Week 97 - Perth, Western Australia - July 3, 2017 - Tree of Life

YO! It's been "cool as" seeing all the pics and hearing from my Missionary Family!!! What an adventure! I loved the vid of the monkeys Kenzie sent! What a new Existence! And King Louie was telling me how hectic it is..flipppppp crazy....

This week we have seen the Lord's hand in the work big time....Well I guess first off I'll tell you about the guy with the Tree of life dream...So we are working with this member in our area and we got him to go and talk to one of his friends who is Islam about our church....Which he did, several times...He taught him about the restoration and about the Book of Mormon...Not in detail tho...and his friend who's name is S never accepted a Book of Mormon...Keep in mind all the while this member's family and us have been praying for S....So Brother Martin goes over to S's house to see what he is up to and S just pulls him aside and real serious says "Do you believe in visions?" and Brother Martins says "Of Course we believe. God can speak to us in that way" well S then describes this full blown vision he had the day before which perfectly described the Tree of Life....We met with Brother Martin and S the other day to teach him...He was very intrigued with the Book of Mormon and the Story of Lehi's dream but he wasn't just fully on the spot ready to abandon his Muslim Faith....We are still working with him...super cool miracle tho....

We also had this guy referred from one of President Fife's friends back home who used to be a Mission President in Brisbane. His name is V and he is From Chile...anyways this guy came to church yesterday, Apparently he already knows the church is true...it's a super long story about random scenarios that lead him to Utah where he attended church and gained a Testimony. For some reason, ever since he has been in Aussie he hasn't come to church. Tonight we are having dinner at Pres Fife's House and teaching him so that should be a power house lesson....

I got 6 more weeks to Burn the Gas tanks...I am finishing as assistant, which I think will be good. I will still have to give heaps of trainings and all that stuff so I think it will keep me focused!

What a blessing to serve our Master...All at the same time - just in different ways! 

Love you guys!

Elder Cordner

Elder Tahere 

Elder Cordner holding a jellyfish.

Week 96 - Perth, Western Australia - June 22, 2017 - All Glory to The Father

HELLO FAMILY! I don't think I can share anything more exciting than all the things I am hearing about back home! I can't wait to hear a little about the MTC experience this next week. I imagine it will be a few days packed with the Power of the Spirit and hearing the testimonies of General Authorities and Apostles? And what an amazing experience - the whole family gets to go into Elder Christofferson's office and witness Dad getting set apart...What a blessing!

This week has been packed with miracles! Do you remember the part member family from New Zealand we have been teaching?? Well A the 18 year old girl is getting baptized Saturday...She is so solid and ready. Her family has been a really good support and they are all back active in the church and working back towards the Temple as a result....And to think all of this has happened because 2 months ago we chose to follow the very still small voice of the spirit to visit this particular family on the ward list that we had never heard of before....This is God's work. 

And 2 weeks later on the 8th of July we have 2 more baptisms....One of them is named P from Malaysia. He has been praying in front of the LDS temple here in Perth every morning for 10 years....Well he has recently hit a rough patch in life and was searching for God....An old Samoan man in our ward followed the Spirit and offered to help this man....This has led to us having lessons with him and P coming to church this last week...The spirit can change peoples thoughts, opinions, and Hearts in the blink of an eye....P felt the Spirit at church and is now keen city!! 

And of course, M is still doing well. She loved church and is looking forward to her baptism! 

We are seeing the blessings of God in the work....I know that this is the work of God and not of man....In the process of saving His children, God is also building us! I love the mission! I love Australia!!! 

My prayers will be with you this week mum and dad...But I guess I'll get to email you guys on Monday before you ship out! 

Love you all!

PS. Pray for me! A asked me to baptize her and her full name is literally the longest, hardest thing in the world to pronounce...It takes like 15 seconds to say it even if you know all the proper pronunciation lol! and it's a huge thing in their culture to say all the names properly because each name represents something or someone really important! haha! So hopefully I can get it down and not bring dishonor to her ancestors! 

ELDER CORDNER

Week 95 - Perth, Western Australia - June 12, 2017 - you can't stop time

Elder Tahere and I  are pretty sore today. We did a boxing workout with some guy we met the other day and it was intense (not punching each other don't worry)! so we have been trying not to laugh much the past 2 days to avoid searing pain from how sore we are haha...

This week was pretty normal. We had some exchanges with the zone leaders which was awesome...I was with Elder Brown from the Cook Islands and Elder Nichols from New Zealand. We had a mean time together and smashed the work...Elder Brown and I started teaching M's oldest son P and put him on date. It was cool because the circumstances he was in that day was a direct answer to our specific prayer! Specific prayers bring specific blessings!

At night, if our appointments fall through, we just hit the city fully loaded with cards, pamphlets, Books of Mormon and we just go ham talking to everyone trying to get return appointments....On the weekends the clubbing life is pretty lively so we deal with quite a few intoxicated individuals. We have some good laughs....

I hope you all have a good week at Powell! I will be there in Spirit (cry a tear) haha all good! There is no where else I would rather be than here dedicating my life to the Savior! I can't believe mum and Dad go into the MTC in 2 Saturdays! What a spiritual Feast that will be! It's funny to think that my parents will be slapping on a name tag just like me in a few days! haha:) In a little over 2 weeks you will all join me South of the equator! 

This is Christ's Church. What a blessing it has been in my life to hold on to Eternal Truths and Absolutes in a world of changing morals and values. I love the Savior! I know he Atoned for our Sins and sufferings and He now Lives Triumphant over sin and death. I Know this because the Holy Ghost has impressed it upon my heart in a permanent way. The Greatest desire of my heart is to Live my life as a representative of Christ and to assist in drawing all men unto Him. I am so thankful for Parents who Have paid the Price to really KNOW the Savior...This has forever changed me...

I love you all! Think of me as you cruise through those canyons and baste in the sun! 

Elder Cordner 

Week 94 - Perth, Western Australia - June 5, 2017 - God is Good

Hey family! Sounds like fun Galore back home! 

Out here its been awesome...We have been seeing utter miracles in the field! its been super good...

We had our zone conferences this last week, Me and Elder Tahere really focused on Laboring in the spirit and what that really means....It was what our mission needed...Our mission is on point! Honestly, this mission is so obedient...Pres Fife told us he knows for a fact we are the most obedient in the Pacific area and he would wager one of the most in the world......It's pretty Celestial....That is a massive 180 degree flip from when I arrived here...haha! Well now we are qualified to plead on behalf of these people and see miracles!

Life's Good, God is Good, Its all Good:) 

Elder Cordner  

PS. I learned 2 Hakas....maybe i'll perform for yous when i return lol Love you:)

Week 93 - Perth, Western Australia - May 29, 2017 - Miracles

First off, Congrats to Matt for being ordained an Elder this week, I sent him an email sharing a bit with him about what it means to me to be a bearer of the Higher or Melchizedek priesthood...Although I have only been privileged to serve in this office for a short time, I have seen miracles, and I have seen the hand of God made manifest through this Godly power....We are given this Responsibility and as we learn how to serve others with it, and to keep the Oath and the covenant attached to it, the seed of Godhood within us Grows and develops as well as God's Work is furthered....For this purpose our Heavenly Father entrusts us with His power....We aren't his Creation we are His Children....And any Loving Parent Gives further and more mature responsibilities to Help their Child to Rise up and Become who they see they can become! What church can you go to that believes and teaches this? I know it's the truth...

This week We were stuffed city with heaps of meetings and pick ups from the airport and all that fun stuff...It didn't matter though because this is His work and He is able to do his own work....We had several people fall into our lap, a referral who we put on date...she is an African woman from South Sudan who has been studying with mormon missionaries for several years...she couldn't be baptized because her husband was a polygamist but now that he has passed away she can now! We also had a Brazilian couple fresh from Interlagos Sao Paulo 2 weeks ago just walk into church yesterday....The boy is a less active member and his girlfriend is a non-member. They had an awesome experience at church and they are excited to start again spiritually in Australia as well as temporally as they have come here for further job opportunities...:) 

My comp is a blithering Tank...I love him! We are straight brothers!

We all chose this path, To come here to earth to Experience Mortality...We chose to take this leap of Faith because of our Great Trust and Intense Love for Jesus Christ our oldest, Greatest, and Perfect Brother....Christ has come to Earth and perfectly accomplished everything he said he would....I loved the talk by one of the Sisters in conference about Raising a sin resistant Generation...The Greatness of what Christ accomplished is in the fact that He did Exactly what he said He would do. 

Because of Christ's example, the deepest and most sincere desire of my Heart is to do here on earth exactly what I said I would do before this life...and what I have said I would do again and again as I have taken upon myself Covenants that if honored bind me to Him. I testify of the reality of the Living Christ. We don't receive power in our lives from some moment of time 2,000 years ago in Gethsemane...We receive power in our lives Because Christ Lives today...He has borne our griefs, and paid the price for our sins...His living Soul Loves us and Desires us to do good and make it back to Him....He lives and understands us perfectly...and Because he lives He has said to us...

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have ^apeace. In the ^bworld ye shall have^ctribulation: but be of good ^dcheer; I have ^eovercome the world.

It is the LIVING CHRIST that has overcome the world. If you seek to do so as well there is only one way and that is through Him. I love Him.  I know he lives and loves us perfectly...The things I have felt I will never be able to deny...

Elder Cordner

P.S. Forgot to include a congrats to the twins on graduating! Yay! Now for real life :) No more easy life :) Maddy, Happy Birthday! 14! Wow! Hope it is a good one! Love you guys!

Week 92 - Perth, Western Australia - May 22, 2017 - Good times

Family! it was awesome to see you on Mother's day, especially you mum. Because of you I have a bit of good in me today! To me, you exemplify more than anyone else I know, the pure love of Christ. I thank Heavenly Father for sending me to be taught by you:)

Well, i don't have a lot of time today....A got baptized! God performed so many miracles to get him to this point. His hand was made manifest. In the days leading up to the baptism when A was really struggling with wanting smokes, he came down with a random sickness for 3 days which just left him in bed. But by Saturday he was feeling 100%! So many little miracles...A shared his testimony with everyone at the end of the service and it was powerful. He really is very converted....He shared with everyone how he has been looking for the truth his whole life, and how all he was getting was churches that taught doctrines of ease and justification of sin...one of the reasons why he knows the church is true is because we truly invite people to change. The spirit was powerful I am super proud of him. He has put a lot of effort into preparing himself. 

My new comp is from New Zealand....Elder Tahere. He is the man! We have served around each other heaps and we've always got along really well...Back home he was in the army. He's 23 years old...i'm excited to learn a lot from him. 

We are busy as heck....Crazy, we saw some miracles this last week...we were following up with some lost sheep and found a solid part-member family to work with :) cool as! 

Really, it all comes down to whether or not Joseph Smith was a true Prophet right? Some people demand evidence that is indisputable...Has such a thing ever existed in the workings of our Father in Heaven with his Children? Have miracles ever been seen before the trials of our faith? If you believe in God you must believe in the principle of Faith, and Faith based Growth for us as His Children. There is more than enough evidence of the reality of the Prophet Joseph Smith's divine calling as Prophet, Seer, and Revelator...And if you are sincerely seeking truth there is some evidence that is border line with becoming indisputable and that's only intellectually considering things....All this because our Father loves us and wants us to return home and become like Him. I absolutely know for myself that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and such a knowledge can only come through the witness of the Holy Ghost. My mind is made up. It no longer matters what comes forth from the lies and deceit of the adversary for the next 100 years...In the words of Joseph "Who am I that I can withstand God" I feel the same, God has spoken to me and I have made the unalterable decision to listen and obey...I Invite everyone else who may not have quite made up their mind on this important matter to do so. Such an answer will only come as we seek with real intent, learning, pondering, and asking in urgency and sincerity. I testify that if we ask in Faith God will respond...Of such has been my experience time and time again. 

I love you all! have an amazing week!

Elder Cordner

Week 91 - Perth, Western Australia - May 9, 2017 - Big Tennessee

P-Day in Lancelin - Sand dune boarding

King Louie! Heading into the depths of the Smoky Mountains! haha! It is so amazing how apparent it becomes on your mission that the people you meet and the experiences you have are all set up by the hand of God. I Know missionaries are called by the Savior himself; Firstly to Serve and Secondly to Labor in an assigned Portion of the Lords Vineyard, You are in for a Personally tailored experience! I am super Proud of Matthew for preparing better than I did and being so ready and willing to serve the short 2 years. Serving as a missionary is a blessing beyond comprehension! The experiences on the mission are extremely difficult. It will be the hardest thing you have ever done by far, but you will be so grateful for it. You are going to be a powerful Servant! I love you!

This week we had an African family of 5 from the Congo come to church! it was pretty awesome. It's always new for them since they are used to the big African choirs and the Loud "Hallelujahs" and "Praise the Lords" but I think they felt the Spirit...We have a family activity night this Friday that they are coming to so hopefully the members' fellowship will help!

Yesterday we took one of the YSA boys out with us and he started having some bowel problems. Haha...apparently he took a few laxatives earlier that day, so we had to abandon a lesson and find a toilet. It was pretty crack up. He almost lost his guts. 

I will see you's on Mothers day! Mum...I am sending you the details no worries:) Love you all! 

Oh and last p day we went up the Northern Coast to a place called Lancelin. It was massive sand dunes near the coast - sooooo pretty. I'll send some pics. 

Elder Cordner

Did I ever tell you we drive a van?