Staying in Flo!

McKayla Shelby cordon <mckayla.cordon@myldsmail.net>	Mon, Dec 26, 2016 at 11:20 AM
hey friends and family!! so i was not transferred quite yet! staying in flo! but sister Henderson is being transferred :) Christmas was amazing! i got to talk to my family (who are amazing) and it was just a blast!   1 .this is a road in my area... yup not driving on it for a while! 2  Arizona has pretty sky scenery 3. how we celebrated Christmas  so my companion is getting transferred but i am staying in magma ranch for a while!!  can i just say how amazing Christmas is? really! we get to celebrate our savior! not just because he was born, but because we know what he has done for us! so sister Henderson and i matched on Christmas on purpose... we didn't get a pic but sister Ord sent one to my parents so hopefully it goes on the blog (hint hint!) we are really just dorks, like honestly! we were trying to push each other over by leaning on each other as we walked yesterday as we were caroling as a zone! we tackle each other and its just a blast! but yeah she is going to be transferred, but i know i will love my next companion(whoever they may be) just as much! and i love all of you so very much, thank you for all the love and support you have given me during this time, many have asked me if i am happy! and yes! yes i am! i love you all! really i am not just saying that! i love each one of you so very very much!! love sister cordon (Hermana, Sestra, Mckayla whatever you please!)

never mind!

hey friends and family!!

so i was not transferred quite yet! staying in flo! but sister henderson is being transferred :)

christmas was amazing! i got to talk to my family (who are amazing) and it was just a blast!

1.arizona has pretty sky scenery

2 how we celebrated christmas

3. this is a road in my area... yup not driving on it for a while!

 so my conpanion is getting transeferred but i am staying in magma ranch for a while!! 

can i just say how amazing christmas is? really! we get to celebrate our savior! not just because he was born, but because we know what he has done for us!

so sister henderson and i matched on christmas on purpose... we didnt get a pic but sister ord sent one to my parents so hopefully it goes on the blog (hint hint!)

we are really just dorks, like honestly! we were trying to push eachother over by leaning on eachother as we walked yesterday as we were caroliing as a zone! we tackle each other and its just a blast! but yeah she is going to be transferred, but i know i will love my next companion(whoever they may be) just as much!

and i love all of you so very much, thank you for all the love and support you have given me during this time, many have asked me if i am happy! and yes! yes i am!

i love you all! really i am not just saying that! i love each one of you so very very much!!

love sister cordon

(hermana, sestra, mckayla whatever you please!)

not a bunch of time but CHRISTMAS!!!!

Saw this and thought it was the bomb diggity....
because ITS TRUE!!!

Me with a cactus in a place in Florence called
Cactus Forest... so many cacti :)

Corona kids!!!! All but the youngest got baptized!!!

hello friends and family!!! so sorry this one is going to be short, we have a mission Christmas party today :) i really like these pictures :) also can i just say how much i love Christmas? like really Christmas is awesome! also i sent some awesome videos of us being dorks... you are welcome :)

we had a baptism!!  it was so cool watching the baptism, the dad got the okay to do it, and it was amazing, the little girl, Taylor told us afterwards that she felt clean. and then the oldest got the priesthood!! it was cool just feeling the spirit there, really, if your testimony is ever wavering, go to a baptism, talk about the confirmation that all we say as missionaries is true!! really Heavenly father loves us, and the atonement of Jesus Christ is real! he is our savior! and we can be cleansed from all of life's stains. it was amazing, watching as each one was baptized, the dad asked each one if they were ready, him being less active in the past, he knew how much the covenants(promises) we make really mean. and they each said yes! then he said the prayer, and put them under the water, each time, you could feel the spirit in the air as it washed away everything! then each one looked up at their dad and beamed at him, then they looked to us and smiled! their mom was crying, we were crying, it was just a blast! then their mom gave us and two other sisters that started to work with them before us a present, it was a necklace and a set of earrings saying that sisters make the best friends, she told us that if it wasn't for us her family would have never been walking through the church doors. it was so cool! she was like this is so you will not forget us when you get off your missions and go on in life and i was like SISTER CORONA I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU! like really! the friendships you make on a mission are so crazy!! i really am going to pick up sister Henderson, drive down here, stay with the Stoddards, Ketchers, and who knows who else i will acquire on my mission, then pick up sister Corona, and go to Disneyland in 18 months when i get home. really its going to be a Disney road trip!! (and i am going to hug a few of the brothers in this mission because i cant right now)

well that is really it for this week, have a merry merry Christmas, remember that i love all of you and that so does Heavenly Father! if you ever feel like you are not worthy of that love STOP IT!! and email me and i will type out how much Heavenly Father loves you BECAUSE HE DOES!!! isnt that cool? like literally if you pray and ask, you will have a literal member of the Godhead answer you with a resounding YES. try it! it works! (if you want it too)

love you all!
sister, hermana, sestra whatever Cordon!

Whelp

whelp

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howdy yall!!! well another week has gone by and can i just wish my parents a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! wahoooo!!!! (even though its late.. whoops!) also, in like 3 days i will have been out on my mission for 3 months! thats crazy!! and nuts! it feels like forever! but in other ways it feels like such a short amount of time! a gentleman told me (sister abplanalps dad) that my voice is very authoritative and that when i speak, people listen, but that is also because its very sincere. i thought that that is really sweet, because i have always been self conscious about my voice, especially when it is recorded (check out evies video!!) we got in with a guy who has been legit coming to church for like 3 months and isnt even a member of the church so that was great, and the lesson was great! can i just say how real the atonement of christ is, he didnt just suffer and die for our sins but for every little tiny thing that can keep us from being happy and moving closer to him. i know that because i have seen it work in my life, like when i was getting Homesick this week, and i have seen it in the lives of my investigators. one, a thirteen year old  has been going through a really really rough time, they just broke down crying to us one day. and we had a member give this teenager a priesthood blessing. the message was so sweet and so clear that heavenly father was aware of our investigator, that they was loved, and despite what life is like now, it will get better. their father is very against them learning about the gospel or any religion, and the member who was the mouthpiece for God at that moment DID NOT KNOW THAT, he barely even knew this kid besides the fact that they occasionally play with his kids. our investigator was promised that he will find support in their family, their friends, and the church members as they continued to desire to move towards Heavenly Father. it was beautiful!!  i know that Christ Lives, i know that this is His church restored to the earth with the authority to act in gods name. i know it and i have seen how that knowledge has changed not only me, but people i have met and talked with. Jesus Christ is our light, every time we hang a strand of christmas lights he is the person that we are worshiping and celebrating. He is the light of the world, and not only is he that beacon of light at the end of the tunnel giving hope, he is the light moving with us through the tunnel as well! i know we can share that light to those who feel like they are stuck in the dark! go here to learn more #lighttheworld haha and yes i am feeling much much better! haha!  and honestly, missionary work is hard! but dang is it rewarding! getting to see people change and see a light in their eyes. the light that comes from knowing who they are why they are here, where they come from, and where they are going after they die. the light of hope and the light of christ. Yeah i get homesick some times, its heartbreaking when people reject our message. because we know that it is the truth and we know it brings so much happiness and joy. but its alright, they are allowed to choose. (even if they think we are a cult and dont celebrate birthdays) man being a missionary is great!! we get to be literal conduits for the holy ghost and Heavenly Fathers love for his children. and we get to do cool things! and people feed us! and people like us! and little kids tell us they want to be missionaries too! and we get to have food poisoning! (yeah pretty sure thats why i got to be good friends with the toilet) and see miracles every day! and help people move! and laugh! i got a package! full of treats and cookies! yum! :) (also not helping my weight problem!! going to diet missionary style next transfer!.... or not) merry christmas everyone! occasionally i take good pictures... but i forgot to fold my blanket... sad day and i am the mighty lion those are turkeys (turkies? turkeies?) and they are in a tree!  so arizona has some gggrrrrREAT (yes i am the tiger from the cereal commercials... deal with it) sunsets!! Aww Pday!

Pictures Galore

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PICTURES GALORE

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Us with our miracle Santa white elephant gift for my zone white elephant party (so i put each of these in envelopes, then put this in a empty chocolate bag... cant spell it its the kind thats the candy cane stripes in the pic, then wrapped that in plastic shopping bags 5 times then wrapped it in brown paper :) yes i am evil... one of the spanish elders got it... everyone was dying of laughter... i was proud!) final product tracting pic! yes alot of our roads are like this, this one is at least well kept! this is why we need bikes! tired? yes. sister Henderson tired? kinda. nightly planning!! its actually alot more fun than what i am making it look to be i am just a punk!! christmas upstairs by our rooms!! (decorating the downstairs today!!) mission president photo bombing sisters irvin, angeloudis, and schmuach (i adore all four people in this picture quite a bit :)can you imagine that that man, who calls people in the quorum of the seventy and quorum of the 12 in our church bros? that man was a seventy! and a lobbyist for utah colleges! so basically, he is awesome and we get along great! hes basically my mission dad, like he spoke at our special stake conference, and so did his wife and i was tearing up because i was so proud of her... yup i am a baby ) Christmas with Evie Clair evie clairs family (actually called the abplanalps) are hoots! they are working on a song for our two zone leaders and their jr companion to a song from the musical Alexander Hamilton also watch her hour long devotional for the LDS sister missionary facebook page! it should be archived there under videos, and its also on her facebook page as well! you may notice on VERY VERY talented familiar face and one very less talented face! (lets just say the less talented one shared a message and is wearing red :) and had curly hair... yup sister Henderson is just an extremely talented human being!!)

Silent Night/I Know That My Redeemer Lives - Evie Clair #LIGHTtheWORLD

I am now the squeaky penguin on toy story who lost his squeaker

i am now the squeaky penguin toy on toy story who lost his squeaker

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From: McKayla Shelby cordon <mckayla.cordon@myldsmail.net> Date: Mon, Dec 5, 2016 at 12:07 PM yup thats right friends and family!! i am sick, like i got up close and personal with a porcelain toilet yesterday for 12 hours sick, and so my voice flew out the window. Sister henderson is super sick too, she got it at 2:30 sunday morning and i got it at 12:30 sunday day. whoohoo! lets just say we had members bringing us the sacrament, and giving us blessings too. and talk about the power of the priesthood! today we are at least able to have the strength we need to go about our day. and we were able to sleep! despite me puking at 12:00 last night!!!! and people say that the preisthood is not real!   but anyway any medical advice? also, the kids we are working with are super sweet! and so excited to be baptized! and bishop interviewed the dad so he can baptize them! which is awesome! also, talk about christmas miracles!! so the couple in the video that i am in (evie claire on youtube :) it also should be released on Mormon.org on the 15) are real investigators, who i have never met before that video shooting. anyway we were biking past their house and they were pulling in and Joseph the man was like hey! when can we meet? so we are working on setting up an appointment with him. also at the christmas party we got a members non member husband to play santa claus! which is crazy!! he drinks alot and is usually very gruff (because of the alcohol amounts he drinks and he is an angry drunk) but that day we stopped by and got to know him better! miracles!!! its amazing what this time of year will do!! also speaking of the video, according to sister Allison and sprouse us being sick gave them an opportunity to do the initiative for the day which was healing the sick. Its an awesome way to spread the light of christ, really you do not even have to be mormon to do it, its just service and worshiping God! Go to mormon.org to learn more. basically, because Jesus Christ Served, we can spread his love through the service of others and following his footsteps this christmas season, it started on the first and runs to Christmas day! yesterday i was reading more about the last days of jesus christ and i was studying his life. He was really the perfect lamb. the son of God. and how amazed and grateful i am for him! he knows what its like to be each one of us. and he redeemed the world! what better way to enjoy the Christmas season  and give thanks than to serve as he served! i love this time of year, because you can literally feel the love of God and the Love of jesus christ in the air. its amazing!! welp this is all for this week! have an amazing week :) sister cordon!

Well Hello Friends

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WELL HELLO FRIENDS

From: McKayla Shelby cordon <mckayla.cordon@myldsmail.net> Date: Mon, Nov 28, 2016 at 11:46 AM well i do not know what to say, how was your thanks giving? was it nice? how many thanksgivings did you have? did you have five? dont do five, your body will be committing mutiny! also our shower broke so thats fun, they are fixing it now though so that is good! can i just  say how awesome it is to be a missionary? like really in 18 months i do not know how i am going to handle myself! i love being able to comfort people and just help them feel gods love and help them have a desire to change in their lives! its amazing! yes missionary work is hard, but it is so rewarding and so amazing to just watch people feel the spirit and experience conversion. its really cool! i know that i can do that as a normal human without this rocking tag but still, it will be different! it is weird thinking that soon i will have been gone from home for  3 months, in ways it feels like i left a day ago, in others, it feels like 2 years ago! i have been growing and maturing so fast here (but dont worry i am still a child at heart) its crazy! i have a story to tell you from thanksgiving (well i guess two one is spiritual and happy goodness and the other is just like YUP thats me! havent changed a bit! anywho!!) the spiritual happy one! so a family who has had a really trough time had us over and long story short her strange relation who i am just going to call and aunt was there and was like so what are your beliefs on the trinity? then we explained the Book of Mormon and it was cool! story 2 we were t a members house and they gave us water (like manna here people)  and they are a very very funny family, i like them alot! but any who they made me laugh as i was drinking  water (yup can you see where this is going?)   and not only did some water go up my nose SOME WENT DOWN MY WIND PIPE!!! i WAS LEGIT CHOKING ON WATER!!! yup so i basically died on one of my favorite families chair. but they were cool about it! hes like a seasoned marine and they teach jujitsu and are basically beasts and amazing so they were like CRAP ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO RESUSCITATE SISTER CORDON? but luckily no, :) i am just a dork! who cant drink water correctly! the video should be going up on evies youtube channel on the 29th and it should be going on mormon.org sometime just type in i know that my redeemer lives/silent night in youtube and it should come up on that day... it might take some searching, idk no youtube for me :) any burning questions about arizona, Yes there are cacti yes it somehow is cold here (idk how, yes mom you were right should have brought a jacket and thicker sweaters..) no made up songs this week, but we are working on a doozy! also, ITS CHRISTMAS TIME DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS??? IT MEANS CHRITMAS CAROLS AND MUSIC AND JUST FEEL GOODIENESS IN THE AIR ITS A MAGICAL TIME TO BE A MISSIONARY!! MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS!! love Sister, Sestra, Hermana Cordon!!     us being cute for the video(i look like im crazy....... truth? yes)  and a pretty sky

For Benny

From: McKayla Shelby cordon <mckayla.cordon@myldsmail.net> Date: Mon, Nov 28, 2016 at 10:55 AM this is for my brother in law benny who knew that i would have to learn to change smoke detectors on my mission now benny is not the only one  but i am still not as cool as benny because he knows where to put them (because he was a fireman) ? :) FullSizeRender.jpg 726K  FullSizeRender.jpg 729K

Hello friends and family!!! What are you grateful for?

hello friends and family!!! what are you grateful for?

From: McKayla Shelby cordon <mckayla.cordon@myldsmail.net> Date: Mon, Nov 21, 2016 So a few crazy things like miracles up the wazoo! 1, We have two overage youth on date for baptism! isnt that exciting! 2, we got in contact with some people who we havent contacted in a while 3, we get to be in a church music video? yup thats right folks! im going to be famous!! so mormon. org (an amazing site) is doing this 25 days of cristmas thingie, and evy abplanalp  (ah-pla-nalp) our bishops daughter, is doing one because she is amazing and the church asked her too, and they want us to be walking some investigators (who i have never met because we can never get in with them #miracles) into the church building, and its going to be awesome! so that is going down tomorrow... but idk when the video goes up so watch mormon.org and lds.org through the month of December to see me in missionary action! 4. normally we are not out past 8 but one day we didnt have training hour and we were determined to knock on ten doors. well it was about time to go home, and we had 9 so we thought hey lets go knock on this random door because goals are good! turns out this lady has talked with missionaries before and she also needs help moving! so that is rockin! we had literally tracted an entire street, one lady shook her finger at us through the window after she red our tags untill we left, another might want us to come back, then just this random door! is like yeah i have talked to some of you girls before... and i heard you help move people for free. and we were like YEAH WE DO! so thats cool :) also, yes we made another song, yes we  are dorks, who are obsessed with baptism songs lately DEAL WITH IT :) in a loving way! can i just say how much god loves us? like really he is pretty cool! he gave me cooler weather when i have been sad (yes cold weather is comforting to me... yes i am weird) he gave me this rocking companion who encourages my crazy (is that a good thing? maybe?) he gave me amazing friends, and family, and an amazing area to serve in. this is my gratitude list (feel free to read it at your family thanksgiving table if you so wish) -i am grateful for God -i am grateful for jesus christ and his sacrifice for me individually _i grateful for arizona - i am grateful for president and sister wheeler -i am grateful for the senior couple elder and sister ord -i am grateful for my housemate missionaries -i am grateful for my district - i am grateful for my zone - i am grateful for magma ranch ward -i am grateful for the MTC - i am thankful for my missionary friends (here in gilbert, and abroad) - i am thankful for my family :) - i am thankful for eternal families -i am thankful to my friends back home  -i am grateful for SISTER HENDERSON -i am grateful for the atonement -i am grateful to all yall who have been supporting me and reading my crazyness.... thank you for putting up with me:) -i guess i am just grateful for everything!! (like really i have been blessed with so much and my hands are getting tired from typing :) ) i hope yall have an amazing beautiful week, dont forget to be grateful, dont forget to be humble! roses are red, the book is blue, heres something awesome the church is true!  Heavenly Father loves you, Jesus loves you, i love you, and satan hates your face! love sister (hermana, sestra, whatever floats your boat) Cordon we match... for the second day in a row (didnt get a pic of the first) comp unity? we have finally gone crazy? yes... yes to all   it does rain in arizona! see storm clouds!!! see!! pretty flower (anyone know what it is because its kinda might be my favorite, more pics from the same bush to help in the links in the middle of my letter.. i think its some sort of rose? pretty house pretty cool

transfer out and still got that greenie fire!!

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transfer out and still got that greenie fire!!

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Hello! so i really do not know where to start this week... so i will start with the pictures!!! oh wait... first off  i have a story! then pictures i promise!! so a widow and her son lived by a cliff and they had a cow. this cow was their main source of income when the season was good the cow ate good and they prospered when the season was bad the cow ate bad and they suffered one day a wise man came to the nearby village the boy ran and got the wiseman seeing if he had any ideas for them the wiseman looked around, saw the cow. he got a lead rope and led the cow over to the cliff then pushed the cow off the boy stared. flabbergasted then the wiseman said, ill be back in 10 years, and left the boy stared as the wise man left. even more flabbergasted 10 years later the wiseman entered the village. and saw a magnificent home in the center of town that had not been there before he asked a villager who lives in that home, he replied "oh you know the widow and her son who lived by the cliff that had the cow? they live there now. the wiseman stared, but was not flabbergasted why? i will answer this later :) loot at this dork holding a lizzard (in my defense it was windy) this is judge, he let me hold (and name!!) his lizzard. the one i am holding is the one i got to name! his name is steve (yes after captain america... deal with it!

more pictures!! sorry!   it blurry but i straightened my hair today... my comp didnt recognize me! well she did but you know! a challenge coin i got for the veterans day service! arizona sunset! i got to pull and ride in a hum-v!

So I'm pretty cool now!!!

so im pretty cool now!!!

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From: McKayla Shelby cordon <mckayla.cordon@myldsmail.net> Date: Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 11:44 AM ​story time!! once upon a monday, a member of the quorum of the seventy, who spoke in general conference named elder cornish flew to gilbert arizona. he spoke about how to get members to work with us missionaries. and how we should push our cows off cliffs because they are holding us back from progressing. then at lunch. a small little sister missionary, was looking for her companions friends companion so we could all sit together. then elder cornish told her to sit down! so this small green missionary, got to talk with elder cornish! and eat lunch with him and his wife! it was so cool! and i learned so much! did you know that mission presidents do not hold the priesthood (the authority to act in gods name) for missionary work? just to preside over the missionaries. the priesthood power to accomplish missionary work lays with the stake presidents and the bishops of the areas where we serve. which means that the responsibility lies with the members of the church, missionaries are just the teaching specialists that come in and help (in a perfect world)  so that is pretty cool, he gave us a ton of ways we can work with members! and we are applying alot of it! God is amazing! Like really! 1 he is our heavenly father, 2 he loves us enough he sent his son to die so that we never have to be alone 3 he loves us despite everything 4 he forgives us! 5 because JESUS CHRIST IS PERFECT 6 he created a perfect plan for us to return to him! 7 AND JESUS CHRIST FULFILLED IT! so it rained alot here... and we got stuck in the mud... so that was fun, a member came and drug us out! #maybeuseabackernexttime #donttrytojustdoauturn? #yeswewerecoveredinmud #stuckinsnowtechniquesdon'tworkinmudjustFYI  i know that Jesus christ lives, i know it because i have seen how that knowledge has changed peoples lives, i know it because i have seen him change mine! we met alot of people from other religions this past week, and they are amazing people! they are some of the most christian people i have met! one thing elder cornish reminded us is that we need to serve and love other religions. they have the truth too, they know and love jesus christ too. the only difference between them and us is that we believe we have more to offer. we believe in eternal families, and so much more! we believe that Heavens gates are open. we all believe in the bible, we all believe that jesus christ is our savior, that he suffered and died for us. some say, but you dont have crosses, how can you believe in christ? and its simple, we believe that he lives! i know it because i have a personal relationship with him, he is my best friend (no offense to my other best friends but... hes my savior) i know that he lives, i know that he knows each of us personally, i know that the church of jesus christ is his church restored to the earth. i know the  bible and the book of mormon are the word of God, that we can find ways to become more like Him and make it back to live with God again in their pages. i know that only through jesus christ we can be saved. I love the lord, and i know he has each of our backs! well thats it for this week! have an wonderous week! sister, hermana, sestra, cordon (what ever you want to call it!) also, God loves you, I love you, and Satan hates your face! the elders helping an old man in the rain... i thought it was a cool mission shot! when i say we were stuck mud goes everywhere and car checks are coming! oh and we also got invited by a catholic friend to go to bible study... so we are going to ask president wheeler if we can go! On Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 11:50 AM, McKayla Shelby cordon <mckayla.cordon@myldsmail.net> wrote: more pics! yup deep stuck! its blurry but we are cute! #whydoionlylookgoodinblurrypics? people go all out for halloween... cant wait for Chrsitmas! a muffin for my friend named muffin... because she called herself a little muffin once and i will not let it go... you're welcome muffin!! ​​