Week 74: White Plains Second Ward

Holy cow….This week has been forever long.  It's hard to believe I was hanging out with Elder Paul at the National Mall just a week ago! Tuesday was fun because we had our day of meetings again.  I wore the fox tie that you made for me last Christmas mom!  Everyone loved it. Then we went to Ceasars for the rest of the night because he was super sad I was leaving.  He kept saying he knew where I was going though, and I couldn't get it out of him!  On the way home Hamblin and I were getting on the metro, and I ran up the stairs to catch the train, but some lady got in Hamblin’s way, so the doors closed right before he got on. I got off at the next stop and waited 20 minutes for him to get to the next stop.  It was weird to be alone. While I was waiting some member came and asked me where the closest chapel was and the address.  It was weird.

Anyway, Wednesday morning we metroed up all my stuff and waited for the zone leaders to come pick us up from the metro.  We went to the temple and took the mission picture of the whole mission for Christmas and then headed over to transfer meeting.  Then we found out my new area........ WHITE PLAINS 2ND WARD!!!!!!   I was in White Plains first back in February with Elder Wang, and it was okay, but Elder Thornton said its his favorite ward and so far I love it!  I'll be honest, at first I was kinda anxious about it.  I have been having problems lately trying to make my own happiness, and I didn't have the best experience in White Plains the first time, so I was super worried it would be a repeat of that.  But as the meeting went on I thought about the last week or so in DC 3rd when I really gave it everything I had, and how happy I felt when I did that, and thought you know what,  to heck with feeling sad or worried. Elder Thornton loved this ward, and Elder Tracy loved Elder Redmond. This transfer is gonna be amazing and I'm gonna love it!  And I have!! 

That night we had 3 lessons!  One with an investigator that we planned, and two with members we just dropped in on.  One is less active, one is not.  It was super fun!  As we were waiting outside one of their doors I looked up and I could see so many stars and I just felt so happy!  I didn't realize how much I missed the stars.  In the city you can see maybe 3 because of all the light pollution.  I could even see the arms of the Galaxy.  It made my night.  Oh, and Elder Summit is my roommate!  It's super fun to be around him again.

Thursday we had breakfast with a member at IHOP!  It was super good and super fun!  Then we went to zone district meeting.  Because I changed zones and Suitland has it on a different day I had it two times in one week.  It felt pretty long. But it was fun.  Sister Brimhall is in my zone so we signed a little bit and that was fun. Then we gave Elder Zollinger and Elder Palmer a ride home and grabbed some food I left at the old apartment and ran back down to a dinner appointment here.  It was really fun.  Later we ran home, changed clothes and went to basketball!  I've gotten better since the last time I was here.  I'm pleased with that.

Friday we spent most of the day moving apartments.  We're moving to a different one in the same complex that the church has a longer lease on.  And it's on the third floor, not the first.  So we have a sweet balcony.  We moved basically all day. Went to lunch at Chick-fil-a.  Helped a member move some stuff from his old house to his new one.  Then we went to Panda Express with Sister Hale.  She is so awesome!  She teaches seminary in the morning and said we can come whenever.  And she and her husband have a farm and offered eggs and stuff whenever we want it and said if we ever need a dinner appointment call them!  I love this ward.  They love the missionaries.

Saturday morning we went to basketball, and I got to see one of the kids who went to the singles ward for a while. He and his friend were super funny to play with.  Making jokes the whole time. Then we moved pretty much all day again...  Missionaries have lived in that apartment for a couple years now, so the junk builds up...  Haha, it's still a work in progress.  Then we went to dinner with the Bonney family.  They have 14 kids.  Eleven of them were at home.  We had nerf wars and played and it was crazy crazy but super fun!  During dinner I had to keep looking around and around to focus on who was talking to me.  It was so much fun.  We played some ping pong too, so obviously I had a great time.  They're awesome.

Sunday was great!  Church starts at 1 o’clock but we have ward council and missionary correlation before.   It was cool to see a few of the people I knew before in White Plains First again, like Bishop Cottle. During gospel principles we talked with a member who was in First Ward when I was here and moved to Second Ward out in the hall.  It was so fun to catch up with them!  While we were talking Bishop called me over and introduced me to a girl.  She's the granddaughter of a member and was interested in taking the lessons!!  So we got her info and set up an appointment with her for Wednesday!  We have so much work to do! It's awesome!!  In priesthood they had me bear my testimony to introduce myself. After all of that we went home and grabbed some dinner, then went up to the VC for Why I Believe.  I sat with Elder Smuin and Elder French!  I love those two!  We talked like the whole time.  It was so great.  Then I got to say goodbye to Mark Cross, a recent convert in ASL who leaves in his mission this week!  That was nice.   On the ride home Elder Redmond and I had real talk time.  It was so awesome.  He has such a strong testimony, and I am just super happy to be here.  This transfer is gonna be great.

I love you guys!  Haves great week!

Elder Sorensen

Elder Sorensen with some ASL Elder friends

Elder Sorensen had the bottom bunk for 10 days!

Elder Sorensen said goodbye to many friends at transfers

Elder Sorensen saying goodbye to Mark Cross who was an ASL investigator and is now going a a mission.

Week 73: Investigators in Progress

This week was actually pretty busy!!  It was so great!  Monday we had to get out the door at 5:30 after our p-day because we actually had a lesson right at 6!  Woo!!  We taught C-- and he was pretty happy to see us.  We shared a quick chapter from the Book of Mormon with him.  Then we went around our less actives route but none of them were home, so we tried to contact some of our referrals.  We were able to set up some lessons for later in the week.  

Tuesday was meetings as usual.  We had some exciting news in area reports though!!  The investigator T-- who we met with last transfer moved up the road a little ways, just enough to where he was out of our area, so we passed him to the East area.  So, during his last lesson that I had with him we didn't have much time to plan for it, but I felt really strongly to invite him to be baptized.  I did and he seemed okay with it, but then both us and the East Elders couldn't contact him for a really long time. I was worried I had freaked him out.  Well, in their area report the East Elders said T-- called them and was asking if he could invite friends and family to his baptism!!! That was really fun to hear about! That night we actually got super bored and Hamblin and I switched beds!!  I'm bottom bunk for the first time in 17 months!!!!! Haha, it was exciting.  

Wednesday I got to use my new backpack!  Thank you Mommy!! We also got to go to the temple that day.  It was a cool experience for me.  I was really excited because I hadn't been in the longest time since I was endowed, and I missed the peaceful feeling you get there. Just a good feeling, being in such a nice place with all my friends.  It was cool.  Elder Hamblin got a call from the APs that night and he's training, so we guessed I would be leaving DC 3rd.  Dinner was fun that night.  

Thursday was so awesome!  Brother Nelson, the member who knows the Rees family came out with us all day!!  We were together from 12 til 4:30.  We had a good number of appointments set up, but most of them ended up cancelling.  Typical.  Anyway, he was totally down to just contact and tract with us.  While doing this, we talked about our missions and the Rees's and everything it was so much fun.  He's an awesome guy!!  

Elder Hamblin had a meeting for trainers that I went to with him.  I got to see Elder Paul!!!  I'm super bummed he's leaving on Wednesday. Caesar had us over dinner that night.  He was pretty sad because the other Elders had come over that morning to clean his fish tank but they forgot to check
the water temperature they were putting in and ended up killing the fish...  He had had it for 5 years.  He had us break the tank with him to make sure he didn't get more pets.  It was actually kinda fun to smash the huge fish tank with hammers.  

Saturday was cold and rainy.  Sister Cooke asked us to help with a service project cleaning up a bazaar that the United Methodist Church had.  It was pretty fun.  Moved lots of boxes.  Then we went to C-- house for a lesson.  We taught him about the Melchizedek priesthood because he'll be ready to be ordained soon.  We also taught R-- that night. Gave her a blessing for her legs.  It was really cool.  That night was transfer call out!!  I'm leaving DC 3rd!!!!!!  Kinda bitter sweet.  I did lots of good work here and it's just starting to come to fruition, but now I'm leaving, so I don't get to see all the results. Oh well. I'm really curious what my next area is going to be.  

Sunday was pretty standard. R-- didn't make it to church this week. We went to Caesar’s for lunch, then had a stake missionary meeting with all the ward missionaries.  It was pretty fun.  And I got to see Elder Paul again!! 

Today’s p-day has been awesome!  I went down to the Library of Congress with Elder Paul.  Then we went to a really good restaurant called Cava!!  It was awesome!   Then we went to the National Mall and saw the Capitol and stuff for his last pday.  Last, we came here and listened to some of my vinyls.  Now we're just hanging out!!  Good day!  Happy to spend it with one of my good friends! 

Love you guys, have a great week!!

Elder Sorensen

Week 72: Routine Missionary Week

This week was okay. Elder Hamblin got pretty sick, so it had some boring parts, but I'll go through the whole thing anyway.  Tuesday we had our lifelong day of meetings again.  They were pretty good.  Our role play was drawing a picture of your companion while your back to back with them so you can't see what they're wearing and have to remember.  We also had FHE with some investigators that night.  One of the senior couples taught the lesson.  

Wednesday we had a lesson set up with a returning member, and we showed up, knocked her door, and right as we were leaving she walked up to the door and told us she totally forgot and had other plans now. We rescheduled for the next day.  We went to Caesar’s for lunch after that.  Then the French elders picked us up and took us to dinner at the church!  It was Brother Harding tonight, so it was super fun!  He also gave us all matching Halloween ties.  When we came home our roommates were here with their Zone Leaders after their exchange.  They gave me a letter from Ashley Eyre from 6 months ago...  SORRY ASHLEY!!!  It's not my fault!  But I have it now!  Thank you!  

Thursday was good.  We that lesson with our returning member.  We were supposed to have a lesson with R- but she canceled on us because her legs hurt really badly..  That was a bummer because we couldn't meet with her Saturday either because we had to be in at 5 because of Halloween..  

Friday was fun.  We were outside for a little while during the day but then Elder Hamblin started feeling unwell, so we went in for a bit.  Then we went and helped set up our ward party.  And we got to stay for the ward party!! Halloween dance!!!  It was pretty fun, but I also got some good missionary work done amidst all my dancing.  I set up a couple exchanges and lessons, so we're looking good for later on this week. Supposedly the sisters in our ward have a video of some of the elders dancing though....  That needs to be removed from existence.   

Anyway, Halloween was really boring.  All our scheduled lessons dogged us, so we were out trying to talk to people.  Then Hamblin wanted to grab some groceries since we had to stay in that night, so we got that.  We hung out with our roommates and had lots of McDonald's and Five Guys.  It was pretty good.  

Sunday was the same church meeting routine.  R- didn't come because of her legs again. It makes me super sad to see that hurting her so much.  I think we're going talk about priesthood blessings this week with her.  Then we went to Caesar’s after church and that was pretty fun.  

Today has been really chill.  We ran up to Costco for some groceries.  I got a new pillow and I'm so freaking happy.  I crawled in bed just to write this email so I could use it. It's a thousand times better than my old lumpy one.  I showed the old one to Elder Zollinger and he was like, “this isn't even a pillow!  How long have you been sleeping with this??”  Well, now it feels like I'm laying on a cloud.  Thank you goose down feathers.  Then we just hung out at the apartment.  I love you all!  Have a good week!

Elder Sorensen