Merry Christmas! How is everyone? I am having a wonderful Christmas here in the MTC. I woke up at 6:30 as usual. Me and my comp, Hna Thompson, opened presents! It was way fun! We even had a tiny Christmas tree! I will send pics next week! We have a TON of candy, basically our own candy store in our room. People are shocked. Three people did the 12 days of Christmas for my comp, so that equals a ton of candy! We were always at the post office picking up her packages! Also, we were very privileged and honored to hear from... Elder L. Tom Perry of the Twelve Apostles! He and his wife came, along with some of his children and grandchildren! What an amazing experience and how blessed am I! It was very informal and he had his kids speak a lot and it was so fun to see the way he interacted with his grandkids. It was neat to see the grandpa side of an apostle! Afterward, he announced that he would be sticking around for lunch, so I got to meet him! That was amazing to shake hands with an apostle of the Lord! I had only done that once before and what an incredible feeling it is that takes over you! We also received a gift from the MTC: a lot of post it notes to write thankyous to people, a awesome like 8-in-1 color pencil for scripture marking, candy, and a cd. Others donated items for us as well: pictures, a Christmas card from the first presidency of the church, and another cd of all sorts of songs in different languages. Since I don't have a cd player, guess who gets them until I get back... Merry Christmas family! This afternoon we have a special workshop, don't know what on, and then a meeting/fireside tonight. Last night we had a two hour fireside with lots of music and singing and sharing stories. It was so fun! I missed singing some of the traditional carols so that was fun to be able to do! So this Christmas was amazing, Christ centered with no commercialism, a nice treat!
The rest of my week was great. I am shocked that I leave next Wednesday, so only one more email from me from the states! That means that you can start emailing me, because I wil lhave more email time. So do, cause I love to hear from you! Also, send me some of your addresses, via dearelder if at possible, that way it's already printed out. I would love to keep in touch with you. I am kind of terrified about leaving the MTC to Ecuador, but mainly it is fear of the unknown. I know it will be great and that I will have amazing experiences. As my friend Annie told me, I am starting a thrilling journey, one of the best of my life!
One fun thing I get to do this week is go shopping! That's right, in a mall outside of the MTC bubble! My comps needed some things and we have permission and someone is taking us shopping! I don't really need anything. With volleyball, I keep tearing holes in pants, so I might get a new pair of exercise shorts. That's the second pair of workout pants I have ruined. If you think the pants are bad, imagine how my legs look! I am just way too hard on my body! But it's my last week of volleyball, so sad day!
I also heard from Leuan, my airplane friend. He had a great experience at the temple, but is still a little skeptical. He said that after he reads some of the Book of Mormon, his views might change. He felt like he needed those experiences though because his father just passed and it has been hard. I pray for him that he might find comfort.
Know tha tI love you all and think fo you often. I know this church is true. If you ever feel alone, turn to your Heavenly Father and to your Savior, Jesus Christ. They love you and care for you.
I hope you have an amazing Christmas! I love all of you and till next week!
Kaylee
aka Hermana Sorensen
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
8th Week!
Can you believe how time is flying by?! I can't believe that I am already in my 8th week here at the MTC! It is so weird and I am starting to get to the freak out stage because that means I leave so soon! I will be getting my official flight plans soon! I kind of already know when I am leaving because I saw the plan when I went to LA. I guess I forgot to mention that. I leave the MTC on Jan.2 and my flight leaves at like, 6am, so that means I have to leave the MTC like at 3am! I will be so tired, and so will my family if they want to talk to me! But like I said, that is not "official", so I will tell you more when I have the concrete flight plans in my hands!
This week was great! Like usual. Yesterday was amazing! Sundays are always such an amazing lift, something that always helps! First, Brother Wright, 1st counselor in the Branch Presidency was released. I loved Bro. Wright! My eyes got watery with his release! He always gave me compliments on what I was wearing and always joked how I was whipping the branch into shape since I was called as Coordinating Sister. He always spoke with such power. It was great to listen to him one last time.
I also listened to an amazing talk by Vickie Pahnke Taylor in Relief Society. She is a composer and she was incredible! It was all about how we need to be transformed. If we choose to put forth the effort and choose to do this work, the Lord will transform us into who we need to be. There were so many great stories she shared and she finished with singing, "I Need Thee Every Hour." She said that as we come to Christ, that is our own personal journey, and that is what our life is about. I also had to teach a lesson to our district. It was about applying Christlike attributes to our lives. We had already discussed this numerous times and so I didn't know what more to say. I studied some other talks and Sister Taylor's talk fit right in, so my lesson went well. It is so important to have those attributes in your life and to be more like Him. Studying the life of Christ has been such a blessing. It has allowed me to better understand who He is and helps me strengthen my relationship to Him. My comp said the lesson went well, so hopefully she is right.
Sunday night we also had a special treat for us. In place of the usual fireside, we were treated to a special concert by the BYU Men's Chorus. All 190 of them came! I made sure that we got great seats, as usual, and it was incredible! They are so talented! They started out with some hymns, and then they sang Christmas songs. I love the Carol of the Bells, probably one of my favorite Christmas songs! They also sang In Yonder Stall, which was beautiful. Songs carry so much power in them and it was wonderful to feel the Spirit in that way.
Let's see... The RC was okay. I did talk to one lady in West Viriginia who had such a thick accent. She was fun to talk to and anxious to hear from the missionaries and recieve the free video about Christmas, Joy to the World. If you haven't seen that yet, do. It is such a great video that helps you remember Christ in your Christmas!
I feel like I am old and seasoned here at the MTC. We have been the oldest district in our zone now for quite some time. All of the other people I know in other zones are now gone, so it is weird to be the old ones! Sister Rancie, my aussie sister friends that lives on my floor, left this morning. I loved her! She was hilarious and so fun! We had lots of eating parties in our room with all of the food and candy that people send to us. The food never lasts too long!
Before I forget, mom, can you dearelder me the story of my great-grandmothers first Christmas in the United States? I want to share it with my district, but I can't do it justice. The way it is written is perfect! I'll also take this time to thank everyone who has been writing me and sending my goodies! You are so thoughtful and it is so fun to hear from you. I feel that support and it is such a lift! Dawn and the Sorensen's, thank you for the fun box of cookies and candy! They are tasty and everyone has been enjoying them! Mom, thanks for the Christmas package! I am practicing amazing self-control! My comp is mad that I haven't opened them! Now is my small moment of chastisement: Nick and Lindsay, write to me! Linds, I've only heard from you twice and Nick, it has been like 3 times, maybe four. I want to hear from you! When I don't, I worry, and that is no bueno. So, write to me so I can focus and not be distracted be things like that!
Fam, I'm sending out your Christmas package hopefully today. Hopefully it gets to you in time!
I love you all. I want you to know that this gospel is amazing! It changes lives! It has changed me! If you have any questions about that, ask for yourself and you will receive an answer!
I hope you have a fun Christmas, I know I will! Fam and Friends, even though I can't call you on Christmas, I can at least email you becuase Tuesday is Pday, so I have that access! Feel Blessed! Till next week! I love you and Feliz Navidad!
This week was great! Like usual. Yesterday was amazing! Sundays are always such an amazing lift, something that always helps! First, Brother Wright, 1st counselor in the Branch Presidency was released. I loved Bro. Wright! My eyes got watery with his release! He always gave me compliments on what I was wearing and always joked how I was whipping the branch into shape since I was called as Coordinating Sister. He always spoke with such power. It was great to listen to him one last time.
I also listened to an amazing talk by Vickie Pahnke Taylor in Relief Society. She is a composer and she was incredible! It was all about how we need to be transformed. If we choose to put forth the effort and choose to do this work, the Lord will transform us into who we need to be. There were so many great stories she shared and she finished with singing, "I Need Thee Every Hour." She said that as we come to Christ, that is our own personal journey, and that is what our life is about. I also had to teach a lesson to our district. It was about applying Christlike attributes to our lives. We had already discussed this numerous times and so I didn't know what more to say. I studied some other talks and Sister Taylor's talk fit right in, so my lesson went well. It is so important to have those attributes in your life and to be more like Him. Studying the life of Christ has been such a blessing. It has allowed me to better understand who He is and helps me strengthen my relationship to Him. My comp said the lesson went well, so hopefully she is right.
Sunday night we also had a special treat for us. In place of the usual fireside, we were treated to a special concert by the BYU Men's Chorus. All 190 of them came! I made sure that we got great seats, as usual, and it was incredible! They are so talented! They started out with some hymns, and then they sang Christmas songs. I love the Carol of the Bells, probably one of my favorite Christmas songs! They also sang In Yonder Stall, which was beautiful. Songs carry so much power in them and it was wonderful to feel the Spirit in that way.
Let's see... The RC was okay. I did talk to one lady in West Viriginia who had such a thick accent. She was fun to talk to and anxious to hear from the missionaries and recieve the free video about Christmas, Joy to the World. If you haven't seen that yet, do. It is such a great video that helps you remember Christ in your Christmas!
I feel like I am old and seasoned here at the MTC. We have been the oldest district in our zone now for quite some time. All of the other people I know in other zones are now gone, so it is weird to be the old ones! Sister Rancie, my aussie sister friends that lives on my floor, left this morning. I loved her! She was hilarious and so fun! We had lots of eating parties in our room with all of the food and candy that people send to us. The food never lasts too long!
Before I forget, mom, can you dearelder me the story of my great-grandmothers first Christmas in the United States? I want to share it with my district, but I can't do it justice. The way it is written is perfect! I'll also take this time to thank everyone who has been writing me and sending my goodies! You are so thoughtful and it is so fun to hear from you. I feel that support and it is such a lift! Dawn and the Sorensen's, thank you for the fun box of cookies and candy! They are tasty and everyone has been enjoying them! Mom, thanks for the Christmas package! I am practicing amazing self-control! My comp is mad that I haven't opened them! Now is my small moment of chastisement: Nick and Lindsay, write to me! Linds, I've only heard from you twice and Nick, it has been like 3 times, maybe four. I want to hear from you! When I don't, I worry, and that is no bueno. So, write to me so I can focus and not be distracted be things like that!
Fam, I'm sending out your Christmas package hopefully today. Hopefully it gets to you in time!
I love you all. I want you to know that this gospel is amazing! It changes lives! It has changed me! If you have any questions about that, ask for yourself and you will receive an answer!
I hope you have a fun Christmas, I know I will! Fam and Friends, even though I can't call you on Christmas, I can at least email you becuase Tuesday is Pday, so I have that access! Feel Blessed! Till next week! I love you and Feliz Navidad!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
7th Week!
So, Hard to believe that I have been here for 7 weeks! I feel so
weird! How is everyone doing at home? I would love to hear from you,
so if you get the chance, drop a line! I heard that Brittany saw Tomas
on campus, I would love to hear from Skye and Tomas! Skye, isn't your
wife due in February? So exciting! And Annie! How is life? I just want
to hear from all of my friends! I guess last week was a slow mail
week, so I just am missing hearing from people!
My week was amazing! As always! Wednesday I left the bubble that was
the MTC and went to LA! Talk about amazing! Taylor, I did give out
your Book of Mormon that you gave to me. On the flight back from LA to
SLC, I sat next to this 47 yr old Englishman. His name was Leaul. He
told me to tell him in one minute what was different about my church.
I started to teach him. There were 3 return missionaries sitting in
front of us on their way home from Singapore and one of them joined in
our discussion. He was asking all sorts of questions and we just had
an amazing conversation. He asked about seeing the temple and Salt
Lake, and the missionary in front said that the next day, he and his
family would show Leaul around. He was excited! I then gave him the
Book of Mormon and shared with him my testimony of it. He said he
appreciated the fact that I would give him something so near and dear
to my heart. We talked throughout the entire two hour flight, about
religion, home, family, traveling, and more. I have his card so next
week I might have you add him to my email list mom! It was such an
incredible experience, and I felt AMAZING after! I was on some sort of
high and could not settle down!
This week was also a lot more Spanish! I got to practice a lot at the
Consulate because everyone there was Ecuadorian! I was in that office
for 4 hours, so lots of talking opportunities. I went with 3 other
missionaries that are all on the beginning level, so they were amazed
at my skills! Sis. Larson was my designated companion and she is so
fun! I am so excited to have her in my mission! Now I know some people
that I will be serving with in Ecuador! Anyway, back to Spanish. We
taught at the TRC for the first time in Spanish, and it was easier
than I thought it would be! I knew what to say and how to say it, and
I was shocked! Let's see, I also made my first Spanish phone calls at
the RC. That was terrifying! Giving a lesson is easy because you can
see the person and do gestures to help explain yourself... RC you just
talk and try to understand them when you can't watch their lips!
Surprisingly enough, I got through it just fine! I talked to a couple
of people in Spanish, but most people would answer the phone in
English. Still, a ton of Spanish! Friday we had an "English Fast" and
only spoke in Spanish. That was fun, a little more quiet, but fun!
Chels, I know you'll be disappointed, but I only got your package last
night! It took forever, but don't worry, it was still good! I took it
back to my room and invited some girls from my floor to eat it, a
little more than half of it is gone! We are pigs! One of the girls is
from Australia on our floor and she is hilarious! So much fun! Dad,
she actually knows Johnathan Mecham! Seems like lots of girls I know
know him! Her name is Sis. Ranci, not sure if that is how you spell
it, and she actually has received a couple of letters from him.
One of my favorite parts of the week is Hasta Ver Sunday afternoon on
the temple grounds. We all sing "God be with you till we meet again"
in spanish and all of the missionaries leaving that week bear their
testimonies. It is beautiful and just a wonderful experience. It
brings us together as a zone. While I was up on the grounds, I saw Jen
Schofield! Mom, you can tell her mom that! She seemed great and it is
so weird but fun to see people on the outside.
So I want you all to know that I am doing so well here. I love being
here and I have seen myself grow in ways that I did not believe
possible. I love this church! I can't imagine myself without it! I
love that we have a prophet on the earth today who guides and directs
us. I love that we have a Savior who died for us, and a Father in
Heaven who loves us!
Have a Merry Christmas and talk to you soon!
Kaylee
weird! How is everyone doing at home? I would love to hear from you,
so if you get the chance, drop a line! I heard that Brittany saw Tomas
on campus, I would love to hear from Skye and Tomas! Skye, isn't your
wife due in February? So exciting! And Annie! How is life? I just want
to hear from all of my friends! I guess last week was a slow mail
week, so I just am missing hearing from people!
My week was amazing! As always! Wednesday I left the bubble that was
the MTC and went to LA! Talk about amazing! Taylor, I did give out
your Book of Mormon that you gave to me. On the flight back from LA to
SLC, I sat next to this 47 yr old Englishman. His name was Leaul. He
told me to tell him in one minute what was different about my church.
I started to teach him. There were 3 return missionaries sitting in
front of us on their way home from Singapore and one of them joined in
our discussion. He was asking all sorts of questions and we just had
an amazing conversation. He asked about seeing the temple and Salt
Lake, and the missionary in front said that the next day, he and his
family would show Leaul around. He was excited! I then gave him the
Book of Mormon and shared with him my testimony of it. He said he
appreciated the fact that I would give him something so near and dear
to my heart. We talked throughout the entire two hour flight, about
religion, home, family, traveling, and more. I have his card so next
week I might have you add him to my email list mom! It was such an
incredible experience, and I felt AMAZING after! I was on some sort of
high and could not settle down!
This week was also a lot more Spanish! I got to practice a lot at the
Consulate because everyone there was Ecuadorian! I was in that office
for 4 hours, so lots of talking opportunities. I went with 3 other
missionaries that are all on the beginning level, so they were amazed
at my skills! Sis. Larson was my designated companion and she is so
fun! I am so excited to have her in my mission! Now I know some people
that I will be serving with in Ecuador! Anyway, back to Spanish. We
taught at the TRC for the first time in Spanish, and it was easier
than I thought it would be! I knew what to say and how to say it, and
I was shocked! Let's see, I also made my first Spanish phone calls at
the RC. That was terrifying! Giving a lesson is easy because you can
see the person and do gestures to help explain yourself... RC you just
talk and try to understand them when you can't watch their lips!
Surprisingly enough, I got through it just fine! I talked to a couple
of people in Spanish, but most people would answer the phone in
English. Still, a ton of Spanish! Friday we had an "English Fast" and
only spoke in Spanish. That was fun, a little more quiet, but fun!
Chels, I know you'll be disappointed, but I only got your package last
night! It took forever, but don't worry, it was still good! I took it
back to my room and invited some girls from my floor to eat it, a
little more than half of it is gone! We are pigs! One of the girls is
from Australia on our floor and she is hilarious! So much fun! Dad,
she actually knows Johnathan Mecham! Seems like lots of girls I know
know him! Her name is Sis. Ranci, not sure if that is how you spell
it, and she actually has received a couple of letters from him.
One of my favorite parts of the week is Hasta Ver Sunday afternoon on
the temple grounds. We all sing "God be with you till we meet again"
in spanish and all of the missionaries leaving that week bear their
testimonies. It is beautiful and just a wonderful experience. It
brings us together as a zone. While I was up on the grounds, I saw Jen
Schofield! Mom, you can tell her mom that! She seemed great and it is
so weird but fun to see people on the outside.
So I want you all to know that I am doing so well here. I love being
here and I have seen myself grow in ways that I did not believe
possible. I love this church! I can't imagine myself without it! I
love that we have a prophet on the earth today who guides and directs
us. I love that we have a Savior who died for us, and a Father in
Heaven who loves us!
Have a Merry Christmas and talk to you soon!
Kaylee
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
6th week here
Hello family! I can't believe that I have been here 5 weeks already,
so this will be my 6th! It is going by so fast! I have a lot to catch
you up on! First, I just came back from the temple and I ran into my
friends Kendra and Logan! I was shocked! Logan works at the MTC so he
knows my schedule, so they decided to stalk me and were waiting for
me! It was so fun to see someone from the outside! Plus, I don't feel
guilty because they planned it, not me! It was way fun and Kendra, I
want that picture of us!
So, this week has been full! Saturday was the first day of December,
so of course it snowed for the first time since my stay here at the
MTC! Me and my comp, Hna Thompson, had gotten ready for the day and
when we stepped outside to walk to class, it was snowing! Everyone was
so excited and it was so much fun! Plus, lots of the missionaries here
are from other countries and have not seen snow before, so it was
quite the treat for them. Since then it is still pretty nice weather,
so the snow is melting. I think it's all a blessing for me since the
warmest thing I have is a rain coat! We'll see if it holds up though!
Another thing that happened this week is that I have been called as a
Coordinating Sister. This is a leader ship postition. Basically, every
25-30 missionaries are sorted into groups called zones. There are two
guy missionaries called as zone leaders and they are in charge of all
male missionaries. Then there is the coordinating sister, me, who is
in charge of the sister missionaries in the zone. Right now there is
only me and Hna Thompson and Hna Cottle, but we do get a new sister
tomorrow. She will be in an advanced Spanish district so will only be
here for 3 weeks. So I am excited for the new opportunity to serve as
a leader and I think it will be a great experience!
Let's see, oh, volleyball has been a lot of fun! I probably talk about
volleyball too much, but it is way fun and it is the only real release
of the day, besides sleep. It's nice because it keeps you awake, which
is well needed. The time of gym changes every day and when we have it
at night, the day just drags on! Well, both Hnas Thompson and Cottle
played volleyball in high school, so they are really good. None of the
elders in my district play, but we coerced them into playing once this
past week! We were definitely not the best team, but we had a lot of
fun! Also, I think they all gained a lot of respect for us sisters
since they saw we can play, and play well! They now refer to Hna
Thompson and "the bullet" Thompson! You should see her serves! Mine
have gotten pretty mean though, and I end up standing like 6feet
behind the service line, so they are all shocked when after even that,
it still goes out sometimes. What can I say, I just can't control my
strength!
I have forgotten to tell most people, but I am going to LA tomorrow!
That's right, I'm going into the outside world to Los Angeles! I have
to go to the Ecuadorian consulate, and the closest one is in Los
Angeles! I have to go there to pick up my visa. I think they must
interview me or something. So yeah, that could be scary and
intimidating, but will probably be a great experience! Plus, I get
outside food! We are going to stop at In & Out! I am so excited for a
change of food! Five weeks of MTC food, it does something to you! I'm
just sad that I can't bring any back for my district. It will also be
a good opportunity to meet some of the other missionaries that are
going to Ecuador. I only know Elder Montgomery in my district, so now
I can meet some more! Plus, I'll get to talk to some people at the
consulate and maybe learn more about Ecuador and the culture there. I
will be gone from 5:30 in the morning to about 9 at night! Long day,
but I'm also excited for all of the personal study time!
So, I didn't have any great experiences at the RC this week. All I got
was answering machines. There was one call I made though, and he had a
special ring tone. So I got to listen to a good minute of Michael
Jackson's Thriller. I got so excited, it was just funny. My head
started bobbing and I looked at Hna Thompson and I said, "It's
Thriller!" I also got a lot of funny answering machines. This freshman
at BYU, he had a pirate themed answering machine like, ahoy matey, you
have reached the phone of ... and he said it in a funny pirate accent.
The other random one I got was of an old man, and it said, please talk
into the phone and leave a message, and maybe my cat will make a noise
or call you back. SO WEIRD! But yeah, that was a fun night and at
least I still haven't had any negative experiences there yet. Some
people in my district have gotten yelled at over the phone!
So Sunday I was so excited to be able to listen to the Christmas
Devotional. I LOVE the Christmas devotional! It was sad to not hear
from President Faust, but I did enjoy President Eyring's talk. I so do
love hearing President Hinckley. The voice of the prophet carries such
power and it is beautiful to hear. I am exicted for the opportunity I
have to spend Christmas here. It will be hard to be away from home,
but I get to have a truly, Christ-centered Christmas. It will not be
commercialized in the least. I will have time to study the life of
Christ and strengthen my relationship with Him. It will be a great
experience!
My Spanish is definitely coming along, I just have to practice
self-control and speak it more. I have started to read the Book of
Mormon in Spanish and am at about 2 Nephi. I am surprised at how
little I have to look at the English translation! I understand most of
what I read in Spanish, so I am pretty proud of myself as far as that
goes. We also have to practice teaching this week in Spanish, which
will be hard but rewarding. I think we are all doing better than we
actually think we are, and that especially goes for my comps! They
don't have much confidence in themselves, so I have been trying to
build that!
I want to thank you all who have written me. It is really fun to
recieve letters and I do try to write everyone who writes to me, so
just wait a week or so and it should come! If you have emailed me,
please send me your address so that I can write to you! I would love
to send you a little something! If you have not written me, shame on
you! Just kidding! I know how busy everyone is, especially during this
time of year.
Also, everyone always asks me to share some spiritual thoughts that I
have received this past week, but I would love to hear yours as well!
So, if something special happened, let me know!
I love you all, and Happy Holidays!
Kaylee
aka Hna Sorensen
so this will be my 6th! It is going by so fast! I have a lot to catch
you up on! First, I just came back from the temple and I ran into my
friends Kendra and Logan! I was shocked! Logan works at the MTC so he
knows my schedule, so they decided to stalk me and were waiting for
me! It was so fun to see someone from the outside! Plus, I don't feel
guilty because they planned it, not me! It was way fun and Kendra, I
want that picture of us!
So, this week has been full! Saturday was the first day of December,
so of course it snowed for the first time since my stay here at the
MTC! Me and my comp, Hna Thompson, had gotten ready for the day and
when we stepped outside to walk to class, it was snowing! Everyone was
so excited and it was so much fun! Plus, lots of the missionaries here
are from other countries and have not seen snow before, so it was
quite the treat for them. Since then it is still pretty nice weather,
so the snow is melting. I think it's all a blessing for me since the
warmest thing I have is a rain coat! We'll see if it holds up though!
Another thing that happened this week is that I have been called as a
Coordinating Sister. This is a leader ship postition. Basically, every
25-30 missionaries are sorted into groups called zones. There are two
guy missionaries called as zone leaders and they are in charge of all
male missionaries. Then there is the coordinating sister, me, who is
in charge of the sister missionaries in the zone. Right now there is
only me and Hna Thompson and Hna Cottle, but we do get a new sister
tomorrow. She will be in an advanced Spanish district so will only be
here for 3 weeks. So I am excited for the new opportunity to serve as
a leader and I think it will be a great experience!
Let's see, oh, volleyball has been a lot of fun! I probably talk about
volleyball too much, but it is way fun and it is the only real release
of the day, besides sleep. It's nice because it keeps you awake, which
is well needed. The time of gym changes every day and when we have it
at night, the day just drags on! Well, both Hnas Thompson and Cottle
played volleyball in high school, so they are really good. None of the
elders in my district play, but we coerced them into playing once this
past week! We were definitely not the best team, but we had a lot of
fun! Also, I think they all gained a lot of respect for us sisters
since they saw we can play, and play well! They now refer to Hna
Thompson and "the bullet" Thompson! You should see her serves! Mine
have gotten pretty mean though, and I end up standing like 6feet
behind the service line, so they are all shocked when after even that,
it still goes out sometimes. What can I say, I just can't control my
strength!
I have forgotten to tell most people, but I am going to LA tomorrow!
That's right, I'm going into the outside world to Los Angeles! I have
to go to the Ecuadorian consulate, and the closest one is in Los
Angeles! I have to go there to pick up my visa. I think they must
interview me or something. So yeah, that could be scary and
intimidating, but will probably be a great experience! Plus, I get
outside food! We are going to stop at In & Out! I am so excited for a
change of food! Five weeks of MTC food, it does something to you! I'm
just sad that I can't bring any back for my district. It will also be
a good opportunity to meet some of the other missionaries that are
going to Ecuador. I only know Elder Montgomery in my district, so now
I can meet some more! Plus, I'll get to talk to some people at the
consulate and maybe learn more about Ecuador and the culture there. I
will be gone from 5:30 in the morning to about 9 at night! Long day,
but I'm also excited for all of the personal study time!
So, I didn't have any great experiences at the RC this week. All I got
was answering machines. There was one call I made though, and he had a
special ring tone. So I got to listen to a good minute of Michael
Jackson's Thriller. I got so excited, it was just funny. My head
started bobbing and I looked at Hna Thompson and I said, "It's
Thriller!" I also got a lot of funny answering machines. This freshman
at BYU, he had a pirate themed answering machine like, ahoy matey, you
have reached the phone of ... and he said it in a funny pirate accent.
The other random one I got was of an old man, and it said, please talk
into the phone and leave a message, and maybe my cat will make a noise
or call you back. SO WEIRD! But yeah, that was a fun night and at
least I still haven't had any negative experiences there yet. Some
people in my district have gotten yelled at over the phone!
So Sunday I was so excited to be able to listen to the Christmas
Devotional. I LOVE the Christmas devotional! It was sad to not hear
from President Faust, but I did enjoy President Eyring's talk. I so do
love hearing President Hinckley. The voice of the prophet carries such
power and it is beautiful to hear. I am exicted for the opportunity I
have to spend Christmas here. It will be hard to be away from home,
but I get to have a truly, Christ-centered Christmas. It will not be
commercialized in the least. I will have time to study the life of
Christ and strengthen my relationship with Him. It will be a great
experience!
My Spanish is definitely coming along, I just have to practice
self-control and speak it more. I have started to read the Book of
Mormon in Spanish and am at about 2 Nephi. I am surprised at how
little I have to look at the English translation! I understand most of
what I read in Spanish, so I am pretty proud of myself as far as that
goes. We also have to practice teaching this week in Spanish, which
will be hard but rewarding. I think we are all doing better than we
actually think we are, and that especially goes for my comps! They
don't have much confidence in themselves, so I have been trying to
build that!
I want to thank you all who have written me. It is really fun to
recieve letters and I do try to write everyone who writes to me, so
just wait a week or so and it should come! If you have emailed me,
please send me your address so that I can write to you! I would love
to send you a little something! If you have not written me, shame on
you! Just kidding! I know how busy everyone is, especially during this
time of year.
Also, everyone always asks me to share some spiritual thoughts that I
have received this past week, but I would love to hear yours as well!
So, if something special happened, let me know!
I love you all, and Happy Holidays!
Kaylee
aka Hna Sorensen
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Entering the 4th Week
So hello family and friends! Another week has come and gone here at
the MTC. The time hear is in one of those wierd zones, where I feel
like I've barely been here but at the same time, I feel like I've been
here forever! It's a little strange! Last Tuesday for our devotional
we had... Elder Russell M. Nelson come and speak! What an incredible
experience to be in the same room as an apostle of the Lord! It was so
wonderful to be there and to feel of that Spirit. He also had his wife
speak a little bit, and I loved her message. It was basically Do It
Now. Elder Nelson spoke to us all on just the importance of the work
that we are doing as missionaries and he shared with us stories and
advice to help us and build us up. I felt like my hand could not keep
up with notes as he was talking because I wanted to write everything
down!
Besides that, I had a fun Wednesday because I got to take a class at
the LRC, Learning Resource Center, and I was taught by none other than
my good friend Logan! It was so fun to see him and be taught by him in
that atmosphere! Friday was our busiest day ever! We went to the LRC
again, the TEC (teaching evaluation center), the TRC (teaching
resource center) and the RC (referral center) all in one day! I felt
like I never had a moment to sit down and breathe! So in the TRC we
taught three students. They were very rowdy at first and it was hard
to get our message across, but as soon as we said a prayer the mood
just changed. They became attentative and focused on our message. It
was a neat experience to see the power of prayer working in that
environment. I love the TRC. Some say that it is not a great teaching
tool because all of the volunteers we teach are already Mormon. But
what I love is that every time I teach, I try to teach them something
new and I end up learning something new. That is how it should be!
Every lesson taught should be about strength and learning something
new for yourself. That is how I feel every time I teach and what a
wonderful feeling that is!
My favorite part though, of Friday was by far the RC. The RC, for a
quick reminder, is a calling center. People call in after seeing an ad
on tv for a free church related movie or a book of Mormon, or after
receiving a passalong card. We answer those calls. We also follow up
on what we've sent out to people and call them to see how they are
enjoying their free item and how they felt about it. It is our only
real missionary experience while we are in the MTC. So, last week I
was nervous and panicky the entire time and let's just say, I wasn't
looking forward to it on Friday. When we got there, I said a prayer,
asking that I might feel comfortable and at peace, that I might be
guided by the Spirit as to what to say and do and that I might have
some good experiences to change my mind and thoughts of the RC. Well,
as soon as I finished, I received my first phone call. It was from a
woman in California who wanted a video on strenghtening families. She
opened up to me, just over the phone, about all of the struggles that
her and her family were having. She felt like it was hard to keep them
together. It was like I was having a lesson with her over the phone! I
shared with her my testimony of the gospel and families and asked her
if she would be willing to have the missionaries come and teach her
more about the importance of families. She readily accepted and when I
gave her the address to a church near her, she readily accepted my
challenge to her to bring her family to church that Sunday. It was an
incredible feeling, knowing that I am helping her feel more comfort
and peace in her life. My 2nd experience while there was calling a
woman who had received the Finding Faith in Christ video. I called to
ask how she enjoyed it, and she was so enthusiastic! I asked her if
she would like me to send her another video, or the Book of Mormon and
she readily agreed. She even wanted the missionaries to take the book
to her so that she could learn more. As I was talking to her, she
finally said that she had to go, because she was on a date! Isn't that
hilarious?! Here she is, going on and talking to me about all the
things that she has enjoyed thus far in learning about the church, and
all that time she is in the middle of a date! I was like, oh, well
we'll call you back to get some basic information from you later! I
couldn't stop laughing afterwards!
So as you can see, this week has been very helpful for me. I have
grown in ways that I never could have imagined! Both of my roommates
left this week. They were on the fast track and so Hna Romero is in
Ohio and Hna Martinez is in Phoenix. Linds, I gave her the address to
your salon so maybe she'll stop by. I love you all so much and am
grateful for the examples that you have been to me. You are always so
encouraging ni your letters and it's so fun to get them! I love
hearing about what's going on in your lives. I loved hearing from you
Sharon! I love getting news about the office! I'll write you a longer
letter later! And thanks mom and dad for the thanksgiving package! We
have all enjoyed it! When one eats, we all eat! :)
Just a heads up, I am sick, but I am getting better! No worries! All
of the elders in my district were sick, so I guess it is my turn. It's
just a cold. Probably also doesn't help that I've had to wake up at
4:45 the last two days to take our roommates down to teh travel
office!
I love you all. My time is out! Have a great Thanksgiving and hope to
hear from you soon!
Hna Sorensen
aka Kaylee
the MTC. The time hear is in one of those wierd zones, where I feel
like I've barely been here but at the same time, I feel like I've been
here forever! It's a little strange! Last Tuesday for our devotional
we had... Elder Russell M. Nelson come and speak! What an incredible
experience to be in the same room as an apostle of the Lord! It was so
wonderful to be there and to feel of that Spirit. He also had his wife
speak a little bit, and I loved her message. It was basically Do It
Now. Elder Nelson spoke to us all on just the importance of the work
that we are doing as missionaries and he shared with us stories and
advice to help us and build us up. I felt like my hand could not keep
up with notes as he was talking because I wanted to write everything
down!
Besides that, I had a fun Wednesday because I got to take a class at
the LRC, Learning Resource Center, and I was taught by none other than
my good friend Logan! It was so fun to see him and be taught by him in
that atmosphere! Friday was our busiest day ever! We went to the LRC
again, the TEC (teaching evaluation center), the TRC (teaching
resource center) and the RC (referral center) all in one day! I felt
like I never had a moment to sit down and breathe! So in the TRC we
taught three students. They were very rowdy at first and it was hard
to get our message across, but as soon as we said a prayer the mood
just changed. They became attentative and focused on our message. It
was a neat experience to see the power of prayer working in that
environment. I love the TRC. Some say that it is not a great teaching
tool because all of the volunteers we teach are already Mormon. But
what I love is that every time I teach, I try to teach them something
new and I end up learning something new. That is how it should be!
Every lesson taught should be about strength and learning something
new for yourself. That is how I feel every time I teach and what a
wonderful feeling that is!
My favorite part though, of Friday was by far the RC. The RC, for a
quick reminder, is a calling center. People call in after seeing an ad
on tv for a free church related movie or a book of Mormon, or after
receiving a passalong card. We answer those calls. We also follow up
on what we've sent out to people and call them to see how they are
enjoying their free item and how they felt about it. It is our only
real missionary experience while we are in the MTC. So, last week I
was nervous and panicky the entire time and let's just say, I wasn't
looking forward to it on Friday. When we got there, I said a prayer,
asking that I might feel comfortable and at peace, that I might be
guided by the Spirit as to what to say and do and that I might have
some good experiences to change my mind and thoughts of the RC. Well,
as soon as I finished, I received my first phone call. It was from a
woman in California who wanted a video on strenghtening families. She
opened up to me, just over the phone, about all of the struggles that
her and her family were having. She felt like it was hard to keep them
together. It was like I was having a lesson with her over the phone! I
shared with her my testimony of the gospel and families and asked her
if she would be willing to have the missionaries come and teach her
more about the importance of families. She readily accepted and when I
gave her the address to a church near her, she readily accepted my
challenge to her to bring her family to church that Sunday. It was an
incredible feeling, knowing that I am helping her feel more comfort
and peace in her life. My 2nd experience while there was calling a
woman who had received the Finding Faith in Christ video. I called to
ask how she enjoyed it, and she was so enthusiastic! I asked her if
she would like me to send her another video, or the Book of Mormon and
she readily agreed. She even wanted the missionaries to take the book
to her so that she could learn more. As I was talking to her, she
finally said that she had to go, because she was on a date! Isn't that
hilarious?! Here she is, going on and talking to me about all the
things that she has enjoyed thus far in learning about the church, and
all that time she is in the middle of a date! I was like, oh, well
we'll call you back to get some basic information from you later! I
couldn't stop laughing afterwards!
So as you can see, this week has been very helpful for me. I have
grown in ways that I never could have imagined! Both of my roommates
left this week. They were on the fast track and so Hna Romero is in
Ohio and Hna Martinez is in Phoenix. Linds, I gave her the address to
your salon so maybe she'll stop by. I love you all so much and am
grateful for the examples that you have been to me. You are always so
encouraging ni your letters and it's so fun to get them! I love
hearing about what's going on in your lives. I loved hearing from you
Sharon! I love getting news about the office! I'll write you a longer
letter later! And thanks mom and dad for the thanksgiving package! We
have all enjoyed it! When one eats, we all eat! :)
Just a heads up, I am sick, but I am getting better! No worries! All
of the elders in my district were sick, so I guess it is my turn. It's
just a cold. Probably also doesn't help that I've had to wake up at
4:45 the last two days to take our roommates down to teh travel
office!
I love you all. My time is out! Have a great Thanksgiving and hope to
hear from you soon!
Hna Sorensen
aka Kaylee
Sunday, February 18, 2007
1 change down, 11 to go!
Hello to Everyone! How goes it?! I hope all is well with everyone and thank you for you emails and fun stories! I never tire from hearing from all of my friends!
First, I asked for recipes last week and lots of people asked me what was available to buy, so I will respond! I am so stupid to think that you would just know! We do have pretty much all meat, but we are not allowed to eat pig of any kind. They have ground beef and stuff like that, and it is fine for us to eat. They have pretty much any kind of veggie of fruit, but we can´t eat berries of strawberries because you can´t get them clean enough for us to eat. Bichos, bugs, might be hiding in the cracks. They have all kinds of noodles and of course, rice. So yeah, just send me whatever stovetop recipes you can. Sometimes canned foods are more pricey, but still send recipes!
I still have bichos, which are bugs or parasites, not to be confused with worms. Worms are more serious to deal with, I think. Thelin, my compie, has had bichos like, 6 times, worms once, and the beaver feaver one. That is when excrement gets in the water, which only happens in Santo Domingo or the coast. You usually don´t get beaver feaver, so if I do go there, I will be extra careful! Anyway, still have my bichos but am going to take a test tomorrow or the next day. I am moving fast now because of what happened to my friend, Hna Larsen. She had bichos with me, even before me. Anyway, the day of changes, that night she was throwing up like every five minutes, which is not a usual bicho thing. She finally called the mission nurse, they took her to the hospital, and learned that her bichos were eating her intestines! She had to stay in the hospital for two days! And Ecua hospitals are not fun! They had to slice her arm to put in an IV! They don´t know what they are doing! So, don´t worry, I am going to take care of myself this week!
Now to my subject line: We have what is called changes every 6 weeks, where you change comps or sectors. Well, nothing happened to me! I am still in Solanda and still with Hna Thelin. I am happy about that and now that we are pretty much over our sicknesses, we are going to have an awesome change! The whole, changes process though was filled with anxiety, because you never know what is going to happen! Our DL called us like, 9:30 at night and told us we were staying together, so we were estatic! Then 15 minutes later, he called us and told us we didn´t have our changes yet and that teh first ones were a joke from our ZLs, not funny! We didn´t end up finding out until 11 at night! And, because of our Zls little joke, one elder that they told was leaving was all packed and everything by the time he found out the real changes, and taht he was staying. Not a nice move by the ZLs!
We didn´t have the Lovato´s baptism this past Sunday because their daughters were sick. We rescheudled again for this Saturday, and hope everything goes according to plan. We are also teaching Juanita. We hadn´t seen her in so long because we were sick, and then she had family issues, so we finally met with her on Friday after not seeing her for like 3 weeks! She was so standoffish at first and quiet. You could tell she didn´t want us there, but by the end of the lesson, she was participating and volunteered to say the closing prayer. She said how grateful she was to have us back teaching her again so that she could have that feeling with her again. You could just physically see the change taht the gospel had on her. She is going to get baptized on Mar. 15th, along with her little sister Alejandra who is in our English class.
So, my bro in law gave me some advice on what to do if I get called on the spot to give a talk in church. I thought that was funny since it is what happened yesterday at church! I never gave the one talk I had prepared, and I debated whether or not to bring it with me, and I thought, well, just in case. Then, at church, the ward mission leader comes up to Thelin and was like, we need you to talk. She was freaking out because she had nothing prepared. I was like, I have mine with me, so I gave it. I was so nervous that the first minute or so was probably a bunch of gibberish, but I calmed down enough to speak and did okay. It was about love and missionary work. I guess I did okay because a few people came up to me and told me what a great job I did, and Thelin says that never happens. So moral of the story... Always have a talk withyou on hand!
I figured taht maybe I should include a little culture in every email. So, culture of the week: They put popcorn in their soup. Not crackers, but popcorn. It is acutally pretty good.
I love you all and keep up the emails! They make my week! Miss you and until next time!
Hna Kaylee Sorensen
First, I asked for recipes last week and lots of people asked me what was available to buy, so I will respond! I am so stupid to think that you would just know! We do have pretty much all meat, but we are not allowed to eat pig of any kind. They have ground beef and stuff like that, and it is fine for us to eat. They have pretty much any kind of veggie of fruit, but we can´t eat berries of strawberries because you can´t get them clean enough for us to eat. Bichos, bugs, might be hiding in the cracks. They have all kinds of noodles and of course, rice. So yeah, just send me whatever stovetop recipes you can. Sometimes canned foods are more pricey, but still send recipes!
I still have bichos, which are bugs or parasites, not to be confused with worms. Worms are more serious to deal with, I think. Thelin, my compie, has had bichos like, 6 times, worms once, and the beaver feaver one. That is when excrement gets in the water, which only happens in Santo Domingo or the coast. You usually don´t get beaver feaver, so if I do go there, I will be extra careful! Anyway, still have my bichos but am going to take a test tomorrow or the next day. I am moving fast now because of what happened to my friend, Hna Larsen. She had bichos with me, even before me. Anyway, the day of changes, that night she was throwing up like every five minutes, which is not a usual bicho thing. She finally called the mission nurse, they took her to the hospital, and learned that her bichos were eating her intestines! She had to stay in the hospital for two days! And Ecua hospitals are not fun! They had to slice her arm to put in an IV! They don´t know what they are doing! So, don´t worry, I am going to take care of myself this week!
Now to my subject line: We have what is called changes every 6 weeks, where you change comps or sectors. Well, nothing happened to me! I am still in Solanda and still with Hna Thelin. I am happy about that and now that we are pretty much over our sicknesses, we are going to have an awesome change! The whole, changes process though was filled with anxiety, because you never know what is going to happen! Our DL called us like, 9:30 at night and told us we were staying together, so we were estatic! Then 15 minutes later, he called us and told us we didn´t have our changes yet and that teh first ones were a joke from our ZLs, not funny! We didn´t end up finding out until 11 at night! And, because of our Zls little joke, one elder that they told was leaving was all packed and everything by the time he found out the real changes, and taht he was staying. Not a nice move by the ZLs!
We didn´t have the Lovato´s baptism this past Sunday because their daughters were sick. We rescheudled again for this Saturday, and hope everything goes according to plan. We are also teaching Juanita. We hadn´t seen her in so long because we were sick, and then she had family issues, so we finally met with her on Friday after not seeing her for like 3 weeks! She was so standoffish at first and quiet. You could tell she didn´t want us there, but by the end of the lesson, she was participating and volunteered to say the closing prayer. She said how grateful she was to have us back teaching her again so that she could have that feeling with her again. You could just physically see the change taht the gospel had on her. She is going to get baptized on Mar. 15th, along with her little sister Alejandra who is in our English class.
So, my bro in law gave me some advice on what to do if I get called on the spot to give a talk in church. I thought that was funny since it is what happened yesterday at church! I never gave the one talk I had prepared, and I debated whether or not to bring it with me, and I thought, well, just in case. Then, at church, the ward mission leader comes up to Thelin and was like, we need you to talk. She was freaking out because she had nothing prepared. I was like, I have mine with me, so I gave it. I was so nervous that the first minute or so was probably a bunch of gibberish, but I calmed down enough to speak and did okay. It was about love and missionary work. I guess I did okay because a few people came up to me and told me what a great job I did, and Thelin says that never happens. So moral of the story... Always have a talk withyou on hand!
I figured taht maybe I should include a little culture in every email. So, culture of the week: They put popcorn in their soup. Not crackers, but popcorn. It is acutally pretty good.
I love you all and keep up the emails! They make my week! Miss you and until next time!
Hna Kaylee Sorensen
Sunday, January 14, 2007
The Mish
So I have survived my second week in the mission field! It was honestly a lot better than the first. I had some ups and downs, but I love this work! Just to clear something up, a few people have asked me what hna means. It is an abbreviation of hermana, which is sister. Out here, I am referred to as sister sorensen, so hna sorensen. Sorry for the confusion. I definitely shouldn´t assume that you all know Spanish! But, thank you for your emails! I love hearing from you and how your life is going! For those of you who have written me, I can only email directly my family until I get permission from my mission president. In the mean time, can you send me your address so that I can respond and send you a letter or a postcard? For example, Mr. Shoop, I would love to write you back, so send me your address! I miss our talks! And anyone else not related to me, send me your address! I am pretty good at writing people!
So, this week has been incredible! I have worked a lot and met some really incredible people! I´m not sure if I included this, but the day before I left the MTC, I met a missionary there that is from Ecuador. I met him while doing my laundry. I was totally freaking out about leaving and wasn´t sure if I could handle it, and then I met Elder Pepinos. We had a huge like two hour talk and he completely calmed me down. He was from Quito and just told me all sorts of things to get excited about. He was only baptized like two years ago with his mom and brother, and then his dad was baptized a year ago. They were just sealed together before he entered the MTC. So, he gave me his parents names and everything and was like, I doubt you´ll ever be in their area, but just in case. Well, I was eating lunch at this lady´s house and she mentioned the name Pepinos. I was like, wait a minute! Do they have a son on a mission?! It is so the same family! I met them at church on Sunday and showed them the picture that I took with Elder Pepinos and they were in tears becasue they were so excited! They are such an incredible family and I am so excited that I get to know them more! The Lord is aware of us and what we need. I am so grateful that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and cares for me and blesses me with these experiences.
Another good experience, we were trying to find this house that we got from a reference. It was a taxi driver and we had the right street names, but the house number was incorrect, which is not really shocking becuase lots of times they don´t even have numbers. So we start asking around seeing if anyone knows this man. We meet this really old woman and find out that she in already a member of the church. She hasn´t attended in two years becuase she moved and then didn´t know where a church was near her. We told her that we would pick her up this week and also visit her. We asked her what else she needed and she just started to cry. She told us that she was just so thankful that we had found her so that we could take her and talk to her more. She was just so sweet. We set up a time to meet wtih her this Thursday, along wtih a neighbor of hers. We never did find the taxi driver, but I know that we were supposed to be there for a reason.
Now for some not so fun stories... The people here are so blunt to the point of being rude! They just don´t thinkt hat it is rude! We were talking to this lady on the street and she calls me gordita, which means little fat one. I was like, excuse me you´re fatter than me! I don´t have thick skin, so it took awhile to shake that off! But then like, a minute later, she was like, what is the name of the pretty one? I didn´t answer, because I didn´t think that the fat one would be the pretty one, but then it dawned on me that they were waiting for me to respond. I was like, so I am fat and pretty? Just confused is more like it!
We also met with a new convert. We were talking to her and teaching her some more, and then she asked to do our makeup. I was about to say no when Thelin was like, Hna Sorensen would love to have her makeup done. This girl is like, 17 yrs old! Well, I had bright blue and teal eyes and she gave me a scarf to match! Well, I wasn´t going to let Thelin get off that easy, so when she finished me, I was like, Thelin is dying to have her makeup done too. We looked so funny! It was great, we blended right in because women here either wear a ton of makeup, or non at all. there is no in between!
Last story, I tried cow stomach. It´s called Guaquita. Not tasty! So, that is pretty much my week in Ecuador! Sorry, I´m running out of time, so until next week! I hope all is well and know that I am so happy and loving this work!
Kaylee
aka Hna Sorensen
So, this week has been incredible! I have worked a lot and met some really incredible people! I´m not sure if I included this, but the day before I left the MTC, I met a missionary there that is from Ecuador. I met him while doing my laundry. I was totally freaking out about leaving and wasn´t sure if I could handle it, and then I met Elder Pepinos. We had a huge like two hour talk and he completely calmed me down. He was from Quito and just told me all sorts of things to get excited about. He was only baptized like two years ago with his mom and brother, and then his dad was baptized a year ago. They were just sealed together before he entered the MTC. So, he gave me his parents names and everything and was like, I doubt you´ll ever be in their area, but just in case. Well, I was eating lunch at this lady´s house and she mentioned the name Pepinos. I was like, wait a minute! Do they have a son on a mission?! It is so the same family! I met them at church on Sunday and showed them the picture that I took with Elder Pepinos and they were in tears becasue they were so excited! They are such an incredible family and I am so excited that I get to know them more! The Lord is aware of us and what we need. I am so grateful that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and cares for me and blesses me with these experiences.
Another good experience, we were trying to find this house that we got from a reference. It was a taxi driver and we had the right street names, but the house number was incorrect, which is not really shocking becuase lots of times they don´t even have numbers. So we start asking around seeing if anyone knows this man. We meet this really old woman and find out that she in already a member of the church. She hasn´t attended in two years becuase she moved and then didn´t know where a church was near her. We told her that we would pick her up this week and also visit her. We asked her what else she needed and she just started to cry. She told us that she was just so thankful that we had found her so that we could take her and talk to her more. She was just so sweet. We set up a time to meet wtih her this Thursday, along wtih a neighbor of hers. We never did find the taxi driver, but I know that we were supposed to be there for a reason.
Now for some not so fun stories... The people here are so blunt to the point of being rude! They just don´t thinkt hat it is rude! We were talking to this lady on the street and she calls me gordita, which means little fat one. I was like, excuse me you´re fatter than me! I don´t have thick skin, so it took awhile to shake that off! But then like, a minute later, she was like, what is the name of the pretty one? I didn´t answer, because I didn´t think that the fat one would be the pretty one, but then it dawned on me that they were waiting for me to respond. I was like, so I am fat and pretty? Just confused is more like it!
We also met with a new convert. We were talking to her and teaching her some more, and then she asked to do our makeup. I was about to say no when Thelin was like, Hna Sorensen would love to have her makeup done. This girl is like, 17 yrs old! Well, I had bright blue and teal eyes and she gave me a scarf to match! Well, I wasn´t going to let Thelin get off that easy, so when she finished me, I was like, Thelin is dying to have her makeup done too. We looked so funny! It was great, we blended right in because women here either wear a ton of makeup, or non at all. there is no in between!
Last story, I tried cow stomach. It´s called Guaquita. Not tasty! So, that is pretty much my week in Ecuador! Sorry, I´m running out of time, so until next week! I hope all is well and know that I am so happy and loving this work!
Kaylee
aka Hna Sorensen
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