Libbi: It ain't just rumor...Libbi got her visa to Brazil!

OK where to begin. I don't know anything nor have I been told anything official about my visa besides from you guys. I'm hoping I will hear ASAP but nothing at this point. I got an e-mail from Sarah so hopefully we will keep in touch that way. I LOVED MY PACKAGE THIS WEEK!!!!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I ate (more like shoveled) and shared the rum bars. I couldn't open the package till the next day so they were a little soft so a bit messy but totally worth it! I LOVE THE CLOTHS and they are exactly what you need. I have some ideas of a package of things to send home but until I hear about me leaving I am putting it off. I have already sent your letters today along with my journal so you should be receiving those in the next couple days.

 I wish I had some crazy exciting new stuff but my routine is pretty regular here and not too much out of the ordinary occurs. Before I forget. THanks to Susu and GUs! I love my earrings they are wonderful. Thanks to Kirsten for your note...made my day. Thanks to the Moores they were so sweet to send me a note and Mom and Dad their thank you note is in the mail along with one to Kathie Horman. I am so loved and supported I could never possibly complain. If you would like to write on DearElder.com though it is free and I get it the same day. I would love to hear from everyone! Is Danny home? I have thought about him a lot this week as he wraps up his mission. This week for devotional we had Elder Nelson come and it was wonderful. He spoke on many topics from preach my gospel and about the importance of knowing our purpose. I have loved getting to know the new district that arrived this last week 2 sister and 4 elders. There were suppose to be 5 elders but rumor is 1 got his visa. Nao sei. I  love being here and working hard to better understand the gospel and the language of Portuguese. It is coming slowly but surely. All I can do is trust in the Lord I know that all I must do is prepare myself to be spoken through. This is not my message but his and he will provide a way for me to share it.

   I had a particularly cool thought this week on Sunday taught by a member of our Branch presidency Brother Hodges. He told us about the 2060 stripling (very specific about the 60 as well) warriors. Not one died but they were all wounded. He promised us that if we are exactly obedient we will be protected but that our mission will wound us. I know that sounds like a downer thought but not to me. I'm excited to teach people how they can heal their wounds through Christ. Every person on this earth is wounded in one way or another and it is a happy thing to share the tools that are so important to their personal healing and return to their loving Heavenly Father! I love this work! I believe it with all my heart. I am sorry for all those who are struggling with sickness, sadness, and pain of every kind but I know all things can be made right and fair through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This is his gospel and the work and glory of God to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man! I know it and I cannot deny it! You can pray to know the truth of all things for yourself. Some advice that my wise grandparents gave me is to grow calluses (spelling?) on your knees from the constant conversation with the Lord. I'm a disciple of Christ and I'm so grateful for this opportunity to be a apart of his army and share this Happy message! I love you all so so so so so so much! I think of you and pray for you always! Stay safe and close to the Lord!

 

Love,

Sister Libbi Sorensen

Sarah: I Have a New Companion!

Hey family!
I hope you are doing well. I"m sorry its short today. We are e-mailing from our President's house right now so I don't have much time. I will let you know a few things though. I got a new companion. I was so sad during transfers. It was really hard. I got a new companion. Her name is Sister Collins. She has brown hair and is my same height. She is from Washington....Seattle area. She is...........well lets say she became sick because she thought she broke a white handbook rule. This is going to be intense. That is how it is. Its like drinking from a fire hose. She came from Pleasanton which is in the middle of nowhere. Our spanish is both a struggle. She is a little better. She is probably going to end our mission here. She has two more transfers left. I hope I can stay here for three more transfers but I might get transferred out after this. I am growing......and growing and growing. I might drowned but what er. OH well. Its life. I am happy. I am working hard.....I am trying. Well i love you all. Thank you for your letters and support. I love you. Don't forget. I am trying.
Hna. Sorensen

Libbi: 2 weeks sort of feels like an eternity

Oh Mommy! I loooooove you! I'm so glad that the end of stress for now is coming to a close. I'm so glad you made it through the yearbooks I know how much stress that puts on you and dad!

Well, 2 weeks sort of feels like an eternity not because I don't love it here but because I have learned so much and had so much forced upon minha cabasa. Eu ama o evangelho con todos corazioa (heart...no sei) It is so wonderful. I love the people that surround me. I'm happy to here that you received my package hopefully there was more clarification about what I'm doing from day to day in that. Thank you thanks you Susu and Gus for you letter and I love you Kate and I will answer your questions as soon as I can. Thanks you Aunt Marilee for you cute not it really helped to boost me up at the end of the day. And of course thank you thank you mommy for my wonderful package letters and note. I love them and you much much more.

 This week was a week of stretching...at times painful but for the most part necessary and needed. I am learning how to stay focalizar e I am trying to beef up meu vocabularo. I can now pray confidently in Portuguese and testificar en Portuguese tem bem. I can't write Portuguese or spell either Portuguese or English so decoupe.  I have the greatest people around me everyday. I have met so many great elders and especially the sisters in my district. This week we will get new sisters tomorrow so pray for me as I begin exercising my calling of coordinating sister. I will help to welcome them and show them around with my great expertise of 2 weeks!!! Yeah I know I've really been here forever. But I feel like after you overcome the first week here you feel like you can take everything and the shock of everything being new is gone and you settle nicely in the monotonous routine. Let see....I'm way behind on Birthday greetings...sorry Daniel, Carli, I don't actually have my list in front of me but if you have celebrated a birthday in the last month know that I wish you well.

 I honestly don't have very much to report that is new. I'm just trying my hardest to stay above water as it consistently rises. Like the wave pool at raging water you know the waves will come but you don't fully appreciate them till they are gone...wow way lame example but I'm doing my best to stay strong and excited about the work. I am so excited to teach the people of Brazil this muito feliz messagm e I am so happy to know that everyone I love is safe. I'm sorry to hear of the hard things that are going on in our family but I know that everything will work out. It is easy for me to say where I am but I truly believe it. God loves his children and in the end these trials will seem like nothing. I am currently going through the trial of my ability and what the Lord expects of me but I know he will help me bridge the gap. I'm trying to be a good example and remember the spirit in which this work must be done. I still laugh a lot and know that humor keeps us all sane. I  have learned to laugh at the many awkward things that happen daily. If you thought life was awkward before...just go on a mission and everything that used to be normal is awkward and everything that is awkward is muito muito mas. I love laughing at it though and the people around me do too. I know that I'm being taught by inspired people that know what to say to help me better learn through the spirit. I know this gospel is true. It is happy and exciting and we are blessed to have the knowledge of it! Don't think for a second that I don't love any of you less because I'm not with you or writing you every spare second. I am on the Lord's errand. I'm bringing the happiness that we feel as members of his church to those who can't find it on their own. I'm so blessed to have this opportunity. I know I am! I'm striving to better deserve this blessing! Let me know if there is anything I can do for you!  I know you wonder what could I possibly do here but I'm happy to pray and exert faith on anyone's behalf. The temple was an amazing experience today and after the session I met a woman from Sao Paulo and spoke to her in Portuguese. I'm so excited to know these people and to speak and teach. It will all come in time and I'm so happy for that! Life is good! God loves you! If you don't know that pray about it and he will help you to feel it more fully. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is an amazing gift that we can all partake of. I know these things to be true. I love you I love you I love you! I can't express in words how grateful I am for your support and love for me. Thanks you! Thank you! I am in continuous need of your prayers so please help me in that way! Thank you for the people you are!!!!

 

Love

Sister Libbi Sorensen

PS Tell Sarah to stay strong and remember how wonderful she is. There is nothing that she can't do. Rely on the Lord it is his work and he will always help his children return to him. I love you and tell her I love her......xoxoxoxoxoxooxxoxooxoxoxox

Sarah: This week was HAMMER TIME

This week was one of the most emotional in my mission.

 

Here goes nothing: Last Monday night we found out that one of the more elderly gentleman in the Spanish branch passed away suddenly. In the Spanish culture, you have about a week of mourning to grieve for the person deceased. During this week everyone comes by constantly and cooks you food and you have to entertain them and they entertain you. I knew none of this until i had to live through it. Brother Riojas was a great man and very very funny. He loved to joke around with me and the other missionaries. His wife is so cool. She teaches la esquela dominical (Sunday school) occasionally and its always very elaborate and grand. She always has a lot of energy. Brother Riojas fell and i don't know all the details but it was a severe enough fall that he passed away on his way up to San Antonio because the medical situation here in Del Rio is poop. (comforting i know). Well Sister DeLeon and i decided to visit her on about Wednesday and see if we could do anything to help her. When we got there, all of the Riojas family (12 children in total) were there. One of the children had a son serving in London England, south so that made me happy. I told her Carli's name and since i am terrible with names, i forgot what her son's name was. He comes home soon though and has loved his mission. It was nice to have a connection for a brief moment. Sister DeLeon is determined to have me play my violin every chance i can so she offered us as a musical number. THEY ACCEPTED. We had 1 day to arrange a piece for How Great thou art. We already had plans the next day so it was terrifying. All the time while dealing with the sadness in the branch for sister and brother riojas, we needed to prep Mike for his baptism on Sunday. That means we have to work out logistics of his baptism and ask people to speak and give prayers and etc. We also had to organize when he would be interviewed for baptism. IT was very hard to go from a very sad place to being very excited and supportive of Mike and his decisions. We managed it all though and made it through!! The night before the funeral, we (all missionaries- sis. Deleon, Nygaard, Lindsay and myself) had to help with set up--it was the same after the and during the funeral as well but The piece turned out to be very beautiful. Sister DeLeon plays the piano very well and it was beautiful. I was very blessed to be a part of it. It was hard though being at a funeral again. Fue Muy triste. It was a lot of hard work but...like the year books at preschoool graduation, it is suuuper crazy and then its over. Once it was over we were able to kind of focus on Mike again. He passed is baptismal interview and all appeared to be set for the great day! Do i know how to do anything? No! I don't know how to set up a baptism or anything and as a missionary, you just kind of are supposed to know everything and i do so i freak out. Oooooohhhh weeelllll it was fine.

 

I did love our reaction from the English branch President: After presenting him with  a baptism on Sunday and a scheduled baptism for next week, he said " is that it? Got anything else?!" -not in a joking way. In a way that was very condescending and mean. Man i struggle with him  A LOT! i know that he was divinely inspired so i will keep my mouth shut. I was so frustrated but oh well. Well everyone.....IT WAS HAMMER TIME YESTERDAY AND WE WATCHED AS MIKE HAMMER WAS BAPTIZED 3X'S!!!!! hahaha the first time he kind of laid back like he was being laid to rest in a coffin. His hands came up and never went in. Man it was funny. Mike hammer's brother (John Hammer) was baptizing him so it was really really really awesome. They have a very close bond. Their other brother died a little while ago so they are very close. This close bond was awesome because Mike (who is a very nervous person) felt very comfortable. After the first attempt Mike and John got the giggles. They could not get through it so John just shoved him under the water. The last and final time, all the giggles and everything set aside, it was finally done correctly and Mike was baptized. It was so perfect and so appropriate for Mike. Mike often jokes that he is worried because he can only take just one piece of sacrament. this means he is taking it seriously. Man it was really awesome.

 

The emotions did not end there. We went out to Jackie Wilson's house for dinner. Jackie is getting baptized here next week and we absolutely love her. She is perfect. She truly has done the most amazing things. She is the dog lady that i have believe i have referenced on more than one occasion. Well it was an amazing dinner. She is currently housing a friend and helping him recover from being an alcoholic. He is having some major withdrawals and so he shakes a lot. She is just the best person in the world and she has dogs so i love her even more. Well we got transfer calls there. Sister DeLeon is going. Ooohhh my heart breaks. ITs hard. She has been a HUGE security blanket. She knows the language and she knows the members and she knows Del Rio sooooSorenson) is going to the AP position. We are getting a lot of missionaries down here. I am in the only sister missionary companionship in the border. Ok well its hard. its going to be tough but i will keep working hard and hopefully i will still be living and have a lot of fun new adventures to report to you next week. I love you all so much.

 

Please don't forget how much i love you all. I am working my tail off. I am being blessed. I'm sorry the home is so crazy and that there seem to be a lot of health issues and other crazy financial issues. I wish i could be there to help. God bless you all. Choose the right. Keep up a relationship with the lord. 

 

Hna. Sorensen 

Libbi: "I am fondly known around the 4 squares in gym as sister Rampage"

Ok here is goes!

 Todo Bem!!!!!(All is well)  I love my mission already. I love all the new things and all the amazing people and things I have already learned. So I arrived last wed. and immediately went to work. I had Portuguese class and gospel study as well. I know how to pray, bear testimony, and have a short conversation with no responses from me in minha ligua. I am trying very hard to be patient with myself and not be discouraged. (oh ps mom and dad please spell check everything...my spelling has gotten worse if that is even possible) Anyway, I'm doing well and learning a lot. I have been called to be the coordinating sister over our zone. This means I'm in charge of all the sister which are all in my district anyway. There are 4 of us. 3/4 are going to Cuiaba and the other sister is going to Campinas. My companion is Sister Heydorn and she is from Victorville California. She is great and we get a long very well. Sister Chapwin is from Wallsburg Utah and Sister Reynolds is from Auborn Washington just south of Seattle. They all are in my room along with Sister Brooks who is leaving tomorrow for Londrina Brasil. She was the only person left in her district I guess everyone else got their visas at week 2 so she has had a lonely MTC experience but she speaks very well.  We also go a new branch pres on sun. So we went from being welcomed by one pres. Aidukitus (spell it out) who was Brazilian to Pres. Wetton who went to Canada on his mission. Things have kinda been a roller coaster but really good. I finally feel a bit settled. I'm sorry but I only have a few more min. to write and I know this is short but it took me 10 mins just to get on the account because I couldn't remember my password. Sorry sorry sorry. Letters with more detail are in the mail.

I went to the Provo temple today for the first time and had a wonderful session. The elders in my district are Elder Weston (Mesa, AZ) Elder Smith district leader (Blackfoot, ID) and Elder Serrano (Miami, FL)-also got his endowments out today and is originally from Cuba so Laura check him out or his family or something.  I feel like I pack so much into everyday yet I do the same thing everyday so I'm not sure what to say. A lot of class and language study which I need. it is devegar (slow) I'm trying to be patient. 

Ah!!! I know this e-mail was not very informative but I'm sorry I just need to get used to having all my thoughts formed before I watch my 5 min. run down at the MTC. Mom! thank you for your wonderful e-mail. I love you and I miss you but I'm too excited and busy to think about it. I'm sorry that you are constantly reminded of my absence but if anyone can make due it is you. Meg thanks for your sweet e-mail I love you and miss you and don't think you are a bratty sister. You are 12 and I treat you like an adult. i'm sorry I'm not more patient. Dad! I love you I'm sorry I'm not able to understand Portuguese better. I'm trying it is slow. I will learn I know. I have faith and trust in the Lord everyday. This work is good and real and fun I just have way too much to say and way too little time. PS I saw Elder Smoot who is headed to Argentina he is doing well and seems happy. I also saw Jeff Weist the first day I was here. Wonderful to see a familiar face. I am fondly known around the 4 squares in gym as sister Rampage...we will see if that sticks. I just like to win...oh I love you I love you I love you! Keep being good! The church is good and I'm happy right where I am. I know all of this will work out and I will have more formed thoughts next week! Be safe and let me know if there is anything I can do for any of you! I am so grateful for a loving and supportive family! thank you thank you thank you!

 

Love,

Sister Libbi Sorensen

Sarah Cate: Wow wow wow....what a week!

Wow wow wow....what a week!

The week started out with exchanges and I went to San Antonio! That was sooo awesome. I went with Sister Thomas and Sister Pratt came down to Del Rio. It was really fun to have something new. Sister Thomas is quite possibly the most opposite from Sister DeLeon. She is very tiny and soft spoken but talks a lot about her feelings and how the gospel  makes her think of Disney. It was a very funny contrast. I want you all to know how much i truly love Sister DeLeon but with everyone, there are the good and bad times. She is a very good missionary. She is very obedient. She is good for me. Anyways, enough of that: While I was on exchanges we knocked on a door of a Lebanese woman. I guess about a week previous these sister had knocked and asked her about God and things and she said she wants to be Christian but that was about it. Well she welcomed us in and told us she was cooking. She then went in to a back room and came out with a Book of Mormon in English and  in Arabic. She said, "I'm interested" I just about pooped my pants! I had never been received in such a welcoming manner. We talked about the restoration and about prophets and about her current situation and it was absolutely amazing. Her kids came home and they all spoke Arabic and it was absolutely beautiful. She invited us to eat with her and we accepted and then after we ate she said "in my country, when you eat with a person, it means there is much trust between you" and she said that it means a lot when you eat with someone. She says she has no friends here in America and all her family is still in Lebanon. It was sooo cool to meet someone with such an amazing culture and different view on life. Man I loved it.....and then i had to leave. When i left she said to me,"I'll probably never see you again but if you ever are here, my home and my door is always open to you." I just about cried. She was so beautiful. Man it was an awesome way to start out the week. 

When I went home, the reality of being in Del Rio came sooner rather than later. Our dearest Mike Hammer who is supposed to be baptized this Sunday did not show up to his appointment. Mike NEVER DOES THIS! He never ever misses or stops reading but Satan is working on him a lot. It breaks my heart because Mike is not strong enough to withstand his temptations. We are working really really hard though and I have faith that he will be ready and can do it! He is really funny. He is such a hick but he knows it and jokes about it all the time and it kills me. He told sister DeLeon and me (commenting on his brother's shirt that had some sort of color and a person on it) : " oh its one of them evil shirts" because he said it looked like the Obama shirts that came out when he was campaigning to be elected. -ya know what, English does not make sense. My spelling is horrible because English is horrible. It has so many funky rules that throw off a little Texican like myself. In Spanish, its all straight forward but what ev. I'm running out of time...

Well, Mike came to Church on Sunday. One of my favorite people the Elders are teaching (Jackie- she is the dog lady I told you about and she helped with Hurricane Katrina...oh yea and 911!!!) But she is getting baptized on the 29th. She is so so awesome and ready for it too. I love her.

A few quick questions before I'm off. We had the most amazing dinner with a Brazilian family on Thursday. They are from Sao Paulo--can't spell that either. It was seriously one of the best meals of my life. We had, of course, beans and rice and chicken in some sauce and a really yummy salad (like mom makes with the strawberries and pears) the  dressing was slightly different but we had cooked bananas and ice cream for dessert HOLY STINK IT WAS AMAZING. It made me love Brazil all over again and miss my sister who had just entered the MTC. HOWEVER!!! They are converts to the gospel and want to know Dad's Mission president's name and which mission you served in exactly at that time because they joined the church right around the same time you were down there dad! She is so amazing and I want to be just like Gigi (the mom) she is about my parent's age. They are beautiful and they spoil their cat like you would not believe. Its even bigger than jimmy's cat. It was very beautiful and I wanted my dad to show up and start speaking Portuguese with them because i knew they would love you. He is a teacher at the college here. You would love them Dad. Mom, you would love them too because she loves to cook and you both are very creative in the same ways. She is quite strict but i get the sense that is her culture. Very loving though. Libbi is going to have a killer time in Brazil.

How is Libbi? I miss her like crazy. I am happy she is happy though.

I love you all very much. I'm out of time. I am doing well. Thank you all for your love and support.

I pray for you always. Thank you for your e-mails and letters. You bless my life! I love you!

Hna. Sorensen

Libbi is FINALLY at the MTC!

Despite more than five months of waiting, praying and hoping, Libbi's visa to Brazil did not arrive before her departure date...So, off she went to Provo, UT to the Missionary Training Center.  Her postcard, with her address contained this note:
I love you!  I'm alive and well.  I love it here!  I'm safe and happy and excited for what lies ahead!  Hope all is well with you!
Love,
Sister Sorensen

 Traveling down to Provo together to drop off Sister Sorensen

 Unloading the luggage and letting her go...

 One last good ol Mom hug before we had to let her go.

 Attentive Elders were there to welcome the last arrival of the day  (oh yes...she did cut her hair)

 A last quick family snapshot - then off she goes...

Welcome to the Mission Field Sister Sorensen - May 11, 2011

Sarah: Photos from Del Rio

Hermana Sorensen at the Alamo...just to prove she made it to Texas.

 Sorensen isn't as rare as you'd think.  At the MTC - Sarah Cate met another

Hermana Sorensen and Elder Sorensen

 The Alamo attracts all kinds - Hermana Sorensen met a few true Texicans at the Alamo

 First companion - Sister DeLeon from Moses Lake Washington (nice product placement Sarah Cate)

 Nuff said...

 Hermana Sorensen with the Rio Grande River in Del Rio and old Mexico in the background...que bueno

Companionships are..THE ADVENTURE OF THE MISSION

Alright family this will not be as long because I got to talk to y'all....sort of yesterday. Hearing ya'lls voices was like coming home. I was there in the room with y'all and I could just imagine everything. I really didn't like it because it was so short. Its true. I was not able to say all the things I wanted to say. It was difficult because my companion put her phone calls on speaker phone and said I should do the same. I didn't know how to gracefully say, "actually I want to have some real talk with my family" but its all good. because the church is true and we all move on.

Alright: Libbi- my heart broke when i talked to you. You have been my best friend through out my whole life. Don't you dare ever forget me or try to replace me or put me away! I love you more than you can possibly imagine. You are going to be a killer missionary. I know you will change the world. The world needs your eloquence and your knowledge. You are about to start the greatest adventure of your life. Be kind to your companions. Companionships are..THE ADVENTURE OF THE MISSION. Be the companion you want to have but also understand that they are not you and don't understand all that you do. Be kind to ALL the Elders. They are VERY YOUNG AND THEY NEED kindness always. They will really look up to you without you even trying. Love the MTC. I did. IT was hard and was an adventure but enjoy being immersed in the spirit and having the support of everyone there. Enjoy the Elders. They are fun. some are quite immature and some are stupid. love them anyways. This is the first of many leaps of faith you are about to take. JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL. I sing that about every 3 seconds on the mission. I hope you love your clothes Libbi. You will be sick of them by the time you are in the mission field.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAR CAR THIS WEEK!!! AAAAHHH I LOVE BIRTHDAY MISSIONS. Well, in English = mission birthdays. Mom - I loved the things you sent me. Where did you get the hair clips and earrings? THEY ARE PERFECT FOR ME. THANK YOU MOM. Thanks mom for knowing me better than I know myself. That e-mail you sent was pretty spot on with EVERYTHING.

Thank you Peter. Last night during district calls the Elders said something and then they were like "oh just kidding. We know that you don't mess with Sister Sorensen" They are terrified of my older brother. :):):):) I love it. :)

Our mothers day meeting was like this: man spoke about how Mothers were like Christ, literally giving their bodies and blood and fluids so that man can have life. He then went into the story about how his second daughter was born. Yuck? a little...OK a lot. Yeah life is fun in Texas.

I love y'all so much and will write more later. Look for the package. I love you. Libbi: I love you. Don't forget me. I miss you so much.

love love love you!

Hna. Sorensen

Joining the Air Force???

Ok, here goes nothing.

 

This week............hhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm well oooo this is cool: Last p-day we have a mega star in our ward. He is apparently a really huge deal in the Airforce. He was a pilot and really really good at what he did. Well he now trains the pilots here on base and EVERYONE knows "the Danny Williams" Well Brother Williams called and asked if we wanted to go into the flight simulators. (essentially a giant simulator where they train the pilots. Its a round room where they have 5 projectors which are fed through satellite images. You have the body of the plane inside so its like you are climbing into the real deal.) Each simulator costs about 4 million dollars so there was no pressure.....ooohhh wait.....TONS OF PRESSURE! I was so thrilled i was in a skirt as well because the little joystick belongs right in between your legs so i had a real fun time trying to steer. But it was an absolutely incredible experience. I would love to fly planes except i crashed the plane and all I hear brother Williams say is "oh, we're dying." hahaha Brother Williams is quite the incredible man. He has 8 of his own children and 10 other adopted children. He and his wife just keep raising kids. They are awesome. I feel like i may have told you that before. I'm kind of like that dog on Lady and the Tramp. "Don't recollect I've ever mentioned old reliable before"

Entoneses, CONGRATULATIONS TO SAM AND JESS ON THEIR BABY!!  yaaahooo more people in the fam! Sounds like a big kid. Way to be Jess.  Happy birthday to mi torta (sandwich) Brad this week! I love you Brad. I miss you and your little crabby patty brother David. Give him a hug from me please (a wiggly one). I miss the wiggly worm hugs. I tried to give my comp one here and she about punched me in the face. Oh well. We move on. 

Around conference we got a call from a man who wanted to get back into the church. He has reactivated marvelously and to our lucky surprise, just had his brother come and move in with him. When his brother was little, his records were lost so guess what.......WE MAY BE GETTING A BAPTISM IN THE MONTH OF MAY! Hahaha its not really a convert situation but kind of. He smokes and drinks and all that but has been "a member his whole life" but we'll take it. 

There is a huge crew of security salesmen down here from my dear state of UTAH. Don't worry. they are doing a better job of missionary work than we are. One of them has become our friend and we get LITERALLY ALL  of our member referrals from him. He is waiting for his call. he is going to be a great missionary. He gave away a book of Mormon this past week which is awesome. Too bad he's not here to stay. We've decided (and the sales kid too) that we look like Jehovah's witnesses and that's why people hate us. The Jehovah's witnesses here are very strong. They are strong everywhere but they yell at people here so that must be why people run.  

I got some very sad news this week that my companion from the MTC, sister Gneiting went home from her mission......it seems like life is just trying to get me anywhere it can. I am very sad about that but there is nothing i can do. Hope and pray and move on. 

Well thank you for loving me. I pray for my family and friends every day and night. Gracias a Dios por ustedes. 

 

Hna. Sorensen   

I know the work is true. I know that IT IS WORK.

Ok mom, dad, family, friends,

 

I know the work is true. I know that IT IS WORK. That is ALL we did this week and GUESS WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...............................NOTHING!!! :) ooohh the sweet joys of just plain hard work. Thank you for your post cards. I hadn't heard from anyone until friday and then they all came and my ever faithful letter from Susu and Gus. Man does that make my week. Thank you for your words of wisdom and of support. 

 

Wow, how to wrap up this week....ummm.........truly i am at a loss. I would love to respond to some of the questions and comments made in your last e-mail to me: Do i know Sister Pratt? HECKS YES I KNOW SISTER PRATT! She served with my trainer in the MTC. I saw her and met her during our training meeting in Austin. She is a very nice person.--no se como escribirlo pero we are going on exchanges with her this transfer. She is going to come down to Del Rio! Let her mom know!! Like may 9th-ish time. haha i have the best mom in the world...joins a group of mothers who have children in Texas and in Brazil. Only the best moms join those i want you to know. hahah oohhh i love you mom. 

 

My questions: Libbi, what day EXACTLY are you leaving and do you know if you are going to provo or to Brazil? If your farewel is on mother's day i need to coordinate a time that is best FOR YA'LL  because i have a wopping 45 MINUTES TO TALK TO YOU. yEAH......popa. un gran popa. So please let me know what time i need to call. 

 

This last week i reflected much on life adn the meaning of it. One day i am going to have to grow up. That scares me so bad. Why does life need to be a constant progression....oh i know, because i would have stopped already. Life progesses so that we can experience as much as we possibly can. This experience is what makes life. This experience that i am gaining right now.........man i hope it helps me. I have never been an endurance runner.  Maybe that is why i am in Texas right now. To learn to endure. To learn to take every day and find the joys and just keep running. Never stopping to enjoy the flowers but aknowledging that they are there. I know this is a coveted area in the mission but like everything, the grass is always greener. When i get to look into mexico i often think about why texas? Whyyyyyyyyy why am i here? I have to bring myself back to reality and say " this is where i am. You are serving here. You can't ask why. You just have to keep going. This is not your time." The lack of success is waring on my companion too. She had a few hard days this week where she broke down. I think i've regressed in my people skills. I've become the awkward missionary. I hold strong to my humor because laughing is the best medicine to anything. If life hands you a poop basket, you have to say thank you because someone or something put the time in to make it for you. 

 

I am ridiculously supported by my family and friends and for that, i am forever grateful. Life is always good because life is what you make it. I trust that God knows that we are here. I hope he trusts us. We are working so very hard for that trust. I feel stupid writing all of this but in reality, i can't write home about all of the people that we are teaching and who is progressing and the wonderful stories we had this week because this week, we seriously, didn't have anything. We worked our butts off for 2 lessons. YOu will learn that 2 lessons is pathetic. I know what i need to do. I have faith. But just like EVERYTHING it just takes time. 

 

I know that this gospel is true. I know that it can change people's lives. It has changed mine. I am a better person for going on my mission. I am becoming greater....in more ways than one. Choose to be happy. Choose to find joy in the journey. Smile at least 6 times a day.

 

Last night i had a tender mercy. Easter Sunday we had 3 investigators set to come to church (the elders did but we've been working together with them) and none of them showed. We asked if we could do a musical number in sacrament meeting because our "Easter program" in the English branch was about as catholic as you could make it in a Mormon church. He said to me 'no. we already have a violinist in the ward. That is my wife" ......wow (his wife is also the woman who set up the Easter program of Jesus death). But She played Pie jesu and it was........just......great. It was happier than the program the previous week but the speakers were a family who....wow. I can't even put into words how the meeting went. In short...it was the most unusual Easter meeting I've ever had. Little to know mention on the reason for Easter or why we are even celebrating this day. I feel your car side devotional may have topped our meeting. Anyways, we went home to do our studies after it all and then went to have dinner at a member's house who have been married for 2 years. They live on base and it was fine. They are a very serious young couple so we talked about happiness and what makes us happy. No real celebration. Then we went to work...looking and knocking. When we had exhausted all potentials we decided to try a new thing. I took out my violin to a park that is 100% deserted about 99% of the time. I played just hymns and eventually three people came. I saw one had a guitar. It was a group of teenagers. The one with the guitar had short hair like mine and the other two were holding hands. I played some songs for them and then she played a song from Bright eyes for me. We talked music for a little bit and it filled me with such happiness and joy. It reminded me of home and of Libbi and her music. It was a tender way to end the evening playing the lord's hymns in a park for some teenagers.

 

i love you all. Never forget it

 

hna. Sorensen