August 5, 2013

We met a family last night who has a 3 year old girl and she said she couldn't remember when her birthday was. I told her it was okay because sometimes I forget when my birthday is too... when her mom told her that her birthday was August 12th I got really excited! Guess what?! Thats my birthday too! So now me and her are best friends!!!

My dad asked some questions this week so I thought I would answer them...

What's been going on this week?

Oh you know, missionary work! We have had a busy week with Mission Leadership Council, exchanges with other sisters, and helping other sisters do their weekly planning sessions. We are working with an investigator who has epilepsy and just moved into a new place, and her house hasn't been straightened up yet. We told her that her physical environment affects her spiritual one, so she finally let us come and help her. So we spent an hour a few days helping her get her house straightened up! That was pretty fun! And then the usual, missonary work! We taught a lot of great people this week and are planning on having some more great lessons this week! People in Carmel are just eating this gospel up! I LOVE IT!!!

Are you traveling much?

This sisters that I am over are basically all in the Indy area. We have 2 sets of sisters in Fishers, which is only 15 minutes away from us, we have a set of sisters in Westfield who live with us... so we don't travel a ton for those. We have my last area, Indy 1st, so I went down to South Indy just last week and worked with the sisters there. And then we have sisters in Downtown Indy who are over the Indy YSA branch, and we have sisters in Avon, which is just west of Indy. So I don't travel too much, and actually this week we have 3 exchanges and SIster Donaldson will be going to all of their areas. We just figured out who we should exchange with and then if they should stay in their area, and it just worked out that I stay in Carmel a lot of the time! I'm not complaning though!!!

Do they call the area you work in a zone?

Yes. I'm in the Indy North Zone. Its also the Indy North Stake. The mission is split up into 6 stakes which make up our 6 zones.

How many sisters are in your mission now?

I don't even know anymore! When I got out there was I think 18 of us... but now there is over 40, and we get 10 more next transfer, and we are only losing 1... we will have up to 60 here really soon!

Tell us a bit about your new companion. I know she's on her last transfer, so how did you meet her and become such good friends even before serving together?

Remember WAY back in the day when I was in Lafayette and I had that lesson in Sister Carvers house where I threw up while I was on an exchange... Sister Donaldson was the sister I was with! She trained my MTC companion, so I knew her that way, and then we have gone on 2 exchanges before we became companions. When I was training 2 sisters, she was the only other sister in the mission who was training 2 sisters. I remember President Collins telling me, Sister Cordner... I know what you are doing is hard, not everyone can train two, but Sister Donaldson is doing it, and you are doing it, and I know that you can do it!!! So to have my mission president say I could do what Sister Donaldson was doing was such a compliment, because she is just the greatest missionary (besides my trainer Sister Stanford who was the greatest greatest!!!)

But yea... hope that answers your questions dad! This week has been great! We are totally taking missionary work and twisting everything up. President Cleveland just laid down the law in our last mission leadership council and told us we were changing things. We won't be tracting as much and we will be working with members a lot more. Last night we had two lessons with active members just to help their faith grow and to encourage them to do missionary work. The Lords Work is Hastening, and members need to catch on, or else the whole mission age change lowering is just going to go to waste. With all of the missionaries out here... we need to use them effectively, and President Cleveland thinks that us teaching members is the way to go! So that is what we will do! We had a sweet experience all ready where the 1st counsilor in the bishopric told us about his friend who has gone through a ton of sets of missionaries and never gained a testimony. He needs missionaries who will be bold and loving when extending committments, and he thinks we are the perfect pair to teach him. He is going to be invinting him to hear our lessons in his home this week! Oh I love it when members take an active role!!! FAMILY! You should invite the missionaries over and help them! Don't just give them a name of the neighbor, have the neighbor come to your house when the missionaries come over! Then they can meet and have lessons in your home! There is nothing better than the spirit of sharing the Gospel! I love it so much!!!

This week is going to be kinda crazy. We have 3 exchanges and a zone meeting to prepare for. We will be training on working with members! Kinda cool huh?!?! I just love being a missionary! Have a great week, and I will talk to you all when I am 22!!! Hahaha!

Sister Cordner

July 29, 2013

Oh my goodness, I LOVE THIS WORK!!! This week was filled, and I mean FILLED with miracles! Let me see... where do I start...

Tuesday was the Miracle day to start this miracle week. It started like this, a full day planned with lesson and service and good things... but then slowly EVERYTHING started to fall through. Appointments would fall through, service fell through... it was bad! But becasue of this we were able to do Plan B... or what we call Plan G. (Plan God, His plans are so much better than ours!)

We started the day trying a HQ referral (Which was a miracle in and of itself. Sunday night we prayed for a Headquarters referral, and on Monday we got one!) She wasn't home so we stayed in the area, and when we should have had a lesson, we started to leave, but then we saw the garage was open and a car was there, so we tried her again, and she was there that time! She let us in and we had a sweet lesson with her. She isn't interested in progressingly meeting with us, but it was still a super sweet experience.

We tried a Former Investigator that day and we were so excited to meet with them but they weren't home. We just found their teaching record at lunch and felt very prompted to go. But they weren't home.... later that day we tried to find a family who just sent their son on a mission and the Bishop wanted us to stop by them, and we just happened to be close because of where we were, and Sister Donaldson needed to use the restroom, so we didn't plan on it but we decided to go see this family. A beautiful black lady answers the door and we are pretty sure she isn't the member we were looking for, and she wasn't. But she started to talk with us, and she seemed pretty interested, she used to be a JW, and now she doesn't go to church. We had a sweet lesson with her right then! I know we were led to her.

After dinner we had a missed call and a voicemail. The voicemail was this lady who was asking if we could call her to set up a time to come over, she said, "Hi Sisters, you came over about 5 weeks ago and I was really busy but I would love to have you come over now, things have calmed down...." Turns out she is the Former Investigator we had found earlier that we felt so strongly to go visit!!! Honestly, Heavenly Father was just dropping us in exactly the places He needed us to be.... one more miracle on Tuesday...

We had an awkward 20 minutes where we didn't have solid plans and we were looking for a place to park so we could knock on some doors. The neighborhood we choose had no place to park, so we went behind the neighborhood and parked at some apartments. We just decided to knock there... and at the last door someone finally answered and looked kinda shocked. We did our whole... "We are missionaries for the Church...." and she said, "Yes, I'm a mormon..." Oh... you are?! She told us a little about how she joined but hasn't been in 2 years and has moved and hasn't heard from her visiting teachers and lots of things... but just last week her mom (Non member) asked why she doesn't go to church anymore, and she told her mom when missionaries knock on my door I will go back to church!?!?!? SERIOUSLY! It was nuts, we just looked at each other and almost started to laugh! Holy cow... God is SO GOOD!!!

We went on two exchanges this week and they were kinda hard, but good. I have been SO tired lately, more tired than I have been my whole mission, and exchanges don't help because its hard for me to fall asleep in a new place. But when we got back together we were ready to work hard. Sister Donaldson prayed yesterday morning for a miracle at church. Our progressing investigator has been REALLY sick, so we didn't think she would be there, and we just wanted to see a miracle. Well... Heavenly Father answeres prayers. He gives us HQ referrals when we ask for them, and He gives us miracles. A member pulled Sister Donaldson aside after Sacrament meeting while I was talking with someone else and said, "This is my daughter, she's a catholic, and she wants to learn more, and this is my X-Wife, her mom, and she too wants to learn more. Can you come teach them?" Sister Donaldson asked them and both of these people are honestly interested in learning more, and they were already at church, so we know its not just the dad saying you have to learn! And in RS they were particiapting and it was such a good lesson! So we saw another miracle, not what we were expecting, but its just so good!!!

I love it in Carmel SO MUCH! This area is beautiful (did you know it was voted the Number 1 place to live... look it up, its the truth!) The weather has been amazing, mid 70's with a slight breeze, the people are so rich but still so nice, and humble too! Honestly, its wonderful! I'd be fine finishing my mission here... I love it so much!!! My companion is the best, and we work together so well! I just love everything! And that was a super long email but we just had a super amazing week! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

Sister Cordner

July 22, 2013

This has been the best Transfers week ever! I got double transferred into the Carmel Ward. It takes all of Carmel and a little of North Indy. I still live off the 31, but now I have to drive South to see the Skyscrapers instead of driving North. Its such a nice part of town up here. The library I'm in right now is like an airport. No joke. SO FANCY! We have actually been spending a lot of time in Indy because we don't feel like we fit in in Carmel. We need to hit up the Goodwill to get nice Carmel appropriate clothes! haha. But really, its such a great area. We pass the temple site on our way to the church building. The members all seem so great. We have a ward mission leader who is on the ball! (Like all of mine have been, its just great to keep getting great leaders!) We have a sweet set up where we live on the same street as 4 other sets of missionaries, so its fun to see them out and about. We live by the office couple the Baileys, the AP's, and another set of elders and the sisters in another ward live with us. Its been so much fun! I'm with Sister Donaldson who is basically the rockstar missionary that everyone looks up to. When we found out we were going to be together we got so excited, and everyone was saying how we were going to blow Carmel up! We are so excited. We just hit the ground running, met with a ward missionary who gave us the 411 on the ward, and started meeting people. We live right around the corner from the Art District, so we walk down the street and PC people all the time! Its so much easier than knocking on doors, because when people are out and about they are more welcomed to listening to you than if you inturrupt their at home time. We have one SWEET investigator who we have met with or talked to almost every day since we've been here. She just lives down the street from us too, and she is so prepared. Only a matter of time with that one! She couldn't come to church this week because she felt so sick, but she watched HOURS of BYU TV and learned so much! Our lesson with her yesterday was so sweet. Oh my I just love her so much!

We have our exchanges all set up for the transfer. We are over the sisters in the Indy North and Indy West stake, and they are all so close. We don't have to go to their area to blitz, we are able to bring some of them to our area, so I won't be traveling and away from my area twice a week like I was previous. And Sister Donaldson is just a rockstar who I am learning so much from! Its her last transfer and I am determined to make this her BEST TRANSFER EVER! I did it with Sister Stanfrod ( I think) so I can do it again! We have just been working so hard and its so fun to work hard after being a trainer for so long and not being able to work as hard as I wanted to. I just love working!!!

I love the area and the ward and the whole thing. Last transfer was the hardest one of my whole mission, but I can put it aside and focus on how sweet these next 5 will be! I can't wait!!! I love being a missionary!!!

Sister Cordner

July 15, 2013

So... drum roll everyone..... sometimes I make things more dramatic than they need to be! haha, I am getting transferred!!! As sad as it will be to leave Indy 1st, I'm really excited for the next area! I'm still thinking it will be YSA, but you never know. I try to read the Assistants but they are kinda hard. We talked with them last night at a fireside and they both just do the... oh yea, maybe... umm... and we don't know whats going to happen. But I do know that my best friend and MTC companion Sister Pitcher just got called to be a sister trainer leader, and when the Assistant asked me for my opinion on transfers, I told him that we should be together. And so far everything else I suggested for transfers has occurred  so I'm hoping that we get to be together. But if not I know who the other leaders are, and whoever my companion, I know she will be amazing! Mostly I'm just excited to work with someone who knows what she is doing and is willing to be obedient and work hard! I can't wait!!! 

This week I had some amazing exchanges. I love working with the other sisters. We had a blast in North Vernon and in Seymour Indiana. These cities are so small and yet there is so much work to do down there! I love working with Hoosiers with no teeth living in trailers and talking about how good God is. (I even got a wristband from one of them that says "God is Good.") I love it so much! Indiana is just about the coolest place in the world to serve. I love it here so much!!!

I don't have a ton to say, this week just flew by. We stayed busy teaching and finding people. We have three investigators right now that are 17 year olds boys.... don't ask me why I'm teaching all these teenagers, but I am, and its been fun! Tonight we are teaching one about the Law of Chastity... fun stuff!!! I love being a missionary! 

I love you all tons, have a great week, and I will be sure to tell you all about where I go and who I'm with next week! Love ya, 

Sister Cordner

July 8, 2013

I was talking to someone recently and we decided that week 6 is the longest week of the whole transfer. The reason is we start planning for week 6 Thursday of week 5, and it really doesn't feel like Week 6 is over until Wednesday of week 1 when you are at transfers... so really this week is 2 weeks long. But I can do it! 

This past week we did the Finding Fast, we studied finding EVERYDAY, we prayed at least twice a day on top of our regular prayers only that we would find those who are prepared, and on Sunday we fasted that we would find more investigators. This couldn't have been at a better time since we literally had 0 investigators 2 weeks ago... its been pretty rough. But just this week we found 5 new investigators. One of whom the Elders were teaching and he has a baptism date for the end of the month, but he is in our area, so we get to teach him now! His name is Jack and he is Keri's age... well younger because he is going to be a senior this year. He's doing really great and is pretty cool to teach, he kinda just goes with what we teach him and doesn't disagree. Its been nice!!!

I did two more exchanges in Bloomington this week. I have two more to go on this week and then I'm done for the transfer. (this email is taking a long time to write because I'm chatting with Keri....)

We met our new mission president this week. President Cleveland. This is a direct quote from him... "Basketball is kind of a part of baptism." hahahaha, he would say that! He had a great training and everyone seems to love him, including me. I really miss President Collins and I think I always will, but President Cleveland is stepping into his shoes very well. He talked a lot about the colleges in Indiana. He has worked on a lot of college campus's before as a coach, and he has some great ideas. I might have mentioned that putting Sister Training Leaders on campus's would be a great idea... and he kinda agrees! Sister Training Leaders will be together next transfer like Zone Leaders are, which means I will be done training! Its been a long time coming and I'm really excited to work with a sister who knows what she is doing, I'm actually really excited to not be a trainer. As much as I will miss some parts of it, I'm mostly just really excited! I think I will probably be going to a campus soon, I'm crossing my fingers for Purdue just because I love Lafayette so much and I would love to go back, but after all my exchanges in Bloomington I think I would love IU. And there are like 5 other big campus's here that I could go to, so we will see! I'm just really excited for the change my mission is going to take on next week. This has been the hardest transfer of my mission, and I just really want a clean start, new area, new planner, new companion, and new everything! I'm really excited! (Watch now that I said that I'm not getting transfered and I will stay a trainer for another 6 months.... bbbaaaahhhhhhh!!!!) 

I really will miss Indy 1 though, its been a great area and I have loved the people here that I have taught! Sister Stickels fasted this week and was at church with her family and answered questions in RS and Sunday School. You would never guess that she joined the church only a few weeks ago! She is so amazing!!! And Sister Hodge is doing family history work for her next temple trip! She is wonderful too!!! I sure do love the people in Indy!!! 

I'm glad to hear from all of you about your fun 4th of July. Ours was just another day, but we did have a good day nonetheless! I love you all so much, 

Sister Cordner

July 1, 2013

I am doing so much better than I was last week. No car accident, and we found 3 new investigators, so things are looking up! I'm trying to even remember what happened this week, I think we just stayed busy and worked hard. I did two exchanges, both in Bloomington. I love that city so much! I hope that I get to serve there, but I'm thinking as long as I'm a sister trainer leader I won't be there, its not a good location to be able to exchange with other areas, but who knows! Maybe the new president will decide to spice everything up and switch everything around! I haven't met President Cleveland just yet. I did talk to him on Sunday night. We had a situation occur where we really needed advice from our President, and it was weird to call someone we didn't know, but as we talked with him it felt right. He cares for us and gave us great advice and just really wants to help us. It made me feel good and I am really excited to see him this Friday! 

We have a zone training tomorrow and I get to give a training. I asked the Zone Leaders today how long they wanted me to train for and they said 3 hours! hahaha, sorry Zone Leaders, I'm not about to do your whole training for you! But I have prepared what I think will be a pretty sweet training on the Role of Holy Ghost in Conversion. At least I had a sweet study about it today, if the other missionaries can learn the same things I learned, then it will be successful. If I learned anything from President Collins it was to love the Holy Ghost. He is so much more than a good feeling you have, He is a physical person who is a God, and He can be with us when we are being worthy! How great is the Gift of the Holy Ghost, when you really step back and realize that you have a God with you at all times... its seriously the best!!! Words cannot hold the love I have for Him!

One of the sisters that I went on an exchange with is training two right now, and we had a great talk about it. Its just so funny because she said that everything she has done on her mission I have done, and she just tells me that she always thinks, "Sister Cordner did it... so I can too!" She says she always looks up to me and loves me! I have probably only spent a handful of days with this sister between mission wide meetings and a few exchanges, but she just looks up to me so much! We click really well and she is just so cute!!! I just think of all the Sisters I have looked up to on my mission and think its weird that other sisters look at me that way, but its been fun! I love her so much!!!!

The weather hasn't been too bad, its been in the 90s a few days with about 100% humidity... nothing like tracting in that for a good few hours! YUCK! But then it will rain in the evening and cool down to the 70s, so thats nice! 

Mom asked what I do on Sundays. Some are busier than others. We have church from 11:00-2:00, so thats more like 10:30 to 3:30. If we had a meeting in the morning than we go around 9:00, and then we have to make our study up later that day, so we would come home and have lunch, study, maybe teach a lesson and then go to dinner. Yesterday we had time to work so we had a lesson at 3:30 and another one at 5:00, then we tried some potential investigators and got into an old ladies house and taught her for a little bit, then we had to do language study for Sister Ware so we came in at 8:00 and did that then. Mostly Sundays are full with lessons with Less Actives, we don't like to tract on Sundays just because its Sunday, but we will if we have to. Last Sunday we had that world wide mission meeting, and that took up a good chunk of time. Sundays are actually my favorite days! This Sunday I gave a talk, taught Sunday School, and taught combined RS/Priesthood lesson. I think the ward might be a little tired of me! haha!!! It was good though, I loved it!!!

Woah... that was another long letter. Sorry for the depressing one I sent last week, everything is good again and I'm loving it out here! My companions are a handfull but we have fun together! Love you!

Sister Cordner