Hello Everybody! Thanks for the emails! I love reading them! Some of you mentioned that you were concerned I wouldn´t have time to read all the emails and write, but I print them off in the morning and so that way it doesn´t take away from my time, so no worries! You all sound happy and good, which I lvoe to here!
So, this week went by pretty slow because we were inside for 2 and a half days! Not because of carnival, but because my companion has bichos, also known as parasites or bugs! When you have bichos, you pretty much feel miserable and not like moving, not to mention you are on the toilet at least once an hour. Here, you can only use your own bathroom or public bathrooms becuase you never know the condition of people´s houses. So you are pretty much stuck in the house. I was starting to get cabin fever. But for one of the days I was sick too, so not much that you can do. I didn´t have bichos, I just had like a fever or something, but it passed for the most part. It came back a little today, but that is what you get for playing volleyball in the rain. Volleyball is the only sport that we are allowed to play, the others are banned because too many injuries, so I just lucked out. I did wear myself out though, so not too smart! It will pass though, and hopefully Thelin´s bichos will vacate soon too!
On to my subject line, kids and dogs. So, these are two of the most innocent things in the world, things you shouldn´t be afraid of. Well, guess who always walks in paranoia now because of fear of dogs and kids? ME! First dogs. They are everywhere, and Thelin said Quito isn´t that bad, but places like Santo Domingo are so much worse. Well, I almost got bit twice this week and actually ran away from another. I look at every dog on the street in terror now! The truth is, they hate white people. Every missionary here who has a Latin companion said that their comps think it´s hilarious because the gringos are always getting chased. Thelin taught me that when I think a dog is going to attack, you take off your back pack and guard your ankles, because that is where they go. She got bit in St. Dog and has the scar to prove it. I have so much to look forward to! Now the other one, kids. You´re supposed to love kids, but not during carnival season. They´re the ones that are starting early, it´s not supposed to start until next week! They just sit on their roofs with water balloons and buckets of water to throw at passerby. Last week I got hit with a balloon filled with water and sand, so my clothes were a lovely mess. Some have asked me what Carnival is. It is just an excuse to party, and nothing else. It lasts like, the first two or three weeks of February. So, until then I look down every alley with fear, staring at the roofs and running from kids and dogs! Next Monday and Tuesday it will be so dangerous that we have to stay inside because they target gringos. We´ll have some fun though!
So, we do have some awesome investigators. We have a whole family who is going to be baptized on Feb 9th. The dad is a member but hasn´t been active for like, 25 years, since he met with the missionaries the first time around. He said that when he went to church a couple weeks ago, he felt something that had been missing in his life for so long. He and his family have been visiting all sorts of different churches, and he said that he instantly recognized what was missing when he came back to the Mormon church. He shared his testimony with us and just said that he wants the same for his family. It was so beautiful and I look forward to continue teaching them!
I also am serving in an awesome ward here. The members are just amazing and want to help us in every which way. Thelin raves about how good they are compared to some of the other wards that she has served in. We go to the Pepinos house every Wednesday and just love that home. We haven´t heard if we will get to move in with them but we will see. It doesn´t sound to promising though. They always give us great references of people they know who want to learn, so they are such a help to us!
Well, I need to wrap this up! I will try to send some more pics next week. I just run out of time so fast! Ihope everyone is doing well. Know that I love you and look forward to hearing from you!
Hna Kaylee Sorensen
Monday, January 28, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
The Beginning of Carnival
Hello to all! Thank you so much for your emails!They are so fun to read and it makes me feel like I am right there with you!
Alright, some people asked me some questions, so I will try to answer those first. In the area that I´m in right now, I do my own laundry. We go to this lavanderia by our house every wednesday night so that we can teach this german that goes. It´s our only time to teach in English! We have to stay the whole time too so that no one takes anything. Our hot water still doesn´t work great. I take turns between cold showers and bucket showers. It´s really not that bad though. Since hna Merback left with her new companion, I now have a bed and don´t have to sleep on the floor. So that is nice! Since we are at such a high altitude, we don´t really get any bugs, just an occaional fruit fly. We don´t have to boil our water to drink. We get two huge bottles of purified water that usually lasts us about a month or more. But we do have to do everything with it, drink, brush teeth, wash retainers or things like that. For dishes, we use the sink, which is freezing cold water, and then let the dishes soak in a tub of sink water that has cloro in it. It works! We also have to soak any fruit that we eat in the cloro water. Speaking of, fruit here is not only the best ever, but soooo cheap! The other day I spent 80 cents on a pineapple and taht was expensive! Usually they are like, 65 cents. Bananas are the cheapest and are so good. You make all sorts of things with bananas, and all during their different stages of life. You can make things with Verde, maduro, and just plain bananas. I like it! Oh, and they don´t talk to much about the volcano. No one seems to worried about it. The missionaries are still there. They say nothing will happen, if anything, just a little ash.
So now to my subject line. They have here in Ecuador what is called Carnival. It is just a two week long party that usually starts in the first week of Feb, but some are starting the festivities a little early. What sucks, they just throw things at people, and they love to get the white people! Right now it´s just water, but it will get worse. Hna Merback got pegged with an egg last year. They like to throw water, eggs, flour...you name it! It even gets so bad the first few days that we will have to stay inside. For like 2 or 3 days! I think I´ll go crazy! Cabin fever!
Oh, I also have to give a ten minute talk in church this week. That will be interesting. I already have it done, it´s on love and mission work. Now I just need to practice so I´m not reading from a paper the whole time. I really am blessed to know some Spanish already. It has helped me out so much! I would never be able to do the things that I´m doing without all of the preparation I received. I still understand a lot and overall do pretty well. We are even starting English classes every Saturday at 4pm. Hopefully we´ll have a good turnout!
Now for the program. We have had a lot of success. It just goes to show that the Lord blesses you for hard work! We have three people getting baptized in the next two weeks. What´s even greater was that I was there since the beginning with two of them! There are these two girls, Juanita and Mariana, 19 and 16 yrs old. Juanita just kept telling us that she wanted a change in her life. She said she felt cold and empty when she was alone and hated taht feeling. We told her about baptism and how she can have the companionship of the holy ghost so she never feels like that again. We invited her to be baptized and she was so excited! We´re also teaching this younger guy that works in a bakery. We actually teach him while he is working. What´s great is he is our age, but he´s like one of the only Latinos that hasn´t tried to hit on us. He really is just interested in what we are teaching. He´s incredible and we´ll see where it goes.
We also met wtih the Pepinos family this past week and I love them! I feel so comfortable and at home with them. They got to talk to their son while he was at the airport and he even told them to tell me some things and to take care of me. Well, they are keeping their word! They want us to move in with them! it would be free rent, hot water, two floors of a house to ourselves, a waching machine, and two great parents! We are talking to people in the office to try to work it out. It would be so great!
Well, I think that is it. I hope all is well with everyone! Keep up the great letters! I miss you all and till next week!
Hna Sorensen
Hna Thompson: I loved reading your emails! It sounds like you are having an adventure! Sorry it is so challenging! My comp is a gringa, so definitely not as hard. But you are going to learn Spanish so much faster! Jealous! I´ll write you more next week but I love you and miss you! You´re the best compie ever!
Alright, some people asked me some questions, so I will try to answer those first. In the area that I´m in right now, I do my own laundry. We go to this lavanderia by our house every wednesday night so that we can teach this german that goes. It´s our only time to teach in English! We have to stay the whole time too so that no one takes anything. Our hot water still doesn´t work great. I take turns between cold showers and bucket showers. It´s really not that bad though. Since hna Merback left with her new companion, I now have a bed and don´t have to sleep on the floor. So that is nice! Since we are at such a high altitude, we don´t really get any bugs, just an occaional fruit fly. We don´t have to boil our water to drink. We get two huge bottles of purified water that usually lasts us about a month or more. But we do have to do everything with it, drink, brush teeth, wash retainers or things like that. For dishes, we use the sink, which is freezing cold water, and then let the dishes soak in a tub of sink water that has cloro in it. It works! We also have to soak any fruit that we eat in the cloro water. Speaking of, fruit here is not only the best ever, but soooo cheap! The other day I spent 80 cents on a pineapple and taht was expensive! Usually they are like, 65 cents. Bananas are the cheapest and are so good. You make all sorts of things with bananas, and all during their different stages of life. You can make things with Verde, maduro, and just plain bananas. I like it! Oh, and they don´t talk to much about the volcano. No one seems to worried about it. The missionaries are still there. They say nothing will happen, if anything, just a little ash.
So now to my subject line. They have here in Ecuador what is called Carnival. It is just a two week long party that usually starts in the first week of Feb, but some are starting the festivities a little early. What sucks, they just throw things at people, and they love to get the white people! Right now it´s just water, but it will get worse. Hna Merback got pegged with an egg last year. They like to throw water, eggs, flour...you name it! It even gets so bad the first few days that we will have to stay inside. For like 2 or 3 days! I think I´ll go crazy! Cabin fever!
Oh, I also have to give a ten minute talk in church this week. That will be interesting. I already have it done, it´s on love and mission work. Now I just need to practice so I´m not reading from a paper the whole time. I really am blessed to know some Spanish already. It has helped me out so much! I would never be able to do the things that I´m doing without all of the preparation I received. I still understand a lot and overall do pretty well. We are even starting English classes every Saturday at 4pm. Hopefully we´ll have a good turnout!
Now for the program. We have had a lot of success. It just goes to show that the Lord blesses you for hard work! We have three people getting baptized in the next two weeks. What´s even greater was that I was there since the beginning with two of them! There are these two girls, Juanita and Mariana, 19 and 16 yrs old. Juanita just kept telling us that she wanted a change in her life. She said she felt cold and empty when she was alone and hated taht feeling. We told her about baptism and how she can have the companionship of the holy ghost so she never feels like that again. We invited her to be baptized and she was so excited! We´re also teaching this younger guy that works in a bakery. We actually teach him while he is working. What´s great is he is our age, but he´s like one of the only Latinos that hasn´t tried to hit on us. He really is just interested in what we are teaching. He´s incredible and we´ll see where it goes.
We also met wtih the Pepinos family this past week and I love them! I feel so comfortable and at home with them. They got to talk to their son while he was at the airport and he even told them to tell me some things and to take care of me. Well, they are keeping their word! They want us to move in with them! it would be free rent, hot water, two floors of a house to ourselves, a waching machine, and two great parents! We are talking to people in the office to try to work it out. It would be so great!
Well, I think that is it. I hope all is well with everyone! Keep up the great letters! I miss you all and till next week!
Hna Sorensen
Hna Thompson: I loved reading your emails! It sounds like you are having an adventure! Sorry it is so challenging! My comp is a gringa, so definitely not as hard. But you are going to learn Spanish so much faster! Jealous! I´ll write you more next week but I love you and miss you! You´re the best compie ever!
Monday, January 7, 2008
First Week in Ecuador
So I am finally in Ecuador! The real adventure finally begins. i am not going to use caps because it takes too long on this keyboard, so bear with me! this week has been a whirlwind, but oh so fun! i arrived late on wednesday and then on thursday had all sorts of orietations and things like that.
later that day i met my trainer, hna thelin. she is from california and is way cool. this is her first time training so she was pretty nervous, but calmed down when she saw that i was a gringa and that i already knew a lot of spanish. hna larson was a friend of mine in the mtc but got sick, so she didn´t come down with me, so her trainer is in a trio with us. so like in the mtc, i am in a trio. her name is hna merback and she finishes the mission in feb. her parents are coming down and everything so it reminded me of what will happen with me 16 months from now! anyway, they are both hilarious. they love to have fun and make the work fun, which i like. already we have these weird little games we play, like when someone burps, we all have to say a fruit and the last one gets hit. i taught them that! also, back in the mtc, hna thompson would always say instead of salud when someone sneezes, which means health, she would say death as a joke, so we do that too. so we definitley have fun together.
right now i am in solanda, which is on the outskirts of quito. quito is the richest part of the country, but it still seems very poor. my first night i kept waking up starting like at 5am bcause all i could hear was birds and dogs. so loud! quito is beautiful weather too. i think we are in the rainy season, but it hasn´t been too bad yet and i haven´t needed jackets or anything, so i am doing well. it is a gorgeous city situated n the mountains, very high up! it is actually a mission rule to wear your sunglasses in quito because you can have some serious eye damage. it is all very green and so colorful. most flowers from the us are imported from ecuador, so they sell gorgeous flowers for like 5 dollars a boquet. i think i will love quito! our apartment is small and cute. tile and wood floor of course, never carpet. our hot water doesn´t work, so right now we boil water on the stove and mix it with water from the shower that is sitting in a huge tub and we do bucket showers. they say that someone is going to be fixing it soom, but who really knows! there are two beds and since we are in a trio, i am on a mattress on the floor. no biggie, that is life in the mission. I just know it could be a lot worse! they were telling me about some of the other areas they served in and there is this place, Santa Domingo, and you basically sleep with cockroaches. they said i will almost definitely serve there because all of the gringas do! i am a little nervous about that, but i will be in solanda for awhile. i also want to go to this area called otavalo. there they speak quichua, which is nothing like spanish, but i hear it is beautiful and the people amazing. Elder Montgomery is there right now.
funny story about quichua, i was feeling pretty comfortable with spanish. i understood a lot of what people were saying to me and it was great. then i went to church and this guy starts talking to me and i don´t have a clue what he is saying. i was like, how do i not know what he is saying? i know spanish! hna thelin leaned over and was like, don´t worry, you are not supposed to understand, he´s speaking quichua. that was a relief! as far as the language is going, it´s pretty great! like i said, i understand a lot and when i don´t, i ask them to speak slower and then i almost always get it. i was on the bus sitting next to this woman and both of my comps were behind me. they kept telling me in english, get her! i was terrified to actually speak. i liked watching my comps do it. well, i couldn´t sit still and knew that after that, i had to talk. so i asked her if i could practice my spanish with her. we got into a great conversation and i ended up teaching her a little about the church. she said that she stopped going to her church about four years ago and was interested in finding religion again. she is not in my sector, but she is in hna merback´s real sector so she is going to teach her more when hna larson arrives. afterwards my comps were freaking out. they said that they had not done anything like that until like 5 or 6 changes into the mission, and one change is 6 weeks! that made me feel good because even though i don´t konw a lot, i am so blessed to have the knowledge of the language that i do. since then i´ve talked to others on teh bus and still have good talks. one man today already knew a lot about the church and kept asking me questions. it´s very fun.
let´s see... the work in solanda is kind of slow right now. hna thelin was here before, but they pulled out a lot of the missionaries in quito to be a part of this choir for christmas, so she was gone all the time and her sector got shot in the process. so these next few weeks will be full of contacting and knocking doors. that´s the other thing, no one has like street doors cause it´s always fenced in and locked in. so we just go up to a house, take our umbrellas, and bang on the fence and shout until someone comes out. haven´t had to do that too much yet, but am looking forward to it!
the food here is pretty good. thelin and merback think i am crazy for liking it, but i do. there is rice with almost every meal, and that has my name all over it! they also make great soups and the fruit is incredible. we have to do a lot as far as food safety goes. every fruit we have, we have to soak it in cloro water for 3 minutes. when we eat at other peoples houses you know they don´t do that, so you just pray taht it is safe. both of my comps have had parasites like 8 times each. they stress to me the importance of staying home if i don´t feel well because i will only get worse. don´t worry, i´m not sick yet, but from the sounds of it, i will be sometime in the near future. we are also not allowed to eat pork. both of my comps like to cook, so i am in the right place and just let them do their thing.
we did teach one lesson to an investigator of ours. she loves to study the gospel and has had two baptismal dates. her dad told her to take more time to study it out, so she is and cancelled the dates. she has two adorable children, one only two months, and the other is like 4. she is incredible and really doesnt feel like she is worthy enough or doesn´t know enough. so we are continuing to teach her and are going back tonight.
today was pday and we went iceskating. that is not my favorite thing to do, so i sat on the sidelines. there were two zones that went. i got to practice my spanish a lot with one elder who was also sitting on the sidelines, because he didn´t know any english. quito spanish is different from all other spanish. people say it is like a sing song spanish, and it so is! there pitch gets higher as they finish the sentence. i so want to demonstrate, but cant via computer! hna merback has such a quito accent, even when she speaks english. oh, and they both have been here too long because they can´t speak english anymore! they fumble words and things, like thelin always says, what hour is it instead of what time is it. they´re funny, and i hope i get that way soon. it´s like i want to forget english!
well, i hope everyone is well. know that i miss you and love you and think of you all often! email me because i do have printers available, and i want to hear from you! LOVE YOU!
Kaylee
aka Hna Sorensen
later that day i met my trainer, hna thelin. she is from california and is way cool. this is her first time training so she was pretty nervous, but calmed down when she saw that i was a gringa and that i already knew a lot of spanish. hna larson was a friend of mine in the mtc but got sick, so she didn´t come down with me, so her trainer is in a trio with us. so like in the mtc, i am in a trio. her name is hna merback and she finishes the mission in feb. her parents are coming down and everything so it reminded me of what will happen with me 16 months from now! anyway, they are both hilarious. they love to have fun and make the work fun, which i like. already we have these weird little games we play, like when someone burps, we all have to say a fruit and the last one gets hit. i taught them that! also, back in the mtc, hna thompson would always say instead of salud when someone sneezes, which means health, she would say death as a joke, so we do that too. so we definitley have fun together.
right now i am in solanda, which is on the outskirts of quito. quito is the richest part of the country, but it still seems very poor. my first night i kept waking up starting like at 5am bcause all i could hear was birds and dogs. so loud! quito is beautiful weather too. i think we are in the rainy season, but it hasn´t been too bad yet and i haven´t needed jackets or anything, so i am doing well. it is a gorgeous city situated n the mountains, very high up! it is actually a mission rule to wear your sunglasses in quito because you can have some serious eye damage. it is all very green and so colorful. most flowers from the us are imported from ecuador, so they sell gorgeous flowers for like 5 dollars a boquet. i think i will love quito! our apartment is small and cute. tile and wood floor of course, never carpet. our hot water doesn´t work, so right now we boil water on the stove and mix it with water from the shower that is sitting in a huge tub and we do bucket showers. they say that someone is going to be fixing it soom, but who really knows! there are two beds and since we are in a trio, i am on a mattress on the floor. no biggie, that is life in the mission. I just know it could be a lot worse! they were telling me about some of the other areas they served in and there is this place, Santa Domingo, and you basically sleep with cockroaches. they said i will almost definitely serve there because all of the gringas do! i am a little nervous about that, but i will be in solanda for awhile. i also want to go to this area called otavalo. there they speak quichua, which is nothing like spanish, but i hear it is beautiful and the people amazing. Elder Montgomery is there right now.
funny story about quichua, i was feeling pretty comfortable with spanish. i understood a lot of what people were saying to me and it was great. then i went to church and this guy starts talking to me and i don´t have a clue what he is saying. i was like, how do i not know what he is saying? i know spanish! hna thelin leaned over and was like, don´t worry, you are not supposed to understand, he´s speaking quichua. that was a relief! as far as the language is going, it´s pretty great! like i said, i understand a lot and when i don´t, i ask them to speak slower and then i almost always get it. i was on the bus sitting next to this woman and both of my comps were behind me. they kept telling me in english, get her! i was terrified to actually speak. i liked watching my comps do it. well, i couldn´t sit still and knew that after that, i had to talk. so i asked her if i could practice my spanish with her. we got into a great conversation and i ended up teaching her a little about the church. she said that she stopped going to her church about four years ago and was interested in finding religion again. she is not in my sector, but she is in hna merback´s real sector so she is going to teach her more when hna larson arrives. afterwards my comps were freaking out. they said that they had not done anything like that until like 5 or 6 changes into the mission, and one change is 6 weeks! that made me feel good because even though i don´t konw a lot, i am so blessed to have the knowledge of the language that i do. since then i´ve talked to others on teh bus and still have good talks. one man today already knew a lot about the church and kept asking me questions. it´s very fun.
let´s see... the work in solanda is kind of slow right now. hna thelin was here before, but they pulled out a lot of the missionaries in quito to be a part of this choir for christmas, so she was gone all the time and her sector got shot in the process. so these next few weeks will be full of contacting and knocking doors. that´s the other thing, no one has like street doors cause it´s always fenced in and locked in. so we just go up to a house, take our umbrellas, and bang on the fence and shout until someone comes out. haven´t had to do that too much yet, but am looking forward to it!
the food here is pretty good. thelin and merback think i am crazy for liking it, but i do. there is rice with almost every meal, and that has my name all over it! they also make great soups and the fruit is incredible. we have to do a lot as far as food safety goes. every fruit we have, we have to soak it in cloro water for 3 minutes. when we eat at other peoples houses you know they don´t do that, so you just pray taht it is safe. both of my comps have had parasites like 8 times each. they stress to me the importance of staying home if i don´t feel well because i will only get worse. don´t worry, i´m not sick yet, but from the sounds of it, i will be sometime in the near future. we are also not allowed to eat pork. both of my comps like to cook, so i am in the right place and just let them do their thing.
we did teach one lesson to an investigator of ours. she loves to study the gospel and has had two baptismal dates. her dad told her to take more time to study it out, so she is and cancelled the dates. she has two adorable children, one only two months, and the other is like 4. she is incredible and really doesnt feel like she is worthy enough or doesn´t know enough. so we are continuing to teach her and are going back tonight.
today was pday and we went iceskating. that is not my favorite thing to do, so i sat on the sidelines. there were two zones that went. i got to practice my spanish a lot with one elder who was also sitting on the sidelines, because he didn´t know any english. quito spanish is different from all other spanish. people say it is like a sing song spanish, and it so is! there pitch gets higher as they finish the sentence. i so want to demonstrate, but cant via computer! hna merback has such a quito accent, even when she speaks english. oh, and they both have been here too long because they can´t speak english anymore! they fumble words and things, like thelin always says, what hour is it instead of what time is it. they´re funny, and i hope i get that way soon. it´s like i want to forget english!
well, i hope everyone is well. know that i miss you and love you and think of you all often! email me because i do have printers available, and i want to hear from you! LOVE YOU!
Kaylee
aka Hna Sorensen
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
I'm going to ECUADOR!
Hello everyone! Can you believe that this time has come?! I am leaving the MTC! It feels so crazy! Time has flown by! Before I get started, Happy New Year! And, if you want to receive letters from me, please, email me your address and if you have already sent letters or dearelders, let me know if your addresses have changed. For example: Taylor, I've sent you a couple letters but your dearelder address says belmont and I don't think that's right. Kendra, where are you now? jayci, are you in Alaska? Megan W. are you in Boston? So, cases such as these, let me know the changes! I want to keep in touch! Shoop, I never got your address! And Liz Turner, I'd love to send you a note!
So, I am done with my training and am finally leaving! It feels weird. I feel prepared, but at the same time, I am scared out of my mind! I mean, this is the next 16 months of my life! It is going to be an amazing adventure! This week has been a lot of lasts for me. Last time with my district in everything. Last time teaching here, last time at the RC, last time at my branch here with my pres, getting released from my calling... It's hard to leave! Sunday was very nice. Hna Cottle and Elder Montgomery were called to speak, so scary for them! They did great. And then a member from the branch presidency and his wife spoke, Brother and Sister Ohman. He shared a wonderful story about a young man who was disabled. He couldn't speak well and always got words mixed up and the order and everything, just hard to understand. A boy is his ward at church died, only 8 years old, and he went to the funeral. All throughout it, he wanted to think of something to say to the parents to show them how he felt. A poem just came to mind and after the service, he rattled it off perfectly, with no mistakes, as if it came from the boy himself. I thought the poem applied to my mission, so here it is:
I am yet alive.
There's no need
To mourn over me,
I am not far away at all
Just across a distant sea.
I am yet alive,
Just in a distant sphere,
Teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ
To all of those who'll hear.
I am yet alive,
There is no need to fear,
I am always with you,
My Spirit always near you.
I am yet alive,
And look forward to the day,
When we shall be together again,
There will be so much to say.
I am yet alive,
My family it is so,
I love you all so very much.
I just wanted you to know
I am yet alive.
That is how I feel, like I am yet alive! People may wonder how I am doing and if I am alright. It is important to know that I am so well! I am alive! This is a wonderful work that I am doing, one that makes me so happy and feel alive! I loved that poem that he shared!
Sunday afternoon we had our own Hasta Ver. I'm not sure if I've told you about Hasta Ver. Every Sunday we as a zone go up to the temple grounds and sing "God be with you till we meet again" and then those who are leaving that week bear their testimonies in Spanish. It was very beautiful and I loved to hear the testimonies of those that I have grown so close with. Besides that, it was the coldest I've ever been in my life! Let's just say that I am happy to leave this weather. When all you have is a rain coat and it is like, in the teens and 20s, I don't even know cause I have no way of checking, but you get cold! I'm done! Yay!
So Sunday was good and happy, and then Monday had to happen, and that sucked! Basically my entire district of 9 left Monday. Only me, Elder Bratt, and Elder Montgomery remained. It was SO HARD to say goodbye! They have been my family for the past two months! Having my comps leave made me cry, not going to lie. It was weird to be the comp of two elders yesterday. Elder Bratt left for Phoenix today, so if you see him, say hi and be nice! So now it's the two ecuador missionaries left! I leave brightand early, and then the real work begins, talk about exciting!
Oh, and tell Sister Dawson that Elder Montgomery and his family knows her and Tammy Stevenson's family! They are related somehow! Small world!
So friends, the next you'll here from me, I will be in Ecuador. I will be teaching and finally working. I am so excited, nervous, but excited for what is to come! I love you all and my mom will give you more info on how to reach me in Ecuador. Feel free to email me! I'll have an hour time limit, so longer to read! Love you so much!
Kaylee
aka Hermana Sorensen
So, I am done with my training and am finally leaving! It feels weird. I feel prepared, but at the same time, I am scared out of my mind! I mean, this is the next 16 months of my life! It is going to be an amazing adventure! This week has been a lot of lasts for me. Last time with my district in everything. Last time teaching here, last time at the RC, last time at my branch here with my pres, getting released from my calling... It's hard to leave! Sunday was very nice. Hna Cottle and Elder Montgomery were called to speak, so scary for them! They did great. And then a member from the branch presidency and his wife spoke, Brother and Sister Ohman. He shared a wonderful story about a young man who was disabled. He couldn't speak well and always got words mixed up and the order and everything, just hard to understand. A boy is his ward at church died, only 8 years old, and he went to the funeral. All throughout it, he wanted to think of something to say to the parents to show them how he felt. A poem just came to mind and after the service, he rattled it off perfectly, with no mistakes, as if it came from the boy himself. I thought the poem applied to my mission, so here it is:
I am yet alive.
There's no need
To mourn over me,
I am not far away at all
Just across a distant sea.
I am yet alive,
Just in a distant sphere,
Teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ
To all of those who'll hear.
I am yet alive,
There is no need to fear,
I am always with you,
My Spirit always near you.
I am yet alive,
And look forward to the day,
When we shall be together again,
There will be so much to say.
I am yet alive,
My family it is so,
I love you all so very much.
I just wanted you to know
I am yet alive.
That is how I feel, like I am yet alive! People may wonder how I am doing and if I am alright. It is important to know that I am so well! I am alive! This is a wonderful work that I am doing, one that makes me so happy and feel alive! I loved that poem that he shared!
Sunday afternoon we had our own Hasta Ver. I'm not sure if I've told you about Hasta Ver. Every Sunday we as a zone go up to the temple grounds and sing "God be with you till we meet again" and then those who are leaving that week bear their testimonies in Spanish. It was very beautiful and I loved to hear the testimonies of those that I have grown so close with. Besides that, it was the coldest I've ever been in my life! Let's just say that I am happy to leave this weather. When all you have is a rain coat and it is like, in the teens and 20s, I don't even know cause I have no way of checking, but you get cold! I'm done! Yay!
So Sunday was good and happy, and then Monday had to happen, and that sucked! Basically my entire district of 9 left Monday. Only me, Elder Bratt, and Elder Montgomery remained. It was SO HARD to say goodbye! They have been my family for the past two months! Having my comps leave made me cry, not going to lie. It was weird to be the comp of two elders yesterday. Elder Bratt left for Phoenix today, so if you see him, say hi and be nice! So now it's the two ecuador missionaries left! I leave brightand early, and then the real work begins, talk about exciting!
Oh, and tell Sister Dawson that Elder Montgomery and his family knows her and Tammy Stevenson's family! They are related somehow! Small world!
So friends, the next you'll here from me, I will be in Ecuador. I will be teaching and finally working. I am so excited, nervous, but excited for what is to come! I love you all and my mom will give you more info on how to reach me in Ecuador. Feel free to email me! I'll have an hour time limit, so longer to read! Love you so much!
Kaylee
aka Hermana Sorensen
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