Time Flies When You're Having Fun!!!!

I can't belive it's time for me to go home! I have LOVED being a missionary. It's been the BEST experience of my life. I wouldn't go back and change anything. I love the gospel and I am so thankful for all the people I have met here in Illinois. My dad sent me a poem and i don't know how to put all my feelings about going home Into words so I thought I would share it.

I stared out the window,
The tears still in my eyes,
I saw the friends and those I loved,
As we said our last goodbyes.

The ride was long and trying;
Two questions plagued my mind.
Do I want the life that's up ahead
Or the one I left behind?

1 1/2 years is such a long, long time,
For going door to door.
In my reflecting, I thought to myself—
There really must be more.

I dragged myself down off the plane
and stood smiling at the beach.
There a man turned to me,
Saying, "Sister, go and teach."

I sit reflecting once again
As this day is my last.
Please, Lord, this isn't fair,
The time goes way too fast!

I stared out the window,
The tears still in my eyes.
I see the elders and sisters and those I love,
As we say our last goodbyes.

The ride was long and trying;
Two questions plagued my mind.
Do I want the life that's up ahead
Or the one I left behind?

It seems like just yesterday my parents dropped me off at a curb at the MTC and I flew out to Illinois. It's gone by so FAST!

I know that there are better things ahead than we ever leave behind. I am so grateful for the solid foundation that the mission has given me. I know that Jesus Christ lives today and that he loves everyone more than we can comprehend. It is such a blessing to be able to spend 24/7 just focused on sharing that love with others. 

The church is true. We are SO BEYOND BLESSED to be apart of it. I love you all and I am so grateful for the support you have given me on my mission. Thank you! I love you all!

Love,

Sister Hannah Corbett

Last Week ☹

Well here we are at the start of my last week of being a missionary. Which means after this you'll only get one more email from me!

It has just been a party here in the trio!! 

Sister Christensen came and joined us last week. They took the sisters out of Bourbonnais and she came and joined us down here in Morton! We have had a lot of fun.

We went to the Eureka College again and set up another display. This time it was about the Plan of Salvation. We were able to talk to a ton of people and hand out a lot of Book of Mormons! It was lots of fun!!

On Wednesday we were driving along and we saw a man waiting at a bus stop. So we stopped to talk with him. He was a nice guy and we gave him a Book of Mormon and then decided that we didn't have anything to lose so we just hopped on the Bus too! It was so fun. We all just sat next to people and talked to them about the gospel. I got really into my conversation with a man named Crisean. I looked out the window and we were going over the bridge! Whoops. We crossed back over into our area after just a brief field trip to Peoria. When we got back off the Bus in our area again a woman named Lori got off at the same time. She was just a little in front of us but Sister Steiner (MVP) ran up and talked with her. She ended up being super sweet. She gave us her phone number and address and told us to stop by. She thinks she has family who are Mormon. 

We got a referral!!! She requested a Bible online and we were able to deliver it to her. She became a new investigator. I felt the spirit so strong as I testified to her. 

I just love this work. I love being able to get on a bus just to tell people about the Book of Mormon. I love going and stopping by people I've never met before becasue they wanted a Bible and they just love Jesus. And then I get the opportunity to tell them about the Book of Mormon too! I love being able to walk up to anyone I see and talk to them and pray with them and invite them to be baptised. It's the best! I am ready to go crazy this upcoming week and work harder than I ever have before!!!!!!

The gospel is true!!

Sister Hannah Corbett  

1. The Trio!

2. The Eureka College is actually where Ronald Reagan went to college. This is a picture of us trying to convert the next Ronald Reagan!!

3. I got to hold a pig!

4. A little Irish Jig on St. Patrick's day☘

5. JARNAGINS 

6. Sister Christensen made a collage of all the funny pictures she took of me this week..... haha 

Coming soon in Morton IL...

What a Week

We have had such a busy week. Sister Steiner and I are both exhausted because we hardly had a second to breathe last week! But we saw a lot of miracles and I'm just loving this transfer. The lord has been blessing us so much. Our teaching pool has grown a lot these past few weeks!

We are still working with Roberta. Her husband is not open to accepting the Book of Mormon. We really just have to be patient. He will come around. I love Roberta and her family so much. 

We are also now working with a man named Andy. We found him tracting and then were never able to get in contact again but something told us not to give up on Andy! (The spirit) Last Sunday we finally got in contact! We set up an appointment! We invited a young family that just moved into the Ward. We are trying to help him Pray. This is probably my favorite thing to teach. 

We are also working with a man named Phil. He's a little pessimistic, but we are making progress because he texted us a smiley face and he also called us "Miracles". We found him by stopping by a less active. Phil lives in the same house as him. Phil really just wants to be happy but doesnt know how to in such a  crazy world! On Tuesday we are going to go do service for him. We were going to teach him last week at McDonald's becasue we can't teach him at his house becasue his girlfriend doesn't like us. As we were waiting for Phil at McDonald's, he wasn't coming so we started talking to the man in the booth next to us and found out his name is Phil too! We ended up teaching him instead of Phil #1 who was too nervous to come inside... come on Phil! 

We also found a man named Bob. He lives behind the Sluders who are some of my favorite members here. He likes to write songs about Jesus. Turns out he sang with our ward choir almost 20 years ago. He has come to church twice now. He's really fun to stop by because half the time he is singing to us on his porch some of the songs he has written. He even gave us a copy of one of them. 

We have also been working with a woman named Emily who is trying to come back to church and has a goal to get back to the temple. We set up a display at our local library about family history work and she helped us out a lot! It was super cool to get her involved in this becasue it got her excited about her family history and helped her remember her strong roots! It also led her to log onto lds.org and read her patriarchal blessing for the first time since she got it! So cool!

So that's some of the things that have been happening here in the Morton Ward! I love being a missionary it is the absolute best thing I have ever done with my life so far. I love being able to be so involved in serving others and coming closer to Christ! I am so grateful for every moment I get to be here in Illinois ♡

Love,

Sister Corbett

1. One of Bob's songs

2. A super classy chair we almost fit into our car and took home with us. 

3. Our display! It's beautiful  haha we worked so hard on this

4. Isle Oxborrow got baptized this week! She's the cutest neighbor 

5. Before 

6. After 

🌱planting those seeds

Here are a few highlights from this past week- 

1. On Monday sister Steiner and I went exploring!

2. There was an ice storm this week and we literally had to chisel the ice off of our car so we could make it to district meeting on time. We were almost late because of the extra time it took, but as we were pulling into the Church building in Normal, sister Steiner saw a man walking his dog and said "can we contact him?" So we did! And we gave him a Book of Mormon! And then we sprinted into district meeting right on time. Haha

3.On Friday night I was feeling  a little bit down. Just some of those end of mission blues. But the lord is aware of all of us. I know this because right as I was feeling sad we got a text from Brother Hurst who is in our bishopric. I know that the lord wants us to be happy and he will even send someone to give you cinnamon rolls at 9:30 pm just because he loves you.

4.Sister Steiner and I found a super cool park right across the river from Peoria. We heard about sister young and her companion starting up a conversation with someone by just asking if they would take a picture of them and so we thought we would try it! And it worked! Haha this is the picture Kevin took for us. 

Life is really great here in the ILLINOIS CHICAGO WEST MISSION!

Love you all,

Sister Hannah Corbett

Nothing better than Happy Hour at Hardees

What a week.

On Monday we met with a man named Michael. It was a super intense lesson and was one of those where by the end we all just wanted to flip the table and say "THE CHURCH IS TRUE!". But hopefully we made some breakthroughs.

On Tuesday we met with Roberta and taught her about fasting. She agreed to fast with us and we had members fast too. We are hoping this helps her with some of her questions. She is sooooooo close! But her husband is still on square one. #ItsAlwaysTheHusband

On Wednesday we went volunteered at the Fondulac Rehab Center and helped out at their Valentine's party. It was great as we all sat their singing "Let me be your Sweetheart" with all those sweet souls. But the real miracle wasn't that we made it through the whole party with only one minor meltdown, or that Al gave his teddy bear to Victoria. it was that before it started we ran into Hylands Stewarts wife (the man from the Bourbonnais ward i met at Christmas time when I Ran into him at Wallmart) and she told us she has been looking for us for weeks and she WANTS TO GET BAPTIZED. So we reffered her over to the Elders in Peoria and are excited to see how things go! It has been super cool to see all the "coincidences" that led us to find this woman and connect her with the Elders in Peoria. 

On Thursday this sister training leaders came and we went on exchanges in our area. Sister Bair and i went to Secor. We met a former there but it wasn't a good time for him and he was a bit emotional. This may have been for many reasons, either the grumpy old toothless man, or the charcoal black pop tarts and toaster on his porch. But before they could shut their door their pit bull came bolting outside. (Obviously not as smart of a dog as their boxer who was sitting alone in a car with a bumper sticker that said "My Boxer is smarter than your honors student) So we attempted to chase him down but he was super fast. So the next thing we know there's our former investigator chasing down his dog in a golf cart down the dirt roads of Secor..... what a place.

On Friday it was HAPPY HOUR AT HARDEES. We were going to eat lunch at Subway but we would have to Jay Walk. So we decided to follow the law (if jaywalking is even a law in Illinois. WHO KNOWS.) But we walked down the street and Hardees was closer and it looked like Carl's Jr. So we gave it a try. While we were there for 30 minutes We contacted a former college professor, met a lost less-active member, got a potential service opportunity, invited a man named Tyler to church (and he actually came), and we gave out a Book of Mormon to a man trying to sell us Make up. It was crazy.

On Saturday we had another lesson with Sue. She taught us how to make paper cranes again and we taught her about the Plan of Salvation. She is still having troubles accepting one true church. We also got word that Sister Stiener and I will be staying together and I will get to finish my mission here in Morton. Hooray!!!!

On Sunday it was a pretty typical day. We talked with one of our potential investigators named Phil. I like him. He works at Kroger. He promised to read the Book of Mormon if we would tell him why he can't go in our temples. So that's exciting.

And that's been my week! 

Love,

Sister Corbett

"Why doesn't everyone want to read the part 3?!?!"

This week was a good one! We have been staying pretty busy!

We taught a student we met when we set up a booth at the College and he is actually from Kankakee! So hes a cool guy. We taught him the restoration and he understood it very well. He said how "if Joseph Smith really saw Jesus Christ in 1820 then Why is everyone still fighting? The debate should be over!" When we talked about the Book of Mormon he said "Why doesn't everyone want to read Part 3!?" I don't know Le'anthony. I really don't know. 

We also taught Sue Teegarden again. I can't remember If I mentioned her before. We found her tracting. She is so sweet and is interested in the Book of Mormon! She has a pretty short attention span, but she is really fun to teach. She was planning on coming to church yesterday. But the snow ruins everything. Anyway, we had a pretty good lesson with her were we went over parts of the restoration again. She has trouble accepting that there could be only one true church, but she will come around. She gave us some homemade bread and granola. It was delicious.

The work continues to move forward! I love you all!

- Sister Hannah Corbett

 

Come unto Him

I have studied the sacrament a lot on my mission. And yesterday during my Personal Study all of my studies were coming together and connecting and I wrote up. Its slightly dramatic, But I really do love the Sacrament. 

Have you ever felt like your soul was empty?
It's a feeling we all have probably felt,  but it can be hard to describe.
You feel as though you have no value
As though you're starving and needing nourishment
As though your soul has become Completely barren.

Maybe you've gained the whole world but your soul is soul is still empty.
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt 16:26)

You feel as though you're in a dream.
You eat, but when you awake, your soul is completely empty;
"...Or like unto a thirsty man which dreameth, and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite" (2 Nephi 27:3)

You've been wandering off in strange pastures but the Shepherd has called after you and is still calling after you (Alma 5:37-38)
For the worth of souls is great in the sight of God (D&C 18:10)

So come unto him.
With your broken heart and your broken soul and be filled.

Eat and Drink of the Bread and Waters of Life Freely (Alma 5:34)
He has blessed and Sanctified this bread and water for YOUR Soul (Moroni 4:3)

Come unto Him
"It matters not what may befall,
What threat’ning hand hangs over you;
He is your rampart through it all,
Your refuge from your enemy.
Come unto him all ye depressed,
Ye erring souls whose eyes are dim,
Ye weary ones who long for rest.
Come unto him! Come unto him!" (Hymn 114)

And now the Preist bows his head
And breaks the sacred Bread
And now we take the Sacrament
"And silently we pray
For courage to accept thy will,
To listen and obey.
We love thee, Lord;
 our hearts are full.
We’ll walk thy chosen way." (Hymn 169)

I ponder over when the lord instituted the Sacrament
"He instructed and prepared the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for His dearest friends as a remembrance of His coming sacrifice. It was so impressively portrayed to me—the overwhelming love of the Savior for each. I witnessed His thoughtful concern for significant details—the washing of the dusty feet of each Apostle, His breaking and blessing of the loaf of dark bread and blessing of the wine, then His dreadful disclosure that one would betray Him." (The Sacrament and the Sacrifice, David B. Haight)

"He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth." (The Living Christ:The Testimony of the Apostles)

So I came unto him,
And I partook of the Bread and the Water
Just a small portion of bread
And a tiny cup of water.
But, "It filled my soul with exceedingly great joy"! (1 Nephi 8:12)
"He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh." (2 Nephi 4:21)

I no longer felt empty,
Like I contained nothing,
Or as though I had no value.
I no longer felt as if I was starving and needed nourishment
But I feel as though my "Soul doth Magnify the Lord" (Luke 1:46)

Pictures:

1. There has been a lot of road kill lately. And its been troublesome for Sister Steiner. Not sure what this one was... 

Also here's a short story from this week -We contacted a man and after we said Hi all he he said back was "There's a dead Coyote right there." 

And there actually was. 

He was trapping them. 

There was also a leg from some poor creature... not sure where that one came from, because the other guy had all four.... 

2. We volunteer here every week and I love it 

3&4. Classy China Case + Classy people = Classy picture