Week 29 - Gosnells, Southern River Zone, Western Australia - February 29, 2016 - GOAT AND INTESTINE

HEY FAMILY I LOVED HEARING FROM EACH OF YOU! I love you guys each so much! Soooo you know E The African kid we teach? Well we have been teaching his whole family and his mother E, has made us several African meals and we have sat on the floor with them and eaten some nice goat:) some pig intestine:) and some fish...It's all been pretty good actually! I love their family so much! We just need to get E permission to be baptized from his Elders of the tribe back in Barundi....Keep praying for him and his family:) 

One of the highlights of this week was a leadership meeting with President Fife at the mission home. He is such a dedicated and inspired man. He goes one million miles a minute and he NEVER slows down! haha! I love him.  The meeting was really good. We talked a lot about the cultures in our Zones and how we set the culture as zone leaders. Elder Brinkerhoff and I have 36 missionaries in ours and we are getting them absolutely pumped to work harder than ever! Also at the training we learned better how to help people keep commitments. We have been putting it into play and it works really good! I am excited to continue to work hard and put my trust in God:)

Elder B and I talk to every single person we see!!! We try to at least! It is all about showing the Lord you are willing to give everything and talk to everyone! I know it is all on Him. We can't do anything on our own. He allows us to assist in this great work...He obviously does not need us:)

This week I was on exchanges with a little Elder from Thailand who doesn't speak English really at all, but we said a prayer for people to be put in our path so that we could share the message of the restoration. We had not biked more than 30 seconds when just down the hill under the bridge we were crossing I spotted a group of like 30 people having a picnic. I just rode past but the thought that came to my head was..."are you serious? You just prayed for people to be put in your path and you are going to pass that up"? It was funny because I also actually thought about Trevor and I at Disneyland doing all that weird stuff in front of people and I thought ok if I could do that I can talk to this huge group, so I turned around and cruised down the hill, summoned the attention of all within the sound of my voice and bore my witness of the restoration. haha! I talked to a few people after and handed out a few pass along cards. Although nothing came of it immediately, I knew Heavenly Father was proud of me and I knew he would not forget what I did. I love you all and would encourage you to read Alma 5...one of my favorites. 

I cant believe Kenzie is almost done...crazy I love her so much:)

Have a good week!

Love, Elder Cordner

A push-up competition I'm sure :)

Week 28 - Gosnells, Southern River Zone, Western Australia - February 15, 2016 - 6 Months In The Field

Crazy that its been 6 months and I cannot believe kenzie gets home in a little over a month! Have fun without me:'( just kidding I'm all goods:) This week was super busy with a lot of meetings and getting things rollin for the transfer. A member of the seventy named Elder O'Rearden met with the mission leadership in the mission home the other day and it was soon cool. It was basically just an open discussion. He was an impressive man. 

I have stories about crazy things that happen and that we see but I'm always hesitant to share them haha. The other day we had a run in with a couple that were having a huge fight in their house and were probaby on meth...(which is  a huge problem here) but this guy was chucking chairs and stuff through his windows and bashing up his whole house. Elder Ta'ala and I tried to settle him but that just made him want to come at us...He tried to attack but his door wouldn't open haha I wonder why??? The Lord surely knew what would have happened! Elder Ta'ala is from Samoa and would have wrecked the man without a second thought....anyways thought i'd share that....

Chris is doing well. He came to church yesterday. The only thing he's struggling with is smoking. We are working really close with him, He has had a really hard life and he needs all the prayers he can get to help him endure this process of conversion!

Well I actually have to go! I love all of you! Thank you for all of your prayers on my behalf I am also praying for you guys! Have a good week:)

Elder Cordner

This little guys name is M and we have been teaching his family for like a week now.

The guys I am sitting with we met last night and taught the restoration.  

Week 26 - Gosnells, Southern River Zone, Western Australia - February 8, 2016 - Nice and Momo.

This week has been nice and momo:) (As a little child, Mitch would use this word for "comfy".  It stuck with the family and we say "nice and momo" when we are happy with our surroundings. However, I think he is referring to the weather here) and there are 2 weeks of nice and momo days ahead I am so excited!:)......other than blisters developing on my dozzler I am doing so GOOD!  Thanks for all the letters! They fill my soul with JOY! I can't believe Kenzie has one more transfer...wow:) She is such a work of life. Our separation period is half over! Oh, and before I forget Happy Birthday to Big Animal (his Lake Powell name - his dad), NANA, and KING (his almost 17 year old twin siblings, Mary Anna and Matthew)! I send my love from the land down under:) I always think of things to tell all of you throughout the week but I know I end up forgetting 90% of it. I've thought about making a list throughout the week but if you know me you know that's not my nature so I'll just try my best. 

This week was really good. So a few weeks back we met a man named C walking his dogs. We talked to him and he agreed to have us around the next day, Well the next morning rolled around and he sent us a txt and cancelled it saying he isn't interested so we just forgot about him. A few days ago he called us asking if he could get a ride to church! We said for sure and then we asked if we could come around before church and teach him....He agreed. It was a super powerful lesson. He is a very humble guy with a rough past and no family. He is in the perfect place in his life to accept the gospel. At the end of the lesson we explained to him what a priesthood blessing was and then he asked for one. He came to church the next day and loved it. He has some addictions to overcome but he agreed to work towards the 26th for now so we will see! (pray for him)  The Brazilians didn't show but we are going around tomorrow to see how they are and hopefully share a message I know they would accept the restored gospel we just have to get in there! E, the 17 year old African young man, came to church. He is on date for the 26th also.  The only possible road block would be his mother who is a member of another faith. He loved church so much and seriously even expressed the desire to serve a mission! He loves Elder Brinkerhoff and I. Part of being a good missionary is about being a really really really good friend and constantly making people feel good about themselves  E told us he never wants us to leave Gosnells so that sums up our relationship with him. L also came to church in the third hour after we ran out of class and waved her down on the highway haha! Her kids kinda went hog wild sooooo we will see her later this week and see how she feels. 

We have a cottage evening gathering type thing for our District's investigators tonight so we will be inviting them all to that. It is at a recently returned missionary's house, His name is Riki. He is the absolute man. He has been teaching with us a lot!  He and I have become super close. He is a convert and is the perfect fellowshipper for like all of our gators. haha He is one of those people who can just love anyone!

Elder B and I have been seeing MIRACLES as we have worked like HOGS. I know the Lord is with us in the work! I love the Savior, Jesus Christ! I have been learning much of him as I serve him. I want to be like him, I want to do those things that please HIM! That is the deepest desire of my heart! I love you all! 

Btw... we helped our neighbour move and he rewarded us quite well! haha... he forced us to take like 200$ basketball shoes - a pair each! haha I will send a picture. We actually took a lot of their old furniture and put it in our flat so we are livin the high life these days with like 3 big couches haha.  

Elder Cordner

                         Elder Ta'ala and I. This is his hat btw....it is like 110 degrees this day. 

One of my best mates on the mission. We were on exchanges and literally tracted 12 hours straight!

Random picture.  Baby Roo.

The shoes our sick neighbour gave me... They fit perfect! They are super nice!