Week 9

Wazz up, 

I cannot believe another week has just flown by!!  I don't even remember what we did half the week!!  But I am doing great as the transfer goes on!  Spanish is coming!  So this week we had a lesson with Nixon and Myra.  They are this family we met on the street and then they were like come on over!  They made us atole and bought us pan dulce from the spanish tienda and we had a sweet lesson!  Well I tried! haha  My companion and them started having this crazy convo about what if Adam and Eve hadn't fallen.  So they were using crazy subjunctive, crazy hard spanish words and they were speaking so fast!!  I understood most of it! but then it was just nuts!!  When they had finished, I was like I know that todos is bien!  They just look at me and laugh.  They are like aww poor Elder Cornejo doesn't understand... I was like oh I gotcha but I'll work on the speaking part later! haha it was funny... Then another day we were walking by this house and we came across a couple that was just chillin on their front door step with the bottom part of the bbq and huge flames coming out of it in this little appartment complex.  We were like ohhh what!!!! that's sooo crazy. They were roasting marshmellows!  Just on their front lawn.  They were all- you want some?  Heck yes!!  So we wound up talking to them and it was pretty cool.  She works for the navy as a boat engineer or something like that.  They were willing to come to church so we will see what happens!  They speak English though, so we had to pass them over to the English speaking elders... bummer  Oh so I forgot to tell you, last week I had to give a talk in church, all in spanish!  Ya it was great, but I wrote it down so it wasn't too bad.  The members are all really nice.  As for Nectali, he is soo ready to join the church but he lives with his girl friend and she doesn't want to get married so he can't join the church yet.  That's our next goal. Who knew I would become a marriage councelor...perks to the mish.  Ok so last story, we met some awesome clowns this week.. it was so funny.  They may or may not have been drunk, but no matter!  They wanted to know what we were sellin, we told em Jesus! and one was all, oh you are dem mormons!  I dated one once, she was a clown!  No like a legit clown!  He's been in the clown buisness for 12 years.  We asked him his name and he did this crazy rap dance thing in spanish!  I wish I could describe to you the crazyness of the situation!!  I wish I coulda got a pic... maybe we'll see him again!  Good week and lots of fun!  Thanks for all the support from my family and friends to get me here and from the people I have met along the way.  Hope you all have a great week!!  Remember, members are the best way to invite their friends to come unto Christ,  missionaries can only do so much!  But it's good!  Have a great week

Elder Cornejo

Throw back to the MTC with the Carter face

Some awesome tacos we made

1st wedding last week.  The Lopez's got sealed!  She's a convert for 1 year too!

Week 8

What's up everyone?

I am sorry to all my teachers in the MTC because this will have to be in English, but don't worry I'm practicing my Spanish mucho!!  Well I have completed week 2 in the field.  I feel like I've been here a life time and have no idea what is going on in our lessons.  Ok I understand what's going on, but when I try and talk nothing comes out! haha  Or I tell our investigators that they need to live the ley de desyuno when of course I mean ayuno.  Of course they were super curious when they heard that haha.  So we live in beautiful Annapolis and have an apartment  complex that we tract most of the time.  The latinos are awesome, but most don't want to hear because there are sooo many churches here and they work all the time!  But the good news is they know who we are so they turn and run as soon as they see us coming... awesome... we have 1 progressing investigator and his name is Nectali.  He is super awesome but his wife does not want to get married yet they have a 3 year old boy named Anthony!  What the heck!  Not ready for a marriage /commitment?  Oh well such is life with the Espanols...  We seriously talk to everyone, but Spanish is super dificil and each culture has different words for stuff so its weird to try and get used to them.  So this weeks screw up with Spanish is that I told some guy that Jesus is here on the tarea instead of tierra which means he is here on the homework instead of on the earth... great... but people love us... it's super fun.  Oh this week I got made this soup that was super spicy, but it had fish in it.  Not just the good fish that you get in the store but this creepy looking fish with the scales and hard fins and the best part, its eye balls were staring up at us as we ate.  I felt like I was at Hogwarts or something.  Fish eyeballs taste soo nasty... my companion was smart and brought a bag to pack it all away in.  I just ate it... wasn't tooo bad... didn't get sick, so that was good!  Oh so I go to the same church as the coach from Meet the Mormons!  It's awesome!  He's like 6'4 and taller than I imagined.  He is a pretty cool guy.  Comes to church every week!  I shook his hand yesterday nbd... anyway, I'm learning the ways of the mission, got to set up the sound system for a wedding reception, so that was super awesome. So glad I got to be with speakers and a sub!!!!  They played so many good songs!  But we kept our missionary focus -no worries.  Some lady pulled me up to dance but I was like nooo sorry can't.  I so woulda if my comp didn't give me the death glare! haha 

  You would not believe how many churches are here!  Its ok tho because we are doing our best and people have agency.  If they wanna listen awesome!  If not, well then we will just play futbol/ soccer with them offer service, then be on our way.  The life of a missionary is awesome!  We have to make like all our own meals here which is cool, but I also try and eat healthy so it's pricy. It's such a good experience cuz it trains me how to live on a budget!  Mission is super good at making me want to dedicate my time and not having any extra!  My trainer kinda got me trunky the first week cuz he's like I'm goin home in 4 weeks and like everyone reminds us so it's like ugh!!!  But when he goes home I'll have like 15 transfers left weird! haha long but short... It's only a short time to serve the Lord and I'm super glad!  Just gotta learn Spanish then it will be more fun. Everything is in English, then I have to study in Spanish!  And I talk to people on the street in English but our lessons are in Spanish and it's like ugh!! Just need to know it!!  Sorry no pics this week!  Forgot my camera! All in all a great week.  So fun!

Elder Cornejo

Week 7

Ok so I appologize I am running way short on time today...  So I gonna try and write letters!!  Maryland is so beautiful!!  My companion is awesome!  He finishes his mission in 5 weeks. I am in one of the most beautiful places, my address is 
207 Victor Parkway Apt. H

Annapolis, MD 21403 

and I am chillin in an apparrment for the next 5 weeks at least.  If I go to Baltimore that is the sketchy part.  Sisters aren't allowed there after dark!  But I wanna send pics too so I have to make this fast.  My comp is from san Diego.  He knows Carter Livingston!  They were neighbors when he lived down there, His name is Joe Riddle... So nuts, I never make connections!! haha  We go to church with one of the guys from the movie meet the mormons.  It's sweet.  We have a branch with 30 ppl so its super small but they are strong... gotta make it bigger. I can kinda speak spanish but my comp speakes most of it.  I said some pretty ridiculous  things this week and it was so funny.  We had a great week and that lady that sent you the pic was not our mission mom, it was a random lady we met in the resturant from texas.  She bought all the missionaries at the table our food and that huge milkshake!! 

I was soo tired last week!  Some of the things I said in spanish were were  This is the best food I've ever had... siempre!!! meaning always... woops.  I told our investigator he needs to live the law of desyuno instead of the ayuno which is the law of breakfast he was intrigued haha.  Oh and the first thing I taught in the field was the law of chastity so that was fun! hahahaha  I told a lady she was the best coina instead of cocinera which means she is the best kitchen haha. I played lots of bball soccer with the latinos and dodgeball so that was fun.  The people here love my last name which is hilarious.  I say oh I'm Elder Cornejo and they are like Elder Whhhaaa  Elder rabbit!!?  pretty funny.  But ya its a good time. I miss everyone a ton.   Anyway life is good, just need to focus on making the time go quicker... We have such an amazing ward and so many wonderful people.  I love Cali!!!  You can send stuff to the mission office address but otherwise you can send stuff to the address above.  I love you guys! Sorry if I'm forgetting stuff no time!

Love 

Elder Cornejo

Said bye to the district and our teachers.  So sad!!!  I miss them so much!!

My new companion 

Trip to the temple

Week 6

I can't believe I'm leaving to Baltimore tomorrow!!!  I talked to this girl here who used to live there and she said it was super sketch!!!  Awesome!  Yeah Elder Hollands talk at conference was my favorite!! And Ucdorfs talk about grace!!  It was awesome!!!! Oh and I was reading thru Moroni I read Moroni 3:3 and thought of Alex as he invited his friend to conference and set the example.  Read it! and let me know what you think!!  I have no time but hopefully they will let me write when I get to Baltimore.  Then I think I can send you my direct address but I have to stay at the mission home tomorrow night so I'll let you know the details later.  Oh and guess what I finished the Book of Mormon since I left minus the 20 chapters in 2nephi that quote Isaia! So crazy!! I love that book!  Oh and I gave an opening prayer in spanish in front of the entire Mexico MTC on Sunday!  It was legit!  Gave a blessing to my compannion and bore my testimony to the people that are leaving.  God is awesome!  Love this gospel!

Elder Cornejo!

Week 5

Where to begin... One more week in the CCM!!!!  We are so lucky to live in such a wonderful place! In Grass Valley!!  Here we hear gun shots all the time so I asked our teacher how many deaths there are a week?  She said she didn't know but guessed about 20.  What the heck!  Thats why the cops have so many machine guns!!!  Mexico is awesome!  I wish I could serve here haha but I know the Lord knows best!!!  And I love him!!!  I heard so many wonderful spiritual stories and felt the spirit pretty strong this week!  I am so excited for conference. It is seriously only a dream to be able to attend conference by the people here... I feel bad cuz I'm like, I've gone twice! and they are like whaaa you are sooo lucky!!! 

 I miss the gym!  There are so many wonderful people there!!  The way we would always talk about sushi with Anne and Bruce and those delicious maxs deli sandwiches!  Oh they were so good!!  It is such an amazing place! 

I am so focused and can't wait to hit the field and actually help real ppl!  Spanish comes but super slow!  Our teachers are so awesome and we are able to teach full lessons... So far I have been lucky enough that the mission hasn't been that hard.  I have been so blessed with such an amazing district and so the hardest part was leaving home and then saying goodbye to all the people that are here now. I am leaving tuesday morning. God is so great!!! 

  I just want to say thank you to everyone for all your love and support.  It gives me strength as I strive to follow the example of Christ and give everything I have to those around me and then give some more.  If we think about how Christ lived his life, he always looked outward in helping those around him.  Think about how he suffered in the Garden of Gethesmane, bleeding from every pore, decending to the depths of hell so that we may have eternal life, and then when he was betrayed, Peter tried to defend Christ by slicing the ear of the person that was about to take Christ to crucify him.  And do you know what Christ did?  He healed that man´s ear.... Then Christ is on the cross.  Obviously he is completely spent and the words he says to the father is forgive these people for they know not what they do.  Why?  Why did Christ have to suffer?  He was so perfect and he was the one that will suffer more in this world than anyone.  But his example gives me strength.  Come onto me Christ says and be perfect even as my father in heaven is perfect.  What a perfect example....Accepting Christ into my life has been the best thing I could have ever done because no matter the trial, no matter the heartache, we know Christ is always there for us...  

One more week in this snow globe and then we will be able to meet some sweet people!  I am so grateful for those I have at home!  I miss you all and just want to let you know Mexico is awesome!!!  Latinos are so crazy awesome!!!  They have outlawed cuetes now which is sad but people still blow em up everywhere!  The language is going great!!!  It just takes time.  My companion is cool.  We are both going to Maryland on Tuesday and then I will let you know what its like from there.  I will forever miss the wonderful people I have met at the CCM.  It is crazy how alike we are and people can come from all over the world and we can get along like we have known each other forever!  How is the home life?  Thank you so much Brother Turner for the Letter!! You guys are sooo awesome!  Thank you Becky for such a great letter!  Digging is hard work!!  I miss you all and wish the best to you in this upcoming week!  Nothin too interesting happened this week but I'll keep you posted!  Peace!

Elder Cornejo

Bye to my best budy Marchent!!!

Just more friends leaving!  Ya the guy behind me is Red.  We call him Roho.  He turns purple when he gets sun burned.  Its so crazy!  He is so chill about it tho!

Hermana Fink is 6´3.  She is the one in white taking the picture.  All of these guys left!  So sad!  And the one with the candycane looking scarf apparently she knows Shannon from conference!! and I met her in Utah!  Crazy world!!!

Dog pile before my buddies left!!  We are gonna miss them so much!!!

All the guys from our zone!!  The guy on my shoulders is from Hawaii and we are def gonna have to reunion CCM at his place!  His brother was in the district!!