One Last Trip to PennyPACK

Hey everyone! 

It's been a pretty good week for us here in D-Town like it is every week! How can you not have a good week in the Lord's service? But really, it was a blast.

It all started when I went on my last exchange of my mission with my Zone Leader Elder Jolley. Now, Elder Jolley has a soft spot in my heart since we go way back. Not only was he my District Leader in Kutztown, but he's also from Mesa. He actually went to Mountain View for two years which was pretty neat. We caught up on people back home we both knew and talked about the end of the mission. Elder Jolley goes home with me on the same flight, so it was really cool to get another Elder's perspective on coming home. But it was so much fun, we went to Pennypack one last time and it was a blast to see some of the less actives and recent converts I had visited before when I came before. By the end of it, I felt pretty satisfied with how the exchange went and was determined to move forward in the week.

We also found this great lady named Ellie Parker. Any Ellie I find on my mission I always figure is pretty promising. But it was cool to get to know her, she's 85 and had a lot of questions about being forgiven and living with God again. We both got pretty excited to answer her questions. It was very great for me personally because I felt as though we were sent to be an answer to her prayers so that she may find personal peace in her life. 

We also got back in touch with my good friend Aaron Melchor. We had lost contact/ cancelled appointments with Aaron the past two weeks. So being able to meet with him was such a miracle. We taught him the Plan of Salvation through the Book of Mormon which he really enjoyed. He got so much out of our discussion. We invited him to baptism and he told us he would think about it. You could tell the Spirit was really working on him. I feel it's only a matter of time for Aaron to accept, now it's just a matter of helping him come to church.

But it's been such a blessed week. More stuff about home is getting sent from the office and I'm just really thinking how can I use these last two weeks to help me prepare for home. It was great because I had a few minutes with our Stake President, President Ross. And I asked him for advice about being home and he was just so insightful and kind. It really made me thankful my whole mission I have worked with such exemplary leaders in the church. 

I'm so thankful for the opportunities I have to keep learning on the mission. I might be on the tail end of things, but my ability to learn by the Spirit has no expiration date. That is a blessing I will always be thankful for. 

The next P-day is the Fourth so I'll write then. Can't wait to bring you up to speed with the next scoop in the PPM. We're going to the Restoration Site Wednesday and I am so pumped! Talk to you all later!

Elder Cortes

Doylestown, PA

Time Stops for No Elder

Hey everyone!

I was looking at the date today and all I can say is that time flies when you're having fun. It feels like it was yesterday when the transfer started and her we are heading into week #4! We had a lot of blessings come our way as we tried to be diligent as we could be. Our Mission President set a mission goal for each companionship to talk to 20 people a day. It was great when we heard this goal because we have been striving to find as many people as we can to teach. We were both committed in striving to reach this goal. 

It was such a good experience for both of us. We talked to all sorts of people, people who were very adamant about them not being interested, to people who seemed very interested. It was great to see both ends of the spectrum and really see the phrase "finding the elect" come to life for us. We didn't find anyone new to reach until we met with a man named Dennis. We talked to Dennis two weeks ago and set up an appointment for last Saturday at the church. It was pretty neat because we gave him a tour of the building and taught him the Restoration. He really appreciate the time we had together and wanted to meet again, in the middle of next month. It was really special for me because I saw firsthand the Lord blessing us, not on our time or the exact way we wanted him to, but his blessings are there. It would have been great to meet with him one more time before I left, but I certainly understand the Lord has a plan for Dennis and it's all on the Lord's time how it will work out.

We also had the privilege of meeting with Elder Kopeschke of the Seventy. It was 7 hours of training and learning by the Spirit and by the great leaders I have been blessed to work with on my mission. I also saw many old friends, Elder Harris (the first Elder I trained), Elder Maynard, and so many more. It was kinda weird because at the end of the meeting I said goodbye to a few Elders I will never see again in the mission. I'm not sure I'll see all of them later in life, but it really made me reflect and appreciate the missionaries I have the privilege to work with and learn from as I head on back to the desert in a few weeks. I can't even tell you how many lessons were learned just by being with other missionaries, but it means so much to me.

The last thing I want to touch on is just to express my love and gratitude to my Dad. Without a doubt, my Dad has to be one of the best people I have ever come to know and love. There was a brief moment in Sacrament Meeting where I just missed him and wish I could talk to him. He's really shown me the kind of person I want to be in my life. It can be from using clean language all the time, to really trying to understand others and not to make harsh judgements. I will always be grateful for my Dad, his example and love really gives me an idea on how Heavenly Father views me and loves me as His child.

Even though time won't stop, I'm putting my foot on the gas pedal and won't let up until I'm back in Arizona. I'm really looking forward to these next three weeks!

Elder Cortes

Doylestown, PA

It's Starting to Feel Like AZ

Hey everybody!

It's been a pretty good week for us here in Doylestown. Elder West has been really learning how to do missionary work and really get into the swing of things. I'm thankful Heavenly Father has blessed me with such a good Elder to really help push me and be my absolute best. 

It's been a tad slow working with our investigators. Either they've been sick or had stuff going on which is a bummer. But it's not a problem! We keep working to find Ghost who are prepared while we try to keep in touch with the people we teach. 

One thing that was a bit strange was that I had my final regular interview with President Randall. So now the next time we will talk one on one will be my exit interview. This has probably been the fastest transfer of my life. But I'm definitely enjoying the days as they roll on. We have Zone Conference Wednesday with Elder Kopeshke of the Seventy! No better way to end my mission than with another general authority visit. I'm excited what revelation I will receive when we go and meet him. 

The mission has been fantastic. I'm really learning who I want to be continually when I get back because I'm working hard now. It's definitely a blessing as I have been as diligent as I could be. I'll keep you all posted how the mission goes for me! Thanks for all the love and support.

Elder Cortes

Doylestown, PA

The Golden Fire in Doylestown

Hey everybody!

It's been such a blast this week. So much has gone on and it's been great here to start off the transfer. 

It all started with transfers, I said goodbye to Elder Morton and I picked up Elder Smith (another trainer) and we went to work in Doylestown for a few days. They put us together because we didn't pick up the Goldens until Thursday, but it was so much fun. Elder Smith actually served in Doylestown for a while and is currently serving in Exeter, one of my past areas. We had plenty to talk about between our areas and actually worked pretty well together. We taught our investigator Aaron how to personally apply the Book of Mormon which was fantastic! The highlight of the exchange, however, was that I was able to talk to Melissa Maldanado, a Recent Convert I worked with. It was so great to catch up for 5 minutes or so talking about her and her family and said how much they all missed me. It was a special blessing of the Lord to be on that two day exchange.

But then the big day came on Thursday. We went to the Golden Meeting and they announced the companionships one by one and I met my Golden Elder West! He's such a great Elder. He's from West Jordan, Utah and is the oldest of 4. He actually came out at 19 so he's a bit more mature which is very great. All he wants to do is work hard and learn as much as he can as a missionary. Every trainer prays and hopes for such a strong missionary like Elder West. I'm so thankful he's my final companion that will be sending me home. I know we will have such an amazing transfer.

Speaking of that, we already started on the right foot! We found some incredible people this week. We actually met a man named Matthew on Saturday who ordered a Bible. He lives 3 minutes away walking distance from the church, so we had our lesson with him inside and it went so well. Elder West invited him to baptism! In just 3 days, Elder West is pretty much a natural at missionary work. Matthew said he would think about it, so we will keep working towards that goal with him. But it's been a blessing, we have been starting to find more people to work with which is so exciting. The Lord is blessing us so abundantly here in Doylestown. I'm so thankful for all the tender mercies He has given me. I have been able to see it so clearly this past week. From picking up Elder West, to teaching Matthew. There's always a way to see the Lord's hand in your life. I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for us this week!

Elder Cortes

Doylestown, PA

One Last Adventure in Doylestown

Hey everybody!

There isn't a lot to update on since Friday but I do have exciting news regarding my last transfer. We found out Saturday night Elder Morton will be leaving for Maryland and I will be finishing my mission in Doylestown. What's even more exciting is that I received a call from President Randall last night and he extended the invitation to train for my last transfer!

I am so excited to finish my mission with this opportunity to be with another brand new missionary. I feel so humbled with how much trust the Lord has in me to start this new missionary on the right foot for his mission. 

I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for me these next 6 weeks!

Elder Cortes

Doylestown, PA

PPM Forever

Hey everyone!

It's been such a blast this past week and 5/7's. Miracles have been wrought and the work continues to move forward in the Doylestown area. 

Last week, we found this girl in her mid 20's named Daisy. She's one of the most bubbly people I have ever met. She's very kind and willing to listen. We actually were knocking doors when we found her and she was so willing to hear us out. So we scheduled an appointment with her later in the week and took a member from the Souderton ward to come teaching with us. The reason being is that this member was Aaron Nelson, he left on his mission just this Tuesday and wanted to go out with the Elders so bad (Souderton only has Sisters). We had appointments schedule but then they would fall through, except for Daisy. It was a solid Restoration lesson where Aaron just bore a very tear filled testimony on the truthfulness of the Restoration through the prophet Joseph Smith. It was a tender moment for myself knowing I was in his shoes just almost 2 years ago. 

We have also been working with Skylar very well. We taught her family history and temple Work for her to be prepared as she does baptisms for the first time ever! We are so proud of her and the commitment she has to the Lord, really she is an inspiration.

Meanwhile, Elder Morton and I took our temple trip today. It was such a blessing to go and feel absolute peace and respite from the Lord. What was even more special was that my mtc companion Elder Maynard was also at that session with his companion so it was a blast to be able to enjoy the session together. At the end of the session we sat down together to talk briefly about the mission. We just can't believe how fast time has flown. It just felt so good to talk to someone else who knows where I'm at. It was a really tender time for the both of us in the Holy House of the Lord. We also had time to check out some sights since the city is now part of the Zone. From Reading Terminal Market to the Rocky Steps to Chinatown. We had a blast, we didn't see everything but there will be another opportunity soon enough!

I've really thought about the mission this past week. My buddy Michael finished yesterday and my former companion and dear friend Elder Neilson finishes next week. Then it'll be my turn soon enough. With this transfer coming to a close and my final one just around the corner, it really makes me appreciate how blessed I am to be a missionary of the Lord. Representing His Gospel and Mission here in Philadelphia. I'm grateful for the time I've had to serve and for this next 6 weeks coming up. No doubt I will push myself to the max, all the way until they out me on that plane home. I love this work, there's absolutely nothing like it. I'll be sure to keep you all posted!

Elder Cortes

Doylestown, PA

Skylar

Hey everyone! 

It's been such a great week. This weekend had to have been some of the best days of my mission. There's a lot that can be said, but I want to focus on Skylar, our investigator.

We were privileged to see Skylar baptized on Saturday and confirmed the next day. I can't even tell you how strong the Spirit was in both of those instances. I couldn't stop smiling when she and Elder Morton entered into the font. She was happy the entire weekend, she knew what she was doing was absolutely right. It was a blessing to be the one to confirm her and give her the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I knew in my heart, that we accomplished what the Lord called us to do in this present time of our missions. It's been such an amazing blessing to work with Skylar these past 4 months. Her testimony has grown time and time again and in turn, she was fully prepared to enter into a covenant with the Lord this weekend. We have also seen ourselves grow in the Gospel as we have worked alongside her, we have repented and increased in our faith in Christ that this miracle was able to happen. I'm grateful, that after months of prayers, Skylar, and all of us were able to celebrate this special occasion.

I also had the special opportunity to talk to my family yesterday for Mother's Day! It was my fourth and final call of my mission and it was such a blessing to talk to them about the mission and about life back home. I have to say after the call, I just had gratitude in my heart for my family. I have such loving and supportive parents as well as such great siblings that will always forever be my closest friends. I'm grateful not only for the Gospel, but that I can see so many blessings that come to our family because of it. I don't know what I would do without my family, they mean the world to me. I'm especially grateful for my Mom during this Mother's Day as I am even year and every day. I have learned so much from her example and really started learning the importance Gospel at a young age because it was important to her. She has always been there to love and support me in every aspect of my life. She always knows what is best, even if there have been times here and there I thought I knew what was best. But she is always so willing to keep helping me out. She is the most compassionate person I have met and blessed to have in my life. I can never express enough gratitude to my Father in Heaven for being blessed to be one of my Mom's kids. I can say, like Nephi, I was born of goodly parents.

With these two events with Mother's Day and Skylar's baptism being connected this weekend. It makes me so happy and blessed to have such great people in my life, both on the mission, and back home. It really makes you think how well did we all really know each other before this life? I believe it was so much so, that the Lord put us in paths where we would come across those we love and who have changed our lives, whether that is family, friends, or people we are blessed to meet in the service of the Lord. I'm grateful I don't have to go through this mortal journey alone. I'm grateful for the Supreme Creator, who is God the Father, and His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. They have helped me change to become a better person my 20 years on this earth. I'm thankful for the Holy Ghost and gift it is to have Him as our constant companion. Truly, all of us are blessed with support from both sides of the veil.

Elder Cortes

Doylestown, PA