Elder Sorenson - October 30, 2017

Happy Halloween!

I hope your week was as busy and amazing as mine was! Please be careful tomorrow and eat a ton of candy for me, especially Reese's and Skittles!

To start off this week, we had a Seventy come and it was great! The choir my companion and I put together sounded great. I'm mad at myself because I forgot to record the quartet that we sang, but you will just have to take my word for it that it sounded great! In the meeting we had with the Seventy, we talked about a lot of things. The first question he asked us was, "What does the prophet hope of me?" Then he asked us, "What do your parents hope of me? "I really thought about those two questions and the importance of always doing my best to make my parents proud. I really believe that question can apply to anyone because we should always be doing the correct thing too make our parents proud.

After the training, my companion and I had the urge to work hard and find every single family we could and baptize them. We did exactly that, but the families all planned not to be home when we came. It frustrated my companion and I because we wanted to work, but every single appointment fell through. So we decided to knock on random doors and we found some great potential for this week! I also received a call to renew my visa! I can't believe it has already come to that! So I spent a good half of the day in North renewing my visa and it was fun to be with some of the elders I hadn't seen in a year!

We ended up having a companion exchange and I was with Elder Boltran for a day! So we work together and had a blast at the same time. We also drink 3 liters of Coke each but that's besides the point. I learned a lot about trust and the importance of teaching by the Spirit. If I don't teach with the spirit, I won't have converted investigators and whatever I say it won't affect or help them to change. 

So in my weekly letter, I want to leave you with a few questions to ask yourself, "What level am I reading the scriptures? "To what level am I in tune with the spirit? " "What level am I....?" Always have this question in your mind and make sure you are always living to your potential, because you are a son or daughter of God and He loves you. And I love you too! 

Love Always,

Elder Sorenson

John 4:7-9, 20–21
"Love One Another"

English Bulldog that we might buy for Christmas! HAHA! Just Kidding! 

My companion! 

The exchange night when him and I drank 3 liters of Coke each! 

The exchange night when him and I drank 3 liters of Coke each!

Elder Sorenson - October 23, 2017

Hi Everyone! 

I will be honest and say that this was quite a slow week, but we are working harder than ever in this new ward! What was awesome is that this week my companion and I had absolutely nothing to do (no investigators, no appointments, no knowledge of any members house, etc). It also was the week of the most sun and the hottest temperatures that Guayaquil has had in the last three years! Let's just say that I'm not a gringo anymore because I got a lot of sun this week!! Haha! 

Supposedly, this sector was dead and there wasn't anyone to teach but my companion and I have found some great potential and we are working super hard! My companions name is Elder Tarbet and he is from Thousand Oaks California! He is by far the hardest working missionary I have ever been with. He was in the mountains for seven months and there wasn't that much success there, but here in Guayaquil let's just say it is the "Promised Land". My companion and I are running around finding more and more people to teach. 

This past week I was reminded of the power and importance of working with members. In my other sectors, I worked with the members but not as much and they never really visited with me. This last week, we met with a member every single day of the week. There is a young man preparing to serve in Bolivia in January who was with us three of the days from 2PM - 9PM meeting in teaching with us. I could not believe his diligence and how much he was preparing to serve his mission in just a few months. He is my example. 

I'm so blessed to be in this ward. This ward is hungry to work and baptize people. We have been given so many referrals. We had a leadership meeting yesterday. I have never been in a ward where they are willing to do whatever it takes to help the missionaries out. My companion and I were overwhelmed with all of them. Each one asked us "When can I do visits with you?" So that being said, I am so grateful for the ward I have been placed in because they truly know the importance and the impact of the Lords work. 

I love you! 

Elder Sorenson 

Nephi 10:23

Elder Sorenson - October 16, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Today, I didnt have any time to write today because I have changes. What happened is that my old companion had emergency changes and I received two Elders and then had to teach one of the Elders the entire sector as fast as I could before I recieved changes to a different sector in the same zone! So that being said, I will have been in 3 of the sectors of the same zone and am in now in Huancavilca, Ecuador.

 

I am really going to miss my old ward but I know I can see all of them because I am still in the same stake so-to-say. Elder Tarbet and I are going to have some fun and getting super lost because we are opening this new sector, so I hope we can find some success this week!

 

This past week went well and we worked really hard trying to find as many new investigators as we could. My new companion, Elder Tarbet, works hecka hard and I love him to death! Him and I received a call from our Mission President today and so we are in charge of putting a choir together because a General Authority Seventy is coming in a few weeks!! 

 

I hope all is well with everyone and just know that you are in every prayer that I say!!

 

Love you all!

Elder Sorenson

 

Elder Sorenson and his companion have been asked to open a new sector in HaunCavilca, Ecuador.

Elder Sorenson and one of his investigators.

Some of the men in Elder Sorenson's ward he had to say goodbye to but he got invited to one of their sealings with their wife, so he will see them again!

Some of the men in Elder Sorenson's ward he had to say goodbye to but he got invited to one of their sealings with their wife, so he will see them again!

Elder Sorenson's old Zone Leader he found at the mall. He is ending his mission in two days, so Elder Sorenson was able to say goodbye to him!!
 

 

Monday, October 9, 2017

Hi Everyone!

What a crazy and fast week! A lot of things happened, but first off, my companion has changed and I am not with my Vegas buddy anymore! He was so awesome and I’ll miss him, but I know I will see him a lot in my mission! Haha! I am still waiting on my companion because he is traveling from pretty far away. He is a gringo and was in the choir with me so it will be fun! We are going to sing a ton!

This last week, my companion and I bought an oven and let’s just say that we love cooking! We cooked some super good food (I mean for being missionary food) and I hope you don’t get jealous of the pictures! Haha!

In other news, we had a meeting with our Stake and our Mission President was there. We were to just listen and speak, representing, for our Zone. The meeting lasted until 9:50PM, so we were all shaking in our boots to be home before 9PM, but our President was there. Haha! I say this because after my mission, I know it will be an adjustment to be out past 9PM! Haha!

As you may know, I hit the one year mark this last Thursday and I do not know where the time went! It is crazy looking back and seeing how much I’ve grown spiritually and as a missionary. This mission truly has been a blessing and I will forever be grateful for the blessings I have received and that are yet to come. I don’t have much time to write today, but I want to end with what I wrote in my journal exactly one year ago. After writing an experience I had in the MTC, I wrote, “I know this is exactly where I need to be. I love the missionary life, just not the Spanish. I can’t wait to speak fluently. Hasta manana, amo la vida misionera.”

I promise and still know this is where I need to be! I also have improved my Spanish just a little. Haha! I still and will always love missionary work. I hope you have a wonderful week and know that you are always in my thoughts and prayers.

Love Always,

Elder Sorenson

D&C 39:20-24

*A sweet sister from Ecuador sent these pictures and message via FB Messenger to Kim, Elder Sorenson's mom!

*Hello Sister. Today we celebrated the birthday of Elder Beltran and ate tacos. We also celebrate the independence of our city is a holiday. This was awesome. Your son ate 8 tacos. They (the Elders) could not breathe (because they ate) so much food. They are crazy!

*Hello Sister. Today we celebrated the birthday of Elder Beltran and ate tacos. We also celebrate the independence of our city is a holiday. This was awesome. Your son ate 8 tacos. They (the Elders) could not breathe (because they ate) so much food. They are crazy!

*Hello Sister. Today we celebrated the birthday of Elder Beltran and ate tacos. We also celebrate the independence of our city is a holiday. This was awesome. Your son ate 8 tacos. They (the Elders) could not breathe (because they ate) so much food. They are crazy!

*Hello Sister. Today we celebrated the birthday of Elder Beltran and ate tacos. We also celebrate the independence of our city is a holiday. This was awesome. Your son ate 8 tacos. They (the Elders) could not breathe (because they ate) so much food. They are crazy!

*Hello Sister. Today we celebrated the birthday of Elder Beltran and ate tacos. We also celebrate the independence of our city is a holiday. This was awesome. Your son ate 8 tacos. They (the Elders) could not breathe (because they ate) so much food. They are crazy!

*Hello Sister. Today we celebrated the birthday of Elder Beltran and ate tacos. We also celebrate the independence of our city is a holiday. This was awesome. Your son ate 8 tacos. They (the Elders) could not breathe (because they ate) so much food. They are crazy!

Elder Sorenson - October 2, 2017

Hi Everyone! 

Today marks exactly one year ago that I was set apart as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. I know, it doesn’t seem that long ago, right? Well, it might for some but it feels like just yesterday when I went to the MTC, not knowing what to expect and not having a clue on how to teach random people the gospel of Jesus Christ. Honestly, it might come as a surprise to some but I have learned more about my beliefs and faith in the past year than I have in my entire life. I have learned why we are the true church, that I am not alone, Spanish (only by a miracle), the importance of opening my mouth to every person I see, even if my Spanish isn’t there, the power of the priesthood which I hold, the power of the Book of Mormon in my life, and the lives of my converts and investigators, and the importance, amount of revelations, and insights to Preach My Gospel contains. (If you’re preparing for mission, read the dang thing!) Although, I think the biggest miracle I have come to realize and recognize the power of the Atonement in my life and the role and has had in others.

Speaking of the Atonement, we have been working with an investigator, Jon, who loves talking to us and loves the message but he also loves drinking. It has been such an up-and-down roller coaster with him. Last night, we stopped by his house and he had been drinking. We sat down with him and he told us that he wants to change. So obviously, we taught him that he needs to have a desire to stop and that to stop completely he needs to turn to the Lord. A thought came to my head of what he could also do. I told him that every time he has that urge to drink, open the Book of Mormon and read (no importa donde). He took the invitation and we will see how it goes. He then asked us, with tears in his eyes, “How do you know that I can stop? And how do you know that God is at my side when I am like this?” The spirit filled the room and I shared first Corinthians 10:13. What a powerful scripture and what a wonderful promise! The Lord promises us that He will never give us any temptation or addiction that we can’t overcome! Or resist! I promise you that it is true that “God is faithful” in every moment.

So that being said, I want to invite all of you to read the Book of Mormon! If you’re struggling with an addiction (alcohol, smoking, pornography, etc.) you can overcome it with and only through Christ! When you have that urge for a drink or want to view pornography, have the strength to first open the Book of Mormon and I promise, in the name of Jesus Christ, that it will satisfy your desires in a much better way. Our prophet said it best, “If you’re not reading the Book of Mormon, do it now."

I hope each of you struggling, will
  1.  find a desire to change
  2.  come to Christ
  3.  put your trust in the Book of Mormon and when you have that urge, open it and read a part of it until the urge goes away!

General conferences are the most edifying events for missionaries (and everyone else)! I learned so much these past two days and feel like I am on a spiritual high from it. I hope you were able to watch it, and if not, visit www.lds.org and you can watch all of it there! I recommend watching ....ummm... THE WHOLE THING! Haha! 

A quote from one of the General Conference talks is what I want to leave all of you with for this week, “Blessings will not come because of our abilities, but because of our choices.” So, that being said, make wise decisions and choices and the blessings will come! We were all sent here on earth with our own agency, but we all know the blessings will come from smart choices! The scriptures say it best, Luke 12:29-31.

I love all of you from the depths of my heart. You mean so much to me and I know I wouldn’t be serving without all of the support, prayers, and love I have received! Thank you and please read those scriptures I shared, watch conference, and read the Book of Mormon! I know it is a lot, but how much has Christ done for you?

Love Always,
Elder Sorenson

A baptism that finally happened!! We have been waiting months for it!! 

The Malvinas family, it is where I started my mission.