Glendale week 5 *September 16, 2013

Hey everyone. At the very beginning of the week I had the opportunity to go to a trainer/trainee meeting with the whole Arizona, Phoenix mission. Which means that any new elder that came out in my group or any elder that came out a 6 weeks before that met together to talk about how things have been going so far in our missions and our personal experiences that have made big impacts on us. It was really great because I got to see all of the elders in my MTC district and talk to them about how they are doing and how their trainers are and everything. The whole meeting was all focused on companionship unity and being able to talk with your companion about whatever it is that is on your mind and how he can help you. Considering that I am an open book and tell my companion EVERYTHING it was cool to see the other elders and to hear their stories. E. Pettingill took from that meeting that he really wants to work on wearing his heart on his sleeve and sharing it with everyone. I could see a huge change in him as he started to talk about things and get them off his chest. He has high expectations for himself and tends to bottle emotions up inside so seeing him just let it out was great.

I have so much fun with him! We are a great companionship and really good for each other. We are constantly laughing and making jokes and really working well together. He knows the gospel and I talk to people with love so it works out great. He thinks of himself as my bigger brother so he is always trying to pick on me but I am pretty buff so I intimidate him with my large muscles haha Good news is though that I have gotten him stoked about drawing and he does it all the time now whenever we have time. He just sits and doodles and makes little note cards with inspiring thoughts on them. He is getting really good!

 The priesthood has taken a large role in my life since coming on a mission. You don't need it to do missionary work (sisters are a testament to that) but you get the opportunity to use it with so many investigators and less actives who need blessing or other ordinances that we can perform. I had the wonderful opportunity to give two blessings this past week to less active members of the ward. The spirit that you feel is so strong and I love doing them. At first I was really nervous but after the first one I am confident the spirit would guide me through them all from now on. I am learning how to use my words in such a way that they bring peace and joy to those who hear them and the spirit makes that all possible. I have to really think before I speak because I am so excited to talk sometimes the words that just come out make zero sense. But I am getting better and E. Pettingill really help me out in that area.

 I have come to the realization that this gospel is very hard to teach if you dont have a basic understanding of the principles. I know that they are true and now I am just really working on developing a greater understanding of them so that I can teach them very simply and powerfully. Its great to see the progress based on how easy it has become to teach certain aspects of the gospel. I have a long way to go but I have my whole life to continually learn and grow. Thank you all for the love and support that you are giving me through emails and letters. It is fantastic to open up the mail box and see a letter addressed to me hahaha I love it.

 Until next week.
 Elder Cole Safford

Glendale week 4 *September 9, 2013

Hey everyone! This week has been full of appointments and lessons and talking with our investigators. Not much has gone on besides that stuff but it has been really great. We did get this one new investigator from a referral from a recently returned missionary in our ward named Michael. He has a co-worker named Yarillea (pronounced Yadi.. dont ask me how haha) and she has been asking him questions for quite some time about the gospel. One day he just said that he knew of two young men that would love to talk to her all about the gospel and answer any questions that she had. Needless to say that the next day we were over at Michaels house having lunch with Yarillea and talking about the Gospel. We taught her all about the Restoration of the Church and the Plan of Salvation. She was so ready to hear our message and just soaked up everything like a sponge it was CRAZY! We extended the commitment to read the Book of Mormon and to pray to know the truth and she accepted. Then the spirit testified to both Elder Pettingill and I to invite her to be baptized at the beginning of October. I knew we should ask her so out the words came and then she accepted! It was so cool to see the spirit light up her eyes and to feel how ready she was. I know the Lord had been preparing her to receive the message and we were obedient enough to share it with her.

 I had the great opportunity to go to the Mesa Temple on Saturday to witness the Crandell family make their eternal family just a little bit bigger. They adopted four new kids Sonny 13 Ammon 5, Aaron 5, and Charlie 3. I had been anxiously waiting for this day to come all week not solely for the sealing but also so I could go inside the temple and feel the great spirit that is there. The moment that I stepped foot inside the Temple the most immaculate of feelings came over me and the spirit bore witness that I am of worthy nature to be in the Temple and to witness the family bond become an Eternal one. Each moment I spend in the Temple is another that I grow closer to my Father in heaven and having the feelings that I will feel as I live with my own family for Eternity. The peace I feel is indescribable. It has taken a whole new meaning to me as I try to help people come to the Temple and feel the way I do. The Lord beareth witness to me through the spirit as I walk down these hallowed halls of the truthfulness of the gospel.

Those have been to two highlights of my week and I have just been moving along and continually having fun and making the best out of every situation. I know this is where I am supposed to be and I know that the Lord needs me to do His work. I love missionary work and the adventure that I am on. Thank you for the constant support and love. Till next time.

 Love Elder Cole Safford

Glendale week 3 *September 3, 2013

Hey everyone,

Another week gone by and I have no idea where it actually went. I think that that’s how it is going to be from now on. There are so many great moments that make all the hard times seem like nothing and after a little while I am able to just brush them off and move forward.

This week we had Zone Conference, which happens every 3 months so it was cool that I was able to go to it within my first month here. I find that I feel most at home when I am surrounded by missionaries who are going through the same trials and experiences that I am going through. I know that everyone is a different missionary and member of the church, but it is comforting to see that so many teens are trying to grow closer to the Lord through service. The main focus of the conference was how our faith is used to find the principles behind all the rules of the mission and the principles that God has given to us. You really have to want to have a desire to be better and closer to you father in heaven. As this wanting grows your ability to put action behind your words increases. If you have more faith, you will have more success. Plain and simple. Whether that is being a missionary, a parent or a youth in the gospel, as your faith increases so will your success in following the commandments of God. As we learn to humble ourselves and let the Lord take us by the hand and lead us in our time of trials, our faith in his help grows and we build upon the light we have.

A little bonus to the conference was the announcement that our mission will be going online to use Facebook as an online proselyting tool. We are in the process of making Mormon.org profiles and cleaning up our personal Facebook pages. It is going to be so cool to teach people from all over the world and people back home. I cannot wait to broaden my horizon and really talk to people that I was too scared to talk to before about the gospel. It’s a huge blessing but at the same time a very big temptation for wasting time each day living back home through the posts of my friends. I am up for the challenge though.

I have really discovered the importance we all have in being missionaries to the people in our lives. There is more to being a member of this church than just being an example to those around us. We all really need to look within ourselves and find enough love to serve other people and share with them the joy the gospel has brought to our life and the life of our family. This gospel is more than a Sunday religion. It is an everyday thing and we have to strive to always teach people about it or at least help the missionaries in your ward know of the people that you feel would benefit from the message they have been set apart to share.

Hearing stories from men in the ward that have served missions has really helped me to realize the importance of obedience.  Some of their experiences show just how bad a situation can get if you are not being obedient all the time and listening to the promptings of the spirit. I don’t want to look back on my mission with regret in my heart because all I ever did was "knock and walk". There is never a situation that we cannot change or make happen if we truly want to.

I have reached the point where the newness of my mission has worn off and I am ready to get down to work. I am becoming more in tune with the spirit and finding new ways to lose myself in the great work everyday. I keep asking myself if I was all alone would I truly serve the Lord how I am now or am I doing it just because I want my companion to believe that I am trying to be a great missionary. Its really challenging to stay focused all the time, especially for me, but I am working really hard, because I know it will help with everything I want to accomplish on my mission and for the rest of my life.

The weather here in Arizona has been so great!! All last week was a little humid during the day and the sky full of huge billowing white clouds but as the sun started to go down the heavens opened up and poured down the most rain I have ever seen in such a short period of time. There is Lightning that lights up the whole sky and deep thunder rolling everywhere. Its so much fun to be out riding to or from an appointment when it hits and just getting soaked haha

This next Saturday Elder Pettingill and I have the great opportunity to go to the Mesa temple to witness a sealing session of a member family. The Crandells have just adopted 4 new kids and the oldest one they adopted just got baptized right before I came out. They now have 8 kids so the sealing rooms should be packed. It will be a great experience! One I am sure I will never forget.

Apparently my favorite primary song is Happy Birthday... at least that’s what my companion said I told him a couple of nights ago in my sleep. (For those of you who don’t know, I talk in my sleep ALL the time haha) He said he asked me all sorts of questions and I answered them very specifically and most of them made perfect sense but then there was the question of what my favorite primary song was and I yelled out in a weird voice "Happy Birthday!!" and then stopped talking and continued sleeping haha

This is what has been going on in my mission and I am loving every minute of it.

Love you all.

Elder Cole Safford

Glendale week 2 *August 26, 2013 pictures

grocery shopping (milk and frosted flakes)

Phoenix Temple

 Calling home from the airport!!!

On our way to Phoenix

Elder Pettingill's creepy selfie while I sleep haha

Glendale week 2 *August 26, 2013

Hey everyone!! It has been a great week for me! There are so many little moments that go on that make all the hard times bareable. Like there was this one night that I woke up at 2:00 AM aftering hearing my companion yell and freak out as he ran out the front door. I was so scared and had no idea what was going on. In my half awake sleep mode I ran to the door to find my companion standing outside in nothing but his garmets! He had my towel wrapped around his waist and his church shoes on and tied hahaha I asked him what in the world he was doing outside in no clothes. He proceeded to explain to me in a slurr of words that he had millions of spiders all over him and that was the only way to get them off!!! hahaha He had no recolection of the event in the morning. I dont know if he blocked it out on purpose or if he was sleep walking...

 There are little things that I find so odd about Arizona. Like for some reason people tend to have two of the EXACT same car in their driveways. We have seen about 9 houses that have this. Also we have found that people use little rocks as grass and they use bigger rocks as plants. They still feel the need to water them too. One day we were on our way to a lesson and were headed down a street and heard gun shots. The both of us were out of there faster than anything in the world hahaha I was so freaked out hahaha

 I have also found a new appreciation for mothers because shopping for food is so hard and stressfull!! I have no idea how they do it so often. I just go in and buy whatever I see that looks good hahaha I never have planned meals .

The days feel like weeks and the weeks go by in what seems like a day. I look back on sundays and I have no idea where the week went. Speaking of Sunday everyday in sacrament meeting there is a little girl that sits in front of us and every week she completely covers her face in stickers hahah its so great. We have been getting fed dinner almost every night. Its really nice to have a home cooked meal. But all they cook us is lasagna!!! I have had it 7 times in the past 2 weeks!! I hope I never have it again hahahaha but it sure is good and a hearty meal so I dont complain too much haha. There is this one family that feeds us all the time, They are the Rowe family, and they have a little 4 yr old boy named Curtis who is insane!!! He never stops talking and moving and yelling. He is literally like the Energizer bunny in the body of a little boy.

 The spiritual side of my mission is going so great! we teach lots of lessons and talk to so many people on the streets. As we talk we try to set up a follow up appointments but they usually just say they are not interested or if they say yes they dont answer the phone when we call. We have only had one person run from us screaming "ITS THE MORMONS" so thats good hahaha I have learned so much about my abilities to teach and how I want to be seen as a missionary. There are all these liitle saying and phrases that really help. Like "we are born to be a warrior of light with the power of God" or "if you want more blessings in the gospel... share it" These little phrases really remind me of just who we are and the responsibility we have as members of the church. You can all be misssionaries in you own lives and should always look for an opportunity to shre the light you have. I am really falling in love with the people we teach and care about the bond they have with their Father in Heaven. I cannot wait to continue to grow and have this desire to keep progressing.

I am really not that short!! Elder Pettingill is 6'6

 I love you all.
 Until next week.
 Elder Cole Safford

Glendale week 1 *August 19, 2013

Hey Everyone!!!

They have shipped my down south to La Loma In and around Glendale. The first day I was so nervous to meet my trainer because I really wanted someone who knew the doctrine well. So the new missionaries and the trainers were all sitting in this big room and one by one the mission president called a new missionarry up in alphabeticle order and then assigned them to a trainer and an area. I was called to train with Elder Pettingill. He is 6'6" so it looks really funny when we stand next to each other hahaha but he is super enthusiastic and he is really great at training. We got back to the apartment and is was a bomb!! hahaha it was so gross. I made him take the day to clean it up because it was absolutly gross. I know so not like me right?! haha But we have been making real progress with the investigators that he had previous to me coming into the field. They are all really close and I love them all already. The ward family is so strong in the gospel. There are so many great families that always want us over to have food or just to bless their home with our "presence". I really love going into a families home because it just reminds me of my own home and the love that we share there.

The weather here is actually really nice and not at all how everyone talks about it. It is a miracle that I have not gotten fried yet but I guess you just dont do that here. Everyone guesses I am from Cali haha I don't know why that is. I really love talking to people and find myself always running my mouth even when they are not interested in what I have to say. I really want you all to know how much you all mean to me and how much I have grown in the past 2 weeks. I love the lord with all my heart and hope that everything is going well.

I feel so at home in the sacrament meetings. I was sitting in sacrament meeting with my head down and for a moment I found myself back in Simi sitting next to the family. I didn't dare look up or around because I didnt want to lose that special feeling I received. Sacrament meeting will be my home away from home for awhile. It's crazy that it happens that way hahaha.

I really have a soft spot for families that have tons of children and still make time for us missionaries. It is really cool to see how much we mean to them haha I would have never guessed it would be that way. I am always hungry and everynight I have the craziest dreams from the deep deep sleep that I go into from the shear exhaustion. $30 a week for food is quite difficult to live off hahaha

Just know that I am doing alright and that everything is progressing and building me stronger as a member of the church and a son of god.

Love Elder Cole Safford

Glendale *August 15, 2013

Well I was assigned to serve in the Goodyear mission. Its basically the most southern part of the whole mission. the address to send letters to is 13148 west ocotillo rd. apartment 1070 glendale, Arizona 85307. You can google it to see my exact location if you want. My trainer is elder Pettingill. He is 6'6"!! He is from Washimgton state and has only been out for 3 months. I am nervous about how the work will go but I am holding my head up and really focusing on the people. I am borrowing a bike from the ward mission leader. please. send all packages to the mission office which is the 18001 adress cause our apartment is kinda sketchy haha I can only get packages received to me about 3X a month because of the process it takes to get them. but continue to send stuff and WRITE!!! the apartment is good but a little small and i will send pictures on monday. I just wanted to write you and tell you all is going well and I am alive. I only get 10 min to write you today for that purpose. I love you all so much and am going to try and lose myself in this great work. continue to be strong and live the gospel. Dont ever lose hope. Again love you all. Elder Cole Safford

Thats the long and short of it.

Cole is on his tippy toes. And maybe a phone book too.

President and Sister Taylor from the Mission Home.