Elder Sorenson - December 26, 2016

Wow!! This week was an emotional roller coaster! On my P-day I kind of got a boost of confidence! I talked to a family by myself (in Spanish) and I could hold a conversation! I didn't speak very well, but I think they got what I was trying to say.  

TUESDAY - 8,057 steps 

I had a good time today! My companion and I planned for the week and I loved it because we got to really focus on the investigator. Later in the day, we were walking down the street and this family needed help putting benches on top of their car. My companion tried to do it with me but he was too short so I ended up putting the benches on top of the car all by myself. Our last lesson of the night was with Kristine, one of our investigators. I actually understood all of the lesson and was able to speak back to her.

WEDNESDAY- 0 steps (I forgot to bring my pedometer today) 

We were very successful with lessons today and nothing too exciting happened. Hermana Lila, our investigator with a baptism date, was so sweet and we talked to her today! 

THURSDAY - 10,653 steps 

I have really gotten into reading… missionary books that is! I finished reading "True to the Faith" and "Our Search for Happiness." These books were so good and they strengthened my testimony so much! Today I got introduced to "Pan de Chocolate," and let's just say the weight I am losing from not eating rice, I am going to make up by eating this bread. Oh... it melts in my mouth, it's so good!! 

FRIDAY - 13,018 steps 

Christmas here is so different! The people in this city have Christmas lights and characters, or mannikins, of Christmas items in front of their houses...but here's the catch, these "maniquedoras" are good until New Year's. On New Year's, they load up these things was dynamite and blow them up all night! So no sleep for me! Anyways, I had an opportunity to serve today! One of the houses in our zone had a fire in it, so all of the missionaries and I went to the house to clean it up. If you know me, you know that I am not afraid to get dirty! That being said, after three hours of helping the family out, I was covered head to toe in black ash! It reminded me of Bishop Messina's story about when he went camping with James and they both slept in a bed of ashes all night! Haha! It felt good doing service and seeing how grateful the family was for our help! I also helped a recent convert with her English homework and by "help", I mean, I did it for her. Haha! It kind of reminded me of my English essays in high school that my mom helped me with! Ha ha! Just kidding. I also helped her with her math homework and you know how hard it is to do math, right? Well, put the directions and notes in different language and try to do it! Haha!  

SATURDAY - Christmas Eve

Christmas was so different here because I wasn't with my family and couldn't look forward to grandma's cinnamon rolls in the morning! We had lunch with our mission president today and played games as a zone! We got into groups according to our nationalities and showed everyone what a typical Christmas is in our country. So, the missionaries from the United States replicated Santa photos at a shopping mall! Haha! Also, my companion had to talk to my family about the details surrounding our Christmas Skype phone call and that was hilarious to watch my companion try to communicate with my mom! That night, we went to a family's house and they asked me to sing a solo and let's just say that was very interesting!! I didn't get any sleep on Christmas Eve because of the music and the fireworks in the neighborhood. 

SUNDAY - Christmas 

Merry Christmas! I guess you have to count today as the first day that I cried on my mission. I was overwhelmed when I first saw my family on Skype. I swear it was allergies, but I bet my family would say otherwise! Haha!! I loved talking to my family so much!! Before I Skyped my family, I spoke in church and that went pretty well! My companion and I ate six lunches and I was dying!! At 5:00PM, my companion called his family but the sound wasn't working so it took an hour and a half to fix it. At 7:30PM I got to Skype my family. Talking to my family helped me to know for a-surety that this mission is where I need to be right now because me being on a mission has blessed my family in numerous ways!! I will give all of myself for 2 years to bless my family!! 

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas with your family and have a Happy New Year! 

Love Always, 

Elder Sorenson  #BOK

Elder Sorenson - December 19, 2016

Merry Christmas!

Wow! I can't believe that Christmas is less than a week away. This week was the busiest and craziest week that I have ever experienced in my life.

TUESDAY

I had a good day on Tuesday but I was exhausted because it is very hard to sleep here. There are parties every night on the street and the people in the streets play the music very loud! After we taught five lessons to different families, we drove to a different mission to practice for choir. We sounded pretty bad. 

WEDNESDAY 

We didn't get home until 11:45 PM because we practiced for our Christmas choir performance and the practice went all day! The director asked me and three other people to sing a special musical number for Guayaquil South. It is a barbershop piece called, "Oh Come, Oh Come Emanuel". The other missionaries wanted me to sing bass because of how low the song goes. 

THURSDAY

We didn't teach any lessons today. We went to a park and set up 4-5 nativity scenes for the event on Saturday. Nothing too exciting happened, but I did sit in the front seat in the taxi and talked to the driver a lot! It was crazy that he actually understood what I was saying! Ha ha! 

FRIDAY

We had a zone meeting today and I would say that I could understand 80% of everything said!  So I think I'm improving my ability to understand and speak Spanish, little by little. I learned the phrase "fake it 'til you make it" .... it's my motto here because I just smile, nod my head, and say yes when I get told something! 

SATURDAY 

So I have come to realize that the area I am in struggles with organization! Prior to the special choir event we were singing in, everyone was running around with their head cut off. Our first full run through of all 15 songs was at the performance! It definitely wasn't like the performances that I was used to participating in high school but our musical performance went so well!! Once I get the recording I will send it to you guys! During the performance, I learned that nobody knew the part on stage so they threw me the mic and had me sing the tenor part so, from what I could tell, the people in the audience could only hear me singing! It was a fun experience and we got a ton of referrals and investigators who want to learn about the gospel after hearing us sing and feeling the spirit!  

SUNDAY

Church went pretty well but I didn't understand a whole lot. I feel like I'm taking two steps forward and one step back when it comes to learning Spanish. I know I will get this language down eventually! We have confirmed five people to baptism and we are super close on two more! All of our investigators have some really good questions and I think that it is a good thing! Although I can't answer their questions yet (because of the language barrier), I think it's a good thing that they are pondering our message. 

Although I did not have that many lessons this week because of the huge Christmas event on Saturday, I feel my testimony and knowledge of this gospel growing stronger every day! During lessons, when in doubt or when I don't have any words in Spanish to explain what I want to say, every single time, a song or a scripture comes to my mind that is exactly what I needed to say! Also, the investigators love when I sing to them because they understand what I say! 

Overall, the weeks are flying by on my mission and I know that I will be able to understand Spanish eventually! I just need to ask the Lord, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, to bless me with the Gift of Tongues. I know my purpose here on earth is to grow and to make mistakes (trust me, I make so many mistakes in Spanish it's not even funny). I know that through the Plan of Salvation and the Restoration that there will be life after death and that I will be able to be with my beautiful family forever! 

I love this gospel and hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas! Give your family an extra hug for me! I leave with you my testimony, en el numbre de jesucristo, Amen. 

Love Always, 

Elder Sorenson 

1 Nephi 15:26-27 - Everyone is equal and we should always see the good in everyone.  

Elder Sorenson - December 12, 2016

Hi Everyone!

I am going to have to make this e-mail short because I only have 30 minutes today. I woke up with about 40 bug bites all over my body on Tuesday so I took my mom's advice and sprayed my entire bed with bug spray!! Haha! I haven't gotten that many since!!

I had some great lessons this week and I spoke a lot more Spanish than usual! My biggest struggle is explaining the Restoration. It is difficult to even explain it in English!! I can understand most of what people are saying I just can't speak back to them. During church, I am good at knowing what they are saying because it is about the Gospel! I am just not good at casual conversations but I will get there.

A member gave us some mangos and they were so good. My companion didn't eat any because he has stomach problems, so I ended up eating three mangos!! Haha! That night we had like 10 minutes to get home and we were hungry so we stopped at this burger place. Oh it was so good going in but I got food poisoning from the hamburger. Let's just say I didn't sleep at all that night! I found out the next day that the Gringos (Americans) don´t have a strong enough stomach for hamburgers. Ooops..

On Thursday we went to a different zone where there were about 40 missionaries and they were singing. My companion and I walked around while they were singing and handed out cards for Christmas. I was kind of sad I wasn't singing but after they sang, I talked to my President and he was shocked I was in choir for seven years! The next day, I was in the middle of a lesson and our President called us. He said, in Spanish,¨I want Elder Sorenson to be in the choir, so get him there ASAP!¨ I was so stoked! I ¨tried out¨ for the choir and I made it! So now I am in the choir and the first person I met was Elder Vegas. He is such a good singer and we instantly hit it off by talking about choir! Also, the director needed a tenor, so I am singing tenor. (Choir friends: my dream finally has come true!)

On one of our taxi rides, which is always more like a roller coaster because of how the drivers drive their cars with a stick shift, I talked to the driver and he was shocked I have only been here for 3 weeks! So that gave me a confidence boost!! Yesterday, all the missionaries in my zone dressed up for a nativity scene. We didn't act it out, just took pictures.

The lessons I have learned out here on my mission is that I can't do this on my own - teaching and learning a language. The Lord has a part in every thing we do and say. My testimony and my humility for the Lord has grown so much out here!! I know that with the Lord's help, I can do hard things.

Merry Christmas and Te Qujiero mucho!

Love Always,

Elder Sorenson

This picture was messaged to Kim (Kyle's mom) on FB this past week from a member in Kyle's current ward in Ecuador. It looks like it may be the English homework that Kyle was helping to complete for one of the kids in Ecuador. :-)

Elder Sorenson - December 5, 2016

Hi Everyone!

Tuesday: 6428 steps

We placed two Book of Mormons and we taught a lot. We taught a family named Alvarado and I love them so much, they are so sweet!! They tried reading English to me and I laughed so much, I know that is how they feel about me!! On our way home, we walked past this lady and she came running up to me, my comp was waving no but I didn´t know what was going on. I shook her hand and talked to her but we had to leave. It ended up that the girl was a prostitute and I had no idea!! Anyways, this language and being here is like a big game of charades for everyone. I have never used my hands while speaking so much. Haha! The investigators seem to understand!! I bought a futbol jersey today in honor of how crazy soccer is here!! 

Wednesday: 10,120 steps

I woke up sick and I don´t remember anything that happened this day.

Thursday: 12,443 steps

We woke up at 4AM today because our President allowed us to go to the temple as a zone!! It was so great and the temple is so pretty!! I love it so much and I hope I can go again someday. I still didn´t understand anything because it was all in Spanish but the spirit was so strong that it made up for me not understanding the what was being said. 

Friday: 12,219 steps

I am having a hard time with the language and just don´t know what exactly to study. Today, we had some super good food!! It was called torilla espanol. It is pork, cheese, and potatoes. I loved it so much!!! 

Sunday 12, 902 steps

Today was Fast Sunday and about the whole ward bore their testimonies. I swear there were about 40 people who bore their testimonies and we didn´t finish the meeting until about 20 after the hour. We only had two investigators show up to church but it is fine!! After church, we had lunch and guess what I had. Yep, fish! It was full on a fish, not just the meat so I had to learn then and there how to not eat the bones of the fish. It definitely was not my favorite thing here. Afterwards, we had to go home because of futbol again but it was even more crazy today because the team won!!! So there were fireworks going off, people running and screaming with flags, cars honking and flying by, and fires were even started in the middle of the streets. I have never seen anything like it!! SO we just went home and relaxed in our house!!

I am sorry for such a short report this week, but I don´t have that much time to email. I hope this gives you a clear understanding that I am loving the mission life, maybe not the food but, I will learn to like it. I know the language will come, but I hope it comes fast so I can help my companion in the lessons!

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful Christmas season with your families!!

Love Always,

Elder Sorenson

Letters from Ecuador - December 2, 2016

Kyle left 8 1/2 weeks ago to serve the Lord. Letting go of my 24 month hug from him on the curb of the MTC in Provo, Utah was one of the hardest things that I have done. As you can imagine with my son serving in a third world country, my e-mails to him have included questions about his living quarters, the community he is living in, etc. Yesterday, 12/2/16, a Fed Ex package was delivered to the house and inside of the package was an envelope containing 4 hand written letters with a return address of Guayaquil, Ecuador. My son wrote Aspen, Morgan, my mom and dad, and me heartfelt letters. As we silently read our letters from Kyle, tears streamed down our faces....each one of us cherishing every word written. In his letter to me, Kyle answered my questions, in detail, that I had been asking him about regarding his living quarters and the community he is currently serving in.  I thought that I would update his blog with a few of the details that he included in his letter to me in an effort to paint a clear picture in your mind as to how he is doing, what he is experiencing, and how he continues to choose to find the humor in the most challenging situations while, at the same time, strengthening his testimony of the gospel. Below are a few of the excerpts from the letter Kyle wrote to me, dated November 25, 2016:

"I hope this letter gives you a better picture of what my zone looks like."

"The area that I am in is so poor it is crazy. Pretty much the size of people's houses are the size of our garage. My house is the nicest part of this city. We don't have warm water or lights and our AC is the windows being open or shut. My house is super dirty too...it has bugs all over the floor and in the shower. I swear the toilet is made for little people. I tried sitting down and my knees literally press against the wall. I feel like Elf in numerous different ways. Haha. Oh! Also the mirror we have is about 3 to 4 feet off the ground...that might be a little over exaggerated but you get my point.
"In the mornings, I squat to see my hair, brush my teeth and so no. I have had a few bugs sleep with me a few nights ago and got some awesome bug bites. Don't worry. I don't think that I got the Zika Virus. Not Yet."

"I did not expect Ecuador to look like this. The houses are just forts and there is like 15 people living in each of them. I seriously can't tell who lives in each house because they literally all go into each others houses! I can't tell the difference between a store and a house because of how run down it is here. To describe how poor it is here, imagine walking into our garage when it wasn't organized at all, had all our boxes everywhere, add old food sitting out, walls that are metal slabs, or in this case, they are concrete bricks, a 'couch' that has a piece of plywood as the cushion, and then have about 15 people living in it."

"The church has about 6 rooms, the chapel, and two bathrooms. There is no AC so you just open the windows and hope for the best. The church is also covered and surrounded by a barbed wire fence which is super pretty! Also, I forgot to mention that there are chickens in every house and so that makes for a great air freshener! Haha."

"I am having fun and I love it here but I am not able to express how I feel 100% in Spanish. I study the language an hour a day, and it is helping, but I think the hardest part about this is that my companion doesn't speak any English so it is hard to ask clarifying questions or know the rules or what to do at certain times of the day. I just say, "Si" and go with the flow. It is hard to understand people here because they slur their vocab and sentences. If Spanish wasn't hard enough as it is!! In the missionary lessons we give, my companion talks pretty much the entire time and I bear my testimony...but I know the Gift of Tongues is real and that in order for me to receive that gift, I have to struggle."

"We did commit one person to baptism and he is such a nice guy. I love him!! I love the people here and some of them are trying to learn English to understand me more which is so sweet of them! I have met some awesome people and I feel great serving the Lord."

**Kyle ended his letter to me by bearing his testimony in Spanish.**

"Love Always,
Elder Sorenson

3 Nephi 13:7-8       
D&C 132: 49-50"

Elder Sorenson - November 28, 2016

Hi Everyone!

Tuesday: 11,758 steps

SO yesterday was pday and I didn´t know it took like two days for my wash to be dry because a sister in my ward washes them. So I got to sleep on the nasty mattress with bugs for two nights but all is well!! I finally got them and they still are not dry because of how humid it is here!! Haha! I also started reading True To The Faith and I love it!! I had an interview with my mission president and didn´t know half the questions he was asking but it will be okay soon!! Haha I also had fish for dinner which wasn´t too bad!!

Wednesday: 13,162 steps

My companion had to go to the hospital today for stomach problems and I better not get sick because the hospital is nasty and smells so bad!! Luckily I have an entire hospital in my suitcase!! Haha! So on my way back to our house, we walked past about 12 people sitting around a TV and it was a soccer game. It was penalty kicks and it was like the world stood still. He made it and I swear a bomb went off!! People were screaming and cheering like crazy!! haha 

Thursday: 12,805 steps

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! How was your thanksgiving dinner!?!? Mine was fish and rice!! Haha! They don´t celebrate that here and so it was just a normal day with not many lessons because all of our investigators were working!! 

Friday: 14,776 steps

I met a gringo here!! He has been here for 9 weeks and speaks good Spanish! He is super cool and a nice guy. He is from Miami and I instantly connected with him!! We went to the mall because some missionaries were singing Christmas carols. As they sang, we went around passing out cards with the Christmas video of this year on it!! There were so many people in the mall because in Ecuador, they call it Negro Viernes. So I guess they do have a few American traditions here!! Haha! There were terrible deals though and it is crazy the price differences here in Ecuador!! Oh!! After passing out Christmas videos in the mall, we confirmed one investigator to baptism and his name is Aldo. He is such a great guy and I love him!! He is getting baptized December 26th or somewhere around that time! 

Saturday: 8,435 steps

So I woke up a little sick today but I have fought through it. During the day, we needed water so we asked this random lady for some. She gave it to us and invited us in. We ended up teaching her, giving her a Book of Mormon and she wants to know more. It is crazy and so cool how the Lord works and how He puts us in the right place at the right time!! But then we suffered....that same lady offered us food and as missionaries, we can´t really say no or they will get offended. She served us this great gourmet meal of cold, mashed up sardines and rice. It was the first food I have eaten here where I almost threw up. But hey, I am no quitter! I finished it all!! haha I had a stomach ache for two hours after eating the mashed up sardines and rice! Haha 

Sunday: 11,600 steps

It was Stake Conference here and we went to a different church that had air conditioning so that was nice! We had to sit in the back because we were a little late from picking up different investigators. I couldn´t hear a thing because their sound system isn't great. So I just heard babies screaming and some people yelling at there kids in Spanish. Haha! I also had three lunches and two dinners today, so lets just say I am probably not coming back skinny!! I eat so much rice here and it is rough!! 

Monday: 

Today was the Championship game with two teams from Ecuador. It gets so crazy here that we had to be in our house at 6 pm so it wasn´t a very busy day!! My companion and I played monopoly in house that night!! It was pretty fun!

Overall, it was a good week but the language is hard!!  I love you all and hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving!!!

Love Always, 

Elder Sorenson

Kyle sent this picture with the caption:"You guys are always with me at all times. Love you so much!" 

On Sunday evening, this picture was unexpectedly Facebook Messaged to Kyle's mom in CA from the sweet sister in Ecuador (pictured in the left corner of the picture). The sister let Kim know that she feeds Kyle and his companion on Sundays and that Kyle is a good missionary!  :-)

On Sunday evening, this picture was unexpectedly Facebook Messaged to Kyle's mom in CA from the sweet sister in Ecuador. The sister let Kim know that she feeds Kyle and his companion on Sundays and that Kyle is a good missionary!  :-)

Elder Sorenson - November 21, 2016

Hi Everyone!

 

Wow...This week was an actual roller coaster. I AM IN ECUADOR AND I DIDN´T KNOW THIS WOULD COME THIS FAST. Before leaving for Ecuador, the MTC was okay and my new companion was awesome! His name was Elder Waite and he was from Colorado. He was going to Costa Rica and waiting for his Visa.

 

I got cleared for my knee and I left the MTC on Friday at 3:15 am for Ecuador. I then took three flights, two of which I flew by myself, so I just slept and studied a ton. The studying when I got here didn´t help at all.

 

When I arrived in Ecuador, I went through customs and met my mission president. He doesn´t speak any English so it was so hard to understand him and know what he was asking. I just smiled, nodded and said, ¨Si¨. It was a very long day. On the way to the house, there isn´t any street signs, lanes, police, or anything. The taxi driver was going like 70mph down the street and swerving in and out of everywhere. I was so scared. Haha. Then we got to the house and I was so tired. So I went to bed but it is so humid here and there obviously isn´t any AC, so I didn´t sleep at all.

The next day, I met my new companion and he is super cool. His name is Elder Espinoza and he is from Peru. So take a guess and ask me what language he speaks and what language he doesn´t.... YEP!!! You guessed it. He doesn´t speak any English and only Spanish. I can't figure out how long he has been in the field because I dont know what he is saying. It is good because he usually teaches the entire lesson and I just sit and smile. Anyways, after I dropped off my stuff at my ¨house¨ ...I say that because it is more like a fort because the roof is just pieces of metal slabs, as is all the other houses in this city.

 

This city I am serving in is called Huancavilca. Nobody knows English but they know American music. The first day I was here, we got a ride to teach an investigator and they were blasting Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent. It was so funny to me because every other word was a swear word, and because no one can speak or understand English not even my companion, knew what the words were so nobody knew why Ï was laughing. Anyways, then we taught a lesson and I couldn´t really hear anything because of how loud the chickens were in the background. I didn´t understand anything all day. It was so hard and embarassing.

Oh!!! I forgot to mention that my zone is the most dangerous zone in the mission but I didn´t know that. I was wearing a watch without thinking and this guy was talking to me from his house and I didn´t know what he was talking about. He then pointed a gun at me and started laughing. Let´s just say I am never wearing a watch around here again. Don´t worry Mom, I am not hurt and I gave him a Pass Along card. HAHA!! Anyways, I am sorry this is a super long email. I just have so much to talk about. We also checked up on a recent convert and I didn´t know what was going on. The only thing I knew was that her daughter, I think she was about 13 or 14, asked me to do her English homework and I was so stoked because it was something I was actually good at!! 

I didn´t have to bear my testimony on Sunday so I got lucky with that! Overall, Sunday was way better and I was understanding a little more Spanish. I met a ward family and they are so great! I think they like me but I don´t know any words they said, so I guess only they know if they like me. Haha! The food here is okay but it is very bland. OH!!! I almost forgot, the first day here, for dinner, guess what I had? Freaking crab! And yes Mom, I ate all of it. Also, last night, for dinner, I had fish. I am not even on the coast and I have had a ton of seafood. Every meal has rice, so I am going to be so chubby when I get back!!

I love you guys so much and I hope you are all doing okay. I am doing fine and the Spanish will come! I know that.

 

I know Este Iglesia es verdad. Yo se que el Libro de Mormon y el Evangelio es nessecary en nosotros vidas. Yo agradecido por familias y el don de lenguas. Yo hablo los cosas, en el nombre de Jesucristo, amen.

Te quiero mucho,

Elder Sorenson

 

 

Answered Prayers - Elder Sorenson

Hi Everyone! 

Thank you for all of your prayers for my speedy recovery!! I truly know that prayer works. I had an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Monday and he said that I may have torn something in the back of my knee, but it doesn't need surgery and I will be fine in Ecuador!! It was definitely an M&M (Mission Miracle). 

So, here we go!! I am off on an Adventure! Tomorrow, 11/18/16, I report to the flight office at 3:15 am and my first flight is at 6:00 am to Phoenix, Arizona. Then I fly to Miami, Florida and shortly after I arrive in Miami, I take off to Guayaquil, Ecuador. If all goes well, I will land at 10:52 pm in Ecuador, which is 7:52 pm PST. 

I am not sure if I will be able to actually have a P-day on Monday, so I am not sure when I will be able to write again! 

A fun fact.. My Mission President doesn't speak any English, so it is going to be very interesting when I get there. I know I am going to have a rocky start with the language but I know I will have memories and experiences that will last a life time. 

I love you all and hope everything is going good. 

Hasta Semana!! 

Te Quiero Mucho,

Elder Sorenson

Elder Sorenson - November 12, 2016

I AM GOING TO ECUADOR....OH WAIT!

Hey everyone!

This week was definitely an emotional roller coaster. I honestly don't know what to think! 

On Sunday, it was Fast Sunday and we didn't have choir. So there wasn't anything too exciting. The devotional was really cool though! It was a lady and she is a world famous violinist! She played multiple different songs and had her entire family play with her! She has three kids and they are all pros at music. They play guitar, piano, cello and violin. It was awesome! 

On Monday, we went down to the Travel Office to see what was going on with our flight plans and THEY HAD THEM. AHHHHH I was so pumped!! We all were running around and just stoked to be leaving on Monday at 2:30 am!! It was going to be so great! 

Tuesday was a long day because I was kind of stressed about the election but I didn't let it bother me too much. Thank you so much for the treats and the food Dad and Aunt Shirley and Paul!! I am going to get huge from all the snacks I am getting! I love you guys so much!

On Wednesday, I got to host again and it was such a blast! But on Wednesday afternoon, it was a nice day. Not a cloud in the sky, sun was brightly beaming and it was 76.4 degrees with no wind. Butterflies and leaves were in the air. The smell of old MTC food and Elder's B.O. was in the air too. My zone thought it would be a great idea to go to the field for the last time and play soccer. It will be fun they said. I thought, hey, I am out of shape but it would be so fun to play some soccer! So.... We went. Not even five minutes into the game, an Elder in my district tried to get the ball from me. So I came to an abrupt stop. But then.. The unthinkable happened!! My body stopped but my knee didn't. So I hyper-extended my knee inwards. I got up and just tried to walk it off. So I played sand volleyball and destroyed the other team.. Haha but then my companion noticed I was limping from the accident on that green patch of grass that day. So he forced me to go to the athletic trainers office to get some ice. So we went. She asked what happened and I told her. She then wanted to do a few tests.. After the knee tests, she called the doctor and said that she thought I tore my meniscus. I was so upset because I just wanted ice. We then went to the doctor and he just gave me crutches and some ibuprofen. He set up an appointment for me Thursday morning to see him. I went in the morning and he thought I tore it too. It honestly didn't even hurt that bad. My knee was just uncomfortable and I couldn't bend it. So I had to leave campus to get an MRI on my knee. Let me tell you, the MRI machine is kind of scary and weird. It make super weird and loud noises so I had to wear ear plugs and I kept going in more and more, so it felt like it was going to eat me.. Haha The only good thing about that is they had vending machines there and so I got Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew and I have never been so happy. So then, my companion and I went back to the MTC and I had to wait for the results until the next morning. I was also on crutches and they are terrible. I used to think they were cool when I didn't actually have to use them. But now that I do, they are terrible and hurt. My arms are so sore and I feel like my left calf and my shoulders are huge because I have been working them out non stop haha.. 

So I went to the doctor in the morning and he said that I had bad news and good news. So, me, being a super positive person, asked for the bad news first. He said that I had a ton of fluid in my knee and infusions from the accident. The good news is that I didn't tear anything yet. Haha so I was so grateful that I didn't tear it! But he also said that I am for sure not leaving Monday and I will probably be here for another two weeks to make sure my knee is okay. SO I have to see an Orthopedic Surgeon on Monday and he is basically going to tell me my fate Monday morning!! 

Overall, it was a good week and I am praying that I will be able to leave soon. Whatever happens is for a reason. Maybe the Lord needs me here for two more weeks to touch a certain person's life in the MTC or maybe it is because I need more work on the Spanish.. Haha

I will make sure to keep you guys updated on everything! I love you guys. 

Te Quiero mucho!

    Elder Sorenson

Elder Sorenson - November 5, 2016

Hi Everyone!

Wow.. I can't believe I have been here for five weeks. It has been very stressful and I don't think I am going to leave for Ecuador on November 16th for Visa issues. I may have to stay in the states for another 6 weeks, but I will not find out until Tuesday of next week. I know that wherever I go is for a reason!! 

On Sunday, I got to bless the bread in Sacrament in Spanish which was a cool experience and I didn't mess up! So that boosted my confidence a lot! We walked to the temple and it is so fun to do that. I love talking to other people from the MTC and getting to know them even more! Then after that, we watched movies which is always fun. Our district has a tradition where we all book it to get good seats and I stop by my room to get candy, so we loaded up with candy and went to the movie. It was a really fun day!! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN. It was weird that I didn't see any little kids running around in costumes getting candy, but I did see a ton of 18 and 19 year old's doing it.. Haha!! A Senior couple was outside the cafeteria handing out candy and that made my day!! It was just a normal day and then at the end of the day, we went in the dorms and got dressed for Trick or Treating in the dorms. My roommates and I made up a costume. We were the three wiseman!! haha.. We even had frankincense(cologne), gold(gold chocolate coins) and murr(lotion)!! It was such a fun time and good to laugh. Thanks to my Aunt Kristen and Uncle Garrett, their package came with a Halloween Trick-or-Treat bag so I could collect candy from other people with it! 

Tuesday was just a normal, studying day. 

On Wednesday, it was actually super cool!! Our district got to host the new missionaries coming in! It really brought back a lot of memories and made me realize how long I have been here!! It was so fun being with them and seeing

the look on their face when they walked in because of how overwhelming it is!! I really enjoyed hosting them and I when I see them walking around the MTC, they will come say hi to me so it was great! I can't wait to do it again on Wednesday!! 

Thursday was a pretty fun and spiritual day. I woke up sick, so I went to the doctor and got some meds and feel a little better but my voice is gone. So imagine me trying to speak Spanish with a squeaky voice of a 11 year old boy, it is quite embarrassing! haha! That night, we went outside and our teacher asked us to find one scripture that defines us. I, of course, picked Alma 37:33-34,36-37. It just hit me like a brick when I read it and I now have those verses written on my wall in my room where I can always see it. 

Yesterday was normal!! I got a package from Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson! Thank you so much and I can't wait to eat all of the candy tonight!! Haha!! I miss you guys!! 

I also got a haircut today and was scared for my life, but luckily I got out without my head being completely shaven and it doesn't look too bad! Haha!! Today, we were supposed to get our flight plans but only the people going to Ecuador didn't get any. So I won't know until Tuesday what is going on. 

Overall, it has been a good five weeks in the MTC and it's been fun! I have already lost 7 pounds so I am going to come back looking like a twig!!

Te quiero mucho,

Elder Sorenson

Elder Sorenson - November 5, 2016

Hi Everyone!

Wow.. I can't believe I have been here for five weeks. It has been very stressful and I don't think I am going to leave for Ecuador on November 16th for Visa issues. I may have to stay in the states for another 6 weeks, but I will not find out until Tuesday of next week. I know that wherever I go is for a reason!! 

On Sunday, I got to bless the bread in Sacrament in Spanish which was a cool experience and I didn't mess up! So that boosted my confidence a lot! We walked to the temple and it is so fun to do that. I love talking to other people from the MTC and getting to know them even more! Then after that, we watched movies which is always fun. Our district has a tradition where we all book it to get good seats and I stop by my room to get candy, so we loaded up with candy and went to the movie. It was a really fun day!! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN. It was weird that I didn't see any little kids running around in costumes getting candy, but I did see a ton of 18 and 19 year old's doing it.. Haha!! A Senior couple was outside the cafeteria handing out candy and that made my day!! It was just a normal day and then at the end of the day, we went in the dorms and got dressed for Trick or Treating in the dorms. My roommates and I made up a costume. We were the three wiseman!! haha.. We even had frankincense(cologne), gold(gold chocolate coins) and murr(lotion)!! It was such a fun time and good to laugh. Thanks to my Aunt Kristen and Uncle Garrett, their package came with a Halloween Trick-or-Treat bag so I could collect candy from other people with it! 

Tuesday was just a normal, studying day. 

On Wednesday, it was actually super cool!! Our district got to host the new missionaries coming in! It really brought back a lot of memories and made me realize how long I have been here!! It was so fun being with them and seeing

the look on their face when they walked in because of how overwhelming it is!! I really enjoyed hosting them and I when I see them walking around the MTC, they will come say hi to me so it was great! I can't wait to do it again on Wednesday!! 

Thursday was a pretty fun and spiritual day. I woke up sick, so I went to the doctor and got some meds and feel a little better but my voice is gone. So imagine me trying to speak Spanish with a squeaky voice of a 11 year old boy, it is quite embarrassing! haha! That night, we went outside and our teacher asked us to find one scripture that defines us. I, of course, picked Alma 37:33-34,36-37. It just hit me like a brick when I read it and I now have those verses written on my wall in my room where I can always see it. 

Yesterday was normal!! I got a package from Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson! Thank you so much and I can't wait to eat all of the candy tonight!! Haha!! I miss you guys!! 

I also got a haircut today and was scared for my life, but luckily I got out without my head being completely shaven and it doesn't look too bad! Haha!! Today, we were supposed to get our flight plans but only the people going to Ecuador didn't get any. So I won't know until Tuesday what is going on. 

Overall, it has been a good five weeks in the MTC and it's been fun! I have already lost 7 pounds so I am going to come back looking like a twig!!

Te quiero mucho,

Elder Sorenson