Hello everyone! As always, thanks for all of the news and updates! I love hearing from you and about what is going on in your lives!
I guess I´ll start out with my subject line. So, we have had a weird last couple of days. We were locked in on Monday and Tuesday because of Carnival, but we knew that so that´s not a huge deal. However, we had to travel about an hour into Quito to visit two other hermanas, Hna Larson and Hna Merback. Merback´s parents were coming in because she is done with her mission, so we had to pick up Larson to take her back with us to our area, so she´s not alone. Well, when we got home, we had like, 15 missed calls, which is unusual for us. We called our DL back, who called us the most, and he was like, where were you. We had told him earlier that day, and reminded him, and he was like, but you just got home? We were like, yeah, like a minute ago. He was acting weird and said he would callus right back. When he did, he said he was extremely worried not because he had kept calling us throughout the evening, and twice a man had answered the phone. Let me tell you, that is impossible! Me and Thelin are the only ones with the keys to the TWO locks, not even our landlord has copies because hte mission put these locks in special. Anyway, when the man answered, this caught our DL by surprise, and he asked if the hermanas were there. He responded that they weren´t home yet, but they were coming back later. I mean, if it was a wrong number, wouldn´t they just say so? I guess earlier that day a member called us and the same thing happened, this man answered the phone. I really don´t think there was someone there though, because they didn´t take anything and everything was exactly as we left it. We live on the 2nd level, so it would be hard to climb in through the windows. I just don´t understand what happened. We don´t have a land line for our phone, it is a cell that stays only in the house. It´s like a cell phone, but you keep it plugged in. So anyway, everyone was freaked out for us! Two of our ward missionaries and a member of the bishopric were over at our house like ten minutes after we got home because they were so scared for us and heard waht happened. Hno Rojas, the man from the bishopric, chewed out our landlord and was yelling at him, what kind of security do you even offer here,that kind of thing. So, since everyone was so scared for us, they made us go back into main quito and stay with the mission nurse. She has a really nice apartment, with carpet and everything! Talk about nice! Then last night we stayed at Hna Larson´s apartment in Cotocollao, and tonight we are returning to our place. People from the mission office are coming this week to check things out, and at the same time we are going to take them to see the Pepinos´s house, because this just makes us want to live with them more! It would be safer! Anyway, we still don´t know how anyone could have been in our apartment, no one has access to keys, the windows are too hard, and what, just to answer the phone? Like I said, crazy last few days!
Other than that, things are going well here. Thelin is just getting over everything, and now that carnival is pretty much over, we are safe to go out! I got hit by two water balloons this week, and by members! I would be fine if it was just water, but dothey really have to add dirt to the balloons? It´s just gross to be in for the rest of the day! In other places, like Ambato, they throw flowers and it is actually supposed to be very beautiful. Too bad I couldn´t be there! If you haven´t heard, the volcano became slightly active this past week. It wasnt much, but they still moved the missionaries, just incase it turns into something big. I really want to go there sometime in my mission, because it is supposed to be the most beautiful part of the mission.
So every 6 weeks, we have changes, where we change sectors or areas, or our comp changes sectors. Everyone thinks Thelin is leaving, but I really hope she doesn´t. I feel like I have so much more to learn from her! We have so much fun, but get a lot done too. So cross your fingers that she stays! Some ask how many latins there are for comps and how many gringas. Well, there aren´t a whole lot of hermanas to begin with, but even fewer gringas. It was a miracle that I had Thelin to begin with! She was the last one that came in, and that was 11 months ago. Three are leaving next week, so I think that leaves 5, and they will all be gone by July. There are very few coming in too. One comes in this Wednesday, and my dad said one from our stake will be coming in the change after that. So most likely, I´ll have a ton of latin comps, which will be good for my Spanish!
Speaking of my Spanish, it is going quite well. People understand me, I participate in our lessons, and all of the missionaries here, especially the gringos, are shocked that I know so much and I just got here. that makes me feel good. My pres said that I know more than any other american that came into the mish. I guess it can only get better from here, so I just need to keep practicing!
And lastly, we have a baptism either this Saturday or Sunday. It is family, I can´t remember if I talked about them, but they are the Lovato family. The dad is a member and has been inactive for 20 years. His wife and two daughters are investigating the church and he is so happy to have the church back in his life. He has such a solid testimony already. He and his fam had been going from church to church looking for something, and when a family invited them to our church, they went and he said he was so excited because he knew he found it. He said something had been missing for so long, and as soon as he went to church, he felt it and knew and it made him so happy. He just wanted the same for his family. So Jeanette, the wife, Michele, 15, and Denise, 11, are getting baptized this week. It has been only like, 3 weeks, but they want it so bad. I love this family! They are incredible!
Well, thanks for all of your letters of support. They really are that, support. I did see the funeral services of our prophet and the calling of our new prophet. Pres. Hinckley was my prophet. I grew up with him. At the same time, he was the prophet for most of my ward here. So many of them are converts, and he is all they know. I love this church and am happy that I can share this with others. This gospel makes me happier than I ever thought possible, and I want to share that with others. Thanks again for your emails and I love you tons!
Hna Kaylee Sorensen
