Sarah Cate: Working in the YSA

Well family,
 I've thought about all that I need to do and I made some goals for myself. I need a job so that I can move back to Texas immediately. haha sorry family. I really love it here. It is my heart.  I can't imagine not being in Texas. 
I will just have to keep on keepin on though because I don't have any other choice. I am trying to be better. I just have to work every day. I love my companion a lot. She is really easy to get along with. She and I have lots of similarities and we are both committed to improving ourselves. I am sad to know that it will end. I am sad to know that the mission does end. uggg. It's just all hitting me right now.
I guess I will tell you of the awesome week that I had. Last week was.....straight up crazy. We have had some major miracles happen in this ward. We have seen investigators come out of nowhere! We are currently working with a few people. I will let you know how they progress. We had an absolutely beautiful day on Saturday. I had previously called my mission President to see if I could go see Larry Lowrance's baptism. it was this past Saturday. Usually he doesn't let people do that but he told me I could go! I was so blessed. I got to play my violin. I got to see the beautiful people of Barton Creek one last time. I was so blessed. Larry was so nervous. It was so tender and you couldn't help but feel the spirit as he was baptized. The talks were perfect the and directly addressed his concerns. I was so blessed to see it. Man I love him and his family so much.
We had to rush back because we had a baptism in our ward. It was of a beautiful 24 year old girl named Jess. She is going to be my best friend for life. She is so funny and has one of the most sincere testimonies. She is rock solid and asked both Sister Pierson and I to speak at her baptism. It was ssuuuuuper intimidating but really beautiful. I played my violin while she was changing. It seems to be the only thing that I do around here that invites the spirit. I wish I could play it better. I can feel my skills really lacking. Oh well. we just keep going.
We have so many blessings and miracles every day here. I am being obedient and studying and reading and especially praying. I don't know....I will just keep working. I'm sorry I haven't written anyone in a really really really long time. Here is my address (I almost forgot):
2104 E. Anderson Ln.
#1032
Austin, Tx. 78752
I really do love you a lot.
Love,
Hmna. Sorensen

Libbi: The real one

Familia!
The picture is of me with the ward missionary leader and his family on his birthday (at his house)

 Well, like every week I walked, I talked, I preached, I cried repentance, I expressed the love of our Heavenly Father for his children, I taught where we were before this life, why we are here, and where we will go after this life, I taught about power and authority, I taught about choices and our ability to choose, I taught about goals and priorities, I felt the spirit, I learned more about people, I learn more about myself, I felt the time pass slowly and in a blink of an eye.  I got older, I met new people, I saw progression, I saw regression. I felt overwhelming joy, and overwhelming hurt. I ache and yearn for these people. I live and breath this work.

I love it...all of it....

 We continue to teach the family of our recent convert Angela. She is pumped and ready to dive into the church. She is reading the scriptures and helping her brothers to read (they were marked to be baptized this week but then her parents went on a trip and so they will be baptized this Saturday instead) She is also working on her personal progress and  we are pleased with her progress and her family also. I´m hopeful that by the end of my time here in this area they will also be active members of the church.

 I know this is the one true Church with power and authority to preform life-saving ordinances. I know that we have a prophet that lives. I´m really excited for general conference and the opportunity we have to hear from men who literally speak and receive inspiration for us from our Heavenly Father. I love you all! CTR and have fun doing it!

 com amor,

Sister L. Sorensen

Life in Cuiaba' is sooo good...and hot!

Sarah Cate: Como Estas Amigos?

Hey hey friends,
So I am no longer in the beautiful Barton Creek area. Instead I am
just a stake over and I am covering A SINGLES
WARD.................UUUHHHHHHHHAHAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH. yEAH
THat is about how I feel about it on the inside. I am trying to maintain composure on the outside. I truly don't know how to talk to my peers. I am weird and awkward and I have realized that I have turned into a missionary robot! I thought I was normal but I have no idea what I am doing here. It will definitely prepare me for what is to come. I am nervous. I am scared. I am excited but mostly I am terrified. We have a super ward full of people my age that are going to grad school and things like that. I just made friends with the
coooooolest kid ever. His name is Dano. He just passed the test that you have to take in order to get into Med school. :) I obviously have forgotten a lot. He wants to go to the U of U. Yahooo!! He did his undergrad work at BYU so i consider that a convert. :) It's really crazy to see normal life and missionary life mixed together. I guess I am really sounding uneducated right now. I really have been hit off of my high horse. I am humbled. I don't know how President thinks this is an area "made for me" because I am such a nerd when it comes to these people. I trust him though so here goes nothing. I guess I'm overwhelmed because I continue to see how God is involved in the details of my life. I have had experiences and met people that I know I need to meet. I feel like I am being prepared. I feel like I have been prepared. I hope that I continue on. I hope that I can help people. I feel very much lately like I have been the one that has
received help and blessings from my companions. I am supposed to be the "senior" companion but I feel like am brand new. I feel like they are teaching me. I am often in awe in lessons and I don't know why but I am surrounded by really good people. I just want to listen to them talk. I don't think I have anything to contribute. That makes me sound super downer but I'm not. I am just impressed with others. I just want
to listen to them. I know I am where I need to be. It is still hard though. There are lots of miracles happening in Barton Creek. I can't look back. I can't be Lot's wife. I think I've done that quite a bit in my life. Looking back longingly to be where I don't need and where I shouldn't be. It has gotten me into trouble before my mission. I am working on it though and I will walk forward with faith.
I don't think I've told y'all but my new companion is Sister Pierson. Guess who sister Pierson was trained by? SISTER DE LEON! THE ONE AND ONLY!!! bangarang. We were trained by the same person. It's pretty funny because we both catch ourselves saying and doing things that she would do. I think it just makes us miss her...at least that is how it is for me. I LOVE YOU SISTER DE LEON! Sister Pierson is cool. She is tall and blond and very beautiful. She is from California. She is really hang loose. Its good for me too because i get to be the uptight one. :) I think I am gonna be the enforcer of the rules. We'll see what happens but I am really excited. She knows how to talk to these people.
Well that is my life. We had a baptism this past Saturday and we have another one coming up. its a blessing. Larry is getting baptized this weekend. I really want to go. I am praying that the Lord allows me to do so. I love y'all.
Hna. Sorensen

Libbi: What a wonderful world!

Bom Dia,
This week, as is every week, a week of learning. I had a wonderful zone conference where we talked more about our purpose and searched more in depth section 4 of D&C. It was very insightful. I was able to learn more about my purpose and re-charge my spiritual battery. We hit the ground running this week...but hit a few snags with tons of rain and a companion with a nasty cold. We continue to search for new people to teach and invite everyone to `feast on the words of Christ`
We were able to teach a very special family this week. Their names are Daniel and Elane. Unfortunately, they are not married but have a desire to get married and already knew about eternal marriage and want to be sealed also. They are very special but unfortunately the enemy is always working against this work and they did not come to church this week. I hope that their righteous desires continue to rule their conscience and they can partake of this wonderful gospel. They have great potential. We did not receive permission from Kamile´s Mom for her to be baptized....it is extremely sad to watch someone with a sincere desire to follow our Savior and is not able to continue progressing. I hope she will continue strong until she is able to become an official member of the church.
I celebrated 10 months on my mission this week. The time continues to pass even faster than ever and yet I feel like I´ve been re-born on my mission. I know that I am different, with all the experiences, all the people, and all the highs and lows I have changed and refined and hopefully become better. I love this Gospel. I know that is true with all my sole. I see and live the difference it makes in a life everyday. I know that Jesus is the Christ, that he suffered for our sins. That he calls everyone of us to follow him and partake of the joy of righteousness. I know we have a prophet that lives with power and authority to receive the will of God and guide this Church. I know the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the words of God written by his chosen prophets. I know these books are true. The can change your life if you let them. Read and ponder the scriptures daily...don´t put off one day repentance and change for the better. Better yourself daily and submit to the will of the Lord. He is perfect and all loving and knows what is best for us all!
I love you all and live for your success! Keep being beacons of light to the world! I will do my best to shine this week!

com amor
Sister L. Sorensen

Sarah Cate: Move over...More Changes Coming...

Well here goes nothing.

 I realized my last e-mail was quite emotional. It was real and much seemed very hopeless. The beginning of the week did not actually improve. It got worse. I thought it wasn't possible but it did. It seemed that all the hard work that Sister Probert and I have been working for seemed to be slipping through our fingertips. It was so sad. Investigators that had never missed appointments all of a sudden started to flake. Amazing relationships we had created with Less Active members exploded and almost completely self-destructed. It was shocking how quickly everything was changing. We spent a lot of our spare time on our knees. We knew full well that we were fixin to transfer and it was really worrying me that if there was a change, all would be lost. We were very resolved, as always, to be obedient. We read and prayed and we did everything in our power to invite the Spirit. There was no exact turning point but we powered on through this week. 

 I want y'all to know that Sister Probert and I had 6 investigators show up to church this week. wow. That is truly impressive in the San Antonio mission in the richest area in the mission that is stinkin cool. There have been a lot of nerves this past week due to the upcoming transfer. 

 We got called last night and I was informed that i would be leaving Barton Creek. We were also informed that my brand new trainee WAS GOING TO BE  TRAINING!!! aaahhhhhh what a neat thing for her. She is so cool. She really has worked hard and will do amazing things. She is a good missionary and I love how much President already sees her amazingness. I have to take a moment and be selfish because y'all know how terrible I am when I get moved. This one is hard. They all have been hard but I think this one is hard because I have thrown so much of everything into this area. We have taken this area to having nothing to having 6 member at church on Sunday with 2 amazing baptisms on the way. God is good. I was very nervous about a new missionary coming in and loving these people as much as we have done. I was very nervous about Larry because I truly love him so much. He is a rough guy and I know lots of people who would be quick to judge him. I know that a brand new missionary is perfect for this area. It just shows how much the Lord is mindful of the people in this area and of us. We are blessed. Truly. 

 President told me in my letter this last week that my next area was "made for me" well I hope it has unicorns and lots of couches because that is my area! haha I'm just kidding. I am doing better. I can't be ashamed because I worked hard in this area. I have given so much. I know I will get to see these people again because I love them too much to not see them. I love Texas with all my heart. I am trying every day to be better. I promise. I love y'all so much. I will keep y'all posted where I am going. I won't know till Thursday. That is when I leave here. Keep praying for all those in this area. I will surely miss them. Love y'all tons.

 

Hna. Sarah Cate Sorensen

Libbi: `é como não sentire calor em cuiabá`

Hey there fam,

 We keep working and praying and fasting for success...The work continues...Momma HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I love you and wish you luck and success with the craziness that is this week. Rae know that I didn´t mean to forget you last week I knew your birthday was on the 2nd I just didn´t write it in the e-mail but I hope it was a wonderful birthday! I am still in shock about the experience that Sarah had meeting President and Sister Clark. I read her e-mail first and I just sobbed here in the Internet Café thinking about how much our Heavenly Father loves us. He gives us these experiences and allows us to connect when we are so very far away...

 The title of my e-mail are lyrics to a very popular song here in Brasil. It is about heartbreak and it talks about all the things that are like heart break....and one of them is `like you don´t feel hot in Cuibá (almost impossible or extremely strange) I am just going off  on what other people have said about this music because I haven´t actually heard it. But, we are on average about 98 degrees here with 80% humidity. We had a bit of rain this week that made it a bit colder only 85-90. I´m pretty sure the weather isn´t the same there. I think I´ve forgotten what it really feels like to be cold.

 Sister Ferreira and I continue to search for new people to teach. We had some highs and lows of the week but in the end...none of the people knew that we worked with came to church. We push on. I know that through the Savior there is always a way back to our Heavenly Father. I´m so grateful for this great plan of mercy! He loves us! every one of us! He wants us ALL to come home....he doesn´t have favorites! Keep doing what you know is right, say your prayers and read your scriptures. Do the little things...The Lord is in the details.

 Love,

Sister L. Sorensen

Sarah Cate: Texas-sized hugs II

Well well well...we meet again family and friends.

Texas is so cool. I am a Texan. LONG LIVE THE ALAMO, REMEMBER THE ALAMO AND KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD. OK those were just thrown in to help me never forget the beauty of the pride that is here. It is so cool. So many good people. I'm not joking though, it is a pretty fantastic place and there are so many beautiful people. I want y'all to meet them but I understand that it is not possible. Texas rocks y'all. Uncle Matt has it right. He knows where it's at.

Not gonna lie, I was having a tough week this week. I have been hugely fighting the conflict inside this past week. I have noticed that with my companions throughout all my mission, I tend not to want to talk about my real feelings. I would rather just swallow it and then think through it rather than talk about it. Well, that is not a very healthy way of dealing with problems. I don't know, I am working on communication. Well I am doing a lot better with it. This week, I regressed a lot. I let a lot of it bottle up. We received a lot of blessings though but it was a battle.  

Remember Angela?! Well we have not been able to get a hold of her and then all of a sudden we felt like we should just stop by after all our plans fell though one day. Well we stopped by and she was B-A-D!!! It was really sad. You could tell that she was in a bad way. Well we went inside and talked to her and she broke down. The poor thing has not had anyone that she could talk to or cry to about any of the craziness of her life. Quick update: Her daughter is Jewels who was baptized at the beginning of this month. Her son died on Feb. 14th. He was hit by a car. Well she went to his funeral and I think it only made things worse. Bless her Heart, we cried with her and we helped her feel love. We prayed with her and she felt better. It was amazing.   

Flash forward to Sunday....ready for the blessings yesterday?!! There were so many I just almost cry when I think back on them. We had 6 people at church who were not members....YEAH READ THEM AND WEEP!!!!!!!! 6 PEOPLE!! Yeah. REady to hear who?! Angela, yeah she stayed for all 3 hours. We had LARRY LOWRANCE COME WITH HIS DAUGHTER WHO HAS NOT BEEN TO CHURCH IN AT LEAST 8 YEARS!!! SHE BROUGHT HER "FIANCE" AND THEIR DAUGHTER!!! We also had our miracle ERic Skapple who LOVES  church and asked us during sacrament meeting what time his baptism was? YEAH HE IS GETTING BAPTIZED PEOPLE!!! It was so cool. We also had a man who was a contractor of a family in the ward. It was just a bangarang day. It was awesome. I just about died with happiness when I saw Larry. he came with a sky blue button up shirt (about the first five buttons unbuttoned) with cargo black pants and some black crocks. I LOVE LARRY LOWRANCE!!!! I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH!! He is so awesome. He is fighting against all the ugliness and evil that is working on him. He looked so good. OH man I was so happy with him. He is working on quitting smoking. He smoked last on Saturday. Keep praying for him. He told someone in church that he was planning on coming back next week. It was just so cool. It was such a blessing. The cherry on top: This is what i just copied and pasted from my e-mail to Libbi. It sums up a tremendous tender mercy that the Lord blessed me with this past week:  

*******----------this is the e-mail-----------

You ready for the blessing of our lives? On Sunday (by the time you read this, a week ago) I got introduced to your........ Mission President's wife in the CTM when you were there. I played my violin in Relief Society and she came up to me with tears in her eyes and said to me (with a Portuguese accent) that she missed her missionaries. She gave me a hug and  then explained that she missed you so much. She said, "oh I love Sister Sorensen. She played so beautifully. Just like you!" She said that she wants to keep in touch with you!!! All I could do was hug her a million times and cry. I felt like for the first time in a long time, I was close to you. It was like I was hugging you! Oh I cried a lot. She then showed me her missionary tag. (she was recently released and her kids are in my ward here. You met her son who is in my ward. He has a very large square head with blond hair and has glasses) --I  don't know if you remember him or not. When she showed me her tag, there was a Brazillian coin attached to the back of it. She said here you are and gave me the coin and said "Now you have part of Brazil and part of your sister with you" I gave her another hug and kissed her on the cheek. She then started crying and said "oh thank you for doing that. People always do that in Brazil and no one does it here in the states." I just about died. I love you so much Libbi. I felt you very close to me yesterday. Thank you for blessing my life and being someone I know I will be with for Eternity. You are my sister forever. I love you more than you can ever know. Thank you for being so amazing. You made your mission President's wife so happy. You are a good missionary. I felt so proud to claim you. I carry the coin with me everywhere so I have you with me always. God is aware of us. He loves you. He loves me. Thank you for blessing my life sister. I miss you and love you more than you will ever understand.

**************** 

Yeah, how cool is my life? I truly want y'all to know that I know God knows y'all as individuals. He doesn't miss anyone. HE IS IN THE DETAILS. -- On Sunday, I was fasting to have help with my comp and to have help with our investigators and to have Heavenly Father let me know he loves me. God is real. He is aware of us. He loves us. He wants us to be happy. I KNOW this. He doesn't mess around. God DOES have a sense of humor. He wants us to grow. It's not easy but it's a blessing. It's an honor because God knows we can become more. We are better than we think we are. We can always improve but we have to keep perspective. We have to LOVE EVERYONE. God does. Why shouldn't we 

Thanks y'all for bein in my life. I love y'all so much. Mutti---HAPPY B-DAY!!! SARAH JANE!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE GETTING BAPTIZED THIS WEEKEND WHAT A NEAT THING! YOU ARE SOOOO COOL! YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS SO PROUD OF YOU. man I wish I was gonna be there to see it. Take pictures. I just love y'all so much. Jonathan (Jon) I am so excited for you to baptize Sarah. This is amazing practice for your mission and what a cool prep for your mission. Soak up the feelings and the spirit. Satan is going to try to take away from it by making your life crazy but demand time with the spirit. Take a moment to pray and thank God for the opportunity. It's so neat. Man I just love it. I love it all. Keep being good.  

Y'all are wonderful and blessings in my life. I am jealous of all y'alls fun but don't worry. When I get back, I'm fixin to make us some good times. OH how beautiful life is. Keep choosing the right. Keep enduring to the end. We can do it! Your never alone. God is there. WE have a 4th watch God. He will let us struggle. We are better for it.  

OK I really will finish now. I love y'all so much. I miss you more than you can even imagine. Have a beautiful week. I love y'all. 

Hna. Sc Sorensen  

Libbi:The power in a name...

Hey there Family and friends,

Before I forget...as I always do. Unlike Carli, who actually has an excuse for not telling you happy birthday... my diligent mother gave me a list of all the birthdays in the fam...sorry,  I have no excuse that I haven´t given more shout outs! I love you all just know that. But Mutti happy birthday! I love you and pray for you daily. Sarah Jane I´m so excited for you and your baptism this week. Liz thanks for the cute Christmas card and I will be writing you guys a letter today. I love you all! The support and love I feel from my family is amazing! I can´t thank you enough! 

This week we pushed it to the max, despite Carnaval we were blessed to be able to teach, meet, and invite many people to partake of the Joy of the restored gospel. We continue however, without a baptism. I have faith that this week we will find more people that really want to make the changes necessary to follow our Savior Jesus Christ. Also, I was blessed with hot water....something very simple but I didn´t realize how much I missed it till I took a shower with hot water for the first time in 3 months! hahaha we are so blessed! It is good to have a reminder of that every once in a while. 

I had a wonderful interview with my president of the mission and I continue to strengthen my testimony of the inspiration of inspired leaders. The organization of the church is perfect and I´m so grateful for the little sacrifice that every member makes to allow this work to continue to grow and bless more of God´s children. 

The title of the e-mail was because of a funny experience I had with a recent convert yesterday. He gave me a piece of paper with his full name written on it and began explaining how his name has power and already saved him from `the darkness of the other side´ (kind of like an Indian medicine man) and wanted me to have it for protection. A strange way to say I want to keep in touch but hahaha gotta love em all! I began to think of my name and was given various experiences this week of the true power and legacy of our names. I have been blessed with a great pioneer heritage (that I have tried to deny, thanks to my pioneer highly-concentrated childhood) but here I have been able to reflect more on the experience and legacy of sacrifice. I watched a film call ´17 Miracles´ it's a little hokey but I feel a powerful spirit every time I reflect on the sacrifice of those who established the early church. I know that like my mother said in a talk she gave more than 500 times....´we draw from wells we didn´t dig and we warm from testimony fires we didn´t light´ I am so grateful for my name and the legacy it holds! 

I love this work. I love my mission. I love how everyday is filled with so much learning if we open our heart to the inspiration of the Spirit. I am blessed...I know it more and more everyday! I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week! 

com amor, 

Sister L. Sorensen