Tsunami!

Tsunami!

Dear Family and friends, 3-14-11

I`ll start off by saying everything is safe here near the coast of Perù. I heard about Japan in the morning from our zone leaders and thought it was a joke because he was saying all this stuff of a Tsunami coming and we were going to have to leave. Well 2 zones for safety all left and meet at a chapel in our zone farthest from the shore, we were supposed to bring clothes for 2 days. Well we did that and after waiting about 1 hour in the chapel they called a false alarm and said ¨everyone can go back to work except Elder Corbett¨. Those were his exact words, except in Spanish! Everyone went back to work except us. We were the only ones in the entire mission that could not work because of the earthquake in Japan but oh how sad. We didn`t have a great week for numbers. First we had transfers and so that took a day and then P-day and then the Tsunami so our numbers weren`t that spectacular for our first week, but hey they will be next week! So now you know I have the area that is the coast, no exauration. but the water only came in about 170 feet up and took out a couple tables where they sell fish and stuff but besides that everything is good and I`m safe, I`m glad no body worried. ;-)

Well now about being a trainer, yea, from the frying pan right into the fire is right. My new companion is Elder Lopez, he is from Guatemala and 22 years old. He is so wonderful; God has a reason for everything. My Spanish is not fluent, I don`t feel fluent but I feel like I can get my point across and understand people, I`m so thankful for all the Spanish I do know. My companion`s Spanish is excellent as well, he can say whatever he wants, I think he`s pretty much fluent so that’s going to help me, ;-). haha but yeah I have never had a harder week in my life. As some people know I want to always be the best, its true, I want to try my hardest at everything but when I got called to a trainer I sad down that first night and just wanted to cry because I felt so overwhelmed. I have the biggest area by far in all the zone and probably all the mission. Its HUGE and some parts are far and I just didn`t know what to do and wasn`t exactly sure how E. Iquic was so easy with it. But I have never felt more stressed more weight on my shoulder then I do now and as I do with this area. I feel like I`m just going to be accounted for ever little things that happens in this area and I just don`t know how right now I`m going to do it. I just feel overwhelmed. You know I truly do have the best companion anyone could ever ask for though he knows the lessons and he knows this gospel and is just so excited to be here. I feel less of a dictator and that we have things we have to do in this area and we have to work together. I think a lot of times its like how it was for me and I just kind of followed my companion and taught and learned a lot but he kind of made the decisions. Well I am the head of the companionship I`m going to be the leader but there are so many things we want to change about how we do this work. I told him the first day my Spanish is not perfect and I`m going to need your help and your going to need my help to know this area but we have to plan and work together and he is so smart. We truly are making plans so we know who we are teaching and who’s progressing and we can visualize the people in our area and make the improvements. This was a sad Sunday we have 0 investigators at church and last minutes we both had to give a talk and so it was a little crazy yesterday but when I got up to give my talk I didn`t write anything down like I usually do and just had a scripture I wanted to share and thoughts. And when I got up there I shared my scripture and told them straight up you know us as missionaries are here to teach. We are always looking for people to teach and people to be baptized but we need your help. I`ve only been here for 6 weeks and my companion only 4 days and this area is humongous and we don`t know it very well, but you do. I told them to remember there baptism and how they felt and what they promised about taking the name of Christ upon them and that people see us in the street and we are missionaries for some church and foreigners. But the people that they know see their example, they are the example for the area and the people you know see that example and will be more receptive to our teaching. And then I bore my testimony and sat down. Later I received about 3 or 4 referrals just from people coming and talking to me.

We also had a great FHE with a family of a couple that’s members and the husband, only a member for a year so we now have a wonderful new family to teach and are really receptive, because also their father converted and they saw that change in him. So little by little we are making progress and also the same family that has a baptismal date for the 26th of this month!

I`m working hard and hope everything is going great for all of you, I miss you and thank you all for your prayers! This is going to be probably one of the hardest transfers for me but maybe the best as well! ;-)

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Corbett