Christmas Gifts that will Forever be Cherished

Hey guys! 

Merry Day after Christmas! I had to say, this had to have been one of the most memorable Christmas I have ever had. Especially some of the events that led up to it was incredible. The Lord truly is good to us and his hand of mercy is extended to each one of us. My testimony in that principle was strengthened when we met a man who has changed our lives, Miguel Gomez. Miguel was a Bible Referral and when we first taught him, we got to know him and he told us he was trying to find truth and he's tried so many different times to be involved in church but he's never had the necessary fellowship to help him get to church or understand his relationship with God. As we testified of the Restoration, his eyes just lit up with so much interest and life in his eyes, as if he knew instantly that this is what was going to help him. The next day we taught him the Plan of Salvation and we invited him to baptism and he accepted right away. He told us we changed his life coming to teach and it was such a tender moment in my mission. I'm thankful the Lord blessed me to me a man as incredible as Miguel.

We also met with the Pierre Louis family (the Haitian Family) a few times this week and we found out Mariline (the Mom) was spending Christmas by herself while all the kids were going to New York to go visit their Dad. So we hopped on the opportunity to invite her to church and throughout the whole week she was on the fence about going. But finally, Saturday night, she said she wanted to come. So we figured out the ride situation right away and we got all set for Christmas by singing carols on Christmas Eve and the day before that. It was so fun to sing with 8 other Elders in the streets of Reading and to members of the Spanish ward. It was such a blessing to hear people tell us we were doing the Lord's work and light just came from our caroling. It was a ton of fun to provide such a memorable act of service..

Then Christmas Day came! We first went to church and saw Miguel and Mariline both at church. I sat with Mariline while Elder Baker sat with Miguel. By the end of the service, I asked Mariline if she felt the Spirit and she smiled and nodded. It was incredible because Mariline has had a hard time while we have been with her recognizing the Spirit testify what was true. And for us, we thought it was a huge breakthrough for her. Miguel also enjoyed it so much, it was a miracle for them to feel the Christmas Spirit. Later that day, I had the blessing of talking to my family. It was so great being able to just spend time with them. Every time I talk to them, it's such a special hour to just be with them. It makes me want to work even harder after talking with them. We also had great dinners at our Bishop's house and the Maldanado house too to close the night. I just have to say,  I'm so thankful for every blessing I received this Christmas season out here. These gifts are what will last me a lifetime. I'm thankful to my Heavenly Father for changing my life and continues to through His Son Jesus Christ, who is the greatest gift of all. It's my hope and prayer we may receive our King on a daily basis and let Him make something more than we could ever do to ourselves. I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father, I love this Gospel, and it's such a privilege to be part of this great work. Have a great week looking toward an even brighter future in 2017!

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

Christmas: The Best Time to be a Missionary!

Hey everyone! 

It's been a pretty great week here in the PPM where the Christmas season is in full swing in Reading. We had a couple incredible miracles happen this first week of the transfer that just really renewed my testimony that God never ceases to provide miracles to those who diligently seek after them.

We did a good amount of finding this week even though the average outside was 30 in the past week (one day it was 15 degrees)! But we had faith we would find the elect and the Lord provided. We found this guy named Julio who just came out of his door to smoke a cigarette. We had a great conversation which led him to invite us in and we met his wife, Wanda, as well. It was so neat because they said they were looking for a church together to go to and missionaries talked to them before. They just didn't understand clearly what the Restoration was. So we retaught it to them and it all just clicked for them. They were excited to read the Book of Mormon and to go to church too! We also found a single mom named Iris who has been going through a lot of trials right now. But when we showed the Christmas video and testified of the Atonement of Christ, she really felt uplifted and wanted us to come back! 

It was so great to just see how we were answers to others' prayers during this Christmas season, whether it's members or investigators, it really is a humbling experience to just represent the Lord and teach to their needs.  It's also inspiring to see this happen with other missionaries in the Zone. On Friday, I went up to Pottsville and we taught one of their investigators, who comes to church every week and reads everyday from the Book of Mormon, but didn't want to quit smoking until Easter, but after we taught her, she felt so inspired to decide to quit smoking on the 6th of January and has a baptismal date for January 14th! It was a miracle she just changed it just like that. The Lord is just blessing all of the diligent Elders here in the Reading Zone as well as the PPM. It is just incredible. 

Doing this service for the Lord really reminds me daily of the true meaning of Christmas. I'm grateful for the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm thankful we have this time to celebrate his birth and that His light that is extended to each one of us and we are able to receive Him at all times. I'm thankful for you all and the examples you are to me. The true meaning of Christmas is to come unto Christ, and we all have the opportunity to help each other achieve this worthy goal. May the Lord bless you all this Christmas season to give and to receive the most important gift of all. Thank you for everything you do, you all #LightmyWorld (Too much? Probably, but it's okay, it gets the word out).

Merry Christmas with Love,

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

The Crane Flew West for the Winter

Hey everybody!

A lot has been going on this past week from transfer plans to tearful goodbyes to great experiences in the promised land of Reading. All in all, it's been a blessing to be in the Lord's service.

A pretty neat experience that we had was at our Christmas party this past Saturday because the Pierre-Louis family came and they all really enjoyed the Spirit they felt with the music, the decorations, and the solid fellowship from the ward.

We also found out this weekend that Elder Baker and I will be staying together for another transfer. So he will only be my third companion I have had that I will have been with for two transfers. It's going to be a blast being able to celebrate Christmas here in Reading. We have a young Zone coming into this next transfer but I know the Lord is going to bless and sustain all of us as we are obedient and as we rely on the Lord to guide each one of us. That's what's pretty neat about the Gospel, no matter the circumstances or the time in our lives, the solution is always the same.

Which brings me now to today. It's been a roller coaster of a morning. It kind of hit me last night that two great missionaries, two men that have taught me so much, are heading home tomorrow. As we said our goodbyes, I really thought about how much their mission meant to them, and how much my mission has meant to me. Now, Elder Crane is my fourth missionary I have sent home, but it's been more of an emotional time this round. Probably because I understand it more than I ever have what it means to be on a mission. I probably won't really fully know what it means until I'm in their shoes, but I'm so thankful in my heart for my mission. It makes me so thankful for everyone I have met in these past 17 months. 

It can be a scary thought to really realize how much time you really do have as a missionary. But I know that the Lord will bless and sustain me these next 7 months as he has these past 17 months. I'm thankful for Elder Crane and his example he has shown me these past three months. It was such an unexpected blessing to have him be my companion for three weeks, but we needed it so much. He is one of the most Christlike people I have ever met in my life. His charity and love for others can't even be described. His testimony and determination to serve to the end was just so influential. Besides my trainer, I'm thankful for how determined he was to serve to the very last day of his mission with everything he had. I'm also thankful for Elder Holden and the great leader and friend he has been to me this past year. It's a crazy coincidence (but we all know coincidences don't happen) that when we served in the same zone, it was always in the Reading Zone. He is a true disciple of Christ who knows how to minister with love at any given moment. I'm thankful for all of our examples in our lives, because when we look up to them, we look up to Christ. 

It'll be a great next transfer here in the Reading Zone! I hope all of you are doing well and are having a great time prepping for Christmas!

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

Turning 20 in the Mission!

Hey everybody!

It's been a great week being trained and taught by the Lord and His servants here in the blessed city of Reading as well as in Philadelphia!

It all started on Tuesday which was a really great birthday. The morning started with my two amazing companions making me a special Hawaiian meal of spam, eggs, and rice. Later, I went to my good friend, Elder Jensen's district meeting which was really insightful about how we need to communicate as companions in all different phases of the work. Then for the rest of the day, I went on an exchange with one of the sets of Spanish Elders in Reading. So I went with the seasoned Elder Wasden (he goes home in 4 weeks) in his area. It was pretty fun being able to share the new Christmas video the church put out and to really feel the Spirit enter into people's home. I couldn't have really asked for a better birthday present than sharing the Gospel through the Christmas season. Probably the funniest part of the Exchange was a member told me I look 16 instead of 20. So rather than looking on the downside of it, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how young I look when I'm in my 50's or so.

Thursday was a blast being able to work back and forth between Pottstown and Reading and then later we had interviews with President Randall. Interviews with President has to be one of my favorite parts of my mission. We both had a great time to learn about the Savior and His Atonement. It was so amazing! 

The next day, we had MLC at the Vine Chapel across the Temple which was an incredible meeting. We had the Temple President of the Philadelphia Temple expounding on principles of the Pre-earth life and how the temple connects. Elder Crane also gave his last MLC testimony which really touched me and how I can never take my time in the MLC, or my time as a missionary, for granted. He is such a solid and consecrated Elder. I'm definitely going to miss him when he goes home next week. That's another hard realization is that Elder Crane will be headed home to Idaho. But we are definitely going to make the most of the time we have together with him. That is without question!

Sunday, we had an amazing miracle happen. We fasted and prayed for the Pierre-Louis family to come to church. They are a Haitian family we have been working with for two months, and they came to church for the first time. They all enjoyed it so much and it was such a blessing being able to sit with them and sing Christmas songs together in sacrament. 

The Lord has blessed us abundantly here in Reading. I have such a firm testimony in Fasting and Prayer, the Lord does hear our pleadings. If there is anything we are concerned with, we can always turn to the Almighty for strength and guidance. It's the last week of the transfer, so we will see what happens if I stay another here in Reading or if I'm heading off to a new area to harvest. A lot of Zone Leaders are planning on being called to train this upcoming transfer so anything can happen. I know whatever happens, the Lord will be with me always! I hope all of you have a great start to this Christmas season!

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

Living the Trio Life... Part 3!

Hey everyone! 

I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving and a great weekend as well. Although it has been 3 days, much has happened. First and foremost, I got my new companion Elder Crane! He is from Bear Lake, Idaho and goes home in two weeks. So this will be the fourth companion I will be sending home so far on my mission! He's a great Elder, full of charity and love for others. We picked him up from the mission office on Friday morning and have been running around between our area in Reading and his area in Pottstown. We only teach one person in Pottstown because it wouldn't work trying to go back and forth between the two areas, but we are excited for Pottstown because the one investigator, Jasmine, is getting baptized December 10th which is pretty exciting! Along with that we also go to church in Pottstown as well, so that's a total of 6 hours of church on Sunday which is unheard of in the mission unless you cover a YSA. But it's definitely a blessing being with the Pottstown members as well as the members in our area. Definitely unexpected blessings from this brand new trio.

Something else is that I was a part of the Spanish Elders baptism in Reading this past Saturday. 

So, it was for a 9 year old kid named Miguel (he speaks English). I interviewed him earlier in the week and it was pretty funny because while we were there and about to leave, they asked Miguel who wanted to give the talks and he pointed at me to give the talk about baptism. So that's exactly what happened! I gave a talk about baptism that I think only 4 people could understand what I was talking about. But it was a really neat experience being able to see Miguel be baptized and to be fellowshipped by the entire family (and this family was huge!). I was also so happy for one of the Spanish Elders since that was his first baptism on his mission and it really meant a lot to him after really searching and praying for someone he could baptize and bring into the fold.

But other than that, everything else has been going very well! Our investigators Tiyanna and Yanna (age 13 and 14) came to church this past week and are planning to be baptized on December 10th. The Lord is just providing so many blessings this holiday season. It's crazy to think there's only 2 weeks left in the transfer, but I'm excited to finish strong with these two great Elders! May the Lord continue to bless us all as we head into the Christmas season, probably one of the most special times anyone can feel for the Savior's love. Continue to keep the faith!

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

"Live in Thanksgiving Daily" (Alma 34:38)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

It's been such a fun day for us over here in Reading! It's been dinner appointments and a fun Turkey Bowl with the Reading Zone. Without a doubt, this is a Thanksgiving I will not forget I had on the mission.

A few other things have happened and are happing, it's never a dull moment in the fantastic land of Reading. Probably the biggest thing that happened was that we had three baptisms this past weekend. Anthony, Dakota, and Chanel. It was a special baptism because we had so many special appearances from the Assistants, (we had an exchange the day before) and Elder Martinez. It was so great being able to see all three of them get baptized and then all three of them be confirmed the next day. To have the privilege to baptize Anthony was so great. The Spirit was just so strong being able to see all three baptisms happen. 

Elder Baker and I have just been having a blast here in the late fall. The winter is coming quick with 40 degree weather with wind chill that makes it feel like 20 degrees. We have just been having great laughs about it and finding great joy in the work. Another thing that is happening is we will be getting a third companion tomorrow who is Elder Crane. His companion is going home and he will be going home in two weeks so this will be the 4th missionary I have sent home which is kind of crazy but fun at the same time. 

To close this entry of the mission, I just want to say how grateful I am for so much that has been given to me by my Heavenly Father. I'm thankful for my family first and foremost. My parents are incredible and my siblings mean the world to me. It brings so much peace that I will spend all time and eternity with them. I'm thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge that I know to be true which brings me a lot of happiness. I'm thankful for prophets and apostles (both ancient and modern) who have priesthood authority to guide the people of Zion to the strait and narrow path and to help us stay on it.

There are two unique things I have learned and have appreciated more since I have been on my mission. I'm thankful for my mission as a whole. I'm thankful for the people I have met, especially all my companions. Learning from all 12 of them has meant the world to me and to keep learning is such a blessing. I'm thankful for the good times and the bad on the mission. It isn't always easy to be out here on a mission. But the hard times that have made me uncomfortable, I know are making me grow. I'm thankful I have two years to represent the Lord Jesus Christ as an authorized representative to preach His Gospel. I have teared up one time or another to really think this will all be over. But I'm grateful for the time the Lord has and is giving me now. I have been blessed so much with my mission. I love my mission with all my heart, no matter what. 

The second thing I am eternally thankful for is my Savior Jesus Christ. I have always known His sacrifice and that He is the Messiah. But I just grow my personal relationship with Him more and more as I continue on in my mission. I love the Lord, probably the biggest blessing is seeing my relationship with Him grow while I am out here. I become more committed, dedicated, bold, and consecrated in doing His will. 

I'm thankful for all of you who read these weeklys. You all mean a ton to me and I hope all of us may continually remember what we are thankful for everyday, not just Thanksgiving. As we do, all our doubts will flying and we will be singing as the day goes by. 

Have a great Turkey Day!

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

A Weekend with a General Authority

Hey everyone!

I hope all of you have been doing great so far in the wonderful month of November. The mission has been fantastic! We have had a lot of laughs and instruction by the Lord. It has been a great week here in the mission field. 

It all started on Tuesday when we had Zone Training. So usually, we have Zone Training at the Stake Center, but we found out the entire building was rented out for voting for the election... so we had to improvise and do Zone Training at the Centro Hispano at 5th and Washington. It was a lot of running around, but it was so great! The Spirit was so strong in really guiding the discussion on our Trainings. It had to be the best Zone Training I conducted! I had so much fun with it, and we have one more this transfer in December which we are very excited for. 

Later in the week, we had Elder Cordon of the Seventy train us Thursday and Friday. Thursday as an Mission, then Friday for the MLC. It was incredible to just see his training and his personally really connect with the missionaries. The biggest impression I took out of that whole training was that you can live your mission as a son of man or a son of God. As we find out who we really are, we find power in our identity. It was such a blast. Then, if we weren't blessed enough, we had stake Conference this weekend and the guest speakers were President and Sister Randall, and of course, Elder Cordon! So Saturday night and Sunday morning we were instructed even more. What was also neat was that I saw so many members from Kutztown! It was great seeing the bussiere family and the O's. What was hilarious was I just happened to sit right behind the O's Sunday, and they had no idea and then brother O looked back and I winked at him. Then he whispered to Sister O, then she turned around eyes all wide and just so excited to see me. She told me she just pulled out the vase Elder Thielen and I gave her for Mother's Day. I just felt the Spirit so strong seeing them again, it truly is a blessing to have all these friends on the mission, it's so great.

This Saturday is so exciting, we have 3 baptisms coming up and Elder Martinez is come back up to see it. The Lord blesses us everyday out here. What a blessing it is to be a part of this great work. 

I hope all goes well for you all this week! Remember that you are a child of God, although we are children of men, our divine heritage cannot be denied. 

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

Reading Round 2

Hey everybody!

I hope you all have been doing great in this first week of Fall. It's been a week full of changes, work, and of course, miracles.

I started the week by sending off Elder Martinez to Philadelphia and picked up my new companion Elder Baker! Elder Baker is from Eagle Rock, Utah. He's half Hawaiian and half Native American and has been out for a year. It's actually pretty neat because we were both companions with Elder Thielen and Elder Harris so we've been able to connect with that. But he's a great missionary who just wants to work which is such a blessing.

We started the transfer strong by finding three new investigators this past week through bible referrals and just being led by the Spirit to stop by a less active home. The less active wasnt home but a 19 year old named Devon let us in and we had such a powerful lesson on the Restoration. It was such a blessing from the Lord to find these new investigators. It took a lot of time walking through the streets of Reading, but the Lord provided for us which was incredible.

We also have been continuing to teach the Maldanado family. Anthony, the dad, and Chenell and Dakota, the daughters, are getting baptized in two weeks which we are very excited for. They just continue to keep commitments and keep talking about their baptism. They have brought up being sealed as a family already! We are just so excited in two weeks for this special day. It all started when Elder Martinez talked to Melissa, the mom, in May. Now here we are, what a blessing it's been to be working with this family.

Well, we are having an exciting week coming up. Elder Cordon of the Seventy is coming to our mission and we have Zone Training tomorrow. I'm so grateful being able to learn how to be a better teacher and a better person on my mission. It is without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. But I'm grateful for how hard it is. May we all recognize what a blessing it is as we learn and grow from the callings which the Lord has given us. What a great blessing it is to be pushed to become something more through our callings. Well, continue in the faith! May the Lord bless us in all that we do.

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

Temple Trip #1

Hey everyone!

This is going to be a bit short, but our P-Day is really messed up for Halloween. It's been such a great week right before we head into a new transfer. Elder Martinez and I were able close off this week by going to the Philadelphia temple! It was great being able to go with so many of our recent converts who went for the first time. Being inside the Temple was just incredible. It was absolutely still and peaceful, you could just tell you were in the house of the Lord. It was special just to see everyone so bright and happy doing the baptisms. We also found out that Elder Martinez will be leaving and I will be taking over Reading for the next transfer. I can't wait for tomorrow! A new transfer with a good number of new Elders! I'm so grateful for the Gospel, I know it is true and I'm so thankful I am a part of it. I hope you all have a great Halloween!

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

A Week of Memories in the Mission

Hey everybody! 

It's been an incredible week. I have learned so much and over and over the Spirit testifies to me that the work is true. As the leaves change color on the East Coast, so does my mission. Probably the biggest blessing I have seen is Heavenly Father's love for me and for His children we are working with. 

You see it in the small things everyday, on just how the Lord supports and sustains us. It's incredible what blessings do come as you are obedient and doing the Lord's will. Saturday was the highlight of the week. We had 3 baptisms in the morning, Keishla Colon, Debbie Ledford, and Dominick Murphy. All of them have very different backgrounds, but all of them are just so changed by the Gospel. It's just incredible. We also had Elder Lynn G Robbins speak to us later that day as a mission. He was incredible. To see a general authority in person was amazing. He taught me a lot on how to be a successful missionary, to be a great companion, and to continually build my faith in Jesus Christ. We sang so many songs as a mission, especially the mission hymn, and to sing it as a mission for the first time for me, I just felt so much love and comfort from Heavenly Father. It was incredible, all of it. I just feel so blessed to be exposed to so much that a lot of the world doesn't really see much. I consider my family and the Gospel and how I truly know I can be happy, and how I can help others be happy as well. 

But with all that in mind, I'm moving forward to becoming someone better! This is the last week of the transfer, so probably my last week with Elder Martinez! I'm just thankful for him and what he stands for. He's really opened my eyes and helped me in so many ways. I love him and I love you all. May the Lord bless you as you change for the better.

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

Strengthen Thy Brethren

Hey everybody!

It's been another great week here in the beautiful PPM. So much to tell and not enough time. But I will certainly do my best.

Tuesday we had Zone Conference and it was a blast. President Randall wanted a Zone Leader to conduct the meeting rather than the Assistants and I just happened to be picked to do it. It was pretty...different conducting the meeting but I had so much fun with it. What stuck out the most to me was the dying testimonies that were borne that day for the missionaries going home the next two transfers.  Missionaries like Elder Davenport, Elder Weisler, Elder Holden, and Elder Crane, such great examples to me, just touched my heart with their love of their missions and their change they have experienced. It just motivated me to be better and to continue to be that disciple of Christ other need in their lives. These missionaries have trained, taught, and loved me. They have helped me see how I can come closer to Christ through their example. One of my favorite things about the mission is the friendship and the brotherhood that is founded here in the PPM. I don't know how many missionaries I will keep in touch after my mission, but their friendship for me will last throughout the eternities. It was a pretty emotional meeting for me, but I'm so grateful, I experienced it.

We also found so many new investigators we were able to set with baptismal dates. We found four people from part member families and their excitement to accept baptism and to make a change in their life was just amazing. I felt the Spirit so strong every time they accepted to be baptized. We also have four baptisms coming up which I am so excited for this Saturday. It's not even about saying I have four baptisms, but the work we put into these people and how they have progress is such a testimony builder to me that the Gospel is true. I'm so grateful for my mission, I have learned more than I ever thought I would and it hasn't stopped yet. God truly is good to all of us. May we always be grateful to him.

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

The Reading Roller Coaster

Hey everyone!

It's been such a busy week here in the one and only city of Reading. We laughed, we cried, we saw miracles. So pretty much the usual here in the mission field.

It was actually pretty interesting, Elder Martinez got sick two weeks ago which made us move an exchange. So we had three back to back exchanges and I happened to leave the area each time. I went to north Reading, Pottsville, and Pottstown. With such incredible missionaries. I first went with Elder Weisler and Elder Holden since they are in a trio. They are two of the oldest missionaries in the mission and I was so blessed to learn from these two seasoned missionaries. I also went with an Elder named Elder Crane in Pottstown who is also another old missionary. Probably the most loving man I have ever met. It was incredible, I learned so much about charity just by being with Elder Crane for a day. I loved it!

We also had Zone Training on Thursday, which was pretty exciting. President Randall was there and gave incredible comments. Since it was my second one, I had a few rolls off the tongue, but it is amazing how the Spirit just works through your weaknesses. It was one of the best Zone Trainings I was a part of. Elder Weisler gave his dying testimony and I was just bawling when we sang the mission hymn. It was incredible!

We also found two brand new people to set with baptismal dates. One was from a recent convert family and the other was from a less active. We are just so blessed with the Lord providing everyday. Probably one of the  best traits of Elder Martinez is his confidence in the Lord providing people for us to teach. I have not seen it so strong in a missionary like him. It is incredible. 

I'm so grateful to be here in Reading, miracles are happening left and right. I definitely won't forget my time here that's for sure! I love my mission, I love the Lord. I'm so thankful He has made it possible for me to be here now. I humbly pray and hope all of us may make the most of where we are in our lives. There is always a blessing, always!

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

The 2 Mexicans That Can't Speak Spanish

Hey everyone!

It's been such a blast, so much that I didn't even send my weekly last week... That's my bad, it was a lot to do my first week in Reading. It's been so busy, probably my busiest area I have had on my mission. It is just nonstop appointments and picking up members. But I'm getting used to it.

My companion is Elder Martinez! He's from San Bernardino, California and has been out 18 months. He's such a great missionary. He has probably the most fire I have seen for the work. If he is in the zone you best get out of the way. He's also Mexican, but ironically, he does not speak a lick of Spanish. I'm glad I'm not the only one! It's been good though, we have had many good talks and learned a ton from each other.

Reading is so great! It was the Zone Leader area when I was in Kutztown so to be in the area with all the missionaries I look up to is so exciting. We are teaching a good number of people who are planning on being baptized this coming month. We already had a baptism my first weekend here which was pretty cool to walk into. Her name is Melissa who is such a solid member. All she wants to do is to be a better example for her family and teach the Gospel to her family. I can't wait for her to get to the temple. We also had MLC which was incredible, seeing my good friends and President Randall was incredible. The Spirit of unity was there, I was just so grateful to be a part of it.

What's super cool this week was that we had General Conference! I'm grateful for such incredible leaders in the church. The Prophet and Apostles just taught with such power and authority, you knew what they said was true. I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who blessed me with answers to questions in my heart through his servants. I'm especially grateful for President Thomas S Monson, who had so much courage to teach on the Plan of Salvation. Truly I'm grateful for my mission. It's such a great time to serve. I'm changing everyday and I'm so thankful for Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. It's a scary thought to think I only have about 9 months left. But I'm definitely going to make the most of it. I hope all of you have a great week!

Elder Cortes

Reading, PA

Crazy in Hazy!

Hey everybody! 

It's been some week that's for sure, there were a lot of monumental events that happened this week and I still can't get over it. The Temple Dedication was wonderful, and we also got transfer calls as well. We found out they are closing our Zone due to logistical stuff regarding stake boundaries. So Elder Neilson and I are doubling out of Hazleton! We head out tomorrow to our new areas, but the cool thing is that we already know where we are going since President told us our zone was closing. I found out I will be in Reading Zone serving in the Exeter Ward (but really it's Reading). It's exciting because I will be able to go back to Kutztown since it is a part of the Reading Zone. I never really thought this would happen to me on my mission, to be in an area for one transfer, but it's the Lord's will!

Since I have to pack and get everything ready for the new Elders to come in, this entry will be pretty short. But I do want to talk about the special experience I had with the Temple Dedication. It was incredible to see some of my favorite examples in the Gospel, Elder Christofferson and President Eyring, clothed in pure white in the Celestial Room. They both gave amazing talks, along with the Temple President and the Temple Matron. It was like watching a mini General Conference. Elder Christofferson testified that it isn't enough to just be in the Temple just like it isn't enough to be in a chapel for church. Like it says in 3 Nephi 9:19, Christ desires no more of animal sacrifices, but of us. When we go to the Temple we are the sacrifice to the Lord, who we are right now. Because all of us are flawed and imperfect, we should be willing to sacrifice those parts of ourselves and be willing to be instructed by the Lord in His Holy House. What touched me so much is that he bore witness that the sins that are alluring, attractive, and that so easily beset us will be come less desirable, and eventually, abhorrent. It's just so true, because as we go to the Temple, we become the celestial men and women God plans for us to be, little by little. He testified that Jesus Christ is the master builder of these men and women, that He is the Cornerstone of everything we do. President Eyring gave an exceptional talk as well explaining that instruction in the Temple is so individual and personal that God does know exactly where we are and what we need to do to progress. He humble spoke of our very natures being changed as we observe Temple covenants on a daily basis. Being a part of the Dedication was without a doubt, one of my favorite highlights of my mission. The music, the Cornerstone Ceremony, and the Hosannah Shout were incredible. The Dedicatory Prayer President Eyring offered was solemn and powerful. He blessed the surrounding area, the freedoms we have, the sealings and endowments that will take place, the city of Philadelphia, and so much more. I know for myself, that Temples truly are essential for our salvation. I remember when I went for my endowment and I left the Temple with a sense of enduring peace. I was with many of those I love, and I was especially with my Father in Heaven. It felt as though I was out of the world for the rest of the day. That's truly what the Temple is for, it is for us to change and become better men and women. It is to redeem the dead who did not get an opportunity to accept the Gospel but who would do anything for it, just like the Founding Fathers of our country, who created the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. They humbly asked a prophet of God to be redeemed, and they were, along with their loved ones. I'm grateful for my family and the covenant we are sealed under. As President Eyring prayed for the families to be sealed, I just thought of how great God's plan is for us as families. 

Well, I have to get going on my packing, I hope all of you have a wonderful week!

Elder Cortes

Hazleton, PA

Living a Dangerous Life in the PPM

Hola a Todos!

It's been a crazy week full of blessings and miracles. There was a lot
of driving involved, not a ton of proselyting happened, but all of our
time was filled with cherished memories.

Tuesday was probably the only normal day of the week. We found a part
member family named Gregory and Ashley. It was great because Gregory's
parents were visiting and his whole family are members. They are
Dominican so they spoke some English but they helped out so much. We
taught on the Book of Mormon and everyone testified to Ashley the
truthfulness of it which made her interested to set up a return
appointment. It was a miracle because if Gregory's parents weren't
there, we felt like we would not have made it inside the house. It was
definitely a blessing from the Lord being at the right place at the
right time.

On Wednesday we went to the Temple Open House with a part member
family named the Kuhns. We meet with them once a month because they
live almost 40 minutes away and Sister Kuhn is going through chemo
battling cancer. But it was a really great experience for both of them
and for us. What's really neat is you learn something new or feel
something special every time you go. The Philadelphia Temple is
incredible! Words can't describe the beauty and the majestic glory of
the House of the Lord.

Thursday was my first Zone Training I conducted. We planned for it the
free time we had the few days before but I was a little nervous. It
all went so well when the Lord gave me comfort as I prayed for
strength to be a strong leader for the missionaries in the Zone. It
went so well, the trainings Elder Neilson and I did together were
great and the Zone responded very well to it! After Zone Training, I
went to Lehighton on exchanges with a missionary named Elder Thompson.
It was cool being in one of my old companion's old areas and meet the
people he worked with.

Friday we swapped back and we headed down to the temple one last time
with a less active we are working with named Fabio. It was a struggle
because he had 4 opportunities to go with the branch and he always
dodged it. He always wanted to go with us, so we set it up for the
final day of the Open House! It was crazy because we left at 2:30, and
it took us 4 hours to get there because of traffic. We didn't leave
until 8:30 and got home by 11, which is past our curfew
unfortunately... But we did repent and we hope the Lord understood our
circumstances! But it was so special to go to the open house one more
time. Especially at night. To see the Temple and the city of
Philadelphia was incredible. I'd never seen the city at night, I just
loved it all. I was so grateful to go to the open house four times
with people I cared about. I was so grateful the senior couple, the
DeSpains drove us each times. It was crazy they drove to the temple
almost everyday last week. It was so great to see their dedication and
love for the people here in Hazleton.

Saturday was full of taking care of administration stuff for the next
transfer (talking to District Leaders, the Assistants, etc.). But it
was cool because we saw Ashley and Gregory later that night and taught
the whole Restoration which went so well!

Sunday was a great way to close the week! We had two baptisms with Bob
and Alice. We don't have a font in Hazleton and all the fonts around
the zone weren't working, so we had to ask permission from President
Randall to go out of the mission. Ultimately we had to get permission
from Salt Lake to go to the Pittsburg Mission to use the font in the
Berwick. So I guess you can say I was living life to the extreme at
that point. It was such a great service, I actually got to conduct
which was pretty neat. Bob and Alice enjoyed it all and we were just
so glad with all the progress they made. Baptisms are without a doubt,
one of the favorite parts of my mission. Not because I got a baptism,
but because people are changing and are committing to follow God. I'm
just so glad Elder Neilson and I were able to see a few baptisms
together. Next week is transfers and we don't know if he will leave or
stay, but he's been one of my favorite companions to work with. It's
such a blessing to work with such a great Elder.

I'm so blessed with the temple open house and these baptisms. The Lord
truly is blessing us with special experiences here. This Sunday is the
Philadelphia Temple Dedication which we are all excited about. It's my
first one, which will be pretty special. I'm grateful for the Lord
blessing me with such a great mission. I can't wait for this Sunday!
Hope you all have a great week!

Elder Cortes

Hazleton, PA

Reggaetone in the Streets of Hazy

Hey everyone!

It's been such a great week in the promised land of the PPM. Too many
fun times and emotional spiritual experiences to really count but I'll
certainly do my best to remember!

So Tuesday, we went to a specialized training up in Clarks Summit
which is near Scranton. It was neat to be trained by President and
Sister Randall as well as the Assistants on using Facebook and talk a
lot about different Christlike attributes like Virtue and digging deep
into Alma 5. It was incredible all the inspiration we received. Elder
Neilson and I gave a training too on planning which went pretty well.
It was funny because the Assistants were running a little late so
President asked if Elder Neilson could conduct the meeting until they
got there (Next Assistant apparently, just kidding). Later that day,
we went on exchanges and I was with Elder Dennis, a Spanish Elder here
in Hazleton. It was awesome because Elder Dennis was a fireball
committing and teaching in unity to all of our investigators. We ended
up getting two baptismal commitments and a couple of church
invitations for the coming weeks.

Wednesday was another exchange day as I travelled down south to
Pottsville. It was great because I was with Elder Shumway, who is from
Gilbert and we found so many miracles for their area. We contacted 3
referrals and they all set up return appointments which was
incredible. They're all now being actively taught and hopefully being
committed to baptism in the near future!

Thursday, we swapped back at District Meeting and it was lame to see
almost half the District was sick. Even my amazing, diligent companion
caught the bug that was flying around. I was blessed since I didn't
catch it at all, the Lord knew I had my fight with being sick last
month so I'm grateful he didn't give me that trial again. It was fun
though, at around 6 we got picked up by the Scranton Zone Leaders to
go to a meeting for Friday at Broomall (mission HQ). The Scranton Zone
Leaders were so much fun the whole 3 hour drive down. Then we got to
spend the night at the Assistants' apartment which was a blast.

Friday was incredible. At the beginning of the month, we have a
meeting called MLC where all the Zone Leaders, Sister Training
Leaders, the Assistants, and President and Sister Randall all come
together. The Spirit was so strong as we were trained on how we can
better lead the mission. We spent an entire hour having a discussion
on the first few verses of 2nd Nephi 2! To come together as leaders,
where everyone is so spiritually mature and strong was amazing. At the
end we had a testimony meeting and I bore my testimony on the Savior
and how much I loved the MLC. It's so true because I got to see so
many of my old Zone Leaders, District Leaders, and missionaries I have
worked around. I said it was like a family to me, which it is.
Probably the most unexpected experience I have had and will continue
to have is the love I have for the missionaries. I just didn't think
I'd come out here and make so many friends, not just for the mission,
but for eternity. Friends in the mission are true to the end, I felt
that during the whole meeting. Probably the most powerful moment of
that meeting was the Assistant Elder Weisler bearing his testimony at
the end. It was his final MLC as a missionary (he's been to MLC for 16
months on his mission) and he just poured out the love he had for each
and every one of us. He also bore such a powerful testimony on the
Savior and how we make a difference. He mentioned we talk and discuss
things that 19 and 20 year olds don't ever talk about in the world. He
said a mission is the time and the place for that. Through it all, I
was just overloaded on the Spirit. We sang the mission song and
everybody was bawling. I couldn't keep it together during the closing
prayer, it's safe to say that was a defining day in my mission.

Saturday and Sunday we walked all over Hazleton and found a lot of
cool people. We heard so much reggaetone music in so many cars (the
Dominican Music that makes the speakers blare super loud). But we saw
a few miracles, we found a woman named Fuquannah who is pretty solid
and cries every time we come over. Bob and Alice also did not get
baptized because Bob took a few puffs of cigarettes. But the baptism
should be happening this week! I love my mission so much, there are
testimony builders left and right everyday it seems. I am so grateful
for this time in my life, to really know how I can be a better
Disciple of Jesus Christ. It is my hope all of us have these sacred
and special experiences as well. I know they will come as we seek for
them. I hope all of you are well and have a great Labor Day!

Love from The Golden City of Hazleton

Elder Cortes

Hazleton, PA

"I Love to See the Temple"

Hey everybody!

It's been such a great week here in Hazleton. We have seen so many
miracles and had too many great miracles to count. Elder Neilson and I
have been so blessed as we continue to just work hard for the Lord and
for all the missionaries we serve.

A really cool experience was that Elder Neilson and I went to the
Temple Open House again with a few investigators. Our Senior Couple
Drove us down with two investigators, Bob and Alice, who are going to
be baptized this Sunday! It was amazing to see the temple again and to
just take in how magnificent this Holy House of the Lord is. Elder
Neilson and I were also able to see members from past areas and also a
few Sisters we have worked with in the past. But it was incredible,
Bob and Alice both loved the temple and want to go back to do
baptisms! It was worth driving a total of 5 hours for them to really
feel the Spirit and love of God.

Another cool experience was that the Assistants to the President
doubled in and we went on exchanges with them. They came from a
funeral so it was more of a 3 hour exchange, but it was probably the
one of the best exchange I have had on my mission. I was with Elder
Oldroyd and it's his first transfer being an Assistant, but I gotta
say, he's such a strong leader. I learned so much and felt the Spirit
in abundance throughout the time we had together. We taught a less
active member, Brother Hornick, who only comes to sacrament meeting.
But we taught with such unity and testimony it must have really
touched him because he came to Sunday School for the first time since
Elder Neilson or I have been here! I learn so much on exchanges, but I
especially learned from this one in a special way. We even talked
about what we saw. Elder Oldroyd and I never looked at weaknesses or
flaws, but how we can learn and improve from one another. That, I
believe, is a true sign of unity. When you and your companion or
leader are striving to learn and apply the best that you have, that is
when we are one. That is when we strive to become like the Savior
Jesus Christ. I love the Assistants so much, Elder Weisler, the other
Assistant, was so great too. All of us had such great conversations at
the end of the night. It was so real and mature, I just was on
overload with the Spirit that day. It was awesome! I know without a
doubt the PPM has the best leaders in the world. My Mission President,
the Assistants, my companion, all the missionaries I serve with, all
of them are leaders in the Gospel. How grateful I am to be led
personally by such great examples. It makes me think how grateful I am
for the Prophet and Apostles of the church, they are incredible
leaders ordained by the Priesthood of God. I know as we follow our
modern day leaders in the Gospel, we will never be lost. I know that
without doubt or uncertainty.

One last thing, this past Sunday was so great. We had 50 people come
to our tiny strip mall building which was awesome! When I first came
here, there were 30 people, but now we have had 4 less actives, two
investigators, and a new family that moved into the ward coming. Elder
Neilson and I are just so excited for the work that is moving forward
here in Hazy! The Lord is sustaining us as we go, it's incredible to
see how much He does for us daily in our missions. I realized now,
that the mission is my way of life. It's always been that way, but I
just see the blesses that come from living and serving as a
representative of Jesus Christ. I have been set apart to help others
strengthen their faith and come closer to God, which I have seen
countless times on my mission. Truly there is no greater cause to be a
part of. It the "Cause of Christians" (Alma 48:10) that makes this
work divine. There is no other calling I love more than being a
missionary. It is who I am and who I will always be. For that, I'm
grateful to my Father in Heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ who bless me
and strengthen me to be the disciple I need to be. May we all remember
what cause we are in and press forward against any opposition that
would come our way. I'm thankful for my family and for my friends,
both at home and in the mission. I love each and every one of them,
these relationships are for the eternities which I will always cherish
forever. May the Lord bless us all this coming week!

Elder Cortes

Hazleton, PA