Adventures Up the Mountains

¡Hola!

Seriously can`t believe that it is monday again, this week just flew by! We worked hard, we got lost, and we to know more people :) We went on an adventure up the mountain this week. We got on a bus trying to go down the mountain from an area that we are working in, and in the end we went up the mountain. We noticed it wasn`t the right bus, when it didn`t turn to go down, but instead went up.. so we asked the people in front of us where the bus was going, they said to Constantino. It turns out Constantino is at the tip of the mountain, like 35 minutes in bus up the mountain.. So we went on a little adventure up the mountain, and then took the bus down the mountain :) We got some cool pictures, because it was a pretty view, and we gave everyone on the bus a good laugh, because I sure it was pretty funny to see a gringa and a latina with skirts on hopping on a bus to go to el campo (where there are only dirt roads and farm land). :) Everyone gave us a pretty weird look when we got on the bus, and we figured out why when we figured out where the bus was going. We are getting better at buses and now we know that if the bus says Constantino to not get on it.

We visited a less active couple this week, that are now coming back to church. They were saying that they didn`t go to church for over 5 months because of something a member said that was really rude. They decided that they were missing out on way to many blessings to not go to church for that reason so they decided to come back and go for God and not go for the people. And that is the key. We go to church to serve God and to learn more, and we need to always remember that the church is perfect, but the members are FAR from perfect. The Church of Jesus Christ is a hospital for the sick (people who are sinning) and Christ is the perfect Doctor. But, we all have weaknesses and things that we need to improve and we just need to remember that we are going to church for God and not for the imperfect members. I love this church and I know that it is the true church of God, and I know that I am not perfect and I have a long way to go. I am just so happy that they have decided and realized this for themselves and they are coming back to church strong :) 

A cool story, we were knocking doors one afternoon when all of our appointments had fallen through, and we

were just going door to door and no one was answering. As we were turning the corner, it came to my mind that we had unintentionally skipped a house, so I said to my companion "Lets go contact that house.. I feel as though there is a golden family in that house." I didn`t say that completely seriously, but I did feel as though we needed to contact that house. It turns out that it is a family that lives in that house, and we talked to the oldest son. They listened to missionaries before a really long time ago and he told us to come back on sunday so that we kind find everyone. They seem super interested. They weren`t home yesterday, but we set up another appointment for tomorrow and we are praying that we find them.

We had divisions this week with the Hna Leaders and I was with Hna Willson again! I love her!! We had a lot of fun working and contacting together and we were able to contact a lot of families, which was awesome! 

I love this church, I love this work, and I am so grateful to be a missionary. 

 I love you all and have a fabulous week!! Also HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

Hermana Cordon

De Guaranda soy!

¡Hola! 

I seriously love it here in Guaranda! It is so different from my last 2 areas and I am loving the different atmosphere!! The only thing is it is so cold here!! I had to buy a jacket today, because I was freezing all last week, because I don´t have any warm clothes. I am grateful I was able to find something cheap and warm :) 

Here in Guaranda is a branch, and about 80 people come to church every week. Something cool is that they have family home evenings every monday and sunday, which is great! The only thing is the same group of people go to the family home evenings and they are are really active. Now we just have to focus on getting them to invite less actives to come with them and none members as well. If they start doing that these family home evenings could have a lot more success! This branch hasn´t really been progressing for the last year here, and so I am hoping that we can get some things moving here this change! There are some really awesome members here and I am excited to get to know them and to start working with them! 

There are not many investigators here right now, so we ended up doing a lot of contacting this last week to hopefully find some new people. We found 6 new people which was awesome, but none of them were able to go to church, but hopefully we can help them to get to church next week. Sunday is the biggest obstacle here for the people. Hopefully we can find some good people and help them all to progress!

My area here is so beautiful! It is a lot more country and its away from everything! Our sector has the center of Guaranda which has all the shops and everything, but we also have a mountain in our sector and the streets are dirt roads. But, when we go up we have a really awesome view of everything around us! It is great! I seriously love nature and there are really beautiful mountains here in Guaranda! 

One interesting thing here, is the garbage truck plays a song so that people know the garbage is coming to take their trash out. The song plays is "De Guaranda soy, de Guaranda soy.." Over and over again, it is in a beautiful way, but a lot is annoying :) De Guaranda soy, means I am from Guaranda. It is kind of interesting, I thought that, that was a ice cream truck kind of thing. haha

Also a recent convert gave us cupcakes on my birthday to celebrate me and my companions birthdays! Her birthday was one day before mine! It was so nice of him! 

I am excited to see what this change brings here is Guaranda! :) I love you all and I hope you all have a fantastic week!!!

Love,

Hermana Cordon

Photos: Guaranda!

Cows in Ecuador

¡Hola!

Well this week as we were leaving a house of an investigator we were walking down the sidewalk next to a busy road and we look ahead and there are 4 cows just casually walking down the road. Now this is not normal for ecuador and it was quite comical! Especially when a little indigineous lady came running after them trying to corral them. And then a little calf went into a park that was surrounded with a fence and the lady was trying to corral the other ones so we went into the park and cornered this calf so that he would leave and join the other cows. It was quite a comical experience!

Well Christmas is starting to pop up here in Ecuador and it makes me so happy! A lot of the houses now have nice pretty christmas trees! Not a lot of the houses have lights, but a couple do and its fun to see when we are walking down the streets at night! When we walked into our pensionista´s home this week after she had decorated it made me so happy! Her house feels like home with all the decorations, and the best is that underneath her tree she has a train that makes sounds and everything! It really is just like home! This really is such a great time of the year and I am truly grateful for the opportunity I have to be spending this time dedicated to the Lord´s work. 

This week we had a lot of time to contact to find new people and to try to have some appointments, though many people didn´t accept the invite to listen to us, we were able to plant so many seeds! I am reminding myself of that a lot this week, that a lot of people need 7 or 8 times in contact with the church to actually accept the gospel into their life. So this week I was able to be a one of these times for a lot of people and that in the future when they talk to missionaries again or have a time in their life when they are looking for the Lord they will have a moment that they heard about this gospel to have the chance to accept this gospel! I just remind myself of the investigators we have right now, the ones that are truly progressing all had several contacts with the gospel before we even entered their lives and that they were able to be prepared for this moment in time. And that is truly a blessing to me that I get to be the one to see these people accept the gospel, and so I just have to remember that one day these people I am talking to will one day have this moment in time and there will be some missionaries in the future helping them accept the gospel in the moment that they were prepared for. 

One motto that I have started saying and that I just love is "Dios tiene un plan"(God has a plan). Sometimes we don´t know this plan and sometimes things just seems to be a little to difficult or different then you had hoped. But, just remember that God knows you and knows what you need and everything happens for a reason. I know that I am here in Conocoto right now and with the companion I have and with the people we are teaching, because God has a plan and he knew what I needed and where I needed to be. Just remember always that Dios tiene un plan! 

I love you all! Thank you for the letters and love that you send my way!
Hermana Cordon

The cows in the middle of the road with the indigenous lady

A picture a member drew for me whose mom is our investigator

Faith is like a little seed

¡Hola!

First off.. I have a new companion! :) Her name is Hermana McGill, she has about 10 months in the mission, and she is also from Utah. She is a lot of fun, and we work great together! I am excited for this time to be learning from her and having different experiences. 

This week our investigators taught me a lot about how much power a tiny bit of faith can have. Every one of our investigators right now are progressing and have dates for baptism in the next couple of weeks, and so when they are at this stage we are looking for any problem they could have about the church to solve all of their doubts and to make sure nothing will prevent them from being active after they are baptized. Every single one of them we came up with one or two commandments that could possibly be a bit of a struggle for them to accept immediately. And so we taught them all these commandments this week, and every single one of them accepted all of these commandments without a hesitation, because they have faith in this gospel. The basis of why each of them accepted all of these commandments without hesitation is because each of them have recieved an answer and know that this church is true, and if this church is true each of these commandments is something that we need to follow for our benefit. They all have such amazing faith and I always walk out of the lessons repenting and realizing how I need to keep working on growing my faith and being stronger every day.

One cool experience this week was with our investigator Nelly. She is someone super interested in religions, but thought that all religions are great and from God. So last week we told her that she needs to read the BOM and to pray to know that only one church is true and that it is this church. Then when we went by monday, she hadn´t prayed so we asked if we could pray with her, because we knew that would solve all of her doubts if she would just recieve an answer in that moment. So we knelt down and she prayed and asked if this church was true. And when she paused and listened after about a minute she said "It´s true. He said it`s true." We then talked about it and she said that never in her life has she recieved such a firm and direct answer from God and that she knows that this is His path. It was such a remarkable experience for me and the spirit was so strong. I know that if we pray with a sincere heart and have faith that He will answer us we will recieve an answer and know how to follow God even more. I am truly grateful for that testimony builder. 

This morning I read in Alma 60 and 61 where Moroni is accusing Pahoran of a bunch of stuff and how Pahoran responds to the unjust and untrue accusations. I am not sure the exact words he uses in english, but in spanish it says that he responds and says that these things aren´t true but I am not annoyed, because he understands his intentions. Its a great lesson on how we need to learn how to put ourselves in the other persons shoes and understand why they are saying something and not take offence. Pahoran was truly remarkable and christlike at how quick he was forgive and to avoid offence. 

I love Conocoto and I am truly grateful for the experiences I am having here and the people I know and are helping bring to the gospel. 

Sé que la iglesia de Jesucristo de Los Santos de Los Ultimos Dias es la iglesia verdadera en todo el mundo. Sé que Jesucristo es mi salvador y redentor y Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial y el nos conoce y nos ama mucho.

Love you all!!

Love, Hermana Cordon

Last Photo with Hermana Molina

Hermana Cordon & Hermana McGill

Flia Medina

Christmas Tree