Tag Archives: LDS

What A Week!

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Dear Family and Friends,

This last week I could Honestly say was the most successful week of my mission! To give you a quick summary we are now working with three families and two will for sure be baptized! We found a lady who is likely to help us start a Branch in Tai O and We got to top the week off with Ho Siu Ming being baptized. The Lord rained down his blessing on us this last week. Me and my companion where brought humbly to our knees many times last week. I have no idea why its taken me so long to figure missionary work out and the saddest thing is now I am about to head home. Luckly I can apply what I learned anywhere I go. The mission has changed my life in Dramatic ways. I see now from a perspective that I never even could have comprehended. I really can reflect on my mission and see how all the experiences that I have had on my mission which where all so vital in slowly shaping and humbling me to the mold the lord would have. I know that God lives with all my heart and his love for each one of us is so deep and so strong.

We first have been working with a member in our ward who has been working with a Less Active and we helped him home teach a few weeks back and because of the way we taught we really earned his trust and so then he introduced us to another part member less active family and now that whole family has come to church except one daughter but we will see them again this next week. We taught them all twice last week and they are so awesome! 3 kids 15,16, and 17. Which is great because the branch could use some more in those age groups.

Another Part Member Less Active Family we found through our own efforts as Elder Dale simple invited this Sister we see all the time to church. She then came and with her kids as well then last week went to her house and taught her whole family and even her husband and set all the kids dates. The husband has not accepted yet but we will get him. They have 3 kids as well.

We also Helped a struggling Recently Reactivated member, whose wife is one of our Recent Converts, commit to keeping the Sabbath Day. Its a huge struggle in this branch among the brothren to not work on sunday and this brother had not come to church in 3 weeks. Which is totally his choice because he runs his own business. But after a powerful lesson and a lot of overcoming excuses, bearing testimony, and promising blessings I never seen anyone more excited to keep the Sabbath Day Holy. I love sharing the story of my own father and his own acts of faith keeping the Sabbath because many people here think Hong Kong is different than america, when really its the same.

We also got introduced to one of the nicest ladies in all of Hong Kong. She is this 65 year old woman named Diana who lives in the Stilt homes in Tai O. She is so popular among the Locals. Thanks to the Senior Missionaries the Chamberlains who found her on their own P-day. We went and visited her and her home already feels like a members home and she already has Christ in her countenance. We taught a powerful lesson and then she went and introduced us to the whole village we were in several other peoples homes. its amazing how nice and open people are when your friends with one of their friends. There is so much potential here. She will be coming to a ward activity this week.

I could keep going but really there is so much exciting things to be done in missionary work if we just open our eyes humble ourselves before the lord and don’t get in the way of our most creative creator, by really on the strick narrow minded tactics of the world. We really feel we have caught the vision and we met with the sisters last week to talk about how we could keep trying to help the other missionaries to do the same.

But the Success we have had is only possible because of the unity we have with the sister training leaders! We have worked so well that both of our companionships have seen so many miracles! Because we just bounce off of each other and fill each other in on our success which then gives us more ideas. We have been able to help so many others catch the vision as well.

Anyways I love you all and I want to bear my Simple testimony that Jesus Christ really is the way to true happiness.

Love,
Elder Jared Cordon

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NINE DRAGONS!

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Dear Family & Friends,

I am in Kowloon Zone and Kowloon in Chinese means 9 Dragons so I in the 9 Dragons zone, probably the coolest name for a zone!

Well it was an amazing week last week!! We had some really cool miracles! We were able to solidify two people in preparing themselves for baptism this next month and working on one more. Also we have another young man who is looking very promising coming up quick. The most important thing for these people is definitely getting them converted and one I think is helping is giving people short powerful commitments. People don’t need time to baptized they just need to be converted. We were not able to add any new investigators to the teaching pool but we did add two less actives and now have some part members that we are starting to get things going. We find that real success is really working the ward members so we are working to keep a really strong relationship with them and to keep referrals coming. Thats something we need to be better at doing is getting referrals. But we have thought of some good ways to do that. Another thing thats been taking up our time is working with a lot of Recent Converts. Its so important to keep these people progressing and none of the converts this year have been to the temple yet, so big thing to focus on there. Also we are working on trying to get family history really moving here so we scheduled a member to teach us with her family then we can then teach our less actives, recent converts and investigators. Really the ultimate goal in doing it will be to get them to the temple. We have a temple in Hong Kong and I feel like its so underused sometimes.

This last week we met with the Sister Training leaders to plan up zone training and that was one of the most inspired meetings that I have been apart of. we were all just getting so many amazing ideas that we feel will transform this zone. We saw miracles this last month as far as families goal. As a zone we set a pretty high goal and we ended beating it by two and it was interesting, because we didn’t focus on families directly, it was indirectly influenced by the focus on teaching in the home. We also beat our member present goal as well which was another indicator we were hoping to indirectly influence as well. I just have noticed that when you have a vision and you pray for that vision and you wake up everyday working to achieve that vision the lord will really bless us and help us accomplish our dreams. We noticed that as we did some consecrated family finding this last week and got exactly what we prayed for.

Also I want you all to know that my companion is the most powerful man I have ever seen. He has been preforming miracles here in Tung Chung and I just get the privileged to sit back and watch. He is so intuned with the spirit and we mesh so well. We have plenty of fun let me tell you, but we also go to work.

Missionary work is the most satisfying work I have ever done and thats also because its the most important work I have ever been apart of. I know this church is true and I know that salvation only comes through Jesus Christ and living his gospel. Its this truth that motivates me and brings me the joy that comes from missionary work.

Love
Elder Cordon

Very Hot Summer

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Dear Family & Friends,

Well wasn’t expecting this transfer at all. It came and went so quickly. I was truly expecting that I would be staying with Elder Harmon, I truly have loved the time that I have spent around him and he has taught me so much. This is going to be the weirdest one yet, but I have also been on my knees in prayer to help me with the coming transfer and become even better each day. I am learning very quickly that the more I recognize that I am in great need of Gods, and the faster that I recognize it, the greater that I can grow with Him.

I love the strength that I receive from Him when I ask with faith and am willing to put forth all of my effort. I love the stretching and growing that I can do on the mission to be able to be more then I ever thought possible. To Become What He Know I Can.

I am going to cherish the moments that I have had to be able to recognize his hand in my life. I am grateful for the atonement to be able to help me become so much more. The Atonement is the reason that we can even become more then what we are. The reason that we can have hope in a better future to know that we don’t have to just be ok with, or even worse get upset about what is just currently happening to us.

We are still working very hard to make sure that we are getting Friends for our investigators so that there connections with the church that are not ones that are going to be leaving any time soon.

Love you all so very much

ELDER S CORDON

2 Years

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Dear Family & Friends,

Another week of trying to focus on members at our lessons more then half of our lessons were with members at them.

I am focused on teaching from the Book of Mormon and helping others build a testimony of that. The Book of Mormon is truly the keystone of our religion and a conversion to that book is vital to a lasting conversion in the gospel.

So this week came with a lot of reflection time, it has been two years sense I received my witness of the truth of this gospel. I put God to the test and now I get to help others do that very thing. It caused me to reflect on how I did it, and what caused my change of heart.

I also have become very aware of the fact that even with the dramatic witness that I have receive that this is indeed the Church of God on the earth, I can loss that testimony if I do not work at it everyday of my life. Just like so many people in the past and still will continue to happen to others because they do not make the conscious decision to never take their eyes off of the prize for a second. Those who do “…lose their way..”or “…[fall] away into forbidden paths and [are] lost.” Nephi 8:23;28

I love the lessons and insight that I get from the BoM, those insights truly come from Heavenly Father are will effect my life to be directed down the path that is going to lead me were God wants me. I just have to listen and act.

So as I look forward with an eye fixed on God I know that I need to work every day to keep my conversion.

I love this work and this gospel and cant wait for the new lessons that I will learn.

Elder S Cordon

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Happy Birthday USA!

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Dear Family & Friends,

Well it was another great week. HOT HOT HOT I don’t believe it has been under 105 during the day all week.

But that has been great encouragement to get into peoples homes and teach them about the gospel. It brings to my mind what Jesus taught that those who drink of him shall never thirst. So I have been trying to keep my mind focused on Him and the reason why I am out here to begin with. Jesus Christ is the reason! I love the Gospel and want to share it with everyone that I can. So when I keep that focus the heat doesn’t seem to bother, it is when I have lost that focused that it does. SO when the heat comes it is a nice reminder that I am in need of a change of my state of mind.

I am grateful this week for the Book of Mormon again.

I thought last week about what I had wrote about and it help us have several great lessons with the Book of Mormon. The investigator had a question in there mind and said a prayer to be guided to the answer and the just opened the book and started to read, AND NO SURPRISE AT ALL, they found their answer. THE GREATEST PART was that it didn’t always come by what was written on the page, sometimes it came by just they feeling they got or by what they “thought” it meant. That is why the scriptures are so powerful, and you can read and reread them over and over; it all about where you are at in your life at the time you read it.

So the 4th of July is over and done with I am now at the point in the mission that everything is now my last. WHICH IS SO WEIRD. It is so crazy that the time is just flying by, it really makes me think a lot about how I am going to use the time that I have because clearly I don’t have as much time as I thought I did, I never expected that the time would fly by as it has. It helps put it all in perspective.

Thank you all for everything that you do. LOVE YOU ALL.

ElDeR S CoRoDoN

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A Lot of New

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Dear Family and Friends,

We got summer missionaries, priority is to strengthen them and help them want to serve full missions!   

 We are already seeing miracles in the part member family area of this Branch. One Sister wants us to help her Husband who has been staying away for over 20 years! But he has just had a big change of heart and is searching for more in Life! So we have followed our mission Presidents advice and strengthened that sister and she is really doing all the work! It would be great if he could meet him later.

Well work in Tung Chung is flourishing and it seems to keep getting better. We have 6 baptismal Dates and 3 of them will get baptized next week! All of which are very excited about their Dates and its a great motivation for the Branch. Our other dates are not that solid but this last week we saw two of our other dates who were laying pretty low start taking off! Both were because of of cool miracles, One we had a bunch of stuff change our schedule but it ended up that we ran into him on the street and he had a total change of perspective. The other we had a last minute member willing to help teach so we taught at their house and it was really good they will be great new long term fellowshippers.

We had a great church miracle yesterday we brought this kid to church and he has come before but he thought it was boring but yesterday he became good friends with another young men and now he loves church! Real friends makes all the difference!

Everything is going so well! We are really so blessed.

Love Elder Cordon

The Converting Power of the Scriptures

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Dear Family and Friends,

What a wonderful week we had! I know I say that all the time but , it’s true! How can it not be we are working in the Lords vineyard to bring souls unto him! The world is a crazy place with lots of negativity, loneliness, anger, pride, and suffering; its also a place that we can find peace, joy, happiness, love, comfort, and support. God is there to help us find the things that makes us happy. So as I get to watch people come and find Christ and find the happiness in all the darkness and chaos, it brings such a joy to my life. So ya I know that I say “what a wonderful week” all the time but that is because it is true!

This week did end a little different then last. Last week we had a lot of people at church and it fired us up to have it happen again. Sadly it didn’t, BUT…. We did have Jennifer accept a date to be baptized we will be helping her prepare to be baptized on July 18th. She is excited to come to know the truth that is here and she felt the spirit during that church tour.
I am gaining more and more a testimony of the strength and power that comes when we use the church buildings. These building that are everywhere have been built and dedicated to the Lord for his purposes and they carry a powerful spirit with them. Every time that we have a lesson in them and I fell of the spirit that is present it brings a peace to my heart that this is his work. We are using the church for tours with as many as will accept and we are using it for lessons, separate from a church tour, on occasion as well.

We have been working forward with an eye of faith know that as we desire to teach the Lord will help us find. We are focusing our efforts on helping those that we teach gain a witness of the Book of Mormon. We had investigators that weren’t daily reading, they have a very difficult time reading, and we have also noticed that it is hard for them to but themselves into the stories of the Book. So we have been reading it with them one chapter at a time, we have been picking the chapters that talking about the principles that we have been guided to for them, and helping them put themselves into the scriptures.

I love the scriptures and the power that comes into my life because of them, and the testimony that I get to gain by seeing that same strength come into other peoples lives as they start to study and learn from the scriptures, are the small things that I get to have every day that strengthen my testimony and conversion to the gospel.

I am so grateful that I am able to come out on my mission and not only help others find their faith and hope, but help find my own as well. I am so grateful to all of you for the things that you have helped me with in my life and for the examples that you have been for me to look to.

Love you all so very much!!

Elder S Cordon

Staying Busy

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Dear Family and Friends,

Well its been a powerful week. We were quite busy and did not have any time to really get out and its weird I thought we worked hard but it seemed weird by the end of the week. But as we look back over our week, we saw we did a lot of teaching and still had opportunities to find people. Looking into July I am a little nervous as far as achieving our future goals there is only 4 solid dates in the zone leading into July and 3 of them are from us. I feel like what helped our dates become solid is putting a quicker date and adding urgency I feel like there is a few investigators in the zone that could be ready for July if we add some urgency.

The 3 people that we have for July are Sister Wong and her Daughter Lindy, they are really great and they have really answered the call to prepare themselves for baptism. Both are doing really good about reading, in fact Sister Wong has been doing some really cool studies after each of our lessons. She uses the pamphlets and does a deeper study on the lessons using the questions in the back. The other date is Ho Siu Ming also a great guy who is willing to keep going, he wants his family to have the gospel and with all three of these people they will be planning on us introducing them to their families here soon.

We have some other Baptismal dates and a handful of other investigators that could all be starting to really progress here shortly. The Lord is really blessing us. We go out the door everyday expecting Miracles and everday they keep happening. We are constantly finding those opportunities arise that requires to be brave and open our mouths. One for instance Elder Dale really impressed me as he contacted this man sitting next to us on a bus, luckily it was a long one out to the Village of Mui Wo. I had seen the guy and shy away but he just moved over a seat and said “do you mind if I practice my Chinese”. Well the man was happy to accept then Elder Dale practiced all of his first lesson vocab while he was at it. We ended up getting off the bus at the same stop, taught him prayer and rescheduled him and his girlfriend for next week. I guess there used to be a branch out here in Mui Wo. We would love to bring it back! We are also working with a less active out there as well and found that there is two full families that are less active that live out there.

Things really are going so well. Elder Dale and I have very similar mindsets which has made having unity come really easy! We also are both just really excited about the work and have a real good vision for this area.

Love You all!

Elder Jared Cordon

Life is about the CHALLENGE

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Dear Family and Friends,

Well What A WONDERFUL WEEK!!

We are seeing miracles all the time here, it is crazy to see the work flying so fast. Now where there is so much good Satan is there to try and stop it. He will through whatever he has at it. We have so many people that are being taught and coming to know Jesus Christ and Satan keeps trying to throw them off the path. So to combat this problem we are striving to meet with our investigators as often as they will let us. We have some that we are able to see everyday, and then Satan tries even harder on them because we are trying harder. They are reading the Book of Mormon and praying and doing the things they need to in order to help combat when we are not around.

I am gaining a great testimony of reading and praying and the power that it gives to our lives when done every day. I know that will be what gives me the strength and knowledge to endure to the end, and to always live the Doctrine of Christ. We had 10 people that came to church this last week. They were able to feel of the spirit and for two of those people it was their first time coming. One was Erica she was one of our new investigators last week, she came to the first hour and then left to see her dad for fathers day. The other is …. John, who is Damien’s friend, Damien showed him the ropes and was a great friend the whole time.

The work is moving forward and we are just trying to make sure that we are keeping up at the pace that Heavenly Father would have us. We are praying, planning, and teaching with faith so that we can be the servants that He needs. I am grateful to be here serving in this area with Elder Harmon, I am learning and growing so much everyday come with a new set of challenges to help grow me as a missionary I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Growing is a part of this life and God is going to make the most out of our lives if we let him.

Love YOU
Elder S Cordon

Awesome Less Active Finding

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Dear Family & Friends,

Well it has not been to long since we were last on. But some good stuff has happened between now and then. We were able to get our plans put together for zone training, it will be good we are focusing a lot on teaching skills borrowing heavily from what you taught at zone conference.

We have also been able to use our time to be able to complete some assignments from the ward. Its good we have a good relationship with them and they are constantly thinking of new ideas. One big the ward is working on is utilizing the RM’s because we have about 15 of them, so the idea is to put them in a committee and have them prepare missionary focused activities.

Still getting better everyday, one thing we have been trying to focus on more as a companionship is something from the China Dedicatory Prayer, which is: Making the proper appeal to the Chinese mindset. In the prayer he prays that missionaries will be able to understand the Chinese people more and the way they think. we have been trying to work on showing even more love and interest in these people so we can truly understand their concerns and be able to teach how they think. Its not an easy task but its one we are praying about and trying to apply in our teaching and finding.

Elder Williams really has been teaching me so much. Maybe he hasn’t had the opportunity to train someone who just got out of the MTC but he is training me. One of the biggest things he has awoken inside me is finding. Although people might say that TST is a hard Finding area I think its great! Elder Williams doesn’t teach as much with words as he does with actions though, which is why i think I am learning so much from him.

Our investigators are moving along well, We had two with dates come to church, one being Bro Mak. He is doing really well and very receptive, we moved his date back a week so we can make sure he can have time to apply the commandments well in his life, but he seems to be doing awesome. Emily is still pretty new but she came as well, church was not too good because she was so tired so hopefully she can have a good experience next time. The ward actually invited her to a singles activity without us even knowing so thats cool. She is getting to know the members well from the beginning. Frankie also came to church and he is making great progress he is doing well at getting to know the ward members so hopefully he can make some great friends.

A crazy story that just happened this last week is we were LA finding and we met this man who was really old, first his wife answered and then she let us in and woke him up he came out of the room sat down and was quiet while we talked to the wife for a few minutes then he started talking. He said (in chinese) Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and this the true church, then he went on to tell us how he had a vision of joseph smith having the first vision before he met the missionaries then when the missionaries shared the first vision with him he knew it was true. Then he also told us how he fights with people who anti the church, because everyone thinks we are a wicked church so he goes around helps people know that we aren’t. He also fell off a 28 story building and lived and, he also prophecied Gordon B Hinckley’s death. I love LA finding.

Love you all have a great week.

Elder Jared Cordon