Getting back on our feet!

Dear Family and friends(that don`t love me enough to write me), 10-31-11

No just kidding I know you are all busy and probably have more important things to do and it just slipped your mind. But I`m sure you all love me, right?! RIGHT?! lol well this week was a lot better than the last, we are still having some challenges with some people but of course it wouldn`t be missionary work if it wasn`t challenging. I think the mental part of this work is probably the hardest part. being able to first endure doing the same things for so long with such a great determination. Second, trying to figure out how to solution problems that I have never faced before or heard of in my life with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know ever problem can be helped by living the gospel of Jesus Christ but sometimes it’s hard for the people to understand the blessing and even for us as missionaries to help them see the blessings of the Gospel.

Anyways we struck back after a hard week with 2 new people that accepted a baptismal date for the 12th of November. One is brand new in learning about the church and a cousin to some members and the other is a eternal investigator who finally prayed and decided its time to be baptized. We also found a HUGE family this last week and taught them for the second time, we know only 8 of the many members that live in this house but this next week they said they want to come to church. so we are making progress with them, the funny thing is when we were contacting them, we asked if they knew anything about the Mormons and they said that we are atheist and so we laughed and explained and testified of Jesus Christ. They are really cool. so that’s a little of the progress we are having right now but its hard in this little area, is pretty small. For example if you want to think of the size it’s about 3 or 4 times bigger than our ward in Arizona. It’s small to contact and try to look for new people when almost every house has been talked to several times but we have a great ward, leaders, and bishop!

Well I wrote down a couple of things so I didn`t forget to tell you guys like this week you can look on the news there was a earthquake in a part of Peru called, "Ica". Look it up and I think it was like a 6.7 or something well I felt that here where I am in Lima. It went on for about 30 mins. and me and my companion were in our room getting ready to leave after lunch and the decks in our study started moving. its was pretty cool but for us it wasn`t that strong. As well this week I decided I really miss rain. SO SO MUCH!! The first thing I`m going to do when I come home and there is a rain storm is go play in it and get SOAKED. Did you have rain in your mission Logan? We get nothing here. It’s so sad. :-( and the sky is always ugly after the earthquake the sky for a little time was actually pretty but because of the earthquake it changed a little. Send me rain if you can! Oh as well I did my first water painting for years. I haven`t painted for a long long time but my companion likes to paint so one morning during language study lol we painted. I painted the sea and some mountains, the beach and the sky(which is horrible.) the sky is horrible because its where I started and didn`t have the hang of painted just yet. but I also did a picture of the D.C. Temple. it looks pretty cool I`ll send you pictures next week. I don`t have any right now because I forgot my USB but that was a little fun and relieved some stress that I had. I didn`t know I had a cool desire or talent to paint. I know my painting were bad but I like doing it.

Well for this week I think that’s just about it. The President visited our district meeting and we had interviews with him and that was cool. As well tomorrow we get to go to the temple which I`m so dang excited for! Maybe we`ll get to eat something real for lunch. LOL we ate guinea pig again this week and it was pretty good, it was my third time now. Well that’s about all, I hope everything is going well for you all and I love you all and take care.

Love from Perù,

Elder Corbett!!

The Refiners Fire!

Dear Family and Friends, 10-24-11

First don`t feel bad for me, feels like that come and go. To let you all know I`m ok I hardly thought about you this week, LOL. No I love you all and thank you for your concern! This week has been one that has made me grow greatly. I know I`m in my mission and I think I`m understanding more of the spirit of the mission. I`ve become more dedicated, more willing to except the plan of God, and more sensitive to the spirit. Let you tell you all a little about my week. It started off very promising, 2 baptisms Saturday and another that accepted a baptismal date for Nov. and by the end of the week and the numbers I just gave to pres. we have had no baptisms and no baptism dates. You may ask, what happened? I want to state what Elder Holland has stated, we are at war and Satan is real. on the day of the interviews we went looking for these two youth and one left to go visit his family because he had to do some papers and didn`t come back until sun. and he was a little worried about his family and less about baptism. The other didn`t come to his interview and we could find him anywhere. we looked for him and called him and didn`t find him, we did go to his house at 8 at night and found him and he said he wasn`t ready and wanted to fill more ready, he said he would continue to come to church and we haven`t seen him sense, Friday. We had another family that after many weeks working with them they finally decided they would come to church because they wanted to know more about the church and when we went there house to take them to church they said they had talked to a friend and there friend said that because they had gone to their church they now can`t investigate more church or it would be like you were lying to god or something like and losing your faith. They don`t want us to come back.

This may sound like bad story after bad story but now you get to hear my testimony! I know that this church is true, my faith has grown and I will stand alone testifying of this church as long as I live if needed. This week I have learned another level of dedication to the Lord, not just in action but in thoughts and more importantly in Heart! The commandments are so amazing to have, WHAT A BLESSING!! Everyone asks, how can I live a happy and healthy life? Well God has right in front of us the answer and people don`t understand, but I do now. This month in my district we have been focusing on how to help people attend church. "The revelation, thought attending church." and it made me think why did I attend church? and why do my investigators want to attend church? How my testimony has grown from that question. Ask yourself Why am I part of this Church, is it for my parents, my family, or is it because you love too? Think about it! I feel this week I was past through a refiners fire and it changed my dedication to the Lord. Sometime I feel, man I really need a P-day or a break or something to pull me out of this. But the secret to missionary work is WORK. And for almost the last year I have dedicated my life to him. I have 0 worries about myself, I cook, I don`t do laundry, and I don`t even make my own bed....haha just kidding I thought that make moms eyebrows raise a little. I make my own bed and everyday ;-). But I have every day to wake up and worry about one thing, studying, learning, and preaching the gospel so that people can really be saved in the kingdom of God. It may sound simple and it is, we complicate it! I want to follow the example of Jacob and his brother in Jacob 1:19. I can`t change the choices of the people I teach but I can testify without doubt that there is no other way to reach the purity except through his blood, our eternal savior.

I love you all and thank you for your support and love, know that your son, brother, uncle, grandson, and friend is doing well. All is well, all is well, Harra for Israel.

Love,

Elder Corbett

11 Months!

Dear Family and Friends, 10-17-11

Well this week has been a little harder than other weeks, we are working hard and had the baptism of the little girl and that went well. But we didn`t have to many lessons this week. Just a ton won`t home or had a problem and we had 2 that came to church with us but its just been a harder week. I am excited for 2 youth that are going to get baptized this sat. One named Omar and the other Fernando, 18 and 17 years old. They are two really good candidates for missionaries and they are wonderful. I`m so excited for them and I hope the ward gets excited and comes the baptism as well. We found a couple more new people to teach and this week we will see what happens with them. Everything is going well with me and my companion and just doing the work happy and obedient.

I can`t believe I have 11 months now and next month I`ll have a year and Scott will be getting ready to go to Italy! I miss you guys a lot right now. It’s not that I’m dying to come home or don`t want to be here in my mission, I`m loving the time I have to serve the Lord. But I miss the people that you are, the things you guys did to make me laugh and brighten up my day. I love you all so very much and all I think I really want right now is a Hug. I think those are the things I miss the most. Its something so simple but yet very important. 2 years is 2 years and its going by but during this time I love each and every one of you. I love my mission with all my heart and I know I`m doing what the Lord would have me do and for being obedient sometimes you do have to stand alone! My old companion wants to get back at me somehow for something that happened and as soon as I learned what happened I told pres. But if we are obedient we need not fear. I love him so very much and want the best for him, but Elder Holland is 100% right. You can`t call people down the straight and narrow path is you are going down forbidden ones. If you try it I hope you choke on your words. I think I`m learning a little bit more about loving all and especially my enemies. To love your Enemy you first need to not have any! maybe they hate you but you can`t want or have the same desire they have. Í love the people here in Perù and maybe you don`t know any of them but they are people just like you, they don`t live or eat the same way but the things they think and doubt are the same that you think and doubt. Remember that! God loves all his children and each and every one of them is important!

I finished the Book of Mormon and I was reading the end and all the wickedness that there was almost made me cry because I thought these times will be worse. And sometimes just as things that god does goes one house and family at a time so does the devil almost unseen. He knows how God works and because he has thousands of years of experience but he cannot deny the truth and laws of God, Which are real! The Book of Mormon is true, I don`t have a 100% knowledge about all the things but I believe with all my heart and that’s enough for the Lord. I love him and trust in his hand! Read those pages and there are your answers!

I love you all send a great big hug from Peru to you guys and hope you received my letter I sent!

Love,

Elder Corbett!

p.s. In the picture wear I`m wearing Glasses, It made me realize that me and Logan do look a lot alike.

We are at war!!!

Dear Family and Friends, 10-3-11

:-( I feel like Christmas just ended! Its like all the talks at conference are presents from God and just like Christmas you never want to stop unwrapping them. but now that they are unwrapped I need to play with my toys. I need to read the instructions ponder and put together the plan of how to use the talks in my mission right now. But wow that spirit from those talks was SO strong. I don`t think there has ever been a greater conference. Some of the themes I pulled out were Worthiness, Missionary work, and Charity/Service. I absolutely loved the talk from Elder Holland, We are at a true war, I left the conference with a new spirit yesterday and not just wanting to talk to everyone but testify of our lord and savoir Jesus Christ and His restoration in these latter-days. I learned a lot of Person Revelation this week, I want to share my thoughts on one scripture that last night came to my mind and understood it more fully. "Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, Knock and it shall be opened." (something like that) before I understood this scripture as they all seemed the same things just said in different ways and I pulled it a part a little more. Ask-Prayer we first must pray in humility knowing we can`t do it ourselves and we will receive. But sometimes we ask and where the answer, we must seek for it! Search and ponder and study the things we are looking for and at the end, knock. after we have made or found an answer we must follow it knowing it is from God! I never understood that scripture in that way but I wanted to share that spiritual thought with you all.

As for the area, its wonderful we contacted a new 18 year old this week and he is awesome, He listened to us 3 days in a row because he wanted to and then came to one session of the conference sat. He also is already preparing for a baptism for this 22 of Oct. He is someone that is prepared and I think we can also teach his family. We also have another young man that is living with his aunt and cousin but started come to church with them and wants this to be a greater part of his life. He accepted to be baptized this sat. Last week we went to 3 sessions of conference. My companion said he saw tears in his eyes when the Prophet spoke Sunday morning and wanted to come back in the afternoon. I love the progress we are making. The man that was supposed to get baptized yesterday had some problems with his family sat. he`s is a very sensitive situation and so we know baptism will help him and he wants it but he is in the middle of a situation right now that we really need to help him with and I think if someone like the bishop or someone that has more experience could really help him out.

It’s wonderful to be part of the Army of God and I`m proud to a be worthy missionary! I will strive to always have the spirit with me, I feel like as you go through your mission you keep giving a high level of dedication and my dedication continues to grow. I love you all and I like you so much Grandma and Grandpa for serving a mission, "In this family we serve Missions!" I love you all and have a wonderful week in NYC.

Love you all,

Elder Corbett

p.s. I don`t want to come home is that ok?

Love you all!!

Dear Family and Friends, 9-26-11

I want to tell you all that this week went well I`m working hard and staying busy. Before I forget to do it again this week I want to tell you all the reasons I love you all:

Grandpa-I love you because you have always been a hard worker you never stopped working and doing things around your house to always help grandma.

Grandma- I love you because you have always been there to play card games with to put puzzles together, whenever we`re together we always have something to do.

Dad- I love you your great example, you`ve always been my hero in a way, I feel like, if I could be a man like you I know I`ll be happy with my family forever and will always have success. And you taught me there is a balance to work, school, family, friends, and church responsibilities.

Mom-First I love you because you`ve given me everything I have, and you always knew me, you knew when I wasn`t happy when I had a problem and you always did everything to can to make it better to give me the best advice.

Logan- I love you because you always showed me how to do things when I didn`t know how, even though you always had to prove you could do it better you should me how to did it. and you showed how great it is to serve a mission.

Heidi- I love you because first when we are together we have a wild time and always laughing. Also you have a great testimony of Jesus Christ I know you might not share it much you do have a great testimony deep down that holds you fast to the rod.

Kate- I love you because you`re always watching my back I know if I ever do anything bad you`ll be the first to know and make sure I was doing the right. As well you would always play games with me.

Mariah- I love you because you know how to whittle and I can`t!! lol I love you because you`re super creative you love to draw and doing things in a different way that I wouldn`t have been able to do.

Austin- I love you because before my mission you were my friend when I had none. All my friends had left and you were always there to play football, or play on the tramp but you were there when no one else was.

Abby- I love you because you’re from Thailand, and I have to because you married my brother! No I love you Abby because no matter what’s going on you have a good time and make everyone feel welcome.

Hudson- I don`t know you very well but I love you because you’re so dang cute and you have an Uncle that ROCKS!!!

I do love you all and I`m happy to know that we will be together forever, I know families are forever and that the power of the priesthood to do sealing is on the earth again. What a blessing we have to learn and grow from one another and know that whoever goes first or last we will see each other again after. I love you all and know these things are true!!

Love,

Elder Corbett!

Well the day came!

Dear Family and Friends, 9-19-11

Well as soon as you gave me a nickname, OAE(one area elder), I left. We had an emergency transfer this week and I left my sweet paradise of a area to the complete opposite. The area is small we have a huge stake center in front of my house, we have wonderful leaders, but they haven`t had a baptism since April. But don`t worry we will flip that around and if we don`t have success in the numbers our diligence will be success we have been working hard this last couple days. We had the change Friday but I also had a baptism in my other area so we got to go back sat., and I got to baptism him. It was a wonderful experience and wonderful for him and his mom that I could say goodbye. It was pretty fun Andres, who I baptized, is 19 but his mom as well is one of my converts and we had wonderful experiences together with both of them so when I had to leave I gave Andres a big hug and she also came run up for a hug and it was just so sad I had to stop her and say, "I’m sorry! I can`t hug you but you are the best" and it was a little funny as well but I had to stop her. But as for now I`m loving this new area! its called ALBORADA!

Oh and yesterday we had a great experience we had a stake conference it was for satellite and we thought some general authority would come down to Peru and be in one of the churches and we would see them in our church through cameras. Well it was direct from salt lake, and guess who talked!?! Well Pres. Gonzales from the presidency of the 70 but it gets better, after Sister Beck Talked and that was just great! but don`t worry it gets even better, then President Christofferson talked and that was just WONDERFUL: But that’s not even the best, President Monson himself talked to us yesterday. just to us in Peru!!! it was WONDERFUL!! I do have all the things that I love about everyone ready but I now just ran out of time to write because I had a lot of things to write the pres. sorry first responsibility is him. Oh and it’s wonderful for a couple weeks I have a break from District leader. But they told me again at the beginning of the next I would b district leader again, I told them if they wanted to choose someone else that would be just perfectly fine. :-)

Love you and I thank you for all your support and thoughts, I have a lot of thoughts I`ve been writing down that I would just love to share with you all! But have a great week!

Elder Corbett,

p.s. May the spirit be with you!

Nothing much has happened here!

Dear Family and Friends, 9-12-11

So this week has been a lot of normal work, We did go running this week for our exercise along the beach and that was a lot of fun. We did go to the Beach last P-Day and that was pretty fun, took some cool pictures. The tide was coming in and me and Elder Driessen were on the beach near this cave and all the sudden the water raised a BUNCH in like 2 waves and we got stuck for a minute and the water got up to like our knees and my companion took some pictures but it was crazy because the water came from NO where, we were on dry land before the waves. We going back today with our zona and so that will be fun and we`ll see how high the water is then. I KNOW I`m not supposed to be in the water AT ALL, I`m not going in and I didn`t want to get wet that was the only time last week I touched the water, but to be honest, it felt good.
OK to be straight up honest I can`t think of anything special to tell you guys this week except that you all need to read the BOOK OF MORMON!!! I love that book and I have never understood it in my life like I do now. And when your reading keep a page or notebook to the side to write things down. there are a lot of times we mark our scriptures and then after don`t know what was so cool about that verse but I just finished reading alma and during the time I was reading I wrote bullet points and I have about 5 pages of bullet points just from alma and the reference to the scripture with it. ITS awesome and will be as well the best when I want to prepare a talk and can look through my own notes to find scriptures. I love that book. Especially alma from 30-42 or something like that. Those are the best! I`ll write you all next week about how I feel when I finish. I need to finish this week! I`ve also been super busy with a lot of things as a district and zone.
Love,
Elder Corbett
p.s. Ya I`ll try to think of something good about everyone, mom, I`ll have to look past all the bad things! ;-) jk I Iove my family!