Hello Everybody!!
I'M STAYING IN KENNER!!! WOOOO!!!!!!!! Prayers are so real. Obviously I was fine with wherever the Lord needed me, but I'm just super grateful the Lord still needs me in Kenner! So many of the members were getting scared thinking I was going to leave, and they all said they were going to pray too. I guessed it worked because I'm staying in Kenner for the 4th transfer in a row, and I get to stay with Sister Johnson!! I was so relieved. Now I get to have the holidays in my home away from home, and I get to be here for the Christmas music fireside we've been planning for forever. Needless to say, I'm pumped! :)
I'M STAYING IN KENNER!!! WOOOO!!!!!!!! Prayers are so real. Obviously I was fine with wherever the Lord needed me, but I'm just super grateful the Lord still needs me in Kenner! So many of the members were getting scared thinking I was going to leave, and they all said they were going to pray too. I guessed it worked because I'm staying in Kenner for the 4th transfer in a row, and I get to stay with Sister Johnson!! I was so relieved. Now I get to have the holidays in my home away from home, and I get to be here for the Christmas music fireside we've been planning for forever. Needless to say, I'm pumped! :)
This week was definitely the most different week of my whole mission, but it was so awesome. First, we had women's conference up in Baton Rouge, which was so fun. We are the only sisters anywhere near our area, so it was fun to be with other sisters. It was especially fun to have all 8 Spanish sisters together in the same place for once. It was so funny, in one of the presentations they were talking about eating healthy and how you should divide your plate when you're serving yourself and how to politely decline food, and all the Spanish sisters were crying laughing in the back because A) you do not serve yourself, B) you do not say no to food or anything, and C) there is no way to balance a meal because fruits and vegetables are evidently not a big thing in Hispanic culture. Sometimes yes, but not usually. Usually, it's a lot of rice and beans and mystery meat. Pretty sure I ate either cow stomach or heart or something like that the other day. I was too afraid to ask what it was.
Then the next day we had interviews with President Hansen. It is always nerve-wracking, because being a perfectionist, I always feel like he's going to reprimand us, but he actually just talked about how proud he is of us and the work we've been doing. It was definitely what we needed to hear. After that, we ended up going on a two day exchange with the Sister Training Leaders (long story) and it was super fun! I got to stay in Kenner with Sister Alder and she is amazing! She had me dying laughing the whole time. She told me that her theory about the mission is that being on a mission is like being in a coma, because when we come home, all of a sudden everyone is married and grown up and we don't know what just hit us. It's so true. The mission is like one big dream and it goes way too fast. It already seems like the MTC was this camp I went to for a week 5 years ago. We also have this thing called the "mission veil" which is like the veil we all have coming into this world, but it works really well on the mission too. We cannot remember names of anything or anyone before the mission. It's crazy. Anyways, the exchange was good, but they definitely slow the work down a little bit.
Saturday we got to go to the Bucios sealing!!! Probably the best day of my mission so far. This was the first live sealing I've ever been to, and holy smokes it was incredible!!! Getting to be there to see Brother and Sister Bucio sealed, and then seeing their sweet kids walk in, all in white, and seeing them all be sealed together as a family..... oh man I can't even describe it. I lost it when they had them all stand together and look in the mirrors that reflect off each other. This is what it's all about! Even though I wasn't the one to find the Bucios and help them get baptized, it was so powerful. It makes everything here worth it, just to imagine any one of our investigator families there someday. I am so grateful for the knowledge that families can be together forever! Dana Bucio (she's 7) was so sweet-- she told me after the sealing that she was so happy she was sealed to her family because now she wouldn't be lost when she gets to heaven. I thought that was the sweetest and truest thing I've ever heard. Even though I'm far away from my family (a fact that I've realized more now that it's almost the holidays), I'm not ever lost because I get to be with them for time and for all eternity. Man.... we gotta go find more progressing families!!
Sunday was finally pretty normal. We went over to the Guerrero's like normal and they said since we couldn't be with our families they were our new family. They let us decorate their Christmas tree! It was actually the second tree I decorated this week because Sister Colomer, a recent convert, had us put up her tree too because she's too old to do it. Also, Sister Guerrero invited us over for Thanksgiving on Thursday!! Yay tender mercies! It will be so fun because her two sons are coming and one of them was in my ward at BYU this last year. Small world! He's bringing his fiancé and I'm really excited to meet her. She doesn't speak any Spanish, so we'll speak English with her so she doesn't freak out. :)
Sunday was crazy full of anxiety though, as all transfer call days are. Every missionary is just on edge and the transfer rumors fly around like crazy. I was so relieved to find out I was staying. Turns out we're one of only 3 Spanish companionships not getting broken up this transfer which is crazy. Our district is getting turned upside down which I'm kind of sad about because I've loved this district. I'm excited to get to work with new elders though.
Okay here's a Louisiana myth busted-- it does in fact get cold here. And I mean COLD. Holy frigid. It's been around 50 degrees the past couple of days and it even got down to about 40. It was SO COLD! I don't know if it's because I've been here for so long now that I've become a wimp, or if it really is because of the humidity, but it's bitingly cold here. Last night, somehow our heater decided to not kick on (we just leave it on auto) and we woke up and the apartment was a nice 52 degrees. That was just lovely.
One last thing-- I forgot to write about them last week, but we met this family in the English ward, the Becnels, and the mom is Hispanic. They invited us over to their house so we could start to plan how to teach the dad's parents who are Catholic. We have since set up regular meetings with them, and get this-- THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL CHEFS/BAKERS. They studied in London and New York. What a life. So far, I've had stuffed french toast with this amazing yogurt/granola trifle stuff, homemade potato soup in a homemade bread bowl, the most amazing arroz con leche ever, chocolate cake that puts cheesecake factory to shame, sweet potato soup, and gyros (with homemade pita bread). I think this is the biggest tender mercy of my mission so far. Also, their two girls are the CUTEST things ever in the world! Sofie Becnel is 3. She loves our stickers a lot and puts them literally everywhere. She's my favorite.
One last thing-- I forgot to write about them last week, but we met this family in the English ward, the Becnels, and the mom is Hispanic. They invited us over to their house so we could start to plan how to teach the dad's parents who are Catholic. We have since set up regular meetings with them, and get this-- THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL CHEFS/BAKERS. They studied in London and New York. What a life. So far, I've had stuffed french toast with this amazing yogurt/granola trifle stuff, homemade potato soup in a homemade bread bowl, the most amazing arroz con leche ever, chocolate cake that puts cheesecake factory to shame, sweet potato soup, and gyros (with homemade pita bread). I think this is the biggest tender mercy of my mission so far. Also, their two girls are the CUTEST things ever in the world! Sofie Becnel is 3. She loves our stickers a lot and puts them literally everywhere. She's my favorite.
I hope y'all have an amazing Thanksgiving! One thing I would suggest, not just at this time of year but always, is having a gratitude journal. If you look for the little tender mercies and blessings every day, you are sure to find them, and to be happier in turn. Even though it does not feel like Thanksgiving or Christmas (though the cold air is helping a little bit), I feel so blessed to be where I am, because I get to get rid of every worldly thing about the holidays and just focus on the Savior and trying to serve other people. Always look for small and simple ways to serve other people. And the best service we can give is sharing the Gospel. I'm SO excited about the new Christmas video and the chance we have to go share it with everyone. Never hesitate to share something on social media about the church, because that's the fastest way to reach so many people and just share a little goodness around the world. Heaven knows we need it.
I love you all so much! Que tenga una semana maravillosa y un buen dia de gracias!
Hermana Sorensen
I love you all so much! Que tenga una semana maravillosa y un buen dia de gracias!
Hermana Sorensen