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

Travels in Reading and Easter in the Spring!

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a great Easter! We had a great one doing this great
work. It was a really good week overall and we saw so many miracles.
I'm still a little exhausted after it all, but it goes to show you
know you're getting work done.

So to start the week, we had a great dinner with a member named
Brother Espinoza on Monday night. He was a little less active a few
months ago, but now he comes to church every week! He is such a funny
guy. He calls us dudes every time he sees us. But we had a great
dinner talking about his mission in Ecuador and he actually gave some
pretty good advice.

On Tuesday, we met with our investigator, Michelle. We brought Brother
Kirkland, our go to member. We bring him because he is really
persistent with people on keeping commitments, but he does it with a
lot of love, it's a real skill. With Michelle, she is really sweet,
but hasn't read from the Book of Mormon or has come to church. But we
got her to commit to reading from the Book of Mormon. We even
downloaded the app on her phone. So we will see what happens when we
visit with her again. But Brother Kirkland, he really pulled through
for us because he told about his wife's conversion story (Sister
Kirkland grew up Jewish) and that really touched Michelle. Members are
the best!

On Wednesday, I started my two day exchange in Reading! I was with my
District Leader, Elder Jones. It was a really productive day as we
shared the Easter Video the church put out to a number of people on
the street. We talked to a lot of Hispanics, which was really great! A
few of them laughed when I told them I am half Mexican, but it broke
the ice! Elder Jones and I have had a lot of fun working together the
past few months, he's probably going to leave Reading since he has
been there for 6 months but it was great to work with him again!

Thursday was a lot of fun too! We had District Meeting, so I was able
to reunite with Elder Thielen for a few hours. But after we got
Wendy's with the Zone Leaders, Elder Holden and I went to work on the
East part of Reading. Elder Holden is a lot of fun and we did a good
amount of walking up some steep streets, but it was so productive! We
taught 8 lessons in one day and we worked so well together. One of the
lessons we taught was a guy named John who was just sitting on the
street feeling pretty down. But after we taught him about Jesus Christ
and how he can find peace in his life, it seemed like he had a new
light in his eyes. It was really cool! Elder Holden even knew how to
respond to people who were telling us what we were doing was wrong and
not true. He always had an answer. Let me tell you, if there's any
missionary who has been a huge role model, it's gotta be Elder Holden.
At the end of the night we were playing catch with a tennis ball and I
got my head stuck in an empty package box they recently got. It was
fun no doubt.

After the exchange, Elder Holden and I drove up to Kutztown on a rainy
Friday morning. We had some good laughs when we met up with a Elder
Jewkes and Elder Thielen. But then we got right to work. Elder Thielen
set up 3 appointments while I was gone (what a great companion). We
taught Eleanor, who we are struggling with on being on the same page
as her. She really looks at scripture into great detail. Except there
are misconceptions she has about the scriptures (i.e. the 12 Apostles
weren't really apostles). We might have to drop her, but we are being
pretty persistent with her. We also saw Sister Donio, who we are
really working with to get her a temple recommend. She has been doing
so well! She has been keeping every commitment we have left her. At
the end of our lesson, she bore a very powerful testimony on how
excited and determined she is to go to the temple. She was even
telling us how much she appreciated us and what we were doing. The
spirit was so strong as we taught her. We ended the night when we
visited Corbin and Jenny. They are doing really well! We taught them
the end of the Plan of Salvation, which turned out pretty great! We
actually saw them Saturday, and Sunday too.

On Saturday, we did hours of finding in Kutztown. I was a little
frustrated because I just didn't feel well, so we sat on a curb for 10
minutes. But it's amazing how the Lord provides. We talked to 3 people
who walked by us for a good amount of time. By the time I got back up,
I was full of energy and I wanted to talk to more people. It was
really comforting to know the Lord was with me and visited me in my
time of weakness. That's what it's all about, as we submit ourselves
to the Master Healer, he can do so much with us than we could ever do
with ourselves. We also saw Jenny and Corbin, who weren't doing so
well. Jenny's daughter Atteah, was pretty sick. She was throwing up
pretty bad and was so exhausted. The worst thing was that her birthday
was on Easter. So we gave her a blessing and shared a message about
faith. It just seemed everyone was stressed out, but by the time we
ended our visit, you could really feel the mood change in the house.
The Holy Spirit really abided in that home. It was great.

On Easter Sunday, we had such a great day! We had 8 investigators come
to church which has been the most I have ever had on my mission. It
was great because all of church really focused on the Resurrection and
the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Later, we stopped at a member's house
named the Wills. A few other families were there as well and we had a
great Easter dinner. They wanted us to go for an egg hunt, but we ran
out of time because we wanted to see Jenny and Corbin. They actually
had a pre marital vow ceremony on Easter and Atteah was back to
perfect health. It was a great time to end the night. We were so
grateful for all the progress we have had since I have been here.
There's only one week left of the transfer, and it's possible Elder
Thielen or I might be leaving. But we will see! We are going to work
pretty hard to match the great week we had. We are also pretty excited
for general conference! It's going to be so great to hear from the
Prophet and Apostles again on my mission. Things are looking up here
in Kutztown. I hope it's the same for all of you back home! Just
remember, the Lord is with you if you let Him in. That is my sincere
testimony to you. As we are willing, just as the people in the Bible
and the Book of Mormon were, we will find unbreakable strength through
the everlasting Atonement. I hope and pray all of you may find
everlasting peace and comfort through the Lord.




Elder Cortes

Kutztown, PA

He will take upon Him the pains and sicknesses of His people

Hey everyone!

It has been a roller coaster of a week, but by the end of it, I have
learned a lot and have grown in my patience and love.

Tuesday was probably the busiest day of the week. We had a number of
appointments and had little time for finding, but that's a good thing!
Especially since it rained nonstop between Tuesday and Thursday.
Probably the best part of the day was after Sarah's lesson, she
invited us to come for dinner at her college cafeteria. It felt like I
was back in the mtc. But we had a great time! I guess I got just a
small taste of what college people are like.

Wednesday, we had hours and hours of finding set up. None of our
investigators or less actives could meet with us. However, we had an
appointment set up with an investigator named Katie. My Zone Leader,
Elder Holden, and I dropped a Bible off to her that she ordered. That
was a little over a month ago and we have tried to meet with her three
or four times, but she had to cancel for various reasons. However,
when we visited that night, it was great! She was open with us about
her struggles in life since graduating college. But as we shared the
message of the Restoration, she began to feel peace. It was one of
those things where you could just tell by their countenance. I even
asked her how she felt at the end of the lesson and she told us how
relieved she felt. It was a real powerful lesson, probably one of the
best lessons I have had on my mission. We even committed her to a date
to be baptized on Easter! However, there's more to her story later.

Thursday we had District Meeting and after that, we went on exchanges
with our District Leader, Elder Jones and his companion, Elder Wilson.
Elder Jones came with me to Kutztown. We spent a part of our day
talking to college kids near KU, although we didn't get any return
appointments, it was really good to get some practice with our
finding.

Friday was a little tough to be honest. Almost all of our appointments
fell through but we did have a great lesson with Noel. However, we had
to drop his date because he and his parents didn't agree with him
being baptized. It was a little hard to hear, but totally
understandable! He still wants to meet with us and has a sincere
desire to know if the church is true.

Saturday, we helped a family move in the ward. It was really awesome
because we talked to one of the daughter's boyfriends who helped with
the move. It's so great to do missionary work while giving service. He
seemed a little interested in the gospel, which was really exciting!
At the end of the day, we saw Sister Sherman to talk about missionary
work. It was a emotional topic for her because she is a convert to the
church and has done a lot of missionary work with people in her life.
It really got her excited to go to church the next day, which is what
we were going for!

Sunday had its ups and downs pretty all day. None of our investigators
came to church and later we received a text from Katie telling us that
this may not be the path she needs to take. It was a little
heartbreaking to receive that kind of message from her because she was
so prepared and had such a great experience the other night. I
couldn't believe how much I cared about Katie in less than a week of
knowing her.... It really does goes to show that a mission truly does
allow missionaries to see others in such a different way. You really
learn the value of the Gospel and how much it truly can change
people's lives. By the end of the night, I just felt sick with the
worst headache. I just thought of what Elder Thielen says with days
like this "don't worry about the hints you can't control, just worry
about the things you can control". All I could do at the end of the
night was ask for relief for my pains and ask for forgiveness with my
frustrations. This morning, my pains and my frustration were gone. It
was such a testimony to me that the Lord truly can take away the bad
in our lives. The only perfect being that has come down on this earth
suffered and sacrificed Himself for us. From studying Isaiah 53:3-5
and Alma 7:11-13, I know the Lord knows each one of us perfectly and
is waiting for us to come unto Him. We can change and be strengthened
beyond our own strength. All we need to do is have enough humility and
faith in the Holy Messiah, as we do, our lives will be enriched as I
have experienced for myself firsthand. It is my sincere hope and
prayer all of you may do the same. Have a great first week of March!
It is starting to feel like Spring over here! I'm excited for the days
to come.


Elder Cortes

Kutztown, PA

Transfers, Exchanges, and So Much More!

Hey everybody!

It's been such a great week! I have had a lot of fun with my new
companion working here in Kutztown. We have definitely seen many
miracles and are planning to see many more!

Tuesday, I got my new companion. His name is Elder Thielen. He is such
a great Elder. He is from Carson City, Nevada and has been out 11
months, so he is experienced. He has such a positive attitude and
really knows the gospel. Right after we picked him up in Allentown, we
came back to Kutztown to work in a packed day of appointments. We met
with Noel and he is such a stud. He has been reading the Book of
Mormon and really understands what we are teaching him. He is planning
on coming to church this coming Sunday. We are so excited for him! We
are also seeing him tomorrow, he's a real stud. I really am hoping and
praying he is baptized in March! Right now, his date is set on the
20th so we will see. We also saw Sarah, who is planning to go to the
temple in less than two weeks! We are so excited for her to go. It's
just getting closer and closer, which is so exciting to see for her.
Although it was raining, we met a good number of people and are hoping
to get a few new investigators this coming week. The miracles truly
are happening! It's small things like setting appointments that really
make the day. You just hope and pray you can share the gospel with
these people, because it will bless their lives.

On Wednesday, we met with Sister Donio, who is doing so great to go to
the temple. We are so excited for her and it's really great because
every time we visit, she learns something new. That's the best part
about strengthening members, when you feel the Holy Ghost is helping
them grow and strengthen their testimonies, you just feel like you are
doing the right thing. I just k ew when I was there, that was where I
needed to be. Of course I know being on my mission is where I need to
be, but I get those strong convictions from the Lord in lessons that
what I'm doing is the right thing. At the end of the night, we got an
unexpected call from the Zone Leaders to do exchanges the next day,
which was really exciting to hear because I love exchanges. So we got
ready for exchanges and District Meeting.

The next day, we traveled to Reading and had a great District Meeting.
Our District Leader's name is Elder Jones. He's been out about 4
months, but is a really humble Elder. We had a great meeting and did
our exchange with the Zone Leaders. Elder Thielen went to Reading and
Elder Jewkes came with me to Kutztown. Elder Jewkes is a fun Elder. We
started by contacting a referral in Kutztown. We knocked on the door
and this man answers. His name is Davey, and told us he would get in
touch with us when he was ready to talk. But Elder Jewkes wanted to
read him Moroni 10:4 in the Book of Mormon. By the end of it, he was
crying and told us he would get in touch with us when he was ready. Is
was such an experience. I was shocked for the rest of the day because
the Spirit was so strong with him. It was another testimony to me,
that scriptures truly do have power to them. Later, we had homemade
sushi and had a great lesson with the Skidmores (Tony and Laura). Now,
we were teaching about missionary work, and Tony felt like he needed
to know more before he could do missionary work because he felt like
he wouldn't know what to say every time. It was perfect because I
shared with him DC 84:85 which talks about not worry about what you
say but to search the scriptures and the Lord will help you in knowing
what to say at the right time. It was a little funny because when Tony
was reading the scripture, Laura was snickering a bit just because it
answered his concern perfectly. Elder Jewkes was even smiling a bit
because he knew that scripture well. Overall, it was such a fun day. I
really learned a lot from the exchange.

Friday we met back up and had lunch together. Later we saw Sister
Sherman and her daughter, Katie. We had such a great visit reading
scriptures and talking about the Plan of Salvation. They were also
talking about how excited they were with coming to church. They missed
the past week, but were determined to come this Sunday.

On Saturday, we did service for a man in Kutztown, who lives in
Reading. His name is Daniel. Pretty much what we did was unload stuff
from a storage unit to a basement. It was great because we got to talk
to him about the gospel. He told us he was baptist, but as we talked
about the Book of Mormon, the Spirit really was working on him. He was
getting a little uncomfortable talking, but in a good way. But hey, it
happens when you ask for missionaries help.

Sunday was great! Sister Sherman and Katie came to church and came to
gospel principles. It was the first time they stayed after sacrament
which was great! We also taught an unexpected friend of a member at a
dinner appointment. It was such a blessing to teach at dinner.
Overall, I'm excited for this transfer. It's 7 weeks so we can do a
lot of work together. We are planning on it. I hope all of you have a
great week! I'm so grateful to be a missionary and serve the Lord.
Learning and reading the scriptures and teaching the Gospel is
something I would never trade. I'm thankful to God and my Savior Jesus
Christ for this opportunity, I pray and hope all of you have a great
week!




Elder Cortes

Kutztown, PA

Tracking in a Winter Wonderland

Hey everybody!

The first thing I have to say is that the snow finally came. It wasn't
terrible, but it finally came and it has been in the mid 20's all
week. But we have kept busy regardless!

The snow came on Tuesday night when we were driving home from an
appointment. I was so excited! The first time snow has come on my
mission! It caught us by surprise because when we went to the
appointment it was just a regular cold night. Then, we got outside and
the ground was covered in snow. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would
be driving home, we made it back safely. But that brings up part two
of the snow experience.

On Wednesday I went on an exchange with a young Elder over in Reading,
PA while my District Leader came here to Kutztown. So I was with Elder
Jones for the day (which was great because he is from Mesa as well! He
went to Red Mountain). Reading is such an exciting place. Pretty much
what they do when they don't have appointments is go street contact.
Well, it just so happened to be 2 of the 5 lessons that were set up
cancelled. So we did a total of 3 hours of street contacting. It was
so exciting because I haven't been into an area that has a lot of
street contacting. However, the snow covered the streets and the were
outside in 20 degree weather. On top of that, it felt every direction
we went, the wind blew right in our face. Even when you are bundled up
with a few layers, it's still pretty cold. But we saw many miracles
happen that day. Elder Jones knew I hadn't street contacted a lot on
my mission, so he wanted me to take the lead in where we should go. To
be in a big city, it can be a little intimidating and confusing on
where to go. But I asked for guidance and direction from the Lord. As
I prayed privately and quietly on street corners, the Holy Spirit
showed me which direction I should take. One time, we went around an
entire block and we taught a man, waiting for his bus, the
Restoration! It was so great because he wasn't there when we first
started, but after we went in a circle, he just happened to be there
and ready to listen. All in all, we taught 4 lessons on the street! I
was just so grateful to have such a great day like that over here in
Reading.

Thursday, we had Zone Training, which was very uplifting. My new Zone
Leaders, Elder Holden and Elder Jewkes, are great teachers. A lot of
it was on personal improvement and goals the mission has for the new
year. Also, I'm grateful for the Reading Zone. There are Elders and
Sisters who were in my last Zone in Cherry Hill, Elders I came out
with, and so many great examples I have had since I have been on my
mission. Later that night, we went to visit a member in a care center.
While we were waiting for the member we were going to take with us, we
talked to the receptionist in the lobby. She was so interested in what
we did and had so many questions about missionaries. In the end, we
got her contact information and are planning on having missionaries go
and see her (because she lives outside our area).

Friday and Saturday, all of our appointments cancelled. But what our
Zone was doing was to see how many pass along cards we could give with
our church address. By the end of it, we had passed out 198 pass along
cards in two days. Which is pretty hard in our area because there is
practically no one on the street to give them to. Despite the snow,
cold, and wind, I just worked as hard as I could with the Elders I was
with. I'm grateful to the Lord and allowing me to have the strength
and diligence to continue to find people. Although it may not be easy,
somehow I keep finding strength in Christ to persevere and press
forward. I pray all of you may do the same. The highest it is supposed
to get is 34 degrees. But that doesn't phase me. I am going back to
Reading tomorrow with my District Leader so I'm hoping for the same
success! We also are having a worldwide missionary broadcast Wednesday
which I am very excited for. Hopefully the week will turn around with
our investigators! May the Lord bless you in all your efforts!




Elder Cortes

Kutztown, PA