Let's catch up . . . shall we?

Hey sorry for not emailing you. I would say I was too busy to write one, but I wasn't so ... yeah, my bad.

So much has happened these past few weeks for me and I'll even do you the pleasure of writing it down in chronological order ☝️🤓

- hit the 2 months LEFT ON MISSION mark😭

- got a text 3 weeks into the transfer saying I was leaving and going to a new area the next day
- made it to my new area called Esikhawini! 
- had the biggest testimony building experience of my life
- met a ton of cool new people and members

Ok, so I've been in my new area for a week now and it's actually been super fun! I'm with Elder Ballard (shoutout Bishop). He comes from the ranches of southern Utah and has 10 siblings ... multiply and replenish I guess 🤷‍♂️? He's been out about 9 months now, so its fun to be able to still teach him a thing or three.

I'm finally working in a township, a place where people see a white person and are actually surprised haha. Not to mention it is a much more humble situation for the people living here, which makes them much more prone to wanting to hear how they can get some relief from their hard situations. 

Even in the short time I've been here we've been able to find people that want to be baptized every day! Such a blessing to meet the people that the Lord has prepared.  They are always out there! 

Also, this part is more for my mom but anyway ... there are so many cute little babies here and they're all just so happy. Idk why but I rarely hear them cry, it's kind of odd.

Example, 

Like this kid is literally just like this all the time. He could trip and fall on his face, but that smile ain't leaving.

In case you wanted something to pray for, pray that senior missionaries will accept their Calls to serve in Africa! Over 75% of them do not accept it if they are called here and we need them so much! They help these small branches more than is realized🙏🏼 
               
✨️ Spiritual storytime ✨️
  
(This is like pretty long but it's good ... so buckle up)

As I said in one of my little updates up at the top of this fancy little email is that I had a very big and specific moment where my testimony was affected.

Wednesday, April 15th

This morning I came home from being in another missionary's area for a little exchange (the exchange was great btw), then I just had this massive wave of doubts and fears come over me. Never before in my life have I had this feeling.
 
My thoughts were being attacked so violently with all types of negativities. 
My spirit had never seemed to be this absent from my body, it almost felt like the weight and embarrassment of every mistake I ever made was racked up on a bar that I could not press up. 

Somehow this spiritual heaviness seemed to have attached to it, a real physical weight. So heavy was this feeling that all I could do was collapse to my knees by the side of my bed and ask God what in the world was happening. 

Sometime later and with tear-stained cheeks, I found the strength to get up off my knees and do something that I really, really hate... asking people for help.
I ask my companion for a priesthood blessing as I was prompted to do from my prayer moments before, and a very simple line that both made me feel better and choke up was, "Cody, you are doing a good job." 

This small but powerful sentence made much of those feelings of inadequacy fade, and I felt that today would be alright after all.

Driving into the area is about a 30-minute ordeal and in that time, I felt those same things creeping back into my mind and making me feel helpless again.  I was so upset, I wasn't feeling the companionship of the Holy Ghost. I simply wanted to turn back and rot away in my bed until I felt normal again. But we had a lesson to get to ...

Mphumelile

She came across an Ad on Facebook about the church and decided that she would be interested in some missionaries visiting her.  What better day to meet her than when I feel like Satan is trying to do everything in his power to stop me! 😀

We were welcomed into her home where they had just moved in. The house is basically empty with one broken lawn chair and two plastic buckets (our chairs).

Normally I'm a pretty confident and outgoing guy when I'm meeting new people but considering the events that took place in the morning, I was just not feeling it. So, as I struggle to find what on earth we should be teaching about (and after talking for a long time), I start talking about Joseph Smith. I'm not too sure how many times I've taught people about the Restoration, but I know it's more than once. 

Something was different this time. As I quoted to her the experience of the first vision, I could tell there was a power behind my voice that I don't normally feel.
And then, as I explained to her what it meant that there was truly a Restoration, my mind became completely and totally clear.

A voice in my head that was not my own spoke in a voice so simple and so clear that I could not mistake it whatsoever,

"It is true, it is true, it is all true." 

The Spirit filled my heart, those negative emotions fleeing at the knowledge of the truth. God truly testified to me that this did happen, and He has restored His church. This brought tears of joy to my eyes as my thoughts looked back on all those prayers I prayed to know where the truth was.
 
Now I finally had received my answer, and there is no confusing it.
In that moment of the spirit, I invited her to be baptized and to partake of the Joy that comes from truthfulness of the gospel.  She gladly accepted!

Phew... sorry that was so long but it's an experience that I will forever remember, my little sacred grove is in a tiny room here in Esikhawini, South Africa. I could not be more grateful for my Savior and in turn, my mission. 

Love you all,

-Elder Cottrell 🇿🇦

P.s. if you made it this far you might as well email me 😉