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!