Sunday, August 27, 2017

Elder Sorenson - August 21, 2017

Hi everyone!

I really can't believe how fast my mission is going by. I truly believe that when you are super busy day in and day out, time flies by!

My week was actually pretty crazy, but I learned quite a bit. On Tuesday, I had companion exchanges with the Assistants and it was super fun! I learned so much and I'm so excited to be able to apply what I learned from them. I think the biggest thing I learned this week is teaching with simplicity. In my lessons, I usually find myself talking really fast and loud, which, at times, is effective, but what my companion has taught me in these past four weeks is the importance of taking your time and speaking really simply. I forget that a lot of people I teach don't really have any knowledge of the words like gospel, revelation, prophets, and so what I learned is to always teach in a way that a five-year-old could understand me. This has helped me a lot!

I think the "out of the ordinary" thing that happened to me this week was on Saturday. There was a baptism in the morning, so we went and on our way home we walked past a '74 Thunderbird and I just about freaked out. We are in a pretty dangerous part of Guayaquil and this car was just parked outside. Haha! The owner came outside and let us take pictures in it. It was something I thought never would've happened in my mission. Haha!

As of right now, we have quite a bit of investigators and people that are 2/3 progressing. Our church here is at 3PM and it is so hard getting them to come to church because it is in the middle of the day!

There is so much potential in the area that I am in. I truly have a genuine love for the people I get to teach everyday. They read and pray, but they don't come to church! It is so frustrating because we have so much time in the morning to make sure they are going to church and they tell us yes, but then they end up not showing up. I know this is something that will be solved and improve next week! Other than that, my investigators are amazing and I can really see their faith building day by day!

Love Always,

Elder Sorenson

D&C 18:45





















Sunday, August 20, 2017

In-N-Out Ecuadorian Style!

A family in Ecuador FB Messaged Kim, Kyle's mom, on Monday, 8/14/17, the message and pictures below:  


Hello!!!

Nice too meet you.

My name is Diana.

Your son is in my stake, but not in my area. But he is the zone leader of the missionaries in the area and that is why we knew him. He is a very obedient missionary. Congratulations for the good son that has!!!! Your son was in my house this afternoon.

He cooked hamburguers and french fries.

It was wonderfull!!!

He is so servicial (sorry I don't have the word in english)

And I can see a great misionary in him. I have a child of 6 years old, I hope my son in the future can will like Elder Sorenson. He clean my kitchen after too cook... this was the best Lol😀

Thanks to share him with Ecuadorian People.

We are planning another meal on another day of preparation very soon.

Greetings from Ecuador

Diana



Elder Sorenson cooked In-n-Out burgers for a family in Ecuador!!

Elder Sorenson cooked In-n-Out burgers for a family in Ecuador!!
Elder Sorenson cooked In-n-Out burgers for a family in Ecuador!! 

Elder Sorenson cooked In-n-Out burgers for a family in Ecuador!! 

Elder Sorenson cooked In-n-Out burgers for a family in Ecuador!! 

Elder Sorenson - August 14, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Well, this week was the fastest of them all! So much happened in so little time so I hope next week will be a little more calm. My companion I have been in a trio for the past three or four days because an Elder went home for knee problems so we have been covering two areas to teach and it has just been crazy! The three of us got a ton of attention because it was three gringos walking in the streets side by side! One is part Asian, another is straight gringo, and then the basic gringo - ME! Haha! It was fun being busy and running to appointments because of the distance between them!

Last Saturday was a super fun day! There was an activity for like three or four stakes in Guayaquil. So what it was is all of the youth were able to go out with a missionary and see what teaching is like in the life of a missionary! My first companion, Elder Espinoza, and my first convert, Alex, who is preparing for a mission was there! The missionaries were told to take one of the youth and just go and contact random people and find references. So I got to take two youth and we went out in the streets! I think I found the hardest part of town to contact because I got rejected so many times! I felt really bad for the youth because they were really scared and wouldn't talk. Afterward, I asked them what they learn and they said, "That the mission in life is super hard!"  It made me realize how much I have grown, how I always try my best to find people to teach, and how blessed I have been to be in the parts of Ecuador where the majority of people have faith in Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. I am super grateful for the activity I participated in and this mission because I have learned so much from it and have grown to realize the real necessity of the gospel that I need in my life.

I am also super grateful for the zone that I am in and their hard work to save souls! I don't like to just look at the numbers, but the increase in people committed to being baptized has increased so much, it is literally a miracle! We went from 6 people to 23 people that have a baptism date!! It makes me super happy and really able to see the blessings I have received from being here!

I love you all and I know everyone is doing great. Keep enjoying the last bit of summer vacation and just now that I am ALWAYS praying for you!!

Love Always,

Elder Sorenson

PS. This week I cooked In-n-Out burgers for a family in my ward! They loved the hamburgers and sent pictures to my mom that she will add to this week's blog. 





Elder Sorenson - August 6, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Como estan? Todo bien? It was a pretty great week that seemed quite long, but I got through it! I think I am going to call the zone I am in "The Injured Zone." One Elder fell off his bed and his knee is all messed up, another Elder was playing ping pong and the table collapsed and landed directly on his foot that left him with a bruise the size of a football! The sisters were in the hospital all week for some type of sickness and then I got chicken guia and that was terrible! But, hey! It happens!

A positive this week is that we had Leadership Council and so all of the Zone Leaders came down to Quayaquil to be at the meeting. It was so awesome and cool that I got to see a lot of Elders that I hadn't seen for months! I learned a lot in this meeting, including the importance of setting goals that test our ultimate capacity and that are actually beneficial to our progression. 

It is so weird to know that in about 3 weeks, I am going to be the group of Gringos that have the most time in the mission! It is honestly crazy how fast time goes by! I am excited to meet the new Gringos that don't know a lick of Spanish and be able to help them out and answer any questions they have!

I guess the difficulty we found this week was not being able to teach as much as we like too because NOBODY was home and we couldn't seem to find any of our investigators at their house. My companion and I also went on a lot of exchanges so that we could go with the "not sick" companions and visit their investigators. It was cool to give advice on how to find, teach, and convert the people here in Huenca Vilca. 

Para terminar, quiero testificar que esta iglesia es verdadera y que la obra misional es necesario para salvar almas y para que familias pueden ser eternas. Se con todo mi corazon que el Libro de Mormon es verdadero y tenemos la iglesia de Jesucristo sobre la faz de la tierra y no hay algo mejor que serviendo una mision. Debemos ser obediente y diligente por toda la vida para regresar al presencia de nuestros Padre Celestial. En el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.

Con Amor, 
Elder Sorenson

John 5:24












Sunday, August 6, 2017

Elder Sorenson - July 31, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Well, I definitely forgot how crazy Guayaquil is compared to Machala. It is very loud and there are so many more people here. It is super fun being companions with Elder Bourtschi!! He is from Las Vegas and he has just a little over a year on in his mission. He works super hard and I love having him as a companion. We really are great teachers together and the things I am not so great at, he is, and vice versa. 

Some highlights from the first week back in Guayaquil are being able to say hi to some of the families from when I was first here. They were all shocked that I am able to talk to them in Spanish now! Ha ha we also had our entire zone participate in the talent show for our ward. Because we are missionaries, our talents are limited, but we were able to get the crowd laughing and we made some really funny jokes. Ha ha! but the ward I am in is so loving and they are so great! They all just love helping the missionaries and giving us food and everything. 

My companion and I have found so many people ready to listen to our message! They actually read and pray, which is super rare! We have three people that have baptism dates and they all are super receptive in what we have to share with them. They are all working really hard to be able to know for a fact that our message is true. They are really wanting more and more. Their desires to learn more are incredible and inspiring.

I honestly do not have much to say this week because I am learning a lot and trying to learn my new zone, but I want to bear my testimony that I know that this is His work and that I have been sent here for a reason. I know the book of Mormon is true and that this church is true. I love being on the Lord's errand and being able to share my testimony to everyone here in Ecuador. I know and testify that our families are eternal and if we are worthy, we will be able to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father! Love you all and I hope you are all enjoying your summer break!

Love Always, 
Elder Sorenson