Week 24 - Gosnells, Southern River Zone, Western Australia - January 27, 2016 - IDK

A lot has happened since I last wrote home....but I can't seem to remember it all. We got mini missionaries the other day so Elder Brinkerhoff and I had two 15 year old boys living with us for four days haha. It was pretty hilarious! We had a good time with them. The kid I was companions with was named T from NZed. he was a pretty funny kid.  We would try to wake him up in the morning but it was hopeless. He was a disobedient mini missionary. The funniest part was at the end of the 4 days with them we went to the church and had a little testimony meeting where all the mini missionaries bore their testimonies. Most of them were sooo spiritual and they were crying but when our mini missionaries got up there all they could talk about is how much they laughed with us and they were making references to baked beans and refried beans and how they were teaching Elder B and I AUZZIE SLANG all week... haha ridiculous.  Everyone was laughing and it made us look like such moles...haha Elder B and I were cracking up tho.  They were some funny blokes.

This week was really successful.  We put 2 people on date.  One of them is super solid. His name is E.  He's from Liberia. He is SICK. He loved the restoration and the spirit was in great abundance. Also, like you heard from Kenzie, we had the missionary training form the Quorum of the Twelve. That was sooooo good! Elder Bednar's training gave me a whole new perspective. I'm sorry I don't have much more to say. I love all of you:) I love serving the Savior and representing him I will try and be worthy of that calling!

Elder Cordner 

Did you go to the temple today?  Yes the temple was very nice. I needed it!
How was Australia Day? Auzzie day was alright- mostly just drunk people going wild.

Week 23 - Gosnells, Southern River Zone, Western Australia - January 18, 2016 - The work don't stop.

WHAT IS UP??? Sounds like things back home are going beautiful:) Rio just told me he benched 390 pounds....wow.... Uncle Jared just emailed me and said he is running a few marathons in a couple months????...impressive. Ryan told me that he is being looked at by a few D1 universities for bball....and Nelson just wrote me and said his eye has been healed and his shoulder feels great! sooo good to hear some great news from home:) Oh and King louie has taken over as rightful successor to the Egyptian throne...nice king. (Is he trying to imagine what the news would be if you guys wrote?)  

This week was soooo good I don't have a lot of time but I'll sum up a few things that happened and then send some pics. Well, we met with that Brazilian family which was a miracle we even found and we dropped a SPIRIT BOMB! N which is the mommy was crying, the spirit was very powerful. We will hopefully put her and her husband G on date this week. Please pray for them to be blasted to the floor by the spirit:)

We are teaching a homeless man named C who lives under a bridge near our home. I would explain his story but it would take forever. He is from NEW ZEALAND and he was baptized when he was 8...biggest shocker ever -such a miracle. We have been meeting with him and he has been coming to church for 3 weeks. He absolutely loves us because we climbed along the side of the bridge to get to his little area where he lives.  It was like 30 feet above a river.  haha.  It was fun. I'll send some pics of where he lives under the bridge. He is so solid and is determined to change his life.

There are many more things that happened this week. Elder Brinkerhoff  and I are seeing the Lord's hand quite clearly! I love you all:) Please feel free in joining the entire Southern River Stake and pray for Miracles! Have an impeccable week!

Elder CORDNER

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C's living area.  Go up the ladder and then you find....

his bedroom.

His bedroom is inside the train rails.  He said he gets raddled awake every morning

I had an unreal exchange in the depths of perth city with AP Elder Tutton, my favourite britishman. 

He is such a good missionary... He also came up to Kalgoorlie for exchanges a 

couple months ago so we know each other quite well. Good friend.

Fremantle

P-Day in Fremantle last week.

The boat pic made me a little sad....I think you know why:)

Week 22 - Gosnells, Southern River Zone, Western Australia - January 11, 2016

Talofa Aige ua mai oe!??  It has been a good but very different week. I haven't been with Elder Brinkerhoff much. We have been doing some exchanges with some other missionaries in the Zone. My temporary comp is from Samoa and has been teaching me some. Haha. 

Friday was Zone Conference and it was sooo good. President Fife is a spiritual Beast! Elder Brinkerhoff and I gave our training and it went really well. Our zone loved it especially a cool little game we made up to open with! Our training was on sacrifice and going above and beyond the minimum. Which we felt was appropriate because we have been seeing really cool miracles that come from our efforts and going the extra mile!

Another Elder and I were tracting and we walked up to this lady in her yard and started having a nice conversation with her. As we were talking to her, I reached up and started playing with this little leaf thing hanging down from her tree.  I then casually just plucked it off the tree as I was talking to her. The second I plucked it off I saw a furious anger fester up in her eyes and then she looked like she was going to cry. I was like, "I am so sorry! I don't think your tree will die I think it will be ok" She then said she had been saving that 1 seed hanging from that tree for 8 months waiting for it to ripen.... She said she was going to give it to a friend. I was like I am sure there are more of these seed things somewhere on this tree and I frantically tried to locate one....but she was right it was the only seed haha. It was so awkward! I have never seen an old woman so infuriated. We just awkwardly said goodbye and then laughed about it for the rest of the day.

Anyways, I am about to head to Fremantle to enjoy a P-day on the coast. I love being a missionary!

Elder Cordner

Tofa Soifua! Olofa Te tele mo outou<3

Week 21 - Gosnells, Southern River Zone, Western Australia - January 4, 2016 - GOSNELLS!

Hello fam:) THANKS to those who wrote me -  always makes my day! Well, this week has been super crazy with transfers and with new duties and what not, but my new comp is Elder Brinkerhoff and he is from Evanston, Wyoming. He is a really good missionary and we get along soooo well we are already just laughing all day and having an awesome time. So my new area is Gosnells Southern River.  We also cover a few other suburbs. It's pretty awesome. Our zone is huge! It extends from Perth city and beyond all along the coast. I haven't been everywhere yet, but we have a GIANT map hanging in our flat with our whole zone on it soooo its pretty massive.

Elder Brinkerhoff and the massive map!

Going from Kalgoorlie to the city is sooooo strange. Haha! It's such a different type of missionary work but I am loving it so far. Elder Brinkerhoff and I are already seeing miracles as we have decided to sacrifice every spare moment of our days serving the Lord. We don't come into the flat until we absolutely have to.  We just go baboon all day till 9:30. We had a cool experience the other day. It was 9 at night and we were near the flat and considering turning in for the night, but we wanted to push on and see what would happen, so we just rode over to an older former investigator and had a nice talk to him. We were also able to share a message with a less active family.  We ran into one of our potential investigators randomly on the side of the road at night and we set up an appointment with him and we met a Brazilian couple taking their daughter on a walk and set an appointment to go and teach them the Restoration. BTW.. they are from Santos (near Sao Paulo)....pretty cool how the Lord blessed us when we decided to go above and beyond the minimal effort! So far I love it here! I have a lot to learn being a new Zone leader and we have a lot of meetings and Zone conference, coming up on Friday, I am a little nervous for but I will be fine as I rely on the Lord and not in the arm of FLESH.

I have full trust in my Father in Heaven.  He is constantly pushing me to grow.  He refuses to let me be idle. I know it is because he loves me:) It is crazy how on the mission I am so close to the Spirit. I can just be sitting anywhere doing anything and the Spirit will just be talking to me telling me things I should do differently or telling me things I am doing well. 

One of my favourite chapters of the Book of Mormon is 3 Nephi 17. As I have been reading this, it has entered my heart deeply and taught me of who Jesus Christ really is and how I can become like Him. I love all of you! Have a very warm week by the fire:)  and yes mom it is a little cooler here in Perth but a lot more humid. I will have to get used to that and our A/C in our flat does not work so we are currently suffering but all goods:)

S/O to Sister Cordner love you:)

Elder Cordner

A good-bye party in Kalgoorlie night before I left.

A sad good-bye to my main man A. H.  I love him.

Saw Elder Ellsworth in the mission office during transfers. 

Ate with some Filipino friends.  Good food!!

Week 20 - Kalgoorlie, Australia - December 28, 2015 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

WELP... don't have much time today! I utterly loved seeing all of you on Christmas! It was good to have a few laughs and I was happy to see you all pretty much look the same:) haha! Serious tho, I love you guys and thanks for that Great Christmas gift:) 

I am leaving Kalgoorlie! It is bittersweet. I have loved it here and I love the people soooo much...I am going to miss it but I am excited to see what awaits:) 

I have been called to be a zone leader of the Southern River Zone. It is the largest zone in the mission and all I have heard about my area is that it is somewhat near the coast near Free Mantle, a poplular beach.

Saying goodbye to everyone here has sucked:( especially L. She just started crying and I wanted to give her THE BIGGEST HUG! But obviously that is highly restricted - so I denied myself. 

I love being a missionary. I love all of you more than anything! and I am excited to pour my heart into the work in the CITY AREA! I will leave for Perth tomorrow morning on train. btw. My boy Elder Jensen is training and he is the new district leader! 

Love you guys! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

PS> LOVE YOU KENZIE

The end of an era.  The Kalgoorlie Family.

Kambalda, a small country town we just went to.

        

Kambalda

Christmas Eve 

S.S. - MY BOI <3

KAMBALDA 

Kambalda again

Little M - from a part-member family.

An emu.

Week 19 - Kalgoorlie, Australia - December 21, 2015 - SEASONS GREETINGS!

This morning me and Elder Fowler ran like 5 K's to a members house worked out, 

ran home and got on the bikes went to play bball for 2 hours and then rode our 

bikes to the church. Haha I feel good! I have lost a lot of weight by 

the way Haha mostly just muscle. The other elders just followed on their bikes. 

So first thing first.... skyping will commence at 6pm on Christmas eve...for you guys. It will be 9 o 'clock in the morning here! So hope that works for you guys! You will have to step away from the prime rib for a few minutes but I will keep it quick so you guys can get back to your festivities;)

So President Fife was down here on Wednesday and we were a little nervous. He brought with him his RM son who is like 25 and went to Brazil on his mission. So the night he got here (he flew in) we rode our bikes to a restaurant where he treated us to a meal (a delicacy only country missionaries have the privilege of enjoying) but then the next morning we met early at our flat for studies with President which was really awesome. He just dropped atomic doctrine bombs on us! Then all day he went out with Elder Jensen and I and his son went with the other Elders. We had prepared a super solid day with tons of appointments so we pretty much just drove from appointment to appointment. He really helped us with some concerns the people we are working with have that are surrounding marriage and baptism and stuff like that so it all went super good! He was very impressed with the day and went on his way! So I guess it was a successful exchange! 

Not much else this week that I can recall. I can't wait to skype you guys on Christmas Eve in America:) Thanks for all the letters they are much appreciated! I hope all of you have an amazing Christmas.  While you are bundled up by the fire with the delicate snow flakes falling sipping on a cup of cocoa, think of my dust covered face and chapped lips biking through the Australian bush. 

I love this true and living Gospel. I love Kalgoorlie and serving the people with everything I have! Don't worry about me getting enough to eat this Christmas. The Polynesians will have that one covered....I am sure I will eat more Pig this christmas than any of you:) I love you all MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ELDER CORDNER

P-Day with Zone Leaders

These pics are from our country trip to Leonora and Laverton.  Elder Preston from NZED and 

I were in Laverton. It was one of the coolest days of my mission. We saw miracles this day.

Elder Preston and I were driving back from Laverton to Leonora and a 

wild dingo ran across the road in front of us and this is the shot we got! haha

Creepy cemetery.... btw...sorry I am not very sentimental and did not send you all 

christmas gifts.I have always struggled to do awesome stuff like that:( sorry and yes 

I got the ties in the mail thanks so much! but I haven't gotten the other 

package. don't worry tho I don't even care. I love you all:) 

Elder Fowler and I on exchanges. Some guy we visited gave us some peppers. 

That little crusty brown one is the hottest in the world.. even smelling it saddled me haha.

(It looks like Elder Fowler just ate the hottest one:)

The Solipas the Iosefas and T from Samoa and NEW ZEALAND.

A and his bike.  (Yes...I know Mitch needs to get some longer shorts!)

And I took a pic of these plumerias for you mom....at least 

thats what they smelled like:) love you mom:) (My favorite flower:) Thanks Mitch)

Christmas caroling!

Made a birthday cake for a member.

Week 18 - Kalgoorlie, Australia - December 14, 2015 - Big Baboon

Big mining hole!

How is my family doin??? As we approach Christmas, I have often pictured in my mind, Uncle Jared lying under his little tree in New Mexico and crying himself to sleep while listening to Breath of Heaven.... hahaha (Mitch's Uncle Jared shared this story with him about his first Christmas on his mission.  Sorry Jared - hope you don't mind the whole world knowing now) Makes me laugh every time:) well this week has been busy. We went on a country trip to a town called Leonora. It is like 3 hours from Kal, but it was totally worth it. We taught so many lessons and actually met some part member families clear out in the middle of nowhere. Elder Preston ( the zone leader) and I went just outside of Leonora about an hour and a half to a town called Laverton. It was sweet! We taught some awesome lessons out there and helped out a part member family. There could possibly be a little branch opened up there some day. 

Pres Fife is coming up to Kal tomorrow night and is staying all Wednesday. He is coming on splits with Elder Jensen sand I o we have been setting up appointments for that. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous:) but it should be good. I will learn HEAPS. I am so excited to skype you guys on Christmas! I love you guys so much! Sorry this letter is lame:( Have an awesome week!

Love Elder Cordner

A cake we made for Brother Heke's birthday!

With the zone leaders playing bush frisbee last P day.

'Twas violent jumping over bushes and logs haha. One is 

from South Africa the other is from NZED.

Carol singing the other night. btw we sang hark the herald angels sing...  

in sacrament meeting in which i had several solos haha. turned out good.