November 4, 2013

Hermana Hammer and I

We got transfer calls Saturday at 10:05pm.  I was informed I am staying in Los Banos, but will be moved over to the Mercy Springs ward.  Hna Hammer will be staying in the Los Banos ward with a new companion.  My new companion is Hna Odor (oh-door...not the smell).  She is from the Aruba if I'm not mistaken.  She doesn't have much longer in the mission so these might be her last few transfers.  She's a native obviously so I guess that will be good to finally have someone to help me with my Spanish.  It's been a really hard weekend though. I was looking forward to helping the Los Banos ward more and working with Bishop Fairbanks, but  Bishop Nuno is and will be great too.

We didn't have much appointments this week.  Our investigator pool is slowly diminishing.  Shen doesn't really want anything to do with us any more so that's hard.  Susan says no one loves her in the ward and she wants to go to another church where she is accepted.  We went over and visited with her.  It was a very touching visit.  She broke down and really opened up to us about her past and how she was as a mother.  I personally feel that she has turned to extreme beliefs (reincarnation, God is neither Male nor Female, etc.) because she has had a lot of hurt in her past with being abused and other things.  She wants beliefs that have no feelings or emotions attached in case it "back fires" or when she's placed in another trial, she won't have any pain and sorrow from that.  She just wants to feel loved and give love.  Her daughter doesn't talk to her which kills Susan because it tells her she was a horrible mother.  We met with Susan 2 times this week and just tried to help her know she is special.  She's very open to learning and has started to change her ways, but then Satan places something in her life to trick her.  She told us she was starting to accept that God has a body and is male until she drove past a church here that took the quote from Pres Uchtdorf (I mentioned it a few weeks ago) that put up "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith."  So she of coarse took it as she shouldn't be doubting her beliefs because she is right.  Sigh.  We told her Pres Uchtdorf from OUR church said that and we shared a little bit about his talk and how he referred to that.  Hopefully I'll be able to always keep in touch with her and be her friend.

with the Horan family carving pumpkins for FHE

Halloween here was good.  We had to be in our homes at 6:30.  Had Zone meeting earlier that day, got back in town, visited with Michelle, had dinner w/ Garcias, and then went home and wrote letters.  Not very fun and memorable like your guys, but it was still nice to get things done that evening.  We even had a few trick or treaters.  Luckily we had a bunch of random candy through-out the house.  Sounds like you had much more then we had though.  You all look so cute and fun dressed up!  Did you all get a lot candy?!  

  

My District in Los Banos

My Zone in Los Banos

xoxoxoxoxoxo

- hermana Sorensen