Forward Direction Matters More

Hello All!

 

Excited to report that Joe and Elizabeth have set a baptismal date for April 13th and they are so excited!!!! Joe can't wait to have the Priesthood and Elizabeth is loving everything she's learning and the social interaction. 

I love it.

 

We've bribed the Babb's to read their scriptures every day with icebreakers. and they're doing more than what they have to do. Sister Babb is working so hard to get all of her kids to church. We want to help her but she won't tell us what she needs. We'll keep working at it.

 

Danielle was sick this week with the stomach flu so we haven't been able to meet with her but she sent us this text that said she was really said she didn't get to have her "lesson".

 

Sister Seward has come to church for the third time. :) I love that she's coming.

 

Sister Christensen and I taught the youth fireside last night about the Law of Chastity. It went really well. We focused on why God made it a law and why it's important to Him. There was one girl that was crying and she told me afterward that it's a sensitive issue right now... but she thanked me for everything that I said. I told her it mattered more about what direction she was headed than where she had been.

 

It's the little things that people say that make being a  missionary so awesome.

 

I've been impressed this week with how important temple covenants are. It's not just baptism. There's more of a path. In D&C76:69 it says Christ is the mediator of the temple covenants. If we focus on the temple and live so that we make and keep those covenants, we will be prepared to live with Heavenly Father and be on the path of perfection. Makes me want to go to the temple more.

 

We've done a bunch of service this week. There's an older gentleman in the ward, Brother Pyne, who's family just moved out. They left in a rush and weren't able to clean. So the Relief Society went in and cleaned the whole house, and we helped. It sure needed it. I've realized how important cleaning regularly is... so that you can get the dirt off later. But man those windows look good now ;)

 

So I'm sending some pictures of our fun P-day bowling activity.  We're not allowed to go through the casino area but the bowling alley is in the same building as the casino - that's why it shows the casino sign - really, I'm in the bowling alley.

 

Love you all - have a great week!

Sister Cornelsen

First Exchanges

Time Flies, Spirit Flows, Electric Chair Races and DIY Pizza

This week has gone by much faster than last week. I'm approaching 2 months out and I can't believe how time flies! You get in the routine and it just goes.

 

Sorry if I've told you this story before... I don't remember if I've told this to anyone or no one or how long it's been since I have.. Soooo yeah!

 

So there's a family that moved here with nothing, just their suitcases and 6 dollars to their name. The grandma has cancer and wants her family to be on the right path.  She's a member but has been less active. Her daughter is a member but doesn't seem too interested in coming back. But her grandchildren, Elizabeth (14) and Joe (11), have not been baptized so we're teaching them. All 3 of them came to church on Sunday. They're good kids. Being "good people" seems to be their family theme. We're focusing on how if you strive to become like Christ, you'll be a good person. They want to be baptized, we'll be setting a date for them this coming week.

 

Not only did we have 2 new investigators at church, but Danielle and her son Davis came to church!!!!! She introduces herself as Sister _______ and when she saw a picture of President Uchtdorf she knew who he was and said "he's my favorite". She's so ready to be baptized. She just needs to know that her family will be okay, that it won't cause a wedge in her marriage.

 

Not only did we have 3 investigators attend Sacrament, but then Sister Babb came to church!!!!! They were only able to make it to the last hour, but the fact that she came is very exciting. She even participated in Relief Society. It's good to see some of the results of our efforts.

 

But the thing that I am learning is that any success we have is not because of us. I thought that I would say something that would be perfect and be magical and everyone would come to church. But anything that I have done or said that has been effective has not come from me, it's come from the spirit. Most often, it's something they think about while the Spirit is thinking through me, that changes their heart and their determination. It's not about me. It's about them and the Spriit.

 

Best Sunday yet. :)

 

On Saturday we helped a family pack to move to Port Orchard, WA. Their dad has 2 electric chairs. Sister Christensen and I raced them down the street. :) I totally won... because mine was faster. :D

 

Last Monday the Stake fed the missionaries a make your own pizza thing. It  was AWESOME! they were super nice and found crust I could have and then it was just fun being with all the missionaries in the zone and being in a cool backyard. I almost felt like a regular person... meaning I felt like I wasn't being watched by everyone. I swear I've never been stared at so much in my life. hopefully i'm representing the church well.

 

My camera hasn't been working properly, I dropped it and the focus hasn't been working since... so I'm sorry I don't have pictures for you. eventually I'll get the pictures from Sister Christensen.

 

I can't think of anything else other than... I LOVE YOU!!!!! Have a great week!

 

Love,

Sister Cornelsen

Jesus Has Powers, Praying for a Push, Hard Work and Rest, Changing Hearts

Well, it's been another week! Another fast sunday has gone by :)

 

So if your name is Nicole and we went to 5th grade together, please email me.trisha.cornelsen@myldsmail.net 

I have a question for you.

 

I've made it a goal to read the entire bible on my mission. I've never actually done it. It'll be good for me to gain a stronger testimony of it as a whole, instead of just parts.

 

We set the Babb's up with a baptismal date! March 30th, the day before easter.  Alexus groaned and said "that's so far away!!!" I don't remember if I've told you all about them. Single mom who is a convert. 14 children. 11 at home. the youngest is 5 months old. They've been less active but they're starting to come back. We're teaching Jeremiah (11), Alexus (10), and Elijah (8). Sister Babb wants all of her children to be strong in the gospel. But can you imagine getting a bunch of reluctant teenage boys and several sick babies to church every week? It's so overwhelming! We're doing all we can to help because they really do want to be there. We've set the baptismal date and we're really excited about it. :) The other day we watched "Finding Faith in Christ" with them and Elijah said "Wait, Jesus has powers?" It was pretty cool to think of the priesthood in that way :)

 

Another neat experience has been with Sister Seward. She's in her 50's. She was baptized at 14 and became less active when her mom died at age 17. She's had a hard life but she's withstood it all. We met her this week and she told us that she had been praying for a push to come to church... she got it! She came yesterday for all 3 meetings. She kept saying that we are very persistent. And it's true. We met her on tuesday, went back on friday and visited and then did some weeding in her front yard on saturday. She was ready to come back. We gave the last little push but it was God that had been preparing her for so long.

 

It was really nice doing yard work on Saturday. I got a little sun and moved more than we do in a typical day. It felt good to work hard and then sit down and take a few minutes to rest. I miss that feeling.

 

We also met an elderly less active sister in one of the indepednent living homes. Her name is DeEtte. She was funny. She talked a lot about the differences between girls and boys. She raised 4 boys and her personality was suited for it. As we were leaving she told us not to go chasing the boys. we laughed.

 

So our awesome ward mission leader was released yesterday. He's now the elders quorom president. Bishop said he has no inspiriation on who the new ward  mission leader should be... we're flying solo. It'll be really interesting how this plays out.

 

Danielle came to a baptism on Saturday! She now knows what it looks like. She said that she wants to get baptized but wants to do better with coming to church and reading the scriptures, which are both necessary. Things are going really well with her. I'm just hoping we can get her to be baptized before she moves in July. I'm worried she'll get lost if she doesn't. But I know that conversion takes time. It's a big thing to change your life, especially when family members aren't supportive. I'm so grateful the Lord is in charge can can change hearts.

 

Well, I guess that's all that I've been up to. I love you all! I hope you have a great week!

 

Love,

Sister Cornelsen