November 21, 2011

Thank you so very much for writing me, I really enjoyed this email a bunch. That quote you sent me is fantastic. I always remember that you told me that when you got discouraged on your mission. I even told my mission President about that. I think about it every time I get discouraged and I just go to work. Even when I don't feel like it i just force myself. It makes me stronger and I can see that it does just off this week alone. Sounds to me that Riley is getting prepared for this week huh. Tell him to just go for it. I am glad to hear that Red Fox is doing great, keep it going strong. Looks like a good thanksgiving week you got ahead. Make the best of it and don't worry about me Ill have a great meal for thankgiving. I cannot wait for the Christmas present. I have been antispating this present since the moment I thought of It. Well here is my week for you...

It definitely has been a rewarding week and I have seen the blessings from the opposition in the previous week. I am grateful for the lessons I have learned and I know that the Lord is shaping me and developing me to be the person he wants me to be. So I will continue to do my best to submit to his will.
First off, some sad news but it had to be done. We have dropped Lynne and in a way she dropped us as well. From what we know about her from the teaching record and the members in the ward, she has been taught by numerous missionaries and has struggles to commit to baptism. We have, however, made the most progression with her and have seen much improvement from when Elder Hill and I have begun teaching her. Her progression came from us being persistent with the commitments we gave her. She does have a testimony but her biggest concern is that she is hesitant to act on that testimony. She said she wants to give it some time from when we teach her again and I am almost one hundred percent sure that she will be back. Right now is a difficult time for her because the council is coming to check her house tomorrow and it may result in a possible eviction. That might be what she needs after all. We continue to pray for her and want to be there when she needs us.
I also wanted to say how much I appreciate my companion. Elder Hill is so great and I am so glad to serve with him. We get along extremely well and we both have a strong desire to find, teach and baptise. He sets a great example for me also and helps me strive to be a better servant for the Lord. I am so looking forward for this second transfer together.
We also had a great experience and met a man who I would say is prepared to hear the message of the restoration. We met this man through tracting and he let us in to his home. His name is Paul. He has had a rough year and a lot has happened in his life. His wife left him last Christmas and he has had some trouble with that and also he lost his job a few months after that. He is doing well and has managed to make his way through this trial with faith in Jesus Christ. We had a great lesson with him and he seemed very excited to hear about this great news of the restoration of the gospel. When we shared with him the fist vision, I recited Joseph's experience and after he gave me a compliment saying that I have a good voice for reading scriptures on a recording. I thought it was quite humorous at first but I realised that the Spirit was helping him really focus on what was being said and it touched his heart. Elder Hill and I are excited for the opportunities that await him.
This week will be good and I can see that this area is beginning to open up we have a few investigators that we want to really start to get them more involved and also a few potentials that just may come around the corner. I hope that you have a great week because I know I will. It is what you make of it. Tell everyone I say Hi!
I Love You, Elder Corbin

November 16, 2011

Thank you so much for emailing me. I also am glad to hear you had a great birthday, Red Lobster, just like last year. I am glad that Eston had a good talk, it is always good to har a return missionaries testimony. Keep comforting Grandma and send her my love. I am glad the ward likes my letters home. I hope that they inspire everyone who reads them. Riley is doing good with basketball, alright. I will continue to motivate him as much as I can. Now here i how my week has been...

 

It has been a humbling week for me and I also believe it was for Elder Hill. We had quite a few fallen appointments and many other things that got me discouraged. But it turned out to make me appreciate being on a mission and also made me realize how much desire I have for obtaining a baptism. I have been striving to speak with everyone that we get a chance to and my motivation is just increasing. I am grateful for this experience this past week and I will hold on to this drive for as long as I can. As I work with diligence I know the Lord will bless us.

Lynne Kent. She is making definite progress but her only concern is that she must refrain from coffee. Also she has a problem with the tidiness of her home and she has a large amount of clutter all throughout her house. This also may result in a possible eviction. We pray for her each and every day. She has a testimony and I am sure of that. 

Next is Damion, who is twenty-four and has a search for happiness in his life. We had a great lesson with him last week and we helped him understand what will bring him happiness and what he desires in life. We read with him in the Book of Mormon about Lehi's dream and the tree of life. He really imagined himself in that dream and then pictured where he would be and he claims to be in the darkness with no direction. We explained to him that by reading the Scriptures you can grab hold of the Iron Rod. He now understands the importance of the scriptures. It was such a spiritual experience and I am grateful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

I really enjoyed last weeks Sports Day. It was a great time to develop relationships with other missionaries and I feel closer as a mission in a whole. One thing I really enjoyed was how Elder Herrin and Elder Smith were there, who I spent the MTC in Provo with. When we saw each other at the first of the day, it felt like we were Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah who had gone to their missions and met up again. It was good to see them and to recognize that we are still "brethren in the Lord" Alma 17:2

This past week I have had a study on the topic of knowledge. A little story first, Elder Hill and I were walking one night and we were playing a game where you say an object and the other compares it to the gospel. I was given an object of a brick, so I compared it to knowledge and how we can continue to learn of the scriptures more and more, we place brick by brick and then before you know it you have a wall of knowledge about the scriptures. I then included that in my study journal and compared it to the Brother of Jared and how his faith was build so strong that it was knowledge. He had so much knowledge of the gospel that the veil could not hold and he was able to see Jesus. I asked myself, Is my wall of knowledge as strong as the Brother of Jared's? I don't think so, so I will continue to learn more each day and build up that was so that nothing will knock it down.

Hope you have a great week and I am excited for this new transfer.

I love You, Elder Tucker Corbin

Pictures

a member got us dominoes for dinner. Yess. Someone else is getting us burger king. I would get that american style food more often but it is redictulously pricey

My exchange with elder Ashcraft. I like this one because it looks like we are being translated. I had a service project that day so I was dressed like that. that was just before we exchanged back.

The three muskateers, thats what we have devoloped our name as. This is the original three from provo. we are at sports day. The one in the Jazz shirt is Elder Herrin and the other is Elder Smith.

November 7, 2011

Thank you so much for emailing me, I really appreciate it. Riley is getting ready for the season, time to go get 'em. Time absolutely has just gone. Two years ago I began the senior season. Wow, where has it gone. It is so weird to think about but time just happens and there is no stopping it. I am so glad to hear about Brandon and Chads mission call. Spanish speaking mission too, good for them. That would be so great to have them in the MTC. They are going to love it there. Tell them to just enjoy it while you have it because once you leave it you will begin to appreciate it more. I enjoyed the days in the MTC, so many memories. Keep taking care of grandma, she is such a strong person. The Lord is blessing her for what she has accomplished in her life. Tell her I love her and miss her. Thanks for the encouraging words about what Elder Maxwell stated. I can use that when I talk to people. Most people see God in the image of a super hero and think that he will save the world from danger. So they chose not to believe in him. I declare repentance to all of them.

 

 It has been a fabulous week and I have really enjoyed it much. This week while teaching Lynne, we were able to teach her Tithing and Fast offerings which was also the last of all the commandments and she understands them well. The only thing that is holding her back now is the Word of Wisdom and we have done what we can and we will continue to do our best. It is coffee that is that problem. We have given her a blessing to overcome it and we will continue to meet with her to motivate her to keep the Word of Wisdom. I feel she is ready for baptism and I know she has a testimony of the restored gospel. We will continue to help her and with the help of the members she will do alright.

 

I had the great privilege to go on an exchange with Elder Ashcraft. I think that it was probably my favorite exchange I have had. I really developed a greater friendship with him and I know that is important to have. We had some great experiences, one is it had rained on us when we were riding on the bikes and I believe we were soaked beyond imaginable. We were wet for the rest of the day. Because of that opposition, we were able to find two new investigators as a result. There is opposition in all things and I have a testimony of that. One of the investigators is names Nisha, she was so receptive to the spirit an I was so grateful we met her. She also was so excited about the message she wanted to share her friends and family. Next was Nina, who said to us that meeting us was no coincidence and has the urge to read the Book of Mormon and learn more for herself. I am grateful for these great people and we will do the best we can to bring them closer to Christ.

This weeks weekly focus for the zone was so much fun. It was called awkward finding. The object of the focus was to identify who to find for that day and keep account of them. For instance, we were looking for people who were on phones one day and the next we were looking for people who worked for the council. It made finding fun and I am grateful for that experience. It motivates me to work hard while enjoying what you do.

 

Tomorrow is sports day and I am so excited for that. I will be able to play proper sports for the first time in five months (the last sports day). Yes! It will be a fun experience. I also have a great week looking ahead and some great potential investigators to follow up with. In fact there is a great opportunity to teach tonight. And its a family! This is the fifth week of the transfer, so fast isn't it. So you'll get an email from me in a week and a half. 

Well have a great week and I belive it is your birthday this week too. So have a happy happy birthday

Love you, Elder Tucker Corbin

October 31, 2011

I absolutely loved this email, it just fired me up. I have been thinking about how fast time has been and I realize how much time I have left and it is nothing. If time keeps moving the way it is now then I don't have that much time at all. Rumor has it that it keeps getting faster. So it motivates me to work even more diligently. That is great that Eston made it home, I had been thinking about that and when he was getting home. Tell him I say hi, and congratulations. So Riley is doing great then, putting on some weight too. Tell him to stretch out more and maybe he can pick up a few more inches. Thanks for that insight on that scripture, it really gets me thinking and opens up a great new way to help others understand about how there is a prophet on the earth today. Also tell Lindsay I said congratulations on her new baby girl.

 

I got my package from Mom, Thank you so very much. I will have warm hands for the winter. It has been pretty nice this month so far and I am glad everything is not frozen yet. Keep praying for me that I don't freeze out here.

Lynne is doing great. She is showing strong faith and is committed to giving up coffee. She is coming to church regularly now and she says she enjoys it. Just on Thursday, we invited her to a Family Home Evening at a members home and we focused it on the great apostasy and why it was important for a restoration. She has mentioned ever since that lesson we had, she feels more committed to being baptized. I think that she is really coming on strong with a true desire to follow Jesus Christ's example.
I have also gotten close with a family, on a particular note, that any missionary can't get with any other family. I also believe that is why the Lord has placed me here in Telford. There is a family in the ward that is going through a divorce and I can really relate to them and especially for the kids who are very similar to the age Riley and I were when our family separated. I was able to help them understand how they will be able to get through the difficult times and I told them that they will always have each other no matter what. Also that it will be a trial of faith and by living the commandments we are able to find true happiness. This affects one particular family member who is planning to go or not go on a mission. I want to help them to make the right decisions.
This all began because of the great Zone Conference we had. By identifying our desires and setting goals to receive revelation on what we can do to better our work in the area, we figured that we must motivate those to prepare to go on missions. It was amazing how it all worked out because now I am able to relate with this particular young man and motivate him to go on a mission. He said he is willing to come out with us to teach and help out in any way possible. 
Well I hope you have a good Halloween and also a great week. Its Guy Fauks night this Saturday so we wont be out that much because of potential dangers. It is basically a crazy day when everyone goes out of control with fireworks. UK holiday. Take good care
Love Elder Corbin

October 24, 2011

It is so good to hear from you, thank you so much for emailing me. I have had a great week. I really like the words you wrote about how I am a child of God and it makes me think about how I can reach my full potential. I then think about life before this and how I want to become like my Father in Heaven as he wants me to have all that he has. We are all on a remarkable journey and we must do the best we can to keep the commandments. That fireside sounds like it was really fun. I would have enjoyed that. Riley is just eating like an animal now, how tall is he now? bigger than me? Well this is how my week went...

 

Time just seems to keep going and it is a weird feeling. Yesterday was the eight month mark and it is hard to believe that its been that long already. I have had some great experiences this week. One, was one of the more spiritual experiences on my mission thus far. We met a young man by the name of Tom. We talked to him at the end of a contacting session and just before we were about to take the ride home for dinner. We were able to teach him on the spot at a park picnic table and the lesson was fantastic. At the end we asked him to pray to close the meeting and he said "sure what do I do?". We told him how to pray and that he could pray if the Book of Mormon was true. So he said "I can do that right now and I will get an answer." we said "Yeah, you can" with confidence that he will get his answer. After he prayed he immediately said "Wow, I can feel something right here" as he touched his heart. We each sat there for a good minute or two just feeling the spirit and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Later that evening he gave us a call and wanted to make sure what time church was on Sunday and also informed us that he was bringing his friend. Truly an amazing experience.

I hate to let the great story be diminished, but we gave Tom a call on Saturday to follow up and we can't get a hold of him. We have been praying for him and we hope he will continue to read and always remember the way he felt that Friday evening. It was a great experience for Elder Hill and I and it really boosted our spirits. I am grateful for that experience all together.

I also had an exchange with Elder Nielson this week and I learned so much from him. Most particularly about missionary work on a bicycle. He showed me some great shortcuts and ways to get around quicker and using the road instead of the sidewalk at times when most convenient. I also had a great time talking about Rossendale Valley because he served there also. We talked about all the people we taught and good experiences we had. I truly feel closer to my district leader because of that exchange.

Lynne is doing very well. She is continuing to progress and we have taught her several times this past week. The members were a big help for her also. She has continued praying and feels comfortable when she is at church because her daughter has been there for her the whole time. I am really happy for her progression especially from where she has been in the past few months according to the teaching record.

I have been thinking about what I wanted for Christmas and I am so glad you asked. I would love it if you can send me a photo album of the whole family and many pictures of all of you including cousins and friends. You don't all have to be in the same picture but I just want pictures of everyone. The photo album doesn't have to be big either, like thirty pictures that I can flip through and that way I can have recent photos of the family and also so I can show other missionaries and members I serve around. You can also send me whatever you want.

 

Well I hope you have a great week and I'll talk to you next time.

 

Love Elder Tucker Corbin