September 26, 2011

¡¡¡Hola familia!!! 

This week has been crazy!! Our zone has been having a slow transfer as far as baptisms go. So at our last zone conference our zone leaders challenged us to have 50 interviews for baptism last week. I don’t know if our zone made it but we have been interviewing like crazy. My Companion is a district leader so he gets to help out with the interviews. I have had 1-2 companion exchanges close to everyday for the past week. I had one companion who did not know our area or our investigators. So I have had the privilege of navigating and somewhat trying to lead on the lessons. It’s been a good growing experience for me. I've learned what I need to work on improving, and how to deal with some of the people here. Some of the other missionaries I've been on exchanges with just take off somewhat with what they think the investigator needs before I explain it to them, and don’t give me any room to talk. But I've learned a lot; like how to navigate in Mexico (which sucks) and how to somewhat lead a companionship through the day. 

 Mariana Castañeda Ruis (younger) and Maria de Jesús Ruis Gusman (not so young).

We had 2 baptisms this week! Their names are Mariana Castañeda Ruis (younger) and Maria de Jesús Ruis Gusman (not so young). We have been teaching them since I got here (give or take a few days), and they have been a fight every step of the way. Mariana (catholic) was who we first initially contacted, and had problems from the second lesson when she didn’t get an answer (mainly about the Book of Mormon, and didn’t feel any different during sacrament) so we explained and testified and explained and testified some more, but got nowhere. So after many prayers her mother came to visit for a few weeks. And she was what we needed. She is also catholic and just loved our lessons and made remarks like how beautiful our lesson is and how awesome we are stuff like that. When she was there Mariana never had many doubts.

 So we tried to commit her to baptism (her mom wasn’t there by the way) and she said she’d have to pray about it first. We said ok and ended the lesson. Then we had the talk given to us by our zone leaders and the assistants to the president so in one of our exchanges I took our ZL to interview her. The interviews here are really more of a one on one lesson where they talk about the interview questions with a district leader, zone leader or a branch president. And because it’s a one on one setting the missionary can really dig in and find what’s holding the investigator back if they’re not interested, or get them exited if they lack the desire to do it. So in the interview my Zone Leader found out that she had some issues in the past and wasn’t letting herself feel the spirit, and committed her to a baptism by faith, and she accepted. The next day we committed her mom to baptism and got her an interview.

The day before the baptism she called us at about 6:30ish and told us that they didn’t want baptized. It just so happened that Elder Figueroa and I had a exchange scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 and I’m not that competent teaching when it’s to explain random questions like why do we need the Book of Mormon if we have the Bible and both teach the same thing, why do we need a Prophet if I can receive revelation from God on my own, stuff like that. Mainly because I don’t have the vocabulary that strong in not the 4 main lessons we teach and second I know nothing about the bible. So I was a nervous to go and try to re- convince these two women to be baptized in about 14 hours. So we get there and right after the prayer my temporary companion starts to explain why we have the Book of Mormon and throws out all the scriptures in the bible that he can think of and testifying. This somewhat helped Maria out but I knew that it wouldn’t help Mariana out because we had already explained it using the same references at least twice. But he just kept going and didn’t let me talk. That is kind of the problem when I have an exchange with a Latino; they think - he´s the new guy and does not speak Spanish that well so I’ll just take care of the lesson. So after a while of trying to butt in I just straight up raised my hand and asked if I could say something. That gave everyone a somewhat of a laugh, but at the same time gave me a chance to talk. So I explained how baptism would give her the opportunity to start to grow a testimony (relating a testimony to a plant and our soul to a tree). And after that I testified that only through baptism could she be forgiven of all her sins and feel joy and hear the Holy Ghost. During that testimony I was filled with the spirit for the first time. Now I understand and know what that means - it’s an awesome, powerful feeling. After my testimony we talked a little more and they ended up being baptized the next day. Mariana still was a little scared or nervous but thanks to her mom she got baptized.

Love you forever

Elder Sorensen

September 19, 2011

Hola!

It’s good to hear from you guys! We are back on the regular schedule for P-Days now. It’s weird to think that there are only 2 more weeks of this transfer (even though I will be with my same companion). The Independence Day was cool; There were a lot of drunks. Two or so nights ago we got woken up to TNT at 5:45 - 6:00 it was really kind of annoying. Most of the fireworks here are lame except for the occasional good ones. My favorite is a rocket with TNT on top, they are so loud. You can hear them from miles when they go off. The rest are just cheep and junky.

The temple sounds like it was a good time. I somewhat miss it; they don’t let us go out here. The only time we can go is when one of our investigators goes through the temple and right before I come home.

I’m sure Zach did great on his talk. I’m also sure he’s nervous but probably more excited than nervous. Have him send me his address for the MTC or give it to you and send it to me. Tell him that the the MTC is awesome, he’s going to meet lots of new friends, he’s ready, that time flies once you get in to the mission field, it has for me. Do everything you can to keep focused, and to keep in touch with me.

Captain Moroni is my favorite leader in the Book of Mormon. I wish I could study better and more in depth in the book of Mormon than I get to right now. One of the things that my Mission Pres. told me before I got into the field was to not study in English, and if I wanted I could read in Spanish then English. But reading in both takes longer so right now I’m studding the pamphlets about the lesson and figuring out what the most important parts are (writing down all the words that I don’t know, sometimes translating them at the same time) so I only get to read for about 15 -20 min in the Book of Mormon every day in Spanish. But I’m starting to get the lessons down. I’m about to the point where I can teach without my companions help (not perfect, but I can explain most of it on my own).

Spanish is coming I’m starting to understand what the speakers are saying on Sunday and can understand most of what my comp says when he slows down a little. Thanks for all your prayers.

¡Hola!

Sorry it didn't write on Monday. We had our p-day changed to tomorrow because today is the Independence day of Mexico. So everyone and their dog is going to be drunk tomorrow so that's going to be our p-day. I'm writing you today because tomorrow there is a good chance that the internet shops are not going to be open.

Like I said today is the independence day of Mexico, so there are tons of little firework shops EVERY WHERE!!! It’s so hard not to buy them. I've figured out all the prices and there really cheap. You can get 3 mortar shells (the real loud ones that get shot into the air and explode) that are the size of a tennis ball for 10 bucks. And to make things easier there are kids everywhere that are playing with them. They have some cool ones. One is just a stick of dynamite that they catapult into the air it’s really sweet. But I expect tonight to be a little crazy.

Last Tuesday I had my first dream with Spanish in it, and I'm finding that when i go to write words I use a ton in Spanish and I have to translate it from Spanish to English. So Spanish is starting to come. I still can’t fully understand the natives but I can pick more words out every day.

Trackting in Spanish is difficult at times because I don't know exactly the words that I need to say and the key parts of the doctrine for all the lessons. I really like how we tract though. In lesson 1 we get the investigator to say that their church isn't true. We use the Bible almost more that we use the Book of Mormon, because all the people believe in the bible here, whether they worship the grim reaper, Virgin Mary or are just straight up Catholic. So we explain to them using the Bible that the Church of Christ had 4 things:
1. Prophets
2. 12 apostles
3. The authority of god (priesthood)
4. Received revelation
Using Ephesians’ 2:20, or others, and then ask if the Church of Jesus Christ was perfect. They always say yes. Then we ask if we change the church of Christ is it still perfect? They again say no. Then ask if they know of a church that has all of those 4 characteristics, and they say no. It’s cool. I like it.

My companion can teach almost all of the principles of the Gospel from the Bible, at least enough to disprove all the weird things that people ask and or believe. I'm sure I will know it really well by the time this transfers over.

My companion is from Bearacruze Mexico. He is an only child and was converted when he was 8 years old. He says hola ha ha.

Fried pig skin is............. different, and doesn't taste like bacon. It’s hard to believe that isn't the weirdest thing that I’ve eaten.

I'm kind of getting use to living in Mexico, teaching and walking a ton - the hills are straight up. Although it is still weird at times, I'm the minority here and I am the butt end of a lot of jokes. The buses keep things fun.

Love ya forever

Elder Sorensen

Here are few pictures. I will do my best to describe what they are of:

One is of a pet paret that was at an investigators house. It was fun to play with, and it only pooped on me twice.

 Ha ha it was cool. I've seen lots of random things that i didnt think were in mexico, like white Frogs. Also there are tons of stray dogs here. I see close to 100 a day, and there all some what scared of humans.

Here is a picture of this weird drink that i had at a members house. Its some tree seeds/branches sooked in water and mixed with suger, it wasn't bad but, i'm not a huge fan of it.  I had some interesting things to eat here, one of them being fried pig skin. I dont really know spanish well enough to ask what I'm eatng ha ha.

The other  picture is of the rain. Its the middle of the raining season here. It will look nice in the morning so we dont think we will need rain coats, but then it dumps every night. Most of the time we are fine, but others times it turns every road into a river. 

      

The Spanish is coming. Thanks for all your prayers. From what I under stand I'll understand people before I will be able to talk back. I can understand my companion and members enough to know that i don't know the word they are using, but at least I know that the word is one that I don't know. Thanks for all your prayers. 

I love you all 

Elder Sorensen