Week 76 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - March 14, 2016 - Last Day!

                             




                                  



                                  

Week 75 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - March 7, 2016 - The Lord Is My Light!

I think this might be the last entry of Sister Cordner's mission blog.  I can't believe that this day has finally arrived.  It has felt like a few years to me even though it has flown for the rest of you.  Ken and I leave next Monday  morning for the long flight to Brazil and will arrive Tuesday morning. We will then make our way to the mission office where we will be able to pick her up.  We are beyond excited to be able to hug McKenzie again and spend some wonderful personal time with her before she comes back to begin her "life after the mission" life. Thank you to all for following her blog, making comments and being such a great support group to our family.  We love you!!

So much good news from home!  I am smiling from ear to ear!  My heart jumps with joy when I think about seeing all of you again!  It truly is a blessing to have so many amazing friends and family!  

This week has been wonderful and super busy.  We have been running back and forth São Paulo to get my new visa, and to participate in the leadership counsel.  We have to go back tomorrow, and I will stay for three days with Sister Johnson and Sister Arzola.  The sister leader training night, reunião de autosuficiência, and the temple in Campinas!  It will be a very busy week, but we will do our best to get the most important things done!  When we meet with Bishop Alex, or when we mark appointments for next week I feel such a sadness in my heart.  I want to keep working!!!  I want to keep serving!!  But then a soft small voice whispers to me that there is so much more I will do in my life to serve and that it is not only on my mission that I can be a disciple of Christ.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ.  He saves me daily from my sins, my weaknesses and my sadness.  He loves me, and is always with me.  I am so grateful for the time I have had to serve Him.  I will never stop serving Him, receiving counsel from  Him and showing my love for Him.  There are so many feelings and emotions that come with this big change.  And it might be a harder change than it was at the beginning of my mission.  But, I will trust in the Lord that everything will be okay.  He will be with me and He will help those I have taught to keep on the straight and narrow path.  The only path that brings peace in this life and exaltation.  Forgive me for my scrambled thoughts.  I love you all!  What a day it will be to see you all again!!  And less than a year and a half to see my australian brother!! ;)

Sister Cordner xoxo

Week 74 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - February 29, 2016 - LOVE THIS PLACE!

Olá Família e amigos!!!

This week has been a whipper!  It went by so fast!!  I feel like the time is slipping out of my fingers!!  But really we had so much to do and not enough time.  We had our amazing zone conference this past Thursday.  I am so grateful for my leaders.  Really the Lord calls those who are worthy and willing to serve.  They are true example to me of disciples of Christ.  I love President Silcox and his amazing wife.  They are my loving parents here on my mission.  I feel their love for me so strongly.

So I do not have much time, but I wanted to share an experience we had this week with a wonderful family. M is a inactive member who has a brother that's active.  She is married to D who has never been to church, and J (12) and P  are their kids.  We have taught them once before, but this past Friday we decided to put them on date for baptism!  We taught the first discussion and it was so powerful.  Really I have never seen a family so prepared to progress in the gospel.  They have a picture of the Sacramento temple in their home and they have the goal to one day have a forever family.  D accepted baptism and really wants to be a good example in his family.  J already wants to be baptized!  So, it is hard because D works every other Sunday, but we are so excited for their desire to change and learn more!!  I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!  The Lord lets me feel His love for His children and it is the most amazing experience to see a family through His eyes.

There are a thousand things running through my mind right now, and it is really hard to explain how I feel right now.  The strongest feeling is that of gratitude.  I am the most blessed person in the world.  I know who I am and I know why I am here.  I know Jesus Christ is my Savior.  I love you all and I wish you a great week!

Today I have to travel all alone to São Paulo!! Ah! There's a problem with my visa that I have to resolve. Pray that everything will be ok!  Pray for F and B!  They need to go to stake conference with us on Sunday! F invited us to go to her church on Wednesday, I am a little nervous... I have heard many things about the one she goes to :)

Sister Cordner xoxo

​This is our life.  We spend most of our life on the bus.  It is always so crazy.

Week 73 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - February 22, 2016 - EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!

It has been a great week!  I have been enjoying every minute, and it is such an awesome experience to work with my two wonderful companions.  I love them.  This week so many crazy, wierd things happened. I do not have much time so I will make a list I think...

- We are teaching a man named S.  He has for sure killed a few people, been to jail, and sold drugs for many years... yeah.  But he went to church on Sunday!!  He was all ready and happy when we picked him up at his mom's house.  We will have to see how much he really wants to change... and we will have to talk to Presidnet Silcox as well... yikes!

- During one of our lessons this week with two young girls, their cat started to give birth to kittens, right in the middle of the room. Yeah, it was so aweful!  I swear everything that can happen happens during the first lesson.  It really did not surprise me.  

- We were able to do an exchange with an awesome companionship that works in Morumbi.  It really was an amazing experience.  They have been dealing with lots of problems between the two and their relationship, but we were able to have a great talk with them about the love of Christ, our responsibilities as missionaries and the sacrifices we make to be more like Him.  Really this is our main goal, to be the best representatives we can be of our Savior Jesus Christ.  How I strive and want to be like Him.

- Now we are taking care of two areas!!  We are working a few days of the week in Vila Ema that is also so huge!!  The sisters that were working there had to leave... so we have a few investigators far far away.  There is an AMAZING Irmã in the ward that helps us, driving us around the neighborhoods that we don't know.  She is a recent convert, six months, and is such an incredible person.  Sister Bundy taught her, and it was so great to get to know her.  The neighborhoods in Vila Ema are so wealthy, it was really cool to get to know a different side of the city.  

We are really excited to work with F and B this week, help them accept a baptismal date, and get to church again this Sunday.  Pray that their hearts will be touched.  Pray that they can feel the spirit in our lessons with them.  

I testify that it is through the small and simple things that great miracles are brought to pass.  This week during lunch with a dear member, she began to cry and share how grateful she was for something I said weeks ago during our message for her.  I did not even remember that I had said what she remembered, but it touched her heart.  A lot of the time we will not know the influence we have over our brothers and sisters, but as we strive to be a worthy instrument in His hands, always working to have the Holy Ghost with us, He will use us.  I feel Him using me often and this is my greatest joy on my mission, as Alma says in Chapter 29.  I do not glory in myself because I am nothing, but I glory in the calling He has given me, the strength, the power and the experiences He has given me.  It has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ.  I know He lives, and He loves us.  Let us all try to be a little bit more like Him.  

Sister Cordner xoxo 

Cicero:)  She loves us. Cícera has our hearts and all of our patience... the day she gets baptized, I will buy my plane
ticket and I will be the first one to hug her :)  Ever since we got here we have been teaching her...

Deep in the jungle.  Sometimes it just is not our day and we walked forever to see a waterfall,
and it was closed... "come back next time"  Not even the rain could ruin our day today :)
​​

Week 72 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - February 15, 2016 - Batismo!

Hello one and all! It sounds like it was a wonderful week for the family and a very special Valentine's Day as well :)  

It is incredible how many tender mercies and miracles I have seen on my mission.  There has not been one day in a year and five months when the Lord has not blessed me and our work.  We have been teaching a mother and son this past week.  OK. They are so prepared, and they don't even know it.  B has had a rough past.  He stayed in a rehabilitation home (I don't remember what it is called in English) for a few months and HE IS A CHANGED MAN.  I have never seen so much light and desire to serve God in any other young man outside of the church.  Wow, he is so dedicated and loves to learn.  His mom, F, is so loving.  They get so excited when we go to teach them and we have had such dificulty marking their baptismal date because right when start to talk about baptism, they start serving the cake and juice they always make for us! WHAT?!  The enemy does not want them to be baptized.  But, it will be the first thing we do this week :)  They went to church yesterday!!  They arrived in their sunday best, and no one believed they were not members.  We will see if they will have enough faith to leave their own religions to know for themselves.  

Ok, everyone stay calm... C WAS BAPTIZED!!!!  I can not even explain how special it was.  Really it was perfect.  She is so anxious and so organized the she left her house at 5:40 to be baptized at 7.  I love her.  We got to the chapel and they were all sitting, Presidente Amauri's entire family, with his cute parents and our lovely C.  She was so happy and so calm.  We could tell she was nervous to go up in the front at sacrament meeting to be confirmed, but afterwards was so cute helping stack the chairs after the Relief Society lesson - already wanting to serve, already feeling the small and simple promptings of the Holy Ghost.  It has been an experience that I'll never forget, being able to be a part of her journey.  

We had exchanges with the sisters from Vila Ema this week.  I have learned a lot about how to serve with love and with my whole heart, might, mind and strength.  Truly when we lose our lives we find them in Christ.  Sister Tolentino and I (Remember I stayed with her in Mooca for a week?)  We spent a very HOT day together.  All of our apointments fell through, so we decided to leave a note for S... the investigator that maybe had cancer, remember her?  Well we have been trying to visit her, but she is always so busy and not really wanting to see us too.  When we got to the apartments, I felt like we needed to talk to her personally.  So, we called up and she let us in.  V, her step-son and C her husband were there!  There was a solemn feeling in the apartment as she told us that she really does have cancer, and had found out that very day.  The Lord loves her so much, because in the very moment she needs Him most, He always sends us to be by her side.  Maybe right now she won't accept the gospel, but I know the Lord is planning very special and important things for the future.  

Afterward we headed over to a member's home to help her clean her house.  OH MY.  Remember all the times I have had to clean-up after the elders?  I have never seen worse, I repeat, NEVER.  She is so depressed and lonely, taking care of two little boys.  Nevertheless, in our skirts, we rolled up our sleeves and went to work.  I will not go into details, but let's just say we found a rat hole with eaten up plastic bags with food and horrible things. I think she was very grateful because yesterday at church she said she'd be available Tuesday and Thursday for us to go back, haha.  

I love my Savior and I am grateful for this precious time I have to learn to be like Him.  The process of sanctification is not easy.  It requires a lot of spiritual focus and sacrifice, but there is a peace when knowing that we are doing His work, and He is working through us.  He is my perfect example, and each day for the rest of my life, I will try to be like Him.  I know that I will mess up many times, but with His patience and love one day I will be all that He wants me to be.  I love you all!  Have a great week!

Sister Cordner xoxo

Week 71 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - February 8, 2016 - CARNAVAL!

So who's ready for CARNAVAL?!!  Everyone is so drunk here!  It is crazy.  Do not worry though because we are very careful!  This week has been a busy one!  

C is so excited for her baptism.  She is the most prepared investigator that I have taught.  Saturday night she will be baptized!  I am so happy!  I feel and I know that we needed to be here to be able to teach her.  In her home there are only women, so the elders would have had a lot of dificulty teaching her!  But, she is reading the Book of Mormon, and the Liahona every single day.  Presidente Amauri will baptize her and she´ll be confirmed as well on Sunday :)

Thursday morning we were having a great study, us three all together, when suddenly Sister Johnson called (MSTL) and said that we were the sister leaders for our zone and the zone Itaquaquecetuba... WOW!  So, we had to run. There would be a leadership conference Friday morning all the way in São Paulo!  So we packed our back packs, ran to the bus station and bought our tickets.  It takes three hours by bus and metro to get to Belém, and after getting lost quite a few times, without cell phone signal, we finally found the other sisters.  It was an adventure!  It was a miracle I was able to keep calm through it all. I am a new frenzy Kenzie!  What an experience the conference was.  The theme was SERVICE.  Jesus Christ lived by serving, teaching, serving, teaching, showing by example, serving, teaching.  We need to do the same.  We are here on the Lord´s errand.  He would serve all within His reach: members, strangers, investigators, less-actives, EVERYONE!  I left with a bursting desire to look for opportunities to serve.  How I want to be like Him!  My deepest desire, as my brother expressed in his email, is to do His will.  Nothing else.  I pray that I have been a useful servant here in Brasil.  And I pray that I will be able to continue serving all around me when my time is up.  These patterns of service I will carry with me throughout my life.  

So, this weekend we have been trying to look for these opportunities.  Last night, while walking home on an empty street (everyone goes to São Paulo for Carnaval) we saw a sweet little family that we have met before.  They have a flip-flop store and they were moving to another shop.  So we stopped to help them put up the sandals!  It was so much fun to see how happy they were.  They were so tired from working all day and were so relieved to have everything done!  So we left them with great, big smiles and the idea to go back this week to pick up their address.  They have good memories of the elders that always bought flip-flops, so that's good!  We are also teaching a guy named E how to speak English.  He is a great guy, with a lot of addictions, but it is so much fun to serve! 

When mom and dad come in March they need to meet Irmã Josy.  She is amazing.  She has pretty much introduced us to her entire neighborhood.  She cries as she bears her testimony in our lessons, and has recently brought a young family to know the gospel.  A and A are not married but are so open to hear our message.  A is so excited to go to our ward activity on Friday, and Irmã Josy is such a baptizing animal.  She just wants everyone to have the same blessings she has!  She really is so tiny, and so wild, but we love her so much :)

I love President and Sister Silcox so much.  I cannot even begin to describe what they have done for our mission.  They are amazing disciples of Christ sent to bless all of us missionaries.  Thank you all for the emails and I just want to say one more thing that is so important. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY TWINS!! I cannot believe that they are almost 17!!! WHAT?????  So wierd.  Love you guys so much :)  Send lots of pictures :)  Tchau!

Sister Cordner xoxo

The Trio!

                        

Week 70 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - February 1, 2016 - Surpresas!

BOM DIA!!  FELIZ ANIVERSÀRIO PAPAI!!  TE AMO! 49 ANOS, NOSSA! 

Wow, this week has been a crazy one.  So we are in a trio, and we will stay a trio for my last transfer!  I could not believe it! We get along so well, and it is awesome to have another companion to help support, cheer-up, laugh with, and teach with! Poor thing, Sister Swindler will have to deal with me until the end :) It is the first time I have stayed with a companion for 3 transfers!  Sister Sabrina is from Rondônia, way up in the north parts of Brasil.  She is so funny, and practically passes for an American.  I was her sister leader in Mogi das Cruzes, so I have known her for a while.  She will go home one tansfer after me.  We will work good n' hard all day, every day to not get trunky ;) SIX WEEKS!!

Well these past few days were a rollercoaster.  I have never been so emotionally attatched to the work or to my investigators.  So, C is the mother-in-law of Presidente Mauri. Dad baptized his family 29 yrs ago.  Sorry if there was some confusion about that.  I love her so much.  We were able to have a great lesson with her and an Irmã from the ward.  We taught about the temples, and family history work.  Irmã Tatiana shared an experience, and the spirit was so strong.  She finally felt great about her baptism on Sunday the 31st!  But while I was on exchanges in Morumbi with the sister leaders, Presidente Mauri texted us saying that she wanted to be baptized after Carnaval!  What?!  So, she had talked with one of her daughters and her daughter got her confused, and anxious, and nervous for her baptism.  Summing it up, we talked with her personally and it did not go over well.  We were trying to help her understand the importance of the covenant, but she ended up getting more stressed and worried.  I have never prayed so much for an investigator.  We tried our best to teach correct principles, show her love, and seek God's will through the spirit.  Really I turned to my faith in Jesus Christ.  I knew that He would take care of her, and the other investigators.  It is His great work.  He knows exactly what He is doing.  So, we went to church with hopeful hearts, but she did not show up... I still knew that the Lord would not let her fall.  When we clapped at the front of her home, I saw that she was watching BYU-TV!!  What a blessing that Irmã Tatiana told her about it!!  I know that the Lord answers our prayers in perfect ways.  I just need to trust in Him!  

I have never been more aware of the urgency to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  Sometimes it is hard for me to balance my anxiousness to help others, my own strengths, weaknesses, and the free agency of others in this great work. Every day the spirit teaches me of things that I need to change, and things that I am doing well.  He needs to be my constant companion.  He is the Master Teacher along with our Savior Jesus Christ.  Without the constant peace, love and hope that I feel in my heart because of Holy Ghost, I would not be able to do anything here.  I am so grateful for a merciful Heavenly Father that lets me know that I am His daughter.  I am so blessed.  

We will be cleaning up our teaching pool this week. So many people do not want to change or show their faith through sacrifice.  BUT, I know that there are still those who are prepared!!  ONWARD EVER ONWARD Elder Cordner!  I love you all and I hope all of this makes sense!!  Pray for new people!! Amo todos vocês!!  

TCHAU,

Sister Cordner xoxo

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Week 69 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - January 25, 2016 - CRAZY

FAMÌLIA!!  This has been the craziest week of my entire mission!  Literally, I do NOT know where to start!  

First.  C1 was not baptized.  Sadly she has sooo many problems with her family, is not thinking straight, and is definitley not keeping the commitments we leave with her.  But,  we will not give up :)  Please pray for her :)

Second.  WE HAVE A NEW INVESTIGATOR THAT IS SO GOLDEN!  Her name is S.  Oh my, she talked with us at the grocery store.  Her stepson is a soon-to-be Elder, and her husband right now is a less active member!  She was so excited to learn more!  We called her on the day that she found out that she might have cancer... She told us that is was a sign from God that our church was true.  During the lesson of the Restoration, the Spirit was so powerful, and it was so cool to have V there as well, her stepson.  Every one felt it.  She agreed to baptism!  She is super active in her church, but we have so much faith and hope and we are so happy!!

Third! C3 will be baptized this weekend!!  She has been reading the Book of Mormon every single day, praying, and is so excited!  She took her granddaughter to church this past week and her daughter, the mother, got very mad at her.  She is worried that her daughters will "disown" her because of her baptism, but she KNOWS it is the right thing.  We are so excited!!  I just love her so much :)

Well, we had the craziest Pday today.  We took a 1.5 hour bus ride to walk 30 minutes on a trail to see some beautiful waterfalls!  We went all alone, but it was fun!  Everyone told us that we should not go alone because we would get lost, but fortunately everything went okay :)  On the way back we were running to catch the next bus... President Silcox called me on the way and it was raining so hard.  He told me that we are getting another companion!  But, we missed the bus.  The next one leaves at 5... So I hope it will get there on time to pick her up!  Haha, so we are in an extrememly magical town in the middle of no where.  All the houses are so magical and bright and colorful.  So many little shops with cute things and little places to eat.  I wish I had a few days to stay here!  

I am so excited for this next week.  I love being a missionary.  This week we were able to hear from a few of the apostles in a devotional to all the missionaries in the world.  We learned so much about how to follow the spirit, be a worthy vessel, and how to help our investigators be converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We have seen MAJOR changes in our teaching and the Spirit that we feel.  I am so grateful for the wise counsel of our leaders.  They truly are inspired.  

I am sorry I do not have much more time, but I love you all so much!  I am very grateful for the time I have left to be here.  I know that it is still where I need to be!  Have a wonderful week!

Sister Cordner xoxo

Week 68 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - January 18, 2016 - Mangas.Mangas.Mangas

This week has been so great!  Really Sister Swindler and I have been so happy working together.  There is so much work, like always, and we have seen so much progress!  

It has been a roller-coaster ride with C1.  At the beginning of the week she was so happy and excited for her baptism. January 17th.  Even with all of her pain that has been coming back she really knew it was the right thing to do... then I asked one simple question, "So, who do you want to baptize you?" Oh, it went all downhill from there.  She remembered the promise she made with God that she would wait for her son to get off his mission for him to baptize her.  She started to realize that ever since she had been preparing herself to be baptized, she had started to feel pain again, and she came to the conclusion that God was punishing her for breaking her promise wanting to be baptized earlier than she had said.  Look how Satan works with our investigators!  She got very scared that if she was baptized, God would take her life away, and not let her see Elder Gomez again.  We tried our best to help her understand the will of God, but we decided to mark another lesson with Irmã Josy and Irmão Ademir, her great friends in the ward.  On their wedding anniversary, they walked in the rain with a beach umbrella to help us talk with C1.  They are such amazing people.  I felt very strongly that it would be through a simple principle that she would realize what she should do.  We talked about faith and how her promise to God was a good thing, a great desire that she had when she made it.  Because she is now ready and willing to make this covenant with God, He desires her to recieve His blessings now.  Yes, it is a good thing to wait for her son, but it would be even better to progress in the gospel, progress with her son, and prepare herself to enter into the temple with him when he comes home.  The spirit was sweet and the room was still, and she felt so much peace.  She asked when we could do the baptismal interview.  Oh my, I never felt so happy in my life :)  But unfortunately, an hour before her interview, she called and said that they were having problems in her family and that she would not be able to go to church, and was not able to be baptized... NOOOO!  We still have so much faith.  Really she is having so many problems, but now she knows that the enemy is trying his best to catch her, and she is literally fighting for her salvation. Sorry long story, but please pray for her!!  

This week so many funny things were happening.  It is the season of mangos, and I do not even know how many I have eaten.  At lunch this week we ate a huge plate of Feijoada...so yummy... but if you do not act quickly, the irmãs pick up your plate and serve ya up again.  You do NOT want this to happen. Sister Swindler did not act quick enough and got served up a heaping John Wayne plate.  Oh man, I just looked at her and gave her the look saying, "say a prayer and get to work".  Surprsingly enough she dominated it.  So proud of her.  

So here everyone has a trash rack outside of their houses where they put all the trash bags out of reach of the dogs.  Sometimes, no, a lot of the time they forget to put them up.  I have the perfect height to hit my head on these racks.  You have to focus on your feet walking on the crooked sidewalk, and look up to not hit your head.  So this week I hit my head so hard.  So hard.  Right under my eyebrow and into my eye.  I literally felt my eye come out of its socket a bit, not even kidding.  Once I knew that everything was okay, I looked up and saw a couple watching.  They were so worried for me, gave me ice and her husband got ticked at me for not paying attention... It was cool because his cousin is a member of the church.  Even though they did not want to hear our message, maybe I had to hit my head for a reason ;)  

Oh there are so many stories, but I do not have much time.  In two months I will be able to talk to you all in person! I hope you all have a great week!  You guys have no idea how much I love you, and how great it is to hear from you every week!  I feel your prayers.  They strengthen me!  I love being a missionary!  

Sister Cordner xoxo

McKenzie's Zone

Week 67 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - January 11, 2016 - Small and simple things.

BOM DIA TODOS!

Today I am really struggling to know what to write about.  In my head, all the days are mixing into one big day!  But, I will try my best to make this email worth reading :)  Ah, Elder Cordner is just so hilarious these days :)

I absolutely loved what President Silcox wrote me this week.  I had expressed to him my feelings and frustrations with my spiritual growth.  Sometimes we feel like we are either staying on the same level, or even becoming a bit spiritually numb despite our hard work and effort. My wise mission President responded, "Life can be very challenging at times, even when we are doing our very best to be obedient and serve with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. But these can be times of great spiritual growth. If you have ever started a new intense exercise program you know how much your body can hurt as it is growing new muscles. The same happens with our spirits as we experience "spiritual growing pains". As you and Sister Swindler experience these days of spiritual growing pains just think about how much stronger you will be in the future if you just keep "exercising"" I have been pressed and pulled through this cycle of spiritual exercises, but how I am grateful! 

Can I just say that lessons with members present are just the most amazing things in the world?  I am so grateful for so many members that are willing to sacrifice a little bit of their time for the Lord's work.  We are now seeing so much progress with our dear C3.  She is so exicted about baptism, and all of her confusing catholic doubts are starting to turn into a burning flame of a testimony.  She was so happy at church yesterday with three of her grandchildren that she brought with her.  She really has so much responsibility with her family members, but I know that she is doing her best to put the Lord and His will first in her life.  BATISMO!!  Pray that she will be able to feel the same desire to be baptized throughout the week!

C2 is starting to hide from us.  Really every time we go to her home, we feel like her thirst to learn is growing smaller and smaller.  Sometimes investigators just need a little space to have the spirit work, and to see the difference between life in the world, and life close to the Savior.

C1 is now going onto her 4th Sunday at church!  She is really liking it, and was literally just waiting for someone to help her find the straight and narrow path.  She is still a little hesitant about her baptism, but is showing such sincere desire to know for sure if it is the Lord's will for her.  

We were able to make a few great street contacts this week.  A woman named F that lives with her three children, and four of her nieces and nephews whose mother died from cancer four months ago.  We were able to testify briefly of how the gospel blesses our families and how the Plan of Salvation is God's gift for His children.  We will hopefully be able to teach her tonight.  What a blessing the scriptures have been for me this past week.  I feel my Heavenly Father talking with me through the words of the ancient and living prophets.  I know that when I search, I will find.  When I knock, He will always open unto me.  I love you guys and I pray for you all daily!  Have a great week!  

Love, Sister Cordner xoxo  Alma 37:6-7

Week 66 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - January 4, 2016 - I LOVE NEW BEGINNINGS!!!

Don't you all just love new beginnings? I have reflected this week on all of the amazing things that have passed with the old year, and all of the new hopes for this year.  My Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, have been my strength.  I am amazed as I have seen the blessings from heaven being poured over me and my mission.  

Simplify.  That is my goal for this new year.  We, mostly us women in the church, complicate things way too much.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple.  It is clear.  It is easy to understand, even for little children.  When I simplify my thoughts, feelings, testimony, and even words, I feel such a sweeter spirit enter into my life.  I start to see more clearly the Hand of God in my life and the purest hope and confidence in my Father returns and fills my whole soul.  How I am grateful for new beginnings.  How I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

C1 is on track, going to church, this time with one more of her sons who is nine years old.  She has a new goal to stop drinking coffee and really, I know she is seeing a difference in her life.  Of all the people I have met here in Brasil, she has the darkest of pasts.  She has been through it all.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is literally a beacon of light beaming into her life.  She is determined to change.  I know that Heavenly Father loves her.

C2 is progressing very well also!  She once again went to church on her own yesterday, after refusing a ride with any member.  She is such a sincere and diligent daughter of God.  She has SO much potential in His kingdom.  We are excited to plan many visits with members and many family nights this week!

C3 got sick this week... but we are still praying that she will, along with all the others, recieve an answer to their prayers!  

I know, because the Holy Ghost has revealed to me time and time again, that this is the true church of Jesus Christ in these last days.  I cannot deny it.  I know that God talks with His children.  We need only become like a little child, open our hearts and ask Him for an answer.  He is our loving Father.  I am so grateful for the time I still have to share what I know to be true with my brothers and sisters.  What an amazing privilege it has been and will be.  Thank you for your loving and uplifting words this week!  I am determined to do my best this next week!  I love you all and I wish you a happy new beginning!

Love, Sister Cordner xoxo

  

Week 65 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - December 21, 2015 - FELIZ ANO NOVO!!!!

Wasn't Christmas just magical?!  I absolutely LOVED talking with my wonderful family.  It was the best present I could ask for.  Only 6 more months and I'll talk with Elder Cordner as well :)  Well the rest of the week was great!  There is not that much more to share that I didn't already say.  But we did see a wonderful miracle Saturday and Sunday!! 

The members have been passing many referrals these past few weeks and one of them the stake President, Pres. Mauri passed to us.  (Dad actually taught and baptized his family.)  He gave us his mother-in-law's address, and on Saturday we headed out to meet her.  The last time she had missionaries in her home, her daughter was being taught, which is a long time ago.  Last week she went to a ward activity with her daughter and someone gave her a Book of Mormon.  She hadn't started to read it, but she wanted to know more.  She did not even remember about Joseph Smith!  All of her daughters go to different churches and really she is confused about which church she should join. It was the perfect setting to feel the spirit.  We explained very simply to her about the Book of Mormon and her eyes just got bigger and bigger as we explained.  We invited her to go to church the next day, and she went!!  She went all alone, took the bus early and was the first person at church!  Oh we were so happy!  It would be wonderful if she would be baptized!  She is such a wonderful woman, so sweet and sincere.  

Funny Story:  We were just starting the lesson and Sister Swindler and I had full glasses of water in our hands.  I reached down to pet her tiny dog, when he barked and almost bit my hand.  We jumped up and all the water went EVEYWHERE.  Oh my,  I was so embarrassed!  We laughed the entire bus ride home.  

C (her son is a member and serving a mission right now) went to church!!  Oh, it was a Christmas miracle!  I guess she really was inspired by skyping her son on Christmas and promised him she'd go. 

The studies that Sister Swindler and I have together are amazing.  I am learning so much during these last months of my mission.  Really I feel my testimony burning stronger than ever.  I know that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father.  Just as a caterpillar can turn into a butterfly, a puppy can turn into a dog, or a chick can turn into a hen, we have the divine potential and nature of our Heavenly Father. Are we working to become like Him? This is His work and His glory, but are we on-board?  Is His goal our goal?  If it is, then we should be trying our best to live His gospel, and follow the example of His Son.  But, if we are not, we need to bend our knees and ask Him where we need to start.  I testify that He always will recieve us with open arms if we do.  He never gets tired of us, doubts us or leaves our side.  If we ask Him to help us see this divine potential, He can show us.  I know that the temple is everything in His plan.  It is there that we can be closer to Him and feel more powerfully His love.  I cannot wait until I will be able to go more frequently to His house.  I love you all, and I wish you all a wonderful new year!  Let us remember His love for us and our divine potential as we begin a new year and start our new goals!  I LOVE YOU ALL FOREVER!

Love, Sister Cordner xoxo

Christmas Eve Dinner

The City Park on Christmas Day!

An awesome scene!

At the City Park..

And a Capivara......we don't have these in the US of A

And mom, I made the cheesecake brownies on Christmas that you sent!  

They were a big hit with the Brazilians ;)

Week 64 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - December 21, 2015 - Feliz Natal!!

Hello my beautiful family and friends!  I was so glad to hear from so many of you this week!  It has been a great one with so much success!  The Lord has been blessing us so much!  

P introduced the gospel and the Book of Mormon to his parents.  We were able to teach them and they have been just eating up the book.  They are half way through already!  But... they did not go to church.  We will see why today!

A sweet little woman found US this week.  Her name is C.  She is so humble, does not know how to read, and has 7 children!!  She has been loving our visits and is progressing very well.  She also went to church yesterday and loved it!!  She is our miracle this week.

We are currently teaching a Pastor.  Oh my, he is so smart. So good. So spiritual.  And so MORMON.  I just know one day he will accept the gospel.  We are workin' on him!

Really the members are getting so hyped up on missionary work!  Everyone is asking for Books of Mormon, magazines, pamphlets, and cards to give to their friends.  Although some of the referrals they pass end up not being very interested, at least they are doing their part!  Working with the members is a higher level of missionary work!  It works so much smoother!! Fortunately, we have gotten a few great new investigators thanks to our lovely members.  Speaking of, we have a new bishop!  Bispo Alexandre was unmatchable, but I know because I FELT that Bispo Campos is such a sweet man.  I adore his sweet family.   

Well I am SOOO excited to talk to you all on CHRISTMAS DAY!  I really cannot wait!  It has been so long since I have seen your beautiful faces.  And I try so hard to remember your voices!

I have learned so much about our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ this week.  Really faith is sacrifice.  If someone wants to recieve an answer from God, they need to show their faith through their sacrifice.  Without sacrifice, there is no faith.  And without faith, there is only belief.  Anyone can believe, but very few are willing to sacrifice.  This Christmas I have been able to testify with all my heart that our Savior Jesus Christ lives.  I feel the same fire in my heart that I felt at the beginning of my mission, but only stronger. And each time I look into the eyes of a child of God, I try to help them feel the same witness from the spirit through my words.  For unto us a Son is given.  I know He is our Savior and Redeemer.  There is no other way or means by which we can be saved.  He is the Son of God, and He lives.  How grateful I am for these truths, for they are the most precious of all.  Have a very Merry Christmas!  I will go on a BIG-TIME diet after the season because of how much they stuff our faces here.  It is rediculous!  FELIZ NATAL!

#umsalvadornasceu

LOVE, Sister Cordner

Two special people...my new brazilian família Matos.

Our Ward Christmas party was so BEAUTIFUL! 

You all are not the only ones seeing candy-canes this Christmas... SOOO BAD

Week 63 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - December 14, 2015 - Apples to Apples

How many apples come from one seed?  I was able to see a little bit of the amazing fruits of dad's mission.  What amazing people.  The Mattos family introduced us to their little snack shop, so delicious by the way.  We also ate lunch with the Burock family (they know a family in our ward and traveled down!).  And we also ate lunch again with the Mattos family yesterday!  I just love them so much.  So funny that both families have sons out on missions my same age.  It will be so much fun to have them see dad after so many years!  Everyone was joking around with Manoel Mattos that he can not put dad on an altar and worship him when he comes. They are so funny!!

Well we are certainly in the last days because first of all, I have never seen a blazing sun as I have this week, and second of all, no one wants to go to church.  These past weeks we have had so many people excited to go to church. We get them all rides to get there, everything seems perfect and then Sunday morning....cricket, cricket.  BUT, we have a great new investigator!   His name is P.  He has some great friends in the ward and has been coming to our english class (so crazy, but so fun!), and all the ward activities!  His parents as well are interested in hearing our message.  He has real intent and is so inteligent.  Wants to get a real testimony of the Book of Mormon and the prophet Joseph Smith.  We are excited!  

This week we had our annual Christmas conference.  It was so much fun and such a crazy experience.  I have never seen Elders so excited in my life.  I mean these men pass for two hundred rabid monkeys in a barrel.  But they are hilarious.  Sister Swindy and I sang our little song.  It went well!  I will have to send the video to you all and all the photos I took this week.  I left the battery charging at home...  We have eaten so much Churrasco!  I think our main food group this Christmas season will me MEAT.  So much meat, but man, it is the best I have had.  The Ward Christmas party was a blast!  It was at a really cool place in the middle of the jungle, with crystal clear pools in the blazing hot sun.  OH how I wanted to jump in!!  

My testimony of personal revelation has grown ten fold as I have felt a need to call on my Father in Heaven, bent my knees, and opened my scriptures just to find exactly what I was looking for.  I know He answers our prayers.  There has not been a prayer I have said on my mission that He has not answered.  And really one of the most important questions we can ask is "What lack I yet?"  I love this talk from the last General Conference.  I testify that the spirit can tell us the small and simple things that we can improve.  He is so honest and so direct. And when we take his advice and really try to improve, He will bless us with more answers.  

Please pray for our teaching pool, and please pray for P, C, and E, that all three will be able to receive their own personal witnesses of the truth.  

It was great to see that Zoie has arrived safely at home.  What an amazing mission she has served!  I love you ZO!  

Have a great week everyone!  I am sooooo excited to talk to you all next week!!  I will have to practice my english a little!  TCHAU!  Beijos!

Sister Cordner X0X0

Manoel Mattos with his wife.

Lunch with the Burock family

Manoel Mattos' family on Sunday dinner with McKenzie.

Dinner at Mattos home.

Meeting another man whose parents were baptized by Ken. So awesome!

Week 62 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - December 7, 2015 - Yield Our Hearts to God

Olá minha querida família!!  Oh how I miss each one of you!  I can feel that it is just getting so Christmas-like up in the North!  Here, it is pretty much like any other time of the year.  I am glad that the members keep up with the lovely Christmas traditions!  Mitch sounds like he is ruling the town!  Oh my, I just crack up when I read his emails... so funny.

It has been a very great week, full of surprises.  We are on the hunt for those the Lord has prepared.  J was not baptized.  Well, he was so excited and ready!  We marked his interview with our District Leader and J just never showed up.  We have not been able to talk to him since.  When someone is on the right path, and so close to changing their life, the enemy works as well.  But we have not given up!!  Please pray for him that he can have the strength to resist temptation.  

We were able to give a training to all of the adults and youth yesterday in the third hour.  Oh it went so well! We talked about three things that can help them share the gospel right now.  1. Do not judge.  Do not look for the "ideal mormon" or the "best friend".  2. Simplify the task!  It can be a natural part of our lives!  3. Our success is when we invite others.  We all really felt strengthened by the spirit and inspired also by the words of our Ward Mission Leader.  He and his family are amazing member missionaries.  After the meeting I was swarmed by  so many members wanting to give referrals and wanting to mark up with us!  It was amazing!!!  When we got here in the ward, everyone told us that it was just a dead ward that has not been divided for so many years.  They really are waking up, and feeling the spark of missionary work.  You should see how excited Bishop Alexandre gets when we meet with him every week!  They are such good people.  We will take a different focus now with the members, which ALWAYS gives better results.  We are starting an English class on Tuesday and every Sunday this month we will get out on the street in small groups with members to go caroling and picking up addresses.  I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!  It is the most amazing and most important thing on this earth.  I can just feel the baptisms comin' on, I can feel it in my bones.  

This week we had an experience that really made me stop, examine my testimony, and exercise all of my faith.  This morning I was reading the talk "Yielding our Hearts to God" by Sister Neil F. Marriott.  He is the potter and we are the clay. He sees all things, and we can only see the present.  I have really learned how to trust in something that I cannot see, touch or hear: the love and light of my Father in Heaven.  In the end, it is all that we have in our times of great distress.  I know He loves me, because I have felt it, and I can feel it every day.  President Hinckley said, "If you do your best, it will all work out.  Put your trust in God...The Lord will not foraske us."  "Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for you good." (D&C 90:24)  How do you think our Heavenly Father gained all of His knowledge and power?  Do you think that He was born with it?  Are we not on the path to become like Him?  I am sure that He has had to pass through many, if not all, of the things that we live.  Our suffering is necessary. We need to learn how to rely and lean on Him in every moment, every hour of every day of our lives.  I am grateful to be here on a mission because now I know that I cannot do it on my own.  I know that I NEED my Savior, and I know that He really and truly loves me unconditionally.  I never tire to learn more, study my scriptures, pray, and read the words of the prophets. They are the words of life.  

Sister Swindy and I are practicing a few Christmas hymns that we will sing at the Christmas conference for the mission! We will see how it goes... I will atempt to play the cavaquinho/ukulele... haha!  I love you all, and I wish you all the most merry Christmas season!!  

Sister Cordner xoxo

Week 61 - SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - November 30, 2015 - Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hello family and friends!  It has been another great week here in SJC!  We have been in the hot sun all week long, but now we are finally getting some refreshing rain!  I have never seen so many people wanting to go to church!  This week everyone was accepting baptism, and the invitation to go to church.  But unfortunately when Sunday came around, guess who actually went... no one!!  Oh man, we were pretty sad, but we keep the faith!  It was such a fun Thanksgiving.  We were feeling a little sad at the beginning, wanting to be at the big turkey feast with our families.  But when we started to list all of the blessings in our lives and see all that the Lord has given us, we decided to get to work and see some miracles.  It was really such a great day.  We met a few people who were so receptive.  We ate at Subway!  Oh man, I walked in and I literally felt like I was in the US of A.  Oh it smelled so good!  We ate TURKEY sandwiches, the closest we could get... 

I have been reading the incredible conference talks from October and they have been the highlight of my week.  "We agreed, right then and there, to be not only saviors for ourselves, but... saviors for the whole human family.  We went into a partnership with the Lord.  The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father's work, and the Savior's work, but also our work.  The least of us, the humblest, is in the partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation."  - Elder John A. Widtsoe  I join my testimony with that of Joseph Smith: after all is said and done, and when we narrow down everything that is worth while to us and to our Father in Heaven, the work of bringing others to the Old Ship Zion is the most important.  They need the truth, and we have it.  There is just so much to do, and the work NEVER stops.  I feel anxious to do all I can before my time is out.  The light and desire within me to share my testimony with others is as strong as ever.  It has never gone out, and I pray that it never will!  I love this work.  It is everything to me.  I am eternally grateful to my Father in Heaven for the blessings given to me daily.  I know He lives and loves us.  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving week! Pray that João will be able to keep strong until his baptism next week!!

Sister Cordner xoxo

SJC

SJC is so beautiful!

Sister Cordner and Sister Swindler

Thanksgiving meal - Subway turkey sandwiches!!  They were overjoyed!!