Week 5 at the MTC: ER Visit!

I want to share my experience at the ER though because it was just super amazing. (weird I know).  First off, my nurse's name was.....ARIANNE!!!!!! Spelled the same and everything.  Just HAD to get a picture with her!  :) Even though I was in pain, it was a little blessing from God.  But back to my story.  After dinner I was in a lot of pain where I couldn't even breathe.  The Health Clinic here was closed so I went to the front desk and was told to go straight to the ER.  As we were waiting in the waiting room there, a car pulled up and the dad jumped out with his little daughter in his arms.  He ran in and I instantly did not like the situation.  The mother jumped out as well just as quickly and both ran in with tears running down their faces trying to communicate to the doctors what's happening.  They only spoke Spanish so they had to get a translator. It was then when I realized how helpful learning Spanish is.  I couldn't understand what they were saying, but their body language said it all and I already knew what happened.  Their sweet little daughter who's maybe a year and a half old had fallen and most likely got a concussion.  She was not responding at all to anything.  They tried to get her to grab an object but she wouldn't.  They tried to get her to follow their fingers with her eyes but she wouldn't.  I broke down in tears and started pleading to God to allow this girl to be okay.  The parents kept kissing her and loving her.  They put a neck brace on her and left to get more attention.  I still don't know what really happened or if she's even okay, but I know the Lord loves her and her family and is watching over them. I don't understand how one minute everything could be okay and then before you know it, everything's changed.  My heart broke that night and I didn't even care about the pain I was in.  Shortly after that, another family came in with the little boy screaming.  I just thought "Oh no not again!"  Luckily though it wasn't as serious.  It was actually the mother that needed the attention.  She was having contractions (not due till May) and her little boy Peter has been having stomach pains too so they were in killing 2 birds with one stone.  As the mom was being taken care of, Hermana Miller and I got to talk with Peter and his dad.  Peter is turning 2 in a couple months and just LOVES Elmo.  He wouldn't stop crying so I gave him some of my "magic" lotion.  Boy did he love that and rubbed it all over.  We got him smiling and playing with us.  What a cute little boy.  Sure made me miss Vanessa, Owen, Sariah, Aliyah, Hailey, Gideon, and Packer.  But it was such a comfort to be able to love and play with a child.  I love kids. :)  All while we were here and all this happening, there was an older gentlemen in the room as well and he had a Libro de Mormon and pamphlet with him.  I couldn't stop smiling.  We wanted to go up and talk with him, but our lack of Spanish scared us and we ended up not. 

  Let's hope it's over.  It took forever to have things done that night.  But I didn't care.  I knew there were more serious cases.  I got my ultrasound done at midnight and then left at 1.  Then we stopped at Walgreens to pick up prescriptions.  What a night and event. I have definitely felt the love of God this past week in all the little things.  I'm so blessed to have the companion I have in that she was willing to stay with me the full 7 hours in the ER.  We didn't get to bed till 2 that night.  Never did she complain.  She sat there with me the whole time.

Yesterday in TRC (just an activity we do each week where we practice our lessons and Spanish to some volunteer members).   Our lesson was about receiving revelation through church attendance and I mentioned how I received an answer at church when I was deciding about going on a mission.  March 25th, my Birthday, it was during Sacrament when I received that answer.  All the testimonies shared that day dealt with missions.  After I mentioned that I knew being here was where I needed to be.  I have no clue why the Lord wants and trust me with learning Spanish, but he does.  I am so not ready to speak it to real investigators and I'm not ready to leave the comfort of the MTC.  I know I will eventually learn it though.  It will take time.  But anyway, it's crazy to think next week I'll be in California!!! I'm so excited but so so so so nervous.

- hermana Sorensen,     posted by her Dad

Week 4 at the MTC

 Last Wednesday we got about 814 missionaries and I hear today we are to get over a 1,000.  HOLY COW!!!!!  So exciting.  Meal times are such a pain though now.  Takes us forever to get our food with how long the lines are.  And to think it will only get worse!  I hope they build another cafeteria or make more meal times.  No firedrills this week. ;) Ha ha.. This last Sunday my District and I sang in Sacrament meeting.  Our presidency LOVES our singing and wants us to sing again before we all leave.  The spirit is so strong when we sing it's amazing.  Hermana Miller and I finally joined the choir yesterday and loved it.  We'll see if we go next week though. Ha ha..

6 new sisters are joining our district today.  4 left this week for Spain finally after having to wait for VISA's.  The cold is still going around.  All the Hermana's in my room are sick.  I've had really bad stomach pains this past week but haven't had them much recently.  Hopefully it was just some bug or something.  No fun being in pain and sick away from home.  But the Hermana's took good care of me and the Elder's were super kind in checking up on me. 

My favorite things of the MTC are: the Devotionals of coarse! Still no one exciting or famous yet, but hopefully I'll get 1 before the 27th.  I LOVE the Blueberry Muffin Top Cereal.  Sure gonna miss that. :)  I love the teachers here.  They are all so uplifting and helpful.  Things I hate about the MTC is the community bathrooms.  I can't wait till I have a shelf with my stuff and not having to bring it in and out everytime.  The food isn't terribly bad, but I'm excited for real food I'll have in 2 short weeks.  I hate how crowded everything is.  And MTC or no MTC, I am hating this cold!  Burrrrr!!!! 

I'm grateful for this chance to be here. I know this church is true and I'm excited for what lies ahead.  Nervous, but super scared.  I've learned a lot about love and conversion this week.  My encouragment to you guys is to love everyone around you. :) I know I wasn't the best at that before, but I have seen already how love affects your attitude and the way people see you.  I am now a teacher and example.  I have to be what this church teaches, which is the plan of happiness.   I love what Kimberly has always said but now means everything to me which is something to the effect of life is to short to be angry or upset.  Be happy!  It makes all the difference.  It truly has made all the difference here and I hope I can continue this through out my life.           -posted by her Dad.

Week 3 at the MTC

This week has been crazy! We got a new bunkbed in our room to hold 6 girls now. Super packed, but I guess with all the missionaries coming in they have to. I heard they're opening a MTC in Mexico. I've been here for 21 days and have about 21 more! HALF WAY THROUGH MTC!!!! Last night as we were in line for the Tuesday Devotional, Hermana Miller asked the Elders behind us where they're serving, and they said.......FRESNO!!!!!!! We were all so happy to see each other and get to know one another.  They are awesome Elders.  There's 5 Elders and then just us 2 Hermana's here speaking spanish.  We all head out the end of this month.  We sat with them in the Fireside. :) It made our night and got us all even more excited to get out there and meet the people there. 

Guess what else?! I was pulled aside Sunday and was assigned to be the new Coordinating Sister for our Zone!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited for it but super nervous. We get 6 new girls today so I have to welcome them in tonight and tomorrow.  I had meetings all day Sunday and last night. :)  So I am in charge of 17 girls right now.  4 of them leave to Spain on Monday.  In one of my meetings I went to I learned something very profound and have been working on it a lot since then.  Sister Hacking (1st or 2nd counselors wife) said "people respond to love".  I always knew that, but that just really hit hard and was like one of those "DUH" moments! I've been trying so hard to just love those around me and to respond with love. There in the mission I will not know what they are saying the first few months, but I know if I respond with love, they will respond and listen to what's said through the spirit.

Still working hard trying to get the language.  Yesterday in TRC my mind went completely blank.  That feeling you always here when missionaries get out in the mission field and they realized the language everyone is speaking is not the language you learned.  Yeah that was my feeling.  Everything was just gone and I just sat there so confused.  I kept saying everything in English and kept being told "spanish!" and I'm like "Spanish? How the heck am I suppose to know how to speak in spanish when I don't even know anything?!"  Ha ha.. Our next meeting I did slightly better but still at a lose.  My teacher came up to me and Hermana Miller and told Hermana Miller that she can no longer help me but has to let me suffer. I agree.  My spanish won't come along until I really put it to the test.  So I now have to struggle putting sentences together, but hopefully it will help. 

Thank you to those sending letters!! I really do appreciate them and love them. For those of you not, I still love you, but you should write me!!!!! :) I promise to write back on my p-days! :)

I leave with with something I learned from President Hacking Sunday:

"We all will face challeges and hardships like Joseph Smith.  We will all experience our own "Liberty Jail". Every experience will be for our learning.  Be humble, faithful, & speak no harshness about trials.  We will be blessed.  God knows the remodeling we need done to our "houses".  :) You guys as a family should read D&C 121:1-6 about Joseph's experiences with trials.  God doesn't forget about us.  We are his children.

Take care!!!!

-hermana Sorensen  -posted by her Dad

Week 1 and 2 at the MTC

Hermana Arianne Sorensen and companion, Hermana Kiley Miller

Hermana Arianne Sorensen andher MTC District

  I have the greatest companera ever, Hermana Kiley Miller.  Her and I get a long so well.  When she's down, I help pick her up and vice versa.  We both got our mission calls the same day, and arrived here same day, leave same day, and today in the temple we just found out we both went through the temple for the first time on the same day.  So cool. :)


  I love my district!  All the guys in it are serving here in Utah. :) We have Elder Shrack, Elder Wickenhagen, Elder Tofa, Elder Biggs, Elder Burgin, Elder Flora, and Hermana Shaw, Hermana Moffitt, and then Hermana Miller and I.  Our teacher is Hermano Jaen from Mexico.

Things here are getting better but still really hard.  Funny thing the other night, I just got in the shower and the fire alarm went off!  Hermana Miller and I had to hurry rinse off, put on some clothes and get out! Ha ha ha.. She kept yelling "Hermana Sorensen, are you still in here?!" I yelled out "Hermana Miller, we have to go!" Ha ha.. We now know what it feels like to be pioneers where they had to leave everything behind. :P But it all was because some girl upstairs burnt her popcorn.  Had to wait outside at 9:30pm for like 30 minutes. COOOLLLDD!!!!!! But it made for great laughs. :)  We actually had another fire drill the next day so we were getting frustrated.  But we're all still alive and doing good. :) 

With all the new missionaries coming through, we were informed we're getting more beds put in our rooms.  They will be here probably Friday to put em in.  CRAZY how many missionaries we're getting. 

The language is still hard.  Just when I think I get it, we're given new words.  It is so fast paced and everything.  But I am learning to enjoy this time and be grateful for this moment.  For devotionals, we've heard from mostly the Seventy.  All still really good talks.  Apparently we missed Elder Holland.  He came the Tuesday night before I got here.  I hope we get at least 1 of the 12 come while I'm here.  If not oh well.  Thank you for all the love and support.  Miss you guys everyday, but I know I'm suppose to be here.  I'm getting so ancy for the end of February when I can finally meet my friends in Fresno.  President Ferrell before I left told me the 2 ways to know if you're being a successful missionary is to 1: teach others they're children of God and they can talk to him, and 2: that you're better than you were yesterday.  I have really been focusing a lot on number 2.  I am such a better person then I was yesterday and I pray that I will continue to be so. 

You all are in my thoughts and prayers.  Take care.  :)  LOVE YOU!!!!!!

- hermana Sorensen    -posted by her Dad