Week 2 - MTC - October 14, 2014

The sisters in our zone.  All are going to Brazil, Cape Verde or Portugal.

Sister Bundy (from Jayne's stake) and Sister Johnson.  We love our Sunday temple walks!

Ola Familia! Como estam?!

Let me tell you, P-days are the best days ever!  We get so excited for them here at the MTC.  This week has been great, and I have learned so much about myself, about other people, about the Savior and Portuguese of course.  It is amazing how much information they cram into our heads every single day, it's hard to keep up with it!  Remember Joao our investigator? Well, now he is our teacher.  He's from Mozambique and he is hilarious.  Class time with him is really long because he loves to tell stories from his mission the whole time.  Good thing they're really motivating.  He served in Ventura, CA, and him and his companion at one point were both really dark.  They were serving in a very racist area, and were actually serving where there were a bunch of KKK members.  Scary right?! Well, they worked very hard through the tough times, and even baptized a member of the KKK. Amazing.  He was such a good missionary.  

We have a new pesquisador now, his name is Talone.  He loves sports and loves his family.  His friends, who are members of the church, gave him to us as a referral.  This week we were able to have interviews with Irmao Read, our other teacher.  He is so in tune with the spirit, and asked me the exact questions that I needed to be asked.  I swear he saw deep into my soul!  I told him that I felt like reading a script during a lesson with a pesquisador was not what I wanted to do. I felt like the spirit wasn't there, and that I wasn't having faith in God's power of revelation.  He challenged me to not use a script with Talone, and that is exactly what I did.  It is my second week and I walked into a lesson with Sis. Johnson with only a few conjugated verbs and vocab on a note card.  We prayed so hard that we would be able to have words come to our minds.  As we were teaching, I felt like I always knew exactly what to say.  It is an amazing feeling to receive such personal and specific revelation like this.  My Portuguese was very broken, but every time I needed a word, my flash cards would pop into my head and I would know the exact word.  Revelation is real and anyone who asks God can receive it.

So every week here in the MTC all of the missionaries write a five minute talk in their language that they are learning, and we all hope that we don't get called up to speak in Sacrament meeting!  We get to write talks in English for the first two weeks, thank the heavens! Well, the entire time I was writing my talk, I just knew that they were going to call me.  Thanks so much mom for sending me those talks because they helped a lot!  I wrote a talk on repentance and forgiveness.  Come Sunday morning, we rushed to Sacrament meeting from another meeting.  I noticed that I hadn't brought my talk and panicking asked Sis. Johnson if we could run back to the classroom and grab it.  She told me that I could just use her talk if I was called because it was about to start.  I had such a strong feeling to run and get it, so we did.  We ran back to Sacrament meeting just in time, I swear that in itself was a miracle, just in time to hear that I was being called up to speak.  Oh my goodness!  I was so grateful that I listened to the Spirit that morning.  Speaking on repentance through o Expiacao de Jesus Cristo was very special to me.  

I have come so close to my Savior these past two weeks.  I have never been more aware of my carnal state and weaknesses than while being a missionary.  Repentance is real and it is beautiful.  As missionaries we don't usually make really big mistakes, because we aren't in the environment to do so, but even small mistakes can drive away the spirit in such sensitive environments.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the only way that we can ask God for anything.  Because of the Justice of God and nossos erros, we are always in debt, but the Atonement make all of the difference.  With it we can ask for miracles and forgiveness and comfort and peace.

Tonight we get to sing in the MTC choir during Devotional.  We have the most amazing choir director and we are singing "We Are All Enlisted".  It sounds magnificent!!  I am so excited, and I'm sure that I will have tears running down my cheeks the entire time.  

Thank you so much for the little package! It seriously meant so much!!  My district and I have been enjoying the fruits of your labors Mom and Mads.  Thank you!!  Every one in our district is a visa waiter.  We haven't received any, in fact we all checked the progress of our visas two days ago and they all haven't been processed yet except for one Elder's.  

Mom: We are on the main Campus (where you dropped me off) we are going to try to be Hosts in the next coming weeks, helping those being dropped off, that should be fun!  The food here is too amazing at times and flat out sick other times.  Our elders have already each gained eight pounds.  Great, Sis. Johnson and I have yet to weigh ourselves HA.  It is getting colder, especially at night and in the mornings, so I am wearing a lot of sweaters.  But, so far my clothes are working perfectly!  

Good luck to the boys hunting!  They are hearing the call of the wild!  Haha, I will be praying for your safety this week. Be smart, remember safety first, and bring home a big ole mule.  Bring honor to our family! haha

Girls have so much fun on your weekend outings for fall break!  Do magical things, and remember that I am with you in spirit!

I sent some letters this morning (to those who wrote me) Not to mention any names...Mitch...Nana.... I'll be waiting next week for a letter from you!

Today we get to go to the Temple again and I am so excited!  Have an amazing week!

I love you all with my whole heart! Sister Cordner

Our Brazilian friends.  The Elder on the left is from Sao Paulo!

We love the elders in our district....such funny guys!