Well Howie was baptized Sunday! It was so hectic trying
to get everything ready with church going on, having to go to meetings,
get papers filled out, etc. But it turned out wonderful. It's almost
nicer to have baptisms on Sunday because everyone stays and attends! It
was packed! It was great though. This last week we actually committed
another investigator to be baptized this weekend! She's 9 years old,
Angelina. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned her before. She was suppose
to get baptized in June with her cousins Elayna and Audrina Flores, but
the parents post-pond it due to family issues. We've been trying to get
her to be baptized ever since but the family has been moving house to
house and we can never catch them. They've been at the grandma's house
this last week and so we've taken every chance we had to teach and get
her ready. We had bro Tauheluhelu with us and he offered to have a BBQ
afterwards (that was one of their concerns; they didn't have a house to
hold a party). So they said yes and Angelina and her new 8 year old
brother Daniel will be baptized Saturday. I'm really nervous because I
know the family is being kicked out of the Grandma's because of the
landlord, so they might use that as an excuse. But I hope and pray it
finally happens.
This Sunday we were informed a gentleman in the Los
Banos ward, Bill Stenberg, just passed away. We visited with them about
a month ago and then have been trying to have dinner with them the past
couple weeks but they kept canceling because he wasn't feeling good.
They both are from Kaysville (went to Davis High) so it was really fun
connecting with them on that. He was a trooper. He had kidney failure
and was waiting for a transplant. So we are very sad by the loss. His
funeral might be Saturday as well and so we might have to move the
baptism any way. But I am grateful for the chance I had to meet him.
This week has been a huge challenge companionship
wise. We are starting to butt heads and it is taking a tole on both of
us. I wish we could get a long always, but some peoples way of
communication is not the same as others. We have transfer calls this
Saturday and transfers next Wednesday, so we will see what happens. I
don't even know what I want any more. I want to stay here mostly
because of the security of English speaking, but the area is really hard
and so it would be nice to get away from it. With all the missionaries
coming in, we are out of cars so all of us have to start biking more.
Another reason why I'd like to stay here because we are out in the
middle of no where and NEED a car. Ha ha.. I just don't want to bike
miles away in this heat. No fun. Haven't had to ride my bike yet, but
I'm sure I will in the near future.
Nothing else really happened this week. I luckily
did not come down with what Hermana Miller had, but I am suffering from
bad allergies. The other day my tongue went numb! CRAZY!! I've never
had an issue with allergies, but here it's horrible. At least I hope
it's allergies. Maybe it's a head cold I don't know. So it's been a
slow week of trying to recover and get back into things. Montserrat
came to church!!! She stayed a little bit for the baptism too! It was
so wonderful too because she said "I don't know if it was today or later
this month that I was suppose to not eat. So I did it today anyway."
She just makes me smile. She is reading, praying, coming to church,
and FASTING!!! HA ha.. It's still scary though because she's not
opening her heart all the way. She is still very skeptical of
everything and is doing these things we ask really cause she doesn't
like saying no. But I hope something clicks for her and she does all
these things because she really does want to do all of these things.
We did service this last week with all the Elders in
Merced. We planted starters for bushes and then painted the deck.
They had a ping pong table so I challenged Hermana Miller. She needs
practice. ;) I can't wait to play some more ping pong when I get home.
This week we also had dinner with a family that has an exchange teacher
at their home. She's from Japan so it brought back a lot of memories
of Maimi. :) I wish I learned some Japanese from her so I could have
talked to Sunny or said some things to her.
Thank you for everything and all you do. I miss you
all so terribly. But I know I need to be here. Congrats Kaylor!
I am happy you get to go back out and serve! Go missionaries! :) Keep
up the letters, keep up the prayers. I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!! Tell
everyone I say hi.
-hermana Sorensen
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