Monday, August 25, 2014

Email from August 25th

This week was pretty low key. A lot of meeting with members and teaching them the lessons to get referrals.  Still got no referrals... Oh well. At least were trying, right?  We did have a lot of service to do this week also.  One of our members is moving so were helping him out.  Then the exciting part was the baptism!  A---- got baptized! He asked me to baptize him, and it was a super cool experience! I loved it!  

We met with J---- C---- this week.  One of our less actives.  He's super cool!  We've met with him a couple times, and I guess he never really knew about the word of wisdom, but he agreed to live it! It was awesome! We met a guy on the metro who was like, "are you guys Mormons?!  Wow!  I've never seen Mormons before!"  We're meeting with him tonight, so hopefully all turns out well with him.  His name is K----.  Other than that it's been a
really laid back week.

I love you!!

Elder Sorensen

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Email from August 18th

Week 10: Nothing Like a Couple Miracles to Pick You Up

This was certainly the craziest week I've had out here this far. Obviously, baptism!!!!  That was so awesome!  It was great to see J-- have his work pay off in the way of baptism!  And he gets confirmed next week too!  So many of the ward members came to his baptism! I was so glad everyone supported him so much!  And a less active named A-- came and was totally supporting J-- and saying, “If you have questions come talk to me,” and all that sweet stuff!!  I think he might start coming more often now! :D

This week we did a lot of service for one of our ward members and recent converts, S---.  He is moving down to Florida soon, so we've been helping him pack up for the most part. But Friday we helped him go grocery shopping because he wanted help... So we did!  We drove with him a far distance and the whole way there his gas light was on.  The way back he was like, “Tell me if you see a gas station.  We need one.”  I just thinking, “Uhhmmmm yeah!  That's been on for who knows how long!”  So we were on the way back and out of the blue S-- just says ,"uh oh" so, I knew it was happening.  We were out of gas.  Then out of the jungle we just see a Shell fuel station on the right side of the highway, and we were already in the right lane so we turned in right as the car died!!!!  We had to push the car up the entrance and up to a pump, but ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?  SUCH A MIRACLE!!  We ran out of gas and then suddenly here's a gas station!  We were all in awe for the next hour at least.  I still can hardly believe how amazing that was!  S-- said if we weren't with him he probably wouldn't have been so fortunate.  So, blessings from The Lord for the win!!

Then that same night we went and met with K--.  He was a member growing up in California, and then moved out here and stopped going to church because he works on Sundays.  We have met with him a couple times and he's super nice and totally wants to come, but work is getting in the way.  We told him last time to talk to his boss about it, and he actually did it! His boss just kinda mumbled it off, but he's making an effort.  That's what counts.  He also asked us for a quad and we weren't able to get one to him this time, but we told him about the gospel library app and he was just like, oh I have a windows phone... And I was like " I had a windows phone at home!  It has gospel library!!"  So, maybe there's a reason I've liked windows better this whole time-- to help K--.  Plus apple sucks anyway.  (Don't judge me for the "sent from my iPad" tag at the bottom of this.  If I could've chosen I would've gotten a surface tablet.)

Anyway, we went on to teach him the first half of The Restoration because he's actually never heard the missionary lessons.  It was the time I've felt the spirit the strongest on my mission to date.  I can't even explain it.  After that lesson I was so happy and I couldn't stop talking about it and glorying in the power of God.  It was such an incredible day!  Nothing like a couple miracles to pick you up.  But seriously though, K-- is the most active inactive member I've met.  He is awesome. 

Another thing that happened this week is I went on exchanges with our district leader- Elder Lussier-Houle.  He is a French speaking missionary who came from Quebec so English is his second language.   We ended up going to all of their appointments so I learned how to pray in French.  I said the prayer 4 times so I'm basically fluent.  Anyway, I had a super good week, and A-- should be getting baptized next week!!  Super exciting stuff!!!

Love you guys!
Elder Sorensen


Elder Sorensen's first baptism


Monday, August 11, 2014

Email from August 11th

Week 9: Three Baptisms Ready to Go

We had a decent schedule lined up this past week.  Kinda low key the first half until in the middle of transfers we were meeting J--, the one who wants to get baptized ASAP. He sent us like 50 texts that said, “Hey!  I want to get baptized on Sunday! Let's do this!”  Unfortunately things were too quick for this Sunday, but we finished teaching him the last lesson yesterday, and now he just needs to have a baptismal interview. So, looks like my first baptism is Sunday.

CRAZY!

Drake, I'll try to wear my tie on the August 24th for your farewell, but I might be wearing all white that day because A-- is getting baptized that day!!  So awesome!  We met with him on Wednesday night and he told us he prayed and knew the Book of Mormon was true and wanted to be baptized as soon as he could. We started setting a date, and Sister Koehler was like, “Does September sound good?”  And he said, “Well what about August?”  So his baptism should be the 24th!

And then C-- is talking to her brother today about her getting baptized! She's been ready forever just waiting and putting it off; but whenever she wants to she can get baptized.  So it may end up we have three in a row! Super awesome!!

I'm getting pretty good at basketball.  Also, we lift weights in the mornings, so I'm getting pretty big.  I'll probably give Drake a run for his money by the time I'm back.  Other than that it's been a pretty low key week...  So I’m good! 

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Email from August 4th

Week 8: Hopefully Three Baptism in the Next Six Weeks

This week has been pretty crazy! Our lesson with K-- (metro guy) didn't really go as expected....He was really confused and wouldn't even accept a Book of Mormon....He more wanted dating advice than religious advice; hopefully he comes around. But we had lots of cool lessons besides that one this week! 

We got a referral Wednesday morning after the going through the temple. It is this guy who moved from Ukraine and is super interested. The sister missionaries who had been teaching him until the point where he was just about ready to get baptized! So, A-- will have a baptismal date after our lesson on Wednesday. 

We’re staring to meet with J-- twice a week to finish up the lessons and his baptism is going to be on August 24th! Then C-- should be getting baptized soon too! So, if all goes according to plan we should have at least three baptisms this transfer! :D (the transfer that starts on Wednesday). 

We had lessons with two of our really cool less active members this week, and both of them are trying to get Sundays off of work to come to church. Hopefully they get to come, because they are both super cool people!! 

We had the best district meeting ever on Thursday! We had cookies, and we got to play with kittens!! Yay!! But we found out our district leader is getting transferred; so some sadness ensued. For a little while we thought Elder Rummler would get transferred too because five of our Spanish speakers are leaving and we’re only getting one new one! President Cooke asked Elder Rummler if he wanted to go Spanish speaking. He told him the he wanted to finish training me first, but we were still a little
worried...Turns out he's staying, so that's good. 

We had lots of fun at the Nats game! I got to see Hailey Harris because the DC south mission was there too! Woot! Yay for having friends! Plus the Nats creamed the Phillies 11-0, so that was good. I hung out with my MTC district for most of the game! It was fun to see those guys again, because I don't get to very often anymore and we were such good friends in the MTC! It's been a great week! But my bet is that the coming weeks hold even more crazy awesome stuff for me!!

Love,

Elder Sorensen