Sarah Cate: You Can Not Escape Your Roots!

Oh dearest family! Before I forget: I'm sorry I haven't been wishin y'all a happy birthday and happy anniversary so I'm sorry y'all! I love ya too much. I do want to wish Mutti and Papa a very very happy anniversary! I love y'all! Thanks for bein great!

I have so many fun details to fill y'all in on this week so I'm fixin to fit it in. We'll see what happens. First of all: NO YOU CAN NOT ESCAPE YOUR ROOTS. THEY ARE WHAT GROUND YOU AND GIVE YOU STRENGTH WHEN THE FUTURE AND THE PRESENT SEEM LOST. Last Monday, we went in and spent time with the amazing office couples. (the AP's don't like it when we go in because the couples love us more than they love them!) Well, we got to talkin and found out that one of the couples that work in the office.........................WENT ON A WAGON TRAIN IN 1997!!  Yes my friends. I have been blessed to discover that they were with us during our time at Chimney Rock! Oh what a beautiful blessing it was to hear names like Tennessee John and Max! This beautiful couple is from Canada and guess what?! THEY WENT ON THE WAGON TRAIN TO CANADA in 1998, SO THEY KNOW TONS OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW! They told me a funny story about Tennessee: They said that he couldn't take his chickens over the boarder to Canada but magically when they arrived in Canada, so did his chickens...hahahah so typical. Oooohh it made me happy to talk about it with them. I gave them y'all's e-mail.

Oooohhh it was beautiful. We also had a fun opportunity to attend the temple to watch Courtney and Kyla  and Brandi (all recent converts) do baptisms for the dead at the Temple. --- The San Antonio Temple is the most beautiful temple. Y'all can't argue that. I love it. ---Kyla and Brandi had the most wonderful time.....Courtney...lets see.....what were the words she used......oh yes, "I wish this day had never happened"-  I KNOW RIGHT?! It was the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in my life. Satan was working on her all day and she felt that the promptings that Satan gave her to put off going and to not go to the temple were right. It ended up being quite an emotional and scary ordeal. But because we are doing the Lord's work, we already had an appointment set up with her and Rex (her non-member husband) to teach him more about the gospel. After much talking about the plan of salvation and the important work that happened for her ancestors, Courtney was consoled and all was well with the world again....oooh and and..............................................REX IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON THE 23 DE SEPTIEMBRE!!! Oooohh I am sooo happy and blessed to have heard that. We are also starting to work with Katherine again. Please pray for the her family. They are going through some big changes but all for the best. I am so excited and blessed to see how the gospel has truly changed this family. They actually talk to one another. I love it. it is sooo beautiful. We are blessed. 

Quick questions and notes: Can I please have some pictures of my family? I feel like y'all have changed so much. I'd love to see y'all. (maybe even Libbi?)  Oh and I know a relation of Ken Green. I'm not exactly sure...but they are in the Encino Park Ward. So HELLO KEN! I LOVE YOU! Its nice to have connections to home. It makes it seem more real. 

I'm glad to hear my dog is living and not dead. Glad to hear about the Chickens and how amazing my baby sister is. Glad to know all my family is safe in the country and relatively (Raeshell) in one piece. God bless y'all.

Fun fact: They say the pledge of allegiance here in schools along with the pledge to Texas:

I pledge allegiance to Texas

One State Under God

Indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

???hhmmm sound familiar? :)

Love y'all so much. Don't y'all forget it!

 

Hna. Texas.

Libbi: Oh Nossa, what a week...

Today was a bit strange we went to the center of the city to find a park that we never found and then we walked and got caught in a mini flash flood. It was a real adventure.  Eu tenho saudages por (I am homesick for)Chalk creek! ahh I hope you guys have a killer time! (just need to tell Daniel that I want a picture letter or e-mail pretty darn quick about his "eternal marriage plans" por favor!) I am so happy for everyone especially Mutti and Papa! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I have so many great examples of true commitment and love! Thank you for your steadfastness and support! I love you and hope you know that I can´t express to you in words the example that you are. I am happy to hear about the chickens and sad to see Piper go but he/she was really sweet for the 2-3 weeks that I knew him/her....so when I get home...next year I will have no friends because everyone will be married mas tudo bem...I have the gospel and I have faith that Bailey will live to be my true and only friend when I return. Hahah just joking. I love you all and I´m so happy that all is well, oh minus Raeshell. I will keep you in my prayers hun. I´m so sorry to hear about your accident but it sounds like you were blessed and your bones will heal.

 

Oh minha nossa, this week was loca de mais! We had 2 baptism. Rebeca the grand-daughter of Maria (she is 9 years old) was baptized yesterday along with Eduardo (he is 26), and to be completely honest, he is extremely abnormal but everyone needs this saving ordinance and I´m hoping with time I will understand him a little better. Oswaldo is an active member of the ward. He continues to have health problems with his feet but he is being blessed and has a positive attitude. We are hoping that Maria will be baptized this next Sunday but we still need to build her faith about the restoration and why she needs to be baptized. She is very hard of hearing and so it is a bit difficult but we have a positive attitude! Our zone was the highest baptizing zone in the mission this week. We baptized 8 people! The other sisters baptized 4 and so in total in our ward we had 6 baptisms! It was a little crazy! but it was so wonderful and I´m hoping we will have continued success in this area. 

 

Oh, and the language, it is coming...Oh nossa! this week I taught that Adao e Eva (Adam & Eve) cherar da terra (cherar is the verb to smell).  (I meant to say encher- to fill) good times on the mission...I love making my companion laugh! I am learning but it is slow sometimes. I love it here. I love my mission and this experience truly is unique...I am learning and being stretched everyday. I love you all and hope you have a killer week. Thanks for your support and prayers. The church is true and the gospel truly does change lives! I love you more than my wicked sweet Chaco tan! (a freaking ton!)

 

Com amor,

Sister Libbi Sorensen

Sarah Cate: HOT HOT HOT in Texas

Hello my beautiful family and friends!

It sounds like another eventful week in the Sorensen household. I wouldn't expect any less from my awesome family. I love hearing about how Gus is improving. KEEP ON KEEPIN ON GUSSY! YOu and Susu are just awesome. I am blessed to have ya. Mutti and Papa, y'all are so beautiful. I miss spending time with my beautiful grandparents. Don't y'all worry because I'm makin ya proud down here in Tejas. Texas is beautiful but I hope y'all are prayin for rain in this here part because we are dryin up like crazy. The East coast hurricane sent all its heat and NO moisture to this area. Its been the hottest summer on record here in Texas. We have had 3 months of over 100 degrees. I promise I'm not trying to complain but it is just so amazingly hot. I hope y'alls temps are fixin to be pretty.

We met with Courtney's husband Rex this week. He is a very shy and soft spoken man but he is soo sweet. He has a very sincere desire to learn the gospel and make it part of his life and his family. We are blessed to be teaching him. We still teach him along with Katherine when we go to their house. He told us that seeing the change in Courtney made him want to know more and how he can actually feel the difference in his house. The gospel truly helps people change and improve their lives. I love that very much.

We taught a boy from Trinidad yesterday. He is a member's friend and he was very sharp! Oh I loved it! He was very honest with his Methodist beliefs but how it was mostly lip-service. He went to Church yesterday and wants to go next week. His name is Romero. He is hoping to go to Ohio on a track scholarship.

Courtney's son is named Rex as well: --that was just a little bit of background info--- So Rex (the son) a.k.a. Bubba was looking at some pictures of Jesus during church last week and when he got to a picture of Jesus on the cross he said who is that? (pointing to Jesus). And she said Jesus. He said who are they? (pointing to those people gathered around the base of the cross.) and sister Larsen said those are the people who were mean and killed Jesus. All Bubba said: "idiots".  --out of the mouth of babes. :)

I love y'all so much. I have y'all in my prayers. Don't ever forget how much I love y'all!

with all the big Texas love I can muster,

 

Hermana Sorensen

Libbi: A Week of Wonders

Alright, I have a plan this week of what I will do. First, I will give my shout-outs! John and Marilee I know it is a month late but please accept my apologies all and happy anniversary (past) on the 3rd of Aug.Ben and Rae happy anniversary as well 6 years...wow you guys are getting old! By the way Ben, how was your climb?! Mandy and Daniel happy anniversary on the 16th of Aug. David Hunter Happy birthday this past week on the 23! I thought of you and hope that you are doing well!  John Everett happy birthday this past week as well. Oh my goodness I won´t even recognize you when I get home! Maren and Todd I hope you have a wonderful anniversary this next week and do something fun! I love you and wish everyone a happy week!

 

And now I would like to share some funny things that happened...just little things that make me smile and laugh and I hope bring a smile...First..learning a language is difficult so don´t judge but I was teaching the 1st vision and I was saying the account of the Prophet Joseph Smith and it has a part that says "pirando no ar assim de mim" (in the air above me) and I said this "pirando no mar" (mar is the ocean..standing in the Ocean...) don´t worry this was just my first mistake. After that I said this. The last part of the first vision is where the Father says "this is my beloved son, hear him" or este è o meu filho amado ovi-o" but I said "èste´é meu filho armado" (armado means armed...like with a weapon...This is my armed son...) oh apostosia.(apostasy)..no I am trying and after this time I never said them wrong again...but sometimes you have to learn the hard way. Uncle Mike, I met a woman on the bus that has the same perfume as you and brought me back to every hug you have ever given me...I guess it is common for women to use men´s colone here! I also passed a group of tough guys outside an auto shop that were blasting what of all the songs in the world? "Girls just wanna have fun!" It was great when I tried to translate the words to the song to my companion as we laughed our way down the street! Oh memories on the mission. And this week, in the middle of lunch with a member my companion slowly fell to the ground as the chair beneath her broke into pieces! It was in the middle of lunch and she quietly said, Ì´m falling` oh it was wonderful and then she was out of view under the table! hahaha this week was wonderful and the mission is just jam-packed full of awkwardly wonderfully funny moments! But it is also jam packed full of emotion. I am learning and growing so very much!

 

This week we had the 112th birthday of Campo Grande! Don´t worry the biggest party in the city was only a block away from our house! I had a great time trying to sleep with the earth shaking beneath me from fireworks, bands, and drunk people! No, it was a wonderful week. We had highs and lows just like every other but we had 4 people in the church which is better than none and we have many possibilities for baptism this week! We planned an activity in the church that was like `lifeline` at Brighton (Meg you can explain) and we made a path with chairs through the church and finished in the chapel were we had a member playing hymns...we read about the iron rod and tree of life. I think it was a success. A bit stressful to plan because we don´t have much `down time` here on the mission but it was great and we had a pretty good turn out! We have Maria and her granddaughter Rebecca.  They were in the church and we have been teaching them. Maria can´t hear well and that makes it difficult but Rebecca really loved church and I am hopeful they will be baptized this week. We also have Aparacida and she accepted a date of baptism and as far as we know has stopped drinking! We are working hard and trying diligently to find more people to teach here in Julio de Castilho! I love you all. The church is true. I am so grateful for the knowledge of the restored gospel in my life! We are so very blessed! David, just heard about your game! FReak!!! You are awesome I wouldn´t expect any less! You are blessed don´t forget to thank God for your talents and health and ability! I love you all, be safe and know I love you more than I want to eat Cafe Rio right now! Which is a ton!!!

 

Com amor, Sister Libbi Sorensen