holar

Lovers!!!! I have been here an entire month, can you believe that!? Only seventeen more to go. t i m e f l i e s h e r e a t t h e m t c. 

Okay so a week ago today we had to teach each other something out of Lesson 1 in Preach My Gospel that would pertain to the certain individual..lucky me, I got put with Elder Cuevas!! He is such a spiritual giant and I just love him. Anyway, he started talking about how the adversary in our lives is similar to the adversary in Josephs Smith life. STAY WITH ME HERE PEOPLE. I was thinking "K Cuevas, where are you going with this..." He then said. "What if Joseph Smith would have gave up. What if when he knelt in prayer, and the dark spirit (the adversary) that came over him would have won?" "What if Hermana Sorenson? We would have nothing. No church. No Book of Mormon. No nothing." He then compared it to our lives today. He told me that the adversary is working SO HARD on us every single day. To get us to give up, to give in. He said, if we gave up..those people in Uruguay would have nothing. No church. No Gospel. No Book of Mormon. No hope. No happiness. NO NOTHING." Lucky for us Joseph Smith withstood the darkness and pulled through. Those people in Uruguay deserve our persistence, and our strength. This work is not always rainbows and butterflies (even though most of the time it is) but when it's hard...we cannot and will not let the adversary win!! We're better than that, and we're stronger than that!!! Anyway, I loved the analogy and inspired me to fight a little harder, and be a little better! Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can accomplish all things, and do so with a happiness that most people don't get to experience in this life! Hasten the work peeeps, everyone deserves this in their lives.   e v e r y o n e.

Okay, forgive me for my ramble about that. But I'm a missionary, it's in my nature, to share, invite, challenge..yada yada yada. Speaking of challenges, who's been going to the throne during their prayers!? It's the best right!? I love it. You will gain an even greater love and appreciation for your Savior as you do this. I SWEAR. 

Who's ready for a funny story or two!? Let me just start by saying that there is  N E V E R a dull moment with our district. We've had teachers and leaders tell us that we're the funnest district they've ever had. #holla Anyway, remember the girl I told you about last week who thought John was in the Book of Mormon..? Ya with me? K so this same sweet soul is convinced that "HOLAR"  is the Spanish verb for "to greet." Hahahaha bless her heart. So this might be confusing for some but in Spanish we have conjugation charts and so we have her convinced that it's "yo-holo" "tu-holas" "usted-hola" "nosotros-holamos" "vosotros-holais" and "ustedes-holan." IT IS SO FUNNY. We got 21 new missionaries in our zone yesterday and they walk in and she goes "HOLAN!!!!" They all gave her the deer in headlights look while the rest of us we're "tebow-ing" behind her. If you speak Spanish, then you're probably dying over this right now, if not well then...just know that "holar" is not a verb. hahaha 

UNO MAS! Okay, the other day we somehow got on the topic of me being half Egyptian and one of the elders goes "Are you from Menassa?" and I was like "No?" and he goes "Oh, well are you from Ephraim?" and I was like.."I'm from Layton." hahahaha pray for me.

So at my farewell I had a book out for people to write little letters in for me to take with me on my mission and read. For some reason I didn't read that until last night and it was a w e s o m e. But one letter in particular stood out to me. Someone very close to me in my life who is not active in the church wrote as follows " I don't know how I feel about this step you are about to take. Mostly because you are leaving so much behind, dance, school, life, and opportunity. I worry this will be lost time." I NEED EVERYBODY TO KNOW, MEMBERS, NON-MEMBERS, IN-ACTIVES, E V E R Y B O D Y...that this is just the opposite of lost time. I am so appreciative of your love, support, and concerns. But I want to assure you all that you don't have to worry. This is the Lords time and it is the best thing for me. My mission has been the greatest opportunity I have ever experienced. I love this work, I am happy, and I would do it over and over again (says the girl who's only been out a month, but still.) I just don't want anybody to worry about me, I am in THE BEST hands. :) I am happy as a lark, and my heart is constantly full and I have never experienced a joy so great. I know I  sound like such a missionary, but just know that I am still me, and still funny as ever (says me)....I just want everybody to be as happy as I am. 

At 5:00 PM tonight we start " semana de consegracion" consecration week. That means we have to speak 100% Spanish, 100% of the time. hahaha pray for me. or should I say "Ore por mi." Although I think it'll be a huge slap in the face, I am so excited to start. I'll let you know how it goes next Thursday. Spanish is great, the Gospel is even better.Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and letters. I could not ask for a better support system. YOU GUYS ARE MY ROCKS. I love you all so so so so much and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you and pray for you. I love this work and I love my Savior. 

w r i t e m e. 

Sister Safari Sorenson

URU-MONW Unit #934

2025 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604

Only eleven more days left in the empty sea. Weirdest right!? "accant believe it" (Fat Amy voice) 

XO-Hermana Sorenson 

Hermana Paris and I at the oh so beautiful Provo temple this morning! :) 

First day snow day of the year!!! Don't ask what my hand is doing, and don't mind the giant Y in the background...It hurts me too.