Hey everybody!
I hope all of you are doing well. I cannot wait to talk about my week
this week. So much happened with investigators and spiritual
experiences it was amazing!
Tuesday we were on exchanges I was with my Zone Leader Elder Holden
here in Kutztown. It was a little hard to go around and park because
so many spaces and side streets were still blocked by snow. But we
made it work! We actually met with a recent convert named Sarah who
got back into school at Kutztown University 2 weeks ago. We were able
to talk about the temple with her to go do baptisms and it was so
great to hear she already had a plan to go with members of the ward!
I'm so excited for her, especially since she's preparing to go for the
first time. It's so important for new members to go to the temple as
soon as they are able. To feel the power of the temple for the first
time is such an experience. I know it'll be a great time for her when
she goes. But working with Elder Holden was so great! He reminded me
so much of my trainers Elder Hendricks and Elder Foster, so it felt
natural just to teach and tract with him. We even stopped by a college
girl named Katie who ordered a Bible and told us she is looking to
change her life around. Of course, as missionaries, we asked if we
could help out with that. It ended up with us setting up an
appointment tomorrow!
The next day Elder Maughan came back into Moorestown and it was a
rough day all around. All our appointments fell through and no one
really wanted to talk to us. It was hard to really focus because we
really did try to make the day productive. But Heavenly Father
answered our prayers and we met with this woman named Michelle in our
apartment complex. She told us about how she had come to have God in
her life. The spirit was so strong when we taught her the Restoration,
I mean you could just feel it. Elder Maughan invited her to be
baptized and she told us if she sincerely knew this was true, she
would! It was such a blessing to us at the end of the day. Somehow the
Lord always finds a way to lift our spirits when we are discouraged.
It always happens, without a doubt.
Thursday, we met with Julianna (the woman we met my first week in
Kutztown). She had to take care of her sick kids the past few weeks
but it was a miracle she got back in touch with us we could come over!
She read in the Book of Mormon and really liked it! She was asking how
the Book of Mormon and the church can bless her family and how she can
raise her 4 sons the best way possible. It was so great to talk about
that and transition to the Plan of Salvation. You could tell she was
feeling the spirit because she said she felt different when we talked
about the purpose of life and where do we go after our time on earth.
It was amazing!
At this point, I was thinking what else is the Lord going to do? What
have we done to have all these blessings in our appointments? But He
just kept going. We met with this couple named Dot and Michael on
Friday.Dot is an investigator and Michael is a less active. The thing
with them is they are living together and are not married. So this
lesson we taught the Law of Chastity, which talks about how couples
need to be married if they are living together to be baptized. We
asked them what they thought about it and they told us it's something
they want to do. They just said "you know, I think it might be time
for us to get married". I was just dying inside. The Lord just works
wonders, if people are prepared, their hearts will be softened. I have
a huge testimony of that.
Saturday we contacted this less active named Paul. Paul and his wife
live with their two autistic grandchildren. At first, he wasn't
interested in talking to us, but as we talked more about his
grandchildren, he became more open. I was so happy I could relate to
him somehow with my sister Annie. It was not a coincidence I happened
to stop there. It happens all the time with missionaries. They find
people who they can invite the spirit into their home somehow, it's so
great!
What really topped it all of was after church, we went finding and
looking up addresses to less actives. We were getting no success and
then, we met this great guy named Tony who lives like 5 minutes away
from the church. He was really open and told us we could stop by later
this week. So we are hoping and praying for new investigators,
investigators with a date, and a continuation to be worthy of these
blessings we have been given. Heavenly Father truly does see the work
we put in and the intent of our heart. That's truly something I have
seen on my mission. The blessings do come if we are submissive to His
will and do what He would want us to do. We are lifted heavenward as
we do so.
I'm excited for this month! Hopefully many good things come out of the
miracles we have seen so far, I pray all of you are doing great and
are happy. I'll talk to you all next week!
Sincerely,
Elder Cortes
Kutztown, PA
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