Week 7 - Kalgoorlie, Australia - September 29, 2015 - Blithering war

Hello family!!! Hope everyone is doing swell. It was a public holiday yesterday so today is P day. It was a good week; a little slower because appointments kept falling through but every week is good as a missionary! Elder Matthews just pretty much buzzed my head back at the flat because the heat is simply starting to get far to bewildering. haha, and I thought I'd save a couple bucks:) Well we have been teaching a part member family but mostly just the wife. Her name is L and she really wants to get baptized. The only problem is she is not married...(not very many people are married here) so we are trying to work through that but she is GOLDEN. I love reading all the letters from Kenzie and from all the cousins in the craziest places across the world! Makes me smile! Well, transfers is this next Sunday so we will see what happens. From what other missionaries tell me Pres Fife is pretty unpredictable. 

Yesterday I gave some training at district meeting it was all on Alma Chapter 37. I would encourage all of you to read this. It is incredible. Pres Fife has been saying that the Lord wants to do HUGE things here in WA and I believe him! I know he was called by God to be the mission Pres at this time in the Perth Australia mission! When Elder Pierson of the Seventy came a few weeks ago he said that this mission has had BIG problems in the past and he knows that we were all sent here for a specific reason...to change everything. Anyways, the work is about to explode here in WA. It is all dependent on our faith...I KNOW that the Lord can do whatever he wants here. I will never doubt him. Some funny things happened this week but idk if I have time to tell you. Elder Matthews and I laugh so hard every day.  I love being a missionary. I know that I have been called here to WA for a reason and I know that as I put my faith in the Lord and then work my butt off he will do his work through me. 

I don't have much else to say....I love all of you. I know that Jesus Christ leads His church personally and I CANNOT WAIT for general conference! Couldn't be more excited! We get it a week late though:(  I testify that if we can stop worrying about pleasing others and what everyone around us thinks and we start only considering what our Heavenly Father thinks of us he can start to make us into a WHOLE NEW PERSON. When we only care what others think of us that is called PRIDE and is deadly sin that can consume anyone. I know that as we rely on the Lord and put ALL of our trust in him, only at that point can he truly start to mold us into what he NEEDS us to become. I love you all I love all of your letters. Pray for L and J to soften their hearts. 

Elder Cordner

Funny stories that happened:  Yesterday we saw an old man in a wheel chair type thing and this old lady like 90 years old from Germany was trying to push him through some pot holes in the dirt...haha so we went over and helped and agreed to push him to his house a few streets down. So I start pushing him through these pot holes in the dirt and all of a sudden a wheel on the wheel chair collapses and he goes man down! haha eagle down sooo man down i can't explain..so i dive underneath him to lessen the impact hahahaha. and he's just sitting on the dirt and can't move so we were like OH HECK are you ok????? haha but it turned out all good. The german lady was yelling at him in German the whole time but idk you had to have been there. We were laughing all day. Also we saw LW again and he asked us if we could give him a car haha ummmm sorry lyle.... 

 In the bush - Elder Matthews burned a tie for his 6 month mark and 

Elder Fowler burned a shirt for his year mark. haha. 

On exchanges with Elder Fowler..coolest guy - an American haha We had a good day. 

Week 6 - Kalgoorlie, Australia - September 21, 2015 - sup doko

HIIIIIII family! It's been a great week here in the bush! I loved reading Dallin's and Davis' letters and what!!! (Dallin and Davis are Mitch's cousins.  Dallin is serving in the Africa, Uganda/Rwanda mission and Davis is serving in the Ecuador, Guayaquil South mission) The Galapogos Islands! haha! That's like a mission you only dream of! That is so cool! Good on ya Elder Jenkins! And Dallin and Mckenzie seem like they are doing great also!

SO this week we had a few conferences in which I loved and learned a lot. We have to skype into the conferences so when President FIfe asks me a question, everyone just looks at the computer screen and I have to answer. haha! It's pretty funny. Everyone is in Perth and we are just out here in the middle of nowhere. 

But this week was a good one. 2 of our investigators came to church, which was Stake Conference for us. It was good! They loved it and said that they will be back next week! Yes! We stopped by to visit one of our friends LW to see how he is doing. We had some leftover food so we brought it by for him. We were talking outside of his tent when all of a sudden all these cars come cruising up and heaps of Aboriginies jump out and start yelling for joy and going hog wild! haha! Elder Matthews and I were just looking at each other and they started trying to yank a creature out of the van. Hahaha! I was laughing my head off because all of a sudden they yank out this squealing echidna. It's like an Australian porcipine kinda. haha They were so happy because they were going to sing it a special tribal song until it uncoiled out of its ball and then they were gonna stab it and cook it and eat it with their tribe! Anyways, I'll send some pictures of that.  They were thrilled to have this great meal! 

I love being a missionary. I love riding my bike in the sun all day for my Heavenly Father. I love the people here and even though it takes a lot of patience teaching the less actives I love them. I will never quit. I'm thankful for the opportunity and I love this gospel and what it does to people's lives and hearts. I testify that God is all powerful and all knowing. If you lack wisdom do as James directs and ask God...The promise that he will answer you was put in the Bible and Book of Mormon over and over again for a reason. The scriptures don't lie. One of my many mottos for my mission is now "not my will but thy will be done".

Love Elder Cordner I love all of you and your letters! 

We went to this place out of Kalgoorlie like an hours drive.... on the way to Orabanda. 

....and in the bar in orabanda....we taught the people who owned it. (Of course, instead of getting a 

lovely picture of the people he taught, he opted for a picture of him pretending to order something at the bar)

Elder Matthews rebuking the ward.

In the skull shirt is my boy LW. Haha! He said a prayer with us on the streets and he 

started out by saying "Dear God, You da boss!"

Week 5 - Kalgoorlie, Australia - September 14, 2015 - KAAAALLGOOORLIE

The super pit 

Kalgoorlie is a gold mining town.  This is where they do the mining.  Looks a lot like Kennecott here in Utah.

Well family, it has been another great week here in the desert of Israel. We have been finding a lot of people to teach and have picked up like four new investigators this week. That's pretty good for here and some of them are progressing! I read Davis' letter with all the people coming to church and on date, haha! Man that is so awesome!!! BTW, can someone tell Davis and Dallin to email me just so I have their emails?

The flies are picking up here. The locals hate them more than anything! There is quite the infestation here! They go up your nose and in your mouth and buzz down your throat....when your back is sweating they think it's some sort of tropical oasis so they chill on your neck and back until you WHACK them off and stain your nice white shirt with blood haha. I am loving the work here! I could say my eyes have definitely been opened to the outside world! haha. We walked over to an old aboriginal man drinking his lagger on his porch and he told us to come in and talk to his son. So we walked into their home and the smoke was so thick you could barely breathe. haha! The drugs and alcohol are definitely the biggest problem in Kalgoorlie because besides working in the mines there is nothing to do so everyone just gets WASTED and goes to the pubs and smokes all kinds of things. There are a lot of pubs here haha. We aren't allowed to even look inside... but we walked into his son's room and he was gaming away on his playstation he was about 30 years old.  After listening to him mumble for a while I said to him..."Well, we know that god loves you." This INFURIATED him and he yelled at me as we walked out of the house. haha Then he said sorry...as we left... We smelled like smoke for the rest of the day.... anyways the biggest problem here is the drugs and alcohol. People just don't know how to deal with life so they all drink until they collapse. We helped a collapsed man get out of the road and laid him on his bed at his house and left him with what me and my companion call a miracle card...haha! I made it up.  It is just a pass along card with a written message on the back and our number we call them miracle cards because they all have different messages and we KNOW that God gives them the card with the message that they need. haha!

Well, I know that The Book of Mormon is the Lord's gift to us in these latter days. I know that it is true and the promises held within are promises from Heavenly Father and if we apply them to our lives we will literally receive what is promised. Have faith, for God is with us.  I see miracles daily. This is God's work and it is our privilege to be used as an instrument to further his work. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He forgives us. The path is before us and we just need to exercise faith in the one who gave us life and created the earth for without him we are nothing. Believe in all things, believe that man doth not comprehend all that God comprehends. Quite literally, without God we are lifeless and we are nothing! Take the narrow road. It is harder than the common road but if we are comfortable then we are not growing so get uncomfortable as soon as possible and see what God can make out of you. 

Sorry, most of this letter was dumb. I love all of you! Thanks for all the letters.

Love, ELDER CORDNER

PS The Australian sun bakes my innards.  Elder Matthews and I get along good.  We laugh so hard at some things that happen...btw we had a meeting we skyped in to from Perth with training from President Fife.  He changed the policy of attending the temple. He wants us to develop a pattern for life. So as long as we live within 2 hours of the temple we get to go once a transfer...so obviously it doesn't change things for me yet but some day. It will be on Wednesdays and Thursdays so that might become my p-day once a transfer in the future.  Anyways all the elders were super excited about that.

What are some traditional foods that you eat?  Stews with like lamb and dumplings in it.

What city do the zone leaders live in?  Zone leaders live in Bunbury.

Have you tried vegamite yet?  I refuse to try vegamite it. It is everywhere tho. 

What is the ward like?  The ward is good they are all kiwi.  I am good friends with all the brothers. 

How are you handling the heat?  The heat is bearable but everyone has been warning me that it is gonna get really really bad. haha There is a fly infestation.  They are everywhere.  It is one of the biggest trials jk but it is so annoying i have swallowed several. 

This is a Huntman spider. They are not poisonous, but the members have been telling me that as summer approaches I need to be careful because things that could kill are everywhere...they say lots of people get bit by spiders and snakes once the heat comes.  Nice to know.

                         

These are my favorite kids.  They are so funny!

Me during the skype conference. 

Week 4 - Kalgoorlie, Australia - September 7, 2015 - War

HEY Fam! hows it going? It's been a good week here in the outback. I don't have much time sorry! this week we have just been riding our bikes around in the sun doing the work. we have quite a few investigators right now so we go visit all the time.  J is stuggling a bit with the word of wisdom but we have a few others who are progressing so I will keep you informed on those! we get fed heaps here. the members literally get angered if we don't stuff our faces.  some nights we end up eating like 3 dinners because they bring it over or we stop by and they make us feed! haha sounds like kenzie is doing awesome. I love reading her letters. can i get davis and dallins letters? I'm out of time but I love this gospel. I love the book of Mormon and I testify that the book of mormon is the word of god and that it came forth the way Joseph smith said it did. I love the Savior Jesus Christ and I feel the love he has when I am in people's homes trying to help them feel his love. This past week I was telling a man named J that he is not lost and that Jesus Christ's atonement is there for him in his life. he didn't believe me. I felt strongly inspired to tell him that as he is meeting with us even with all the bad things he has done in his life and the things he thinks he can't be forgiven of, I told him that as he was willing to sit with us and try to improve his life, the savior is already forgiving him of his sins. The spirit was powerful as the lord used me to speak his words. J looked at me after with tears in his eyes and said "wow i've never felt the spirit that strong" I love serving the Lord and I know I am far from perfect but if i put forth my best effort Heavenly father can use me to speak to his children. I love all of you and have an amazing week. 

Love Elder Cordner

Questions I asked Mitch - 

How long do you have to read and write emails?  I have like an hour or like an hour and a half. 

Do you share an apt. with the other elders in your city?  no we have our own appartment. 

Are you riding a bike now even though you couldn't take your bike on the train? yes I have a piece of junk bike that has been here 70 years haha. 

What kind of food are you eating?  SO much food you cant even comprehend.

What is your mission president like?  Pres Fife is unreal so annimated and cool but very serious. I like him a lot. 

Do the members have you over to eat every day? not every day but a lot because they love us. 

Where is your companion from?  he is from melborne but he is originally from new zealand. 

Some old man's trailer - he let us in.

Zone leaders came up and it happened to be Elder Matthew's birthday.

I found a whip. haha.