LAST WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My last week in the mission field was a week of miracles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved it so much!!!!

Monica. So we were out walking on Tuesday. I felt inspired to go down a street, we contacted 2 very not interested people. Then out of nowhere this girl came up to us and said,"Sisters! I have been looking for y'all! My family was taught in North Las Vegas, and we moved here, and don't know where the church is." It was such a cool miracle! We got a return appointment, and she was super excited!!!!

Jaime and family. We street contacted a guy on Thursday before correlation. He didn't seem super interested. So anyway, later that night we got a call. It was Jaime, he said,"Sisters. My family and I have been praying for a church. When you stopped me in the street I didn't even realize that you were an answer to my prayer. Please come by my home on Saturday, and we would like the information to come to church." Then guess what!!!!!!!!!! They showed up to church on Sunday! They really liked it! It was so amazing!

Juan. We were in a sketchy part of our area. The guy was outside and smoking. He started crying and told us that he wanted to stop smoking. I testified that Christ could help him overcome his addiction, I taught him about the word of wisdom. At the end of the lesson he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek...(I put hand-sanitizer on my cheek afterwards..... hahaha)

Enrique. We came out of a lesson at 8:50pm. As we were walking to our car, something caught my eye. I turned around a little bit, and then I saw a guy waving at us. I started talking to him (more like yelling back and forth) and walking toward him. He invited us right in!!!! It was such a cool miracle. We set an appointment for the next day!

Church was amazing this week!!!!! We sang a special musical number, and it was awesome! Plus when I gave my testimony the 1st councilor (Gonzalez bestie) cried. I loved my time in Montebello!!!!!!!! It is such an amazing ward. I have felt so much love here, and I have seen so many miracles.

Villalobos quote of the week: "Hermano what position do you play in soccer?" "Water boy...."

We were served alcohol at dinner this week.......That was fun..... #wordofwisdomfail

We had a super busy week!!!!!!!!!! It was crazy! Also my bestie Espinosa is literally sitting right behind me right now! I love her!

I can't believe my mission has come to an end. It has been the hardest and best 18 months of my life thus far. I am so grateful for all the amazing people who have come into my life! I have learned to become more like Christ these past few months, and how to go with the flow. :) I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!!!

Quiero compartir mi testimonio de que Nuestro Padre Celestial nos ama! El nos conoce, y que el tiene un plan por nosotros! Estoy agradecida por Jesucristo! El es mi Salvador y Redentor! No quiero escirbir mas, pero, voy a compartirlo cuando regreso a casa! Les quiero muchisimo!!!!!!!!!!

<3 Hermana Cordova

The elders bought me a pinata!!!!!!!!!! I love them!

Ending the Mission with a BANG!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot even believe it! I only have one more full week of being a missionary!!!! I am mentally and spiritually not prepared. We have been so busy this past week that I haven't had time to do anything other than work!!!! It has been awesome! For the first time in forever, we found 7 new investigators!!!!! It was the most boss thing ever!!! We found some really elect people, and they were so willing to listen to our message!

Hugo told us about his wild past, and how one of his friends mom had an ice cream truck. Hugo and his friend played Pink Floyd, and some hard rock band, while selling ice cream. I just about died laughing, because Stark and I had just talked about what music we would play if we drove an ice cream truck. My answer was hipster music, and then all the hipsters would be lured out of their hipster lairs...Hahaha.

One of our new investigators is a waitress that I met last transfer at the Pupusa Loca!!! It was so cool, because I totally recognized her!!

I watched HGTV at the Doctors office on Wednesday......I have to be very careful to not get sucked into the Property Brothers show when I get home.....

"The Bishop is the prophet".-False doctrine Oscar "Just like the brother said, the bishop has the priesthood just like the prophet. He receives revelation for the ward, and the prophet receives revelation for the world." Oh man.....Members...

"Lucifer era bien guapo"-Random lady in a street contact. I was just like.....uhhhh. what.

I called David Archuleta, David Enchillada......I was sleep deprived.

We almost got to teach Lazaro the candy man! He has a candy shop in his garage. The hot Cheetos were very tempting, but I stayed strong, and didn't buy any.

Cindy Machado got her mission call! I totally crossed the line to go see her open it!!!! She is going to Portugal!!! I am so excited for her! She is going to rock mission life! Her mom made Atole, and Quesadilla Salvadorean! My two favorite foods!!! I was so happy to be able to spend that special moment with a family that I have gotten so close to!

"So you're a coconut. You look brown, but you are actually white on the inside"-Jaime (Less active). This was the first time I've been called a coconut.

Stark got chased by a vicious rat dog. I thought she was going to die. Hahahaha.

We saw a lot of miracles this week! We worked hard, stayed focused, and Heavenly Father let us find people to teach! It has been a blast! Crazy busy, but amazing!!!!

Today our district got to go to Nellis Air Force Base! It was so cool! We got tons of pictures, I'll put them in the email!!!! I love my mission, I have met so many amazing people! Tomorrow I get to go through the temple with my alta vista bestie Jessica! I can't wait! This is the perfect way to end my mission! Who know what will happen this week! I believe in miracles, and I believe in the power of God to change lives! I cannot wait!

Also check out the christmas.mormon.org website, it is adorable!!!

I love y'all see ya soon!!!!

<3 Hermana Cordova

Te Damos Gracias!!!!! #diadegracias #givethanks

Oh man! It is late today! We had to go to Henderson to get my ipad fixed. Shocker, right before going home it decides to randomly die on me! We got to walk around a cute mall called Times Square. We had a blast, window shopping for days!! We finally got my ipad fixed, and then we went to the post office. Huge mistake. I have learned to never go to the post office so close to Christmas..... Longest wait of my life. Hahaha. After buying groceries, and replacing my broken watch all is well in the world again! Busy busy day!!

HUGO GOT BAPTIZED!! It was amazing!!!! He said,"This is the most exciting thing that I have done in 50 years!!!!!" He was so excited and happy, a bit nervous, but he was so ready to start his new life!!! It has been amazing to work with him these past 3 weeks! He was so prepared by our Heavenly Father! His family is also preparing to to be baptized as well, they just didn't feel ready at this moment! :)

We had a great Thanksgiving. Crazy to think that it was my second and my last!!!! We had a delicious dinner with our landlords, we got to meet the whole family, plus we got pumpkin pie!!!!! Then at 8pm we got a call from the Villalobos. They invited us to come over for "Mexican thanksgiving". When we showed up to the house I saw two bikes. I was like,"Sister.....Those look like elders bikes". Sure enough, we walked in and two English elders were sitting there eating. They had stopped to street contact Hugo, and he invited them to eat! Man! I love that guy! He is amazing!!!!

Villalobos Quotes:
"I am just a little mexican with a big testimony"-Hugo
"Please help me to love reading the book of Mormon, even though I hate reading"-Erick
"That was not a smart level joke, that was a bad mexi joke".-Hugo
"Is that a turkey.......My bad. I meant to say Superman". Me to Jonathon (he is 5...)
"Read with your heart mijo"-Hugo "Naw man, I have to read with my eyes"-Chewie
"Wait. He got baptized in the Michael Jordan?"-Chewie
"He didn't say Jesus' name, he has to get baptized again."-Jesus "Story of my life"-Hugo (he had to get baptized twice, because he didn't tell Bro. Gonzalez his whole name)

Our landlords gave us a whole pumpkin pie, and a Christmas tree for our apartment!!!!!!!!! They love us! :)

We made 4 dozen cupcakes for the baptism on Saturday!!!! I was in charge of frosting them!!!! It was a blast! I got really good at it! Hahahaa. Everything went well, except for the baptismal clothes scare. Oh man. I was freaking out! We had about 35 people at the baptism!!! A lot of people from El Rancho came! Man, I love and miss those people!!! It was an amazing spirit filled baptismal service. Chewie (another investigator) had tears streaming down his face after Stark and I sang a special musical number!! We also got asked to sing in sacrament meeting my last week! :)

It was a long week because of Thanksgiving, it felt like an extended-extended weekend. It was a hard week to be a missionary. The closer to the holiday season the crabbier people get. It is so weird!!!!! We did meet a couple cool people this week though!

At church an old lady stopped me in the hall and said,"Please tell me you are not a missionary." I was like, "Hermana. I am serving here in the ward...." "You are beautiful!!!!!!!!! I really want you to marry my grandson. He is super cute, and he just got back from his mission in Brazil! He speaks Spanish, English, and Portuguese." I made awkward eye contact with him.....I quickly walked away from the awkwardness......

Ellie is going to be serving in Houston Texas East mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe it! She texted me when she opened it! "Welp, I guess she'll never have to worry about member present lessons."-President Snow. Omg. Hahaha. True story.

It was a great week! I am trying not to think about what will happen in 2 weeks. It is scary to think that I will no longer get to be a full time representative of Jesus Christ. I can't imagine going back to real life. It is so hard to think about leaving the Nevada Las Vegas Mission, a place I love so much, and people that I have grown so close to! I am grateful for this amazing opportunity to be serving!!!! I will cross the whole "going home" bridge when I get there. For now I am just staying focused, and working hard! :)

Also! I would love to invite y'all to check out this website. A Savior is Born!! It is a super cute reminder of the true reason for Christmas! I love y'all!!! See ya in 2!!!!!!!!!!!!

<3 Hermana Cordova

Such A Good Start!!!! Montebello Life!!!!!!!

This week we were proselyting in an apartment complex. We saw the english elders and talked to them for a little bit. They cracked a super funny joke that I want to share with y'all. "See all these doors sisters? We are teaching all of them......Just the doors though because the people behind them haven't opened yet!" Hahahaha.

I gave a thirty minute training at district council about personal study! I made cute handouts, and it was pretty boss. I woke up at 5:30 two days before the traning with a bunch of ideas running through my head!!!! It was such a fun and different training to give.

We went to the police station in North Las Vegas to file a missing wallet report for Stark. It took forever, and in the end there was nothing they could do for her. Fun stuff. I did get to watch the news for a bit, scary stuff....

I thought I got a rash from the gloves we used at service this week! It was just Doritos dust from the ones I had a lunch....Hahaha. Awkward.

We taught the law of chastity twice in one night. It was hilarious both times. "Dang, bro how many wives do you want"-Erick to Leo. Then we had a 16 year old recent convert teach it to us. He was mumbling, and I made him repeat it by saying,"No puedo escucharle bien. Repitirlo otra vez por favor." I love working with teenagers.

A guy we street contacted shared his wheel chip things with us! He was super nice!!! We have also been using the restoration in every street contact! We have gotten into 3 houses this week, as soon as we met them to share the message! It was such a blessing! So we now have a very nice teaching pool!!!

My ward mission leader, Gustavo, served with Kristy Beckett! The Mormon world is so small. Gustavo is the best! He chooses to go to lesson with us over the elders!!!! Which is super cool, because when I first got here he wouldn't even talk to us. Being bold, and persistent has gotten us in good with him!!!

We like to walk every morning by the temple, it is so beautiful. As we were walking back down the hill one morning I had the uncontrollable urge to do the macarena. Stark did it with me! It was so fun! Then later that night we were invited to the youth thanksgiving party, and the song started. I totally danced the macarena with the young women......I rocked it.

We were at dinner one day and the sister placed two cups of thick brown liquid next to both of us. She said something about gravy for the mashed potatoes. I dumped it on my potatoes, and then she came back with gravy. I got really worried as to what I poured on my potatoes. I tasted it......I had chocolate mole tasting mashed potatoes......Hahaha. Oops.

This week I had a really humbling experience at dinner. There is a single sister in the ward who signed up to feed us and the elders. We were talking with her, and found out that she is going through a really hard time with her health, and monetarily. I literally went to the car and cried. I was so humbled by the love she has for the missionaries, that she would take what little she has to give us a nice meal. I was so amazed at the sacrifices that she was willing to make for us. Seriously, I cannot even express the love and admiration I have for her, and her example to me.

The Villalobos are a family we are teaching right now. Hugo came to a baptism this week, and is sure that he wants to be baptized!!!!!! They told us that they have an extra room, because they hate to see us leave. They told us that we bring such a strong and special spirit into their home. I really feel like I was sent to Montebello to teach this family. They are so amazing, and I was able to connect with them after the first lesson!!!!! They are my besties. And the champorado that Sandra makes is divine! :) It's a good life!!!!

So last week I was asked to translate for the stake primary presidency. I translated from Spanish to English for them. I just sat behind them and translated as the ward primary program went along. Then Saturday night we got a call from one of the stake high council men. He was calling for me. One of the members of the bishopric recommended me to translate for Stake Conference. They were really hard pressed for women translators. One had moved out of the stake, another was out of town, and one of the other ones just had surgery. I told them that it is hard for me to translate from English to Spanish, because English is my first language, and it comes more naturally. I started fasting Saturday night, I prayed that they could find someone else. No such luck. I was led to the translation room, I listened as 3 different brothers translated, I prayed the whole time. Finally it was my turn. As I listened to the speaker I was amazing. My mouth was open and I was translating right in time with the speaker. There were no notes, nothing to go off of. Just listening and translating. It was amazing!!!! Bro Valez was super impressed because it was my first time translating for a whole congregation! I ended up translating 2 talks, and the closing prayer. They called me the "soprano". haha. I know that Heavenly Father was helping me, I could not have done that translation without Him!!!

Favorite street contact of the week:
They wouldn't stop talking about football. I told them "hey. I know you love football. I do too, but I am here to talk about something that I love. It is even better than football." I bore my testimony and the spirit was so strong. But then they rejected us and told us that they were not interested. It is amazing to see how the following the spirit has made me a lot more bold with people. I would have never had the nerve to do that when I first came out to the mission.

It was a great week! Tons of miracles!!!! I love Montebello! It has made me grow and stretch, and has taught me to get outside my comfort zone!!! I love this place! Plus the central stake has the best missionary minded stake president I have ever met! I love being a missionary! I love the Lord!!!! It such a privilege and honor to be out here representing Him!!!! Also, today is national Bible appreciation day!!!! I love the Bible, I know it is the word of God! I have learned so much about my Savior as I have read it!

I hope y'all have an amazing Thanksgiving!!!!! We all have so much to be grateful for! This gospel is one of them!!!!! I love y'all!!!!!!!

<3 Hermana Cordova

Loving Life in Montebello!!!!

So this week was BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am seriously in love with Montebello!!!! It has been a blast!!! We walk a ton, like more than I did with Espinosa, which I didn't know was possible. We talk to 30 people pretty much everyday, and we are teaching a golden family. Also I have made member besties with people that haven't liked the sisters the past few transfers! :)

Last pday I loaded all my stuff into the car, and we took it over to my new home. All the Spanish sisters in the mission were congregated in "the closet". So it was Espinosa/I-Ensign, Gregson/Schatt-Los Feliz, and Allen/Stark Montebello. Yup....There are only 3 spanish sisters areas.... Also, "the closet" is my new home, it is an itty bitty studio apartment. It has grown on me, it's a lot different than the Ensign castle I used to live in. Hahaha. #partyinthecloset

We were walking on my first full day in the area, we stopped to talk to a lady. Her name was Titi. She was also smoking marijuna, and was very forward about it. As we shared with her our purpose as missionaries, to bring people closer to Christ. She got super excited and gave me her phone, and told me to add her to instagram. So I added her on the official Instagram of the church, and a couple other ones that looked uplifting. She went on her way, and told us,"Y'all stay positive ya hear?" We said that we would, and walked away. That was my first Instagram contact....

Dog miracles:
We almost got attacked my a street gang of chihuahuas. Somehow they got totally distracted. Then a few minutes later we were knocking on a door, and we noticed a pit bull. It spotted us and started running towards us. I had a prayer in my heart, I started talking to it, and held out my hand. It's face totally changed and it licked my hand, and rolled onto it's belly. It was such a miracle!!!!!!!

I got called the b word in a street contact this week.....We talk to a lot of nice people, and a lot of really rude ones....

So we were walking down a busy street and we contacted about 15 people, I noticed that a lot of people were staring at us as they drove past in their cars. We continued walking and talking to people, then suddenly someone parked, and started walking towards us. Not going to lie....I was a little worried. Then the lady said,"Sisters!!!!!! I saw you contacting, and I just wanted to ask if I could have a Book of Mormon." Our car was parked pretty far way, so she drove us back to the car, and we got an English Book of Mormon for her, she is a recent RM that served in Nebraska. She wanted to give her friend the Book of Mormon, and her missionaries kept forgetting to give her one!!! It was a miracle, because if she had not noticed us talking to people, she would not have gotten the book for her friend, and we would have had to walk the long way back to the car! Haha.

I found two quarters this week!!!! #rich

We street contacted two old break dancers. They told us that break dancing is back in, and invited us to go to a show....Tempting. Defiantly tempting. hahaha.

We saw a lot a miracles this week. We were able to play nurse to a little boy who fell off his skateboard in the middle of the street, and scratched his leg. We were in the right place at the right time. We talked to a lot of people who were interested in the gospel....To bad they don't speak Spanish, we sent them to the English missionaries, and I'm excited to see what happens!

I've had my work cut out for me. The apartment was nasty, so I cleaned that for a couple days. And then I started working on organizing the area book and traveling area book. It has been fun. It is definitely keeping me focused. President told me that I'm a good organizer, and that is what this area needed. So I am working hard, staying focused, and I'm really happy. My companion is great, and she has been so supportive about my OCD cleaning, and reorganizing, so that is awesome! :)

Also! My friend Jessica Gomez got her mission call to the Kennewick Washington mission!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy for her! And my friend Janice leaves to the MTC this week!!! I am so happy for them, and for their decision to serve our Savior Jesus Christ! :) It is the best decision in the world!

I love y'all! Choose the right!!!! Remember who you are! Jesus loves you!!!

<3 Hermana Cordova

Miracles and Blessings: Cesar Got Baptized

Transfers!!!! Guess who is not dying in East?! Yup, I am getting transfer trashed to Montebello in Central Las Vegas for my last transfer!!! I am so excited!!!!

As hard as my time has been in Ensign, I can honestly say I love this place. The members are amazing, I am so close to a lot of them. I now have two amazing recent converts here!!! Omar and Cesar! And so many more of my brothers and sisters that I love and have taught. I have learned that I am strong enough to do hard things, my testimony has been strengthened ten fold! I am grateful for my 4.5 months here. I wouldn't change my experience for anything. I've had a lot of trying moments, but I made it through, and that is what I am most grateful for! :)

We felt prompted to go and check on one my favorite families on Tuesday. When we knocked on the door, they looked depressed and sad. We were able to try to comfort and help them. This experience reminded me of one of my favorite scriptures in Mosiah 18:8-9, "And it came to pass that he said unto them:Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life". It has been a beautiful experience to comfort them everyday this week, and help them through this hard time. It's amazing how the Lord sends us to people right when they need us!!!!! We even used the street money we found this week to buy her a cheesecake, because it is her favorite dessert! :) Score!!!!

The other day while driving to an appointment I felt like someone was watching me. We had been waiting at a light for forever, and I looked over and made awkward eye contact with a guy in the car next to us. He started singing to me. I laughed, and thankfully the light changed and we drove away. Vegas man....

So on Friday I prayed for a recent convert who has been struggling to find a job. I prayed that she would be able to be given the opportunity to work. The next day when we stopped by she was super excited. She said as soon as we left she checked her phone, and she had received 2 job offers!!! Blessings! :)

"I brake for helotes"...My new bumper sticker. Too bad I've never seen a helote man in texas! :*(

We have gotten hot coco pretty much every day this week! Yay! :)

Cesar got baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was one of the most amazing days of my life! He was so ready and excited! Y'all! I know that the church is true. I have seen this man completely change his life. There is a light in his eyes that was not there before. It has been amazing to see him come unto Christ and leave behind his bad past! I wrote his story yesterday, we did it like an interview. So if y'all would like you can read it!!!! :)

I love y'all so much! I can't believe I'm going to see you in 5 short weeks!!!! It is going to be an amazing transfer! I have so much hope and faith that we will see tons of miracles!!!!!!! It's a good life!!!!!!

<3 Hermana Cordova

Cesar's Conversion Story!!!!

Cesar's story

My journey begins when I went to my dads baptism. The day that I went to my dads baptism, I saw a great change in my dad. Evidence that the Latter Day Saints in the ward Montebello, had made in my dad. I wanted to get closer to the church, and I wanted to listen to the elders who taught my dad. They were great people, who shined with the gospel light, almost Angelical. I started classes with them, and they taught me four times. One of my best friends took the lessons with me. However, the negative circumstances, like my best friends started pulling me away from the light. I found out later, something I didn't realize at the time, was that were all followers of Satan. #devilworshippers

They were able to pull me away for quite a while. I separated from my dad for about four months, because I got sucked into the lifestyle. Addictions. 

I realized that the best council,not the best things happened when I was with my dad, and we were praying together. My dad decided to move house, which resulted in us coming to the ensign ward. For the first time, the first moment I came on Sunday. After thousands of times of my father asking me to go with him, and I did t want to go. I felt a feeling of necessity to be united with my brothers. I felt like I needed to be a part of a family. I was feeling sad, and alone, like I was missing something. So when my dad said, "We need to talk to the missionaries." But first we talked to the bishop. He told us that we needed to talk to the sisters, Cordova and Espinosa. 

When I met them, the elder walker introduced us. And I started taking classes again. Two sister missionaries, simple, and charitable (joyful spirited). They always had a big smile on their faces. They started to give me my first class. When they visited I felt confirmation of what I felt before. In the middle of the lessons I started to notice the huge impact my friends were having on me. People that we supposed to be my true friends. I started to realize. That they did not want me to get baptized. As I started telling them that my baptismal date, it was if I was cussing them out. They reacted so negatively to the idea. I started to fully give myself to the feelings that the word of God gave me. I started to listen more to what I would call the spirit. It would tell me to stop smoking. And I felt my mother was there too, telling me to stop. To never forget how she died, which was because of her life long addiction to smoking.

I will never forget the night obispo's, Potts, and renteria, and my beautiful sisters brought me my cinnamon candies and treats so I could use them against the desire to smoke. And it helped to a certain extent but my baptism was right around the corner. I promised my mom that I would stop smoking before I got baptized, but unfortunately, the date came and I was not ready. I realized that if I got baptized then I would let my mom down, my dad down, myself, Jesus Christ, and my two amazing sisters. They were all in my mind all the time. I felt disappointed that I had not stopped smoking. I thought, if I am going to do this, I'm going to do it right. If I have to explain it to the bishop, or to my sisters. I didn't want them to think I was turning my back on the churns. I just wanted to be as clean and honest as I could be. That a another way that the enemy told me to forget the church. In the past I would have been a coward, and moved on and turned my back on everything.

I just had a feeling though, that the ensign ward is my family. And no matter what I felt, even if I felt embarrassed or ashamed. I needed to go the next Sunday to church, to take the sacrament, because I knew that was what was goi g to make me stronger. It was going to help me get close to what I have always wanted, to be baptized. And to get closer to all my bothers and sisters. And I did it!!!!!!! :) yay!!!!!!!!