Hi People!
6 weeks. 5 general authorities. 4 companions. 3 ER trips. 2 areas. 1 historic natural disaster.
It's been a crazy transfer to say the least! After having a relatively "normal" mission (as normal as anything ever is), and not having much out of the ordinary happen, everything kind of collided into one this past transfer. And ya know what? I'm still alive! And happy! And like 15 years older! Or at least that's how I feel. Before this transfer, I was thinking about how I had changed on a mission and how I had learned a lot, but I feel like I've grown up more and learned 245987394x more in the last 6 weeks than I have my whole mission. This has honestly been the hardest/best transfer of my life. Hard for obvious reasons, but the best, because I've been able to grow so much closer to my Father in Heaven, and really rely on His timing. I've learned to handle change way better than I used to. I've been able to serve with 4 different sisters in 6 weeks who have each taught me something unique and wonderful that I wouldn't have otherwise had the opportunity to do. I could go on all day. Overall, I really am happy! People keep saying, "oh my gosh, I'm so sorry about the transfer you've had!" And I tell them, "why? I'm not!" I wouldn't trade any of it for anything. I've honestly had so much fun, and every new little twist and turn just made me laugh. :)
6 weeks. 5 general authorities. 4 companions. 3 ER trips. 2 areas. 1 historic natural disaster.
It's been a crazy transfer to say the least! After having a relatively "normal" mission (as normal as anything ever is), and not having much out of the ordinary happen, everything kind of collided into one this past transfer. And ya know what? I'm still alive! And happy! And like 15 years older! Or at least that's how I feel. Before this transfer, I was thinking about how I had changed on a mission and how I had learned a lot, but I feel like I've grown up more and learned 245987394x more in the last 6 weeks than I have my whole mission. This has honestly been the hardest/best transfer of my life. Hard for obvious reasons, but the best, because I've been able to grow so much closer to my Father in Heaven, and really rely on His timing. I've learned to handle change way better than I used to. I've been able to serve with 4 different sisters in 6 weeks who have each taught me something unique and wonderful that I wouldn't have otherwise had the opportunity to do. I could go on all day. Overall, I really am happy! People keep saying, "oh my gosh, I'm so sorry about the transfer you've had!" And I tell them, "why? I'm not!" I wouldn't trade any of it for anything. I've honestly had so much fun, and every new little twist and turn just made me laugh. :)
Through it all, the work still goes on! Okay I'm about to tell you an AMAZING story of this new family we're teaching. Are you ready for this?? This is one of my best stories yet! So a week and a half ago, we get a call from a man named Carlos, who was just a bishop somewhere in Utah, but is now living in Idaho. He was here working for FEMA and doing assessments after the flood. He calls us and says, "Hey I met this family, and they are golden. Can you come teach them with me tomorrow?" And it just so happens, that the next day was a super crazy packed day with appointments every single hour. EXCEPT for one half hour, that happened to be the exact time that Carlos could meet with us. Miracle number 1. So we go meet them with Carlos, and oh. my. gosh. He wasn't kidding about them being golden. We didn't have too much time, so we kind of just introduced ourselves and what we do, and Carlos shared his conversion story, and it was just so powerful. In the lesson, Carlos told us that this family's FEMA application had already fallen through, but somehow it came to his desk again, and he felt like he needed to go see them. So that's how he ended up in Louisiana. And turns out, he was the only FEMA worker here who spoke Spanish. Miracle number 2. So he met this family, and felt something super different with them, and that it was not a coincidence that he met them. Miracle number 3. So yeah that lesson was awesome, and the family was supppeerrr interested and were really excited to have us come back.
Three days later, we had a return appointment with them, and we taught them, plus 3 of Armando’s (the dad’s) brothers who were living with them. (They all got flooded out of Denham Springs, so they're all living together now in Baton Rouge... miracle number 4). We taught the Restoration, and I have never had a Restoration lesson go so well. Which was crazy, because I'm in a salt and pepper companionship right now (English and Spanish missionary together), so my companion does not speak Spanish. The Spirit definitely gave me the words on that one. Miracle number 5. We taught the Restoration, and they LOVED the Joseph Smith story. They though it was so perfect. Also, the thing that got them the most excited was that we have a modern prophet. They were like "really?? So what has he been telling us lately? We need to hear him speak!" And I said, "ACTUALLY we have General Conference in a few weeks, so you can hear him then." It is not a coincidence that having a modern-day prophet is so important to them, and we happen to meet 3 weeks before conference. Miracle number 6. So we set up a return appointment for Friday (this was on a Monday).
We went back on Friday and they were actually there! We taught about the Book of Mormon, and they loved it again. They were so cute, they just hugged their Book of Mormons when we gave them to them. When I gave them the Book of Mormons, I said, "This is the best gift I could give you" but after I said it, I had no idea where those words came from. I've never said that before to someone, but apparently, the Spirit just had to tell them that. Well, I figured out why. At the end of the lesson, I asked if there was anything else we could do for them, and one of them said, "No, like you said, this is the best gift you could have ever given us." I almost cried. Then one of the brothers said, "I know you were sent here to change our lives. God wants us to change, and I know that this book is going to change our lives." Heck yeah it's going to! Miracle number 7.
We went back a few days later, and we kind of re-taught Book of Mormon because Yolanda (the mom) wasn't there the first time. But the ones who had already gotten a Book of Mormon had ACTUALLY BEEN READING IT. And not just the opened it up a couple times, but the "Okay so let me get this straight. Nephi is a prophet, and his dad is a prophet, and they came to America. And then the Nephites came from Nephi. And the Lamanites came from Laman. And then their descendants wrote their prophecies and teachings, and Mormon put it all together, and then Joseph Smith translated it. Right?" Oh my gosh I could have hugged him. Miracle number 8. Then we just shared our favorite verses and how they've helped us in our lives, and we challenged them to find their favorite scripture before we come back, and to come ready with questions that we can answer. They were so excited! This all happened yesterday, and now we have a return appointment on Wednesday. They want us back every single night if we could. Miracle number 9.
I wish I could describe to you how insanely excited I am for this family. I've taught lots of amazing people, but there is something different about them. I feel like I knew them before. I know that this is the start of a forever family, and I feel so humbled and blessed to play a small part. Missionary work is just the best thing ever. And you all wonder why I don't want to come home... :)
Three days later, we had a return appointment with them, and we taught them, plus 3 of Armando’s (the dad’s) brothers who were living with them. (They all got flooded out of Denham Springs, so they're all living together now in Baton Rouge... miracle number 4). We taught the Restoration, and I have never had a Restoration lesson go so well. Which was crazy, because I'm in a salt and pepper companionship right now (English and Spanish missionary together), so my companion does not speak Spanish. The Spirit definitely gave me the words on that one. Miracle number 5. We taught the Restoration, and they LOVED the Joseph Smith story. They though it was so perfect. Also, the thing that got them the most excited was that we have a modern prophet. They were like "really?? So what has he been telling us lately? We need to hear him speak!" And I said, "ACTUALLY we have General Conference in a few weeks, so you can hear him then." It is not a coincidence that having a modern-day prophet is so important to them, and we happen to meet 3 weeks before conference. Miracle number 6. So we set up a return appointment for Friday (this was on a Monday).
We went back on Friday and they were actually there! We taught about the Book of Mormon, and they loved it again. They were so cute, they just hugged their Book of Mormons when we gave them to them. When I gave them the Book of Mormons, I said, "This is the best gift I could give you" but after I said it, I had no idea where those words came from. I've never said that before to someone, but apparently, the Spirit just had to tell them that. Well, I figured out why. At the end of the lesson, I asked if there was anything else we could do for them, and one of them said, "No, like you said, this is the best gift you could have ever given us." I almost cried. Then one of the brothers said, "I know you were sent here to change our lives. God wants us to change, and I know that this book is going to change our lives." Heck yeah it's going to! Miracle number 7.
We went back a few days later, and we kind of re-taught Book of Mormon because Yolanda (the mom) wasn't there the first time. But the ones who had already gotten a Book of Mormon had ACTUALLY BEEN READING IT. And not just the opened it up a couple times, but the "Okay so let me get this straight. Nephi is a prophet, and his dad is a prophet, and they came to America. And then the Nephites came from Nephi. And the Lamanites came from Laman. And then their descendants wrote their prophecies and teachings, and Mormon put it all together, and then Joseph Smith translated it. Right?" Oh my gosh I could have hugged him. Miracle number 8. Then we just shared our favorite verses and how they've helped us in our lives, and we challenged them to find their favorite scripture before we come back, and to come ready with questions that we can answer. They were so excited! This all happened yesterday, and now we have a return appointment on Wednesday. They want us back every single night if we could. Miracle number 9.
I wish I could describe to you how insanely excited I am for this family. I've taught lots of amazing people, but there is something different about them. I feel like I knew them before. I know that this is the start of a forever family, and I feel so humbled and blessed to play a small part. Missionary work is just the best thing ever. And you all wonder why I don't want to come home... :)
So sorry this became a novel, I'm just really happy! I love you all so much!! Don't forget to laugh lots and enjoy everything that comes your way.
Con amor,
Hermana Sorensen
Con amor,
Hermana Sorensen