I love Ancon!!!

Dear Family and Friends, 9-5-11

First THANK YOU for all the letters and love. I love receiving all your letters even though perhaps I don`t have the time to write you all back personally I want you to know it means so much to me when you write. Sometime you do feel a little alone in your mission, so far I`ve been lucky to have a good area (note: not Areas! lol I still sometime can`t believe that I have almost 10 months and only one area), good companions (all 3 from Guatemala) and I`m near the beach.

We worked hard this week and we saw the fruits. We have been looking for a lot of new people to teach and that will progress and sometimes it’s hard but we have an awesome 6 people that attended this week and I haven`t had that many in a while. It was really cool. We have been working our bums off though. And for all you that wonder, it doesn`t get too cold here, All winter it was probably the same as winter in Arizona, not cold but also remember there is no escape and so in your house the cold gets in. We are now starting summer again and the sun is finally shining every once in a while. That is something that’s different. Here in the winter it is clouded 24/7 and you never see the sun. It gets a little sad after a while but now we are going out again like normal without my jacket or anything and I only get a little cold sometimes when the sun goes down.

Umm this week nothing really out of the ordinary happened, oh when we were walking on the beach a last week we found a little seahorse and it was still alive. W took some pictures and I threw it back in the ocean. We are having a lot more success with lesson with members as well, we had 12 this week and only 6 without so that was a good jump for us! We are also going to new areas that I haven`t gone to before so that’s making me excited this week and we visited a less active in this area and they came to the church yesterday so that was cool! oh yea and I`m washing my clothes now, THANK GOODNESS, no one in our ward wants to wash our clothes and its been hopping around from person to person and this last member just stunk in the way she did it and didn`t really care so I ask my pension if I could use her washer and we would pay her for the water and electricity and we would do it ourselves. I`m so happy now because I`m sick of relying on other people for that. but that’s how it goes in our mission!! Anyway life is good, I had a dream this week that I finished my mission and was back in the ward and everything and it felt so real and then I woke up.... but hey I love this time sometime I feel like I want to come home but I don`t want to give up my nametag, so I`m always just so happy to be on my mission! time is just a weird when you do the same thing every day in the same area for 8 months. You just lose all ability to keep track of time!

And to end HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mariah, Dad, Mom, and Abby!!! Hope this next year without seeing me is sad because you miss me! Nah I really hope you guys have a great year and all your wieldiest dreams come true! Love you all and I want to go bowling right now so so so bad! That’s ok someday again I will. Take Luck and have a great week!!!

Love,

Elder Corbett-El Anconero!

p.s. I hope the president forgives me for my trip to Brazil! (John was saying family prayer on Sunday night and blessed Carson in Brazil. We corrected him and then we all laughed. Everyone one of us had to mention this in our letter to him)

p.p.s. This letter is just all the things that came to my mind so it probably random but that’s ok!

I shook hands with a prophet!

Quiridos Familia y Amigos, 8-29-11

Entonces porque Ustedes no quieren escribirme este es su recompensa! Espero que pueden entender mi español porque nadie me escribieron. Este semana fue tan rapido que sentì como solo pasò 2 dias. Un poco mas de èxito esta semana pero solo tres asistieron a la reunion secramental. (Quiridos family and friends, 8-29-11
Then because you do not want to write this is your reward! I hope you can understand mySpanish because no one wrote me. This week was so fast that sentì as only begins 2 days. Alittle success this week but only three attended the reunion secramental.

ok mom made up for all of you and because I received her letter I will write to you all in English. We have alot of promising things this week and its been great. We had transfers and just took a little of that day to recharge and start over, we changed around our study room and that helped me out a lot. Some days I feel like I want a different area just to get another start but other days it’s just nice to be comfortable. I was looking at the transfers and I thought, If I stay in this area one more transfer I will leave 2 days before my 1 year mark. That’s crazy how quick the time is going. But I feel super charged again and happy more than anything to be here and get to testify of Christ EVERYDAY!! IT’S THE BEST!!! No one in the world has a better thing that they could do all day.

So Wednesday, I don`t know if I told you guys that we had one of the quorum of the 12 apostles, It was really cool, it was with 3 missions! in one chapel, it was so cool. I finally got to see some of my friends from the mission and as well some from other missions. You guys don`t know any of them but it was cool. It first started off with him wanting to shake our hands. all of us! and us one by one got to shake his hand, then the 1st and 2nd counselors of the seventy of the south America northeast presidency spoke so great! it was awesome and then he got up and spoke to us, he spoke to us in Spanish but it sounded like he was speaking French. He served in France and was a mission president in France but speaks a little of Portuguese and Spanish. Can you guess yet who it is? truly his Spanish was horrible but there was a spirit there that I can`t deny. He testified to the divinity of Christ and as well of his special calling. He said he is an ordinary man but his calling is something Extraordinary. And he told us our calling might be a little bit like that. We are normal kids trying to do what’s right, we don`t know a ton but we know that this is true and I will never deny it! This is the true church of God and I know that Elder Neil A. Anderson is a Apostle of Jesus Christ himself. He holds the keys of the kingdom of heaven and only 14 other men in the world hold those keys! He is a witness of the things unseen and how real the spiritual part is. He told us he came without a talk and as were shaking his hands he wanted to know what he should talk to us about. He talked to us about what really the 1st presidency expects of us as missionaries and he had 4 points that were wonderful. It was a good good day!!!

Oh and just a funny story I was at church yesterday and we sit near the door to great people when they come in but this family walked in and behind them this super white "gringo" walks in behind them and I was like WHAT?! cool I wonder what he`s doing here and church had already started but I said Hi to him and didn`t talk to him until the 3rd hour. and he was normal, real laid back so I thought he understood Spanish and everything and we were in Elders Quorum and we (THEY) were talking about what kind of women are the LDS women and how their the best and what we expect in young women (for those that didn`t have wives) and he ask this kid (he probably is 18 years old) what he expects of a young lady. and he just says with a smile "no entiendo" haha I wanted to laugh so hard because he was just listening like he could understand everything. But then I translated for the teacher and he gave me his answer and I translated back, it was a little funny! I then talked to him after and he is visiting his family that’s here and he`s from Sacramento, California and will be here for 5 or 6 weeks. I thought that was so cool so maybe I`ll help him out a little bit!

Well for this week that’s about it, we have a baptism for the 17th of September and we want to have like 5 or 6 that day so we will see what happens!!

Love you all and thanks for you prayers and have a wonderful week,

Elder Corbett-El Anconero!

Transfers come transfers go and Elder Corbett stays!

Dear Family and Friends, 8-22-11

Well another transfer comes and I guess there is just someone more I need to find. I just can`t figure out where but this transfers going to be the best, we only had 2 baptisms this last transfer but this next one I`m looking at 5 or 6 and they are a little more sure then in the past. but we will see what happens. One is the best his name is Andres and this last weekend he was AWESOME he loves going to church and all the activities and we taught the word of wisdom last week and he doesn`t drink a lot or anything but sometimes he`ll have a cup or something at a activity because its normal here, but we went to his house yesterday and he told us he went to an activity and he was so excited to tell us that he didn`t drink a drop! We were so happy we are hoping he will except the invitation and be baptized this sat.

Oh and I got your package this last week and oh so good all the things it has and just loved it all. I`m going to celebrate today with some other missionaries my birthday again because I didn`t do anything. But I love that tie everyone is always jealous of all the ties I get in my package because they are the best! We are still working hard, I just don`t like doing contacts anymore because it’s just the same place for the last 7 months doing the same things ALL DAY!!! I`m doing it and trying my best and the other elders in our ward had 8 baptisms this week and they were great, I actually was the one that started the teaching of one of the families when it was all my area and now they are the best so I got to baptize the sister because she remembers I found her family and then another family that they baptized was a reference of ours that I gave them and they just except everything but its cool that by little things great families are brought into the light, so that was a good experience for me.

Besides that I can`t think of anymore things to tell you guys because I have been just so nervous about transfers and I was 100% sure I was out of here and so now I`m astonished. But it’s awesome!!!

Anyway thanks for all your prayers and love and I will read all your cards after but they always make my day!!! Love you all and take care!

Con Amor,

Elder Corbett "El Anconero"

Week of Stress!

Dear Family and Friends, 8-15-11

This week has been really ridiculous and I was hoping that today I would get something from you guys to distract me a little but since everyone forgot about me but that is ok. :-( (Slothful family :( )Well next week is transfers again and I don`t know if I want to leave but we will see. I think I`m going to get kicked out of here finally but I don`t want to go because I want to see three people progress. I may really be sad when I finally change areas finally, but I may like it as well. This week I`ve been super stressed with my area, my district, and lots of activities and services. It’s been a challenge but also great. I`ll have a lot of stories to tell you guys when I get home but for now you`ll just have to wait to hear some. I gave another talk in sacrament meeting, this was my 5th time giving a talk in sacrament meeting here and I tried to drill into the heads of my members the importance of reading the Book of Mormon. It was pretty good! They were nice and roasted! I don`t have any baptismal dates right now. Probably the first time in 4 months I haven`t had one that wasn`t sure but we have right now 3 that just need to make the decision sure for a date. I don`t want to leave to see one of them progress. but the other two missionaries in my ward have 8 baptisms this sat. One family of 4 that I taught and found when I was in the area, I think I`m going to baptize one of them. And then another family of 3 that I contacted in my area and was super interested but in the other half and so it’s cool to see how I can help even if I`m not the one that taught them all of it. And then another guy that it really cool but I don`t know very well. So this is going to be a good week for our ward and hope lots of members come but we`ll see.

Ummm....besides that its been a little up and down this week I`m still reading in the Book of Mormon and just loving it. There are so many things I didn`t understand about the stories, doctrine, and the truth that the Book of Mormon has. If you aren`t reading the Book of Mormon grab it and read it. You will never regret it!

So my thought for the week was this. When I was talking to a family (members) yesterday we were talking about going on missions and they have one son on a mission and the other 3 older children, daughter of 20, sons of 19 and 17 are all preparing for missions and this thought came to my mind. "It’s not the missionaries that come to your door that make the difference, it’s the message that they carry. If they aren`t living up to their message who is going to believe?" I thought about that and just how you can apply that to all members that if you aren`t living up to this gospel and want to share it with others, people won’t believe you. If you are living up the message people will believe you and will feel it!! Anyway something to think about!

Love you all and take care,

Elder Carson Corbett

I don`t think God celebrates Birthdays!

Dear Family and Friends, 8-8-11

Wow thanks for all your happy birthdays and I kept my head up yesterday but it probably was the worst day in my mission until about 5:30 when we had a good appointment with the son of a recent convert that I baptized and we drank some, Inka, Cola to celebrate my birthday. First off for the first time in my mission my baptism didn`t come to church for the confirmation, that was a little sad. None of my 3 investigators that came wanted to stay after sacrament for the classes, oh well. We then had a lunch appointment with some members that said they would make me chicken for my birthday and we went there for lunch and when we walked it we sat down and just didn`t have chicken so I just shared a scripture and left without lunch. We went and visited some other people that was really weird and then we went to the sister that didn`t come to her confirmation to ask her why, they were celebrating 2 birthdays yesterday as well so they offered us food and we ate some soup and Guinea pig with them. It didn`t have that good of a taste the only thing that was good was the Guinea pig itself. But that’s ok! I`m working hard and keeping my head up but because god doesn`t have time he didn`t celebrate my birthday LOL.

In other news I got robbed as well this week by a very honorable robber he stole 10 soles but he was really nice at the same time, it’s actually a really funny story haha. He told us after he took 10 soles that, "hey but watch out with your cameras because the people up there will steal them" haha and then when he was about 50 feet away he yelled back to us "watch out" in a kind voice, I wanted to yell back "cookies are on sell at the market!!!" haha it was pretty crazy and it was transport money so the whole time I was thinking I really hope this is reimbursed. but that was a cool experience.

We meet someone this week whose family is catholic and he`s 15 years old, he said that when he goes to that church he doesn`t feel full spiritually. Hhe said when we knocked on the door he felt like it was a sign to try and look in to a different church. I think in no time at all, he`s hit the water. He attended sacrament meeting this week and like a million youth got up and shared their testimonies, because they got to go to the MTC here in Peru. That would be such a cool experience before your mission.

I started teaching English classes with the other American companion, Elder Driessen, in our ward and it was REALLY fun. We taught them how to pray! We got some really good laughs with the people because we are just a bunch of goofballs. Well I don`t know if I forgot any other part of my week, and oh ya I`m district leader mom and we have transfers in 2 weeks who knows what will happen this time, I told the president that I would love to stay in my area longer. haha it will be weird to change areas for the first time.

Well love you all and hope all is well in Virginia and all the other places the family has grown to.

Elder Corbett de 20 Años

Happy Birthday Buddy! I remember the day you were born and how practically perfect everything was on that day. I had spend the day at the park with Logan and Heidi. I fixed dinner and thought by chance I might be in labor. Yep you were born at about 11:30 ish pm. I got to ride in a wheelchair, with you on my lap all wrapped in a warm blanket, to our room. Love it because with the other two births I was wheeled in a bed up to my room and not with my precious baby. You were always a good sleeper, starting to sleep through the night at 6 day old. Love you to infinite and beyond.

I hate when other people ruin your good time :(

Dear Family and friends, 8-1-11

Well this week was a little crazy as my first week as an uncle to be honest. We had emergency transfers! There were a lot of emergency transfers and me and my companion weren`t a part of it until the day before. I didn`t change areas, what a shock, but my companion, and son, and best friend in the mission did. I was really devastated. It’s like you prepare for transfers and everything and ya you might leave your companion but when you’re in the middle of a transfer it sucks. This was Wednesday when we changed and my new companion is Elder Cobar also from Guatemala, and for all you out there I know how to speak the slang in Guatemala! They don`t speak in the same for, its like here they speak "usted" or "tu" but in Guatemala they speak something called "voz" and so I`ve learned in these past months how to speak it and I`m pretty good. So I`ll have to take a trip there! This companion I knew before, my first transfer here he was in the next area and then he left and now he`s back in the same zone. But I`ll be honest I miss my other companion, and holy cow poor guy he is now District leader as well and of course senior companion. Just when everything was perfect some other companionship has to come in to ruin it. Oh well I`m hoping this next transfer in 3 weeks I go to a new area that might open up in the mountains. never has the gospel been preached there and so that would just be my dream to be a pioneer and the first one with the restored gospel in that area! Oh I want to go, maybe if I ask the president he`ll let me go. LOL but that’s how this week has been. Up and down and last week I had the BEST district meeting and I thought we would have great success after and now I only have one other person in my district this week that’s the same because everything changed and my district is different. I`ll make out of it what I can!

Umm, for my birthday I`m going to eat chicken at a members house, that is all that is happening. I don`t know, in our mission I feel birthdays are not special or maybe I just don`t want it to be to special. But you guys should eat peirogies (don`t have any ideas how to spell it) but I have a huge craving for those right now or maybe you should all eat chicken, rice, and potatoes to remember what I eat every day. ;-)

Oh and my baptism didn`t go through she didn`t show up for the interview and so this next week we`ll get her in the water. We are working with a couple of the people that want to get baptized or are attending which is the best.

Anyway I hope everyone has a great week especial cute little Hudson! I love you all and thanks for your prayers and blessings, I`m trying my best.

Love always,

Elder Corbett

p.s. the picture of the group was my district the last transfer. I think that was the best district ever!!!!

Indepence of Perù

Dear Family and Friends and baby Hudson!, 7-25-11
I`m so happy to hear that I`m a uncle I don`t know what to say and my eyes are real teary. It makes me think about a lot of things. You all are so lucky to get to be with him real soon and I just can`t wait to meet him in 16 months. So I guess I`m not the first birthday anymore to start all months of birthdays it’s now Hudson. But really congratulations on your gift from God, Abby and Logan, he may scream and cry but remember it’s a gift. ;-)
This week we had a baptism and it went great he is wonderful, from the first week we taught him he has assisted the church and everything that he can and he probably lives at the farthest part of our area. He`s really wonderful and he´s 76 years old. He’s awesome. Nobody celebrates pioneer day here especially because this week on the 28th it’s the Independence of Perù so everyone is excited for that and after sacrament meeting for the final hymn they sang the anthem. It was interesting and they did it after the closing prayer but at the very end the bishop goes, "vive Perù" (live perù) and everything screams it back, it was funny. Then someone asked me what the anthem was for USA and I sang a little but it was funny, I was doing the things for the baptism in the computer at the church and he started humming the anthem of the US and I go, "YEAH that’s our anthem" and he was like, "yeah I hear it all the time on the Olympics!" and I started to laugh, yup we win a lot don`t we. I bought a big flag of Perù and put it in my window for the week. I heard if you don`t have a flag on your house the government makes you pay or something. Its weird but there is a lot of red and white all over.
We had a good sacrament meeting, 4 investigators showed up for church but only one has a baptismal date....for right now. We finally made a breakthrough with the family of a recent convert and we are now teaching her 2 children and one grandchild that lives with her and her son came to church with her yesterday!! I`m excited and if we just keep at it with helping them they will be baptized real soon.
Yes this was the jacket I wanted and I LOVE IT!! It’s just perfect for this weather because it doesn`t get too cold her maybe down to 40 degrees at the most at night but the thing is when it gets a little chilly here you can`t just enter your house to escape it because the houses aren`t built the same so your house is the same temperate as outside.
Love you all and hope everything is going great and I`m still working hard here in Ancon, Lima, Perù,
Elder Carson Corbett

Burning of a tie for the 6 month milestone.

The field is white and ready to harvest!

Go forward Elder Corbett and thrust in you sickle.......