7.14.10

Family,

This is it! The time is far spent and the Hymn "God be with you till we meet again" hasn't left my brain in about a week! lol Man it's hard to stay focused when everyday you have to say goodbye to someone or you get some phone call about when your going home! Don't worry I'm still fighting the good fight, Yesterday we taught 7 lessons and got two new investigators, which is an amazing day.

The few people who I had in mind to be baptized next week won't be ready by next week, but that's ok because it should give Elder Ames a great last cycle. I have seen plenty of success here and it will help Elder Ames go out with a bang.

We are struggling with a few of our recent converts but the rest are really thriving. I guess that's how it always goes. I guess I just have to keep praying for them and hope they come back.

The weather has been a lot nicer, I've been praying for it to let up for a week. It has rained a ton which cools things down a little. I don't exactly know what we are going to do next week but I will figure it out. The mission office messed up and the new missionaries are coming in on tuesday so we might not be able to spend the night at the mission home. We are going to the temple and dinner on Friday and I think they may want the people who are getting picked up to meet with their parents on Tuesday. I think they are still trying to figure it all out but that's what I guess will happen.

Am I still giving a talk next Sunday? What's my topic? I also have to give a talk here this Sunday. When are we leaving for Utah to see Nick and Deb? I guess it doesn't really matter if I ask questions because you will be able to tell me in person before I can check my e-mail.
I love you all! I can't wait to see you. Elder Ames and I are still doing great and we are both excited to go home. Thank you for supporting me and pushing me to be my best.

Elder Sorensen

Thank you all for your prayers!
Dad, am I giving a talk that next Sunday? What's my topic? You guys will probably pick me up on tuesday. I hope the mission office calls to tell you details because I have no idea.

comp letter 7.7.10

This last week has been a good one. We are dying here in the heat and the humidity! IT reminds me of home,I have yet experienced heat like we have in AZ. I am not looking forward to it. We are struggling to help our investigators to progress. It seems like the adversary knows that incredible things are about to happen and is working extra hard to keep it from happening. One thing that I have recognized as a missionary is that there really is an influence out there that wants us to fail and he will do all that is in his power to make it happen. We continue though to work with faith and hope that we will be able to come out conquerors and not conquered. I love missionary work so much. There is nothing greater! We started teaching this lady who lives with the relief society president! She is super scared because it is something completely different than that which she used to. She promised to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. It was a little difficult to get to that point though. She has one of the most amazing examples to follow though, her roommate is amazing! We are also teaching a bunch of part member families. They are sometimes very difficult to work with. They are so hit and miss. It is hard when the family itself is not very solid, but we are seeing success working with them!
So we got permission from our president to go to a branch campout!! We were able to go up saturday morning! Missionaries never permission for things like that. It was super fun! All of the missionaries in our branch went. Five of us. We got back at 5:30. It was super fun. We played a pretty intense game of soccer with the members. We had to drive 60 miles to get there. We were shocked when he told us we could go. I think it was because we are dying. He loves us! :)
We also had a mission wide luau yesterday! That was super hot! We were dying, but at the same time it was so much fun. I was able to see all of my old missionary friends from the city! My old district, Elder Prue, Elder Canfield, Sister Chatfield, Sister Child, Sister Lythgoe. It was like a family reunion! It is sad because we never see the missionaries who serve in the city. We saw our mission president and his wife dance the hula. It was hilarious. I learned that Elder Lambert can shake his hips like a pro! We were there all day, because we helped with set up and clean up. We had fun! I think that you should write a letter to Elder Canfield! Just to cheer him up. Help him to feel like he is on the top of the world. He really needs it, but don't tell him I said that!
Elder Sorensen is doing great, he tries his hardest to stay focused. It is so funny at times. We have these moments where is like oh wow, we're really going home. It still doesn't sink in though. So I make comments such as, Okay Elder, imagine this... And I start creating a ridiculous story about dirving home from work after a long ten hour day and being great by a young kid yelling daddy!!! And running up and grabbing on to his leg and then being greeted by his wife with a kiss. :) It is so much fun! We don't get distracted though. Those kind of things scare us so much.
Well, I better get going. I hope that you all have a great week and that you enjoy your last 6 weeks of peace. I want you all to know that I love you! And that I pray for you all everyday, so that angels will watch over you. Have a great week!

Con mucho amor
Elder Ames

7.7.10

Family!

Man, I don't know what to write anymore! Anything that has happened will be so much cooler to say in person, because we will be able to do that in a few weeks! I got your letters, thanks for writing me so consistently! I'm glad Brent has got himself a little girlfriend. It will be cool to hang out with him again, man I wish Griff was there too. I guess he is in a better place. lol

So the mission through a huge party for me before I go home! Well I guess it wasn't exactly just for me but it was still a lot of fun and I got to see the whole mission one last time before I go home. It is very rare when the whole mission gets together. It was a big Hawaiian Lu Aow, however you spell that. It was really good and they had some of the missionaries from the Pacific Islands put on a show for us, it was really cool.

So it has been SUPER hot around here! On Tuesday down in central park they had a record breaker of 103. It's not very fun to walk around in this, I feel bad you guys are coming here in this heat. This morning isn't as bad because there is some good clouds and rain. Hopefully we will have a cool streak here next week.

On Saturday, I couldn't believe we actually got permission to do this, we went up state about and hour and a half to the branch camp out. We spent all morning fishing, eating really good food and playing soccer. Spanish people know how to camp! We got back around 4:00. It was super fun and really weird at the same time, I didn't really feel like a missionary, I was having too much fun! I got a lot of sun and have a pretty good farmer's tan again. lol

Delmira, our recent convert is doing super well. She is now the RS secretary, been to the temple and bore a powerful testimony last Sunday. It is so amazing to hear the testimony of a recent convert. She is going to help build this kingdom so much! Adela is also doing really well. She is studying the Bible and BOM (Book of Mormon) a lot recently and learning a ton. She discovered for herself why worshiping the saints is so bad and she really understood. It's amazing what people can learn by themselves after receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Well I think that's about it for now. I have to work on my obituary for president! lol Present asks us to write a mission experience letter to him before our exit interview. I love you all so much and I 'm grateful for such an amazing family. I love you all and I will see you in less than two weeks!

Elder Sorensen

PS. Mom-Please thank the Farvers profusely for their generosity. I will have to do something for them when I get home. Love you.

6.30.10 part b

Here is a little more news from Daniel's companion.

Querida Familia!
How is everybody doing?! I hope that you have all enjoyed your trip! It has made me super jealous, but that is okay... I have dad's permission for my heart and mind to be in two different places!! HAHA I am just joking. It sounds like you have had a great time though.
To answer a few of your questions as to my favorite team for the World Cup... We have had a few missionaries from Brazil in our zone and so naturally I have supported the Brazilian team, but it really depends on who I am around. When I was around mexicans, I supported mexico. When I was around chilenos, I supported chile. When around argentinians, argentina. Its cool to see the people support their teams, they love their soccor! It has been fun.
I wish that I had your letter to answer more of your questions. Thank your for letting me know more about what is going to happen. It really does help me to stay more focused. The unknown is the most distracting sometimes.
This last week was amazing! Adela was baptized on saturday! She is doing great and I was able to get my camera charger and so I took some pictures. I have been taking a lot of random pictures lately. I don't know if I will send my card home anymore. It may not even be worth it.. let me know if you want me to. On Sunday I had to give a talk in church. I spoke about loving our neighbor as we love our self. It went okay. I still get super nervous when I speak in public. I am working on it! We have been able to find a few new people to teach! They are great! But it is hard to help them to progress. They are not quite ready. We do though have three investigadors at a youth conference right now. They had a combined stake youth conference with stakes from all five boroughs. They are at some university in Queens right now. We are praying that they come back with a strong desire to be baptized. They are mostly part member families. Yesterday we went to President Jefferies house and did some yardwork! It was awesome to be able to go do some physical labor for a change. We had to pull out a bunch of oak sapplings that he has in his garden. He had a super nice house! He is loaded.. So much money. We were working with the boyfriend of his daughter, and it was super funny because he was saying that he is studying engineering and want's to design and build robots to make life easier so that he can focus on more important things, like playing the latest video games.. That was the first thing on his list!! :) The world is going crazy!
Well, I have to get going. I love you all so much. Sorry for the randomness again.

Con mucho amor
Elder Ames

6.30.10

Family!

Hey we had a great week and Adela's baptismal service went great! I hope to get in two more baptisms before I go home. I am doing all that I can to keep working hard so hopefully it goes through.

Nothing else has really happened this week. I hurt my big toe playing soccer last p-day and it was black and blue for a week! For some reason I always hurt that toe! But it's almost back to normal now, I will show you pictures in a few weeks.

I ate tongue for the 2nd time on my mission yesterday. This time I could actually see the taste buds. Yum! It's not actually that bad.
Last week we had our mission conference, my last one. It is tradition that on your last conference you bear your testimony and it was kind of weird to see that be me.

Well I love you all and hope you have a great week! Mandee, please kick Savanna little "boy friend" in the shins. will ya? I'll take care of the rest in three weeks!

Love you all, see ya soon!
Elder Sorensen

6.23.10

Hola mi familia!

Como estan? It's good to hear that i will be going back to the same family! From what it sounds like not much has changed, at least with my sisters. Savanna, you don't have a chance at the grand, sorry. Mandee, I wish you could come on a mission for one day. Waking up at 6:30, exercising, cooking your own breakfast, studying for three hours then working another nine hours. It's the life!

Gerry, our nine year old, was baptized last Saturday and his mom actually came to the service! We have been working really hard with her but she is kind of difficult. We did our part in getting him baptized, but we will still have to keep helping her.

With Gerry's baptism I reached my goal of 15 baptisms from Jan till I go home! Don't think I'm going to slow down and settle for those 15 though, Adela, the sister and aunt of two recent converts we had this year will be getting baptized this Saturday! She suffered from some major depression problems the first few months that I was here and it is amazing how the gospel has turned her life completely around. She is now very happy and knows it is because of the gospel. What a testimony of what really the gospel can do in our personal lives!

We are working with some other part member families that hopefully can be baptized before I go home. We are teaching one of them tonight and so hopefully we will be able to extend the date. Heavenly Father has blessed me so much I can't even believe it. I came out here to serve Him and He has blessed me way more than I deserve. We haven't been able to find too many other new investigators. I want to get some more now so that Elder Ames will have some baptisms his last cycle.

Thank you for sending me all of Griff's letters. I promised myself I will write him a ton when I get back home. He sounds like he is doing super good and it's cool that we seem to be having success together. With his people skills I always knew he would make a super great missionary. He has so much potential.

I am thinking a little about what we will do the few days we are here. I don't really want to plan it out to the minute. If you can look through the boxes I sent home and find all of the planers I had that will help a lot! You don't need to send them, just bring them when you come. Also give me the price ranges for the hotels, so I can have a better idea of where we should stay.

Well I love you tons family and I hope you have a great week. Four more weeks and we will be partying here in NY together. Please pray that I will be able to stay focused but not beat myself up for having a little fun. I do need to relax a little bit. Thank you for all of the support and love from back home.

Elder Sorensen

Hey Family!

I am glad to hear that everyone is good back home and having fun. Why isn't Mandee going to girls camp with Savanna? Can Claire say my name yet? I will have to work on that when i get home. Watch out greg, I'm going to be the favorite uncle real soon! I enjoyed all of the letters from you today. Thanks dad for the comment of not feeling bad about my mind wandering home. I'm not sure if I'm trunky, excited, nervous, scared or flat out just don't want to go home yet. Every moment is something different. I hope you guys are excited though, we should have a lot of fun this summer, I've got two years worth of "days" to make up with everyone. Mothers days, birthday ect.

Rafael was baptized this past Saturday! I can't believe the full turn around that he has made in his life. He is completely a new person. The gospel has really blessed his life and he already recognizes it. I hope he is able to go back to Mexico and share it with his family.
With Rafael, that makes four baptisms for the time Elder Ames and I have together. Not bad, right? We should have a few more before we both go home. This last area has been such a blessing to the both of us and has really strengthened my testimony of obedience and patience.

Heavenly Father has done so much for me while being on my mission. I'm not sure if I came out here to really serve Him or for Him to serve me. It's just like that chapter in King Benjamin's address. Where it says that we can serve Him all of our lives and we are still indebted to Him. But if we do serve Him, He blesses us and we become more indebted.

Delmira was the really tall one that got baptized a few weeks ago. The man standing with her baptized her. His name is Hno Olivo, whose daughter is the one who first brought her to church. The young woman and the boy is Blanca and Luis, who were baptized a week or so before Delmira. I'm sorry I have been so bad at sending pictures, you know how I am, you have to demand that I send them or I won't think to do it. I hereby promise to show you (mom) every single picture from the mission and explain them when I come home. Deal?

Any of the city's around the mission home or closer to Bronx would be fine for a hotel, hey maybe we can just ask the president to let us stay in the mission home. I'll ask! Just look at prices because some places are a lot more expensive than others. It would be best to drive the car around anywhere but Manhattan. Even the Bronx won't be bad at all with where I want to go.

Well sorry to cut the letter short, but I've got to go. I hope you are all doing super well and are excited to see me again. I love you all and I will continue to pray for you all!

Elder Sorensen