Special Letter to Dallin From his DAD

Special Letter from Dallin's Dad...Derek Cordon

Dear Dallin,

It is Sunday afternoon and I am home alone.  Tanner came home for the weekend but is attending the singles ward this afternoon and mom is attending Madi Violette's mission farewell.  She said you would know her.  I attended our ward this morning by myself.  Mom was attending other wards with her calling.  I taught High Priest Quorum today.  The topic was Chapter 2 of Teachings of the Living Prophets: Howard W. Hunter.  I loved the topic of Peace.  In this world of commotion and strife the question is often asked, "Where can I find shelter or peace?"  Pres. Hunter does a great job of answering this through the scriptures.  I really liked preparing for this lesson.  We truly live in a mixed up world that only associates peace with the hope of an end to armed clashes and border issues.  We as children of our Father in Heaven wish for so much more.  We need to know where we can find refuge from the world's bombardment of Satan's filth including pornography, same sex marriage, and infidelity.  We need to know where we can rest our weary souls and forget the rollercoaster stock markets, flipped government policies, and financial schemes.  It is only in and through the atonement of Christ we can find that peace.  As Christ met with his apostles at the last supper he promised them "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  Wow, what a gift! Imagine, immediately after that sacred meeting Christ headed to the Garden to take upon himself the pains of a sick world.  What peace could he give to his beloved apostles who after his departure would take the gospel message to the gentiles, suffering persecution and painful deaths? It certainly was not a peace as the world knows it.  He even told them, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  He gave them the peace that only comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to his gospel.  I love you for your obedience and steadfastness.  Don't succumb to the world.  Though the world's storms rage around you remember that you can peace in your soul through your Savior.  As President Hunter stated, "Jesus was not spared grief and pain and anguish and buffeting.  No tongue can speak the unutterable burden he carried, nor have we the wisdom to understand the prophet Isaiah's description of him as "a man of sorrows." His ship was tossed most of his life, and, at least to mortal eyes, it crashed fatally on the rocky coast of Calvary.  We are asked not to look on life with mortal eyes; with spiritual vision we know something quite different was happening upon the cross." 

He continued, "Peace was on the lips and in the heart of the Savior no matter how fiercely the tempest was raging.  May it so be with us-in our hearts, in our own homes, in our nations of the world, and even in the buffetings face from time to time by the Church."

You my son have this fleeting opportunity to share this great message of peace with the wonderful people of Portugal.  Christ is the Prince of Peace.  He is the only source of true peace to the souls of man.  Work tirelessly to spread this message.  Don't let the voices in the "great and spacious building" sway you in the least!  Unfortunately sometimes the voices come from fellow missionaries or members.  Press forward with Faith in Him who is the author of this peace.

I love you,

Dad

"Oh look, a title!"

Hi everyone!

This week, I don't have a ton of time, sorry, I spent most of it organizing my email. IT was really needed and now its all nice and clean and awesome. Lets see if it can stay that way!

This week was really nice, lots of learning, lots of changes. We have in our house now four elders, me and my comp Elder Ramos from Brazil and awesome! HE is super spiritual, and then we have the other companionship Elder Simpson and Elder Taylor. Elder Simpson has been in the office since I got here in the mission. He is amazing. He knows how to work and its been awesome to learn from his example.

Well, as I said not much time so, experience! We went to the house of a lady me and Elder Castro taught once, in the doorway, the restauration. We both went there and ended up teaching in the doorway again, the restauration, gospel of jesus christ with 2 Nephi 31 and Elder Ramos after reading verse repent ye repent ye, gave her the baptismal invitation. She accepted. OH YA!! It was great! So that was fun.

This P Day will be organization and cleaning. Ainda bem. We really need it. 

Not much else to report with so little time so, I promise more awesomness next week with photos!

Love you all, a lot!

Elder Cordon

Baptism and Tranfers and Airports and Fun

Hello everybody!

Well, this week has been filled with interesting adventures! Lets start off with some of them!

We were knocking doors when an old lady opened up. We introduced ourselves and she told us to wait a moment and shuffled off. We stood there for a bit until she came back, held out her hands and showed us the small pile of coins telling us, "its not much but here you are." We were like, "...wait, what are you...AH, NO! No we aren't here for your money!" We explained why we were there and she was like, "oh, I'm not interested in any of that" and shut the door on us. We were standing there fairly confused.

That was actually a couple of weeks ago but I told the story to Presidente Tavarez and he made me promise to send it home. Next on our list was last P-Day! We went to Belem and ate pasteis de nata and saw all sorts of monuments. It was sic! Soon after, we received the announcement that we were going to cut back P-Day to end at 4:30 from there on! I'm actually super stoked for that, I know that may sound weird but I was like, "less free time? AWESOME!"

Well, then we had the baptism!! We taught Joanita and Leo every day but once at the beginning of the week. They are awesome. When we taught all the commandments they straight up accepted. It was fantastic. Interview on Saturday then baptism on Sunday! So Sunday was nuts. Ediene was being confirmed and Joanita and Leo being baptised then a lady from Spain brought three new investigators. Well sacrament started but Joanita and Leo weren't there! We grabbed a member (blessings for that man) and went to pick them up! We found them by the park, picked them up and a recent convert we found walking to church and sped back in time for the sacrament! Answers to so many prayers. We did unfortunately miss the confirmation of Ediene but...more member integration right? The baptism was after. Elder Castro baptised! I got that proud mama bear feeling when he said all the words right. They grow up so fast *sniff*. 

Then there are transfers! Oh man. So I'll just get straight too it. I'm staying. Ya, thats not to different. But I'm now District Leader, I'm training, we have the Zone Leader in our house and he's training and its going to be awesome. I don't know my comp but the new Zone Leader Elder Simpson is awesome. He waited with me at the airport when I first got here to Portugal!

Elder Castro had plans to go to the airport at three in the morning so we slept over at the office in Benfica. We had three alarms set. None of them went off. We woke up at five. Ya. We missed his flight. It was slightly lame. So now we are still here at the office and have no idea what we are doing. Its a total party! I think he'll stay here for another day, we'll see. The airport early in the morning was a flippen awesome.

Anyways! Thats about it. You guys are awesome! Thank you guys for the letters, I promise I'll try to write back handwritten things in response to your handwritten things.

Love you all,

Elder Cordon

Where's Nelson?

So ya, this week has been adventurous filled with greater wisdom and knowledge of our area and what nots!

Well first of all was Nelson! He was marked to be baptized this week until suddenly, out of nowhere, he blocked our number. We were like wut? He was awesome! We think it wasn't him but perhaps his family. I don't know if I've mentioned him but he's like in his forties. So we were kind of disappointed but we were just going to move on until we get a call from our district leader. And he tells us: look, he's still marked. Go find him.

Wut. He never told us where he lives. Just the general area. But we had orders. So we went knocking and knocking and knocking asking for Nelson. I'm pretty sure people in that area are going to start putting up signs on their apartments saying "Nelson doesn't live here, please leave!" It was awesome. Well, we found out that a man named Nelson goes to the gym every morning around 8:30 and we found a house who has the same last name. So, we are going to try those out. Nelson shall be found. One Nelson to rule them all, one Nelson to find them. 

Anyways we had the Temple groundbreaking. That was awesome. The talks were great and it was fantastic to see the results of so much faith and work in this awesome country. While knocking doors trying to find Nelson we heard the news through the door of one house mentioning the start of the construction of the temple and what Mormons believe. It was sic. But they didn't really want to open the door to us. No big deal.

Anyways, I don't have too much time. BUT. We can do all.

To quote Winston Churchill: "If you're going through hell, keep going."

The Lord has walked the path and hence knows how to guide us. Watch out for that hole there. There is a step here. Careful of the rock there. He's got our back. Trust Him.

Love you all.

Epic

Elder Cordon

On the Mark

Christmas Lights

Christmas Starting Early

AMADORA

This city is...fantastic. Holy mangos the people here are so open! Its awesome! So far we haven't really met with many people but those we have are amazing.

So first things first, I'm extremely grateful for the sisters that also serve in our ward for the sacrifice of the house we now live in. The house that the sisters used to live in was in our area and the house that we lived in was in theirs. By orders of President both parties were evicted and swapped. Well. Now we live in a five star presidential sweet with air conditioning, yoga mats, and individual bathrooms. It is probably one of the greatest thanksgiving/christmas gifts I've had. So hat goes off to them.

The city is also sic because we have a ton of christmas lights in the streets! Its great! Our ward is super supportive as well. I've met so many people who knew grandpa Hillam. Its amazing to get lunch and help from the members! The sacrifice they make to help with the missionary work is truly appreciated.

So far we have just been getting to know the area. We are teaching a man who is progressing pretty well. He is scheduled to be baptized this coming Sunday. Yesterday he didn't show up to church so we met up with him later and had a super sic lesson about the importance of being baptized because we know the church is true and not because the missionaries are cool and it will make them happy (even though both are true). He is now going to start reading daily and praying to know if its true. He is awesome.

Not much else to report about. For thanksgiving a random lady at the butchers bought us some kebabs. We made those for lunch and it was fantastic. We gave her a Book of Mormon.

My little spiritual thought comes from a quote I had heard before but read recently this last week and it hit me like something that hits really hard (maybe like a cement truck or an iPhone at terminal velocity):

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace."

It explains itself pretty well. The Lord is going to make us a lot better than we think we can be. And its going to be uncomfortable. But its going to be awesome in the end. Who wants to have a four room cottage when you can have a massive palace with schnazy paintings and columns and towers and fountains and other fancy majestic things?

Anyways, this week has been one of gratitude, how fitting for thanksgiving right? 

I love you all,

Elder Cordon

TRANSFERRED

This is the MOTHER insert...This is from Last Week.  Sorry for the delay...No Pictures so you have to just query Amadora to see where Elder Cordon gets to serve.  ENJOY

Well, the title says it all. I've been transferred. Not only have I been transferred but we were whitewashed out, and I'm whitewashing in! And I'll be training a new Elder named Elder Losa. Not sure really about anything else. My area is Amadora and we are doing email in this weird shopping mall thats a maze of phone stores literally called Babilonia. ...Babylon. Awesome.

So I'm kind of turnt down for leaving Vila Franca de Xira. We were just getting things rolling. I pray that the next Elders there don't have so much of a dead stop that we seemed to have when we got there. Me and Elder Lowry joked about getting transferred but we both figured we would stay. Haha, nope. If you wanna make God laugh, tell him your plans. We found out Saturday that we were getting whitewashed. Then Saturday night we find out that Elder Lowry was going to the Azores. Then Sunday morning we find out we need to get the train at seven that night and that we were sleeping over at the office. Wow. Sunday was crazy full of packing and what not. 

Awesome experiences? Teaching Augusto and Vanda. They are amazing. Everytime we were with them they were always so willing to learn more about the gospel and ask crazy hard and cool questions. We also have Ivan. I'm going to miss that big guy. I hope that all goes well with him and the other Elders and he finally decides that he actually is ready to be baptized.

I don't really have a ton of time to write but, the church is true! Crazy right? My nice little thought for all you lovely folks is that which I heard from Hoody, something that really applied directly to me. Just a short quote from a longer story: 

"I think that life is much like this. Sometimes it is overwhelming, looking at all of the things we need to get done. As we let all of that go, and focus on the task at hand, it gets much easier. We can each do difficult things. That doesn't mean we can't look around and enjoy the view, but we shouldn't let the view distract us when we're going through difficult times."

You guys are awesome. Love you all. Don't worry about worrying things that don't need to be worried about. Focus on the task at hand!

Love you all!

Elder Cordon

How Empowering it is to Know the Plan!

The Chapel in Vila Franca de Xira

Namastē! 

Thats hello in Nepali! We have become very good friends with some Nepalis who own Everest Handicraft, a shop near the train station that sells Nepali handmade things (coats, shirts, rings, statues, tea, tibetan singing bowls, etc.). Those guys are awesome. They speak...Nepali, obviously, and broken English and very little Portuguese. Very different beliefs and many language barriers but no matter. :)

This week has been pretty great. We read 3 Nephi 11 and then watched The Testements with Ivan. Man that was powerful. I would say that the best part was his deep chuckle at the point when all of Zarahemla is on fire and everyone is running about in panic, but, without a doubt the greatest was the spirit that was manifest. After it ended we simply sat in silence, nothing to say. "One hour," he told us, "one hour straight I had goosebumps everywhere." He still hasn't been marked for baptism but we hope that will happen today!

The reason for the title of this email is because of my gratitude for the Plan of Salvation. The Liahona for last month had that exact sentence in one of the talks. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that I have of God's plan for all of His children, including me. That plan that tells us from where we came, why we are here, and what will happen to us after this life. I don't think I had ever realized how much comfort and purpose knowing this plan gives. This week we had the opportunity to teach a couple the Plan of Happiness. Now, perhaps more questions were raised then answered, however, they told us about their search for answers. They had faith that God had a plan for them, after all, thats what most religions teach. But they always questioned what it was. She said it was overwhelming that, out of nowhere, all of the answers to her questions were presented. 

How amazing it is to know that our Heavenly Father knew us before we came and we chose this life to grow and progress. How amazing it is to know that we have our Savior, Jesus Christ to atone for our sins and give us the opportunity to repent and be made clean. How amazing it is to know what steps we need to take in this life to truly follow the Master and become like Him. How amazing it is to know that we can see those we love and be with them once again and for all eternity and that death is but a short separation. How amazing it is to know that we can perform ordinances in God's temples to help our loved ones who have passed on without a knowledge of this Gospel to come unto Christ. How amazing it is to know that death has no power and that we may all be resurrected. How amazing it is to know that we have a perfect Judge, and a perfect Savior, who together can meet the demands of Justice and Mercy and provide a way for us to return once more to live with our Father in Heaven. Truly it is empowering.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly the straight and narrow way. We can rely on the Savior, He is at the helm. We need not fear. The way has been set forth and is clearly available. It is a path that all may follow. Not a single person on this Earth is exempt from the promises that this Gospel brings. We however, must fear not, and trust in the Lord, and, once again, He will lead us home.

I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives. He lives, and while He lives I'll sing: "He lives! My Prophet, Priest, and King!"

Love,

Elder Cordon

I walk this path EVERY DAY

Overlooking Vila Franca from Bom Retiro