October 7, 2013

Where do I begin?!?!?!?! Do I tell you about my week first or call you all to repentance first?

Haha, jk... kinda! This conference weekend made me realize how important member missioary work is. Since conference I have had a few ward members ask for the names of our investigators and offer to have us teach in their homes. The ward here is great and we really do have lots of member missionary work going on. We are teaching one sisters good friend in her home (we actually had a lesson this morning because the rest of the week didn't work for her.) And then she also told us about another friend of hers and we are teaching her too. There is a young couple who have taught there friend a ton about the church and we will be giving that friend a tour of the church building soon and invite her to church. Another member brought her friend to church this last week. One of the youth has invited her friend to seminary and she comes every single day. The work is going SO WELL in Carmel, and a lot of it is because of the members!!! So I am here to call all of you members back home to repentance (just like Elder Bednar called all non-tithe payers to repentace, that was SO SWEET!!!!)

Its SO easy to be a missionary. 1st... talk with everyone. Dad, you are so good with that, you were always stricking up conversations with our waiters, people standing in line by us, random people on Disneyland rides... talking with people is not hard. And if you talk with more people, you can befriend more people. And obviously I'm talking about people who aren't members or maybe are LAs. I know most of my families friends are members... so its time we branch out and meet people outside of the church. There is a sister in our ward (and we are teaching 2 of her friends) who has a Bonko group and for the last 20 years has had 1/2 members and 1/2 nonmembers in her group. What a great way to do missionary work. The nonmember has become such good friends with all of these LDS women and she sees how the gospel makes there life so great, that right there... is missionary work... and now, 20 years later, she is taking the lessons becuase of the great example of her friends. If the member had made her game group only members of the church, there would be no growth. We can't be clicky, we need to branch out! Other ideas: You all have a friend (or a daughter or sister) on a mission right now. How easy is that to bring up into conversation with strangers, and then start talking about why our church sends missinoaries out and give them a Mormon.org card with your profile name on the back of it so they can read your testimony. It seems like a hard one but its not. 1st, make a Mormon.org account. 2nd, talk to the missinoaries in your ward and get mormon.org cards. 3rd. Right your profile name on them. 4th... GIVE THEM TO PEOPLE! If you are afraid of losing a friend over sharing the gospel, then you aren't even that good of a friend with them to begin with. If you love these people, you will desire for them to have the gospel... because that is where true peace and happiness comes! We do this because we love people. They are all children of God.

Okay, more ideas to come next week. The funny thing is I was thinking about sending this home Saturday morning before I heard that talks... and after I heard the talks I was sure I would send this ya'lls way. You can do it! Missionary work is fun, and the second coming is soon! The Lords work is hastening because the Lord's coming is hastening... and we need to be ready!!!!!!!!

you are probably all tired of reading my email by now. So I will just end with the exciting news. I am staying in Carmel with Sister Pitcher. When you have a companionship going this well it would be silly to split us up! We are on fire. We have a baptism scheduled in a few weeks and we are so excited, and we are thinking after conference we will have a few more. President Uchtdorf just laid it down, why would anyone want to join this church... because  its Christ's church... thats why!!! Everything in Indiana is just perfect, just like it was a year ago when I got here. I got a birthday/anniversary package for my 1 year in Indiana from my mission mom Sister Stanford. And so did both my MTC companions from there trainers! I don't think there were better missionaries in the world than the sisters that were out here when I got here. And some of them are reading this email thinking, Sister Cordner get off your soap box about member work and just go to work... maybe she's not thinking that! But I don't know...

Its been a great week, we had a ton of lessons and we have a great week ahead! I love being a missinoary and I love it when people get baptized. We have a goal for 3 people to be baptized in our area before the end of the year, and we only have one committed... so if you all want to pray for that, that would be great! Also ask the missinoaries in your wards for the names of the investigators there.... and pray for them! I love you all, I love being a missinoary! And I love the prophet. Conference was the best! I dont like the idea that next conference I will be home. I talked with President about extending but he said its not possible with the amount of new missinoaries coming out. DANG IT! I'm holding on tight, these next 3 transfers will be the fastest of my life! AHHHH!!!

Love you all, have a great week!

Sister Cordner