Week 17

I'm losing track of the weeks!!  They go by so fast!  It's transfers already!! And I am leaving my first area!!!  I am headed to Columbia Maryland.  It's where the Mission President lives so I have to be on my toes haha.  So its been so hard to try and find investigators.  I swear I've met and knocked on every hispanics door in Annapolis.  My companion is going home this transfer and I leave Annapolis so that means time to update the records!! White wash!! I'll let you know my new mailing address next week!!  I fasted all day and prayed all week to try and find new investigators and once I broke my fast, last night I got called to Columbia so maybe that is where the Lord needs me.  I am soo excited!! This last week was awesome too.  We had a miracle with a man named Pablo.  We found him in the park and were able to teach him a lesson.  He is a champ.  He still wouldn't give us his address but he wants to meet in the park so thats where we are going to teach him today!   It was a miracle!!!  I cannot believe we just stumpled accross him!!  So we had a priesthood meeting this week on saturday night and I began to think of Travis Biggs a lot.  He is the best young mens president ever!!  We have really been trying to get member involvement and how they can just do little things to get people more exposed to the goodness of this church!  He taught me a lot and I just think of his example and think there are so many little things he did like meet someone at a church building to carpool or stuff like that.  The missionaries really need the help of the members because without them we try and find people all day and would you let in some weird stranger that knocked on your door telling asking to share a message about Christ? I know I'd be weirded out but it is the example that we set that helps so much.  I love it!  I'm learning a ton on how to teach so ppl can understand and spanish is comin.  We have had so many miracles and i just cannot see how these miracles can come from anywhere but God.  I love it.  I love my mission and I love being able to help ppl.  Its always an adventure!!!  Im so grateful for all I have.  Thank you for everyone that has helped me get to this point!! You da best!!

Elder Cornejo

Saying goodbye to everyone

Week 16

There is a baby here from my favorite family the lopez's and their baby's name is Arianna and she is so cute!  She's about 10 months old and she's all nice then she lets out this shrill scream that is so loud it knocks your socks off!  But I love em! It makes me miss Abby.  The mom made us this blueberry cheesecake this week so bomb!  Will is the dad.  He's about 26.  He's the one that had cancer and had the surgery.  We skyped at his house.  They are just the coolest family ever!!  He got made 2 counselor this week to our branch presidency, so I am so stoked about that and we have a new family that just moved into the branch!! It's amazing!  We actually had 50 people that attended sacrament meeting last week which was the blessing for the week!  Last week was hard!  No one really wanted to talk.  It was 95-100 degrees and we were on bikes.  It was sooo humid and hot!! Then yesterday it just downpoured!!  Everything got wet!!  We also had lots of bible bashers so that was awesome...  We have to drop all our investigators so its a start fresh!!   So yes we are continuing to try and get the branch involved but everything takes forever!!  So little miracle.  Last week we had a rental car so us and 2 other missionaries decided to drive to Baltimore!!  We had an awesome day.  As we were leaving we got stuck in traffic!  Then there were these 4 african american kids to the side all whispering and laughing.  Elder Smith who was in the front seat says hey guys whats up?  Then they stand up and one of the kids pics up a huge rock and chucks it at the car!!  We hear a loud thud and they all run...Couldn't  believe it and we couldn't move since we were stuck in traffic.  I get out to inspect the car and there is not a dent or nothin to be seen!  What!!! How is that possible?  Perks to being a missionary :) haha but k last story something tragic happened this week which it got me to thinking a lot...One of the hermanas in our district had a tragedy this week.  I've known her for the past 10 weeks and we see them everyday to correlate and what not but her boyfriend's family all died in a plane crash this week.  Crazy right!  Her bf didn't die cuz he is on a mission and his dad was apparently the bishop! so his whole family got wiped out.   I guess his little brother survived because he got thrown out the window and landed before it went up in flames. You can google the pics by typing in plane crash Missouri and it looks so bad.  She was telling her companion that one of the people she knew watched the whole thing happen and had to run to the plane and drag this guy out but the mom and dad burned in the plane...  You can probably google the pictures but this sister was a mess last week.  What are the chances that your bf's family dies in a private jet crash...  It made me think just how lucky I am to have people alive and well back at home no matter what happens out here on the mission, I just need to be grateful for what i have and what i am learning.  Its hard but life can be wonderful or terrible no matter how you look at it.  It's all in the perspective.  I love my mission.   I love speaking spanish and I love this Area.  I hope everyone has a great week and just try and help each other out.  Who knows just a smile may make a difference in someones life.

Elder Cornejo

Week 15

At least I think it's week 15 -the days blend together!  This week was nuts!!!  So last week we were able to go to Chick n Ruths!  That Giant ice cream shake is awesome!  

We are finally getting our branch involved with member missionaries and trying to figure who was at church and who wasn't. So we have a stand up meeting now and they are calling the members and make sure they are ok.  It's fun.  It was a hard week.  Our old investigator didn't answer the door for us since herd aughter almost died, but oh well.. We picked up 2 new ones and are trying to work with the less actives.  Yesterday was nuts!  We go to one arm'd Juan's house and he takes my helmet and puts it on his hat on his head... he says I got your helmet in super slurred spanish... I'm like oh noo Juan! Have you been drinking!  He says no, but clearly he is just waisted... so he invites us in and starts talking slurred jibberish spanish and then asks if we want watermelon.  I'm like no, you're drunk, but my comp says sure! SO he gets up with this huge steak knife and I'm just like oh no.. and he starts chopping this giant watermelon on the kitchen table!  Watermelon is flying everywhere and there are cut marks in the table and I'm just like oh man... why did you tell him yes??  Then he gets a piece of watermelon and jumps on the chair which almost snaps underneath his weight.  We just start talking to him and he starts speaking nonsense... Yep that counts as a lesson! jk super funny but I'm suprised no one got hurt!  Then we met this bible basher!  Sweet!!!  He was trying to convince me of something dumb which was stupid and my comp says let's go... but I'm like hold on... So I totally probe him wrong and then he tells me half the bible was written by the devil and not true.... Alright if your gonna swear out of one book buddy, you can't backtrack... whatever... not gonna do that again!  

We had an exchange this week and I had to take over the area again and speak all in spanish.  It was hard but I could understand a lot, which was a plus! Way better than last time!  This elder is the district leader and he kind of gets on everyones nerves, so i decided to have him ride bikes and then I took him thru this super narrow street section.  From dirt biking I was used to riding fast in super tight corners, but he hardly ever rode bikes and when he was trying to keep up with me, he kept slamming into the wall!  He says he got beat up a bit but hey he'll be fine? hhaaha He had a blast!! Then we took this member out and did splits this week.  My comp got to go in the car with the elders quourm president and I got the bike with Carlos, the recently returned missionary.  He said he wanted to ride the bike even though it was pouring rain!!! I was like alright if you want to.. Well it was successful -We thought.  Then around 9:00, when we had to ride home 4 miles, it started pouring and then dogs got out and started chasing us. We almost died- not really, but the owner was there screaming at them and I was like oh man... then Carlos, said he could ride... but when we went down this hill, he was behind me and took a turn way too fast and wiped out. He tore a hole in his suit pants and got some road rash... dang it... well he said it was the most fun he has ever had!  I hope so! haha  Good week!  Lots of adventures!  Hope you all have a great week!!! 

Elder Cornejo

We went to Chick n ruths again and had to get the giant milkshake!!!!!! I love ice cream!! 6 pounds of pure joy!! 

Oh and we had a great time at ana's graduation party.

  Had such great authentic mexican food!  I love hispanics!!!

Week 14

Crazy week!! Thank you to all for the Birthday wishes and Birthday cards.  I feel loved haha.  Yall are awesome!!  My birthday was super fun.  We got to wake up at 5 am and go play basketball in the church early.  Then do service.  Eat 3 dinners and a birthday cake!  IT was the best!!! Couldn't of asked for better.  The people here are so awesome.  You find about every type of person out here but it's good!!  This week we picked up 2 more investigators.  They are soo awesome!! The thing is we can only meet with them on Sundays because that is the only day they don't work.  They have a one year old daughter.  Her name is Tiffany and she is super cute. I had to save her life yesterday.  We were in talking with her parents and she was making a racket ,so the dad gave her his keys to play with.  She was having a good time and then when we were talking to the parents I felt like I needed to look to my right and when I did, the little girl was about to put her dads keys in an electricity outlet in the wall. Without thinking, I jumped across the room and grabbed her right before she could do it... I scared her out of her wits and the parents were scared too, but it better then having a dead baby... so scary but everything is good.  They are gonna buy wall plugs now ahha... Oh so on my bday we did service by helping this old couple move into their new appartment.  Well we moved this table in a it was super dirty on the bottom.  So one of the senior ladies starts spraying the bottom of the table with windex... well my comp and another elder are wiping it but it's not coming off so then the lady sprays and mixes the windex with kaboom... well the kaboom has bleach in it and my comp is like dying coughing and I'm like did she just spray that windex with kaboom!!?? What the heck you can't do that. That creates mustard gas!!  The lady says no that's just with ammonia.  She looks on the windex bottle and it says made with ammonia!  So my comp and the other guy had to get out of the house!  I was like are you kidding me?? Luckily it wasn't enough to create the real thing but I was like thank you mom for teaching me that haha and I guess chemistry too!! People!!  But it was a great week.  The couple gave us 32 dollars to go to mcdonalds.  We chowed down and had a mc stomach ache..  It was so funny cuz the first guy orders and he is like um can I have a large fry and a large chocolate shake... the guy is like sure... then Elder V orders and he I s like uhh can I have a large fry and a large chocolate shake... guy is like sure... my comp orders and says ummm can I have a larege fry.... and a large chocolate shake... I couldn't break the streak, so I of course had to order... yep that's right a large fry and a large chocolate shake... What could have been a 3 second order, lasted 5 min.  The people were sooo mad... it was sooo funny.  Man I wish I could tell you in person to convey the hilariousness of the situation.  So your task for the week! Go to Mc D's and order a Large fry and a chocolate shake one thing at a time!  See what they do!  Anyway We are having a great time here and some great experiences.  Going to Chick n Ruths today to hit up the 20 lb milkshake!! That's what's up! So stoked!!  Life is great, missionary work is awesome!  Sorry for no pics I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  Love yall
Elllder Cornejo

Week 13

Transfers and a new Companion!!

So transfers were this week! So sad.  Had to say by to trunky ole Elder Riddle but he left me some sweet ties so that was awesome.  I felt like the little brother inheriting all the cool stuff when the big brother leaves for college.  I can't believe he is home!  And now my new comp leaves in 5 weeks!  Awesome... No the new guy is pretty cool too.  It's so different because they both do different things.  He has a great work ethic so that is nice.  It doesn't feel like he is even going to leave in 5 weeks.  We have really been trying to work with less actives this week.  The branch list is all messed up.  People don't live where they say they live.  We have names and no contact info. It's great... Pres Beltron asked my companion and I to give a talk in church this last sunday so I did it!!  Without any notes!  All in spanish!! I apologize to everyone that was there cuz it was pretty butchered but it was awesome! I actually gave a talk in spanish!!  What the heck, I can do that now? haha My new comp and I try and speak spanish all the time when we are outside the house so that's super chevere!  Milagres para este semana... we were walking down the street trying to find this place cuz now I am supposed to know where to go all the time and I couldn't find it on foot so I was like hey let's go check out the spanish tienda.  Inside this lady comes up to us and was a menos activo and was like ya I'm  a  member.  We had no contact info for her and she gave us all her info.  She was super nice!  It was a miracle!  She said she was gonna come to church but then didn't so that was sad but hey we got the info!  What else, oh so our Branch President's son came home this week early from his mission, I think he was sick or something, but then he helped pres to know that this work is for the members and missionaries to work together!! And president understood!  Finally!!!!  that's the best and now Carlos can come out with us!  Members are so important  in this work!!  It's the best! I am super excited to see how this branch will transform.  Last week we had 2 dinners and this week we have one almost everyday because the 25 members that we have are excited to invite people to come unto Christ.  I am so stoked!!!  It's gonna be great!  New transfer.  New comp.  Bring on the work!  I hope all you had a wonderful Memorial day.  Thank you to those for the birthday wishes.  I appologize for the lack of pics but we will get some more!  Enjoy life!  It's wonderful! 

Elder Cornejo