memories and what we've been doing to make sure that we continue to just stay as focused as we can! This day was really, really good and we were able to make some really great contacts. I can honestly say that Idaho has some of the nicest people I've ever met, and people here will seriously just let you right in, it's amazing. Sister Ekenstam was having a hard time, but I know that it's all an adjustment, and she had such a neat experience and an answer to her prayer, that built her testimony just yesterday, it was great! We've been having a lot of fun working hard together :) 

Saturday, it snowed and was bitter cold, but you just have to love Idaho :) We've been finding a lot more people, and lately because we've been working closer with the members, it's been great to me to see ways that we can strengthen them as well, and they just love to do missionary work as well!

Okay, a few really amazing things happened Sunday, one of which was that we found a new investigator, a young mother who actually also just loved the plan of Salvation, and just mentioned how the three kingdoms of glory actually made a lot of sense to her. We also shared a message about missionary work to a member family, and what blew me away was that they actually had a family that is newer to the area, who live nearby, and they feel that they might accept the invitation to learn more and are planning to invite them to meet with us! It really is such a powerful thing when members and missionaries truly work together like that. We also ran into several others who we know have been prepared by Heavenly Father's hand! 

I know that miracles occur each and everyday! Sister Ekenstam and I are for sure witnesses of that. I know that Heavenly Father is looking after us all, and that He not only has a merciful plan for all of us, but that he also is very much a part of our personable lives. 

With love,

-Sister Cottrell 

Pictures: I totally spaced taking many pictures this week, so the first one is just us in the family history center in our stake building. The next was taken Halloween night!

Oct. 30th, 2017!

Happy Halloween! 

First off, I just have to say that I'm so thankful to be able to serve The Lord by being on a mission! I'm serious when I say that miracles occur all of the time! Just the other day, we had to arrange our plans due to some things canceling, and so we ended up deciding to do our plans for latter that day, and because of that we were able to meet quite a few people while walking, who may be interested. One thing too that happened, was that this guy who recently moved from the East Coast was driving around, looking for their lost dog, and we said that we would keep our eye open. Well, it just so happened that we did find the lost pet, and we cover a big area and so it was really neat to me that Heavenly Father has a hand in everything! We also had some good discussions this week, and I honestly can say that some of my fondest moments on my mission would have to be during actual discussions, when the Spirit is so strong and you can really just focus on the people you're with, and their needs! 

Also, as some of you already know, our area was split last week! Elders now cover half of our Stake, and we cover the rest! It's amazing how we're able to just focus our efforts on a few of our wards, and the whole stake is getting more and more excited for missionary work! We're finding a ton more people and working more closely with members than ever before, and it's been great to work with the 4 wards that we now cover! It's very different from covering 45 wards and a branch, I'll tell you that. 

I was just studying some Christ-like attributes and I just feel like I had a complete change of heart while reading this passage in 1 John chapter 3! 

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

This scripture really reminded me about the passage in 1 Cor. 13, how it talks about how even if you have the faith to move mountains, if you don't have charity you are nothing. I realized that we could be nice, kind, serve others, etc. But if we really don't have that Christ like love in our hearts, and truly desire the welfare for others, than we really are just loving "in word." That is one of His commandments, with the powerful blessing behind it that if we truly have that change of heart, we can have full confidence before God :) 

Love,

-Sister Cottrell

P.S. Sorry today is short! I'll write more next week :)

Pictures: We went to a cave in Firth with our zone! Also, a picture of me and Sister Ganbold :) 

10/9/17

I feel like this week we taught the Plan of Salvation a lot, and while thinking of this plan, I'm just so amazed at how loving and merciful God truly is! We contacted this one sweet lady this week, who actually got slightly emotional because in just a few days it would be the time of year that her father passed away. We were able to teach a bit about the plan and I'm just so grateful for the knowledge of why we are here, where we are going, and where we came from! She accepted a Book of Mormon as well as an invitation to learn more. It's been amazing to me how much my heart has grown and how even if we have a lot of rejections, maybe I'm learning the importance of even just one soul coming closer to our Savior! 

Other highlights... So we've been receiving a lot of referrals lately! Most haven't been interested, but we did meet a lot of people of different faiths! There was this one guy who's actually a Jehovah's Witness, he was sweet and said that if we ever needed anything to stop by. He even told us that if we needed to use the restroom, he'd even step out of the house so we could obey our rules haha! One thing that I have learned lately is that there really shouldn't be any amount of rejection that keeps you from moving forward with faith, hope, and trust! Another highlight was probably the church tour that had with a family we're teaching :) Also, a one thing that really made our day was that we went to contact this one family, and they just starting laughing and invited us in. They explained that literally a minute ago they were talking about how it had been a really long time since missionaries had stopped by, and then we knocked! 

So, in the statement about the Las Vegas shooting the Church did, I love the last sentence: "May God bless them with the peace and comfort only He can provide in such tragic and heartbreaking moments." I really think that if we look back at a point of hardship, we can see that we did receive help and comfort from others, but that there's a special kind of strength that only our Heavenly Father can give us!

Love,

-Sister Cottrell 

Pictures: We went to the Museum of Idaho as a Zone! Also, exchanges with Sister Reyes from TX!  

Pictures

Pictures!!!

So we went to the Idaho Museum as a zone! Pretty fun stuff! They had a space theme haha :)

9/25/17

So sorry I didn't get to an e-mail last week! I'll try my best to give the updates for the past little bit :)

So my new companion, Sister Ekenstam, is from Logandale, Nevada! It's just an hour north of Las Vegas, and so it doesn't get cold really where she's from! Also, it's pretty funny because she keeps commenting on how green it is here, and so her green land is my desert, haha! She's really great, she loves to read and write, and we get along really well. The adjustment to missionary life is always hard, but she's doing wonderful! Sister Ekenstam said that she had a classroom in one of the new MTC buildings, which just opened! I felt bad, because her first week in Idaho has been incredibly rainy, but it also has been pretty fun for us to be able to work hard, sunshine or rain!!

We started teaching a few more families! It really helped increase my testimony that the Lord really is in charge of this work, and so we felt so blessed to be able to find a few more investigators this past week. Another highlight happened Sunday evening, we were walking in one of the neighborhoods and we felt like we needed to see this one couple- the wife is a member who hasn't been to church is a long time, and the husband isn't a member at all. The wife happened not to be home, so the husband answered and I met him once before- briefly. He actually just was in a really bad car accident just last week, and he told us the story and even shared that he feels that he's still alive because there's more out there, but he hasn't found out what that is yet. We started talking about God and we promised him that there truly is a reason why he's still here. We then were able to introduce the Book of Mormon to him, and he genuinely accepted to read it! When we asked him if he would, he said that normally he would try to hand something like this back, but he actually would read the Book of Mormon, and he even thanked us and said yes to us coming back! We found a couple of people who we've been able to find and there's so much potential! 

Sister Ekenstam and I have been learning a lot about spiritual promptings together this week! I think that's life long journey, and I've probably have mentioned before. One thing that I have found is that meetings are just another way to receive  revelation, which can lead us to act on the promptings that we do receive. I just want to invite everyone to watch this short video called "find answers to your questions" on LDS.org, and just really ponder and think of a few questions that involve how you can help be an answer to someone else's prayer. Then see who stands out to you, or maybe you'll have an idea of something you can do during General Conference. I know that as you do so, you'll just be amazing at how you're able to build the kingdom of God by "small and simple" ways!  I love how in 3 Nephi 14:9-11, it talks about the good gifts Heavenly Father gives to His children. I know that if you ask Heavenly Father what you could do to help and uplift one of his precious children, He's not going to with hold helping you know who that is! It's kind of like when you ask your mom what chore you could do for her ;)

 https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-03-001-find-answers-to-your-questions?lang=eng

Love you all! I know that the Savior is so very real, and I hope that we can all feel closer to Him and have our testimonies feel reconfirmed as we hear General Authorities add their special witness of Him!

-Sister Cottrell 

Pictures: My new companion, Sister Ekenstam! Also, I never would have guessed that I would drive a pick-up truck on my mission! 

9/11/17 Transfers!

Transfers are this week, and I'm actually staying in Ammon Foothills, and Sister Thompson is being transferred to Rexburg! We've had so many good times together, and it will be sad to say goodbye. I'll find out who my new companion will be on Wednesday, after she comes up from the MTC!  

This week, it was a pleasure to have Elder M. Russel Ballard, and apostle of the Lord, Elder L. Whitney Clayton, and Elder Sexton of the seventy visit our mission! It was really amazing Saturday to gather as a whole mission, which has never happened before. A few of the questions that Elder Ballard asked us, that really sunk deep with me! 

-"How precious is one soul?" "Have you come to know the Lord better?" "What is the Lord learning about you?"

One thing that he mentioned is that The Lord is learning to trust you, so be consistent. Elder Ballard also just emphasized the importance of studying and knowing chapter 3 of Preach My Gospel, and how if you truly know the doctrine and can say things in your own words, with the Spirit you will never need to question what you need to say. It was actually an answer to some questions I've been having lately, and just about everything that was said was an answer to a prayer of mine in one way or another. It was so amazing to me to be able to see an apostle, and as soon as Elder Ballard walked in and we all stood up, I could just feel the Spirit testify to my heart that he really is a special witness of Jesus Christ! 

Elder Clayton said something that really was so amazing to me, he said "the best member missionary work you ever do will be how good you are as a missionary" and what he meant by that is that members have a desire to do missionary work, but when they see hard working, obedient missionaries serving in their wards, they'll be more willing to work with you. Elder Clayton also talked about how powerful the Book of Mormon truly is, and how if someone doesn't believe that they're receiving their answer, he counseled us to ask inspired questions, see how they're studying, if they're praying with real intent, and then to promise them that they will receive a witness of the Book of Mormon if they are keeping true to their part.

I loved how Elder Sexton talked about the importance of living the gospel in order to have the Spirit with us, and he also talked about the apostle Paul, and all that he had to go through during his mission. I will always remember when Elder Sexton said "just think about looking out the window come winter here in Idaho, and seeing the piles of snow of the ground and just cheerfully saying to your companion "oh look! We get to be like the apostle Paul today!" :) 

Things just continue to go forward in the Ammon Foothills Stake! We've been meeting with more and more people, and I just see little miracles each day! I was thinking a lot this week about my missionary purpose, and I just want you each to know that serving a mission is literally the best decision I ever made in my life. I truly do just want to help others come unto Christ, by helping them receive the gospel! Faith, repentance, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end- it's so vital in all of our lives. I know Heavenly Father is real :) 

With love,

-Sister Cottrell 

Sorry, only one picture today! Me and Sister Thompson! 

9/4/17

We've had a few miracles this week!  The first was with this small family, the parents and their unbaptized 12-year-old daughter, and the daughter wants to learn more and is interested in being baptized. The parents decided that they want to take the discussions with her, and so we are just so thrilled to be able to teach this sweet family! Also, the other night Sister Thompson woke up randomly in the night and just said a prayer out loud without even thinking, and the next morning we felt that it wasn't out of coincidence. We felt like it was this one guy in our area in particular, who's not a member and who we've only been able to catch home once and briefly meet him . It just so happened that we had a team teacher want to go out with us, and so it worked out perfectly and we were able to share a message with him as well. It just is amazing to me that things just truly work out perfectly the way that they need to. Also, we're starting to get more busy, and I know that more miracles are on the way!

Our Mission President invited us to read 2 Nephi 2:25 under the footnote for the word "joy", and to really ponder what that meant to us. I decided to do it, and it took me to look up Moses 5:10...

"And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God."

 I love that Adam says that he has joy because his eyes are opened, and so in this life he can experience joy. I know that because we have the knowledge of good and evil and the knowledge of the great plan of Salvation, we too can feel such great joy, despite hardships and trials. It makes me think of Nephi's perspective of their journey in the wilderness, which focuses on the blessings and the strength that they Lord provided, compared to Laman and Lemuel's perspective, which is just full of trials and misery.

So, Sister Thompson and I experienced our first earthquake! We were in the middle of dinner Saturday evening, when all of the sudden everything just started to shake, and Sister Thompson and I looked at each other, and sure enough the members we were having dinner with confirmed out thoughts. We had a mild/mini earthquake in the Ammon Foothills!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful week :) Keep praying to our Father in Heaven, He's there watching over us all!

Love,

-Sister Cottrell

Pictures: Just a few of our beautiful area!