Week 45

Another Week just flew by!!

So Jose did not get baptized this last week and you won't even believe why.  Crazy stuff happens in spanish work!! haha but we are praying for next saturday and we will see!!  The lord works in such mysterious ways.  Well we picked up a couple new investigators this last week and are excited to teach them.  The hardest part is that everyone works like 80 hours a week and unless we can meet with these people 2-3 times a week, it is hopless in helping them to "progress" as Adam would say.  But we are working closely with the Branch members and everyone is so excited for the wedding of Rudy and Saida on the 23 of January.  This week I learned a lot of lessons.  One is that every single time we are so close to doing something good!  Something absolutely terrible always happens...  Its funny, i actually look for the bad thing now that is about to happen when we are about to teach the first vision or something like that, because it never ever fails!  Its ridiculous!!  But anyway we had a great week!  This week i am going to work on giving the assignment of having every member in our branch put a testimony that they have in the book of mormon and give it to someone that they really care about.  As I read the bible and the book of mormon, there are so many people that know so much more than i or my companion.  But truly the only way one can know of the things we teach is through the Spirit of God...  Everytime we try to explain things logically, it never fails that someone just wont understand, but when they have the spirit, the scales of darkness really do fall from their eyes and the can really see feel and understand the actuality and the truthfulness of the plan god has for each of us.  I hope you will have the desire to know for yourself: 

1 Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my fatherthat he was a just man—for he taught me in his language,and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—andblessed be the name of my God for it—  (Enos remembered the gospel truths he had heard in the past)

 2 And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had beforeGod, before I received a remission of my sins.  (He had to really pray)

 3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and thewords which I had often heard my father speakconcerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deepinto my heart.  (He MEDITATED and PONDERED the words he had heard)

 4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before myMaker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did Icry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.  (He had a true DESIRE to know and he put action behind it)

 5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.

 6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.

 7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?

 8 And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ,whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And manyyears pass away before he shall manifest himself in theflesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.  (HE was answered because he had FAITH)

Anyone can receive an answer in their lives but it is only if they want to receive it.  If you really want to know if this church is complete and true,  if you really want help in your life.  To feel free of Guilt and to experience a full joy that elsewhere no one can receive, ask god just as Enos did and i promise he will answer)  Nothing can hurt from asking... have a great week!!  

Elder Cornejo

Week 44

This last week was the craziest week i've had ever on my mission!!!!! Good and bad!!  But i guess I will start with the good! jaja Jose wants to be baptized!!  President Christiansen is the coolest president ever! and I learned more this week than i ever have!!

Met the coolest Monks in the temple visitor center... Is that even allowed for them!??? hahaha

showing me how to make tortillas!! By hand!

Rudy and Saida cooking outside!

Dinner at the Venturas!!

Avelino and his famous kings pizza!! It's soo good!! Best Pizza in the world!!!

Elder de Leon tryin to do my face...

baptism of kevin!!  He is such a stud!!!!!!

took Jose to the temple!! He is gonna get baptized this Saturday!! He is a stud!

Who new there were camels in Maryland!!?

Week 43

Let me just say that was such a wonderful Christmas! It was so good to be able to say hi to you all on Christmas!!  I hope you have a happy new year!  It's soo close! Super weird!  Well this week was soo full of miracles!  To start off Kevin was baptized!! Before the baptism, it was the craziest most stressful day on my mission!  We literally had to do everything.  We filled the font but the hot water only lasts for 10 min! and it takes 2 hours to fill! So we had it all filled and it was freezing!  So my comp went diving to pull the plug during church in this freezing cold water!  Then the phone fell in the font so we had to jump in again, I had to teach a lesson but we were stuck font diving so we didnt get to class on time, the members were mad at me! We were running around like crazy, investigators kept showing up then leaving, we were trying to get the tv and video all set up, then finally it was time for the baptism! We didn't get any pictures of Kevin in white cuz it was so crazy, but the program ran perfectly!!! IT was soooo spiritual and perfect  Kevin loved it!!! He said before the baptism, he was questioning whether it was the right thing to do or not.  But as he stood in the baptistery, looking at the font, he said he had a moment where it was like his mind was opened and He knew with out a doubt that this was the right thing for him!  He said he wasn't really sure if he had a testimony of the church but in that moment when he was baptized he felt the spirit so tremendously strong!!!  It is a testimony to me that god really is in this work.  We have taught Kevin, over and over and he knows the material, he has felt the spirit! But it was not until that leap of faith moment when the spirit truly touched him and grew his testimony a little more!  

It reminds me of a scripture from the book of Mormon

2Nefi 30:6 says

 6 And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a delight some people.

When we take a leap of faith and when we get the GIFT of the HOLY GHOST, that promise from god that we will have his spirit with us in all times and all places, the scales of darkness really do fall from our eyes and we can see the things that god wants from us!  Ah Kevin is the best!!!

I am so grateful for him and his family!  His sister has recently returned back to activity and is preaching the gospel to everyone she knows!  Her boyfriend has told our branch president that he wants to be baptized but the thing we are still working on them getting married,, any idea how to motivate someone to be married? :P haha...

The lord is so real!  He helps us everyday and I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve him.  Thank you all for your support.  Enjoy your families, enjoy life!  It is so good! Take nothing for granted.  One day it is there the next it may not be.  Commitment for the week for yall.  Will you appreciate every moment given to you this week?  I promise if you do life will be soo much better I love you!  Have a great week!! Happy New Year!!!!

Love,

Elder Cornejo

Week 41 & 42

No letter for Week 41 but we did find out he didn't get transferred and gets to stay in Franklin for Christmas. 

Week 42

Wow this week was so full of miracles!!!!!!  I wish i could explain all the wonderful things that happened this week, but there just isn't time and i know yall'd get bored! haha... So top 3!!

Kevin was supposed to get baptized last saturday but he drank coffee... awesome kevin.. yes we explained how important the word of wisdom is but he drank it 3 days before... And typically you should wait 10 days... So we called president and he gave us the decision to baptize him or to wait... Elder Honings and I prayed a lot... We felt like it would be such a wonderful experience for him if he waited to know just how important the word of wisdom is for his future!  So he will be baptized next sunday December 27!  He is sooo excited!!  

Rudy and Saida!!  Rudy wants to be married but doesn't know when!! Saida really wants to get married... We had such a sweet lesson with them thought.  Rudy felt the spirit so strong!  We told them, we have taught you everything, there isnt anything more to teach.. So we talked about marriage... before, Rudy was super against it... but now since he has been reading the book of mormon,  it has literally changed how he acts and his life for the better!  I would have never believed that a little book would have so much power... It is a testimony to me that this book,  the book of Mormon came from god.  There is no doubt...

Met another sweet guy his name is Franklin.  Franklin came to church last sunday!! Seriously!!  IT was sooo sweet!  And the questions he asked were soo inspired!! I love being able to be an instrument in the hands of the lord.  Franklin is so cool!!  He recently had an aunt pass away so now he wants to know what happened to her.  We are the message, but god is the teacher.  I do not think that is just limited to missionaries either.  Anyone can be the message... God will work thru us.  I feel weird talking like this sometimes, but to me god is not a religion... there will be no religion in heaven.  The things we teach are the truth.  The only truth because god is a god of order.  The reason why it is truth is because we have been given that authority to teach.  Without the authority, and might i add the same authority that Christ gave his disciples Matt 10:1.... we could not do these things.  There will be no religion in heaven... But it is important to be baptized here on this earth by the authority of god... God tells us no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of god... we being imperfect, how then can we live with him again.... By baptism by his authority and in and only though Jesus Christ... It is so logical, it is so spiritual and it is perfect.  We as his people and members are not but he is perfect.  

Commitment for this week.  I challenge each of you to ask him if this is his priesthood, if this is his authority and I promise you along side moroni that if you ask of these things in faith, in the name of jesus christ believing you will recieve, God promises us he will answer through the holy ghost!!  Try him.  He will always win!! haha

I love you all so very much.  I share these things because of the joy i feel and wish that you may feel as well.  Have a great week.  Merry Christmas.  And what a wonderful time of year to remember what Jesus Christ did for us.  Only through him may we live with god again.  I say that in the name of Jesus Christ Amen

Elder Cornejo

Week 40

Quote of the week:  

Working hard for, something we don´t care about is called STRESS

Working hard for, something we love is called PASSION

This week was soooo awesome!!!I have like no time to relay it all cuz I was sending pictures and some Elders don't have a car so we need to go pick them up... But wow last week was so awesome!  I love Frederick so much!  I don't wanna leave before christmas but it looks like i will :((.... So first off we got to go to the temple two times this week!! Crazy right!! Friday we took Axel for the first time.  As I was baptizing him, I thought how crazy is this!! but it was sooo amazing!!  We showed him around temple grounds and he was just like I feel so good, I just wish I could stay here forever!!  

Then Saturday evening came and wow what a great day!  So as you know we are teaching this family of Saida... I talk so much about them cuz I love them so much!  Well we have been teaching her younger brother Kevin as well as her boyfriend Rudy.  Last Wednesday we taught kevin about the importance of baptism and the holy ghost again and he always comes up with crazy questions about it but we told him to think and pray about it.  So Saturday came and we went over again and we read Ether 4 with him..

It says:  
 11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken,him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and heshall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit heshall know that these things are true; for it persuadethmen to do good.

 12 And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. Forbehold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and thetruth of the world.

 13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show untoyou the greater things, the knowledge which is hid upbecause of unbelief.

 14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall bemade manifest unto you how great things the Father hathlaid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and ithath not come unto you, because of unbelief.

 15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief whichdoth cause you to remain in your awful state ofwickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind,then shall the great and marvelous things which have beenhid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea,when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with abroken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know thatthe Father hath remembered the covenant which he madeunto your fathers, O house of Israel.

 16 And then shall my revelations which I have caused tobe written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes ofall the people. Remember, when ye see these things, yeshall know that the time is at hand that they shall be mademanifest in very deed.

 17 Therefore, when ye shall receive this record ye mayknow that the work of the Father has commenced upon allthe face of the land.

 18 Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and comeunto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in myname; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shallfollow them that believe in my name.

Come unto God and he will give you knowledge.  You will know it is him through the power of the holy ghost and only by the holy ghost you can recieve all things.  Now Kevin told us that he felt the Holy Ghost  and agreed to be baptized on the 19 of December!  The spirit was so strong!!!  It was soo awesome.  We could not do this work unless god was leading it.  It saddens me when people will not and do not believe, but those who are closed minded, god cannot touch their hearts because they don't let him.  But when they do, when they really want to know this message is true, we are just the guides to testify and to lead his children back to him...

As I was sitting in sacrament, Saida got up to bear her testimony!  So powerful!  She said, I know i have not been active in the church for a while.  Part of the reason was the guilt that i had in coming back... but I know now that the atonement is real.  And that no matter what, we can return back to live with god... She said before her life was just ok... now its almost perfect!  And of course she had to announce the baptism of her brother kevin on Dec 19 to the whole congregation hahaha... They are so excited and so greatful and we as missionaries feel soo good that we were instruments in the hands of the lord.  This is soo real.  I testify of it and I'm here because god has personally told me this is his work through the power of the holy ghost.  I encourage you all to seek that witness because the Holy Ghost really does testify of truth!  have a great week!!!