Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Lauren with her first companion, mission president and his wife

Well, it's been a roller coaster of a week. To start it off, we had a really odd TRC teaching experience last Monday. In both lessons we taught (both Sister Miller's lesson and my lesson) we had a guy who is schizophrenic. In our first lesson he told stories about his life the entire time (for example, about going to the doctor that day to pick up his meds for his schizophrenia) and we had no idea what to do. We couldn't figure out how to insert any parts of the lesson we were supposed to give him and we literally just sat there the entire time listening. The second lesson there were two other people with him and so things went a little better. We just left the TRC baffled as to what had just happened.

Tuesday was an awesome day though. Sis Miller, Prina and I went to the Temple early to eat at the cafeteria there. It was soooo nice to have a change of food. Ive been eating Grapenuts with bananas 2X a day for the past week because I'm so bored of all the other food here. Then we had a great session in the temple and sat in the celestial room for quite a while. Last time in the temple for 16 months. I don't think I ever told you that sister Prina is half Italian so we have been doing sessions for her Italian family names that her mom prepared the entire time here. That has been a neat experience.

Tuesday night was equally awesome. I already told you about the temples fireside. Our bishop told us some more information this Sunday about the temple. Somehow he got a picture of the design of the temple and was going to bring it in to show it to us but his wife convinced him otherwise because apparently he wasn't really supposed to. But he said the church is spending more money on the Rome temple than any one thus far.

Wednesday night Sister Prina and I had a very encouraging experience. Our teacher had signed us up to teach a lesson to one of the other Italian teachers and had forgot to tell us until that day. And he wanted us to teach the 3rd lesson, which we hadn't taught before (for some reason they only focus on the first 2 lessons here, even though there are 5). But we did it. And it was incredible!! Words were just coming out smoothly, the lesson flowed into the things he was telling us about his life, the guy committed to baptism at the end, and both my teacher (who was in the lesson with us pretending to be an investigator) and the teacher we were teaching were literally tearing up in the end and said that it was for sure the most powerful lesson they had been taught in the MTC before and reminded them soo much of so many real experiences they had in the field. Sis Prina and I just walked out of the lesson shocked at their reaction. We hadn't necessarily felt different but looking back realized it had gone pretty smoothly. Shock seems to be the key word of this week.

Thursday we got all the elders that are leaving with us today together to practice singing "All Creatures of Our God and King"(their choice) in Italian, with all the voice parts, for Sacrament meeting. ( I was unofficially called to be the music coordinator in the ward a few weeks ago.) The hour long practice was a disaster. One Elder refused to sing, a few couldn't read music, etc. We practiced again on Saturday and got a little closer to performable. On Sunday, we got yet another shock. Our ward of about 15 ish Italian missionaries grew to about 70 people. There are a ton of missionaries here that are supposed to be in the Brazil MTC but are having a difficult time getting visas. So, they stuck a bunch of them in our ward, reorganized our presidency, and changed us to an English speaking branch. We still performed our song in Italian, though, and I was about to cry when I heard the Elders start singing. They were singing So loud (in a good way) and confidently and trying so hard to get all the notes of their parts. When I looked down at Sister Miller during Sis. Prina's and my part she was crying and then I got all choked up and just hummed along to my alto part for a line because I couldn't concentrate on the words. Then we had INCREDIBLE talks. We got 2 new counselors in the presidency so they and their wives all bore their testimonies. One of the couples just got back from a mission a few weeks ago. They were in...CAIRO EGYPT!!! Do you remember meeting the Lindsey's at the ward??? I knew them all summer long. It was sooo great to sit and talk to them a bit about Egypt.
Sunday's fireside was also Wonderful. Sheri Dew came. She is such a comfortable, confident, powerful speaker. I wish I could tell you everything she said but I only have 4 mins left. So one line I liked was..."Sometimes we act as though we are going to stay here (on earth) but we can't and we won't so we need to stop acting like it."

Then yesterday...my companion found out she has to stay at the MTC for 2 more weeks. She had resolved all the other medical problems she has been working with while at the MTC but 2 days ago she got a new problem where she can't swallow properly. So finally we went to the doctor yesterday, then the Stake president, then the doctor again, etc. and the decision was that she has to stay. We are both still kind of in shock. All the Elders are flying a different way since they are going to Rome, so I'm just gonna be kickin it in the airports for the next 24 hours without any other missionaries. I'm not really worried at all, it's just gonna be weird wearing a tag in public but not having a companion.

Well, I love you all. I'm so pumped to be off to Italy in an hour!
L

Sorella Cozzens arrived, by herself, in Milan today. Her mission president's wife, Sorella Dunaway, called to give us the news and to tell us that upon arrival, Lauren was sent straight out to the Milan Duomo to search out someone to give a Book of Mormon to. Her first area will be the Milan 2nd Ward. The following is an email from Sorella Dunaway:

Sister Cozzens,
Your daughter's address will be:


Via Pisacane 47/15
20159 MI, Italia


Often, if the name on the mailbox is not the same as that of the package (and it won't be), the post office may or may not deliver a notice that a package has arrived. It is much safer to have packages delivered to the office.
Via Gramsci 13/4
20090 Opera, MI
Italia


We will be seeing your daughter and delivering mail from the office on Nov. 26 for zone conference, (Thanksgiving is not a holiday here) and Dec. 16 for interviews.


Sorella Dunaway, Italy, Milan

Lauren's P-Day is Wednesday.