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!

10 meses hoy!

Happy Valentines day!

Actually that was 2 days ago but Happy day anyways because there should always be a reason to be happy.

I had a loveeeelllyyy, very long weekm  here in Sta Elena/Coban because I didn't actually get home until Tuesday night from that blessed place. But all is good and I love it here! We are starting to get to know our area more and getting into the swing of teaching together.

 What is your favorite scripture lesson this week?

 Welllllll this week we were able to place a lot of Books of Mormon which was so great. One thing we realized was how the Book of Mormon literally is the key to everything it can help everyone. Or in the words of Hna  Faught, ´´The Book of Mormon can solve all problems... except world hunger... unless you eat the pages."  So on that note,  we made the decision to apply that lovely book to more of our investigators. But for reals, it was so fun to hear about people's problems and then explain the Book of Mormon to them and see how excited they were to read it. We found one lady for the first time, and she asked us where she could find one. I was the happiest little lady in the world to pull one out of my backpack. I felt like Santa Clause on Christmas. 

During my beautiful studies of studying all the references for each verse of the Book of Mormon this week,  I learned many things. But one thing I am learning from it that is interesting to me is how perfect the timing is for everything. I am learning what was going on at the same time in Jerusalem when Nephi was in the wilderness. I never had thought about it before.

Funniest moment of the week. . or hardest laughter?  Well,  it would be easier for me to tell you when we are not laughing because we laugh quite a lot. But.... I think that the funniest one this week happened on Thursday. We found this way cute lady to go and teach and it was our first lesson with her. She had this giant dog and I was trying to be friends with it and show the Hna we  were normal human beings. Well, we started the lesson and we were explaining all about our message when all of the sudden that giant dog started to get a little bit friendly with my leg. It was so awkward. So I just kinda kicked him away,  and started dying laughing and so did Hna Faught annnnnddd... it was funny. So she put the dog out after that... 

 Everything is lovely! I love it here! The people are so nice and we are all working hard. I love being with Hna Faught because she is way motivated to whip everyone into shape.... also me. Because she makes me go running every morning.and, as I mentioned last week, she runs like a gazelle. And I run like a turtle. So it is funny.

Our house has 3 rooms. The closet room with a little tiny bathroom, our kitchen/bedroom/study room, then we have the clean the dishes room, with a little bathroom and shower. So we both have our own shower and toilet which is nice, but it is very small. But I like it! Is it like the place in Los Campos?  I do not see too many cockroaches but we sure see a lot of mosquitoes!  

Love you all! Have a good week!

Aloha!

ALLOOOOHHHAAAA!

Hello family! How are you all doing? It sounds like everyone is having a lovely February and continuing onward in life sooo... keep on keepin' on lovelies.

I had a very wonderful and insane psycho week. I am currently writing you in Coban. We woke up at 2.30 to come here for consilio tomorrow. aka ...When the ZL's and STL's all talk about how we can make the mission a mission of champions and after we have a giant feast. I know you are all wondering so I will just tell you, Yes, I am excited. Apparently it is super spiritual and fun and lovely. (Besides the 2.30 fact but, sacrifices brings blessings yes?)

Did you get your shoes etc. package yet? YESSSSS! They were happily waiting for me on the bus at 2.30 a. .m.  The Bus was not to happy with my shouts of joy, but then after, they were happy cuz' I shared my candy with them. I am so nice. But I also got all the shirts and beeeeeautiful slippers and candy and thanksgiving letters and also a probably 3 month old chocolate chip cookie, we all split it and ate it together. I will say thank you from my own mouth and also all of the other people on the bus. GRACIAS. My shoes had big fat holes in them.

 My new companion, Hermana Faught,  is kinda like my BFF Brittney Merrill, but also very different. I love her. She really pushes me and works SUPER SUPER hard. I have been praying my whole mission to be able to be a better teacher, and she is already helping me a lot. Champ that lady. We laugh a lot and go running everyday. AKA she runs like a freaking gazelle ahead of me and I just mozy my way behind like I did in cross country like a little turtle. But I like turtles... and running. Also we run around the lake in Sta. Elena. SO PRETTY.

I LOVE Santa Elena! The members in this branch are so amazingly helpful! Yesterday the sisters asked us when they could do visits this week. I thought I was dreaming. It was just so beautiful. But right now we are just finding new investigators, trying to get to know the area, find the other investigators of the other Hnas and all of the Less actives and Recent converts. We get home SO tired but...a poco a poco.

We didn't do any divisions this week.  We needed to get to know our area. But I will be doing 2 a week from this day forward so.... that'll be interesting.  My new 'title' Sister Trainer really just means that you just go on divisions to make sure that the sisters are enjoying their lives and being obedient. HAha basically it's just a ZL but girl version.  We go out on  divisions and take care of the sisters and report back to President and work to help correct problems.

 Funny story. We get in a psycho lesson with this man who stars fighting with Hna Faught about prophets and The Book of Mormon and all of that fun stuff. He only believes strictly in the Bible. But that lady just laid the truth down and then to bring back in she asked us all how we all felt when we read the Bible, and after we related that we also feel happy when we read the Book of Mormon and that is the only way you can know if something is true. (That was very condensed but my time is running short. Lo siento)

 Awkward Gringa moments.... Hna Faught and I saw a Mariachi Band walking in the street. We  got so excited and asked them to sing a song for us. Then after we gave them folletos (brochures) and chatted a bit about the gospel and left.... Well apparently their music is not just a hobby. It is their living and we were supposed to pay them and we did not know that. So, basically we are thieves and we feel bad...So if we see them again we will pay them but we were laughing/felt really bad. This is what happens with two girls from the US.

Also I cut my hair today! WOOT WOOT. It is like tot the bottom of my neck. I look 5. I don't care. It is healthy and I am happy. No, I do not have a picture.

I love you all and have a super duper weekkkkkk!

Hna. Sorensen

Ch ch ch changes

El bautismo de Arecela!

Happpyy Monday!

            Welllll... .. the news is. . .  I did get quite the surprise yesterday! I will not only be changing areas,but changing companions as well.  I am currently writing to you in my new area of Santa Elena, Peten! It's about 2 hours from Poptun, and here, yes, it is VERY hot. My new companion, Hermana Faught.  She will be coming tomorrow really late from Coban. So, tomorrow I will be with another sister who is waiting for her companion from Coban. Hermana Faught is my first gringa companion so it will be different!  I hope my Spanish still progresses! Haha. But we will be cleaning the area here, AGAIN. Holy hanna, every area I have gone to I have cleaned, but It's fun! I have heard only good things about my branch, the members, the area and my new companion. I am very excited for the new adventures and miracles that God has prepared for me this change!

            So this week Hna. Guerrero and I were in a lesson teaching the restoration when all of a sudden,  I finished my part and looked at her to finish.  Her eyes got all big and she just tipped right on over onto the floor. Her skirt fell all up to her head and she was dying laughing. I almost started crying, I was laughing so hard. It was probably good cuz' I think the investigators were falling asleep and we all had a pretty good laugh. I don't really know how it happened but she just kind of tipped over annnnnnd... it was funny.

             So I am LOVING my scripture study lately! I finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish last week (woot woot woot).  I am starting over again and trying to study it in a different way. This time I am really searching deep and reading every single reference with every verse!  It seriously is the best thing ever! It takes forever, and after one whole week I have only gotten to the second chapter in 1st Nephi, but I am learning a lot about Lehi and how perfect the plan of God is.  Also more than ever, the amazing example of Nephi. I love that guy. I can't wait to meet him in heaven.

            Alsooooo this week I got to the atonement and crucifixion in Jesus the Christ. It seriously breaks my heart! But all I can think of the describe my feelings is the hymn 'I stand all Amazed.' That hymn describes so perfectly how I feel for my Savior. I seriously can't even comprehend the LOVE he has for us. I'm so grateful for my knowledge of Him and what he did for me.

            My favorite experience in sharing the gospel is to see people change their lives. Last night we visited a recent convert. Before in his life, he drank a lot and his life was really twisted and dark. It was SO fun to come and visit him! He was waiting for us, reading the Liahona.  He already had out his Hymn book and his little notebook where he takes notes during lessons. We had a fast for him yesterday that he can keep being sober and say faithful in the gospel. He just told us how he felt so much peace to know he could repent and take the sacrament and sometimes he feels tempted or frustrated or sad. But then he prays and feels so much love from our Heavenly Father. I love to see how this gospel really does change lives!

            Truth. . a new truth I've learned. . .  So this week I was studying about the atonement under the Plan of Salvation section of Preach My Gospel. What I focused on is the perfect balance that we have between Justice and Mercy because of the atonement. The atonement is so central in the plan because without it, we would all be so lost! We couldn't accomplish anything in this life!

Well I love you all and hope you all enjoyed your superbowl sunday!  Also happy happy birthday to my lovely sister Mckenzie. You are already one quarter of a century old.... So proud of you. 

Xoxooxoxo

Hna. Sorensen

They braided my hair... this is what happened after. . . 

Adios mi companera. . . .

All of us missionaries from Rama Poptun!

Intrevistas

Happy almost February! How is everyone doing in the frozen tundra back home!? The weather here has been kinda weird, like one day I was sweating every ounce of water I had in my body, and the next day I had on my rain boots and a sweater. A.K.A.-- we never know what we should wear.

            To answer your question about the shoes in the package. . . .I was so excited for interviews on Wednesday because I thought for sure I would get them,  but they didn't arrive. But I would  assume that it is kinda large so... it may take more time.

            How are your investigators progressing? Good! Well,  mas o menos... We are kinda struggling to have investigators PROGRESS.  We have lots of nuevos (new ones) and antiguos (old ones) but no one who is really moving towards baptism which is kinda a bummer. But we had a fast to find some, so I know the Lord will bless us.

            Latest and greatest ward function?  Well, on Saturday we had the baptism of FABRIZIO! Oh my.  it was so special!  It was definitely the biggest miracle and tender mercy of the week.  The whole town came. I can' t even describe the joy that was on that boy's face when he entered the water. He has been waiting two years to be baptized, and he finally did it! I have never had such a special baptism. He gave his testimony at the end and I think that the whole branch was crying.

            Also, we went to one of our investigator's birthday parties. I have NEVER eaten so much in my whole life. I think I ate a whole entire leg of a pig. Holy hanna. I'm still recovering. 

            Interesting cultural/country fact?  Well, fun fact. The Quechi people here, well as far as I know, the women anyway, don't wear underwear. So we are out in the boonies this week when I just see a lady take a squat in the middle of the road and lift her corte skirt and just go.... in the middle of the road. So Mom, maybe you should become Quechi and then all your problems will be solved cuz you can just go wherever!!!

Also I will never be grossed out to use a portapotty again because the bathrooms here are like the old fashioned wooden outhouses. But for reals.

            Also, this week we had interviews with President and Hna. Curtiss and the AP's  so... that was fun to see them and E. Griffiths.  I just mentioned to Hna. Curtiss about my hair loss in interviews and she was VERY concerned--I had to laugh a bit. I was in there extra time because she was trying to track down a cure. She told me she is going to get me something to put in my hair because she doesn't want me to come home bald. WOOT WOOT!  I felt a little bad because she has so many other things to worry about bigger than my hair loss, but that was nice.  But interviews etc. were great, and they really motivated me and I just love those people.  I also had divisions with the STLs. I was in Santa Elena for the day with Hermana Ball. She goes home next week and she is super great and always happy.

            It was a pretty normal week here in Poptun. Changes next week! So we will see what God has in store for me. Love you all!

Hna Sorensen

Happy Halfway

Happpy Monday everybodyyyyyy! 

Burning a skirt to mark our halfway finished day.

I've wanted this Hermanas hair!

We had such a great ward talent night.  My companion and I did a skit, and she was my 'husband'! It was hilarious!
 Funniest thing ever.

Pretty Guatemala -- this is a member's 'yard'.

How re you all doing in the land of America!  This week went by soooo fast, but it was super lovely!

      Biggest. Miracle. Ever.

We have this aaaaancient (been investigating forever) investigator. His name is Fabricio and he is 16. He has been going to church for 2 years, Attends all of the  activities, goes to early morning seminary, visits with the missionaries, and is memorizing the first vision right now for his mission. Needless to say he is an investigator of GOLD. Well, his mother is and Evangelist and does not want to give him permission to be baptized. I feel so bad for the kid. He just cries and has such a desire to do what is right and come unto Christ. It makes me mad at myself for how much I take it for granted. Well lot's of other missionaries have passed through and tried to talk to his mom but she won't budge because she thinks it's to fast. We have been praying and fasting so much, and yesterday we went and brought a member with us. We prayed before for the words to be put in our mouths, and she said YESSSSS!!!! It was so special! We all just cried. The look on Fabricio's face when she asked for the papers to sign was like a million pounds had just been taken off his shoulders. 100% Miracle right there! I'm so excited! He doesn't want to wait two seconds! We are going to have his baptisme on Friday! 

     Also this week we went to visit a referral from one of the Hermanas in the ward. She is the sister of one of the members. She is super nice and knows a lot about the church from her family. We shared the parable in The Book of Mormon, Alma 32, about the seed being planted in your heart and if it is good it will grow and bear fruit. I have always liked this scripture, but I have never realized how it can be applied in all stages of where we are in the gospel. No matter how little or how much we know, we can always grow and know more. I started to think about when we went to the Redwoods and saw those GIANT trees, and the phrase 'spiritual giant' started to make a lot of sense to me. I love how in this gospel there is always so much room to grow and grow, there isn't an end to it. But on the other end of thing we can start to shrivel a little bit. If we aren't watering and nourishing ourselves we are going to fall into personal apostasy and eventually die. I love the phrase by Pres. Monson, 'Doubt your doubt before you doubt your faith.'  If we have the good seed in our heart, hold onto it tight and keep nourishing it. Trust in God and become a giant Redwood Tree. 

        Yesterday we visited a less active who has been struggling a lot. She is going through a divorce and has some pretty bad emotional sickness. We shared the scripture in Alma 7: 11-13... I think.... But it's about the atonement and how Christ has felt exactly what we feel and knows exactly what we are going through. We asked her what she thought and she shared how grateful she is for the Love that Christ has for us. She explained how she has a testimony that Love is pain. When we really love someone we feel sad or pain when they are sad, we feel pain when they hurt us... and we feel this way because of the great love that we have for them. This scripture talks about how Christ suffered 'afflictions of everykind.' Can you imagine the love he has for us! It's a love we cannot even comprehend! The pain he suffered for us is the perfect example of love for us and also for our Father in Heaven. Sometimes this gospel is hard or painful to do, but we need to follow the example of our Savior and do it because of our Love of our Heavenly Father.

       To answer if I am taking care of myself. . . . Yesssssssssss mother. I'm just Healthy and fatty like Wilber from Charlotte's Web. The only reason I mentioned that the food runs out by Monday, is I need to be a better planner!  I know this is the work of the Lord and I love being a missionary. It is the funniest and most spiritual work in the world!

 Looove you allll!

Herma sorensen