Funerals and Last Emails

Hey y'all!

This is my last email as a missionary in the California Arcadia mission! Wow! It's been a blast and it's been a great learning experience. 

This week was pretty great! A member brought a nonmember friend to church and we taught her last night and she's so sweet! Her name is Caitlin and I'm so excited for the sisters to continue to teach her.

Vincent came to church too and he called and was like, ya know I think I will become a member! I was filled with so much joy! 

Well, I hope y'all know how much I love this gospel. I have loved my mission and all the people that I've met. I know the Book of Mormon is true and I know that God has restored His church. 

Thank you so much for the continued support and prayers on my behalf! God speed and I'll see y'all soon!

The Lord loves you and so do I!

Sister Sorensen 

When a missionary goes home, it's called dying and they have a "funeral" the Thursday before they go home.

The zone!

Fire Burnin

Hey y'all! 

This was a pretty uneventual week :( we didn't find too many people, but we're hopeful for this upcoming week! It's the last week of the transfer so it's time for the grind!

Melissa is doing pretty well. We weren't able to have a formal lesson with her, but we should be seeing her this week!

Alvaro is still super cool. Danise, our BFF who's the best member present, came with us on his lesson. We're trying to get him to come to church!

Super cool miracle: we walked into our dinner appointment with this family and their daughter had a nonmember friend sitting RIGHT THERE! His name is Alex and he's a super sweet kid that seems pretty interested. We taught him the Restoration right there! Prayers that he'll keep being interested and actually meet with us!

Crazy story: my companion and I were really not smart and were burning some wax crayon and let's just say things didn't go well... so I now have a bunch of second degree burns in my fingers! Haha they don't really hurt but the blisters look ugly! Don't play with fire kids...

I am so grateful for JOY! This mission thing has been pretty hard, but I'm full of JOY! I absolutely love these people! Man I'm going to miss them!

Pls pray that I won't be too trunky :P (trunky is being really ready to go home)

Love y'all! 

- Sis. Mecham and I were looking dang cute, so we took lots of pics

- Me soaking my hands after the burns! Haha!

- it's been hot so we definitely needed ice cream sandwiches

Corn in the Front Yard

Hey y'all!

It's been a good week full of exchanges! I went to Heritage and the YSA ward. It was so fun! 

Melissa's date will have to change, but she can do it! I know miracles can happen!

We missed Alvaro this week :( but we should see him soon! 

We found a mother and daughter this week and they are so cute! Reminds me of my mom and I! I sure hope they keep learning the gospel together!

So, the subject line. There's this family who literally belongs on a small farm. They are so cool! They raise chickens for eggs, RABBITS FOR MEAT (which we had for dinner and it was pretty good!), 2 dogs for fun, and a whole bunch of vegetables. They grow corn in the front yard and Bro. Young is so proud of it. Haha!

Quote from their dinner: if you grow corn in your front yard, you might be a redneck. 

I just finished the Book of Mormon yesterday and I am so grateful for this other testament of Jesus Christ. I know that it's true! I know that we can gain peace every single day by simply reading it.

I'm also grateful for Memorial Day and the opportunity for us to reflect on our freedoms and the price paid for them. I am so grateful for my freedoms, especially my right to worship God the way I believe. 

Love y'all! Have a great week! 

1. Such a beautiful rose!

2-5. We walked around downtown Claremont and decided to take pictures while we waited for our ride. (Check out that nail polish tho in numba 2)

6. A dang cool flower. SoCal is so gorgeous! #blessed

Teachin' and Preachin'

Hey y'all!

It's been a good week! It's been kinda chilly... like high 60s, low 70s. Haha, I'm gonna die in Rexberg! 

Melissa is so awesome AND SHE HAS A DATE FOR JUNE 2ND! I'M SO STINKIN HAPPY! <3

We got a hold of Steven to see if he got settled in. He sounds like he's doing good!

Alvaro is literally the cooliest dude out there! He agrees with like, everything! He likes the idea of apostles. And every time we come over, there's a new friend there for us to teach! We just hand them the pamplet and start teaching! And if someone walks up part way, he's like, "you wanna learn about Jesus?" We just gotta get him to church!

Emily is doing good. We gotta get her to church too!

Wednesday was my last zone conference and in our mission, you share a departing testimony at your last zone conference. 2 of us are going home in June and I went dead last! It was so bittersweet! How do you describe in 2 minutes your wonderfully frustrating, yet extremely joyous mission?! Not possible!

Funniest moment happened on Tuesday. We went by a former investigator and someone came up to the door and started yelling at us that we were just looking for a slave! Haha I have no idea where she got that idea... We just said have a good day! We laughed pretty hard once we got up the street!

I'm so grateful for institute manuels... I know, super duper random! Institute is basically a Bible study for young adults. I've been reading the New Testament and it really helps me get more out of my studies! I am so grateful that I get to study the scriptures daily for about an hour! How lucky am I?! 

Have a great week! Love and miss y'all! 

Sister Sorensen 

- Sis. Mecham and I 

- zone activity! Sis. Wells, the mission presidents wife, came bowling with us. She whipped me. I'm not good at bowling! Haha!

- a really cool rose

- please enjoy this absolutely ridiculous selfie cause I opened my camera and it was already in selfie mode. Thus it created a great opportunity to capture the moment. 

Mother's Day

Hey y'all!

This is going to be a short one since I don't know what to write about!

I got to talk to my family yesterday and I am excited to actually see them next month (like, literally)! #crazy

We saw some amazing miracles! We found 7 new investigators! That's pretty freakin awesome! One guy, Alvaro, is so dang cool!

Steven is moving and I'm super sad about it! It'll be good for him to start fresh. 

Melissa is doing good too! Working hard at her new job!

I am so grateful for my mother. I know her role is so divine and God is so aware of the things mothers have to do! I know that all women, weather they have children of not, can exercise those divinely given attributes to those around them. I think of women who don't have kids but are mother figures to their nieces and nephews, primary, young men and women, and even MISSIONARIES! 

Love y'all and have a great week! 

Sister Sorensen 

That's My Goldfish

Hey y'all!

Its been a good week! We've seen some pretty awesome people! 

Emily was a new investigator from last week and she's so cute! We love her so much! We read 3 Nephi 12 with her, which is when Jesus Christ teaches the Nephites a discourse similar to the Sermon on the Mount. After we read it, she's like, "So wait. What's the difference between the Bible and the Book of Mormon?" we were like, LET US TELL YOU ABOUT IT!

We also met Brenda and her daughter, Armarissa. They are so sweet and really need the gospel in their life!

On Friday, we were really worried about Melissa because we haven't seen her in a while. Later that afternoon we were biking by her house and saw her car. We pulled over ASAP and found her! Tender mercies are real! 

We did SO MUCH SERVICE ON SATURDAY! We helped Lorraine weed her backyard and then we helped Steven with some stuff around his house. It was in the low 90s and the sun was OUT! 

For P-day we went to a Mongolian BBQ place and then played tennis at a members house with some other missionaries from our zone. It was so fun! Didn't get any pictures :( but we played this game called where's my goldfish? 

The point of the game is to figure out what the rule is from someone who gets it. It sounds complicated, but when you get into it, it's pretty fun. Everyone was yelling, "is that my goldfish?!" 

I am so grateful for the scriptures! They really help me feel better when I'm feel really stressed out about missionary work or just life in general. I just finished 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon, which is when Jesus Christ ministers to the Nephites. I know that He is the same and loves all His children the same. 

Love and miss y'all! 

Sister Sorensen 

(The pics haven't stayed in the same order, so I'll just describe them) 

-a sign in Emily's house. I thought it was pretty cool! 

-2 of me and Sis. Mecham doing service 

-there's a sign in Claremont called Brigham Young... 

Gonna Die in Claremont

Hey y'all!

Its been a pretty good week! 

Melissa is doing well! We started talking to her about the Word of Wisdom. Hopefully that'll go well!

Steven is doing well too! I love him to bits! He's too funny! Hopefully he'll be able to keep reading the Book of Mormon. 

The Wirtes family were finally able to meet with us and they're doing good! Juliet is doing great with softball, so that's exciting!

We've been able to meet some really cool people! There was one woman who was just so friendly and has great faith in Jesus Christ. We should be seeing her on Friday! 

This weekend was stake conference and it was all about member missionary work! It was great! We hope the members will be pumped to share the gospel!

Awesome miracle: this member from Upland pulled over and demanded to get us some smoothies <3 his name is Tony and he was so cool!

Today is transfers and both Sis. Mecham and I are staying! It's my last transfer of my mission and it's kinda crazy! Dying in the mission means that you're going home soon. 

I have a testimony of God's love for us. Throughout my mission, I have seen how God loves each and every one of His precious children! Everyone is a VIP in His eyes! 

I sure do miss y'all! Hope y'all have a great week! 

Sister Sorensen 

1. There's a really good ice cream shop in downtown Claremont

2. I wore my Mexican dress yesterday! 

3. Selfie! 

4-5. Sis. Mecham and I! 

6-7. Smoothies!