Dispatches from Del Rio

HOOOOOLLLLAAAAAA FAMILIA Y AMIGOS!!

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! OOOHHH HOW I WISH I WAS THERE. I HOPE IT IS A FANTASTIC DAY. i AM SENDING YOU A LETTER BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN IT WILL GET THERE. I LOVE YOU SOOOO MUCH. Rae i hope you had a fantastic birthday as well. i love you too! HAPPY HAPPY TIMES EN MI FAMILIA!

Si yo hablo espanol. I don't know if ya'll heard but.....I MADE IT TO THE BOARDER!! i literally stuck my foot across the fence to say that i made it out of the country on my mission! haha technically i am not out of the country till i cross the Rio Gran pero its a nice thought. Ok so i am in a town just a few miles from the boarder. Its one of the 3 coveted missions here so i am sooo blessed. I get to speak Spanish and English every day. Too bad i can't speak Spanish so i end up looking dumbly at the Hispanics and they look at me like i am an idiot. I am trying though and the lord will bless me for my efforts. My companion is Sister DeLeon. Yes. sister of lion. She is a lion. She is tall and is pretty much the epitome of 'perfect' missionary. She lives by her white hand book and she doesn't mess around. She is really driven and is perfect at Spanish. (she learned it on her mission) - this gave me motivation to learn it myself but i am SOOOO intimidated. President really loves her. I am blessed because she is patient and will help me learn my Spanish. We are part of a tester program for the church in training new missionaries so.....EVEN BETTER NEWS......I AM GUARANTEED TO BE HERE FOR 12 WEEKS!! YAAAAHHHHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! OH I'M SOOO BLESSED. Please pray that i will get this language. Please pray that i can learn fast because after my 12 weeks with sister De Leon, i AM GOING TO TRAIN A NEW MISSIONARY!!!!! bbbbbbbbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppppppppppppppppppppppp!!

Yes, its quite a task ahead of me. I think president likes me....i hope. I get to play my violin this week at district meeting. (we have a guest coming and so are our zone leaders whom i have not met). I am so baffled by how much the Lord blesses me every day. I will give you a little run down on how this happened when i got here. So i woke up at 3 got on the bus to the airport at 4 and then went through security and it was about 6:30. Called all y'all and almost missed my flight. I was the last one to board the plane. Petrified i would miss it again (and in actuality i only had like 20 min) i didn't call when i got to Arizona. Well when i finally got to Texas, i was pooped but the President and his wife and the A.P. met us there. They were all very happy and helpful. We went to the President's house for lunch and then had a little orientation meeting. Then we went promptly to the Alamo where we were read the story of the Alamo and then asked to cross the line and be on the Lord's side. Sounds cheesy but it was actually pretty cool. Then we were all given a book of Mormon and with no other instruction, were told, in a half hour to give it away. Easy enough....NOT! I started walking towards a man and he literally ran away from me. I laughed out loud because it reminded me of when Libbi was the blood drop and tried to give that boy a hug and he ran away....oh it was so funny. That happened for the next 20 minutes because there were 18 missionaries going out and giving books of Mormon within a block radius of one another. It was soooo fun. Wwwaaaayyy harder than i thought it would be but i met a man and he told me he already had one sitting in his basement. I committed him to read the intro to the b.o.m. and it was awesome cuz he was like uummm yeah i think i need that. Thank you. i was like if you have any questions or anything you can always come find us. We're always around -because i didn't have a house or anything i knew to say where to find us. It was cool. The next day we got assigned our companions. Holy trip. Its like a giant round of cattle branding because you break off in your different zones once you've been assigned. Yeah....my zone....a companionship of elders and us. We have Eagle Pass in our zone but they weren't training so none of them were at this meeting. It was way cool though. Then we got in the car and drove for 3 hours to the boarder. It is so stinkin flat here. I miss the mountains and will miss the mountains till i return. I guess we just missed all the bad weather of 110 degrees. Its been fairly cold here though (60-75) lately.

Its hard to sum up everything that has happened because its so much....and so different than any experience in the MTC but its soo cool working on talking to REAL people. Door approaches and contacting kick me in the trash every day. I get so scared to ask them if we can come back. A lot of people are nice for the most part -besides the occasional GET OFF MY PORCH. But its good. Sometimes its in Spanish and I can't tell what they are saying to me so i just smile and nod my head till i receive some sort of hand sweep that i can only assume that they want me to get off their porch. haha i am so lost here but i truly am trying. I am determined to learn and to be the best missionary.

A fun story that i will leave you with is this: My first real day as a missionary, we were called to help a less active member. Her name is Kim Smith. Sounds awesome! Well i was stoked. We show up at her house and before she even opens the door, i am dying from second hand smoke. ok so she smokes...wuppy who doesn't? Well when she opens the door, her baby dog took that opportunity to run at me. Don't worry, she caught the dog by the scruff of the neck and it yelped. I felt terrible. Despuace said perro experiencia, we entered su casa. It was hard to breathe at first but my lungs soon acclimatized as we were lead to a back room. One look at that room and i though i would die. There was a closet in the back corner that had clothes vomiting from it. There was a deflated blow up mattress in the middle of the floor with boxes, clothes and garbage on top of it. We did not realize till later that there was also a desk mixed in there. Well we started just boxing up these clothes - a combination of both male and female clothing. Libbi you would be proud, i found several spiders and killed them all. Yeah. gross . red spiders. gross gross grossss!!! Entonses, We start talking to Sister Smith and she starts telling us that she hated that her son and this "hill billy skank" -as she referred to her- lived under her roof out of wedlock. She said she knew it was against God and his will. We tried to enforce that but as the conversation went on, we found out that both were in prison. yeah...and then she just said that they did "the crime" together. And then i said 'oh boy. sounds complicated. Will they be there for a while" and she said. Yes. Probably for the rest of their lives. They bludgeoned a man to death....................................WWWWWWWHHHHHHAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!! yeah. We handled murder's clothing. Two of them in fact. But don't worry. The murderous girlfriend had been friends with the missionaries. How do i know this? Oh we found pictures. of them. inside the apartment in which i now live. yEAH. Life is crazy here in Texas.  I am having fun. I am eating the best Mexican food i have ever tasted in my life. I am sure i have already gained  about 15 dress sizes. OH another reason why my area rocks---i get to ride a bike part time. (the elders and us share a car). I am blessed. sooo many blessings in mi vida.

Well this was suuuper long. I"m sorry about that but its been a crazy time. I can't tell you how aw3esome it was to talk to ya'll. I wish we could have talked for longer. I wish i could have a hug but i chose a different path and i need to stick with it. I miss you so much. Please don't ever forget how much i love ya'll. God is real and he is in the details of our lives. I need to learn this language and i have a heart attack every day because i am so bad but i know in whom i trust.

To finish up: i need everyone's hard address because i only have an hour of e-mail time and i have to write president. If you send me letters to the mission home, i won't get them for months because i live so far away. Seriously, send them to my address here. How is David Phillips? How is Ben Lariviera? Jimmy my love how are you?- i'ma write you a song..uuuhhh i mean a letter. :) NO seriously. i am going to write y'all. Its trippy though. Mutti Papa- i love you. Gus sus-i love you (Thank you for your letters both)  I am trying to be all that i can be. I miss you all sooo much. God bless each and every one of you. Utah is so beautiful. Don't take it for granted. Soo much love all an e-mail can contain.

Hermana Sarah Cate Sorensen

219 Avondale #77

Del Rio, Texas

78840

Gracias por su ejemplos en mi vida. Te amo!!!!!

Hermana Sorensen

It looks like Hermana Sorensen is excited to get to Texas!!



Last Words from Provo...On to San Antone

Sorry i live in a bubble here and i don't get to hear much from the outside world. ya'll recieving dos packetas esta semana. Lo siento it took me so long. So the reality of leaving is really hitting me right now. I am dying a little inside. I have gotten so comfortable being here and knowing the people that i've known.

 

So i lied to you. When i said last week was awesome and there was just a little drama....that was an understatement. it was a STINKIN HARD WEEK. Since i am coordinating sister, i had to deal with EVERYONE AND THEIR DOG'S PROBLEMS. And it was just right back in highschool. it killed me. I wish we could all be a little mature sometimes but people must excersice their agency. Oh and on a side note- my spelling has gone from about 5 to a 2 on a scale from 1-10. lo siento. I can't spell or speak in either language now. Es muy divertido no? Entonses, i am growing like a beanstalk. spiritually...and probably physically around but life is fo serious, so good.

 

I have such an amazing support. Thank you rockin family. Thank you rockin family, thank you rockin friends. I just am so stinkin blessed and i don't know why God continues to bless with so much. Tender mercy this week- i have a stalker here. hahah he knows sign language and i signed to him one day. I must have said please stalk me because he does now. Its all good though because its kind of fun remembering that beautiful language. I miss it. I do love espanol though...probably more. Maybe less...no its definitely more.

 

Sooooo the details about my departure: i leave on Wednesday. My companions leave on Monday. i will be a solo sister for a couple of days with two elders as my companions. (Elder Naylor and Elder Baker) - i am sooo  stoked.  I need to be at the travel office on Wednesday at 4 in the a.m. Yeah so i figure i'll probably calling you around 5:45 or 6:00 in the a.m. DON'T ACT LIKE YOUR NOT EXCITED!! yeahh i know its early but i may be able to call a little later but not for long because my plane leaves at 7:10 from salt lake and i go to Phoenix Arizona and get there around 8:55. Then i leave around 9:55. I get to San Antonio around 1:09. Now you know as much as i do.

MY NEW ADDRESS AND PLEASE USE IT!!!

 

hERMANA SARAH CATE SORENSEN

Texas, San Antonio Mission

404 E. Ramsey Rd. ste. 105

San Antonio, Tx. 78216-4665

 

I STINKIN LOVE YOU ALL!! WRITE ME BECASUE I WILL LOVE YOU. hEY COUSINS ON YOUR MISSIONS I LOVE YOU TOO. wHERE MY COUSINS AT THAT LIVE IN sALT LAKE? hOW ARE THEY? hOW THE STINK IS MY FAMILIY? hOW B MY BROS? hOW IS EVERYONE?! I MISS YA'LL I LOVE YOU!

 

CHOW CHOW

 

HERMANA sORENSEN

Sarah falls in love...??!!! - Bangarang!!

Forgive me family, friends, everyone.

I have failed this last week in writing letters. I am only allowed to write letters on this one day and last week....wow. I'm going to have to hand write that experience. Entoneses, lo siento i am kicking my trash this week in order to get it done. Please know taht i do love you and i have received your letters and i am working on writing you back. I am slow. Soy no perfecto como mis primos. My cousins are examples to me of amazing missionaries. I stinkin miss them. You know who else i miss? Bailey. How is my puppy dog? poody snoo good? Dead? I'm just prepin.

 Anyways, well i don't know how to put this next part of my letter.........don't tell anyone ok..........i fell in love here.......i was not expecting to at all but i have done it...............its my mission.....it totally crept up on me and one thing led to another and now i love my mission. I'M IN LOVE WITH MY MISSION AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS!! Ok so really, last week, i made my mission my own and i feel the love of my mission and i am so amazingly excited to go to Texas i can't even tell you. Like real love, i fell out of it again this week because there is MAAAADDD DRAMA here in el ccm! es muy incredible en no bueno manera.

I am going to be sending you a package. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it Meg. I did not forget your birthday. I have had this package for over a week but due to recent popa en mi vida, i sent it tarde. LO SIENTO MEG! TE AMO! I really do love you so much. How was it? I prayed extra hard for you to have a good day taht day. How about your New Sarah Sorensen?! How was your birthday? How are you>? Did you get that job? I miss you. iL ove you both so much.

Well this is what is happening. There has been some mad Elder/ Hermana drama. Some elders are making advances on some Hermanas. And by some i mean myself and my companion. and my other companion is crying because she thinks no one likes her. ONCE AGAIN I DID NOTHING TO ASK FOR THIS! I WAS A NICE PERSON. that will teach me. No in reality, it is all good. I love my life so much. I have the opportunity to learn and grow in new ways every day here. I am learning how to teach. I am learning a new language. what the hey!! Why not be happy!!

Guess what! I GOT TRAVEL PLANS!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?!! There is a light in the end of the tunnel. I am sending pictures home that you better put up there. I am sending a bunch! Enjoy. I wish you were here and were experiencing any of this with me. I missed your horn honk. I want so bad to see someone i know. Actually, i see wesley fasman because he works here and i also see a kid from our home ward. -yeah i can't remember his name. OOOHH YEAH JEFF WEIST! Yeah i hate it because i don't know anyones name from my past life. IT kills me. I truly cannot remember anyone's name. He teaches here

Luna-Rockasalot i stinkin love you both so much. I pray for you always. Please please please let me know whats up in your lives. God loves you both so much because you have helped me be a better person. YOu both have an amazing ability to relate to people and to love them. Thank you for loving God's children. Yeah waaaay cheesy. Just ya'll wait, it is the life here. sooo super amazing so just embrace it. :)

I leave March 2. My flight leaves at 7:10 in the A.m. I might call earlier. YES I GET TO TALK

TO OU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 i LOVE YOU!

 mORE INFO TO COME. SUSU GUS I LOVE YOU

I love you all. Don't forget about me i'm off to Texas. Bangarang. Oh i am sooo happy. Thank you for your letters. keep sending them. i love you

Hermana Sarah CAte Sorensen

Blessings from Stepping Outside of self...Tender Mercies

Oh man MOm you are right. You deserve the biggest letter in the world for truly, and I will fight to the death if anyone says differently, you are the BEST MOM IN THE WORLD. These words on this page do not do my feelings for you justice. You stinkin rocked it this week mom. YES, HERMANA Furman got her package and letter. IT WAS AMAZING. Her birthday was probably the best day I have ever had in the mission field apart from the day before yesterday. Yesterday was soooo amazing. We woke up and went to class and all of a sudden our elders were already there and they had decorated her desk and surprised her. It was a HUGE surprise to me that our Elders suddenly grew hearts outside of their own sphere of existence. The surprises don't end there. Well the day before, I had previously set up with my zone to have everyone write her a letter so that she knows she is loved. So flash back to the birthday day... she continued, through the day, to receive letters from all over the place with the kindest messages in it. It was truly so happy. For Gymnasio, We had already asked the man who starts out the gym session to announce her birthday. Everyone yelled happy birthday and cheered as a bright, cherry red, faced hermana beamed at us. IT MADE MY DAY. Well after gymnasio, thinking this day could not possibly get any better, Our Elders surprised her once again with cards and a gift. The gift was none other than the very watch that Hermana was going purchase for herself!!! It was a HUGE gift and I almost cried when I saw it. I had prayed suuuuper hard that this day would be amazing for her and it was. The happiness was completed and shot over the top for both my companions and myself when Hermana received not only one but 2 packages! I nearly died inside because one (the best one i might add) was from none other than my SUPER AMAZING MOST TERRIFIC MOTHER and sister that threw in a note. DID THOSE CUP CAKES MAKE ME WANT TO SCREAM  I WAS SO HAPPY!! YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS! I love you I love you I love you I love you. I love you! I miss you. I love you. I really miss you. you rocked more than I can ever express. I miss you. I love you. I love you.

 

Anyways, so nothing short of a milagro came this week. This entire weeks has been a milagro en mi vida. I am so blessed. 2 years ago when Matt died, I immediately harbored some serious feelings towards my Savior that i did not realize until two days ago. I received a package in the mail from Matt's mom. I almost died because of the extreme guilt i feel over the missing message. I thought this was going to be a sad thing and a hard thing. I had no idea. When i opened up the large manila envelope, i immediately saw my friend Matt's face and my eyes filled with tears. I frequently think, feel, and ponder about Matt here. It kills me. contained in this packet was a letter from Matt's mom. It said " I understand how it feels when things don't go the way you wanted. I want you to know that Matt talked about you alot and he loved you." I could not stop the tears. I was dying inside. Also contained in the envelope was Matt's story of his life, mission and death. Reading the details brought back a lot of things I hoped to never feel. I could not believe God would allow my friend to pass away. He had so much to live for. I read on and on about my friend through my tears and finally reached the end titled "afterwards". In this section it talked about some of the many miracles that Matt has performed and  continues to perform through his death. Like it said in this selection" Matt had so much to die for". I miss him so much but I know that Matt is here with me. 2 and a half years of prayers and I finally got my answer. God knew my heart and wanted to help me. Matt knew what I needed and he helped me.

 

If any of you that ever read this are wondering if God knows who you are, He does. I know it. I've experienced it. I have learned from it. I appreciate God's patience with me. Its all about the Lord's ways are not my ways. God loves us. He truly wants what is best for us. He has blessed me especially when I don't deserve blessings. He is a God of Perfect love and he will help us with anything. He wants to and I love him with all my heart.

 

I love you all for everything. I miss you. I love you. I love you. Ii love you. My family is my greatest blessing. You make my life. I love you. I live for you and you are amazing. Thank you friends. I love you too. Thank you for your letters that light up my life. I love you forever and ever. Never forget it!

 

Hermana Sorensen

When the rain clouds part...sunshine!

OHHHH WOW!!

aFTER THE TRIALS COME THE BLESSINGS. This week has been once again a trip and a half. Last week was hard and i knew coming into the new week after p-day was going to be even harder. The hermanas that were my mentors and my immidiate source of sanity were called away to their missions on Monday. I never thought i would be so sad seeing someone go. The only thing i can possibly equate it to is a fraction of how i felt when i was leaving all of you. It was a taste of what is to come.

 

I am growing so much. A huge tender mercy this week is my new calling. I am now the coordinating sister. Its essentially the Zone leader of the sisters. It has been sooo amazing the change in spirit. I am able to feel so much more. I love it. Its also given me a chance to have more friends outside of my zone and i have been able to be so social. -As you know this is my life. :) No it truly is so humbling. I can not even describe what a tender mercy it is.

 

Well I through my new calling i talked to a girl that knows Daniel! She is from the Island that he is serving right now. She said that a few weeks ago she was eating with him. She is my favorite now and every time i see her, i give her a hug and we tell eachother that we love eachother. I am so super blessed. that has been a tender mercy in my life

 

I miss music a lot. If you wanted to send my lyrics to a song that would be great. Or a letter in general. Thank you so much to Sam and Jess and their cute family! i have amazing pictures for my room now thanks to tate and jace! Thanks Kelan for the letter and the update on life. ITs always good to hear the news.

 

The language is kicking me in the trash but i am working really really hard at it. I can understand it but i can't speak it to save my life. This past week we taught our first lesson solo espanol. It was very difficult because neither of my hermanas speak that much espanol so a lot of it was up  to me and my interperting skills. I love you more than i could possibly imagaine. I love you i love you i love you. I am e-mailing you later than i expected but i will talk to you soon.  i really want to hear about anything. Ya'll are in my prayers. i love you. i love you i love you. I misssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss you.

 

ok ok. i love you all. Thanks Libbi for the letter. They are my favorite. you make me so happy. i love you.

 

I love you too meg.

I love you Mom

I love you Dad

I love you Ben

I love you Rae

I love you Sarah

I love you Pete

 

HOw are people?~

How is Karen and Mary

How is David

How is Travis

How are people?~ Hello i haven't heard this week. i love you all.

Keep up the good work. You all are my inspiriation..............sorry my letter this week is lame but i don't have any time. I will wite more soon. I love you.

 

H. Sorensen

Momma said there'd be weeks like this...

First off: Mom- I got Hep. A shot. Please don't send me the tape to record today because i can't talk. My voice is gone. Am a stressed? Out of my head. I am still in a tripanionship. We change senior companions ever three weeks because we are in a tripanionship.

 

Ok so here goes nothing. MOnday was by far the worst day of my mission. There was a vortex of hate, health, frustration, death and frustration taht filled the air. Looooooong story short, I was feeling sick. no sick is an understatement. I was feeling the hands of death. I hurt bad. Anyways, my companiera Hermana Gneiting disappeared and no one knew where she went. Then the next thing i hear is that she is talking with the branch president. WHAT THE BEEEEEEP!!! Yeah. Later that day when we finally meet up with her. She opens a letter, starts crying and runs away AGAIN! This time we see it coming and we chase after our companion. This may sound like a soap opera and i am conviced i am living one. There are hidden cameras taping my life and i can only hope that someone, somewhere is enjoying my insainity. Well turns out Grandma died. Yes. She just found out. She wouldn't tell us why she ran away and was talking to the branch pres. the first time. Then we go to dinner. At dinner mi otra hermana Heraman Furman met up with some family friends who are going to Alaska. They tell her that her best friend from her homeward is going home. she is suuuper loving and so she starts to cry. Yeah by the time we get to class i feel like i would rather die than be alive because of my sickness...oh and thank heavens!! I HAVE A FREAKING COLD SORE.  Yeeeaeaahhh... try having that insecurity. oh you cant here. I think i can go home now becasue i have overcome that fear. Anyways, I am dying inside. I get back to class and it is just terrible. More long stories....we had to have blessings from our elders. Yes. i am one of those Hermanas who has to ask the Elders for blessings. It was good practice for them. I just lost all pride i ever had and it was just hard. The next day i just pushed through it all. I found out that next day that my voice had decided to stop working as well. It is still gone.

 

OOOOHHHHHH WEEEEELLLLLLL!!! Last weekend i got some sick packages. Thank you so much. i am so blessed. It was so good to hear about Gus's birthday. wish i was there but glad it all worked out ok. Mom-relax. Don't get any more headaches. I love you too much to see you hurt. Libbi i miss you. Thank you for your letters. They are more precious than gold. Meg you stinkin rock. I got two letters from you. Don't you worrry, you have some on the way. I love you. Dad. how is your car? I miss you too. I miss your hugs so much. I miss so many good things from home. I miss bailey.

 

This was the breaking week but hopfully it means that it can only go up from here. This coming week we are losing the two "older hermanas" in our zone. They have been my sanity here. They are so awesome. Hermana Porter and Hermana Young. I love them. Life keeps throwing curve balls and is a roller coaster mess of emotion. I love you all. Keep writing me. I need it! This coming week i also need lots of prayers. I have to teach the entire first lesson in solo espanol which is impossible seeing as how i have no voice. My companions don't say anything in the lessons when it comes to espanol so this should be interesting. I just miss you all. I want you here with me.  love you. I have 5 min. Reply suuuuper fast!