Working with Brother Kirkland

Hey everybody!

It was a pretty good week for us. We had a few miracles happen and
were able to learn a lot. Like what the title says this week, we had
Brother Kirkland's with a good number of lessons and we were able to
give him some service this week as well.

It all started with Tuesday when Brother Kirkland drove us to Kutztown
where we taught a college girl named Debbie. She was really quirky,
but she was willing to listen to us and our message. She seemed pretty
interested in what we taught and we were able to give her a Book of
Mormon. She told us she didn't know if we'd be able to meet again
because of finals, but it seemed like she had a lot of real intent.

On Wednesday, we taught Sarah and with her going home soon, we were
able to talk a lot about the temple. We are trying to help her go
before school is over, but if not, we will at least help her with
family names to take to the temple when she comes back to Kutztown in
August.

Thursday, we had exchanges with the Zone Leaders. Elder Jewkes came
with me to Kutztown which was a lot of fun. We taught a less active
named Porsha who is starting to come back to church after not going
for a year or so. Brother Kirkland came with us and he related to a
lot of experiences she's had in her life, which was great! We also
taught her husband, who is not a member and seems very interested! We
also did a good amount of finding and Elder Jewkes did so well just
talking to people. I learned so much from him. We have been in the
same zone for three transfers, and it's just so much fun to be around
Elders you have grown close with. Elder Jewkes and I had such a great
time.

Friday was a really special experience. For the first time in weeks,
we visited Corbin and Jenny and it was a really spiritual lesson.
Corbin still wants to be baptized and Jenny's son Christian, wants to
be baptized as well. So we are planning on both of them being baptized
at the end of May or the end of June! Jenny was in tears by the end of
it all. It was such a powerful moment in my mission just seeing Jenny,
Corbin, and the whole family just be happy.

On Saturday, we were able to repay Brother Kirkland and his
willingness to come out by doing some yard work for him for a few
hours. Like always, never a dull moment with Brother Kirkland. At the
end of the night, we saw Jenny and Corbin again and they had some new
neighbor over to introduce himself. When he saw that we were
missionaries, he grabbed his bible from his out to pretty much bash
about how The Book of Mormon is false and Joseph Smith was a false
prophet. Now, usually, when we find people like this, we back off from
the situation, simply bear testimony, and walk away. But with a recent
convert and an investigator with a date in the room, we needed to
address this guy and his arguments. After listening to numerous Bible
verses he tried to use to disprove the Book of Mormon, we shared with
him how the Bible does explain the Book of Mormon to be true and
explained the necessity of the Book of Mormon. After we asked him if
he ever read the Book of Mormon, he admitted that he had not. That's
where we both bore powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon and if he
reads and pray about it, God will reveal to him, the Book of Mormon is
true. You could tell he felt the sprit because he went quiet. It was
pretty neat. We just hoped, Jenny and Corbin weren't phased by the
conversation we had. But we talked about it at church the next day and
they apologized to us for their neighbor and wanted us over the next
day.

That's part of the reason Sunday went so well! Corbin and Jenny came
to church and we visited with them after church was over. We also
committed a few investigators to come to church next week. And a few
members are planning on inviting their friends to visit with us. We
are really excited for the week to come! It's been a great few weeks
and we are planning on good weeks to come! To close, I just want to
really reflect on how much firm I am on what I believe. At the
beginning of my mission, it was discouraging to have people just tell
you that you are wrong and the restoration of the gospel of Jesus
Christ is false. But now, as I have learned and gained strength from
the Lord, I know what I teach and testify is true. The Holy Spirit of
the Lord has confirmed for me personally that the Book of Mormon is
true and that this is the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth
today. I'm thankful for the Lord and I am grateful for what the Gospel
has taught and shown me. That is why I'm out here, so that others can
taste of the good fruit that I know to be pure and right. It is my
prayer that we will never be discouraged and that we will stand firm
in what we know to be true. I know we will as we rely on the Lord for
counsel and guidance. This I know independent of any other person. I
hope all of you are well and that you have a great week!

Elder Cortes

Kutztown, PA

The Road to Opportunities

Hey everybody!

We have had a lot of progress happen through the week and the time
went by so quickly! But hey, that's the life of the mission. As long
as work is getting done and people are converting unto the Lord, I'm
couldn't be happier.

On Tuesday, we stopped by this guy we met a few weeks ago named Mike.
We taught him the Restoration and it went so well! He is looking to
get back into church and have more of a relationship with God. He
seemed very interested when we gave him a Book of Mormon. It's always
a great experience to teach others how to build their relationship
with God. Having that kind of trust from the Lord means a lot to me,
especially when I might not be the most eloquent speaker. He still
supports me and allows the Spirit to touch the hearts of those I
teach. It truly is a heartfelt experience no matter how many times it
happens.

Wednesday, we had such a great dinner at the Kirklands! Sister
Kirkland is a Jewish convert, so she had us over for a Jewish Seder.
It was fun with all the different kind of food and wearing a yarmulke
(little white Jewish hat). Sara was also there so we were able to have
a great time with a lot of great people. After dinner, we went to a
family's house who is at the edge of our area. Their names are Gentry
Lamartin, Gentry Jr., and Cindy Sutjak. Gentry Sr. and Cindy are
engaged and they just moved from Bethlehem PA. Gentry Sr is the only
member in the family and it is so crazy because Cindy practically
knows everything about the church. She watches the Mormon channel,
reads from the Book of Mormon, watches general conference, and has
read most of the Relief Society manual. The only thing is is that she
is afraid to receive an answer if the Book of Mormon is true. Gentry
was a major support in helping us teach Cindy the importance of
receiving an answer to her prayers. It's going to be a little tough
because she's content where she is, but we will keep being persistent!
They are a great family, and we just found out the ward assigned us to
be their home teachers, which is pretty neat.

Thursday was a big day for us. We had Zone Training and I was able to
play the trumpet for the musical number. It was neat, there was a
family in the ward who had a trumpet they let me borrow on Monday. It
was a little funny because the third valve is stuck, so I had to find
a hymn I'd only have to use the first two valves which I was able to
find with "I'll go where you want me to go". It went so well and my
Zone Leader Elder Jewkes complimented me on Heavenly Father blessing
me with the talent to play, which really hit me with the Spirit. I
have a lot of great and supportive leaders and an amazing Heavenly
Father who made it a miracle for me to prepare something in such short
notice. After Zone Training, we went on an exchange and I came back to
Kutztown with Elder Hunter. It was great because Elder Hunter and I
taught a good number of lessons, including teaching Michelle. She has
read all of 1 Nephi! Which is so amazing! We answered questions she
had about it and we tried committing her to baptism, and she wants to,
but she's still a little hesitant, which we will be working on for
sure. But holy cow, Elder Hunter is such a great example! He has been
out for 22 months and he was teaching by the Spirit and is so diligent
in the work. I learned so much from him and he really helped me out on
a number of things I am working on as a missionary. What really
touched me though was that he was asking me for advice on things like
training (his companion is a golden). It really meant a lot to know my
leaders trust me enough for advice. I really am in a great District
and Zone.

Saturday, we taught Eleanor, and it was a drop lesson. She wasn't
keeping any commitments and wasn't really thinking about change. It
was a little hard though because we did service for her and she really
likes us around since she's elderly and lives by herself. But we
stated our purpose and explained it clearly and she understood
completely which was very nice. The Lord really knows how to make it
all work out.

On Sunday, Elder Thielen gave a talk on charity which went so well! He
taught with conviction and by the Spirit. Everyone in the ward loved
it. We also found out Sister Kirkland was going to be teaching Gospel
Principles which is really exciting because she will be working
closely with those we teach and she's a great fellowshipped. We also
taught a less active named Brother Benson. It was hard because we
hadn't seen brother Benson since I came to Kutztown. He's a return
missionary and he hasn't been to church in months. We came over and we
read scriptures with him. He wasn't totally into it, but he was
grateful we stopped by. It was heartbreaking to the both of us seeing
him struggle, especially with him being active when I first came into
the ward. It just goes to show Satan is relentless in tearing down our
faith, which is why we need to be relentless ourselves in finding
strength in the Gospel. The Lord wants us to succeed and find peace
and it will only come through obedience to the Lord. It is my hope we
can all find peace in the Gospel and through the Lord Jesus Christ. I
hope all of you have a great week this week! Spring is here to stay on
the East Coast and we love it here! May the Lord bless you all.

Elder Cortes

Kutztown, PA

Jewish Seder

The Spirit of a New Transfer

Hey everyone!

It's been a great week here in the PPM and a lot of miracles came our
way. Elder Thielen and I started the transfer strong as we worked as
hard as we could and relied on the Lord for strength.

On Tuesday, we had a whole day of finding ahead of us. It wasn't the
best when we started because it was a brisk 20 degrees, but we bushed
that off and kept trying to find people who were prepared by the Lord.
But it was great! We went to Kutztown to find and we were able to
teach 5 lessons just like that, and it wasn't until later in the
afternoon until we found those opportunities to teach. It just goes to
show, the Lord will bless us in the end as long as we keep working out
hardest. It happens every time, without question.

Wednesday was so great! We were able to have a great dinner with the
Thompsons, they got Dickey's, which is the best bbq I have ever had!
Later that night we were able to meet with Tony, and talk to him about
going to the temple for the first time with Laura. It went really well
because we found out they will be going to the temple for the first
time on May 14th! We were so excited when they set that date. They are
really looking forward to it.

Thursday was such a spiritual day. We had District Meeting, and we got
a new District Leader, who is Elder Hunter. Elder Hunter has only two
transfers left, so he's pretty seasoned. By the time District Meeting
was over, Elder Thielen and I both agreed that was one of the most
spiritual District Meetings we have ever been a part of. We later
taught a girl named Shelby. Shelby is a friend of Michael Bussiere, a
returned missionary who got home a month ago. It was a great first
lesson as we taught her the Restoration and bore powerful testimony of
the Book of Mormon. Michael was a great help too since she knew Shelby
since they were kids. She committed to reading the Book of Mormon

On Friday, we went to the O's for dinner. Who are my favorite members
of the ward, next to the Kirklands. We were able to have a few good
laughs and talk about spiritual things like General Conference. Right
after dinner, the O's took us to see Sister Sherman who we haven't
seen in over 6 weeks! It was such a miracle because she wasn't able to
hold a few appointments, but this one stuck which was such a blessing.
She was so grateful to have us over and she told us that she would be
going back to church next Sunday, which we were very glad to hear.

Saturday it snowed! We thought we were out of the clear, but
apparently not. We had a similar day like Tuesday where we went
finding, but we found some luck being able to teach a few people who
let us into their home. It was a blessing to be out of the cold and
teach the Gospel. We later went to a couple in the ward named the
Amorinos for dinner. It was such a spiritual experience. We asked them
if they knew anybody who may be struggling and Sister Amorino told us
of a few neighbors who were going through a tough time who she said
she would definitely try to share the gospel with. She had tears in
her eyes after we shared our message on prophets and when we asked her
who she knew that was struggling. The Spirit was so strong at that
dinner, which I was very grateful for.

We ended the week by teaching Shelby, who had been reading the Book of
Mormon, but hadn't prayed about it yet. We committed her to pray and
read the Book of Mormon daily, which she told us she would. It was
such a great lesson and Shelby was so open to everything we teach her.
She is definitely someone who is prepared to receive the Gospel. We
also had dinner with a family named Isoms and after dinner, Brother
Isom walked us down to a few neighbors he knew who looked so open with
hearing the Gospel! It was such a miracle that I was so grateful for.
Things are really looking up in Kutztown. I have to say the work truly
has progressed since I have been here. I'm thankful for the Lord,
guiding us towards progression. Within ourselves, as well as the area.
It is because of Him things are happening, I'm just a simple
instrument in His hand. I also would like to share a quick experience.
On Sunday, we don't have studies because we have meetings for church.
Throughout the day, I just had such a strong desire to read from the
Book of Mormon. It kept bugging me over and over throughout the day,
and finally when I read at the end of the night, such relief and peace
came over me. I was so grateful for that prompting, because reading
the Book of Mormon truly gave me peace in my heart. That's what is so
special about the Book of Mormon, it truly has power to enlighten us.
It changes lives, so many have grown to love the Lord Jesus Christ
through this book. I know it is the word of God. It my hope that all
of us can study and ponder what the Lord wants us to know through the
Book of Mormon. I hope all of you have a great week!

Elder Cortes

Kutztown, PA

General Conference Plus 6 More Weeks in Kutztown

Hey everybody!

It's been such a great week and we have had a lot of fun over here in
Kutztown. The weather is beautiful and we have talked to a lot of
great people.

On Tuesday, pretty much all of our appointments fell through and we
did a good amount of finding. It was worth it though because we were
able to find a great guy named Mike. He just so happened to get home
as we were knocking on his door. He told us he wanted to improve his
relationship with God and was very thankful we were able to stop by.
It just goes to show, the Lord truly does prepare people at the right
time to hear the Gospel.

Wednesday we had a good number of appointments. We first saw Eleanor
Brinker, the woman who we do service for. She has been reading the
Book of Mormon but refuses to come to church or act on any commitments
we give her. We felt like we needed a sit down lesson with her to
really talk about where she stood with what we were teaching her. She
pretty much told us that she knew the Book of Mormon was true and that
Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, but told us she would never join
the church because she doesn't think she needs to be baptized. That
Priesthood authority doesn't matter when it comes to baptism. We were
very bold with her on bearing pure testimony of Priesthood Authority
and its importance. The Spirit was very strong and she was very quiet
at the end of the lesson. She knew we cared about her, but knew our
distinct purpose as missionaries. She has met with missionaries for
years, but I think she understood why all of the missionaries came
over to teach her. We later saw Sister Donio who was very excited
about General Conference this past weekend as well as Sarah, who we
also saw at the end of the day. Overall, it was a really great day of
teaching!

Thursday we had the last District Meeting of the transfer which went
really well as well as the last exchange of the transfer. I went with
Elder Wilson to Reading and we saw so many miracles! We found 4 new
investigators, who all seemed really prepared to receive the Gospel.
They were all people we stopped on the street and really were
interested in what we had to say. Elder Jones and Elder Thielen were
also able to find 3 new investigators as well in Kutztown. Overall, it
was a great day for both of our areas.

Friday was a little tough because the Reading Elders had their car in
the shop, so instead of meeting halfway, they had to drive all the way
into Reading to switch back. We also had to take care of some car
registration with our Zone Leaders, which only left time for our
planning for the week. We weren't able to teach or talk to anyone
about the gospel, which is always lame. But days like that happen.

Saturday went really well though! It was the first day of General
Conference and we were able to have lunch with a family in the ward
named the Walmers, where they had a sandwich bar! It was a lot of fun,
and the first session was great seeing the new members of the Quorum
of the Twelve give powerful talks. We also watched the second session
of conference with the Thompsons and more powerful messages were
given. After the 2nd session, we received transfer calls and Elder
Thielen and I both found out we would be staying while pretty much the
rest of the district was leaving. It was pretty exciting to find out I
would be staying with Elder Thielen for another transfer, since I have
done one transfer with most of my companions. We also went to
Priesthood session at the church to end the night, which is always
inspirational. Powerful words were spoken by President Nelson and the
First Presidency.

On Sunday, we watched conference with only investigators! We went to
Eliud's home to have lunch before conference. He fed us pork empanadas
as well as beef tacos! It was so delicious and it was a great
experience watching conference with someone who has never watched it
before. He had many questions and was blown away by the attendance of
people and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was a really good
experience. Also, hearing the Prophet was very insightful for him as
well. Later that day, we watched conference with a part member family
named the Monroes. The father is the only member in the family and
there's 5 kids along with his wife. It was a little crazy because most
of the kids are young, but overall, it was a really good experience
for the family. The children who are accountable are really thinking
about being baptized as well as the wife. It was a great last week of
the transfer. I'm glad we were able to watch and experience conference
on my mission. There were so many insights and I'm so thankful there
is a living Prophet on the earth, along with Apostles called of God to
guide and direct us in these latter days. I'm thankful for President
Monson, who is a true prophet. Although he didn't speak very long, he
spoke with conviction and power. He truly is a man of God, who I love
dearly. May we all follow his counsel as he is directed by the Lord.
Can't wait for the next 6 weeks in Kutztown!



Elder Cortes

Kutztown, PA