Week 87

This week was another crazy week!  I don't even know were to begin!!

Ok so we are teaching a part member family.  She speaks spanish and we are the only half spanish companionship so we are teaching her.  Her name is Jasmin, she's 17 and her family lives in mexico but she lives with her aunt.  She's been taught for a while now an this last week, we brought over the young women's president and Jasmin decited she wants to be baptized on Dec 17!! It was awesome.  She was crying and really nervous but the spirit confirmed to her that it was true.  The young womens president after the lesson was like wow Elders that was awesome!  Thank you for that experience.  She is also the principle of one of the school systems down here so she knows like everyone!!  She later told us a miracle that happened to her.. She remembered having helped a family a while ago and just hearing that they were going thru a hard time.  She knew they lived in the area but didnt remember where... So we left and as she sat in the car she bowed her head to pray to ask for guidence on where to go so that she could find that family... Well when she looked up, the women was standing there in the window and just turned on the light so that she could see her face... So Sister Hipp (the young womens pres) went inside and met with her and the women inside wants us to go over and teach her the gospel and help her!!!!  It was such an amazing miacle to see the power and the timing in which the lord works.  Our lesson had been postponed from sunday to monday night.  Had been in the perfect moment so that Sister Hipp could see her friend.  We had feld that we should take sister hipp to the lesson with jasmin.  As we brought sister hipp to a lesson, we were able to gain her trust and she was willing to go out and do missionary work.  Now with just her alone, we've found 2 families to teach and Jasmin has a baptismal date for the 17!  I cannot believe the miracles that are happening.  

Viri came to the second hour of church and wants to be baptized on christamas eve and they are just progressing so well.  It's such a blessing to see so many miracles...

Crazy Mission story of the week, One of the spanish elders in a district that i had in baltimore had to go home early this last week.  He was from Mexico... His fiancee who was living in Mexico was murdered this last week by a stalker... Stabbed with a knife.  President called us at 12:30 pm to find him because I needed to translate for the people that had dropped him off at the airport because he desired to leave that night and didnt want to wait for a plane ticket. so he did everything backwards... Well at 1:30am we had to go get him from the office because president had to pick him up from the airport and get his greencard... cuz he's from mexico... At 3:30 am we drove him to his flight.. I'm still tired... But I reallly feel for him.. I can't imagine what he must be going thru and i count my blessings every day.  I've heard from him since and he is doing better.  I hope we can all realize the  blessings that come in and out of our lives with an eternal perspective that as we are obedient to the commandments of the lord, we will face adversity, but we can overcome it all with the help of the atonement.  Hope you have a great week!!

Love 

Elder Cornejo

Week 86

Happy Thanksgiving!  I am so grateful for soo many things.  Last Sunday we had call-outs, so we had to call all the missionaries and tell them where they were getting transferred too,  Then Tuesday, My companion Elder Leavitt finished his 2 years and went home thanksgiving morning.  I was super bummed to see him go.  Wednesday, we received the new missionaries, and chose who is going to train them and we slept for 2 hours that night.. Then had to be back to pick them up the next morning at 7.  We ran errands all day and stayed up all night Wednesday night with the departing missionaries, Elder Leavitt and his group.  I cant believe they all went home.  So Thursday morning at 3am we drove down their luggage in an enclosed trailer to the airport.  Well it had 26 departing missionaries luggage when we made it to the airport.  We drove and made it to the parking garage.  We drive slowly and the trailer smacks on the 8ft sign telling me the trailer is too big to fit in the parking garage.. Well i drive up to the garage and the trailer just barely fits inside.  I thought I was so awesome.  Well we drove thru the garage all the way to the top story where there is no roof over head.  Well we stay at the airport unload all the luggage and make a couple of trips back to pick up the rest of the missionaries.  Its finally 9am and all the missionaries are on planes to go home.  My companion and I are soo ready for bed.  Well as we are leaving the rooftop, we come down and as we are leaving the top of the trailer slams into the top of the parking garage!! Oh no!!!!  So we ask the guy if there is a different exit.  He says no... Shoot... The luggage had weighed the trailer down but without the luggage we were stuck! on the roof of the airport!!  So we decide to deflate the tires.. Still stuck... I was sooo bitter...Well we prayed and then all of a sudden a worker comes up and says, Are you stuck!?  We said yes. He says go try the other exit.. We werre like what?? So we did.  And we barely scraped thru!!! Even with the deflated tires.. We almost poped the tires.  I am so grateful they didnt pop!!  Then we get out and the air compressor is broken!!  So this guy comes hooks it up to a battery and the battery dies right as we finish filling the last tire.  Super thankful.. Well we went to the gas station to pump them up the rest of the way and i didnt have any cash!! So a guy comes up and gives us 50 cents and we fill up the rest of the tires just perfectly.  I was soo grateful...  I turned to my companion and said, wow this does not feel likes thanksgiving.  He then replied, are you kidding, I am the most thankful i have ever been in my life on thanksgiving.  It helped me to realize the true meaning of thanksgiving.  I was grateful for all the many blessings I received.  It really was such a wonderful day.  

As far as the area goes, We have been working so hard.  On the last day Elder LEavitt was here, we were able to put Viri on date for baptism!!!  After 4 years of living together, her and Carlos finally got married!!!  I am sooo happy!! Elder LEavitt and I taught them 1.5 years ago and she is so prepared now.  It is one of the greatest miracles i have seen on my mission.  So she set her date for the 24 of december which is actually christmas for the the hispanic culture,  You can see such a change in their life in the past week as they are keeping the commandments of the lord and are progressing towards baptism.  We have met a couple families from russia and cameroon.  I drank Kbass which is russian drink.  They assured me it didnt hav ealcohol in it but im not so sure... haha Anyway we have been experimenting soo many great things.  I am so grateful for all the many miracles that i have seen in my life.,  The lord is so real.  Have a great week!

Elder Cornejo

Week 85

Wow this week flew By!!  I am not even sure what happened this past week!  We finished up Zone Conferences.  So our zone conferences go from 8am to 4:30 pm and I am always the last person to instruct,  Well by that time everyone was kinda falling asleep, so in order to wake everyone up i decided to invite Elder Taviuni to try and get the Zone pumped up.  Well Elder Taviuni is from Tonga... And I had no idea what the HAwka was until he showed the entire zone and President Christiansen.  The Hawka is a football/rugby chant and it is sooo obnoxious and loud.,... after that the spirit was completely gone.... President was laughing so hard after the fact... he's never gonna let me live that one down....

The following zone conferece, I asked president at the beginning of my instruction, This zone seems pretty quiet president, what are we going to do about that.. he says, "well i dont know anything but the Hawka... I laughed and said, yeah that detracted from the spirit a little bit.  He repled yeah it only took a 3 hours for it to come back.. He was laughing.. oh man Im never going to forget that one!!  

Well we are working with Carlos and Viri, the hispanic couple.  They are getting married this friday!!! Finally!!!!!!!!!!!  And we are teaching them about the book of mormon.  Viri is waiting for an answer and she says when she gets one that is when she will believe... We are trying to help her to recognize the spirit and that she needs to "do" a couple of things but she says he is so much more open to the idea of baptism, which is soo cool because she was sooo closed off to the idea a year and a half ago when i was here with Elder Leavitt.  I just love this family so much.

We are also working with a guy named Larry.  He is so awesome but finds it hard to say no to people.  But he is awesome and we are working with him to try and help him quit smoking.  English work is such a new world.  I feel as though i am learning to be a new missionary again.  But the lord has something planned.  I really have had the best mission in the world!! 

Hope you have a great week!

Elder Cornejo

Week 84

Well this week has been extremely busy!  Probably the fasstest week of my mission!!  Time is going by way to fast.  So miracle of the week:
We were walking the streets in kind of a sketchy area..?  I say kind of because after living in Baltimore for so long nothing really seems sketchy... But ppl say that area was sketch.. IDK but anyway it was about 8:30 at night and we are just getting shut down everywhere,,.  This one lady opened her door but she was half dressed with only a towel so we couldnt go in.. That's happened to us 3 times this week!  Why would you answer the door??...Well we were just praying to see a miracle happen.. I said watch we are going to have an 8:59pmmiracle... So we get shut down a couple more times for the next 25 min and to no avail we slowly silk back to the car... There are 3 of us myself included and we almost are at our car when we at 8:59 i might add hear a voice from a nearby car!!!  There is a lady inside and she says, Are you the 3 missionaries that have come to give me a blessing tonight!!?  WE are like what in the world!!?  That neever happens... She says yes my sweet sister missionaries have been teaching me and I have been sick so they told me you would be able to give me a blessing... We said sure no problem!! So we give her the blessing and the spirit was suuper strong, so i asked her if she would come to church tomorrow.. She said she couldnt but the next week.  So we said ok well how did you feel during the blessing.. She said,.. I'm not really sure. A warmth a really good feeling!  We explained that was the spirit testifying what we have said is true.  She says she's felt it before but this time it was better!!!  So that was our 8:59miracle!! But it gets better.. So the 2 sister missionaries received a call that night from this lady and this lady gives them an account of what just happened from her perspective.. She tells the sister missionaries.. I received a blessing from your friends!!  At first i saw 6 of them in the distance.  They started to walk towards me.  I was a little scared.  But as they walked towards me 3 of the 6 disappeared... I knew that those 3 were angels and the 3 missionaries (meaning us) had angels with them!!!  That is how she new to call out to us and that we would be able to give her the blessing!!  She saw 3 angels walking beside us!!

That was such an amazing experience!!!

We'll we are teaching a spanish couple named carlos and Vir.  They are so awesome.  We are reading the book of mormon with them right now and praying that they will ask that it's true and recieve a witness!! They are soo awesome!!

We are also teaching someone named Larry.  He grew up in baltimore and has just had a hard life.  We are working with him now because he has set a goal to be baptized on Novemeber 25!  But i think he may be struggling with the word of wisdom so we are praying that all goes well! 

Well It's been an awesome week full of excitement and miracles.  I love this area so much.  These things are so true.  I hope you all have a great week1!

Love,

Elder Cornejo

Week 83

Sorry we had a crazy day!!!  I'll have to send some last minute zone pictures!  This Last week was amazing.. The weeks go by waay too fast!  The spirit is just so strong in every lesson we teach.  Each time we open the scriptures, I wish I could just freeze the moment in time.  We had the opportunity to do 2 exchanges this past week. Both were full of miracles!!  I got to drive all the way to Hancock Virginia so we could pick up a couple of the zone leaders and do an exchange.  Wednesday we had a halloween party with the ward and they wound up giving us about 60 left over hot dogs chilli and corn bread so you can imagine what we've been eating all week... I am getting soo fat!!  Then on thursday we had such an amazing lesson with carlos and Viri.  I was sooo excited!  She had told us that she didnt believe the book of mormon was true.  So we read a little bit with her and she said well the reason why i guess i dont believe the book of mormon is true is because I have never read it!  Then at the end of the lesson we invited her to pray.  She told us no.. We told her we didnt believe she knew how to pray... then she continued and she prayed!!! It was literally the first time she had ever had the confidence to pray.  She felt the spirit so strong too.  She recognized it as the spirit and it was such an amazing experience!!  They also have decided that they want to get married here in the next week!!! No way!! Miracles are happening all over!  I love it!!  After That we were soo excited!  But we have been so busy we havent had the opportunity to go back since.. It's soo hard to try and find that balance.  Friday came and I had the opportunity to go on an exchange with Elder Jeske!!  He is such a humble elder.  We wound up having 2 members coume out with us and found 4 new investigators to teach!  They are such awesome elders.  We helped their inv to recognize the spirit and instantly tears came to their eyes.  There is no doubt in my mind.  This Gospel is so true!!  So many amazing places and experiences.  I love the lord I love this church.  I love these people.  The spirit fills my whole body and it is great.  I am so thankful to be a missionary.  I love you all.  

Elder Cornejo

Oh and I completely forgot to mention we went to a Nigerian Church!!!!!!!!!!  It was absolutly crazy!!!  We walk in because we are teaching a pastor from nigheria and apparently he has been to israel and all over the world!  So we walk in and there is this african american woman just pounding on the drum set.  I do not know how it is withholding th blows.  Imagine this, there are about 3 people in the room the christian preacheret! then our inv from nigeria and a random guy waving his arm just mumbling words into a microphone There is a 98 year old women infront of us sitting down and it is just a slow beat... well Our nigerian preacher investigator asks us, hey do you know how to play the drums? Elder LEavitt says I do.. So he goes up there, re aranges the drum set and starts throwing down a beat.  Elder Ashby and I get tamboreans and we are just keeping up with the beat and singing and dancing for 2 hours!! Everyone starts going crazy!!!! The looved it!  More and more people are filing in and all of a sudden the 98 year old lady stands up!!! Then the preacher woment says hold on hold on I want yall to know a miracle just happened here a Miracles!! This 98 year old women just stood up!!!!!  I have never seen her do that!!  A MIRACLE just took place here!!!!  Then the 98 year old women turns around and says  Its because you you 3!!!!  I feel something different when you 3 are here!!!!!!!!  So then everyone just goes in an uproar!!!!  It was awesome!! We continue to sing and dance!!  Then when she preaches! she just gets soo pumped up and says I WANT YOU TO KNOWTODAY SOMEBODY's GONNA GET THEIR HEAD CHOPPED OFF.  TODAY SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET STABBED BECAUSE OF THEIR CHRISTIAN BELIEF.  WE MUST GO INTO THE WORLLD A PREACH HIS GOSPEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  After going crazy for about 30 min we say i'm sorry we have to leave... then we get called up infront of the whole congregation and she gives us a blessing!!!  She then "Dusts" the persecution off our body's..Then sends us on our way.  One of the most memorable experiences of my mission haha

Week 82

So i have had so many crazy fun experieces this last week!  Ah the spirit has been so strong and we are working super hard.  So last Monday since we are in a trio we had to buy crazy joggers and cat shirts and that is the reason for that bathroom picture.  Tuesday night  we had one of the most amazing lessons with our investigator part member family named carlos and Viri!!  Ok so get how crazy this is, June 2015 Elder Leavitt and I taught this family.  The day before I was intermediate transfered i asked elder leavitt after an amazing lesson with them, I said why am i here now.  I cannot speak spanish.  And they are some of the most amazing people i have met!!  Well now its a year later and the spanish branch gets disolved so now there is no branch here so the hispanics come to our ward!!  And with the ward boundaries they just happen to live in our ward  boundaries!!  SO now we get to teach them again!!!!!!  What are the odds of that.  And we had the most spiritual lesson with them and Viri finally understood why we need the priesthood and ordinances.  We resolved a couple of doubts.  The lord no doubt works in such amazing ways!!!  I am sooo excited to teach them.  So now we teach in engluish and spanish!!!!!1 

Thursday we had MLC and that is just the leadership of the mission gathering together which was a lot of fun, we got to help president lead out in counceling with the leaders on how to make the mission better and more effective. it was a really neat experience. that night it was bad, we get to the door and realize that we didn't have the house keys. no bueno. So my companion Elder Ashby is like dying, mucus is just giving him the worst headache of his life, Elder Leavitt is like going to pee his pants,  and after serving in baltimore for 9 months and being with elder scott get my wallet out and bust in after about 20 min...thank the heavens we did not lock the deadbolt. but the keys weren't in the house, they were left in the cup holder of the car.. yeah. it was all in vain. but so hilarious...

I did a team up with a district leader and his companion for a day in york also. so after the exchange, the 5 of us met up at a pizza buffet and had a contest. Elder ashby ate 19 pizzas and then I had to eat 20 pieces just to spite him. We always challenge each other by saying "you wont" and it just gets way insane! that night there was no toilet paper left in the house, the man on exchanges there used it ALL. how could you use 2 whole rolls? we will never know. but we had to go to the mission office and that is only 2 minutes away and so we just planned there that night to. well after we have these random balloons in our car, so one flies out as the door opens so Elder Ashby has to chase it down. As he runs to get it, Elder LEavitt Tells me to drive off.  The last thing i see is Elder Ashby sprinting after the car.  He almost caught up but it was to no avail.  We got back and it was probably the funniest thing of life.  AS you can tell we have a ton of fun but the miracles just keep coming.  We are teaching a lot of people and hope they will be at church next week.  I hope you have an amazing week!

Elder Cornejo 

Week 81

Well this week has been one of the most crazy weeks of my mission.  We have been soo busy!!  It started off with saying goodbye to the members in the Baltimore MD stake spanish ward.  Wednesday transfers came and i felt like a lost puppy... We had to watch different car videos so I could drive the truck and the van, then take a test on those, then we were running around missionary bikes, packages and such all over the mission.  We finally got to the mission home around 7:00pm where we stayed with the going home missionaries until 5:30am waiting for president to do interviews then driving the missionary luggage to the airport then getting home around 7:00am where we just crashed until 2pm.. Thats where the real fun began!  IT has been such an adventure.  We now teach in english to American people and the culture is sooo different.  We have this investigator named Dave who doesnt belive in god.  We asked him, well what is your relationship with god.. He replies well imagine a triangle. Easy right now imagine it's blue still easy.. now imagine a circle that's yellow super easy.  Now i want you to imagine a blue yellow oragne triangle cirlce square looking thing... cant do it right... That's god for me....

Well this should be fun.  We asked him to say the prayer, he starts off with saying... Dear Spiritual dad, aka heavenly father.... it was awesome!  I love dave, he is just a punk!  I feel like he has soo many similar questions to what i had!  Now i'm on the other end and we try to start with the basics but he just asks a milliiion questions... How can we answer all these?  It's the best!!  Afterwards we had an old chinese man steal our cart from walmart, put it away, then hold his hand out for money... I was soo confused, luckily he was satisfied with $0.25...

The next day, we met our "investigator" Andre  First thing he says to me... You look like one of those big buff guys in the horror movies who was running away from the bad guy... Excuse me what?  We continue talking and he "warns me to be carful" About all the women out here in Baltimore county.  They arent like the women in california... Then right as we are testifying of the gospel, He says, Dang You look like Justin Timberlake!!!  

Wow i guess i'll take the complement...

So now my companions die of laghter and call me justin... 

Soo many great experiences this week.  LAst night we had dinner with president Christiansen and his family.  I just know they are soo inspired and truly are called of god.  This assignment is going to be great.  I am going to do my best to serve the way the lord wants and am so excited for all of the new experiences i am going to have.  OH bth we put a man from nigeria named Kunly on Date!!  Pray for him.  He is awesome!! Hope you have a great week!

Elder Cornejo

Week 80

Well I don't have much time today,

News' This last week was so great, We went to the hospital in baltimore to give comfort to a man that had diabetes and it was the most excrusiating thing i think i have ever seen in my life..This man's arms and legs stoped having blood circulate through them so they stopped working and now they have died.  So he is literally half of a rotting corps who is fully awake and active... They are going to amputate his limps here soon.. On one hand the bone is coming thru the skin.  As we gave this man a blessing the love that i felt for him was unreal and it allowed me to feel of the love that our savior Jesus Christ has for him.  Alma 7:11-14 took on a whole new meaning.  The savior literally suffered it all for us and he knows our sicknesses as well.  Well I'm getting transfered!  Ellicott City English work  Should be great!  I hope you have a great week!

Elder Cornejo

Week 79

Well another great week here in Baltimore!  Conference was absolutely amazing.  I loved listening to all the apostles and the Prophet.  I remember sitting in the session as we watched them all in Spanish and just taking a step back and not only listening to what they were saying but paying attention to how I felt as they were speaking.  The power of the spirit was so deep in my heart that there is no doubt that these men have the authority to speak for god as if he were here.  I have been learning that as we prepare to hear the words of the prophets and for our spiritual meetings such as the sacrament, what we take away from the meetings will be so much greater.  It is all about our own personal preparation.  

Well this week was a sad week.  We had ups and downs.  The down's, We lost Misael and his Family.  We have literally been praying every day multiple times a day for this family.  Ester told us the past sunday that she wanted to be baptized and change her life.  She told us she wanted to have contact with us even if we were transferred.  Tuesday came and she said come back on wedneday.  Wednesday they werrent there... We called and texted, no answer... Saturday came... We decided to just show up at their house... Ester came in asked if we had called misael, we said no.. She said well I am sorry I have to go to work.. Her husband comes up the stairs and says that Ester just went to her evangelical church.. Misael texts and says he needs a break... We ask ourselves.. "What Happened?"  After all the miracles. After we watched the spirit testify to them,  Them cry in their seats saying they knew the book of Mormon is true and that joseph smith is a prophet.  Telling us they want to have contact forever.  and within one day we lost them??  I have been pondering this experience for a week now, trying to figure out what the lord has in mind for us to learn.  Why??  The only conclusion that I can come to is that this truly is the lord's work.  He will do his work on his time and we can only be instruments in his hands.  Our job is to invite as Elder Anderson Said in this last conference along with Elder Oaks, this is the time for members and missionaries to come together and invite.  To have missionary experiences.  It is our job as members to testify of what we know and to believe it.  Our friends may turn away, but those that accept it will be forever grateful like myself.  I have been changed by the doctrine of Christ.  I hope that each one of you will have a missionary experience this week and involve the full time missionaries.  They need your help so bad!!  Testify and your faith will grow. I promise :)

Elder Cornejo

Week 78

Well there goes another week!  Time flies!!

Well a couple of cool experiences happened this last week.

1) We were helping this less active try and gain a testimony to do missionary work.  We were trying to apply what Elder Gay had told us and let everyone know that their answer to ever question in the world is in the book of mormon!  So this la didnt really believe that the Bom was the word of god.  Her parents arent members and so we said think about what you want, read the book and try and find your answer.. Well about a week later she came up to us and said, Elders, YOU are never going to believe what just happend to me?  We said what?  She said, last night in my dream god answered my prayer!!!!  She says I was back in my country in Honduras.  I was living in the streets and it was so dangerous.  Everyone was killing each other, selling drugs, Doing bad stuff etc.. So i climed this wall to get away from it all.  I climed a wall and when i got to the top, I reached the temple that i had seen their in honduras...  There was a women there and she said dont worry, As long as you are in the temple you will be safe... She then felt the confirmation of the Holy ghost.  Afterwards the women in her dream gave her a Book of Mormon and told her she had to read it and that it was the word of god....

The lord truly works in mysterious ways.. She told us I know now what I have to do!  It was suuch a cool experience!

An update from the Garcia Family, they are getting tempted left and right.  Go figure... They all of a sudden have to work on sundays and now they are attending their old church.  We watched the change in their faces.  The desire as the Holy Ghost decended over them and they were so willing to change but they have been talking to "people"  So we pray that we don't lose them.  There always seems to be something... We had such a spiritual lesson of the restoration but they seem to believe that their is no need to repent and that everyone is a prophet and has the authority to baptize... This is definately an interesting case... She's married to another man but living with this one.... But we are staying positive, seeing miracles and trying to teach with the spirit.  I hope you all have a great week!

Love

Elder Cornejo

Week 77

Wow what an incredible week!!  We had Elder Dallin H Oaks come visit the mission.  In general conference he is so serious but when you meet him in person he is so funny!!  There is no doubt in my mind that he is a true apostle called of the lord.  The expeirence in meeting all of these apostles and talking with them is an experience of a lifetime!!

So we had a pretty cool experience with a family we are teaching.  They are literally the most prepared family i have ever met!!  They have the sweetest questions and are always wanting to know more.  So the parents are in their late 50's early 60's and Their names are Esther and Victor.  Their son's name's are Misael, Victor and Luis.  Their daughters name is Jimena.. Misael is living with his girlfriend named Andrea.  They want to get married but Andrea is married to someone else in Guatamala...  Luis is dating a girl named Paola and we are literally teaching the whole family!  The most solid right now are Esther and Misael.  IT is definatley a wild ride.  We were in a lesson with Misael last week and oh man it was the most spiritual lesson i have ever seen, had in my entire life!!  We had prepared a lesson to teach Alma 32, but the whole time Misael was just staring off in the distance...  So right after the prayer I turn to my companion and tell him hey we cant teach what we prepared...  He says, I know...  So we start talking to them and find that Misael is really struggling.  He begins to cry.  We explain that just as jesus christ we are here to suffer with him.  We begin to tell a story about to misioneras and their investigator.  Their investigator had been going through a rough time in her life.  With the burdens of school, work adn family problems, she couldnt bare add any more with learning so much about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  So one day while in a lesson, barefooted this girl just gets up and starts running away... The missioneras run after her.. At this point she is crying and says just let me be.  The misioneras say let us run with you.  So they take off their shoes and run with this girl until all three of their feet are bloodied and bruised.  Afterward this girl turns to the misioneras, with tears in her eys and says, Thank you, thank you for loving me enough to feel my pain.  At this, the spirit was so strong, Hno Xochihua (miember friend) Begins to testify and to cry about how he and his wife are going thru a tough time in their life and cannot have children..  He empathyses with mMisiael.  In the end, We read Alma 7:11-16 and Misael was applied the scripture to himself.  He was crying and thanking god for answering his prayers.  He knows he has to repent,  He knows he has to change and we had the opportunity to watch god yet again answer another prayer with the book of mormon.  This book has so much spiritural power.  Now we are praying for them to help them reach a baptismal date and change their lives... Oh man i have so many storryes of things i learned this week but i hope each of you can ask a question and then search the Book of Mormon for an answer.  The book really does come from god so any question you ask, He will answer through the book.  I hope you all have a great week!

Love

Elder Cornejo

Week 76

Wow what a crazy week!!  So we just keep seeing miracle after miracle and it is hard to remember them all.  This past week went by insanely fast!!  The Garcia family is still progressing, but they need to keep reading and praying to strengthen their converson.  Something that we have been learing is that when a person recieves their first witness from the spirit they don't need to keep praying to know if it's true, they already have recieved a witness, but to encourage them to continue looking to feel of the truthfulness of this gospel.  

I would have to say that the highlight of this week what when the seventy Elder Robert C Gay came and spoke to our zone in a zone conference.  I have never been more convinced of the truthfulness of this gospel and the pure spirit that these leaders have with them.  Elder Gay told us, you can only convert your investigator as far as you are converted.  Zone Leaders, You can only convert your zone as much as you are converted, And also Bishops and their councelers, you can only convert you're ward as far as you yourselves are converted.  That really put a lot of pressure on the leaders, but it just goes to show how converted the prophet and apostles are to be able to lead and recieve inspriation from Jesus Christ to lead this church.

Week 75

Ok so I don't have too much time but would love to tell you about one of the most crazy experience my companion and i have ever had.  Last night, We literally had 5 members all lined up to come out with us to go teach the Garcia Family but they all had to cancel..  The Garcia family is amazing.  We called Esther and she said, I am not home but my husband is and so is Andrea.. So we say ok we will go even tho we have no member to drive us...So another problem is, that it is a holiday, which means an hour bus wait..  Well we finally get to their house, knock the door, their huuge pitbul starts barking but nobody answers us.. Are you kiiding me... So we walk away thinking ok maybe next time we dont want to bother them on a holiday..  Well as we are waiting for the bus to take us back Ester and her daughter Jimena drive up and say hey elders, nobody answered the door?  We say no idk if anyone is home... She says yeah my husband is home come on over.. So as we are walking to the house we review our plan #setgoalsandmakeplans pmg... We say well she wasn't at church, we need to answer her question about what the beasts mean from Daniel chapter 7 teach the apostasy and invite them to be baptized...  So we go in and sit down with the family... We start talking about how she didnt come to church and really it is sad when we dont keep our commitments because that's what's god's asked us to do.. We then start teaching about the formation of christ's church and the apostasy and that's where Daniel's dream comes into play as he sees the 4th beast.  That 4th beast is just as undefined as it's animal... He sees the 10 horns that each resemble a kingdom that will be formed and then he sees a little horn which literally symbolizes the great and abominable church but undefinable which church he is refering to that nefi refers to in 1 nephi 22: 13-18.  We start reading that and testifying that we know that the book of mormon is true through the power of the holy ghost.  As soon as Esther started reading those verses from the book of mormon, I had the privelege of watching god work through us and through his scriptures to testify to her that the book of mormon was truly the word of god.  She instantly broke into tears as she started reading the book of mormon and found the answer that she had been looking for for so long.  We then were able to help her recognize that that was an answer to her prayer.  I have never felt the spirit so strong and throughout the lesson as this lesson. The change in her expression and the tears in her eyes, the atmosphere, everything changed. The lord truly changed her and she new it.  She felt it. She recognized the spirit and that comforted her to know that everything we were saying was true and from god.  It was one of the most amazing things i have ever seen.  She then told us that she felt that she needed to be baptized by immersion to complete what heavenly father wants of her.  She wants to go to church but is nervous that she doesnt know enough yet.  She has so much faith and has been battling cancer and it has just been a journey teaching this family... 

I cannot explain sufficiently with words how amazing this experience was.  Again we were able to witness a miracle as the spirit descended over her and completely testified of truth.  God is so real and the book of mormon is so true.  She was looking and because she was searching and asking thru prayer, god answered her.  Can you imagine if we would of gotten a ride from a member, we would of left right away.. Or if the ppl would of answered, we would have taught someone else and not ester, but god lead us to that exact moment to where we needed to be simply because he truly loves each on of his childminder.  Crazy.  I love you all.  Have a great week!!

Elder Cornejo

Week 74

Blog:

Well This is the only Picture that i have of Johnathon's baptism as of right now... the rest are still comming... hhaha We had a good time.  His Brother Joel was able to baptize him and then yesterday give him the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  Everytime i see someone enter into the waters of baptism it strengthens my testimony because i know that the spirit is so real.  That the feeling that they feel is so real and that there is no way this gospel can be made up.  Well transfers are this week.  I am staying in Baltimore with Elder Southwick!!  I am soo happy!  Literally the best area with the best companionship!!  We have a ton of fun.  Yesterday.  Misael and his girlfriend Andea came to church.  You will literally not believe this family.  Im not even kidding the spirit that we feel in each lesson the questions that they have, oh man I feel like i am sent right back to when i recieved the lessons.  She askes us about Daniel, so i literally had to go back and read the entire book of Daniel to understand where her questions come from... now they are onto asking us questions about revelations.. I have never been edified so much as i am in the lessons that we have with this family.. Last night we decided to teach the plan of salvation, the second half and you would not believe the things i learned.  Literally these lessons are so inspired that we teach..  The plan of salvation literally explains what she was reading right out of revelations... The milenium the second ressurection,  All this stuff that is in the bible it explained sooo clearly with the book of morrmon and the 3 lessons, the restoration plan of Salvation and Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am soo convinced by the spirit and by the doctrine that we teach that if all the people in the world would just listen to the true doctrine that is explained in those 3 lessons, , the entire world would change... the reason for it being so bad is because people dont want to listen and don't want to change.  But the people that do truly are the elect that the scriptures profeci and that we will see in the first ressurection.  I am so grateful for this gospel and the happiness that it brings to families if each will abide by its precepts!!  In other words, if we love god, we will keep his commandments and DO the things he has asked being, Faith, repentance, baptism by immerson and authority, recieving the gift of the hg by authority and enduring with faith and hope until the end.  I am soo certain that if we were to share our testimonies with just one person a week, in time the angels of heaven will prepare their hearts and they will change.  There is only one way to the father and that is through Jesus Christ and obedience to those 4 commandments.  I am so gratful not only for the lives of those around me bbut for the change i have seen in my life and for the eternal progression that is to come.  I pray that each will desire the same. :)  I love you!

Elder Cornejo

We had the change to race at the autobond gocart race track today.  My homie Adrian representing the California shirt!!  It was soo fun!  It felt sooo good to be able to wear a helmet, soo close to dirtbiking, but not quite!!  

Week 73

Another awesome week.  So many things are happening here in Baltimore we can hardly keep up with them all!!  It is so crazy.  Well we have been teaching this family Enrique and Lizet.  We had one of the most spiritual lessons with them this week but they decided they were happy living where they are at right now and don't really want to change Or get married...  Plus Enrique is apparently married to another woman in Mexico and living with Lizet who is 22 years younger than him... so I guess that makes sense.. But it was super sad to decide we would have to stop teaching them for a while, but after that we literally met the coolest family ever!!  They are from Hidalgo Mexico.  They were soo close to coming to church but had to work... Dang.. But we were teaching them and the spirit was so strong, by far one of the most spiritual lessons Elder Southwick and I have had together.  It's so weird that even though we get along so well, He's one of my best friends on the mission that its still hard to find that perfect balance in teaching together, saying the right things at the right moment and so on.  But we have another lesson with them tonight.  They took out their note books and were just writing down the things we said and they just loved it!  Such a blessing...

Jonathon should be getting baptized this Sunday, so we are praying that everything goes well with that and that we can continue to see him and help him prepare for a mission here in a couple of years.  It is so amazing how many people are prepared and how close his coming must be.  Yet no one knows how close he is.  I love this mission because I have the change to see and help and learn how to work with soo many different people.  Sometimes it stinks, learning all of your weaknesses but I hope and pray that one day, I can overcome them.  Something that I have rally been studying this week is just how perfect the life of Christ really was.  He set the example by action for all of us.  Our purpose in this life is to develop faith in him and repent daily.  Repent means  return, return to Christ...  I think that is the key of life to continue repenting, developing our faith thru our actions and helping others come to the knowledge that Jesus Christ truly is our savior.  So grateful for all the people that the lord has put into my life at this time.  I hope you have a great week!

Elder Cornejo 

Week 72

Well just another great week here in Baltimore.  

Crazy thing:  We say a crazy drug deal!!!  Literally 2 feet from us, within 2 seconds the crack was passed.  I feel so bad for the people here, that's all they do.. There is no hope.  As we walked a little further down the road, we came across someone that was already feeling the affects of the drugs.. She was passed out on the bricks infront of her house, looks like she wasn't able to make it inside ontime last night... poor girl and we kept walking...

Miracle of the week we found some of the coolest people to teach.  Everything lined up perfectly!!  So we went to teach a couple of menos activos but it was like 1:00pm and nooo one was home.  So we decided we would contact the referral that some other missionaries gave us.  So we set out not having a GPS, the onlything we had was the address and we were in Baltimore!!  That's like finding a needle in a hay stack!  So we journed and all of a sudden we see a member from out ward.. he needs some help!  So we help him and realize hey he has a phone with a gps... so we look up the address and think we've got the right address and so we set out in that direction.. Well we kind of have an idea of where to go, but get lost... All of a sudden, the missionaries that gave us the referral show up and they are 45 min from their house!!  Soo crazy we find them!  So we ask the, and they give us more directions.. We walk towards the house and come across another man and talk to him for a while.  He's not really interested but loves fishing... so we continue on our way to finally come across the house we had been looking for and it turns out that they just got home!! It was so awesome!!  They are such awesome people from guatamala and the timing worked out perfectly.  It was another great reminder that everything is on the lord's time and he is always their to guide us even when it seems like we are on wrong roads.

The temple was absolutely amazing!  We had the change to go thru and it was in spanish1  And it turns out that that same day, All of the branch from Frederick was there because one of their members was preparing to leave for her mission on Tuesday.. Oh man the spirit that we felt in the temple was something that I feel like I have never experienced before!!  It was sooo strong and I understand every word in the endowment in the temple.  Anyone who goes to the temple will know by the Holy Ghost that it truly is on sacred ground blessed by someone who had the proper authority from god.  I know this church is the complete church of Jesus Christ on the earth because it has the fullness of the gospel on the earth today and I am so lucky to be able to be apart of it.  If you ask the lord he will tell you.  I hope you have a great week

Elder Cornejo

Week 71

Wow what a crazy week.  We were all over the place!  We have been seeing so many miracles!!  This past week we were talking with our investigator named Jonathon.  He is 16 and his brother Joel was baptized a couple of years ago.  He actually just went with the youth group to Palmyra to see where Joseph Smith had the first vision.  Afterward he told us, "I was praying to know if I should be baptized and I felt this excitement of emotion in my soul.  I know this is what the lord wants me to do.  Can you teach me how to pray?"  I looked to my companion and was like, there is no way that just happened!! haha  Miracles happen everyday, we can hardly keep up! Arly, the daughter of Maria Isabel desires to come unto the fold as well and we are just meeting new people from all over the world everyday!  

We met this new family from Equador that Alvin and Briggit introduced us too and they made us pancakes!! I was so happy.  It has been soo long since we've eaten pancakes!! 

So crazy Baltimore story of the week, we got a call from Jose Gotay, they guy I taught from Puerto Rico when I was in Frederick last February.. It turned out his girlfriend who we had taught as well came down with some pretty bad cancer... She was admitted at the hospital in Baltimore and we went to visit her.. Long story short she had the surgery and is fine now but we liteally walked all over Baltimore trying to find where she was to give her a blessing... On our way to he hospital we find a guy sitting outside on a few stairs and he looks like he is about to pass out.  Then we see blood all over the ground surrounding him...  There was so much blood in on his arm and the stairs were just covered.. We later realized that he had pulled an IV out of his arm and was bleeding out right in front of the Hospital.. So we went inside and they were like oh ya he is fine he was just here,,, then we said.. actually their is blood everywhere!!!!  I guess it was a good thing he was so close to the hospital.. haha I am so grateful for the plan of salvation and the fortune that I was able to be born to a good family with people surrounding me.  I ask myself everyday how did I get so lucky!!  Anyway that just about raps it up.  Hope you all have a great week!

Elder Cornejo

Week 70

Well there goes another week.  This week went by soo quickly!  We were literally in meetings everyday this past week!!  I can't believe it.  Tomorrow we have to instruct in Zone Training and we have barely had a second to breath!!  I got sick this last week so was dying in our meeting on Friday that lasted from 9:00am to 4:30pm in Frederick.  It was so awesome to be able to go back there for the day but sadly I didn't get to see any of the people.  I love them so much!  I am so grateful I servered there for so long.  Baltimore has been a trip this last week.  Nothing too crazy happened just the typical leaner falling out of their seat on the metro... what do they even take??  This last week was Elder Southwick's (my comp's )Birthday!!  Saturday we had so many ppl that we have been teaching come and celebrate his birthday with Carne Asada, and all that delicious hispacic food.  He even got the tres leches cake!  So fun!! I'll have to send pictures!!  but most spiritual event that happened this week would have to be a tie between the baptismal interview I conducted with Hno Ventura's brother from Frederick and the family home evening we had at Alvin and Briggit's house!!  It is probably one of the most amazing things to see the people that we have just taught and enterered into the waters of baptism feel and watch the holy ghost change their lives and see them turn around and do that same thing in helping their friends to do the same thing.  They see that truth light and happiness that the gospel of jesus Christ brings into their life and they invite those that want to hear it into their homes and to feel of the difference in spirit that is there.  IT is such an amazing and powerful witness that this truly is the lord's work and we are just instruments in his hands.  I am so grateful to be a missionary and all the connections, friends and experiences I have had to truly know that this is the truth.  I love you.  Have a great week!

Elder Cornejo

Week 69

My crazy companion and ex companion 

Wow this week went by so fast!  I can't belive another transfer cycle has come and gone.  The good news is, we get to stay here in Baltimore for another transfer!!  At the end of this transfer I will have been serving in Baltimore for 7 months!  How did I get so lucky!!  Well we are teaching Maria Isabel's daughter,  We have set her to be baptized on the 13 of August.  You won't believe the change that has taken place in her life.  She is just the most amazing girl.  She is 11 years old but super smart.  Next we are working with the rest of the family and praying that they desire to get married and baptized.  So many miracles here in Baltimore..  

So this week we decided to join the sister of Maria Isabel in her church.  It was a penacostal church.  Let me just say it was the best thing ever.  I will admit it was a little hard on the ears but it was a party!!  Elder Southwick and I just sat there with gaping mouths as we watched people dancing and this one 5 year old boy rolling down the isle.  Maybe he was "caught up in the spirit" as well?  Ramona (our inv) just clapped and had the best time so that was pretty cool.  She just loves to know about god... I feel really bad tho because when they started playing the piano and this guy started singing everyone started going absolutely crazy.  They were dancing hands in the air.  Then we saw this one lady who had her hands in the air and was just doing circles...There were 4 ppl surrounding her so she didn't hit any ppl or walls.. she was "caught up in the spirit"  He was literally running aound hitting ppl.. I was laughing sooo hard I couldn't help myself, but apparently it was supposed to be serious and it was a very sacred thing because she had "received the gift of the holy ghost".  So naturally I had to share the scripture from the Acts 8 that states: 

 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

One can only receive the holy ghost if it was received by the authority of god with the laying on of hands after baptism.  So...

We will see if they want us to come back... but man what an experience of a lifetime.  We have been seeing so many great things happen and there is so much to do.  I hope you all have a great week. 

Week 69

My crazy companion and ex companion 

Wow this week went by so fast!  I can't belive another transfer cycle has come and gone.  The good news is, we get to stay here in Baltimore for another transfer!!  At the end of this transfer I will have been serving in Baltimore for 7 months!  How did I get so lucky!!  Well we are teaching Maria Isabel's daughter,  We have set her to be baptized on the 13 of August.  You won't believe the change that has taken place in her life.  She is just the most amazing girl.  She is 11 years old but super smart.  Next we are working with the rest of the family and praying that they desire to get married and baptized.  So many miracles here in Baltimore..  

So this week we decided to join the sister of Maria Isabel in her church.  It was a penacostal church.  Let me just say it was the best thing ever.  I will admit it was a little hard on the ears but it was a party!!  Elder Southwick and I just sat there with gaping mouths as we watched people dancing and this one 5 year old boy rolling down the isle.  Maybe he was "caught up in the spirit" as well?  Ramona (our inv) just clapped and had the best time so that was pretty cool.  She just loves to know about god... I feel really bad tho because when they started playing the piano and this guy started singing everyone started going absolutely crazy.  They were dancing hands in the air.  Then we saw this one lady who had her hands in the air and was just doing circles...There were 4 ppl surrounding her so she didn't hit any ppl or walls.. she was "caught up in the spirit"  He was literally running aound hitting ppl.. I was laughing sooo hard I couldn't help myself, but apparently it was supposed to be serious and it was a very sacred thing because she had "received the gift of the holy ghost".  So naturally I had to share the scripture from the Acts 8 that states: 

 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

One can only receive the holy ghost if it was received by the authority of god with the laying on of hands after baptism.  So...

We will see if they want us to come back... but man what an experience of a lifetime.  We have been seeing so many great things happen and there is so much to do.  I hope you all have a great week. 

Week 68

Well this week was great!!  Ok funniest thing happened last night.  We were with the Familia Arismendi and they have the parents and then 3 kids, 2 of which are sealed in the temple.  We had the opportunity to read Mosiah 2:41 with them. 

 It states: 

41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

We decided to hold a testimony meeting and ask which commandment have you seen bring this state of never-ending happiness into their life,  Well after the majority had testified, Ketty who is 3 years old right in the middle of her mom's testimony as she is crying and testifying of the temple and the love she has for her children she, the little girl picks up 2 egg halves and puts them to her chest and starts walking around saying, "look now I have a chest like mommy"  

Everyone just about died laughing... what timing!!!  Pete the father says, "I have never been more proud of my little girl"  The incoence.. :)

But as we continued to talk it seemed like as each member testified of a certain commandment, each person had realized that even though that commandment was hard to live in the moment, it really had brought immense joy into their lives.  Then it hit me.  It really is a privilege to be able to live the commandments of the lord.  Paying tithing can be considered a privilege because it really does bring that happiness into our live when we are able to see the blessings of the lord.  Serving a mission walking in the hot sun and being rejected and lied to numerous times is a privilege.  Why?  Because that one moment for that one person that excepts this message and lets god change their heart forever is one of the most amazing blessings I have ever seen.  Watching people have the privilege of going to the temple after keeping the commandments of the lord really is the purpose of this life and to bring others there.  I am soo grateful for this privilege I have to serve my lord, and my father because it truly is a privilege.  I hope and encourage all to look at their priesthood duties as so.  I know this message really brings joy into ppls lives and I am so grateful for the ppl I have had to share it with and watch that never ending happiness really come into their life when they choose to follow the commandment of baptism.  It is such a blessing and we are so blessed.  I love you all so very much.  Have a wonderful week.

Elder Cornejo

I think we have way too much fun!  From Hiking to the temple, to encouraging the youth serve missions to helping people experience the most joy one can ever experience in this life!!  Missions are so awesome!

Week 67

I literally have zero time to write anything anymore.  We have been so busy.  I love it.  I can't even remember what we did last week!  Yesterday, we had some of the most amazing experiences that I have ever had in my mission.  We put Arly on date!  She chose the 13 of August to be baptized.  I pray that I can stay in Baltimore for that wonderful day.  Also, we had the most amazing lesson with Arly's and this morning.  She is from the Dominican Republic and she is so smart and has so much faith.  It really is amazing how much the Lord prepares his people.  She literally quoted genesis to us this morning and then when we started talking about Adam and Eve, she quoted 2 Nefi 2: 21-25 without ever reading it.  She just felt that if Adam hadn't eaten of the fruit, we wouldn't of been able to use our full agency, so he had to eat of the fruit so we could choose between good and evil.  I was absolutely shocked.  Then she started talking about how she wants us to help her family and she is just so amazing.  After that we started talking about temples.  Wow  it hit me for the first time today how truly important the temple is.  Rudy and Saida called me up this last week and told me that they had finished the temple prep class and are preparing to go thru the temple to be sealed as a family in February.  I look at the blessings of my mission and when I was there in front of Ramona, the spirit opened my understanding to really the reason that we baptize is so that people can go thru the temple and feel of that happiness.  Never in my life have I felt such a happiness than when I was in front of Ramona, testifying of Rudy and Saida being able to be baptized then in the future go thru the temple to be seald as a family.  LAst week I was trying to figure out what brings true happiness.  In that moment as I held the temple picture infront of Ramona and her family that I truly was able to understand our purpose in this life and the pure joy that alma talks about in the scriptures.  I have never felt anything like it in my life.  I am so grateful for this mission and the way it changes lives.  I love you.  Have a great week

Elder Cornejo

Week 66

We went to the temple this week!!  Saturday and Sunday!!  It was sooo amazing!!  I seriously love these people so much!!