Elder Sorenson - February 20, 2017

Hi everyone!

This week felt like we just got rejected door after door, but it is okay! I am sure that next week will be a lot better. This new sector of mine needs so much work and we need to help the members a lot! It is a lot different than my first area, because we would get references from everyone, but here, hardly anyone gives us any. I'm really working hard with my new companion and in just two weeks basically we have found 15 new investigators and have 5 baptism dates! Before that, my companion told me, he usually got 2 or 3 new investigators a week!

My P-Days here are a little different than in Malvinas. We play sports and actually shop. It is pretty fun and I always feel relaxed!

Tuesday - it is very hard to find where people live here because there are no street names. I'm getting really good at following the promptings of the spirit though! We didn't have any plans and were trying to figure out what to do I so I got this feeling to go down this dead end road. My companion was skeptical, but we went and ended up getting a new baptism date! It was such a cool spiritual experience for me!

I guess the only bad news of this week is that the walls here are not the greatest and there are cracks everywhere. One day this week it poured rain and it was okay, but when we came home, all of my books (Preach my Gospel, Jesus the Christ, journal, etc.) got soaked! Luckily I only had to throw away two or three books that I don't use too often! Every day now, I put my books in my suitcase just to be safe. Ha ha!!

I think that is all that happened this week!

Please e-mail me and ask me anything about Ecuador you want to know! I have only been here for three months but I feel Ecuadorian with an awesome missionary tan line! Please e-mail me with your questions!

I love you all so much!

Love Always,

Elder Sorenson
Alma 7:23–24

**Also, don't be worried next week. I am not e-mailing on Monday. I am actually going to be stuck in the house for four days straight for safety reasons because it is Carnival here next week so I am going to be emailing you next Wednesday and not Monday.

Elder Sorenson's new companion - Elder Cortez!!

Elder Sorenson - February 13, 2017

Hi everyone!

I don't ever want to change my zone or my companion! This area is so much prettier than my first, I say this because now there are trees! Ha ha! We live in a pretty rundown apartment with two other missionaries, one of them is my best friend from the MTC, Elder Hirschi! It is honestly such a fun experience to see the growth of his Spanish and his testimony!

Overall, this week went pretty well. We don't have half as many lessons as I did in Malvina though. We are having a hard time getting new investigators and spent most of the day is spent walking in the sun getting the door shut on us, but the positive thing is that I take control of the conversation nine out of 10 times now. I can have a casual conversation in Spanish without looking at my companion to help me! It is honestly such an incredible experience.

We have about two investigators as of right now and they are some of the most sweetest people I have ever met. The only thing they have issues with is having the money to clear up a divorce and get married. They would be baptized if it weren't for this, but yesterday we had a lesson with them and the spirit was so strong.The phrase, "they won't care how much you know until they know how much you care" is the most true thing in the world. My Spanish is not perfect, but when I talked to them they knew exactly what I was trying to say. The connection in that room was incredible and I won't ever forget it.

One of our recent convert's name is Jesse. He is 19 and African-American. He is probably one of the funniest guys I have met. We try to share a scripture, but his facial expressions and the way he says stuff is just so funny to us. He is such a great guy and has such a strong testimony!

My companion and I are already best friends. We have the same hobbies, we like the same music and movies, and teach so well together. He doesn't like Spanish, so he is always speaking to me in English. I need to work on Spanish, so I always respond in Spanish. At least I try too!! Ha ha! Spanish is easy for me to understand now, but I am just trying to not sound like a gringo and use the correct conjunctions.

This week I have experienced a lot of new things. I have realized crab a super good! It is so much better than fish, which I have every single day. Also, my shoes are now super nasty and full of mud! I also found out that my shoe size does not exist here, so if they rip I am in trouble!! Ha ha!

My new zone leader is one of the elders that I sung with at Christmas, so when we found out we were in the same zone, we got so excited! We both sang at a baptism this week and it sounded super good! Almost half of my zone are gringos and it is super weird seeing so many white faces in one place! Ha ha!

This week I learned the importance of patience and working with the members for more references. In order for people to understand this doctrine, it takes time and for them to actually have the desire to know the truth. We can soley invite them and answer the questions they have, but it is up to them to come to church or read the Scriptures.

I love you all so much and I hope you had a wonderful week! I love receiving pictures from you to show me how you are doing! This church is true and the blessings I have received from knowing that it is true are incredible and life-changing!

Love Always,
Elder Sorenson

D&C 11
*favorite section of the D&C. It's about patience and missionary work!

The streets in my new zone are not paved so when it rains, they turn into giant mud puddles!

TURBOOOO!! As soon as I saw this snail, I thought of my cousin Wesley!! He lives in this little garden we have now and I see him everyday!! So everyday, I think of my cousin Wesley!!!!1

The christmas tree (that just arrived in the mail from my mom's Christmas package) that I made two months late but it is always Christmas (Giving) season!!

The view of basically my entire zone.

My companion and I exploring the jungle!

Elder Sorenson - February 6, 2017

Well Everyone.. Guess what?!?! I got transferred today and it was crazy!! So I don't have that much time to write.

 

My week went great and I loved it!! It poured rain every day and, at first, I tried so hard to keep all of my clothes dry but by the third day, Elder Garcia and I were jumping in the puddles and drenched from head to toe. Haha! I know, I know I am a child, but I am a child with a firm testimony that this church is true!!!

 

My last day in Guayaquil was so sad and I didn't want to say goodbye to all of my families!!!! All day we just went around to each of our really close families and I said goodbye to them!!

The new area is called Machala La Paz, it is a lot more calm than Guayaquil!!! And guess what?!?!?!?!? Two hugeeeeee announcments about this area..... My new companion is Elder Cortez.... Yes....HE IS A GRINGO!!! Well, he is Mexican, but he is from the US so it was weird talking in English!! I found myself now speaking words in Spanish first and then English but that is a great problem!!!

 

The other huge news is in my new house, there are four missionaries and guess what?!?!?! One of them that just got transferred here as well is Elder Hirschi, my best friend in the MTC!!! My heart is so happy and I am so excited for this new adventure!!!

I am sorry for making this week so short, but know that I love you guys and thank you so much for your support!!

Love Always,

Elder Sorenson

D&C 11