Tag Archives: Elder Jared Cordon

The Ward is AWESOME!

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Dear Family & Friends,

Well this week might be short I am really short on time. But it was a really good week we have seen some amazing success with the efforts with the ward and growth with our investigators, its one of those weeks where I feel like you can take a sigh of relief that maybe your efforts are paying off. We had ward council this week and with the first one for the year the ward was very enthusiatic with many different ideas to step up there efforts. It was great to see that this time was much more focuses on missionary efforts. Especially the Relief Society president. She is such an example and that goes for all the women in the Relief Society here they are so awesome. They have made our investigator feel really welcomed and they are all so observant that without us even saying anything come and greet her and friendship her, invite her over for dinner, exchange numbers tell her all about the activities, make her kids feel welcomed. They are awesome! Our investigator is going to have her sister come to an activity soon, we met her before now its just bringing her in. The Elders Quorum is starting to follow there example they have really gotten so much better. Our investigators father came to church my himself even though his son didn’t come he said he is too busy to take the lessons but he loves elders Quorum so we will keep working with him. Referrals are the way to go for sure. Things are great I am great I am changing for the better everyday.

Love Elder Cordon.

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A Good Week

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Dear Family and Friends,

Alright another week down… :). With less teaching this past week it has been a good time to look at who’s next now that Bro Fan is baptized. It has been unusually hard to teach lessons on the street this last week and after almost a week without teaching any I realized I wasn’t relying on the enough on the Lord. So I was a lot more specific in my prayers, and we met and taught a really prepared individual. Then we followed the same pattern for the next day. The same thing happened. I think the Lord wanted to remind me that I can do all I can do, but If I don’t ask Him for help He won’t fill in the rest.

Also this week I had a chance to head on back to Tsin Siu Wai to do an exchange with the other half of the companionship Elder Lam. He is awesome he is from Hong Kong and we knew each other back from the time on the Island. But we had a cool experience together. Last time I was with Elder Groeberg and we had met this less active family it was actually the only time they met this family so Elder Lam never met them, but while we were finding we ended up running into one of the sons, then taught him a good lesson about the Plan of Salvation.

Another cool thing that happened this week is we were eating dinner with our investigator Aaron(who should get baptized soon) and some guy came up and asked us to teach him and while were talking Aaron jumped in and shared a great message about the spirit world. So overall that was just awesome. He is already a missionary.

But hey love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Jared Cordon

It’s About the Little Things -Jared

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This was another fun exciting week! We had our trio for a couple days and and now we got a sweet Bundeih (means a local missionary). Its a great benefit to helping me with the language.

Well I would like to share a quote that a great man told to me recently:

“At least I can walk, at least I can pray, at least I can learn.” -Jay Riding

Thats a great way to remember all the little blessings The Lord gives me in my life to act on my own agency everyday. Every week I can walk more, I can pray better, and I have to the ability to see more of what the Lord wants me to learn. Remember the little things and they surely will become great things.

The work in Hong Kong is progressing we are meeting amazing people everyday who are all being brought just a little closer to Christ. We also got another progressing investigator who during our lessons starting recalling how often the lord has reach out to him to accept this message in his life. He recalled after hardships he had met Elders and before a great miracle in his life he had met Elders, and now when he realized life wasn’t what he wanted he met some more Elders. The Lord does this work in his own way and his own time. Just keep walking praying and learning.

Elder Cordon

TRAVELL PLANSS!!! – Jared

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Wait what is that?

I think.. wait what.. that’s MY TRAVEL PLANS!!! YEAH! YEAHHHH!!!!

I can’t believe its almost here!! Next time you here from me I will be in Hong Kong!

Am I ready?… NO

Am I scared?… Not one bit!

If there is one thing I have learned in the MTC is this is the Lords work and he has proven time and time again that it doesn’t matter what the language is, when his missionaries obey he will fill in whatever they are lacking. Which for me might be just about everything except for Faith.

So first I hope everyone is doing okay I know its gonna be hard not hearing about the boring MTC life but, don’t worry it will get better, I promise. This last week was a blast!! I got to Host for the first time which was so great! I had the privilege of scaring new young Elders about the Horrors of the MTC. I am sure they will be relived when they fined out everything I said was true… 😉 haha. Also another great time was TRC!! It’s lesson we give to volunteers every Saturday morning. They Sister we taught just got back from her mission to Hong Kong also like 5 others who just got back where there. So after our lesson my companion and I talked with them for a good 40 mins. All about what to expect. They gave me some great advice never let the thought of going home come into your mind for one it will take over and start wasting a lot of time; because the moment I step off the plane coming home I am gonna be wishing I was right back in Hong Kong.

Sunday might have been one of the most spiritually uplifting days of my life! Some things I wanna tell you all is: I know that Thomas S. Monson from a very young age was being prepared to be our Prophet and he is truly an inspired man of God. Go to the mormonchannel.org and watch his video! Also I have seen the most mission changing talk of my life. Sadly you can’t read because its one they only replay in the MTC. It’s Elder Bednars Doctrine, Principles, and Applications. The problem with most members is everyone only studies the Application like lets set new goals or the answer to better Home teaching is to bake a cake. Doctrine is Always the Answer, and True Doctrine understood changes attitude and behavior. When someone gives you a question like why can’t we drink alcohol, well most Mormons as well would I is to immediately give them and application response, for example, well its been scientifically proven…. well instead given them a doctrine response like go read section 89 of the D&C and get back to me. True Doctrine understood changes attitude and behavior. So I challenge everyone to know there doctrine better.

Sadly this is the time were I say farewell for longer than normal.. But don’t cry I will be back soon!

I love all of you and hope your lives are fantastic!

Love Elder Jared Cordon

Well what another interesting week!

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Dear Loved Ones

Man this last week was one full of a lot of different events! First I didn’t say this last week, but what happened to standing while singing called to serve? No one has done it here so far so last Sunday my companion and some of the other Elders thought it would be embarrassing to start it but I did anyway and I got everyone to follow.

But man there is so much more I finally got my Lava Lava! These kids dared me to eat this huge ball of cheese found at the bottom of the ritz bitz box, lets say I will never again eat a ritz bitz! But it was so worth it because its all I wear now! I am not sure who invented pants, but it was a bad idea.

Also we had three guys who are fluent cantonese speakers from the states that were only here for a few days that were in our room man so that was a short fun party two left this morning at 2:30 so I didn’t sleep much. Then my whole branch accept us and one of the phillipino branches all left today! Man I am gonna miss all those guys so many characters in that group for sure!

Also my companion got geardia its like a stomach bacteria so that has delayed the work we had to go the doctors here which took awhile, then we had to go off campus to the lab. and miss a whole morning session of class while he slepted in! But overall it all came together when after playing some volleyball we watched the sunset together sharing detailed descriptions of the colors and pictures view.

Man even with all that going on I have still been received so many blessing! We had our TRC(training resource center) Were you get volunteers that you get to teach they could me members or nonmembers. Me and my companion did really well, we got to know the investigator, taught a whole lesson on the spirit used some scriptures and set commitments all with just what we knew so the language is moving along!

We are still far from ready its amazing that anybody could ever pick this language up in 9 weeks. Its considered the hardest language here in the MTC, to make it harder we cant even learn the written part until halfway through the mission. So they have the word leah which means like nine different things depending on the tone, but even with the same tone it means to get to know someone and the word for you. Haha I am gonna love it though its an adventure the whole time.

When I first got here I was really competitive about being the best. I would do study that would help me and I would kinda not share things but I have completely changed my mindset. Its so much nicer to just help each other grow and become part of the same team, I dont know why it took me so long to figure that out buts it been a lot nicer I am trying to be a leader and keep everyone on task. But 60 hours a week in class it can be hard to stay focused sometimes.

I know the lord gives no commandment unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them to accomplish the things which he hath commanded of them. I am not worried about the language I am just worried that I wont rely enough on the spirit. I have found countless times that if you rely on the spirit you would be amazed at how much you can accomplish.

Farewell everyone we will talk again in a week!

Love Elder Jared Cordon

PS: Sorry for the bad grammar the more I learn in Cantonese the less I know in English

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Hello hello hello!

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Hello

The MTC is a very interesting place indeed! You may have heard stories and they are probably all true! The food kills you, Sundays are like holidays, the sisters are too serious, and man the growth of the language will surprise you!

This last week was awesome! Me and my companion Elder Cederlof decided we need to rely on the gift of tongues! A companionship from the other cantonese district gave us the idea. Basically you need to have complete faith for the spirit to help you! Previously we would teach our investigator using lots of notes and reading them. But this last week we decided to go in with no help and just pray for the spirit. I could not believe the difference that made we did the whole thing, taught how to pray and the importance of obedience, I was having words come to my mind that I forgot I knew! From then on we decided that we weren’t going back it has also helped are study because we know we have to be more prepared! Also its tough here it really is, when your spending 55 hours a week in a classroom not hearing a single word in English it wears on you!

My teacher though is really amazing! He has such patience, he knows the importance of SYL(Speak your language) It must be so hard when you have 8 missionary staring at you blank faced because they have no idea what your saying! But his knowledge is amazing! He speaks 7 languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Loa, Malaysian, Japanese, English, and I think Mong. But yeah that gives you an idea! He is also just a spiritual giant as well he does a great job and teaching the gospel principles in a way thats simple and you can feel the spirit!

But everyone here is amazing I have made a lot of friends in my Zone and in the weight room! I have a nickname here and that’s Captain Joseph Because everyone thinks I look like Joseph Smith and Captain America! I wont complain about that one! But this place is truly amazing and I learn so much here about people, the gospel and especially myself! I hope everyone is doing just splendid!

Elder Jared Cordon

1 Down… 103 More to Go!

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Dear Everyone,

This first few days in the MTC! What an adventure they have been!

The food has successfully made me and my companion spend a lot of time in the Bathroom, more him than me! It is gonna be easy to cut back, I dont know how people eat so much here! But the learning is coming a long surely! The Language is truly amazing though my teacher has not said a single word in english since I have been here! I can tell you that the gift of tounges is real because of how much I have learned! The first investigator we taught was defiantly a humbling experience though! I couldn’t understand anything she was saying and she couldn’t understand me at all! I might have accidently said something offensive haha. But today it will be another test how that language break this last day has treated me!

Sundays here are like a Holiday going to church and hearing english is like music to my ears! Also speaking of music I will be in the october Conference Choir! But sundays are great Sacrement, Priesthood and Sunday School are broken up which is kinda nice then in the evening there is a Fireside and we then will watch a recorded fireside afterwards! I have some great notes from yesterday it was so great!

My companion here is really awesome he is a twin also! and he is from centerville so right next door! His twin also not learning a language and he will be here in a few weeks! They are not Identical though, they dont even look like brothers haha! Its interesting here though because there is only 13 people learning cantonese two districts mine has 8 the other has five 3 of the people are going to Sydney australia! I Had two guys whose flight got cancelled they were going to toronto so we had two many guys in my room tell 2:00 this morning I didn’t sleep much! but I loved both of those Elders I actually knew them from BYU so that was cool! The first two names on my flag! Maybe things wont be as crazy now that we are down to 4 in the room! But we have so much junk food! like 4 big boxes just pilled high so I wont be needed to spend my money we just got all the great leftovers from a bunch of Elders who just left!

Man its crazy that Its only been 5 days I feel like I have been here for 5 weeks! It seems like by the time lunch roles around it should be dinner and then we have a 5 hour class…. But I love this wonderful opportunity to learn so its all worth it! My zone is awesome! its us Cantonese and then a bunch of people going to the Phillipines! So its a great group there is a lot more elders in my zone than Sisters but the MTC over all right now its like 50/50. Its probably because there is no sisters learning Cantonese right now, So we are like a little band of brothers!

Its been amazing here and I will be sure to be a little more thorough once I get a full week! But if you feel like your life isn’t that motivated or you need a spiritual recharge or you think your doing well enough in gods eyes. Well then go watch or read the Character of Christ! I love everyone who read this! And ill be back next week!

Sincerely

Elder Cordon

Jared’s MTC Address

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For those of you who would like to send Jared letters while he is at the MTC for the next 9 weeks. He would love to hear from anyone who is willing to send a letter!

From now until October 13th his MTC mailing address is:

Elder Jared Todd Cordon
OCT13 HONG KONG
2013 N 900 E Unit 78
Provo UT 84602

**Feel free to use the free delivery service of dearelder.com if submitted by 10am MST he will receive the letter the same day.

You will need the following information:

Unit #: 78
Estimated Departure Date: Oct. 13
Mission: Hong Kong China