Keep on Keepin' on!

Happyyyy Junnneeee!!! Holy hanna, May went by SO fast here in Peten! I can't believe that we have already started a new month. The time is really starting to fly,and to be honest, it scares me. But I am loving life here in Santa Elena! We had changes this week, but I will be staying here with Hna Gomez. Wahoo! I love it here! So I was happy to hear the good news.  I will now answer mom's questions of the week:

What was the best thing that happened with investigators this week?  BAPTISMMMM! On Saturday Alberto got baptized! It was probably one of the most spiritual baptisms I have had on my mission. He was so prepared to be baptized. He learned all the lessons in 3 weeks! The day before his baptismal interview we still had 2 lessons to teach him so we had to combine the 2. The Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity. When we told him about the Word of Wisdom and asked if he had any problems with any of those things he said, 'I used to always drink coffee but about a week ago I heard from a member that you guys don't drink Coffee or Tea so I haven't had it since I heard that. But it's good to know why!' I was seriously speechless. He will be a great leader in the church.

BAUTISMO de alberto! It was so special!

  Who is the most interesting person that you met this week? Yesterday we were contacting and we found a sister who was probably about 70 lying in her hammock. She said we could come in and share with her. She was SO funny. She assists (attends)  the evangelist Church and each time we would say something she would ask us a question then tell us how it was done in her church. (Which usually ended in a fun little evangelist song.) She LOVES to sing. But the whole lesson she was just singing and singing alabanzas. I left such a happy little soul!

  What did you learn from another missionary this week?  This week I did divisions with Hna Perez from Mexico. She has about 7 months in the mission and is a GREAT missionary. Something I learned from her is showing love to people but in quiet ways. She doesn't talk much and basically spent 90 percent of the day listening to me jabber on a million mile an hours. But the whole time she was so attentive and really listened to what I had to say. It made me feel so loved! I imagine that after a few hours of listening to me talk forever she was probably bored. She doesn't talk much but the whole day she was showing small acts of service to everyone we came in contact with. It helped me realize the importance to slow down and be quiet every once in a while, the spirit comes in a quiet whisper. It's harder to hear it when your running 1 million miles an hour and talking nonstop. I love Hna Perez!

What was the favorite lesson that you taught and how did you teach it?  We taught a cute couple this week about the plan of salvation.. I love to tell people that they can see people after this life.

Any cool Guatemala facts that you could share are always appreciated!  Hmmm..... One of my favorite parts of Guatemala is that no matter where you go, who it is, or what time of day it is, if you pass someone in the street you always say 'Buenos Dias! Buenas Tardes!' It is soooo cute! It makes you feel loved even if you do stop them after that and they don't want anything haha.

Do you have hot water, and what are you eating, and how is your health? We do not have hot water but once a month when we go to Coban I get hot water in the other STL's house. It's the best. Lately I have an obsession with fried platanos. Yum. My health is good! 

Love you all! Keep on keepin' on!

Hna Sorensen

Dinner this week was fried platanos and green mango with salt. Yummmm

Zone Conference

Heyoooooo

HEYOOOO;

Happy June to everyone! I am glad to hear that my dear little sister could make it through her journeys of high school and graduate as a Sky View Bobcat. What an honor. Also that Whitten is chubby and Mallory is basically a witch doctor. We love all those things in Guatemala.

This week was pretttttyyyy boring again but I will answer  your questions the best I can.

Questions of the week:  What was the miracle that you saw this week? Lately Hna. Gomez and I have been really focusing on finding new investigators. Elder Alonso promised us when he came that if we focused on this, we would see a huge change in the mission and we are already seeing that promised fulfilled. We had a few things happen this week where we weren’t able to work as much as we wanted to and on Friday we only had 2 new investigators.  Our goal was 10. So what do you do in a situation such as this? Pray your brains out obviously. We were definitely living with the promise of 'pray like it all depends onH, but work like it all depends on you.  Well, the night time came around on Friday anddddd, nothing. We still only had 2 new investigators for the week. All I can say is I know God hears and answers our prayers when we do our part. The last lesson of the day, we found a family of SIX! They were all so excited to listen! It was definitely a huge miracle from our Heavenly Father.

Tell me about your favorite investigator.My Favorite investigator is named Alberto. He will be getting baptized on Saturday (woot woot) I have never met someone like him before. He basically came to us in a reference with a list of questions and goes to church himself, reads, prays, listens, understands. He doesn’t depend on us at all! He just feels this gospel is true and acts accordingly.He is the greatest!

What experience allowed you to feel the spirit the most this week? This week I was reading a lot about Ammon and the sons of Mosiah. We always learn a lot about Ammon and how wonderful he was, and obviously he was as  missionary genius! But I was thinking a lot about the sons of Mosiah and the experiences they had. I can only imagine it was SO hard for them to go out to p´reach the gospel and get thrown in prison and beaten. They came to work, serve, and preach, I imagine it was so frustrating to be trapped in a jail cell not doing anything. But the scriptures say that they were always 'patient in their afflictions.' It was just another testimony builder of the importance for us to just trust in God and be patient with the plan that he has for us. Sometimes we are never going to understand why things happen but God does.

Favorite missionary moment? Favorite, and at the same time, least favorite missionary moment. When the  men try to greet you with a kiss and you just have to do a back-bend and push them off of you, and say 'I’m sorry, I’m a missionary' But really in your head you are thinking 'please dont touch me, sweaty fat man, I dont even know you.' It sucks in the moment but is always super funny to laugh about afterward!

I have been feeling a lot better! I was just tired cuz I think I was sick. Doing a lot better and drinking lots of gatorade and water like you told me mom.

LOVE YOU ALL!

Have a good week and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Hermana Sorensen

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

Hahaha your emails  never overwhelm me, mother! I love to hear from you!  From the pictures that mom sent, the kitchen looks so good! It will be good to have more space so the whole family can be together1 I am excited to see it when I get home!  Holy Beautiful! Nessa is like a stinkin adult... that is so bizarre to me. But she looks  so pretty! She is  pretty, a genius, professional and she has a good heart. We will party it up in college together.

This week I was sick for a few days so I don't have much to report haha. I think that's why I was feeling tired. Don't fret too much cuz' I am better now! I did get to go to Poptun again to do divisions with a sister and I saw some of the members there which was fun. We also put a baptismal date with one of our investigators named Alberto! WAHOOOOO!!!!! I am so excited. it even rained 2 days this week!

I love this work so much. The time is really starting to fly and I'm not really liking that very much.

I love you so much and thank you for praying and worrying about me!

Love you,

Lex  (Hermana Sorensen)

10 Things I Love About Me!

May 4, 2015

I love Hermana Gomez!

I am very sorry. I was a little bit of an emotional mess last week. Also as a missionary and when I'm writing you guys, I always struggle to find the line. My whole life right now is just listening to people's lives and trying to pull something out of thin air to help them. I have found it is really hard and I'm actually not that good at it cuz' my answer to everything is just... uh... pray. haha But that is ok cuz I am cute. But sorry if I gave you a little cincho. Emails are always a little awkward cuz I just can't really get my message across cuz I'm a spaz. You know me.   

So, Mom, since in our last exchange we talked about how we need to be positive about ourselves. . .aka, you mother need to be positive about yourself. . .  I like this request that I write10 things about me, and since you did it first, just let me tell you:

1. I am hilarious. #sorrynotsorry 2. my curly blonde hair. 3 I am always trying to better myself  4. I want to be like Christ, and even If I'm not always like Him, I have the desires, 5. I am a representative of Jesus Christ (MY FAVORITE) 6. I make people feel good whereever I am. 7. I have a strong testimony of this gospel and I show it through my actions. ( not my words cuz I struggle with that) 8. I'm a leader 9. I love my family 10. I am motivated.

That was fun. I liked it. Thank you mother. I think that is good to do. Everyone do it.  Also I will be using it because this week E. Alonso from the 70 is coming to talk to us as a mission and us alone as leaders. I know we will be getting a little burn from him... awkward. And I will probably feel like a poop missionary afterward. But also, more motivated to be better! After all he is a 70.

This week was good! Sad at first, but much better after Hna Gomez got here

Who did you serve this week and how? This week we went and chopped some grass for a little family. They were just sitting outside and the little boy had this big huge machete and was just going at it. He was probably about 5. It was so cute. He was just all bent over in his jeans which were WAY to big for him and his little booty was hanging out. Haha. So we asked them if we could help. At first they were hesitant, but after we convinced the,  cuz I told them I wanted to learn so I could do it in the U.S. (ps no.. its hard. Thank goodness for lawn mowers) 

Are you still visiting that man whose wife was in bed drinking from a bottle? Well sad news. His wife died and we went to go and visit him again. It was a really special lesson because we explained where his wife was and how happy she was. He was happy to hear it but also told us he couldn't stay here in Peten because everything reminded him of her. So he is now in the capitol. But we passed the reference there and hopefully the missionaries there are on the it.

How was your first week with the new companion? I LOVE HNA GOMEZ! She is teaching me a lot about the love for chiles. I will be a chili eating fool when I get home. WAHOO: And eat a lot of your hot horse radish mother. But we just laughed our brains out all week. She is super fiesty and just says what she wants which I love... kinda like grandpa Ray. But we balance each other out well and she is a very good missionary.

What is the favorite scripture of the week? This week I read about Abinidi. Heck I love that man! He spoke with such POWER. He really was so sure of himself and his mission. He was so focused on Christ and his mission that nothing else matters. I put some goals this week of how I can be more consecrated like him.

What made you laugh this week? We had a lesson this week with a sister named Maricruz. She just had her grandpa die and we were visiting her for the 1st time. Well we were just about to finish the lesson when her little boy (about 2) comes running in completely naked, sits down on the ground and just poops in the middle of the floor. The sister was SO embarrassed but I couldn;t stop laughing. Heck it was hilarious. It stunk so bad I couldn't even breathe... but it was funny. Like you said mom, We "Dearly love to laugh"!  BAHAHAHA.

All I can say Is, I love this work so much! We saw miracles and the clouds came this week! Not too hot! But it's back again today. Either way I was happy.

I am sad to hear about Josh Ringo I will keep his family in my prayers. He was a good kid and always made me laugh.

Thanks for the support! So excited to meet and hopefullhear baby Stephens on Sunday! Love you all! 

Hna Sorensen

We Love Peten!

My favorite part of the week was learning how to make empanadas. Like 3 times a week this Evangelist church is always selling these delicious empanadas from these cute old ladies. We are best friends and they love me. So one day one of them asked if I wanted to learn how to make them and last Saturday we went to her house and learned. Love sees no religion. haha

Also,  Hna Faught's last lesson with our favorite investigator,Jorge Mario. He bought us a whole pizza to say goodbye to her! But is was soooo funny because one of the members we brought said 'oh! That is so nice to buy to say goodbye to Hna Fuaght!' And he just says 'whos's Hna Faught?' He can't ever remember our English names!

Mom asked for my favorite scripture of the week, so I will answer all her questions, because I love her.  I loved 2 nefi 1 :15 this week  "But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love." I  realize what I sinner I am sometimes and God really has saved me from hell... how beautiful to think that we are always encircled in his arms.  Also, one day we went and taught one of our investigators about the restoration! She was so mesmerized and excited to hear that we have a prophet on the earth today!   This week we had interviews with Pres. and Hna Curtiss. We were talking about the attributes of Christ. (right now I am working on Charity.. no matter what happens I always find myself coming back to that one....) I just got started to thinking the only way we can ever really know our Savior is when we are not only studying about him and getting to know him, but really striving to be more like him. I can feel myself becoming nearer to him when I make changes in my life.

It is soooo hot, but we are dealing with it by putting on sunscreen and fanning  with folletos.... and walking in the shade.. haha  So you ask what was the best and worst thing that happened this week.  The worst thing that happened is this week, we were basically swimming we were sweating so much, but we did A LOT of contacting. Yesterday Jorge Mario was the only house we entered... even the members were gone. I felt sad that Hna Faught had to end her mission on a sad day like that.  To describe the last week with my dear Hermana Faught:  Really depressing. I was so ready for the week to be over. But sad a la vez because I knew I would miss her a lot!  So, I had a roughish week but also, always good! We did  lots of contacting and I was pretty anxious cuz I knew Tiana was getting home. Well that was fine, but today I had to say goodbye to Hna Faught and I just cried my eyeballs out! It was reeeaaalllyyy embarrasssing but I just am getting so sad of saying goodbye to people I love. And as the STL,  we had all these other sisters in our house for changes.   I just got them busy and started them playing janga while I went to the bathroom and cried cuz my heart hurt from missing Hna Faught, and Tiana and  you  and Liz and my sisters. Ugh. But I did what you said, and turned it around!  I prayed to stop looking at myself and serve all the cute missionaries in our little room and I taught them some games and we laughed and I just was happy to be in the moment! But it was sad for a second. But now I am good!

Hna Gomez from Mexico is my new companion and she was with Hna. Faught for 6 months.  She is SO CUTE! I am way stoked to be with her. Plus I will improve my Spanish!

 What are you looking forward to? Elder. Alonso from the Area Presidency is coming down to talk to our mission! I AM SO EXCITED! I know he will give this mission the motivation we need to see more success.

 How is the area and the apartment that you live in?  Area... hot... Apartment... small but I can't complain because we have a big fridge and I find myself frequently shoving my head in the freezer when we come home to fill up our waterbottles. We are renting a room so we have 2 room things next to us... I will have to take pictures. But one of the rooms is of our Dueno (Landlord) and he always sits out front with his shirt off and pants unzipped... whenever we have a problem and have to talk to him about it, he blames it on me....

One of the biggest problems I see with the sisters we help out is a lack of self confidence. It is pretty depressing. Here we have the cutest girls in the world! Just sharing the gospel but Satan is just so smart and always whispering things in there ear. It is hard because I know that it really prevents them from reaching their full potential

 Best advice for someone preparing for a mission?  BE OBEDIENT! Obedience brings blessings. No matter how stupid the rules may sound they are for your good and if you follow every single little one, you will see miracles.

Love you all!

Dearest family!

 This week, I not only had plenty of sunshine in a happy spiritual and funny way, but also a very literal sense. It's HOT FOLKS! The sun just attacks you. We had to go and sit down in the shade a few times this week for five minutes so that we didn't turn into roasted human beings. However, I am still alive and using sunscreen like nobody's business, so thank goodness for that invention.

This week we saw some pretty lovely miracles! First of all we had divisions on Tuesday, and I was reunited with Hna. Guerrero! We were very happy, but also we weren't having a very lucky day. We had an Hna. Come from the ward with us on some visits, and after contacting for an hour, she told us that there was a sister in the ward who is super, super sick. So we went to go visit her. It was sooo sad! The sister was just laid out on her bed when we got there and her husband was feeding her a bottle. Apparently she has a tumor or something on her brain and her body is just slowly giving out every day. Well,she can't talk so we just sang a hymn and then she fell asleep and we washed some dishes for her husband. After washing we started talking to the husband and it turns out he actually isn't a member of the church. He had attended a few times and felt the peace there, but it never really called his interest. Well, let me just explain to you, in the short hour we were there all he could talk about was how much he loved his sweet wife. We are talking the movie 'The Notebook' people. I HAVE FOUND ALLI AND NOAH! Haha!  But he was so cute! He says he prays for her so much! It was so exciting for us to be able to tell him a little about the Plan of Salvation. That God loves his children enough that we will see all of our loved ones beyond the grave. He was so excited and wants to know more! I just know that it wasn't coincidence that God sent us there exactly at this time in his life.

Today for P-day we went to some caves in Flores.... without a guide.. cuz' apparently we didn't want to pay for one. Well.. it was very dark and wet and muddy and we were climbing on our bellies and swinging on ropès and really just trying to find a way out cuz'. . . . . It was sketchy people. On the other hand, a giant adventure. We liked it alright.

Everyone remember to keep applying their general conference goals!

Happy 1 year mark to me! How weird is that!? 

Hna. Sorensen

Happy Easter Weekend! WOOT WOOT WOOT! I hope everyone was as spiritually fed as I was. I am dying thinking about waiting another 6 months but the last wait wasn't too awful, I guess it's alright when you are busy!  We watched General Conference in a room in the church with all the other English speakers, haha. I LOVED E. Bednar’s talk. I loved when he gave the example of Peter walking on the water. All he had to do was focus on Christ and he wouldn't have fallen. But he looked away for just one second. One TINY second and fell. How often are we looking at the world and not at Christ? Just that tiny second is what will bring us down. So I am putting goals of how I can stay 100 percent focused on my Savior.

You asked about where we serve and travel as sister leaders.  I think the farthest we travel usually is Poptun. It is 2 hours from here. This week we went to San Andres again though and it was 45 minutes. However these are nothing compared to the Coban trips we take for consilio, which are 6 hours! We left last Monday at 3 in the morning and came back on Tuesday. We traveled A LOT this week. But it is fine because Guatemala is BEAUTIFUL AND GREEN!  I get to see a lot of scenery.

So funniest moment of the week was our bus ride back from Coban. We have 8 of us on the bus; Hna Faught and I and the 4 Zone Leaders from Peten and the Bakes. Well, it was starting to get late and we were almost to Peten when one of the Elders starts to play the EFY music on his little Portable DVD Player. It was SO funny because all of us have heard these songs SO MANY TIMES on our missions and none of us even said anything, we all just started singing at the top of our lungs the EFY music. It was just funny cuz’ most of those elders are the serious Zone Leaders who are all business. But that's what happens when you are on a bus for 12 hours in 2 days!

This week we tried to share the gospel with EVERYBODY, and nobody at the same time haha. Semana Santa is a little crazy here and everyone just left to go to the beaches. The streets were dead. So we just found whoever we could and watched the “Gracias a que El Vive” video. Can I just tell you people if you haven’t watched it yet, DO IT NOW! It was such a cool experience. No matter who we found, we just pulled it out of our backpacks on our little portable DVD player. We watched it in doorways, in the street, porches, gardens, you name it! People let us borrow three minutes of their time. But every time we watched it, I would just watch their faces and get all excited because I could see that they felt the spirit! And I knew that that they were recognizing something. And then it is just funny because we ask if we can come back and they say “Nope, I’m Catholic, or Evangilist.”  And I just want to shout at them like 'Helllooooo i know you just felt something SO special!' Gosh dang that albedrio.... SO we did a lot of contacting but not a lot of work with our progressing investigators.

This week I did splits with Hna. Portillo from Hondorus. She is the cutest, shyest little girl! But it was SO funny! We just showed the video and laughed. We only do 24 hours splits so in the morning we took the bus back to San Andres.

Hermana Faught is doing great in her final weeks.  We are working hard. She is scared to go home and not happy that they talked so much about marriage in Conference. She is getting tired of running with slow me and has changed to doing the circuit workouts that Mally sent me the beginning of my mission... awkward. I am just working on my stretching because I can't touch my toes....

Celebrating Easter was interesting and very Catholic here.  Yesirreeee. I was going to send pictures buttt...#Guatprobzzzz. We saw a lot of the cool rug things they draw on the road! They get like... I don’t even know, sand or something and it is SO BEAUTIFUL! ?And then in the night is kinda scary because they carry this giant Jesus statue with a virgin Mary behind and swing incense and play scary Star Wars Music and everyone just follows behind like a parade. We watched for a little second when we were passing by, and it just made me sad to see Jesus up there dead. However, to each his own! It was a fun different cultural experience.

 IT IS GETTING SO HOT! But we are hot and happy. Also, fun little side story/comment. It is so hot here at night so we have our little fan on all night long, and then I freeze icepacks and put them all over my body to feel better.    –Kewl. . .  bye

Love you all! Have a good week!

Hermana Sorensen

I Am Guatemalan.

Me, thinking of my dear sister, Kenzy and her baby boy!