Tag Archives: Missionary

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This week I have been able to receive so many different witnesses of the truth of the gospel and its teaching. I have witnessed the pure innocence of what happens when a soul recognizes truth that is being spoken to their hearts. I have been able to see what happens to even myself when I am reminded and reinforce that I am a son of God. I am of royal line and have the rights and privileges of that line, I also have the responsibility to uphold that line and to operate according to the meets and bounds that have been set by eternal laws. I am so grateful for the blessing of this knowledge and desire to hold fast to it for all time.

I love the power of testimony, when truth is spoken that the Holy Ghost can bear witness, that when listened with spiritual ears and heart, it leaves an impression on the very fabric of you soul and you know that it is eternal truth. That kind of testimony is so powerful and one of the things that is the most under used. (In my opinion) So often there is thank-a-monies that replace testimony; now this is not to say that never should you ever share the things you are grateful for the scriptures tell us otherwise, however, they do not have the same effect. They do carry truth and power and great emotion, yet yesterday during the testimony meeting I witnessed a great marvel, I witnessed one after another, wonderful powerful testimonies! I marveled as I listened with “hears to hear” as the spirit shared with my the truths of the gospel.

I have learned this in my mission that each of us have a powerful weapon against the world, we have our pure, simply, and foundational testimonies that we can share with everyone. I have seen time and time again where simply testimony has changed hearts and routed out evil. I know the gospel to be true, I know that Jesus Christ lives. You cant speak those words, truly speak them, without the spirit witnessing that they are true, however, it still requires “eyes to see and hears to hear” and then action taken in order for that spiritual witness to actually do anything at all to you as a person. God is always going to have to respect agency even if we don’t, He is bound by His laws. We must bring the spirit into ours hearts and act on what we know or it is all for nothing.

Pasco truly was a great area and I am grateful for all the miracles that I have seen. I am grateful for the companions that I have had and the people that I have served around. I have experienced so much joy and happiness here. I am grateful for the Pasco Stake Presidency, They truly are wonderful, guided leaders that are filled with love for the Lord and His work. I have loved serving around them and getting to know them. What powerful influences I have been around and examples I strive to be. Pasco has been blessed with miracles on top of miracles and I have been blessed to witness revelation from local leaders come to pass in a beautiful way. The Lord is truly hastening his work!

So that leads me to transfers. Yes I am getting transferred for my last two weeks, yet further proof that God knows how to laugh. I thought that I had it all planned out that I was staying in Pasco until I left I was telling everybody and then….. BAM I get the call I am getting transferred special assignment and I am assigned to……. NOWHERE yup you guessed it. I will have no area for the last two weeks just traveling around.

Love you all so much

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#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.

#WannaReadIt

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This was a great week full of great miracles.

We made plans this week with our WML (*editors note: Ward Mission Leader) to have couples from the ward come out with us. So the Brother Erickson (WML) offered to babysit for couples that would like to come out with us. The King Family took them up on it TWICE!

The first night we met a family that had four kids, (the Kings have four kids) Ages eight, six, four, and two, (the Kings also have 8,6,4,2) It was just awesome to see such a wonderful miracle that night. They were with us both nights and we taught lessons both nights, from people that weren’t even in the plans. The Kings did a great job of sharing their Testimony and adding so much to the lessons.

We also have been having Daniel (A preparing missionary) come out with us every Sunday. He comes out all evening and is now asking us about it each week. Last night we gave him the Restoration Pamphlet and told him to study it. We also gave him the assignment to memorize the first vision. He was so excited about that. Last night we were out with him from 5 to 9 and found all night. We found Juan and Silva, taught them both in their homes and the both are excited for us to come back and to learn more. We also talked to and had a Great Gospel conversation with at least 10 more people. It is so cool to see him take to missionary work and love it. Next week we are going to have him start some of the conversations. As we help him build his confidence we will be able to help him talk to his friends that he knows who aren’t members.

I had the wonderful privilege to be able to go on exchanges with Elder Taylor this week in Pasco 4th ward. I got to meet the wonderful Cazier family that is just on fire with missionary work right now. She is talking to all of her neighbors and so excited about it. Those two elders are teaching so many people that have come from the Cazier family. She is going to have to start working her way down the next block to find more people, the great part is that she is excited to do that. We were at her house that evening for dinner, which a friend was at, and TWO lessons. It was so cool to see the joy that came from that family and their want to share the gospel.

We talked with her children about ways they could share it at school, Sister Cazier shared her testimony that if they prayed for it then it would happen. They we talked about using their Library time at school to read the Book of Mormon, then when someone asked them what they were reading the could say something like, “oh this is the book that has helped me know who God is and who I am… Wanna Read It?? ” We were having a great time coming up with different things that they could say before asking, “Wanna Read It?”. It was a great night.

I love the mission so much for the fact that I get to help others come closer to Christ and in doing that I am being directly lifted because of that service. I am learn to Choose Faith every day, to know that as I loose myself Christ still builds me in the best ways. It is the best ways because it is Him that is building not me. If I try to build myself I am always going to miss something, it will never be perfect; so by allowing Christ to be the builder I am allowing the perfect builder to make sure that it is right.

I love this work and love that I am able to be a part of it, and to learn how to continue to be a part of it for the rest of my life.

Love you so much.
Elder Cordon

Fast Sunday Week!

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What a spirit packed week. MLC was again AWESOME. We talked about the Doctrine of Christ. I am so very excited by what I learned. The number one things was that the Atonement working in our lives in not an event it is a state of living. To live in the way that allows the atonement to work on you every day and to know that Christ is there to lift us up and make us better as long as we are will to use the atonement every day. That happens through repentance. God has not asked us to be perfect just to progress and keep trying.

I love this gospel for so many reasons but the purest and most perfect reason is because of Jesus Christ. He is the reason for all the hope and mercy, otherwise justice would have all the claim.

This week was also great in many other ways.

We had John come to church this week and he is continuing to progress towards his baptism date of Feb 27th, we are very excited about that. John is such a good guy, he is 77 years old and has lived a lot in his life. He lied on his military record for his age and was in Korea at 17 years old. WOW Just a crazy life. He really liked church and stayed for the whole time. we are going to be seeing him again tonight.

Were having another FHE with are bishop and a part member family.

Very excited to bring the same spirit that was at MLC to the Zone.

Love you all so much.
Elder Cordon.

Rough studies and rough days. 🙂

BTW the bottle is empty

2016

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What a week!

UPs and DOWNs, we were going strong preparing for the baptism of Kristy and then she didn’t come to church and sent us a text that she didn’t want to meet anymore. We went by and she wouldn’t answer the door, or our texts. She just dropped us and we don’t know why, that really is the hard part when you don’t know why. Because that is when you just come up with the craziest reasons. We spread the word to her member friendship and they are on their game already.

I am grateful for the faith that I have in agency and knowing that it is such a necessary part, also knowing that not everyone is going to use it wisely either. It helps it times like this to then just go out and use my agency to go find those that are willing to fulling accept this truth. So Sunday night we went out and found two new friends. A wonderful young family that is wanting to start of right and center their family around Christ. That happened on the last door on Sunday night.!!!

We also have another family that we have started to teach they are also a young family that wants the truth of the gospel and willing to act. wow so many miracles.

I got to go on exchanges this week with Elder Sedrick. What a wonderful time that was. He is a wonderful missionary and very sincere he is a great listener. We set a goal to find and teach simply, and boy did we do that. We talked to people like crazy and found a new friend Shyael, and taught several other lessons that day. I love missionary work! So during that day we had a lesson that we just let get taught by the Holy Ghost. there was SO much silence and it never got weird not once. We were silent for 4 minutes one time, literally, and we just soaked up the Spirit.

I am looking forward to MLC, what wonderful counsel that is. I am grateful for all the guidance from the Spirit that I get to receive on a daily basis as long as I am doing what I need to to get it. Even on a mission the simple things is what makes or breaks it. it is especially so in life. My scripture of the week is Alma 31:5 I read it this morning for personal study and it just rang out to me. The answers to life is always in the Gospel of Christ.

I love this work!

LOVE EVERYONE
Elder Cordon.

Prayer Is Awesome

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WOW! A new area, new assignment, and a new companion! This is one week that I am grateful for prayer. To be able to truly talk to Father and receive direction. What comfort it is to know that prayer truly is communication with Father and that He hears and answers prayers.

I am also very grateful for the power of the Atonement. It truly gives us power to do things that are beyond our own capacity to do. Jesus Christ lifts us to where he needs us to be if we allow him to. the only way to do that is through the Doctrine of Christ. I took me a long time out to realize all of this but now that it has finally clicked I can continue to master this skill of “using” the Atonement and not just “needing” it.
I got here to the new area ready and excited to work. This ward is about the size of both my previous wards and LOTS of people to talk to. I got so excited about coming to Pasco ready to apply all the things that I have been learning in the last transfer. Elder Schulzke (new companion) and I got right to work, well after having two long days of planning and meeting with everyone that we needed to and going to another meetings, we got right out and talked with everyone that we could.

We found 4 new friends to teach and part of that is a family, the Mendoza Family. We first talked to there son and the taught the parents on Sat. We will be teaching the two sisters as well come Sunday. Crystal was another that we found and she told us that she is on a spiritual journey right now trying to have a better relationship with God. 🙂 Well we certainly can help with that.

SO CRAZY STORY TIME……

There was sister missionary that was in the other MTC district in the MTC zone that I was in that was from Kennewick and was called to serve in the Ogden Mission, later after the split finished in the Logan UT Mission. SO I was eating at Costa Vida for the last time while in kennewick right before transfer meeting and ……… That sister missionary recently, of 2 weeks, home from her mission is standing right in front of me. OUCH That was a hard reality check. She came in after me to the MTC and is now home and eating at costa vida with her mom and grandma 0.0 WOW where as the time gone.

AND IN OTHER NEWS.
SO NEXT WEEK IS GOING TO BE THE BEST DAY OF THE MISSION.
DEC 15th Converts are getting sealed in the temple. YEAH. I have been having butterflies about this day for so long I cant wait for it. 8 MORE DAYS!

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Elder Steven Cordon

What a Great Week

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Changes are going to happen to that ward soon, the WML is moving to SLC for a new job, so we will be getting a new WML here soon. So always brings a change. Last we heard was that is was going to be happening within a couple of weeks.

Nicole and Isiah had a wonderful baptism and confirmation this week. They had family that came, and lots of people from the ward. They are both full of light with the new conversion that they have in the Lord. Nicole is already sharing her testimony with her nonmember family members and is gladly reporting it back to us. We will hopefully be sending a referral down to Cali here soon. So wonderful to see that family coming together in unity in the gospel. WOW what a great day when they are sealed in the temple. I will definitely be there for that one.

I am so grateful to come to know Jesus Christ more and more each day. I love the strength that is given to me through him. There is no better way to go through this life then by and through Christ. He is the source of full and complete joy in this life, and He is there to help us grow and develop into the the person that we can be.

Well I love you all soo much thank you for everything that you do!

Love
Elder Cordon

Halleluja

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Well I am off to see the miracles that God is putting in the path of these righteous children of his. Nicole IS AMAZING! We are also teaching Isaiah as well! The 11 year old son of Adam, he is also very excited to be baptized. Both are being baptized on October 24th. WOW. I am so glad that we followed the impression of the spirit to go to that house. Nicole is so prepared and is following and keeping all of her commitments and noticing how much happier she is in just the short amount of time. God Blesses us right away he doesn’t wait once we have had our change of heart. Adam is coming along as well he hasn’t gotten his answer yet but we are still working with him. He met with the bishop last week and we are working to see if…. he might be able to baptize Nicole and Isaiah!! The biggest thing that is keeping him back is the same thing that is push Nicole forward so fast. That change of heart. The difference is that Nicole has had it and Adam has not yet. During my fast this last week I included him in to be able to have the Holy Ghost touch his heart and for him to listen to it.

Linda is also ondate. There could be a bump there her husband decided that he didnt want to meet with us anymore, decided he wants to stay catholic. But she wants to keep meeting with us and wants to get baptized she just doesn’t want to have it cause a problem if she does so we will see what the outcome of that is. We will probably be doing a special fast with her, hopefully soften the heart of the husband and to help her increase her faith. WKM is the Promise land!

I love being able to use to atonement every day to improve on things every single day to improve and become better some that I dont ever become Comfortable. BOY OH BOY what a great mission conference so much to study on and restudy. I Loved the spirit that was there. Such a great couple of weeks with General Conference and then the Mission tour with Elder Johnson WOW So much of a spiritual recharge!

LOVE YOU ALL
ELDER CORDON

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Beautiful Sunset

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Hello!

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

Then and There!

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WOW! What a week of Miracles let me share the first. Well we met this man who stopped us on the street and when we first met him he was high on some pretty heavy drugs. He said he wanted our help and to learn about god and change his life but, we were heading to a lesson and he was to high to help him then anyways so we traded numbers and moved along. Well we called him the next day and had a chance to see him for a little time. Luckily he was sober so it was a good discussion, we taught him the next day with a member and then later went to a baptismal service for the Tsing Yi ward. He really enjoyed the service and said he wanted to be baptized and afterwards we quickly told him that he needs to start quitting drugs now and he threw away his cigarettes right then and there. the next day he came to English class so, we were getting some good daily contact with him. We also found out that two years ago he got a divorce and his wife wants him back because they have a 10 year old daughter. He wants her back as well but knows he needs to change himself for it to work. So the perfect opportunity for him and us. But then next day he fongs (*editors note: dodges) our lesson and wont answer the phone. We thought we lost him. But Sunday morning Elder Dale gives him another call and he answers and we get him to come to church with us(shirt and tie as well). Testimony meeting ends up being the best one of my mission, I was on the end of my seat for every single one. After the meeting he tells us that he purposely avoided us the day before and decided that he was down and was not gonna keep meeting us. But he said he didn’t know why he answered the phone this morning because he knew it was us. Then when he came to church he said the feeling was so powerful and he cant even explain it, he said he has never felt that in any other church or religion before(and he has been to a lot). He also said he has tried to quit drugs many time but to no avail, but this time once we invited him to clean himself up after the baptism he has not had a single urge to do any drugs, to smoke, and even drink. We will see him again tomorrow at his house. But this is God at work when we don’t let our pride get in the way.

The other Miracle is with our investigator Dexter He has seen an amazing transformation over the last month and has prepared himself well. He faced some strong opposition last night from his grandparents after he passed his interview, and the amazing thing is, his first reaction was to pray then call us. We had the branch president come over to the church and we sat down with Dexter, helping figure it out so he can prepare himself for baptism.

The Lord is outpouring his blessings upon Tung Chung right now. In addition to that new investigator we also started working with 2 less active part member families, thanks to the work of an amazing member who wants are branch to be a ward and a chapel on Lantau Island so bad he spends all his days off visiting and finding less actives. We have really good unity with the ward so work is getting down. We did not have any scheduled finding time but we still found ourselves doing a lot of finding. As far as the 10 a day invitation from Elder Ballard I would say I am getting close but still got some room to get better. We talk to as many people as we can. Elder Dale and I are getting along great and we are working hard to be worthy to receive the blessings the has for Tung Chung

Zone Training was great we focused on just getting people inspired and becoming visionary to many people think missionary work is just tracting all the time. That’s really not at all and actually the companionship’s that do that are doing the worst. The lord wants us to use our heads and get creative, find ways to work more with members. We have been doing this and we are so busy we never have time to find! Also we spend so much time with members that they are so motivated to keep working. They also know that we are busy and they see the fruits of our work. The testimony meeting yesterday was so amazing. Almost every single person that spoke shared an experience they have been having with us recently, it brought me such joy because I had no Idea they were that appreciative of my efforts.

I love missionary work and I never knew it could be this good when I started, it literally has been just a continuous climb for my entire mission. I love it and if feels so good being so close to God, I think the greatest blessing is I have learned what I need to do to continue to feel this blessing after my mission.

If you not happy do missionary work, there is not better cure, and if you are happy well don’t be selfish and do some missionary work and help make others happy.

I love you all and so grateful for your support!

Elder Jared Cordon