From Trainee to Trainer

Wow, it's been a crazy past few days everybody. I hope you all are

alright and are doing well, I'm doing great here and had a great last

week of being a golden! I'll get to the exciting stuff later, but to

just say right now, I have been called to be a District Leader and a

Trainer!

So to start off, on Tuesday, Elder Foster and I made the goal of

getting 18 lessons in during the week. We have been getting an average

of 12 or 13, which we thought was pretty decent, but President

Andersen told us the mission committed to 18 back before I came into

the mission. So on the way home, we just said to each other "let's get

18 lessons". By that point, we had 6. Now, numbers aren't the main

thing in the mission, but we knew we could do better. Also, we just

wanted to work like it was our last week together and that's exactly

what we did.

Wednesday, it was really tough because we tried contacting about 15

names of less actives and we were only able to touch base with one and

set a return appointment. But Elder Foster and I just kept being

diligent in the work and we were able to make Sister Theurer's night

(The woman I have my first blessing to). It was for about a half hour

and we haven't been able to see her for weeks since she has been in

and out of the hospital. But she told us it was so great to see us

again. She called us the next day in tears just saying it was a

blessing from God heat we came over. I was just so filled with the

Spirit at that point and just got me motivated to work that Thursday.

Thursday, it was a hard day of finding. We did teach a young mom in

about her young 20's, but she told us she wasn't interested. But after

a long day, we were able to get 2 more lessons by the end of the

night. We pretty much had the mindset of getting 18 lessons by the end

of the week.

Friday, is when it got interesting. We taught Carmen and Rodrigo on

keeping the Sabbath Day and we committed them to coming to church. The

members we commonly take with us to their home, the Cluffs, even

volunteered to drive them to church. It was so great! Carmen is

getting closer and closer to baptism, I can feel it. At the end of the

night we got transfer calls ( phone calls letting us know if we would

be leaving our areas or not). We found out Elder Foster would be

leaving Moorestown on Tuesday and I would stay. We were shocked, we

thought we might get 6 more weeks together, but that's not where the

Lord wants Elder Foster to be. By this point, we were just focused on

our goal. We wanted to reach this together for our last week.

The next morning, we both found out we would be district leaders. So

here I am, just blown away because I'm just finishing my training. I'm

still a little surprised by it. It's a good thing we did serviceable

dat Saturday! By this point we had 11 lessons, but we had faith we

would get 18. We prayed and Sunday was an absolute miracle.

Sunday was a great fast testimony meeting. Elder Foster and I bore our

testimonies and so many spiritual testimonies were given. Our Bishop

came for the first time in 3 weeks because he was in a motorcycle

accident. So it was a great day at church. But after, we were getting

lesson after lesson. Some of them weren't even planned. By the end of

the night, we taught 7 lessons! I was thanking Heavenly Father so much

Sunday night and was so happy that we got to this point.

That brings me to today, 3 hours ago, President Andersen called me an

extended the call to train a new missionary! I was floored. I start

training him tomorrow. I'm also going to be driving for the first time

in 3 months. You know you're moving up in the world when you start

driving a minivan. My first drive will be from Broomall Pennsylvania

to Moorestown New Jersey. It'll be something else. I'm grateful for

this opportunity to train and to be a District Leader. It is like what

Elder Stevenson said, "the Lord will qualify who he calls". I just got

done being trained, so I'm a little anxious, but I will keep what

Elder Stevenson said in my heart. I don't know what it's going to be

like the next transfer or two, but I'm ready! I can't wait to get my

4th companion  tomorrow! I pray all of you are well. I invite all of

you to set a goal or two, as you strive for it, you will be blessed.

You may not always reach that goal, but that is okay. The Lord is

waiting to see what you are going to do with your time on this Earth.

Elder Cortes