As for teaching it was pretty eventful. On Saturday we still hadn't heard from Elvis, so we were starting to wonder how he was doing and if everything was alright. So we headed over there around 7:30 because we were in the area and we were able to catch him at home. He said everything was going alright, but he'd just been super busy. We asked how his scripture study was going. He said he'd been reading the Pearl of Great Price. That strikes fear in the hearts of missionaries everywhere. But he said he really enjoyed it and it felt like it was inspired scripture to him. So that was a bullet dodged. He said he didn't really have plans to come to church this week but next week it was on his schedule. He still wants to be baptized on the 15th! He can make it as long as we meet with him a couple of times this week and next week, and he comes to church both weeks.
Speaking of baptisms, remember Dylan from Corona? I e-mailed him last week and he had time to reply. He is doing well in his new ward and has been given a calling to work with the Scouts. He is hoping to go through the temple near his one year baptism anniversary. So I was super pumped about that! I was worried that because he was switching wards he might get busy or feel less comfortable and not attend, but he seems to have integrated nicely. He'll love working with the Scouts, he does all sorts of athletic and outdoors things so he's probably going on a lot of trips with them.
We were able to meet with Jonna twice this week. A couple of the sisters in our ward have continued to fellowship her without us even asking them to contact her, so I think she is converted to the church, we just need to help her understand the Gospel and then commit to baptism. On Friday we read 1 Nephi with her. It was great because she actually asked questions. Most of the time people just kind of go along with it and don't say much, but if she had a question she stopped us and asked it. So we are going to keep meeting with her and try to talk about the Plan of Salvation with her next week when we have a team-up. She made the comment "I've never met an unhappy Mormon", so talking about the Plan of Happiness seems like a logical next step.
So teaching was really great and we also had some really awesome things happen while we were street contacting too. On Thursday, we were trying to get a little contacting in before dinner, and we saw this short little street and it had two people out there talking. We were kind of in a hurry to make it to dinner on time, but we decided we could go talk to them really quick anyways. What ensued was kind of funny. We go and talk to them, and it seems like they're in the middle of a pretty intense discussion. But we decide to go for it anyway, it'd be kind of weird to walk that short of a street and just ignore them. One of them, an Asian guy named Paul, said he'd be willing to watch the video. So he did, and he liked it and we talked for a bit. And then he asked us a question "What do you think about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?" So we explained the Godhead in a few short sentences. It turns out that they had already been discussing this issue. Paul believed they were separate because of John 3:16, but Jesus believed in the Trinity because of some other verse. So it was kind of funny that we ran across Paul and Jesus having a discussion on the Godhead, one of them with a heavy oriental accent, and the other switching between English and Spanish whenever he needed to. Jesus was very adamant about the Trinity, but Paul said he wouldn't mind if we came back and talked more with him. People tend to be more receptive when you agree with them.
Another cool contact we had was with a guy named Kevin. We were walking, again just trying to get a bit in before dinner because there's not much else you can really do for 20 minutes. And again we were debating if we should go down the street and loop around, or just turn back because dinner was soon and he said he had somewhere to be afterward. But we decided to walk it quickly, and we saw a pair of legs behind a sun shade on the front of his patio. We had also seen him walk out with a cigarette in his mouth. So we were kind of hesitant to talk to him, but we went for it anyways. And when we talked to him, he was a really nice guy. He put out his cigarette so he could watch the video and he thanked us for talking to him because it made him do something uplifting, rather than sit there and puff away at his cigarette. He said he wants to quit smoking, so we told him about our Bible Study, and Addiction Recovery Program, and set up a time to go back there next week. There are good people everywhere that are looking for the Gospel!
I've gotten to do so much more teaching here than in Corona, and so much more finding, so much more of everything. I guess I've learned how hard I can work. In Corona, it seemed like I had gotten sort of complacent. There were the people we saw every week, and if we saw others it was great but if not, that was okay too. But here I've really been motivated to work as hard as I can, and then to see the results that come from it. But in that effort, I've also become much better at acknowledging the little bits of divine help we get every day. I find myself praying more sincerely and more often about the blessings I've seen throughout my day than ever before. I've really started to see everyone as someone that has the potential to receive the Gospel, and I get excited when I see how it could benefit their lives. So I've seen a difference in me and how I look at missionary work since coming to Moreno Valley. It is a lot of fun and the time is flying by. It's hard to believe I've already spent a whole transfer with Elder Andrew.
On Sunday we had dinner with the Bishop's family and they always invite Ken over as well. They had ice cream and a cake with candles for me. There were 3 candles that wouldn't blow out. I would have though they were trick candles if I hadn't seem them come out of the same box as all the others. It was a lot of fun though, and I'm sure I'll be celebrating my birthday a couple more times this week. Ken is taking us out on Wednesday, and then we have dinner with a family on Friday as well. I'll try and remember to get some pictures.
See you soon,
Elder Cornaby
"Get on your knees and pray, then get on your feet and work." - Gordon B. Hinckley
We were able to meet with Jonna twice this week. A couple of the sisters in our ward have continued to fellowship her without us even asking them to contact her, so I think she is converted to the church, we just need to help her understand the Gospel and then commit to baptism. On Friday we read 1 Nephi with her. It was great because she actually asked questions. Most of the time people just kind of go along with it and don't say much, but if she had a question she stopped us and asked it. So we are going to keep meeting with her and try to talk about the Plan of Salvation with her next week when we have a team-up. She made the comment "I've never met an unhappy Mormon", so talking about the Plan of Happiness seems like a logical next step.
So teaching was really great and we also had some really awesome things happen while we were street contacting too. On Thursday, we were trying to get a little contacting in before dinner, and we saw this short little street and it had two people out there talking. We were kind of in a hurry to make it to dinner on time, but we decided we could go talk to them really quick anyways. What ensued was kind of funny. We go and talk to them, and it seems like they're in the middle of a pretty intense discussion. But we decide to go for it anyway, it'd be kind of weird to walk that short of a street and just ignore them. One of them, an Asian guy named Paul, said he'd be willing to watch the video. So he did, and he liked it and we talked for a bit. And then he asked us a question "What do you think about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?" So we explained the Godhead in a few short sentences. It turns out that they had already been discussing this issue. Paul believed they were separate because of John 3:16, but Jesus believed in the Trinity because of some other verse. So it was kind of funny that we ran across Paul and Jesus having a discussion on the Godhead, one of them with a heavy oriental accent, and the other switching between English and Spanish whenever he needed to. Jesus was very adamant about the Trinity, but Paul said he wouldn't mind if we came back and talked more with him. People tend to be more receptive when you agree with them.
Another cool contact we had was with a guy named Kevin. We were walking, again just trying to get a bit in before dinner because there's not much else you can really do for 20 minutes. And again we were debating if we should go down the street and loop around, or just turn back because dinner was soon and he said he had somewhere to be afterward. But we decided to walk it quickly, and we saw a pair of legs behind a sun shade on the front of his patio. We had also seen him walk out with a cigarette in his mouth. So we were kind of hesitant to talk to him, but we went for it anyways. And when we talked to him, he was a really nice guy. He put out his cigarette so he could watch the video and he thanked us for talking to him because it made him do something uplifting, rather than sit there and puff away at his cigarette. He said he wants to quit smoking, so we told him about our Bible Study, and Addiction Recovery Program, and set up a time to go back there next week. There are good people everywhere that are looking for the Gospel!
I've gotten to do so much more teaching here than in Corona, and so much more finding, so much more of everything. I guess I've learned how hard I can work. In Corona, it seemed like I had gotten sort of complacent. There were the people we saw every week, and if we saw others it was great but if not, that was okay too. But here I've really been motivated to work as hard as I can, and then to see the results that come from it. But in that effort, I've also become much better at acknowledging the little bits of divine help we get every day. I find myself praying more sincerely and more often about the blessings I've seen throughout my day than ever before. I've really started to see everyone as someone that has the potential to receive the Gospel, and I get excited when I see how it could benefit their lives. So I've seen a difference in me and how I look at missionary work since coming to Moreno Valley. It is a lot of fun and the time is flying by. It's hard to believe I've already spent a whole transfer with Elder Andrew.
On Sunday we had dinner with the Bishop's family and they always invite Ken over as well. They had ice cream and a cake with candles for me. There were 3 candles that wouldn't blow out. I would have though they were trick candles if I hadn't seem them come out of the same box as all the others. It was a lot of fun though, and I'm sure I'll be celebrating my birthday a couple more times this week. Ken is taking us out on Wednesday, and then we have dinner with a family on Friday as well. I'll try and remember to get some pictures.
See you soon,
Elder Cornaby
"Get on your knees and pray, then get on your feet and work." - Gordon B. Hinckley