Tag Archives: church

#ShareEaster

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This was a great week and I feel so grateful to have the knowledge that Christ makes up the difference. When I am to weak and not enough, which when it comes to the work of salvation is like always. 🙂 I love how much I get to grow through the Atonement! I love it so much I love the joy that comes with living the gospel and changing and helping people change and watching people change. I love watching the gospel in action in other peoples lives. It changes you in a way that couldn’t be done with just trying to apply the gospel to yourself. “After all that has been said the, greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel” Joseph Smith. No wonder that is the case there is so much about the gospel that we miss out on if we dont share it, if we are not helping the people around us to be lifted up by the gospel then we ourselves are missing out on a lot of what the gospel has to share.

We just had a baptism in the Zone. It was a husband and wife that were baptized together. The husband grew up in a church that teaches anti mormon every week, he only just six months ago said that he was never going to be mormon. He said that to the friend that eventually listened to a spiritual prompting that was telling her that the people placed in her life where there so that she could share the gospel and help build people around her. She was very scared and knew that he had said that, and knew that the wife had a lot of problems with the church as well. BUT she listened and let faith conquer fear, she has now been sharing the gospel with everyone that she can and has been able to see her friends be baptized. The truth of this gospel is ringing from the rooftops and being a “good example” is a good start but there is so much more to be done with the people that surround us.

This week when I was out talking with people we met a man, Robert, he was very nice but he didnt want to hear us out right away we kept asking questions and sharing testimony and then finally he cracked and told us why he didnt want to talk to us. This hit me so hard…. He told us that he didnt want to talk to us because he had many friends that went on missions and then when they came back then they didnt share it with him, he talked about how it was weird that they would spend two years talking about it and then come home and not continue to do that. He thought that it must not be all that it is cracked up to be if that was the case. We then were able to help him see that the gospel would bless him in his life now and he should at least ask God about it.

I couldnt believe how hard that hit, he even talked about how they are good people and live good lives and loves their families but he didnt see how he couldnt just do those things, why the gospel was an important factor and if it was to them why they never talked about it.

This is so very true, we can live good lives and do good things and love our families, but if we never share and invite people around us to do something about it and to come to know for themselves that the gospel is important and vital, then a good example only goes so far.

We also have a family that we just started to teach that are both less active from the church, they came to church this week for ward conference. They want to come back to church and want to work for the temple. We are also going to be planning a wedding for them!!! The Ward is going to love that.

Cierra Came to church and loved it. She bought all three of her kids and they loved it as well. She has told us that she has found a church that really makes her happy. SHE IS SO AWESOME!!!I I love the gospel.

My challenge to everyone this week is to share the goepel with someone this week, with an INVITATION to do something to act on your testimony. An invitation is the only way they are going to change. Sharing the new video would be a great way to start the conversation!

Love you all

Elder Cordon.

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Conference Weekend

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Conference was a blast such a wonderful spirit that was there to confirm that the 3 new apostles that were called had indeed been called of God. I loved to be able to hear their testimonies. I am so grateful for prophets and apostles and the leadership of the church to be able to guide, direct, and warn us. We got a lot of that this conference, the World is running away from God and we dont want to get caught in the path by not knowing what way to run. Keeping the Commandments that is the path that we need to be on. And not just some of them.

We all of our investigators, that could, watching conference. They all had a spirit pack time doing it, But who wouldn’t. Nicole and Linda are both moving towards the Lord at a smooth rate. They are both preparing to be baptized on October 24th. They are both wonderful daughters of God that have a great destiny ahead of them. I am so excited to see them make the steps that they need to be baptized and to bring the Gift of the Holy ghost into their lives. This is truly the best work that can happen in the world today.

The WKM is the promise land! miracles happen everyday in the WKM. I am grateful that I am living worthy of those miracles to happen. To be able to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to move his work forward is the best privilege of my life. To be held in His hands and molded to play just the right song at just the right time. WOW

Elder Steven Cordon

White September

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So this week ended in another Great Brother of God joining the ranks and entering into the waters of baptism. Mike Gilbert was baptized and then confirmed Saturday and Sunday. Sunday he had a miracle opportunity to share with someone who is making that step here this weekend in Richland his testimony of the whole process for him. SO Very Cool. Already being a missionary and sharing it with people.

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I love seeing the fire that is in the new converts, burning so bright and they don’t know what to do other then share it with those around them. So great to see how much of a change happens instantly when they make a sacred covenant through priesthood authority.

We went over to Tiffany’s and had a very good lesson on faith with her husband. He is a very open minded person but his default is the world and science because it is easier. So we will have to work on that. 🙂

Flor and her husband Dallen was at church another awesome miracle. ( sadly their was a member that got a little over zealous in inviting Dallen to sunday-school and grabbed his face 😦 he left mad. Later when we saw him he was not that mad anymore so hopefully that doesn’t harm him coming to church when he can again. He has a crazy work schedule and doesnt get many sundays off.

Linda was a new investigator that we had at church. We had a lesson with her and her husband, Mike, 2 weeks ago and then their life got a little crazy, she had to get her wisdom teeth out so we have not been able to meet with her sense. SO it was so awesome to see that she came to church as soon as she was able. She also stayed for all three hours, and loved it! She and her husband were found and invited by their member neighbors and are going to be taught in members home every time!I am so grateful for all the miracles that are happening in the area and all the wonderful ways that the Lord is moving his work forward.

Love you all so very much
Elder Steven Cordon

Elder Williams is Training!!

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Dear Family and Friends,

Well it was a great week! we were working hard and were very busy! We had some interesting turn of events with some of our investigators and some good things happening as we went to the streets.

First our investigator Frankie turned out not to live in our area. He is right on the line, but falls on the KLC side. We will be turning him over to the sisters tonight. But we are fasting with him right now, and the sisters decided to join us, that he can get an answer. We will be following up with him tonight at the turnover. He was one of the investigators we were hoping could be baptized this month. I hope the transition goes well he has been meeting with Elders here for several months. Brother Mak who had a date for this month is still not back. The west point sisters were able to talk with him about his concerns. Its a good thing the Sisters can see him everyday I feel like it will help him. Our other investigator Emily is doing better she was able to eat with some of the sisters, so she has been getting a lot of member involvement. That is really good because fellowship will help a lot she comes to find her own answer.

We have been working really well together and our teaching and finding is in pretty good unity. We had a bit of an interesting week with not as much time as we would like to find. But when we did get out we worked hard and made the most of it. We have a good drive while finding even if its a long stretch. I actually really like city finding. A lot of missionaries prefer going to big estates but I would pick the streets. Its harder to teach a sit down lesson but its a better variety of people. Only certain types of people sit in an estate in the middle of the day.

The ward is doing really well it seems like a lot of people want to do missionary work and we are constantly getting names of less actives and hearing about different things members are doing. It will be a great ward for this new trainee to come into. I will miss TST ward, I was able to build up a good relationship really quick. But i will serve my best wherever I am sent.

A big thing we have talked about with the ward and as a companionship is less active work. Gratefully with the wards effort there is a fairly big group of less actives that are incontact with the members still, so they are priority number one for us. There is a lot of good work to be done and just not enough time its seems.

But a lot of big changes going on here. We are taking a big hit in Elders right now. Then in a few months its coming right back to normal. President is doing all sorts of stuff to prepare the mission for President Lam here in July.

But its all good I love you all have a great week!
Elder Jared Cordon

Hard Work Pays Off!

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Dear Family & Friends,

It was very busy week. Probably one of the busiest weeks I have seen on my mission. But in a good way. I have seen that since moving to this area I hit my pillow at night being truly tired. There is a lot to think about and worry about, all in a good way of course. I really enjoy the feeling of hard work and truly I wake up with a smile on my face every morning to do it again. I am so grateful for the counsel that President Hawks offered us last week. One of the many things I like from what he shared was this “you don’t know how much you can do until you really need to do it” I feel like this sums up my mission for sure. As I contemplate on the weaknesses I have overcome and the ones I am still working on, I think how is it possible? Well its because the lord really needs us to work and work real hard, he needs us to be obedient and diligent. Well I feel like I am doing more than what I ever thought I could do and that’s because the lord really needs me to do it.

The ward really is awesome and we are seeing really cool miracles every week. For example this last Sunday two women walked into the church on their own. One lives in our area and the other in west points are on Ping Chau. They left before we could talk to them and we thought we lost our chance but luckily our amazing ward missionary stopped them and got their numbers for us and invited them to every activity that we have. We should be seeing more of them. I have been in this ward for 3 Sundays now and every week there has been new faces in the the Gospel Principles class.

We have also been able to extend 3 new baptismal dates this last week and already have a few people in mind that we would like to give them to this week. We are truly both being so blessed and I am so blessed to be able to enjoy and contribute to the hard work of my companion and other missionaries before me.

The meeting we had with the stake mission leaders last night was very very good! There was a lot of points being discussed that really needed to be brought out. Although we said very little that meeting we left with a big list on the ways the members and missionaries can work together better and we will be trying to sum those up and distribute that information to the other missionaries. I sometimes have a habit focuses only what we can do more and rarely stopping to appreciate whats already being done. I took a moment to stop yesterday as I sat with all the Bishops and ward mission leaders from the stake and to really appreciate their work, I felt this really cool feeling come over me of excitement and respect for these priesthood men and all they do to volunteer and support the church and the work of salvation.

This week the things we are going to focus on is finding new investigators we are making great progress with the investigators we do have and hope to be able to add more to the list this week! We are really good about talking to everyone and it seems like are best finds are the people we find in the non scheduled finding time. We are just working on getting better at rescheduling and calling.

Well I don’t know how familiar people are with the work here but it really is doing awesome! Macau officially became organized yesterday as the China Macau district. Here in Hong Kong we should be having another stake being organized in the next few months and several new wards. which would make 5 stakes here. We have a temple and 5 stakes it really is doing awesome here.

Well love you all and hope you take a moment every day to remember your Savior.

Elder Jared Cordon

Week Full of Miracles!

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WE HAD 6 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH!!!

It was such a good day to have them all at church. We had such an amazing miracle happen. Arnoldo a little 10 year old told us that he wanted to be mormon and asked if his grandparents needed to sign him up. We told him that we would need to talk to them and so he took us right over to his house. They told him that if he wanted to it would be his responsibility and so we asked if he could come to church the next day. He said yes and so we got him a ride and he loved every minute of it. He asked if he could come back every Sunday, and the blackhurst family said they could pick him up every week. So at the end of the night Sunday we stopped by the house and to our greatest delight he was blasting the primary song CD that was given to him through his house. He said that he is going to try and learn all the songs this week. WHAT!!! He also went and talked to his 11 year old brother and told him all about how awesome it was and so Alex is going to learn and come to church next week as well. SO crazy !! Life is great, God is good. This is the best work ever!!

We also had Donna and her grandson Damion at church.

If you have not seen Joseph Smith the Prophet Of the Restoration Film WATCH IT!
It is such a wonderful film, and tells the story in such wonderful simplicity. The technology that is available for us to use to learn and to share.

Love,

Elder Steven Cordon

The BIGGEST DOG EVER!!

The BIGGEST DOG EVER!!

So let me explain the pictures. We stay in a Duplex and so we have do a play on words and took the quote "This is the Place" by Brigham Young And Changed it to "This is the Plex" So every transfer we take Plex Pics And using Play on words to come up with all the Pics. So this transfer we did this one!!

So let me explain the pictures. We stay in a Duplex and so we have do a play on words and took the quote “This is the Place” by Brigham Young And Changed it to “This is the Plex” So every transfer we take Plex Pics And using Play on words to come up with all the Pics. So this transfer we did this one!!

Family & Friends

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Dear Family and Friends,

As normal things went well. Last week had some more consistency than
others though. Rather than half the week be better than the other
half, it was rather productive from start to finish. God is really
helping to work move forward.

The highlight off the week was our lesson with the Estrella Family
which we had at the Nhiev’s home, they are a member family in the ward
that have been helping us fellowship them. On Friday we had the two
families together for dinner, a game, and a lesson. It was an awesome
time, and everybody lightened up and enjoyed themselves. The fun part
was to see everybody relax as the night went on. Before it was over
they were already planning their next get-together. The Estrella’s
weren’t able to come to church this weekend because of work situation,
but they are hoping to adjust their schedules to be there next week.
All in all, great success.

The other bonuses were that we got in to contact with some
investigators that fell by the wayside for a few weeks. Jeff was
silent for a few weeks but this past week he was stronger than ever
before. He wants to get baptized as soon as possible. And then Davie,
we went and saw him. He recognized he difference our visits made in
his life. And after only one lesson he read more than a chapter of the
Book of Mormon which is crazy considering that he didn’t read at all
before when we were visiting him. We talked to a member who was
willing to come fellowship him with us and that will be a great
connection if we can help them make it.

The ward here is great! It isn’t very big, but nevertheless I have
enjoyed getting to know everybody and hopefully we can do our part to
help grow it some more this month. We are doing a Mighty Miracle May,
where every single companionship is going to get a baptism in the
mission. It is going to be amazing! God bless y’all!

Love y’all!
Elder Cordon

People, Quotes, and Family

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Dear Family and Friends,

Hello Everyone! So this last week was a good one. We finally got some good lessons with a few people and it definitely was a week that allowed us to see who we really have as a solid base in our teaching pool. Lets begin with Davie. He is really coming along we saw him last week and had a good lesson that really just involved reading 3 Nephi 11 and testifying of Christ. It was a great experience because until that point he just couldn’t bring himself to read it on his own, but to be able to just sit and read a chapter with him really helped to alleviate that fear. After hearing it out he said something similar to, “you know, it sounds like true scripture.”  He is making steady progress. Hopefully we can get him to join us for the bbq and broadcast priesthood session of general conference at the church this Saturday.

Another wonderful soul that came into the picture last week was a character named Stew. We met him at a bus stop. He was sitting there with no intention of getting on the bus but just because it was something to do. We learned that he had found out that he arrived in
Jacksonville only a week prior and he had come from Oregon. He is here with the intentions to get a restart on life. Before our first conversation was over he knew that he was meant to meet us and learn what we teach. Over the subsequent days we taught him three more lessons and have made some good progress with him. We have already set
him up to start attending different classes and things are looking bright for his future.

The other awesome brother we are working with is a high school student named Trevor. The previous missionaries taught him and made some good success. When we first got here we struggled to connect with him. But during the week before last and last we were able to break down some walls and really connect with him. He committed to work towards being baptized in May and he is excited. We couldn’t find him a ride so we
made the hour/ride walk with him last week to the church so he could go to young mens. He brought his skateboard and we had our bikes so we took it easy and talked all the way there. He ended up having a great time and wants to come every week now.

So that is how the work is going. We had a couple of instances while tracting where people mocked our beliefs and told us we were teaching false doctrines. It was interesting. I got to boldly tell them what we believed and then we left. I always ponder on those experience during the following days because I feel there is much to be learned from
those encounters. As I did I realized a trend in both cases: both times the major insults came after I bore my testimony. Three quotes come to mind, I don’t know the sources for two but they are still great:

“You know you have lost an argument once you get angry.” Unknown Author

“Anger is the reaction you have when you don’t know how to react.” Unknown Author

“Anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intention of throwing it at someone, you are the one who gets burned.” Buddha

Taking all those into consideration I realized that while all three of those men acted childish by the time we walked away we were the victor in all cases because we never got angry while they did. Now I do have to admit that I was frustrated as I pondered on the fact that people would embrace and express those particular views about our church, but luckily it was not in the moment. A lesson I learned is that you can’t convince someone of spiritual truth, that is The Holy Spirit’s job. Another lesson I learned was if you simply bear your testimony of what you know to be true their reaction will quickly tell you whether or not they are ready for more. If they do not receive the truth you have shared so far then they definitely won’t receive anymore, so there is no point in sharing more.

The same is true with all cases in life. If either party in a conversation isn’t ready, then stop the conversation. Their is no point to share anymore because clearly what has been shared so far won’t work. Now, this doesn’t always mean you have to walk away –though that is a great option– you can apologize, you can change the subject, and you can even just give them a hug. Sometimes that last one isn’t a good idea depending on the tension level. Either way a person who is angry is a fool and will do foolish things. And as the Lord put it, “…fools mock, but they shall mourn…” (Ether 12:26)

I am sure none of you struggle with anger but I felt like mentioning it. I love y’all!

Elder Joshua Cordon

P.S. I have a challenge for all of you. The church on Friday released a new video to celebrate Easter. It is super good. You can find it at HeLives.Mormon.org.  So here is the thing. All the full time missionaries in the church off of Facebook for the time being, that
means the responsibility falls on the members shoulders to spread this message all over Facebook. So here is the challenge: will each of you share his video with 5 of your friends before Easter? It can be in person or in a message. I promise that as you do you will feel the true spirit of the Easter weekend enter into your heart, and your love and appreciation for the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, will burn within your soul. I know that to be true because it has worked for me. Good luck!

 

Keep It Going!!

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Dear Family and Friends,

This was a wonderful last week! We mixed things up last week and organized an English find with the Pok Fu Lam sisters and elders. We realized that nobody was really showing up to English class. So we made our own sign and had a member make some English flyers. After a few were passed out. We saw great success we had 10 people at English class. With the variable that we had our ward thanksgiving activity this last week which took place at the same time and took 4 people who normally go to English class away. So that says a lot about the impact of the find.

Speaking of the Thanksgiving activity that was also a great success. It gave a great chance for a mom and her two kids we have been working with to meet the ward, we also got our investigator Simon to get to know some of the members in the ward a lot better, and we got a referral. It was great. Along with that we saw some other little miracles this last week. We were doing our language study in the church when a man walked in. We thought it was one of the other missionaries investigators or a ward member, turned out to be a former investigator from several years ago. We taught him then committed him to church. He showed up dressed up in his Sunday best without being asked. We will see him again this week. We also had a near by rehad center for people with mental illnesses give us a call asking for us to help them with an activity they had planned. They were impressed with missionaries in the past and they wanted our help again that was a great service opportunity! Having time to serve people in Hong Kong helps me love them more and really keeps me positives through any rejections people throw out.

As far as our mission goal of 65 baptisms in December I really want it to happen and I truly believe it can, but I know to show my gratitude for the Lord for all the blessings we have been receiving I need to be more obedient. So thinking through what I could do I realized that we never really SYL (speak your language) *(Editors note- missionaries learning a new language on the mission are strongly encourage to only speak the language they are learning when they are in their apartment so that they are learning the language quicker by immersion.) Elder Wong doesn’t like speaking Cantonese so we really haven’t been. But I decided that I need to speak as much as possible but most importantly I need to have the 3 SYL days like we have been asked to have many times well we have been doing it. And it was hard to remember but we did it and it was really fun. I couldn’t let myself crack in the apartment ether so I as I kept speaking Chinese in the apartment I saw that the others started to as well. So its my new actions and we are actually doing it and I have seen its helped my contacting skills because then I don’t have to be switching back to Chinese mode I am already in it. Language is something that I have not taken as seriously on my mission as I should have but I have been cracking down now for a few weeks and I have seen it start growing again.

Things are just great here. I feel like the Lord wants me always to be growing so he needs things to stay hard enough to at least keep me on my toes or knees. You can only grown under pressure. If there is no pressure than you get soft.

Love you all

Elder Jared Cordon

照片 24-11-2014 下午12.01

Elder Groberg and Elder Cordon (They were in the MTC together)

 

Good Week!

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Dear Family and Friends,

I love being in this area, not that I didn’t love my last area, it has just given me some great growth that I needed in the mission. I have learned to turn to the Lord. I have come to know him very personally and I am praying more and it is really helping my strength. Coming closer to Christ doesn’t mean that you are not going to have problems. It doesn’t mean you are going to have problems taken away. However it does mean that you will gain a new perspective on the things that you do need to deal with. An Eternal perspective.

We had a family that we have been working with come to church this last week. They had a great time and felt the spirit. We were able to get a lot of people in the ward to make sure that they went and said hi. Sometimes it is a matter of bringing it to others attention of what they need to do.

Well I love you all. Have a great week.
Elder S Cordon