Kiss Kiss

Buenas Tardes,

We had a lot of opposition after we found all those new investigators. We found our last two investigators in the park and as we were running back to go home, Sister Sordes lost her planner. With alllllll the addresses, numbers, appointments etc. Sweet. We were able to piece back together what we could remember, which we remembered a lot... but it was kind of a disaster to say the least.

We had our interviews with President Ellsworth, it went well. He asked how my mission has been so far all I could say was.. well it's been really good and I've learned so much.. but i've been sick for most of it! He talked about Joseph Smith and all that he went though in Carthege Jail and thoughout his life, it was a good interview. He talked about how my mission will effect my children and who I marry and everything too.. it was pretty interesting.

Every friday there is a lady in the ward that feeds the missionaries lunch, she says she wont accept a calling or anything because she HAS to feed the missionaries. Kinda funny.

My old home teacher in Provo, his name is Sam, came into the Visitors Center. I thought, "well that's sad, he's supposed to be on his mission!" I was wrong! He's already back! Crazy. Anyway, he's only been home for like 3 weeks and he was dying to come out on splits with us because he is missing his mission, and it worked out because we needed a member to go to a couple lessons with us. Small world.

It has been nothing but laughing with Sister Sordes. Because she's from France, it's funny to realize how many phrases or sayings we say here in America. She was talking to someone in the VC to a lady that was spilling her guts to her and the lady was talking to Sister Sordes about her husband and how he was making her mad. She said something like, "when my husband makes me mad he tries to kiss my butt (or suck up to me) to try and make me happy again" Sister Sordes was explaining the conversation to me and she's like, "I can't believe she actually told me that he KISSES her butt! That was wayyyy too much information, super gross!" I was on the floor laughing. Things like that happen on a daily bases.

I had an "ah ha" moment at the VC as I was presenting the Christus. We know that loving one another is a commandment, right? Well that means, everytime you have a negetive thought about someone or say something rude to someone.. that's not just a little sin, that's breaking a commandment! I guess I should have always known, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. It makes since that the first commandment is to love God and then to love our neighbors because every, every, every sin stems off of those two things. The more we love God the more we have the desire to do everything else he tells us to do.

I must still be in primary or something, but I also learned this week that every time we take the Sacrement, not only are we renewing our covenents we made at baptism, but the temple too. I don't know why I didn't know that either, but it made me appreciate the sacrement a lot more and realize how sacred and important it is. Speaking of taking the sacrement, Malcum (the less active that I told to "man up") kept his committment and went to church! So cool.

Thats pretty much it. :) Love you all.

The chapter this week is Ether 12- President Ellsworth gave me the chapter to read during my interview and I want to know your thoughts on it. It says "after the trial of your faith" about a billion times. Its a good read and I would love the feedback! :) 

Love you all! SFTE

Sister Cottrell

A few photos...

Healthy French? Plaeeze!

Hello Fam!

It's been a good week! We met our goal of 12 new investigators at 8:55 pm last night. Crazy. We are so tired. But it feels good. When we set our goal we both prayed and then wrote the number on our own paper and showed eachother and we had both put 12 so I know it was what the Lord wanted us to do. We set 7 baptismal dates this week too which turned out good too. Batting cages here we come! I don't think I've been this tired since the beginning of my mission. But it's a good kind of tired.

There was a guy that came into the VC- super less active and he started telling me about all the reasons why he has left the church and why he was so mad. I was trying to follow the spirit and my heart was pounding, but the spirit told me to be bold.. so... I told him to "man up"...I know, I know I know... yikes. I told him why we go to church.. not because of the people and not to study scriptures, we can do that at home... but it's because of the ordenances that take place that we need and we can't get them anywhere else. I shared with him 3 NE 20:8 where it talks about the sacrement and how we shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled (through the bread and water). I told him that his soul was hungery just for the fact that he was in the Visitor Center and that he needed to let go his pride and be humble and get to church and take the sacrement. After I said it I was like.. woah... what did I just say to this complete stranger that I don't even know? Well.. to my suprise.. he stopped and thought for a while and said... ya know.. you're right. Stunned.. I smiled and said that the Lord needed him and he's waiting for him. Anyway.. that was a pretty cool experience. Even the Holy Ghost tells us to use words like, "man up" I guess. 

 Brandon, the kid i have been teaching over the phone, came into the VC for the first time with his gf and her parents. Super awkward. It was really weird putting a face to a name after months. I fasted for him last week so that he could get a job and take action because he knows the church is true. Both happened! I was so excited for him and he fasted too and the next day he found a job. It's frustrating that he's not already baptized, but his parents don't like it so it's been hard for him.

It's been so fun working with Sister Sordes. She's so... French. I think she wanted me to think that she is super heathy at first just because she's french, cuz she ate tomatos and oil for lunch the first couple days but now.. I know the real her. Please. She eats candy and french fries like nobodies busness. I make her run and excersise with me in the mornings... I know she'll thank me later. It's so fun learning about her culture. She's such a strong girl with a strong testimony and knows how to have fun while working hard at the same time which I'm really grateful for. She's already taught me so much. I couldn't have asked the Lord for a more perfect companion than her! She is always trying to do things to make me happy.

Anyway, that's pretty much my week! Love you all. President Ellsworth told me to read Isaiah 41:13 this week "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." Thought I would share :)

I don't have a chapter this week, but my challenge to you is to read your favorite one :)

Love, Sister Cottrell

From Sister Beckstrands blog

Sisters Fors and Cottrell spend quality time on phones and chats during each of their shifts at the VC.  These are their stories.

Sister Fors:

I became acquainted with Caitie during an incoming chat.  She was referred to us by her pregnancy coach, who was LDS.  When she told us she was interested in attending our church we looked up the nearest ward building to her - which was 45 minutes away.  She went to that ward the following Sunday but didn't have a particularly wonderful experience.  The following week she attended church with her friend and she thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  When we next talked with her over chat, we challenged her to read the Book of Mormon.  She was THRILLED with it!  She told us she always felt that the Bible had things missing, but that the Book of Mormon seemed complete.  She knew that it was true immediately.  She then started reading the Doctrine and Covenants, and really felt the Spirit as she read.  After several weeks the local missionaries finally showed up at her house and she was so prepared that they gave her four lessons in one sitting!  She had some health issues, along with Word of Wisdom challenges, but after the Elders gave her a blessing she was able to quit smoking and her health made a dramatic turn for the better.  She asked to be baptized right away, and they gave her the baptismal interview and baptized her the next day!

Sister Cottrell:

I met a girl in her 20's at the Visitors' Center during Easter Pageant.  She came up to the desk and asked if we had any movies about families.  I told her yes, and the Spirit prompted me to ask her why she was looking for movies about families.  She told me her dad had passed away recently and things didn't end well between them.  She wanted to know if she would ever see him again so that she could make things right.  All I could say was, "I can help you."  I took her through God's Plan for His Family and testified that we can be with our loved ones again after this life if we accept baptism into Christ's church and live worthy of that blessing.  She told me she had met with pastors and preachers of all kinds and nothing felt right, but she had never in her life felt like this before.  The grandpa who died in the movie looked exactly like her dad, and she said somehow she had a special feeling that what she had seen was true.  I told her I would like to keep in touch and be there for her, but she didn't leave a number or address for me to follow up.

About four months later I was taking a family through God's Plan and the experience with that girl came to my mind.  I thought, "I wonder whatever happened to her. I hope she found her way."  My shift at the back greet ended and I went into the Art Exhibit for my next assignment.  I caught a familiar face as a few people were walking around the room, but it didn't register for a minute that I knew her!  All I could think to say was, "Hey!"  She turned around and when she saw me she came up to me and gave me a great big hug and told me thank you.  She was with some missionaries and her boyfirend, and she said that even though she had a long way to go she was going to church and she was on the right track to become a member.  She told me, "It's true, so it's ok."  I know if the spirit hadn't put her face in my head a few minutes before I saw her, I wouldn't have recognized her because it had been a long time and there had been a lot of people at the Visitors' Center the night I first met her.  How blessed we are to work here and see the tender mercies of the Lord first hand.

July 16 2012

Hola Familia,

It's been a busy week! But a really good one :) I got transfered to Liahona 4th ward with Sister Sordes from France. She knows french, spanish AND english. She's so funny. We get along REALLY well :) We have a lot of fun, but still work super hard and we have awesome expectations for this transfer. The first hour of working together we got two new investigators and in 5 days we got 6! Also 2 baptisms on Saturday. One from Sister Fors and I (Marta) and one from Sister Sordes and her old companion (Fermin) So cool. Both baptisms went really well. We hope for 12 more new investigators next week. We are stretching our faith and talking to EVERYONE. The area is huge and there are sooooo many people to baptize. If we meet our goal next week we are going to the batting cages (my pick) and going to get a manicure (Sister Sordes pick) we are really excited. We already found 3 more yesterday by a miracle. After a lesson last night we ran into the English Elders knocking on a door with no one answering. It turned out to be a refurral that we had given them. So we said, "Step aside Elders" We knocked as hard as we could and they didn't answer the door.. but the neighbors did and they spoke spanish! Boom! 1 more new investigator:) We expect some the trials to come with the blessings, but we are ready to work hard.

I gave my first talk in Spanish at Martas baptisms (besides the MTC) and I sang with the other Sisters at both baptisms. It was a lot of fun. Earlier in the week (before I got transfered) Marta was having some doubts becuse she was so stressed out about paying her rent and she didn't know how she was going to get by. So we decided to hold a fast with her the next day. The night before her baptism I was in a lesson with Sister Sordes for Fermin. The member present just happened to be the member that drove Sister Fors and I to Pacen with Marta the weekend before (Pedro) well.. I told Pedro the situation about Martas rent just to update him about everything and he stops and says.. "Well i'm going over to her house right now and I'm going to pay her bill!" What??? I told him he didn't have to do that and he said that if it was his mom, he would expect the members to help her out too. Good guy! We hope he goes on a mission, he helps us out soooo much. Anyway.. fasting works. There was a kid that looked heartbroken when he came into the VC (i'm still in the VC this transfer) and after a while he opened up to me. It was a really interesting experience and I've never heard anything like it. He told me all of the things he was going through that I can't even imagine- he has turned his life around after many years of well.. not being straight and he has gone through so much, but with Christ he has made things right, but is still trying to forgive others.. so.. I told him I would fast with him the next day. Fasting is one thing I want to gain a really strong testimony of this transfter.. because like I said, it works!

At Marta's baptism, it was good to feel missed in Liahona 1st! I took lots of pictures that I hope I have time to send :)

I miss Liahona 1st, but I love my new ward! Everyone is so nice and inviting. The funny thing is, on my first night in AZ I went out on splits to a FHE to a families house that is now my ward mission leader! He told me that my spanish is soooooo much better now! I hope so. It still humbles me every day, that's for sure. I said the opening prayer in sacrament meeting.. that was scary, but it was okay.

This morning a lady invited us to do ZUMBA in her living room and feed us breakfast. Ahhhh.. I was in heaven. First time I have danced in over 6 and a half months! Like I said, the members are awesome! 

The only bad thing is that the house I live at is NOT helping the allergies. We might have to move.. but I would feel terrible because we live with a single lady that has had missionaries stay in her house for years and years and years.. so it would break her heart for sure :/... we shall see.  

Anyway.. this week has been awesome and i'm really excited for this transfer! Love you all! Write meeeeuhhh so I don't feel like a loser anymore mmkay? Love you!

The chapter this week is Mosiah 17.. Follow the example of Alma!

SFTE

Love,

Hermana Cottrell

Bowled 161 and beat EVERYONE!

Day camping with the ward! Only 80 degrees, yeah!

Camping on the mission?

Hello family!
How is everyone doing? Thank you soooooooooo much for your prayers and fasting. I have felt them a ton this week. The sickness has left, I can eat now, which is such a blessing, but the allergic reaction still continues. I will be going to my 3rd doctor soon, he's an "allergist" who knew there were such a thing. I got the number for the doctor right after they closed for the weekend last thursday and i just tried setting up an appointment this morning and they don't have anything till the 16th of July. I......almost cried. They told me they would call if someone cancelled and i called a different doctor so hopefully no later than next tuesday they can get me in and run all sorts of tests and figure this out. I have had so much energy this week though.. it's a complete miracle because i can't sleep much at night, so thanks to your prayers, I am still able to do the work! Thank you thank you thank you! Love you all. 
We had two special training this week. One for Spanish speakers and one for the sisters. They were both really good! I learned a lot and got some really good, new ideas. At the sisters training one of the sisters said something that really made me think, she said "now is the time to pick the fruit, not plant the seeds" She's so right.. we're in the last days and soooo many people are prepared, we just need to find them. We dropped like 4 investigators this week as we realized that we were wasting our time with those that aren't progressing. It felt pretty good. In response we found Marta.. who is paying tithing, going to church every week and signed up to feed not only us for the 4th of July, but the Elders too. Also we found Maria where we got a baptismal date in our first lesson. People are out there! We also met a girl named Catie over chat about a week and a half ago and in she got baptized YESTERDAY! How crazy is that. She's been researching religion for many many years and she was more prepared than anyone i've ever met. We almost thought it was a joke. She said (before we taught her anything) that she felt like she lived with God before she came to earth for some reason and that she has always felt like there were parts of the Bible missing and she always wondered why we don't have a prophet on earth today if God is the same yesterday, today and forever. WE DO! Wow. So cool. She's from Washington and she's so amazing. Her "dula" (someone that helps with pregnancy) is LDS and told her about mormon.org. So cool. 
Wanna hear something cool? I went camping! okay, so not overnight or anything- but our ward had a ward campout in Pacen and we got to go for the day because we got Marta to go with us. We couldn't find any investigators to go, but at 10 pm the night before Marta pulled through for us and wanted to go. So cool. We were jumping for joy because it was only in the 80's there. We went on a hike with Marta and the bishop and his wife and skipped rocks and played games. Plus we had a lesson with Marta on the way back. Win win. 
So anyway.. that's about it this week!
Some quotes i liked this week were:
"As God is your friend and you hold hands with Him, you can do the work"
"As you look for understanding with anything... Go to heaven"
"Lower the volume"
"Open your heart and your area will be"
"We can't be sad if we are doing the work with all our hearts"
Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers. I am doing so well and loving the work! Next week is transfers AGAIN, can you believe it? Time is flying. I'll for sure get a new companion and maybe change areas for the first time.. so that should be interesting to see what happens. It would be nice to go to a new area if the allergic reaction has something to do with where I live.
Love you allllllllllllllll! 
SFTE
Sister Cottrell