Copy of Church Newsletter Article

I have been remiss in updating Ben's blog on a regular basis and with Christmas upon us I decided to post the most recent article I submitted to our church newsletter.

When we last left Elder Corbett back in October he had just been made senior companion and given a “verdecito” to train. Soon thereafter, we received a nice letter from his mission president and his wife, President and Sister Olsen, in which they informed us of this new assignment and noted, “Training a new missionary is a very sacred responsibility. The Lord and we are confident that Elder Corbett is prepared.”

Elder Corbett has been challenged by this new assignment as his companion’s Spanish is limited and he is quite shy. He noted that initially he was having to do the bulk of the teaching, but since then his companion has made good progress. And they have been working hard and right from the beginning. Benjamin noted that his companion got two huge blisters on his feet after the first week there.

One inspiring experience they had during the first weeks was an immediate answer to their prayers. Benjamin indicates that “This morning before we left we decided to pray specifically for a man who was married, humble and willing to go to church. An hour into proselyting we found a man who I first walked past, but feeling like I needed to talk to him, I turned around. He ended up being really interested, well-off, and educated. We asked him if he would go to church and he said he would. An answer to our prayers. Even if he doesn’t go to church this Sunday, I know it was an answer to our prayers. We felt so great afterwards!”

One of the highlights in November was the baptism of the Luna family. You may recall that Elder Corbett and his companion helped the couple get married in October. Well they and their 14 year old daughter were finally baptized and a week later the father received the Aaronic Priesthood and passed the sacrament. Benjamin also reported that one sister that he baptized back in October, gave her first talk in Sacrament meeting and did an excellent job. He was very proud of her.

Another special experience in November was meeting a young woman who was introduced to them by some members. He reported, “We had an awesome lesson with Mariela. It was really spiritual. We taught about the gospel of Jesus Christ in the house of a member family.” A few days later Mariela introduced them to her boyfriend and they gave him the first lesson. Benjamin notes that it was great as Mariela helped them teach it and bore her testimony that she knew it was true. He concluded by writing that at the end of that day, “We got home happy for the hard work we had done during the past week!”

They have had the chance to do service for members and non-members alike. They have generally been helping people with their large farm gardens and he and his companions have been learning good farming techniques.. Most recently Ben reported, "Today we went to do some service for the boss of one of the members. She asked if we could come by to sacar some yuyo..or take out weeds. Well we showed up and instead of some yuyo..it was more of a forest! It was massive. With the four of us we got hacked, and racked, and pulled out all the weeds. A 3 and a half hour project! There were huge ants, spiders, and beetles everrrrrywhere!"

Elder Corbett continues to have interesting experiences in which he learns more about the way of life of the people in Deán Funes. For example, “ We have been working with a couple of inactive families trying to get them to come back.. One of them is the Family Arrieta. Today we went to their house and they were boiling lamb heads. We tried some; the tongue. It was really good. At least I liked it. I think Elder Bushnell was pretty grossed out. Just the thought of eating tongue.”

(DISCLAIMER: The following pictures are graphic and may cause you to lose your appetite or if you are currently eating may cause you to lose your lunch! Don't say we didn't try to warn you! It's more than I got! -Elizabeth)

Before:

Cooking:

Final Product: YUM YUM!

Benjamin has found the zone conferences that they have every 6 weeks to be a source of great inspiration and knowledge. He reported that in one conference last month the mission president spoke much about the power of the Book of Mormon and how they needed to use it more. At that conference they received a new “folleto”(pamphlet) to help them explain to their investigators what it is. And in their most recent one President Olsen dressed up as Santa Claus and his wife as his chief elf, and they handed out a gift to each missionary, shorts(basketball?) with the mission logo on it.

The weather has been quite warm as it is getting closer to summer. One day it hit 107 and Benjamin observed that “It was so hot my sweat was sweating! [And} I’m losing weight; the fat just sweats right off!” But the temperature does vary, with several days in the 90’s followed by a number in the 70’s.

On December 1st Benjamin celebrated his 20th birthday(“You’re not a teen anymore! Or was the title of that oldie but goody “You’re not a kid anymore”?). Two member families had him over for a nice dinner with a birthday cake and then at the end of the day the other missionary companions surprised him with a cake and decorations. Then, a couple of days later at a zone conference, all the missionaries sang “Happy Birthday” to him and Sister Olsen gave him a brownie. Benjamin said it only could have been better if his family and friends had been there.

This past week the Corbett family was thrilled to receive a Christmas package from Benjamin. He sent us a nice letter along with a variety of snack food that is popular in Argentina. For example, a container of dulce de leche(caramel), which is something that Argentines love to use with cakes, cookies, etc. He sent us a few “alfajores”, very typical cookies, which consist of two round sweet wafers or cake joined together with dulce de leche or jam and covered with powered sugar or chocolate frosting. It is kind of like a “Moon Pie” . He also sent us a snack pack of Oreos, with dulce de leche filling(only in Argentina). He also sent some orange, lemon, grapefruit flavored Tang and a couple of bon bons(peanut butter crème filled chocolates). We were also glad to learn that he got the Christmas gifts that we had sent him about 4 weeks ago.

As Elder Corbett approaches his first Christmas in the mission field he certainly misses his family and friends, but he is feeling the true Spirit of Christmas. He has indicated that they have four investigators, the brother of Brother Luna(mentioned above) and his wife and son, plus a woman, Adela, who are to be baptized the day after Christmas.

We want you to know that Elder Corbett truly appreciates the letters he has received from everyone.

Ben's 20th Birthday

Today is Ben's 20th Birthday! I just wanted to write a quick something about Ben! He is such a fun guy! He loves soccer and people. Ben is friendly with everyone that he meets! He makes friends no matter where he is and is liked by all! He is loyal to his family and dedicated to finishing his goals. Benjamin has been doing really well on his mission and is putting his whole effort into doing the best job that he can! Argentina is lucky to have him! But they cannot keep him! They will have to give him back in February of 2011 or around then! :)

It is snowing here in Lubbock today! The first snow of the winter, just in time for Ben's Birthday! The big 20! Hope they are celebrating with him there! He said that he didn't have any specific plans, just to find, teach and baptize! Happy Birthday Benjamin! Have a great day!

Latest Photos!

I am sad that I cannot update this blog more often, but I'm so glad that Dad has taken on the role of writer and I can help by uploading the pics! I have been extremely busy with school! I will say that reading Ben's mail each week is a great treat! He is really enjoying his mission and I'm so thankful he is my brother! :) I love you Ben! Here are the much anticipated photos:


This is a picture of some of the members that attended the baptism of the Flia Luna Family


Ben and Elder Bushnell with the Flia Luna Family


Another Pic from the Flia Luna family baptism

The house in Dean Funes where Ben stays

Notice the tree in the background has fallen over. Ben says this is from a strong wind that came through! He must have felt like he never left Lubbock with wind like that! ;)

Here is their study area! See Mom's: your boys can keep their desks and rooms organized and clean! They just don't do it when you are looking! :)

A horse and buggy carriage.

The Basketball court. Ben thought it was interesting how the cement did not go all the way across, just around the goal posts.

More Asado!

This was a pic Ben sent in October that was never uploaded! It is of a BABY tarantula they found near their house! Blegh! It makes me shiver thinking about it!

Please if you get a minute write Ben a short note or send a Christmas card for the holidays! He loves to get mail! :) If you need the address it is posted to the right!

It's warming up in Argentina!!!!

I’ve either gotten busier or lazier lately since it has been 4 weeks since I last updated this blog.


In one of Ben’s recent messages he shared the following with us: “I miss you all so much!! I think about you all each week!!! [But] this work is the most important work that I could be doing!”

About 4 weeks ago Benjamin reported that a very important event took place for Argentina: the national soccer team qualified for the 2010 World Cup by beating their neighbor, Uruguay, 1-0!! Had they not won that final game of the qualifying round, they ran the risk of not playing in the World Cup for the first time in 40 years. Needless to say, that was good that they won since otherwise Argentineans would have been extremely down in the mouth for the next year.

However, the most exciting news this past month for Elder Corbett and his companion, Elder Bushnell, took place about a week ago. The Luna family, father, mother and their oldest daughter, got baptized(see photo). They have spent much time with this special family over the past 2 months. On one visit they made tacos for them which the Luna’s found delicious although quite spicy. As Benjamin informed us, Argentineans generally do not like spicy foods. Ben used a package of taco seasoning that his mom had mailed him.

Elder Corbett reports that they have been working very hard. About 4 weeks ago, the Mission President, President Olson, gave all the missionaries the challenge to work during the siesta period, 2:00 – 4:00. Benjamin observed that by doing so they have more time for “citas”(appointments) and invitations, but, since his companion’s Spanish isn’t that strong, he must do most of the talking and that it can get tiring. On the other hand, he reports that his Spanish has improved considerably since arriving in Argentina. In his own words, “I feel like I can understand almost everyone now...still I don’t know all the vocab but I can put everything together.”

Benjamin has reported that the weather is, to use his own words, “HOT HOT HOT! It is so hot that my sweat is sweating.” It is also quite windy with dust. It really sounds a lot like West Texas weather. Especially with the ups and downs with the temperature. For example, one day it might be 107 and then the next drop 30 degrees, then back up to the 90’s. The day of the Luna’s baptism they only had cold water to fill the font, but it worked out okay since it was so hot that day.

One new experience Benjamin has had in Deán Funes is with “quintas”, what they call farm gardens in Argentina. He notes that the one that a member family has is “huge” and they grow lettuce, tomatoes, and all sorts of vegetables. Benjamin and his companion have learned how they plant and water and have even helped out a couple of times. The members have been nice enough to share some of their fresh produce with the missionaries.

For the first time Benjamin shared with us a comment on the economic conditions in Argentina. One morning they saw two poor kids digging through their trash. They went outside to see what they needed and found that they had gotten an old bag of food the missionaries had thrown out. Benjamin observed, “I can’t believe the poverty here!” However, they also had found a copy of the Friend(el Amigo), the Church magazine for children, so they were going to be fed spiritually as well as physically.

He reports that about two weeks ago they finally received a DVD with General Conference in Spanish and watched it in church. The branch president some how also got a copy of the last session in English and invited the missionaries over to watch it. This was Benjamin’s comment:
“ELDER HOLLAND is amazing. Such a powerful talk on the Book of Mormon! Also one of the missionaries here, his dad talked . Elder Ringwood of the 70.”

Well, that’s all for now! Be sure to look at the photos that he sent recently, which his sister Elizabeth is going to post.

NEW COMPANION FINALLY ARRIVED FROM U.S.

Elder Corbett with his new companion, Elder Bushnell, and
President and Sister Olsen



Mr. and Mrs. Luna(right center) signing marriage document.


How time flies! Once again it has been three weeks since I last gave you an update on Benjamin’s comings and goings in Argentina and much has happened!

Well, about two weeks ago Benjamin was thrilled to travel to the mission home in the city of Córdoba to pick up his new companion, Elder Bushnell, from Ogden, Utah(see above photo).. After waiting 4 weeks to get his visa, he was finally there. He had spent a week or so doing missionary work in Chicago while waiting for his visa. Benjamin noted that as he observed the president talking to the new missionaries about why theirs was the best mission, it seemed as though it was just yesterday that he had been in their shoes. Benjamin recently noted that they are getting along really well that “Elder Bushnell is a great missionary, just a bit shy and not yet confident with his Spanish.” He concluded by noting: “I can tell I am going to learn a lot this transfer as I help him learn missionary work [and]…we are going to see a lot of miracles as we are obedient and faithful. I can’t wait.”

Probably the best experience Benjamin has had recently is with the Luna family, which is related to some members in their branch. He told us of one special teaching moment that he and his companion had with them. After having taught them the lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they had a prayer and then asked everyone to take 30 seconds to just sit and think about what they had learned and felt. Afterwards the father looked up and said “I know that it is true. … Each time I feel it more and more.” Benjamin noted that it was so “awesome” and that the Spirit was really strong. About two weeks ago, he and his former companion, Elder Jeppson helped the parents get married. They had been living together for 14 years in a relationship that is referred to as “common law” marriage. Benjamin and his companion helped them get their papers together and to set the appointment with the justice of the peace. Benjamin noted that it was great to see them make this important step in their lives(See above photo). Right after the marriage Benjamin and his companion helped them make empanadas for the party they had to celebrate this special event.. Benjamin also noted that they brought the family some banana bread, something that they seem to do for the members and investigators on a fairly regular basis. It is their hope and prayer that the Luna family will continue to progress and that they will be baptized in the near future.

In a letter that we recently received from him he shared with us a bit about what life is like for him and his companions there in Deán Funes. He noted that “We don’t really do groceries. We eat lunch with members[the biggest meal of the day in Argentina] and at night we sometimes order [out]. Delivery is free. For breakfast we eat bananas or bread. The food here is pretty basic, not too much variety, but it is delicious. Pasta, meat, potatoes, rice and bread are the basics.” As far as the weather, well it is now springtime in Argentina and Benjamin notes that the weather is quite changeable with some days cold(50’s) and others pretty hot(90’s). It is also quite windy and they have had a couple of dust storms, which, naturally, reminds him of West Texas. He noted that Deán Funes “is a quite ‘pueblo’ of about 22,000. Most people know each other and you can walk from one side ..to the other in 30 minutes.”. He also mentioned that some people ride through town in little horse-drawn buggies(carriages).

We want you to know that Benjamin truly appreciates the letters he has received from family and friends!

NEW COMPANION STILL DELAYED WITH VISA PROBLEMS

Well, about 3 weeks have passed since our last update and Benjamin continues to wait for the arrival of his companion from the MTC. The delay has been due to a problem getting his visa. The latest word that Benjamin received from the mission president is that he will arrive the first week of October.

But it’s not like Benjamin has been on his own and sitting around twiddling his thumbs! He has had a very good companion, Elder Jeppson(see photo), who is also awaiting the arrival of a companion from Utah. And they have been working very hard. They have found a number of people with interest in listening to the message of the restored gospel. One family, the Lunas, is the owner of the little pet you see in one of the new photos. Yes, it is an armadillo, a critter that we here in Texas definitely are familiar with. Ben has indicated that the Lunas want to be baptized and that he and his companion are going to help the parents get married next week.

Ben reported that he had the chance to eat something that he had never eaten before, “queso de pata de vaca”(Cow foot cheese). I want to share with you his own words to describe the experience. “The member cut me a slice and just smiled. I didn’t find out what it was until after I ate it. It’s a mixture of vegetables in a rubber form. They take the leg of a cow and chop it up and mix in vegetables. It makes this rubbery gelatin full of vegetables. It didn’t have a weird taste , it was just weird eating rubber. It’s a food that most people eat that are from the campo(country)…but that I hope I don’t have to eat again.”

Please remember to drop Benjamin a line. He loves to hear from family and friends!!!!


Cute little pet!???


Elder Jeppson and Elder Corbett

Love that "bife"!

It's a dog's life!

A beautiful Deán Funes sunset.

A colonial Catholic church in Deán Funes.

BEN REACHED THE SIX MONTH MARK!!!!

I’ll now report on a few things that have taken place during these past 6 weeks since his arrival in Deán Funes. In our previous updates we told you a bit about his his new companion, Elder Davis, and how he was known for being an enthusiastic, hard worker, and that he only had 5 weeks left before going home. Well, to say that Elder Corbett and Elder Davis, worked extremely hard is an understatement! Benjamin reported that their first week they found 19 new people to teach and taught about 64 lessons. . In his own words, it was the best week of his mission so far(although he added that every night when he goes to sleep it seems that the alarm goes off 5 minutes later). Needless to say, he and his companion got along very well and felt the Spirit of this great work during their time together.

Besides teaching people the gospel, Benjamin and his companion also had the chance to do some cooking. He reported that about three weeks ago they fixed a Mexican taco dinner for one of the families that they were teaching. The family had never even heard of tacos before. Benjamin reported that the tacos were very good and that he made some banana bread for dessert.

They also had some “interesting” experiences. Like about 2 weeks ago Benjamin said they had a very windy day. Later that day when they went to visit the home of a Church member he saw his name tag lying on the table. He said he was a little confused on how it had gotten there until she told him that a girl found it lying in the street and brought it to the house knowing that she was a member. It had blown off in the wind and he didn’t even notice. Some wind!


On August 24th Benjamin’s companion. Elder Davis, completed his mission and returned to the U.S. Benjamin was sad to see him go as they had grown quite close during the past month as they worked together in the service of the Lord. They were thrilled that on the 22nd two of the people that they had been teaching, a mother and her teenage daughter, decided to get baptized(See photo)

AND, on August 25th Benjamin reached the 6 month-mark of his mission! He reported that to commemorate the event, he burned one of this ties, as is the tradition in his mission.

Since transfers didn’t take place until September 1st, Benjamin worked one week with a young man from the Church who wanted to have a “mini-mission” experience. Although Benjamin was quite apprehensive about being the companion in charge of directing their efforts and not having great fluency with Spanish, the week went quite well, and they are teaching this woman who wants to be baptized later this month. However, he noted that he basically had to do everything, planning, contacting and teaching, and, in his own words, has concluded that “learning how to lead is a lot harder than learning how to follow!”

Then when transfers came, Benjamin got some very surprising news: His new companion was going to be a new missionary coming from the Missionary Training Center in Utah. In other words, Benjamin had been made “senior” companion after only 3 ½ months in Argentina and was going to be asked to be a trainer. However, since this new missionary isn’t going to be able to get his visa for another two weeks, Benjamin is now working with a missionary with only 6 weeks more experience than he has. Some pictures are found below.

Elder Davis and Ben in the capital of Cordoba-Guns Up! :)

Contreras Family- Go Tech! :)

Ben helping cook! Looks good!

Pollo Al Disco con Jose

Contreras Family Baptism

Deán Funes - One Week and Pictures!

Ben and Elder Maw hiked this mountain on his last day in Merlo. He said it took him two hours.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about Deán Funes, the city Ben just transferred to:

Deán Funes is a city in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 20,164 inhabitants per the 2001 census [INDEC], and is the head town of the Ischilín Department. It is the largest city in the northwest of the province. It lies by National Route 60, 118 km from the provincial capital Córdoba.
The settlement was founded as Villa de Deán Funes on 9 March 1875, when the Ferrocarril Central Norte from Córdoba reached the area. It received its name honouring Gregorio Funes, a writer and deacon of the Archdiocese of Córdoba who was a deputy to the Junta Grande after the May Revolution of 1810. It received a strong wave of immigration, chiefly made up of Spaniards, Italians, people from Arab countries, and Yugoslavians. The town was officially declared a city on 29 October 1929.
The city hosts the Northern Córdoba Tradition Festival annually on the first half of January.

Ben's new companion: Elder Davis

Elder Davis is from Holladay, Utah. He played defense in Soccer. He loves hunting and is the middle child of 7 children. Ben said he is a great missionary and leader. Ben is really excited about the transfer.

As we said, Ben transferred last week to Deán Funes. It's population is 24000. Ben said the people are really nice and listen to the Elders. He said they way they speak is very distinct: "Not an Italian Spanish accent, but more of a distinct change in tone when speaking." For those of you who know a little Spanish, he said the rr is pronounce shh. He loves it.

He lives in a larger pension than the last place. The pension is like their apartment. It used to be a church as opposed to living on top of the church building. He said it is nice condition and looks more like a house. Even though he says it's nice condition, Ben has found mouse poop in his bed and says they have huge spiders... I'm still waiting for the pictures of those! They live with another set of missionaries: Elder Basualdo and Elder Jeppson. Elder Basualdo is Spanish speaking and has been helping Ben with practicing his Spanish.

This building is just a cool building there:

Ben is so excited about his transfer. He loves his new companion and the prospects of the new city. He said their goal is to baptise a family this transfer. They have zone conference in Cordoba tomorrow.

Well I'll leave some of it for him to tell you when you write him! Task to the readers of this blog: Stop for 10 minutes and write Ben a letter! He would love to hear from you!

I'll leave you with some final words from Ben's letter, it is sooo Ben! :)

Saludos to the barrio..... Elder Corbett

Surprise, Surprise!! Benjamin got transferred!

Well, was Benjamin ever surprised when he got a phone call on Sunday(July 19th) to let him know that he was being transferred to Deán Funes in the province of Córdoba. He and his companion, Elder Maw, had understood that Elder Maw would get moved, since he had been in Merlo 6 weeks longer. So Ben boarded a bus at 200am on Monday(July 19th) and after about 12 hours arrived at his new assignment. His companion is Elder Davis, who has been serving as an assistant to President Olsen, and this will be his last transfer. Ben is very excited to serve with him as he has been a good leader and a hard worker(and also likes to play soccer). The two of them are living in a boarding house with two other missionaries, one of which is from Perú. So Ben is happy that he will get more practice with Spanish.

Benjamin's first baptisms!

These past few weeks Benjamin and his companion have been quite busy teaching the gospel to a number of people who seem to be quite interested. And the biggest and best news is that they had their first baptisms: Susana, and her daughter, Jessica decided to get baptized on July 4th(See foto). Ben described it as an extremely exciting experience for all involved and noted that he and his companion sang a duet. He also reported that it took most of the day as he and his companion had to clean the church and also fill and empty the portable baptismal font. Filling it took about 3 hours and required them to get a neighbor to allow them to use his hot water via a long hose. And they had to empty it with buckets(See fotos).

Although this may not be the first time for Ben, some members recently served them an Italian-Argentine dish, ñoquis, potato pasta, which he describes as. "ohhhh so goood. but soooo filling"(See foto). And on Father's day, Benjamin and his companion gave all the fathers a piece of banana bread that they themselves had cooked.

A couple of weeks ago the missionaries had a zone conference so Benjamin and his companion had to take a 5 hour bus drive over to Córdoba. He said it was an inspiring conference and noted that he was glad to have a number of letters delivered to him from the States.

We were a bit concerned to learn that the flu has hit Argentina quite hard, including the swine strain. Ben noted that some members in Merlo have come down with it. Please say a little prayer that he and his companion will stay well.

The area in their church building where the font was set up.



The font being filled with cold water; the hot water had to be "hosed in" from a neighbor's house. The process took several hours.



Ben with Susana and her daughter and Elder Maw. Ben's first baptism in Merlo.



It took an hour to empty the font by using buckets.




Fried Bananas, Eggs, bread, and ?

Ñoquis(potato pasta)

The Beautiful Sunrise in Merlo:

Merlo until September!

Recently Ben wrote saying they were going to the city for transfers. When he wrote again he told us that he and his companion had not been transferred. He also told us that he will probably be there until September. He said that Elders usually stay in Merlo for three transfers. He is excited! He loves the people of Merlo as well as his companion.


Here is Ben in front of the Branch Building. He lives in a little apartment on top of the building.

It looks like this may be the mode of transportation for some. What a beautiful horse!
The scenery in Merlo is beautiful. Here is Ben in front of one of the many waterfalls.

Ben is even venturing to try new foods. This is a rather appetizing picture of cow intestines they prepared and ate.

I'm not sure if he knew what he was getting into. :) I love his face in this pic! I remember when he would be picky at home, I can't believe he at this!

May 25th is a holiday in Argentina. I think this is some of the food they cooked and ate as part of the celebration!

Ben even made friends with the local dinosaur!

Another beautiful waterfall!

Another great view of Merlo! :)

I will try to update again soon! Until then please write Ben! He looks forward to mail and I don't think he has had much to open lately! His address is posted on the right. He says the Gay Lussac address is the best to reach him at! Also you can write to him using www.dearelder.com if that is easier. But don't forget to actually send him something every once and awhile! :)

Merlo and other Argentinian Stuff

Ben recently sent some pictures of Merlo and his room there:

Elder Corbett says that he is getting used to different foods and treats in Argentina. Some of the treats down there are boiled milk with honey and sugar, alfajores-a huge selection of moon pie-like desserts they sell everywhere, and dulce de leche - its like caramel (he says they use it on everything). He says they eat a lot of pasta down there also.

ALFAJORES:

SUNSET IN ARGENTINA:

Ben says their bathroom is kind of small and the shower doesn't have a ledge so the water runs all over the bathroom and the room they live in. His companion Elder Maw from Utah has made a makeshift water bag ledge to keep the water in.

The Bathroom:


Notice a soccer ball in the room. It is definately Ben's room! :)

Elder Corbett's Room:

A view of the neighborhood:

I don't know if you can see the dog in the bottom of this next picture, but Ben says that there are a lot of dogs roaming around because they don't neuter their pets down there.

Another building and view of the mountains:

Hope you have enjoyed the pictures! Have a good week!