Put Your Should to the Wheel

I'm not sure what to write about this week. It's been super busy! 

For Faith week we met our goal to meet with an active member everyday and I think it's something I want to do for the reat of my mission. The closest we got to contacting 50 people a day was 27. But we tried. 

On Friday we got a call from our ward mission leader asking us to stop by someone with him. She is still in high school but has left her family. So a member of the bishopric asked us to help out and so we went to try and find where she was living and it took us a good 30 min because she lived right off a main road and it wasn't on any map. And it was dark. But we finally found her and our ward mission leader, brother corbridge, was able to give her some food and we gave her a Book of Mormon. Turns out she was a former investigator! But it was just cool to see how the the church was able to reach out to her as she was struggling and hopefully we will be able to teach her some too. 

I'm not sure if that last paragraph made complete sense but it was a cool experience.

We had to drop Ben and Sue because we just never got to meet with them again. Maybe they are just too busy and someday will be able to investigate more when they have more time. It was sad for me because they were just this perfect, golden family. I've thought a lot this week about the people I've taught and found. I love them a lot and even though most of them never got baptized I'm still grateful I got to meet them. Missions are the BEST and I think I'm just going to stay in Illinois forever.

Why do Mormons go to so many Meetings?

So this week Sister Young and I had to go to the Rockford and the Schaumburg Zone Conference, and Elder Renlund Came so we had a Mission Conference and He spoke to all the sisters so we went to the Sisters Conference and out of the 9 Stakes he chose to speak in Schaumburg so we had another Stake Conference on Sunday. It was a lot. We counted it up and overall we went to 26 1/2 hours of meetings. It was really good and I learned a lot but by the end of it all, all I could think about was "Why do Mormons go to So many Meetings???"

So Sister Young and I were talking about it and we came to the conclusion that the only reasonable answer would be that the work actually is moving forward that the Priesthood keys are restored to the earth and we have leaders who are actually speaking as if it were the voice of the Lord.

When we were driving to Stake Conference yesterday we saw a lot of cars pulling into another church building just down the road from our stake center. we were like "Don't you know there is an apostle of the LORD just down the street?!" Its kinda crazy to think that they literally had no idea. 

But WE do know that this is the Lords church. That his Prophets and Apostles and Chosen leaders are inspired of God and this work is moving forward!! 

We were walking around before The Sisters conference started and we ended up going to a Wendy's across the street because we hadn't had time for dinner that day. THERE WERE SO MANY MORMONS IN THIS WENDY'S I FELT LIKE I WAS IN UTAH. We just talked to these Bretheren who just got done with their meeting and it was so amazing to see these gown men have tears come to thier eyes as they explained to us the things they got from the meeting. There were 3 that we talked to and each one mentioned something different from what the spirit taught them. They also shared what they were going to do about it. And thats why it meant so much to them because they were going to do something about what they heard!

Which takes me to something President Griffin said this week. "The Magic of the Church happens in-between the meetings". That is when we as missionaries get the most work done. That is when members pray and study for a talk they will give, when members of a ward council pray about and serve the individuals in their quorums and auxillaries, when we each individually prayerfully prepare for the sacrament to make it more than just a nice snack. 

So I would like to Invite you all and whoever would like to Join in on something our mission is doing this week. We are having a FAITH WEEK. We are taking the things we learned in these meetings and putting them into action. Sister Young and I have the goal to contact 50 people a day and also to work with one active member a day. That is something that we have decided together to exercise our faith. But there are things you can do too. Pick something that would stregthen your faith and help you exercise it! and then tell me what you decided to do. 

I'm excited to hear about it. 

Huntley. Round 2.

This week was really great.

Transfers were on Tuesday and Sister Epps and I had to drive all the way to Naperville without a GPS and we got super LOST. but we found our way and got her on her way and she is probably in Italy right now. Unless she got lost again. I will miss her!

Sister Young and I have had a super fun week. Right when we pulled in we were getting her suitcases out and we heard someone yell "You better watch out!" We turned around to see a Boy with blood all over his face! And its just been jam-packed with excitement ever since.

Sister Young has had the flu or a really bad cold. But she doesn't stop for anything! We were out contacting on Saturday and there was a fantasy football party going on with about 15 middle-aged men and we decided we were going to talk with them. We ended up meeting Steve who actually lives outside the mission but he knew so much and really wanted to learn more. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said "I'm going to read this, if you follow up with Me. Are you going to follow up with me?" You better believe it Steve. 

We also met another Steve who had a big beard. And Naomi who likes to talk a lot.  It's been good. 

I Love sister young a lot and we already decided this is going to be the best transfer of our LIVES.

What?

A lot happened this week.

We got 4 new investigators which is more investigators than we've gotten this entire transfer. 

Does Anyone remember Inderjit? We got in and talked with him and he tried to give the Book of Mormon back but his Daughter and granddaughter said they would be open to learning more about Jesus because they don't know anything about him. Which blows my mind! But they also speak English! So we will be able to actually have a conversation and I am excited to see how it all plays out.

We haven't been able to meet with Ben and Sue this week. Their life is crazy but I still think they are sincere and we have still stayed in contact. We will go over tonight finally!

Sister MADSEN and I went on Exchanges again and I just and so much fun. We talked with EVERYONE. Missionary work is literally the best thing becuase never again am I going to be able to just walk up to anyone and start telling them about the Book of Mormon for absolutely no other reason besides that I can. Sister MADSEN goes home on Wednesday and I am super SAD. But I am so grateful we got to spend some time together this week. I don't really no what else to say besides I love her.

Sister Epps has her Visa and will officially leave for Italy tomorrow. My new companion is sister YOUNG. Oh my goodness I am so excited because I came out with her so I know what a good missionary she is.

There is a member of the Elgin 3rd ward named sister Cruz. She literally inspires me. Twice this transfer people have just showed up at the church because they know her and they are her friend. She said she has 30 friends in the Philippines that she has brought to the church. I asked her what her secret was and she told me that in 1995 she was about to die and she needed a blood donation and some missionaries in the Philippines saved her life. She told me missionary work is just "in her blood". She is NO JOKE. One of the coolest people I've met. 

1. I debated sending this one because missionaries are weird...

2. Exchanges

3. Sister Epps & I

4. The Zone

Here's a few more bc I didn't send anything last week

MIRACLES

This week was really crazy just because we had a lot of meetings and we never really recovered from not having a preparation day last Monday because Sorella Epps was in Washington DC. But we saw a ton of miracles.

We are still teaching Ben and Sue! We had a lesson with them this week and Ben said "I can't sleep I'm thinking about this so much!" They are just really cool. 

We went to a park that we've been wanting to go to for a while on Saturday and there was only an old Hispanic woman we couldn't speak with there but we gave her a card and by the time we were done we turned around and there was another car in the parking lot! In the car was Megan and Michelle. We got talking and Michelle opened up to us about how she has really been struggling with anxiety lately. We told her that the Book of Mormon can help! She asked us "Do you have anything about our purpose in life?" YES! She said they had come to that park specifically to talk about what our purpose in life is and then we showed up she started to cry and it was probably the most powerful contact I've had. 

We also visited an old man and his wife. He was a real big talker but he said "This is the 3rd time I was doubting my Faith in God and wondering if I actually believed he existed when you showed up at my door." It was really sweet.

I've felt the spirit so much this week. Missions are really hard but there isn't anything I would rather be doing!!!!!!!! 

1.Sorella Epps getting excited about the Eclipse

2.There is a member who's son played lacrosse and I borrowed his stick for just a little bit. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh I miss it. 

The Hunt in Huntley

Right now I am in Wheaton Illinois and Sorella Epps is in Washington DC getting her Visa. She will come back and we will most likely finish the transfer together and then she will go off to Italy. 

But the majority of our week we have been FINDING. It's all we do.

Because we are whitewashing but we are also opening the area because there wasn't sisters in the area for 6 weeks and the area is big enough that the Elders who took over our area never made it up there. It was just long enough for things to kinda die down and we really didn't have much to go off of. 

So when we first got to the area we were completely lost and didn't know where to go so we just went to this neighborhood by our apartment and talked with some people outside. We talked with Sue and gave her a book of Mormon and taught her the restoration right there! That was our first day together!

We then stopped by again and met Sue's Husband Ben! He was so nice and offered to give us tickets to the Cubs game. We couldn't go but it was the thought that counted. He had a lot of questions for us! 

The next time we stopped by Sue was excited to see us she said her and Ben had been reading the Book of Mormon for about a week and Ben was anxious to talk with us again. Their Son Matthew has also been carrying the Book of Mormon all over the house! They showed us the picture and it was super cute. 

They were busy that day but they told us to come back the next day. So we did! Of course. And Ben was so excited! Sue was busy so she couldnt talk but we talked with Ben for an hour! Probably a little more. He had questions about everything. He was so interested and just super fascinated by everything.

So I am praying a lot for them and I am just really greatful for them. Them and Inderjit is really all we have right now (we got him a Book of Mormon in Hindi!) But I am excited to see who else we will find. We set a goal to hand out more Book of Mormons than the Sister Training Leaders but we are having a hard time giving most of these people a card let alone a Book of Mormon...... It's a lot different than Bourbonnais or Freeport but I still love being a missionary! It's really really hard but it's also the best. 

Also I got to spend last night and this morning and tomorrow with the Griffins and they are the really great and I love them a lot.

- Sister Corbett 

Inderjit!

Well. Another week has come and gone.

We saw many miracles this week. And found some pretty cool people that will hopefully soon become investigators. 

Last week, Sorella Epps and I met a man named Inderjit! He is from India and speaks very little English but Sorella Epps knew some about the Indian culture and was able to communicste some. We told him we were missionaries from the church of jesus christ of latter day saints and he perked up when we said Jesus Christ. He got very excited and so we gave him a  book of Mormon and a restoration pamphlet and had him write down his number! We called him later that week and he remembered us and set up an appointment with us. Talking with him is very hard though becuae he mainly speaks Hindi so when we hung up we found that what we thought was his address didn't exist...

 We were doing service for our relief society President when it turned out she needed a lot more help then we thought so we stayed long and missed the appointment. But we gave Inderjit  a call and we were able to get at least his correct house number. 

We then went and drove around trying to find his home and we couldn't find it for a while but then we turned down a street and saw someone sanding outside waiting for us with a bright yellow turban! He had chairs set up waiting for us and his book of Mormon! We were able to give him some supplies in Hindi and we found out that he is a leader of his congregation but recently he has been very interested in the teaching of jesus christ and so he has been teaching out of the bible! Whhaaaaaaaaat? He is so nice and just a very sweet man. Hopefully we will find someone that can help us translate. So he can start teaching his congregation from the Book of Mormon too!

This week I also got to go on Exchanges with Sister MADSEN. We had so much fun. It was basically like we were going back in time because we were both in Rockford and it was strangely cold that day. I love her. I am so grateful for all the friends I have made on my mission and I know that we will be friends forever. 

Lots of prayers go to Elder Hinckley's friends and family. He was my last zone leader and had just gone home but was coming back to visit the mission and got in a car accident and passed away. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that Elder Hinckley has simply been called to another mission.

Lots of love,

Sister Corbett