Another Transfer in the Books, and a new assignment in Jersey

Hey everyone!

It's been such a fantastic week working with a lot of Elders I love
and people who are progressing through the power of the Gospel. I
couldn't ask for anything better.

It all started on Tuesday night when we met up with Elders in Delaware
so Elder Yeates and another missionary going home can drive up to the
mission home to go to the temple the next day. So as a result, I got
to bring Elder Maynard to Woodstown for the whole day Wednesday! We
had such a blast.

We started the day out with going to a town called Salem, which is
probably the most ghetto part of our area. But we saw a countless
number of miracles just talking to people on the street.
The best part of the day is when Elder Yeates got home from the DC
temple because we had a great lesson with Jeremy and Stacey to end the
night because we committed Stacey to a date in August! We may have to
push it back because they still need to get married, but she's made so
much progress since I first met her. She has come to church the past 3
weeks in a row and she's reading the Book of Mormon 5 chapters a day.
It's such a blessing for sure.

Thursday we had our final district meeting by our great District
Leader Elder Nebeker. He's getting transferred, which is lame, because
he has been one of my favorite district leaders for sure. I also went
on an exchange right after with Elder Davenport, my Zone Leader! It
went so well because we taught 5 lessons. We got to see my favorite
member we are working with, Wayne Hoglund. We had such a powerful
lesson on how hardships and trials are a part of life. We testified of
the power of the Atonement which will strengthen us through our
hardships. It's also sad, but Elder Davenport is leaving the Zone as
well. But it's been such a blast working with such great Elders for
only 5 weeks.

Friday and Saturday were crazy with Elder Yeates wrapping up sending
stuff home, visiting a good number of members and investigators, and
who knows what else. However, Sunday we ended the transfer so strong
teaching 6 lessons. We ended the night at the Whitfields', and Deborah
is doing so well. She is reading the Book of Mormon and loves it! She
believes it to be the word of God. She's on track for baptism at the
end of next month, which I am so excited for.
I also found out that night I will be the District Leader for this
upcoming transfer, and it's going to be a 7 week transfer with
President Randall coming into the mission. I'm excited to see my new
District and to see the work just grow here in South Jersey. It truly
has become a special place to me. Lot of exciting stuff happening
tomorrow! I will meet my new companion and we are going to hit the
pavement for sure! May the Lord bless you in all that you do. I'm
seeing the blessings from serving and I just keep giving it my all.
This mission truly is changing my life. I hope all of you have a great
week in this heat!

Elder Cortes

Woodstown, NJ

Unexpected Manna, Just Like That

Hey everybody!

It's been a very busy week and these last two weeks of the transfer
are going to be even busier! But it was fun being able to have a lot
of great experience with new friends, other missionaries, and miracles
from the Lord.

So for Memorial Day last week, we ate at a members'  named the
Steckers, whose son was visiting from Philadelphia (pro cook). We
couldn't stay long, but we had the best bison burgers I have ever had.
It was so great!

Wednesday was such a powerful day to see the Lord's hand in all
things. At the beginning of the day, we saw Matt, who had been doing
well reading and praying every day for a month straight. It was crazy
because we decided to visit him even though he didn't confirm if it
was okay to come over. He had made a minor mistake and felt like all
the progress he had made in gaining a testimony was gone. But we
testified of the reality of repentance and the redemptive power of the
Atonement. It was so good to feel the Spirit just back up everything
we said, because we felt it just touch his heart. He was so intent on
listening to everything we said, it was such a great experience. At
the end of the appointment, he asked us if there were any appointments
he could come out with us that night, which we did. We later found out
he had been really pondering if he should go on a mission this past
week. So he took us to see Jeremy and his wife, Stacey. Jeremy's son,
Clayton, was also there and we taught the beginning of the Plan of
Salvation and Matt helped out so much! At the end of the lesson,
Clayton came outside to talk with us and Matt and he told Matt he
didn't know why he was telling him this, but he said that he can
overcome any sin or hardship he was going through. It was so great
because the Spirit just hit Matt like a wall. He was floored and
really couldn't stop thinking about it. The Lord definitely had a hand
in all of the events of that day, ultimately to strengthen Matt's
testimony that God does live.

Thursday we were in Vineland for Zone Training and it was great to see
and meet great missionaries representing the Lord in the rest of South
New Jersey. Later, President Sikahema (my Stake President in New
Jersey who I haven't seen since I was in Moorestown) and his wife came
to feed the Zone lunch which was a great time. After all that was
over, I did an exchange in my area with my District Leader, Elder
Nebeker. Without a doubt, Elder Nebeker has to be on of the best
missionaries I have served around so far in my mission. He's only 6
weeks younger in the mission than I am, but we just clicked so
perfectly. We visited this man named Wayne Hoglund, who hasn't seen
the missionaries in almost two years! We just called him up and asked
if we could meet him and he told us that would be great. He was
baptized in Rhode Island and moved to a town close to Woodstown named
Salem. He lost contact with the church 4 years ago when he moved here
and had no idea where the church was. He's had a good number of
struggles, but wants to come back slowly but surely!  It was a tender
mercy to meet a man like Brother Hoglund.

Saturday was a bit of a struggle at first because I experienced a
little heat exhaustion after street contacting and talk to former
investigators in Salem. But after I recovered from that, we went to go
see Tara and Sister Whitfield at the Johnson's home. It was such a
great lesson filled with the Spirit. The best lessons are the ones
where they are at member homes because they feel the Spirit so strong!
We also got an unexpected call from a former investigator who is
interested about learning about the Gospel and going to the temple
open house! The closer the temple is being done, the more people
become interested. Such a tender mercy from the Lord.

Unfortunately, we met with Tara last night at the Whitfield home and
it was disappointing because Tara had not been living certain
commandments to prepare for baptism, which she was not truthful about.
She ultimately wasn't ready and moved out of the Whitfield home today,
which was very sad to hear. It just goes to show the result of those
who do not keep the commandments of God. We will continually be happy
if we keep the commandments (Mosiah 2:41) This is so fundamental to
our happiness in this life. Some may think that commandments are
restrictions, but in reality, they are counsel given to us by a loving
God. Although, it broke our hearts, it does not break our
determination to make this area grow. We know the Lord will provide a
way for us to find the elect. As long as we do our personal best, the
Lord will bless us for our efforts.

To close, I just wish to acknowledge the passing of a good friend this
past Monday. Brother Bill Mellyn was my teacher, my friend, and a
great example of living the Gospel. I am so privileged to have had
such a close association with him at school as well as in my home
ward. There were a few times this week where I wish I could have gone
to the memorial service or the tribute at Mountain View. However, I
knew time and time again this is where I need to be and focus all of
my energy on. I have a firm testimony of the Plan of Salvation. I know
that life does not end after death. Knowing Brother Mellyn, I know he
is providing a great work for the Lord Jesus Christ on the other side
as he did on earth. It is my testimony that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God and all of us will return to live with our Father in Heaven
because of the Savior's atoning sacrifice. All we must do is follow
Him. If we do, as Brother Mellyn did, we need not fear death, for we
will know where we are going. I hope all of you have a great week in
this great month of June!

Elder Cortes

Woodstown, NJ

Back in New Jersey and Sending Another Companion Home

Hey everybody!

It's a beautiful day here in New Jersey and I can't tell you how crazy
this week has been. But overall, it's been very fun and exciting. It
all started when I went to Broomall for transfers on Tuesday.

So Tuesday, missionaries leaving the Scranton area picked me up to go
to Broomall and dropped of Elder Thielen's new companion in Kutztown.
It was pretty exciting because I saw so many old faces like my son
Elder Harris, Elder Maynard, and countless old Zone Leaders. But at
the end of it all, I found out I would be going to Woodstown, NJ with
my new companion, Elder Yeates. Now, what's pretty interesting is that
this is Elder Yeates last transfer. So he will be the third missionary
I send home. But it was really great to drive back through familiar
spots in New Jersey. We went to work right away finding two new people
to teach named Lester and Malikah! It was an absolute tender mercy the
Lord blessed us with such a great first day.

Wednesday, we met with a good number of less actives in the ward. One
of them was named Matt. It was a special experience for me because in
the middle of the lesson he asked me personally how I knew that God
really did exist. I don't know why, but it felt like time stopped
except for the three of us at that point, which was weird because I
have never really had that happen before in a lesson. But I bore my
testimony that I knew God was real and it just felt so right to do it,
like anything in missionary work. It was pretty great because by the
end of the lesson he was determined to know for himself if God did
exist. Later that night we met with this family named the Whitfields,
who are less active. They have this long time family friend that lives
with them named Tara Moses, who is investigating the church. Before
the lesson Elder Yeates and I decided to commit her to baptism for
next month, which we knew was attainable because we felt the Spirit
confirm to us that was the right date. So by the time we ended the
lesson, we invited her to be baptized on June 12th and she agreed to
it! It was really exciting to have that happen right from the get go
in a new area. She's already made goals to quit smoking and come to
church every week and prepare to be baptized! It's really neat because
Woodstown has not had a baptism in almost a year, so this will be a
really special experience for everyone, Tara, the Whitfields, the
ward, and us as well.

Thursday we went to District Meeting, which was a lot of fun. I met
our new District Leader, Elder Nebeker who is a transfer younger than
I am and is a real fun Elder. Also Elder Deland, who served with me in
the Cherry Hill North Zone is here as well as Sister Blake, who was in
my mtc District! So it was pretty nice to find familiar faces where
I'm serving. Also my Zone Leaders are both Spanish speaking and I will
be going up to their area next week so I will get a chance to practice
my Spanish again which will be pretty exciting. One thing that I
forgot about New Jersey is the amount of rain. Thursday through
Saturday, it was raining pretty hard, but we had a good time traveling
around the area and finding people to teach on Thursday.

Friday, we went back to the Whitfields to teach Tara again. We asked
Tara why she wanted to be baptized and she gave such a perfect answer
by telling us she wanted to come closer to God and be cleansed from
sin. What was really neat as well was that the Whitfields are all
going to try to quit smoking together and come to church as well. It's
just so cool, wherever you go, you see people just trying to change
and grow because they know the Gospel is true. It really is a
blessing.

Saturday I met the Bishop and his family. They are a really great
family and the Bishop is very missionary minded, which is such a
blessing. We got along very well and the Bishop even found us someone
to go teach! I was just floored and so excited for the coming weeks
ahead.

Sunday I got to meet the ward, which was really neat. There are a lot
of kind people who are willing to help out in the work which is very
exciting. Tara also came to church and loved it. After church, we
taught Lester and Malikah, who we found on Tuesday. They are a really
great couple and love when we come over. After we taught the
Restoration, Lester told us he felt so good after meeting with us. We
told him it was the Spirit and that what we taught was true because
the Spirit confirms what we teach is the truth. Lester wants to be
baptized in June but he and Malikah are not married, so we set a goal
for him to be baptized sometime in June. After that, our Elders Quorum
President took us out to visit a good number of families who were not
hometaught which was really neat.

It's exciting to be here in Woodstown, a lot of changes are happening
very soon. This is a five week transfer, so Elder Yeates has a month
left before he goes home and my Mission President goes home a week
after Elder Yeates. But I'm excited to see what this next month has in
store for us. I thank the Lord for sending me to such a special place
here in New Jersey, it feels like a homecoming which is so exciting! I
hope all of you are well and happy! Trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ,
who is mighty to save. He is just waiting for all of us to come into
Him. Like it says in Alma, "lay aside every sin, which easily doth
beset you". As we do, the enabling power of the Atonement will lift us
heavenward.


Elder Cortes

Woodstown, NJ