Just Bullets...

Soooooo. lots of good things happened this week, and I have no desire to write them down, but I can do bullet points. that's easier than writing a huge story. theme of these bullet points: opposition precedes success. last week was a lot of opposition. this week, lots of good things

 

• Judy is getting baptized this week! She's 77. :) lots of spunk. we taught her the word of wisdom on Tuesday and the spirit was so powerful . she commited to live it. when we came back on Friday she said she totally gave up her coffee, cold turkey! so proud of her. she's getting baptized this Thursday. never would have imagined a lesson on word of wisdom would be so powerful.
• Joyce is an investigator and is 75. she's legitimately trying to quit smoking after 65 years of smoking a pack to 2 packs a day. she's doing really well. it's more of a process for her but it is her desire to quit.
• we met a man, Bill, and his wife. they are in love with family history. they're going to help us with ours and eventually we'll teach them the gospel. build up the trust first.
• Elexus is 17, a member, but feels like it was never her choice. she has some really good questions. we're going to teach her the new member lessons and i'm excited about it.
• We met one of the friends of the Babb boys. His name is Javi and wants to be closer to God. He's our new investigator. :)
• The Ghormley's came to church again. they really want this and i'm so so sososososososososo excited for them. I can't tell you how much I love this family.
• We've been teaching the new member lessons to Joe and Elizabeth (their grandma is sister marquardt). they're still learning a lot. their mom won't sit in on the lessons with us. I want her to be there. she needs to listen. but there's some disconnect. we're gonna have to be direct with her... even more than we have been. Sister marquardt is not doing well. she isn't able to come to church anymore because she can't hold anything down... at all. not even for an hour. Joe stays home to take care of her. and Chris goes to work. So Elizabeth gets  a ride with a member of the ward. It's a really hard time for them.
• Charlene was baptized a couple years ago in Hawaii. And then she moved back her to be with her immediate family. she's the only member in her family. she feels rather alone. but we met her and she came to church with us yesterday. she's just 20 years old. she's so sweet and loves the gospel. i'm hoping her family's hearts will soften and we'll be able to teach them.
• One of the young women in the ward graduated so we took her to in-n-out to celebrate. she's been less active and she brought it up. she doesn't have a lot of questions like Elexus does. she hasn't thought it through. but we have some good questions for her. we're going to teach the new member lessons for her too. she was reluctant at first when I brought it up. at the end though I said "do you want to schedule an appointment now or do you want to wait?" she took a few seconds and thought  about it. you could see the internal struggle. eventually she said "let's schedule something". it was pretty cool. :)
• Sister Seward has completely given up coffee and tea. even the decaf kind. :D she came to it on her own conclusion after reading some of our reading assignements. i'm so incredibly proud of her. she has such a desire to follow Christ.
• Our old neighbor across the street. Their names are Leann and Grumpy. We've just been good friends. Saturday I told her that she could always ask us questions. and they just started pouring out. we're going to teach them the lessons when we find a time that our schedules intermix.
• Our zone sang goodbye to President and Sister Black. God be with you til we meet again. i'm gonna miss them. I've learned a lot from them about loving your spouse. they're way cute.
• Finally, that wonderful broadcast on Sunday about missionary work. if you haven't seen it, find it. EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH IT! we have a great work to do and there's lots of help to do it.

I love you all! Have fun at the reunion!

 

Love,

Sister Cornelsen

My Testimony ~ My Choice

this week has been crazy. you know how sometimes the best lesson is to meet someone and see what they are doing wrong? welcome to this week. I won't get into the details of the situation because they are very sensitive but I did learn a lot.

 

My belief in Christ is my choice. I don't have a spectacular experience like Joseph Smith did but I really do believe it. I can't say I know that Christ is my Savior but I believe it with all my heart. Some people choose to believe that Joseph Smith was not a prophet and that this church is a huge fraud. but if I were to choose that, I would have no hope or happiness. The doctrine that the church teaches fits together perfectly in a way that I have a sense of purpose to being on this earth and having trials but still having hope that if I become a better person because of Christ, I will be endlessly happy for eternity. 

I have not heard of any other religion that gives me the same feeling of hope. you can try to escape guilt by saying there is no such thing as sin, but the guilt stays. because the laws and principles that have been revealed through Joseph Smith are eternal truth. they are true for everyone. eventually everyone will know of the gospel and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, and all that that entails and I am so looking forward to that day. when we're all using the atonement to become like Christ so that our hearts are knit together. no contention. complete unity. the peace that will be on the earth in that day is going to be marvelous. and the only way we'll be able to enjoy that peace is if we have peace within ourselves and our own families now. God will take care of the rest.

 

I choose to believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true and living church because it gives me hope.

 

we taught a man this week who has been baptized for 2 or 3 years. the elders who baptized him taught him the restoration and that was it. so we're teaching him all the lessons that he never received. we started talking about prophets  and how there is a prophet on the earth to day. it blew his mind. he had no idea. he was excited about it. but he has so much to learn. to all you future missionaries, please focus on quality, not just quantity.

 

we saw Rachel this week too. answered her questions about the plan of salvation. she's willing to be baptized. she thinks this is the right path. but she hasn't gotten an answer about Joseph Smith being a prophet yet. as soon as she gets that witness, it's all going to align perfectly. it's so hard to set up appointments with her that don't fall through. hopefully we'll be able to see her this week.

 

Sister Cornelsen & Sister Pulsipher
North Las Vegas Nevada Mission

we had a cool experience teaching a member's friend. he's 22 years old. and when we first asked him if he believed in God, he said no. we started asking him questions about what he believes about his family member that passed away recently and by the end of the conversation, he realized that he already believed in God. it was really cool.

 

also, we fed pancakes to a homeless woman and gave her a copy of the book of Mormon... we later asked the ward about her and they said she is legit crazy and is very dangerous. we were so protected. and looking back it's kinda comical. there are some crazy people in las vegas. but God knows what's up and He really does have our backs.

 

i'm looking forward to hearing from all of you next week and sharing our crazy adventures. love you all!

Sister Cornelsen

Christ at a Campout...

Hello!

 

This week has been crazy busy. here's a couple of highlights.

 

We went to the ward campout in Lovell Canyon. just for Friday evening. we taught the restoration for the evening program. It was so wonderful to be in the mountains... and wearing jeans... but more to be in the mountains. :) The spirit was so strong. Bro Longenecker and Bishop added some thoughts and I had this overwhelming feeling that Christ was strengthening me. That He cares about me and that He cares about this work moving forward. He is at my rereward.

 

There was a huge spider in our room the other night. and I learned something about myself. I am downright scared of spiders. I jumped on the couch and kinda wimpered.... not one of my proudest moments. all the elders looked at the picture and said it wasn't that big. but compared to Washington spiders... it was. somehow sis pulsipher got the guts to kill it.... and i'm grateful.

 

Danielle is moving this weekend out of our area. The elders helped them load up some very heavy stuff. we went by the next day to help clean. and I just asked dustin why we haven't taught him a lesson... he said that he's been wanting to come to church more. I asked if he's interested in taking the lessons and he said yes. so we're going to get them connected with the missionaries in their new ward. I selfishly wish I could teach them still... but I also know they are meant to go wherever they are going. if it wasn't for the move, his heart wouldn't have been softened. i'm really excited for them, and to attend their baptism when it happens. :)

 

I still love working with sister pulsipher. we have a good time and work hard. we teach pretty well together and we're getting a lot done.

 

its good to hear from you all. I love you! have a fantastic week! :)

 

Love,

Sister Cornelsen

P.S. Check the weather in Las Vegas... it is so hot that I can hardly get from the car to the house without feeling faint!  I got some coconut water - hoping that will help!

God Involved in Little Details...

Hola wonderful people!

 

 We've had a great weekend! We're going a little crazy with all the work we have to do, but I think we're doing pretty well handling it. Sister Pulsipher is a really hard worker who knows how to laugh. We teach well together and good things are going to happen. Because she knows mike and amy, it's kinda fun having that connection. 

 

Palmhurst ward is younger. more kids. more going on. it's more lively because of all the young blood. they're really excited about missionary work. There are some investigators with baptismal dates and i'm excited to get to know them better.

 

it's weird going to two different sacrament meetings... but it keeps us busy.  and busy missionaries are happy missionaries. well, I should say effective missionaries are happy missionaries. but I feel like that's what we are doing.

 

All of the Ghormley's came to Sacrament and Sunday School. WAH BAM! I'm so stoked. We had dinner with them on Saturday and I just love being around them.

 

It's watermelon season and that makes me happy. I love watermelon! we're getting it a lot and everytime I say how much I love watermelon... hopefully they keep giving it to us. :)

 

We had an interesting experience. it was totally not a coincidence. Ryan, our ward mission leader, gave us a referral so we knocked on their door. we ended up talking with Michelle who is investigating in Sister Christensen's area. She was babysitting for her mom. We had a really nice lesson with her and we're going to meet her mom, Anastasia, this week. Later I talked with sis Christensen about this person's last name... and it's not the same as the referral that ryan gave us!  i'm pretty sure he gave us the wrong address... but i'm also positive that we were supposed to knock on this door. God really is in all of the little details.

 

Love you all!

 

Have a great week!

 

And remember to put lotion on when you're in 100 degree weather with no humidity. :)

 

Love,

Sister Cornelsen

Missionary Journal Letter from May 20....

Hello!!!!

 

We've had a fantastic week! 2 new investigators. one in particular i'm very excited about. Rachel is 17, has lived on her own since she was 15. has her ged. works full time. she's been searching for a religion that will actually help her connect with God. She narrowed it down to Hinduism or the Mormon faith. we met her on Thursday and had a fantastic first lesson, the restoration. the spirit was so strong, and she felt it. and she knows she felt it. we're gonna see her again tomorrow and i'm really excited to invite her to be baptized. she's incredible. she may not feel close with her family, but this ward will become her family. she will feel the love that she deserves and as she makes and keeps her covenants, she will feel God's love that she has been craving. I'm so excited :)

 

We had a great sunday. all the babb's came!!! And they stayed for all the classes. they really are headed in a great direction. I love them so much :)

 

I've begun to study about charity. Romans 13:8-11 Is very interesting. After all of the laws that were given in the old testament, the new commandments that were given by Christ, all of it boils down to whether you love God and other people. It's easy to love some people and not so easy with others. we're asked to love them all. i'm still figuring out how to do that but it's changing my perspective, especially with my companion. of course I love her because she's my companion, but that love could be more pure. and if I don't love her in the way that God has asked me to, I'll get to the judgement bar of God and know that I didn't keep the 2nd greatest commandment. I don't want to have that experience. I want that day to be joyful, knowing that I did my best and Christ made up the rest and helped me become better.

 

We have an investigator who's mom was was Buddhist. she has passed away. our investigator feels like she needs to finish the Buddhist rituals in the temple that her mom has asked her to do before she learns more about the gospel. I don't know a lot about Buddhism. if anyone has some insight to help me see where she is coming from, I would really appreciate it.

 

Thank you all so much for your support, prayers, and love. I really do feel it.

 

Love,

Sister Cornelsen

Loop-de-loop...

Hello!!!!

 

Today is email day instead of Monday because the library wasn't open. We went to the temple today and it was wonderful :) I love receiving revelation there.

 

So the last 2 weeks has been absurd. On Saturday, Sister Akemon broke her foot. She was carrying a 30 lb bucket of cherry pie filling, wearing missionary heels (dansko brand). she stepped on a rock, roller her right foot and she heard a pop. We went to urgent care and they took an x-ray. Turns out her 5th metatarsal has a spiral fracture because the tendons pulled it apart when she rolled her ankle. She went home on Thursday. :( She's going to heal up and I sure hope she comes back out. Her foot is in a boot.

 

Now I am with Sister Pulsipher (someone Mike taught in Sunday school. how crazy is that?!) her trainee went home a week ago because she was diagnosed with rhumatory arthritis. So we are covering 2 wards in 2 different stakes. One ward in Sandstone Stake and then the lovely Meadows 5th.

 

I'm now living in the Sandstone stake. Hopefully I'll be back in meadows at the end of the transfer, but they could have me go somewhere else. keep sending letters and packages to the mission office, I have no idea where i'll end up.

 

and now that it's been 2 weeks, since I've emailed, and I feel like I've been thrown for a loop, i'm not really sure what to say. I don't remember what I need to tell you all or what you need to hear.

 

Rachel is reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. I'm really excited for her. Hopefully we'll set a baptism datetomorrow.

 

The Ghormley's are doing incredibly well. it seems like everyone is on the same page. they want to come to church. people are ready to help them. they're just awesome. we have dinner with them tomorrow and i'm really looking forward to it. Missy is a great cook and we always have good conversation with them. I feel very comfortable with them. I've told them a couple times that i'm going to visit them when I get off my mission. and it will happen. :)

 

I feel blessed to be with Sister Pulsipher. She's a hard worker that enjoys a good laugh. The next 4 and a half weeks is going to be great.

 

Love you all. I'm glad you're having fun with movies and birthdays and camping and reunion prep and be happy. There's always opposition... it's our job to choose to live in the good part... the happiness. :) be happy!

 

Love,

Sister Cornelsen