Sam's 2nd photo CD

I made this slide show for Sam's mission blog of his second cd that we just got today-Never mind the first photo that Sam took- Good thing Brett can take a joke! Brother's....geez! (it is pretty funny though)

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Something bit me

Heyyyyy guys

Hello everyone,

I'll start with the usual and go back through my week. Since I emailed on Tuesday I'll start with wednesday. I remember sharing my "key" experience with you that really touched me and testified of personal revelation. That was awesome. Well the day after that happened I was riding my bike to an apointment when I passed some keys right in the middle of the road. I turned around and picked them up - being in a part of town that I wasn't familiar with at all, I looked to the house in front of me and thought i'd give it a try to see if they were their keys. I knocked on the door and to my surprise and older lady came to the door that is in that Samoan ward I cover. She thought we were just coming by to visit so she invited us in. I showed her the keys and sure enough, they were hers. She couldnt have been more grateful that it was us that found them and not someone else. That was kind of ironic considering my experience with the keys the day before. We went to do service for a man named Jose Morales thats from Cuba after that. I wasn't exactly sure where his house was or what we'd be helping him with. I knew the area where his house would be so we rode there. I saw a moving truck in the driveway of a house and assumed it was the guy. So, we knocked on the door that was wide open only to be greeted by a filipino guy - surely not jose. We said we were there to help and he pointed up the stairs and continued playing the piano ridiculously good, not even really conscious that we were there. We walked up the stairs to find a middle aged black guy and a younger one, taking things apart. We said we were there to help and he kind of got this confused look on his face. I said 'youre jose right?' and he said 'no.. OH, he lives next door I think' oh man was that awkward. But really funny. We ran over to the neighbor's house to find the real Jose. He's remodelling his house/re-finishing his roof. We were carrying everything he threw off of the roof to the dumpster. It was so stinkin hot. This last week was ridiculous. It was really hard to get out of the heat but hey i'm still alive I guess. Today is a little cooler so that's a bonus. I went on splits with Elder Seebeck from Atlanta Georgia on wednesday. That was pretty fun. He played basketball in highschool so we walked to all of the nearby parks looking for people to play with and teach. I love getting right in to what someone else likes (random people) so that you kind of already have a basis for teaching them with. Anything that you have in common with them is a plus. It lightens the mood. We were walking to veterans park and saw all of these film trailors in front of this house. We stopped and talked to a guy that happened to be the lighting director for the show they were filming called 'Clean House' on the Syle Network. He knew who we were right off the bat. We had a really good talk with him about the Church and related it to what he does. Then we went to the park and shot some hoops with a few random guys. We beat them in our church clothes and then gave them some pass along cards and told them why we were dressed in white and teaching people about the Gospel. It was a good experience. Thursday we taught the Ifopo family again. The one's that are being baptized on the 8th. I love teaching that family. They always have so many questions and are so open to what we say. They always follow up on their commitments and are just 'golden' so-to-speak. We taught the whole Plan of Salvation in just over an hour with our translator. Very hard to do... that usually takes a couple of days to sort out. It was a really really good lesson. Friday I did my training that went really well. I had a couple of object lessons that I thought were rather clever. I blindfolded one elder and told him i'd be giving him things to eat, telling him what it was and what it represented. Then he was to tell the class what it tasted like. (here's a smarty, it represents the word of wisdom,the word of wisdom is good for us because it keeps us healthy, its a commandment, etc. Then he'd eat it and describe what it tastes like) I gave him several different things to eat - the last thing I gave him was a tomato. I told him that it was a plum and represented church. I said that church was the coolest thing ever, everyone is so nice there, you'll get lots of new friends and it'll be the best thing you could ever imagine. Then he took a big bite. Discovering that it was a tomato and that I lied to him. I made the point that it's very important for us not to over-exagerate what we tell our investigators. Its a big deal not to let them down. We should tell them positive/TRUE things about the commitments and commandments we should meet and keep with our Heavenly Father - for example - "Church is a place where we can open our hearts and our minds and truly feel of the Holy Spirit. It's a place of peace and comfort. I've always looked forward to going to Church and being taught by experienced and inspired sons and daughters of God."

Friday night something bit my eyelid so when I woke up saturday It was swollen almost shut. That was pretty humorous. Elder Mitillo and I had the chance to visit alot of people with it being a saturday. We talked to a guy that's from hawaii. He sits in his driveway everyday next to his big boat.He loves that stinkin boat. He's real big into fishing and so I had a good long talk with him about that and looked through some of his pictures with him. I explained to him that we (Elder Mitillo and I) are fisherman in another sense. Fishers of men. It made alot of sense to him and he invited us over again this week. I'm excited for that. Sunday we had a good couple of ward blocks. We interviewed a guy for his baptism in San Pedro and then were witnesses for the baptism. We gave the 'missionary moment' in spanish since everyone there was latin. I kind of just stood there and read a couple of scriptures. It was really hot and uncomfortable , we were put on the spot. But that's the life of a missionary I suppose. Last night Ampelia Lopez wanted us to make a bbq for her and her family. Kind of a 'going away' thing for Elder Mitillo. So on Saturday we made a list for her and she went to the store and bought everything for it. After the baptism we went over there and I made Bratwurst's and made a relish tray. We were taught how to and made a drink called Horchata and Jamaica, arroz con leche (rice with milk), cactus salsa and carne asar. (small steak) It was way way good and a fun time. This morning we woke up and went to the Tepper's house. (Before every transfer they have the whole zone over for breakfast) so we ate and sang a couple of songs. Good times. Now i'm here at the Torrance Library,emailing you. We're about to head to some pro-skater's house that's a member. Dont worry,we can't skate but it'll be cool to meet this guy. Well i'm pretty sure that's everything. I love you all and am so grateful to be apart of your family. I pray for you daily and see the blessings of your prayers for me.

Love,

Elder Cottrell

July 13,2010 Letter

Sounds like you've had a busy week with youth conference! Glad you're safe and had a good time. That rafting job sounds like it's right up my alley - really i'd love to look into that later on. Sorry I didnt email yesterday, we were really busy - you're about to find out why. Alright so we'll start with Wednesday. I finished the book Our Search For Happiness by M. Russel Ballard - i've been reading it here and there since i've been here. If I wasn't born into the Church, after reading that - i'd convert for sure. It really gives such a great understanding as to what we really believe and clears up alot of false things people think about the Church. I had the opportunity to go on splits with Elder Richins later that day - we went to his area in Wilmington. There is a huge Catholic cathedral there that is really old - we stopped by and walked around it for a minute and got a few things from the gift shop there - it was really an amazing building but also really lacked the spirit. You can always tell a huge difference when you're in another church. We went to an apointment after that where the person we were teaching was in the Complex's swimming pool. So we stood by the pool and taught this big samoan kid while he swam around. It wasn't super productive but he's a really good guy. Hopefully next time we go there he isnt swimming. We went to visit a girl that the sisters had passed on to him and his companion. We had never met her before so we didnt know what to expect. When we got to the house the door was wide open. So we rang the doorbell and asked if anyone was home and just sat there for a minute. Of course I got curious because I could hear people inside. I probably made a mistake by stepping into the house. As soon as I did that, a girl came around the corner with a raised voice asking me what I was doing in her house and kind of just yelled at us. We were pretty shocked and told her that we were just looking for mariana and that the missionaries had met with her before. It was really awkward... Then the girl started to laugh at us... She said that she was mariana and was just playing a joke on us. We were relieved ha. We were able to pick up with her where the sisters left off. Elder Richins has high hopes for her. We went contacting later down in Wilmington with little success.. but we did however find another church that has been using an old movie theater as their 'headquarters' for the last 4 years. That was kind of neat. Thursday we had interviews with President Baker and his wife. It was really kind of a 'getting to know you' thing but it went really well. They're both very spiritual people and i'm excited to see what they have to bring to the CLAM. We weekly planned for a couple of hours after that and then we went to our dinner apt. The guy grew up in Boston - Wakefield actually. He went to Lynnfield Highschool thats right across from the wakefield building. Anyway I got that information to see if Dad served there. He wasn't a member back then but knows that is where the church was. We taught the Ifopo family after that - a family of 6 Samoans. 3 have been baptized but it was a really long time ago and in Samoa. We're having trouble finding their records - I hope we can find them. We already set a baptismal date with the other 3 for August 1st. Can you believe that? After only teaching them twice. They are so so eager to be members of the Church. The Dad doesn't speak hardly any English so every time we teach them we have a translator from the Samoan ward come with us. We teach, he translates what we say - he speaks, he translates back. It's really pretty cool. Whenever we pray at that house they make sure to turn the lights off during the prayer and then back on when it's finished - i've never seen that before but it's kind of cool and more peaceful. Anyway they're a really amazing family and i'm so excited for them. They've come to church for 2 weeks now and participate in all of the classes. Friday we had a District meeting that went really well. I'm really taking alot of notes and trying to study more into what we are being taught during my personal studies. Its been very useful during lessons that we teach. I went on splits with Elder Hodell after that meeting until Saturday afternoon. I had made a schedule the night before with Elder Mitillo so we stuck to it and met and taught alot of people. It was a really effective day - he's a zone leader and has been on his mission for quite a while so it's great to see the way he teaches and gets to know people better and then apply some of it in my own teaching. We went to teach the Ifopo's again on saturday but our translator didnt show up. So we kind of struggled through a lesson but it went really good. All of the Samoans out here just want to give us money. Everytime we visit a family the offer us money and often times wont let us leave without taking it. We're not supposed to take it but when we have to we give it to the ward so I guess that's alright. Last month a guy in the ward gave me 2 brand new dress shirts from Nordstrom still in the package. I've just left them in my closet thinking i'll wait till winter or something to use them. Saturday I was grateful that I never opened them. I had the idea to give them to Theo. The guy living in his brothers' garage that hasn't been to church in 10 years, doesnt shower or have many clothes. I stuck them in my backpack and we went to visit him. I ended up giving them to him and bearing him my testimony of church. He started to cry and gave me a big hug. I really hope that the love Elder Mitillo and I are showing for him is making a difference and will make him want to change. It was a great lesson. Elder Carroll got hit by a car on his bike on sunday and had to stay the night in the hospital - he's in my district and so we were responsible for his companion. We picked him up from the hospital at 10 30 pm sunday night and took him to our place. He spent the night with us there. Elder Carroll will be ok, he's just having to wear a neck brace for a while, it's a good thing he was wearing his helmet. So yesterday we had to take care of alot of things for him - getting him clothes and things from his apartment, working out his apointments, etc. We played some soccer at the Carson building for about an hour and then Elder Mitillo and I went with the zone leaders to Hollywood and hiked HollyRidge to the sign. We were right up above the Hollywood sign which was pretty cool, you could see all of L.A. They were filming a segment for a show called "The Bold and the Beautiful" that's on CBS while we were up there. I didnt recognize any of the actors there though. We had FHE with the Lopez's again last night and Kazandra gave the lesson. She talked about service within the family - it was actually a really good lesson and made me think back to what I could have done better service-wise when I was living at home for my family. Last but not least we went to a lady's house to move her Futon (couch/bed thing) up her stairs. Those things are ridiculous to handle. We ended up lifting it from outside of her house up to the balcony to get it in. We finally got home kind of late last night and went to bed. Well I think that about covers it. A lot still happening here and alot of adjusting. Sounds like the other Elders in the family are doing really well.

I love you all, have a good week!

love Elder Cottrell

Keys by Revelation!

Hello! Sorry I didn't write yesterday, all of the libraries were closed.. Funny I guess people here still substituted the 4th of July for the 5th because it was on a sunday. Oh well. Grandma and Grandpa Cottrell, did you know a sister Gladis Muania in the Hawaii visitors center that learned to quilt and passed away on her last day of her mission? A member here mentioned her and knew her in one way or another - kind of random but I made a note to ask you if you knew her. Mom could you please send that back-massage pad for the car that brett had on his mission? I know it's downstairs... saw it before I left. That'd be really appreciated, some days my back kills me. Dad that guy that plays for the Bears is the tight end and his name is Brandon Monomeleuna. Finally got that information. Alright and the last of my points I wrote down during the week - Sister Tepper in the ward grew up with the Beach Boys in Hawthorne and went to a dance with Brian. Thought you'd think that was neat.

Tuesday Elder Mitillo and I went to Malaga Cove to help some other Elders do service for a guy that recently moved here from Hawaii. We moved a bunch of wood from one side of his yard to the other. He has a huuuuge garden that has been there for years and years with over 30 different kinds of trees including avacado, grapefruit, apricot, orange, and fig. It was very cool! He took us around and showed us each one, letting us sample it. When we left his house and got back to the other Elders apartment in Wilmington, I realized the keys to my car were... misplaced. We had played soccer for a while at the park that day so I figured they must have been there. We went all the way back to Malaga Cove to search for the keys, with no luck. We looked everywhere and could not find them anywhere. We ended up having to drive all the way to the mission home to borrow a spare key. While there I also found out that it'd cost me about $350 to replace the old key because it had a remote in it, etc. That debt would be divided between me and elder mitillo - that's how all fines are done here. I felt super bad because I was the one who lost the keys yet he would still have to pay as well. I was really bummed the rest of the night and at our dinner appointment. I never lose things and was very frustrated that I couldn't find those keys! Well I prayed... and prayed... and prayed some more. Wednesday morning I got out of bed and sat on the couch and just thought about where that key could be. All of the sudden a picture popped into my head of where it was. The whole time I was convinced that I lost it at the park but in this picture was the other Elders' car, and the seatbelt. Elder Mitillo got out of bed and the first thing I said to him was "I know where the key is". We drove to the other Elders' apartment and I asked them to unlock their car. They rolled their eyes keeping in mind that we had torn that car apart looking for the key the day before. I opened the door and looked at the exact spot I had seen in my head. I reached my hand below the seatbelt and pulled out the key. They couldn't believe it, and neither could I. I wanted to cry I was so happy. Both that I didnt have to pay the fine and that I truly received revelation as to where it was. I know the validity of personal revelation and that God really does lead and guide us with that great tool. I'm so so grateful that I am on a mission and was in-tune with the spirit enough to recognize what I needed to do.

Wednesday we had a 'meet and greet' with our new President. President and Sister Baker. They have lived in Riverton for a couple of years but have moved around the states for most of their lives. They both, however, are originally from san diego and are very familiar with this area. They seem very down-to-earth and very called of God. I was very impressed with them both and am excited to see what they have to give to the mission.

I've been able to see the ocean a whole lot lately now that it is in my area. I love it! Elder Leveall and I went contacting by the beach while our companions were in a leadership meeting earlier that day. We met a guy some Elders call the 'Jesus Man'. He has a van covered in crosses and other things about Jesus. He however really dislikes The Church. We talked to him for maybe 5 minutes and lets just say it didn't go too well. He really bashed on The Church and was saying really rude things to Elder Leveall. I was really really upset and.... got out of there before anything too drastic happened. You know I have a temper sometimes.

Thursday we did service again for Sister Green picking plums. She makes plum jam and needs us to get the plums for her. I love going there because she always lets us take a bag for ourselves. We went to the Grover's house later to pick up Journey of Faith - a dvd about facts of the Book of Mormon and the science of it.

Friday we had a district meeting and then visited Amelia Lopez afterwards. We taught about faith and patience. It was a really good lesson. Then we went to teach an investigator of ours - Brian Hernandez in Wilmington. He is 16 years old and was raised Catholic. We taught him about baptism and the Priesthood. It is so difficult telling people that they weren't baptized correctly and that they don't have the fullness of the Gospel. He accepted it pretty well though and we have high hopes for him getting baptized. We visited a recent convert of Elder Mitillo's. - Pretty Ricky. If you remember he is the same kid I sewed shorts for. He hasn't been to church in a while so we went to see what's going on. Bad news - he says he doesnt believe in the Church and was forced to be baptized by his sister. He wouldn't listen to what we were teaching him and was just not paying attention at all. I was firm with him when I told him that he had been baptized and made certain promises with God and is expected to live up to them. He is going to a different church now with one of his sisters and says he'll never come to ours again. Elder Mitillo took it really hard because he had just baptized him a few months earlier and seemed to be doing so well. We hope Ricky can feel the spirit and know what he needs to do.

Mom, Franco STILL won't be quiet about that ring you sent him. He calls just about every other day to say thank you again. So, thank you for sending that. Again. I really wish we could get him back to church. He's such a good guy.

Saturday I got converted to Mate. A drink many South Americans drink that is basically hay. I'll send you some pictures and maybe a sample. It's not very good but Elder Mitillo drinks it all the time. I like new things and exploring different cultures so I thought i'd give it a try. We taught Ampelia again about mothers in the home. I was able to relate to her alot with how her kids are and how she can get closer to them. Her kids are teenagers and she's a single mom - having a hard time staying close as a family. From stories she told us I remembered many times that you (mom and dad) have been such a great example to me and given me the advice I needed at that time in my life.

Sunday was testimony meeting and all of the youth got up to bear their testimonies and tell how much they learned on Trek this last week. It was a good meeting and brought back many memories and feelings I had of Trek. We ate dinner with the Romo family, latins - therefor we had mexican food. It was really really good and they were very nice to let us come and eat with all of their family on that holliday. We had a Zone activity that night at the church. We watched Journey of Faith. After that we went to Elder Richins apartment in Wilmington and got on the roof. As soon as the sun went down, the city went nuts. It honestly was the most fireworks I have ever seen in my life. And they were evvvvverywhere. We got back to our aparment around 10 and the sound of the fireworks went on all through the night.

Yesterday I woke up at 4:30 and knew that something was wrong with my stomach. Between then and 9:30 I lost it in the toilet 3 times. Out of my mouth. That was fun... Then the zone leaders picked us up and took us to Bell Gardens in South Gate to have a soccer tournament with the whole mission. There were about 150 missionaries there so it was pretty chaotic but it was fun. I felt really light headed for most of the day... I must have had the stomach flu or something but I was ok.

We had family night at the Lopez's. I used an object lesson where I had one of the kids represent Jesus Christ. Then I went around the room and asked everyone if they wanted a piece of candy. I gave one to them wether they wanted one or not. Then I said to the kid representing Jesus Christ that for everyone that had a piece of candy, he would have to do 10 push ups. He was shaking and exhausted by the time he got done. The family was laughing at first but then it got really quiet towards the end when it was clear he was struggling. We had a really good lesson about the Atonement and how we should remember it in everything we do. We need to be so grateful for it and use it daily. It was a really good family night.

That brings us to today. Elder Mitillo woke up and couldn't walk from soccer yesterday. It's pretty funny but I guess serious enough that he had the other elders come over to help give him a blessing.

Sounds like you have had and will have a busy summer! Be careful rafting, wear your life jacket! I'm so grateful that you've truly honestly dedicated your lives to the Gospel. I'll write again soon!

Love you all,

Elder Cottrell