Buenos Días, familia!

Things are starting to pick up this week in our area.

This week was stake conference. My companion served in Gandía (south of Valencia) a year ago and so he was very excited to see people that he had worked with at the conference.

Elder Buttcane and I in piso

We also had interviews this week. Presidente and Hermana Pace came down and interviewed everyone on Friday, then participated in the Stake Conference Saturday and Sunday. It was great to get to know them better, and they both gave amazing talks about missionary work on both Saturday and Sunday.

We've been trying to work with the members this week. You'd think that the first thing you do when you don´t have any investigators is go out contacting, but that´s not how missionary work is anymore, especially after the Work of Salvation Broadcast this summer. Contacting has it´s place, but working with the members is much more effective. (1/1000 doors knocked = baptism; 1/3 member referrals = baptism). My companion is great about that. He has a vision for the ward that will really accelerate missionary work. This is the plan:

Basically we want the ward to be self-autonomous in its missionary work. The Ward Mission Leader has a lot of responsibility in this. With (ideally) 3-5 "companionships" of ward missionaries, the Ward Mission Leader organizes everything and assigns families to the ward missionaries. They go out and visit around 5 families a week, sharing with them the ward mission plan and helping the members find out how they can help, and who they know that could start taking missionary lessons. Everyone reports once a week in a Correlation meeting. The members are the missionaries. The full time missionaries are there to help and encourage the members, and to help teach the lessons.

Alejandro and his Dad from the baptism last week.

My companion basically blew my mind when he shared this with me. It makes so much sense. If everything worked smoothly like that, we´d be having upwards of 6+ baptisms a month in the ward.

So, this week we've been visiting with members, getting lots of referrals, talking to the ward mission leader and the bishop, trying to set this all up. I'm super excited to see it start to take off.

I'm very grateful for this opportunity to dedicate myself to the gospel for 2 years. I've been learning a lot. Often when we visit members and they are reluctant to share referrals, to participate in missionary work, to do home teaching, etc. I think, "What are you doing!? This isn´t a one-day a week church! Why isn´t everyone focused on the church every day?". I'd get frustrated, but then I realized that we do (or don't do) the same things in back in Utah. I keep thinking about what you told me a couple weeks ago that President Packer said, "You people in Alpine are so good, I can't understand why you aren't better". That confused me at first, but now I understand it better. We as members need to actively participate in the work, not sit passively and just do what we´re told to do. Anyway, that´s what´s been on my mind lately.

This week I read a scripture I really liked in Alma 37:38-46. Alma is teaching his son, and compares the Liahona and the physical course of Lehi and his family through the desert to the spiritual course we travel through this life. I swear I've never seen those verses before in the Book of Mormon, but they really impacted this time I read it.

Thank you for all your support, prayers, etc. I'm really enjoying my mission and the days are flying by faster and faster. Keep strong in the faith and have fun!

-Élder Sorensen

Questions answering time ...

1. My companion is from Tehachapi California. He´s been here for a year and a half. He´s served 6 months in every area so far, so he expects to end his mission here.

2. I'm glad that Elder Buttcane likes cleaning, because my last companion didn't =D. Just before Elder Buttcane arrived I cleaned most of the piso (living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom) because they were filthy. With Elder Buttcane we've been doing the fridge, laundry room, shelves, etc. as well as sorting all the records from the last 6 years. I'll send pictures next week.

3. Spanish is coming. I can speak pretty well, and I'm getting used to conjugating quickly. I need to learn more vocab though. It´s still hard for me to understand sometimes. People from Spain mumble and talk very fast, but I can understand south-americans much better. If I concentrate hard enough I can generally understand what anyone´s saying (the general meaning, at least). Sometimes I understand every word, sometimes not a single one. It's very different than how I thought learning a new language would be.

4. Many Nigerians speak only English (And Pidgin, and a little Spanish they pick up while living here). Last week we started a separate Sunday school class for English speakers.

5. We're in piso for up to 8 hours a day (eating, studying, exercising, making calls, etc.), and sometimes we go to eating visits together, so we interact a lot with the other elders.

Now I'm out of time.

Thanks for all the pictures!

Elder Tanner Clement, October 24, 2013

Hi Everyone,

I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with the customs here than when I got here. I feel like I am fitting in a lot better with the people. 

Food update: Still going very well. The food here is really awesome. To pick a favorite would be really hard. Lately, one of our investigators, Victor, has bought us hot dogs here after almost every lesson in the evening. The hot dogs here are like nothing you would believe. Dad would go crazy. In the United States we go: Dog, bun, ketchup, mustard, and (for the really daring ones) relish. Here in Mexico they go: Dog, bun, ketchup, mustard, relish, onion, cheese, quacamole, chiles, bacon, and whatever else they can find in the fridge. It is awesome. 

They also have great mini tacos, cooked sandwiches called "tortas", and a plethora of other goodies involving tortillas, beans, rice, and some kind of meat (and to drink, Jamica, which comes from a flower). 

Weight update: Surprisingly enough, still very much the same. 

Elder Lamm and I are doing very well. He leaves the 11th of November from Los Mochis. 

This past week I had the opportunity to attend a special conference with a group of other junion companion missionaries from all around the mission. It was really awesome. The Presidente Munive said that the conference was for future leaders of the Ciudad Obregón Mission so that was really cool! He talked a lot about the rules of the mission and I was very grateful for this because I was able to clarify a bunch where I have recieved less-good information from other missionaries. The assistants talked about bringing the spirit and bringing people to church. We had a practice sesson where we taught the other missionaries and invited them to church and we also practiced with bringing the spirit and perceiving their needs. 

We also had a really cool experience with an inactive brother this week. His wife is very strong in the church and they have been members for quite some time but over the years he has let little doubts take apart his testimony to the point where he doesn't really believe or go to church. We knew that they hadn't been to the temple yet to be sealed as well. We got Elder Lamm's pants that the sister sewed up and then we invited her husband in to share a message with them. We had something else planned, but after talking with them for a while we felt like it might be better to take it another direction. He had a lot of thoughts on the life after this one and questions on doctrine. We talked to them for a while and shared a lot of scriptures and our thoughts. We answered a lot of his questions that were pretty standard doubts I think that were easier to explain. He still rested a bit unsure at the end of the lesson and then Elder Lamm and I testified very powerfully that although we don't know everything and every point of doctrine, we do know this, that it is true. We have read the Book of Mormon, we have taken it's promise and prayed to know that it is true, and we have certainly endured to the end in keeping the commandments of the Lord, and we have felt the blessings of it. We told him that doubt will always be hanging over us but because we have our testimonies rooted in Jesus Christ and his gospel, we cannot be moved. We promised him that if he came to church this next week he would feel something that maybe he hasn't felt in some time. We left that house with the spirit and as we left he came out the door behind us and just stood out in front of his house. I think he was thinking. His countenance was a lot different from when we started the lesson.

Also, this last Saturday Osman was baptized!! It was so great! He is an 11 year old boy whose family was inactive. He has been telling his mom for quite some time now that he has wanted to be baptized. Last week we met with him and taught him the lessons and although he is shy, he has a really sweet, gentle spirit about him. Usually investigators need to attend church for 5 weeks but I guess his situation was different because everyone in his family is already a member. I probably would have set the date back a bit more because they want to be sure that the family won't just go inactive right after the baptism, but because they have family in the ward and because Osman really loves church I think it was alright. He was so happy that day and it was really great. 

We also met with Ana Louisa again this last week. She is the investigator with really bad cancer. We thought she had gone in for Chemo therapy but we decided to try to visit her anyway. She was home. She said that they cancelled the therapy because she wasn't feeling well and because they found more cancer in her lungs. She was really devastated. We asked her if she would like another blessing, of comfort and counsel (because we already did a blessing of anointing before) and she said she would love it because she really knows that the first one helped her out. We sang her "Come, come, ye Saints" then we left. She was so grateful and glad that we'd come. 

This next week we have three baptisms planned: Victor, 26 years old. Rosario, 11 years old. And Humberto, 9 years old. Humberto's situation is similar to Osman's with his family but we may change his date for when more of his nonmember family are gonna be here in the first of November. Rosario knows that this church is true. She has a good relation with the Relief Society President and she tells us that she really does know that it is true but she is nervous to take the step of baptism, as all people are. Victor knows it is true as well. And he was going to be baptized last Saturday but he said he would like to talk to his family first. He really does want to be baptized and we hope to set the time this week for Friday. He will be the first adult convert that I have had the opportunity to help. 

We had a great Sunday as well! Five investigators came to church. The three that are going to be baptized this week as well as Osman. Also, the lady that stopped us in the street last week and told us she was interested in our message (I am still so shocked and feel blessed by that) came with her little girl. It went very well. And guess what? As I was playing some prelude music Elder Lamm came up behind me and said, "The Brother came!" I looked back and there was the husband of the sister that we had taught earlier in the week :) Woo! We didn't get the chance to talk to him before he left but we will be visiting them this week to ask how it went. 

Thanks for all of your prayers and love. I feel so blessed to be here at this time. As it says in the mission manual, "How great is [my] calling!" It is an honor to be a representitive of Jesus Christ and I woulnd't be anywhere else in the world. I know that He lives. I know that this is His work on the earth today. The field is white and already to harvest. There has been a challenge proposed by Elder Lamm and I to the members to bring at least one convert to the waters of baptism by the end of the year. I would like to extend the same invitation to you guys in Utah. More now than ever before, is it essential to bring our brothers and sisters in! 

Thanks again, 

Elder Tanner Clement

Elder Jansen Hall - October 21, 2013

Hey Yall!

So this week yall know I got transfered. And boy were there a ton of changes! First off yall know by now that im basically in Tuscaloosa. Im a district leader over probably the biggest district in the mission. There are 3 companionships of sisters, 3 of elders, including us, and a sr couple. 

New Companion - Elder Bean

We have a set of elders and sisters that are spanish speaking, and a set of sisters that are called just to teach and help build up the new YSA branch they have, since we are right by campus. Haha its crazy to have this many missionaries. Not only that, but right when I got here, they all were calling me about future baptisms they had and how I needed to set up interviews! Its been so dang cool!:) We have had 2 baptisms already, both spanish, and I have interviewed 3 more people to be baptized in the upcoming week! How great is that? And we have about 4 or 5 more baptism interviews that ill do this week and next! The work is really progressing in this part of the vineyard.

Sister Catherine Aldous--September and October

Hello, Family and Friends. Here is Catherine's update for September and October:

September 2
One of my favorite miracles of my whole mission happened last Saturday. We tracted just one last door before dinner. The girl who answered had been less active for about two months, had just moved from Washington, and had been thinking that very morning that she would go to church the next day. She guessed that there would be Sacrament Meeting at 9 or 11, but Philomath Ward is at 10. Because we were guided to her, she was able to have loving reassurance about her decision to come to church, and we got a cute member couple to give her a ride and sit with her. It was amazing to be an instrument in Heavenly Father's hands to bless His daughter who was making good choices. It is so wonderful to be part of someone's tender mercy...

Corvallis area finally has some mission culture for me. :) Dave's Killer Bread, reusable shopping bags, co-ops (way more natural than Whole Foods). I learned this week that this is part of the Willamette Valley. I'm not surprised. We get to shear goats on Wednesday as a service project.

September 16
I used some plastic bags today. It felt very strange. :)  I think Corvallis is rubbing off on me. I really like Corvallis. If I had to actually live somewhere in my mission, I think I would choose here.
The sister I will train is in the MTC now. I prayed for her on the day she went in. It was a confidence booster to be the senior companion for a day, but I'm also nervous, of course. I want to come across to people as happy and at ease, not too professional or stressed. I hope that people think, "The missionaries came over today. My day is better."

Some elders in my district had special protection this week. (I heard about the elder who was killed in a car accident recently.) All the mission cars have little "tiwi" devices installed that track the cars and yell "check your speed" if you're speeding even a little bit, and "check your seatbelt," and "aggressive driving" (I haven't heard that one yet). Anyway, the elders were driving at an appropriate speed on a highway near a bend when their tiwi said, "Check your speed." They knew they were definitely not speeding, but they had to slow down by about 10 mph for about 15 seconds. They just went along with tiwi even though they were annoyed. But then they saw a huge truck in their lane, and if they had been following the speed limit the whole time, they almost certainly would have hit it. Wow.

Yesterday we contacted a referral from the ward mission leader. The husband of the woman came to the door, figured our who we were, and said, "Leave!" I could tell he meant it. When a little additional time on the doorstep occurred, he flatly announced, "I am Native American. If you don't leave, I'll scalp you." He wasn't joking, either. We scurried our way out of there. The saddest part is that the woman was taught by elders a little bit five years ago. She knew the Book of Mormon was true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but her husband completely vetoed any further investigation.

President Young made D&C 6:36 the foundation of our mission culture. We individually stood, he called us by name, looked us in the eye, and quoted the first part of the scripture. Then we responded, "Doubt not, fear not." He has been doing it one by one throughout the mission.

October 7
The new companion I am training is Sister Jenkins. She's blonde and 5 feet tall, is very cute and cheerful, and has a great sense of humor. She is 21 years old, is from Idaho Falls, and did two years at BYU-I....Sister Jenkins is amazing! She is exactly who I've needed. She is gentle, encouraging, hard-working, ingenuitive, and in tune with the Spirit. She ministered to me with words of perspective that I needed to hear yesterday. I love her.

We went on a beautiful hike with "C" this morning. She is 53 and a single mom of 3 grown children. We invited her to be baptized this week, and she is considering it. She likes President Monson a lot. We hiked with "C" and her dog on a gorgeous trail near Philomath. The scenery provided a visual aid for the part of the Plan of Salvation that we discussed with her (a loving, literal Heavenly Father who created a beautiful place for our life on Earth). She said what we taught gave her hope. She is very thoughtful.

Less-active members of our ward are softening so much towards us. One 21-year-old girl, the daughter of very committed ward members, considers herself an atheist, but let us share a lesson with her earlier last week. Then she invited us for lunch! We asked her if she would watch conference with us. She anticipated having a hangover for the morning session, but we went in the afternoon and watched the whole session with her. She is so sweet. We are very grateful for how open she is to us. Conference! Conference! Conference! Prophets are true! God speaks!

Other less-active members and part-member families give a friendly beep on their car horns when they pass us or pull over and stop to talk. It is special to build these relationships. These people will be my friends forever.

The Sisters talked with a man who had been growing his dredlocks for 17 years

tyler's letter

This week hmmmmm. It was pretty great. We got a lot of work done on the Ward. Meeting and finding, mucho mucho. We found a lady whose name is Chui and she is about 60 and she has a super strong testimony. She sits there and takes notes during our lessons jaja. Its wonderful! We asked her if she will be baptized and she said YES!She has already been to church like 3 or 4 times in the past and you have to go 5 times here to be baptized so it should be pretty soon that she is baptized. I am really happy and excited for her to make this fantastic step. So in our Ward we have been trying to figure out a game plan for the less actives. Because it is about 30 percent actives and 70 percent menos activos. I was a bit off on my percentages last week. But ya its a bit cray cray (M sizz what up dog) So ya hopefully our plan Works. Oh the food got to me this week.... I will leave it at that.... ya....k...

I have grown a lot spiritually this week! It has been the best week yet for me in my spiritual growth. Which i didnt think could happen because the mtc is spiritual heaven. Seriously being out here makes me not miss but appreciate how easy, and fun, and wonderful the mtc was. You constantly feel the spirit so strong. You get to speak english..... and you are around your best friends all day in a room. But its pretty great here too because we get to help out people to make eternal decisions! I still am not bueno at español. wowzers its so tough. But hey its not some weird language so i cant complain. I just wish i knew more so that i could help out a Little bit more. But i am really good at bearing my testimony, especially at bearing it on familias. I can bring the spirit pretty strong, because every time i bear my testimony on mi familia i tear up a bit, because you  guys are so darn awesome!!!!! Holy cow every time I see a Little boy here I think of you kyle, all i wanna do is play some ping pong with you!! I sure do love you guys like you cant imagine! But i will be alright! Oh happy birthday dad!!!!!!!!! and grandpa!!!! I love you all so much! you are in my prayers always! Feel free to keep me in your prayers i can use all the help i can get!!! jaja i know you are!

Love you so much!!

Elder Allison

Elder Tanner Clement, Oct. 16, 2013

That is pretty cool you guys were able to feed dinner to the homeless.
That is always a great experience to bring you back to earth.  I think I
am pretty thoroughly "back to earth" down here as well :)

We had a fantastic week down here in Los Mochis, Mexico.  Things are really
starting to cook down here (no pun intended) (three way pun: first off all,
the good food.  Second, us in the sun.  Third, well, the work of salvation).

My new companion, Elder Lamm, is from a city by Boise, Idaho (no, it isn't
Meridian unfortunately.  I ask all people from here Idaho if they know my
cousins) and he is on his last exchange like Elder Richards.  He is a
really good guy and wants the best for the people.  He is a bit more
obedient than Elder Richards too and we have sincerely felt the blessings
from that.  Elder Lamm says there are 108 missionaries in our new mission so far.

It's cooling off down here a bit.  Mostly because there is a new hurricane
coming from the pacific again.  Woo.

We had many fantastic experiences this last week.  First, we have three
new baptisms planned!  A young girl about Colter's age that is really
mature, Rosario, is loving the gospel.  Initially, a sister in the ward
invited her and another boy to church and they loved it.  We haven't been
able to meet with the boy yet but we taught the first lesson to Rosario in
two visits.  She loves it.  (also, when she went to conference last week
she was crying while President Monson was speaking because she was so
happy)  We set her baptism day for next Saturday, the 27th and although she
doesn't feel very prepared, she is going to continue reading and praying
and attending church to be prepared for that day.  Woohoo!

We also invited Osman, the son of a less/inactive family who is 11 years
old but isn't baptized yet.  His family lives close to the border of our
ward and the one next door so they weren't sure where to go before (which
is kind of a soft excuse, but they want to return now).  We showed them a
map of the area and it includes their area so they were happy to come to
our church this Sunday.  Osman is so excited.  He has been wanting to get
baptized for so long.  He is going to get baptized Saturday!  I am so
happy for him.  He really enjoyed coming back to church with his family.

Third, we invited Humberto.  His mom is a new member and his dad is
inactive.  He is 9 years old and is a bit wild and constantly says he can't
understand me (ha ha) but deep down he wants to be obedient and he knows of
the importance of baptism.  We told him of the responsibilities that he
would have to carry being a member of the church, being an example, and he
said that he would do it.  I think a little responsibility is all he needs.
(one of the pictures is of him, his little brother at his birthday, and I
in a bounce house) He accepted for Sunday, the 26th.

We also invited a family of a mom and two daughters and they said they
would be baptized if they know it is true but we didn't set a date yet
(they tell you to do it during the second lesson).  We gave her a blessing
a few weeks ago (she has cancer) and she has already felt the power of the
priesthood.  She has felt much better since that day and she tells us every
time we go over (and to her friends in the neighborhood, at least those
that are members as one sister told us).  I think we will be able to
progress with them in time.

Cool story of the week.  We had a Zone Conference last week that went very
well and we learned a lot of great things.  One of the things they taught
is to have a specific prayer for a specific purpose.  The Zone leaders gave
us some good steps to follow with this.  And as we were walking later that
day from one visit to Rosario's house (to teach and invite her to be
baptized) which was quite far away, we realized that we were not gonna make
it on time.  I knew how important this appointment was with them so I
figured I would give it a try, I said a silent prayer that a car would be
able to give us a ride so we could get their and bring her closer to
Christ.  A few moments later, Brother Medina from the bishipric drove by
and pulled up next to us, "Elderes, can I give you a ride?"   :O    I know
that Heavenly Father answers every single one of his children's prayers.  I
know that He needed Elder Lamm and I to get to this appointment to help
Rosario come unto Christ.  We arrived just in time and she committed to be
baptized next Saturday.

______ experience of the week (funny, awkward, embarrasing?).  Elder Lamm
and I were going to meet with a sister to congradulate her on her
daughter's baptism and to see if the dad was interested in the church so we
walked all the way to her house and gave it a knock.  We were having a good
time and the sister came out and quite confidently we said, "Sister! How's
it going?! We just came to visit you today!"  She said, "Oh thanks! That's
so nice!  But I am a little busy right now, maybe another time?" (but in
Spanish)  We said that was fine and talked a bit more.  Then she introduced
herself as Gloria.  Whoops.  It was the wrong house.  Haha we just tried to
shake it off and asked her if she would like to hear our message of Christ.
She accepted.  Later, a few days later, she actually called us and said that
she wouldn't be able to meet at the predetermined time and we changed it
for later that day.  That never happens!!  We taught the plan of salvation
and she and her daughter loved it.  We are going back to teach this week
again.  I actually think there might be a lot of opportunity in the future
with her.

Oh, and eventually we found the right house.

Also, really quick, as we were walking home Sunday from washing our clothes
at a members house (it's the only day they are available) a young lady
called for us, "¡Jovenes!" or, "Young men!"  "I am really interested in
your message!"  :O    We set up an appointment with her for this week.  I
guess her friend is investigating the church and told her a lot of great
things about it!  That was so cool!


I wish I had more time to tell you more from this last week but I am just
about out of time.  I love you all.

Elder Tanner Clement

The Weeks Are Flying By

Dana Sorensen -- Valencia, Spain

Thanks for sharing that. I love the photos!

As far as news, this week has been a lot of fun. We had a District Meeting on Tuesday. And, since we´re in Spain, why not do it in the ruins of a 1500 year old castle!? 

It was a lot of fun. We all shared what we learned from the General Conference. It's interesting how something different stood out to everyone; everyone receives a different message from the Conference.

 Thursday morning we woke up around 3am and ran through the park Túria. We started at one end, and ended at the other (about 5 miles). It was just going to be Élder Pérez and me, but most of the zone ended up going (as well as a member!). Thursday evening I took the train to Barcelona and slept there overnight. In the morning we picked up our residency cards (I´m legal now!), and I headed back to Valencia. It was nice to see friends from the MTC there.

Saturday night we got word about transfers (It´s transfer week, so Preparation day is on Tuesday this week). Elder Perez is leaving to Santander (north of Bilbao). Tonight my new companion will arrive (Elder Buttcane). Our area is pretty much dead right now as far as investigators (because of the change in boundaries), so it´ll be nice to get a new companion and refresh the area.

Next week we are going to have a baptism. His name is Alejandro. His Dad is a member of the Bishopric in our ward, but he lives (lived?) with his mom who doesn't want anything to do with the church. He is so prepared for baptism. We went through the baptismal interview questions with him to help prepare him, and he answered them better than I could have.

This is the Mambo family. They´re amazing. The mom and dad are strong members, the oldest son is ward mission leader, the younger sons play piano in sacrament meeting and pass the sacrament, and they all often come with us on teaching appointments. They´re a great example of strong active members.

We´re still meeting with Peter. He hasn't had luck finding a job in Spain (the unemployment here is 27%!), so he might move to another country sometime soon. He´s trying to find a place to stay and a job so that his family can come join him (they´re in Nigeria). He has been preaching the Gospel to his friends and acquaintances, and they haven´t been very receptive. One of his friends kicked him out of his piso for having been baptized. But, he continues as faithful as ever. Every time I meet him he is just so happy and ready to learn. We've been working with him to do his family history (Nigeria doesn't keep any records of births/deaths/etc. apparently, so it´s difficult).

The weather here is perfect. It´s cooled down a lot and there´s usual a nice cool breeze blowing from the Mediterranean. In Barcelona it was freezing and rainy.

As for questions: The day does start quite a bit later here. Our missionary hours are from 7:30 to 11:30 (one hour later than usual). Usually we wake at7:30, exercise/eat, do an hour of personal study at 9, then an 1-2 hours companion study (since it´s a training companionship, we do more companion study), and leave around 11-12. The siesta here is called Mediodía (middle day). If we don´t have an eating appointment we go eat at piso and do language study (usually that´s from 2-4). We have to be back in piso by 10:00pm. We do walk around in the dark at nights, but being in the middle of the city it´s very well lit.

Yes, my package arrived last week. Everything is in perfect condition except it all smelled strongly like tacos. I really enjoy listening to the music and conference talks on it every night. I´m all set for now, I don´t need anything else. Thank you very much for sending it.

Scripture of the week is Alma 7:22-23. This is one of my favorites:

 23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.

 24 And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.

There are 12 things in those verses that we need to do/become. One of the big purposes in life is to train ourselves to become more like this (like Christ). I like to pick one or two of the things listed and work on them each week.

I´m really enjoying Spain and loving my mission. The weeks are flying by. In truth, I never plan on stopping being a missionary. I will be able to use the things I´m learning to share the gospel for the rest of my life.

I love you all and I´m praying for you!

-Élder Sorensen

Elder Jansen Hall - October 14, 2013

Hey Yall!

This week has been so busy, fun, sad, happy and everywhere in between! Probably the biggest news of this week is that im gonna be gettin transferred. Now there is a story for this which I will tell later on in the letter. But this week has been full. The weather down here is still nice. Its started to get back up into the 80's, which is still a little hotter then I would like. It is hotter the further south you go in Alabama, so maybe if I get moved up north it will be cooler, Well see. So transfers will be on Wednesday and ill email yall after we get the news and I get into my new area. And like it says in the title. Im gonna miss Highland Home a ton. I have said a lot of goodbyes. Now im ready to move on to the next exciting adventure that awaits. Thats one thing ive learned about a mission is that there is always change. It better to just enjoy the moment, whether good or bad, then roll with the change and make the best of it, cuz there are more people waiting for you to help them and they can help you. So im also excited:)

Elder Tanner Clement - October 9, 2013

Thank you so much for your emails!  It sounds like things are going well and
I am so happy to hear about the kids' success in school and sports!  And I
am really glad Hermana Munive was able to say "Happy Birthday Mom!" for me :)
We were walking last Friday and then it hit me... October 4th... Oh
yeah!!  Elder Lamm said I should ask Hermana Munive(mission mom) if she could send you
something so I called her and she said she would love to!  President and
Sister Munive are really good people and they really love the missionaries
here.

Conference was awesome!  We were going to watch it in Spanish with everyone
else at the church (I still think it is kind of funny that you are
considered a bit lazy if you don't go to the church to watch all sessions
of conference here :) but after we helped the Stake President set up we
asked if there was an English room and he hooked up a little TV in a little
room for us to watch it to here the real voices of the speakers.  It was so
great!  It went by so fast!  However the account of my feelings and
thoughts are upon mine other plates and I do not think it to be expedient
to share them all here. ;)  But I would like to share my feelings about
Elder Holland's talk.  It was fantastic for me.  A few times I really have
felt quite down in the past year and I just could not figure out why.
First of all, I know that Satan has increased in his efforts to take me
off the path ever since the announcement of the mission age change last
year; but not so much with temptation to do things, more with heavy
feelings of inadequacy and darkness.  (A lot of times I asked my dad for a
blessing for extra strength and I always received it.  I am very grateful
for the priesthood in my life).  And second, I know that I have been given
these trials at times to keep me humble and constantly asking for the
Lord's help.  And Elder Holland's talk really pounded on this about
darkness and depression.  Many very successful people have fought with all
their might to conquer it.  And I really like what he said with, "If you
can't pass the bitter cup, drink it."  Sometimes the only way through is
though the trial.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel.  There is
always light at the end of the tunnel.  And the gospel is that light for
us.  Because we chose to come to this earth and follow our Father's plan we
have the potential to be like him.  And through thick and thin as we hold
on to him and obey his commandments, we will be.
I also enjoyed Elder Uchtdorf, President Monson, and really everyone.

This past week was the best of my mission.  Although I was a bit sad Elder
Richards left, it was strangely a relief in some ways.  I realized that
because he had such a strong, confident personality, often times it would
cover up mine and that was really hard but he was still a good companion.
Elder Garcia and Elder Tejeda arrived.  My first native companions for three 
days (until my new companion, Elder Lamm arrived).
They were awesome.  We laughed, had fun, and most of all, did the work.
It was fantastic!!  They are hilarious guys but they put the work first in
everything and that brought the spirit with us into every home and every
where we went.  It really showed me how missionary work should be.  I was
surprised this week about how much my Spanish has accelerated.  I can
understand pretty much everything people say and I can reply in an ok-ish
accent.  One of the young men in the ward that we always work with said
that he can hardly hear my accent now.

Elder Lamm has been great also.  He is more humble and still has the
burning desire to do the work.  We have a lot of higher goals set for this
week and we are excited to fill them.  Last week we extended two more
baptismal commitments and they both said yes!  Rosa's son, Carlos, accepted
for the same day as his mom. (I hope we will be able tokeep this day 
because they weren't able to make it to the chapel this week
for the conference and they need to attend to be baptized).  And
also Victor for the 19th.  He has come to church a lot of times
and he really loves the gospel.  We have seen the change in him over this
time and we know he can be ready by this day if he continues to prepare.

We were also able to give at least three blessings this week, one of which
to a woman with cancer who is a nonmember friend of a sister in the ward.
We went back to her house the next day and no one answered the door for a
while, but finally she answered and said that she couldn't talk because she
had company but she felt fantastic and she loved the Mormon message we
invited her to watch (Good Things to Come).

There have been so many fantastic moments from this past week I wish I had
more time to write but hopefully I will have more from this next week.

Thanks for your love and prayers.  I love you very much mom.  Your example
to me has really led me here today.  Every day I see new families and see
the challenges they have to suffer through and I just think how blessed I
am!!

I love all of you guys and I appreciate all of the support from home.  I
really can feel the blessings here in Los Mochis, Mexico.  Thanks also for
your prayers in behalf of our investigators who are so close to tasting of
the glorious fruit of the tree of life.

Thanks again and I hope all is well in Utah,

Elder Tanner Clement

Brad Riley's week

Hello to Everyone!

Well this week was a good week but I was hoping to end it with watching general conference and things did not go the way I wanted. On Saturday Elder Heninger and I got a call to go do service and so we had to go and help this newly married couple move into there house and they moved into this huge house I think it was 6,700 square feet! They had a lot of stuff! I think they had 2 R.C Willies trucks there with all brand new stuff, furniture and appliances it was crazy! So we didn't get to hear the conference talks all of Saturday, and then on Sunday we got out our note taking stuff and we got all ready and right as I sit down, I get a phone call from another elder that was asking for help with this ladies car that stopped working so he came and picked me up and we started working on this car I'm used to having the shop at our house and all the tools in the world there! so when I get to this ladies house and I look at the problem and trying to figure out the best way to work on it and I found a way that would be the most efficient way to work and we didn't have the right tools! So it was a little frustrating having like only so much tools to work with and have to try different strategies to see what would work and so all of Sunday I was working on this car. I didn't get to listen or watch conference so that was a bummer because everyone that got to watch it said it was such a good one and it was the best one that they had seen so I missed out, but thank goodness for the internet ha ha now I get to watch it! 

The work right now is kinda slow and I wish that it would pick up but it gets dark here alot earlier and people don't want to let people in when its dark so its kinda tuff.  Also the fact that Elder Heninger keeps getting flat tires! haha I have only had 1 (knock on wood) so that's good but its nice being in a biking area because people can get our attention that are on the street and if we were in a car they probably would have a harder time seeing us!

For example:

Elder Heninger and I were riding our bikes down 12th Avenue and this guy yells across the street and wants us to come over! So we walk our bike across the road to see what this man wants and as we get closer we get a better look at him, and we was a bigger man and had piercings and had looked like he had seen better days! So I was thinking "Oh great what does he want to argue about" but when we got to him he held out his hand and said "hello my name is Frank and I just moved here from Las Vegas"  he then continued to tell us his story! He says he is a member of the church and that he fell away. He told us he wants to change and to turn his life back around he said he is in debt and he moved back to Idaho because he has  a house here and it is all paid off so he kicked his renters out and since these people haven't been paying the rent for about 5 months so he moved in and felt like his life was going nowhere.  He isn't married and he has no kids and his life feels like its dying! He told us he wanted to start having the lessons again and unfortunately he isn't in our area but we know the elders that are! We gave him their number! The good things is he is always at Wal-Mart and we see him every P day! So it's nice to be able to see the progress in his life and he looks happier and happier every time we see him! 

If we weren't on our bikes he would have never seen us and he would have never got the information that he needed! So I am grateful that I am on a bike! 

Okay so at our house we have this statue of a butler and his name is JT and he is awesome.  He is always holding my suit coat and he is strait up chill! haha but its fun to mess around with him a little! haha

I'm really happy with the work that I have been able to do and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't talk about my amazing family!

 

I miss everybody so much and I am thankful for all that you have done for me!

Love Elder Riley

 

JT, the butler

 

Elder Dana Sorensen -- Valencia, Spain

Hello friends and family!

Thanks for all your emails and pictures, I really enjoy reading them.

Conference was amazing! It seemed almost like Christmas Day because I got to listen to the prophets for 8 hours!

We watched Saturday morning session live at 6pm Saturday night. Then on Sunday morning we watched the priesthood session, on Sunday afternoon we watched the Saturday afternoon session, and at 6pm on Sunday we watched theSunday morning session live. We don´t get a chance to watch the last session, but I´m going to download it so that we can watch it in piso.

I loved all the talks, but especially Elder Bednar´s about tithing, President Uchtdorf´s about what the church requires of the members, Elder Holland´s about depression, Elder Oak´s about our biggest priority... OK, I just liked them all.

This has been a busy week. We changed our area a little bit, so most of it is new. (still in Valencia, same ward, just changed boundaries with other missionaries in our ward). So, we´ve spent a lot of time getting to know the new area. We have almost 0 investigators, so we´re going to spend a lot of time this week contacting. We are going to have a baptism on the 19th, an amazing investigator we gained from the Hermanas when we changed areas.

Peter watched three of the conference sessions with us. You should have seen him. When the first one finished (on Saturday night) I went over to ask how he liked it. He was literally bouncing up and down talking about how amazing it was and how he was so happy there were more sessions. This week we got him a Triple (Book of Mormon, DC, and Pearl of Great Price). He was so excited to finally have all the scriptures. I think he´s almost done reading the gospel doctrine book, and he has at least one notebook filled to the brim with notes, scriptures, thoughts, etc. that he records while studying. Really, I feel like he´s teaching me more than I´m teaching him.

I thought I´d tell you about a little thing we do in the Barcelona mission each time we leave the piso. It´s a little routine. First we pray that we will be able to find people and teach with the spirit. Then we each share a short testimony about something in the gospel. Then, we recite the baptismal invitation and accept it. After we get out the door, we always contact the first person we come across. This way we focus on prayer, sharing testimonies, and talking to people right at the start.

I´m almost out of time. I´m very grateful to be here in Spain serving the Lord. It´s so great to be able to focus my life on just doing that for two years. I´ve learned so much already. My perspective has changed and I feel happier and more prepared to take on life. I can´t wait to see what I learn in the coming years!

Thank you all for your support,

-Élder Sorensen

Helloooooooo,

So this is it! Last email before I am in MEXICO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) Wowzers. It's crazy! I really can't imagine it. This time next week I will be in a little house teaching a family the gospel, knowing very little of what is being said! Can't wait! But I can bear my testimony so hopefully that will do the trick :) It has been another wonderful week, I continue to learn so much! I have been learning so much about how to be more like Christ and it is so awesome! My relationship with my Heavenly Father is growing tremendously! I really really love this so much :) I truly love it here and think it will be kind of sad not being here any more learning. But at the same time I think that will all go away the second I land in Mexico :) So I am the "travel leader" for like 14 Elders all going to MCNW. jajajajajaja I don't think the people got the memo that I don't know what I am doing in air ports seeing as I've only flown twice..... It should be interesting ;) We leave the MTC on Tuesday morning at 2:30 in the morning! ya 2:30..... should be interesting, who needs sleep anyways? jaja. But I should be able to call home that morning or around 10 in our layover in Dallas. I will email you again on like Saturday. They let us since we are leaving :) There have been a few missionaries struggling in our zone lately, so it is kind of our job to look over them and help them in every way we can, so this week has been kind of focused for me on how I can help them. I have tried learning and learning about Christ as a leader and bringing on those attributes in my leadership. I know that I have received much help especially with just loving them and praying for them each day.

Ahh funnnnnnnnnnny story for ya.

So for about the past 2 weeks our thermostat "magically" keeps on changing at night.. or so my roommates (the 3 others i am with) think jaja. They enjoy turning the temperature down to 45 degrees! which is pretty much Antarctica. So every night I finish my prayer around 10:40-10:45 and everyone else is already done with their prayers and almost asleep. So I pretend like I'm going to the bathroom and I always turn it way up and turn it from cool to off or heat :) They were so confused how this was happening jaja. I said some thing like "maybe it is one of the security guards" because they don't really like the security guards here. They had a bad encounter or something once. So they were like "ya! It totally is them!!!" They are still convinced that it is the security gaurds jajajajajajajaja. They set up a "trap" to try and catch them. The past 2 nights they put the Ironing board right in front of the door with things on it so that "when he opens the door and sneaks in our room in the middle of the night it will fall down and we can catch him!" jajaja Wowzers too funny! So last night I unlocked the door so it would look like one of them tried to sneak in but saw the trap and turned back. They totally fell for it. It is really to easy :) I think I will keep going with it. It's just to much fun :) 

I watched a mormon message I beleive it is called Heavenly Father-Earthly Father. Man oh man It is way powerful! I couldn't help but think of you throughout the whole thing dad! You really are everything it says in the message! You are the bestest ever! :) 

I love you all so much remember who the ultimate example is in our lives. Jesucristo! If we try and try each and every day to be more like him I know that our lives will be so much better! I love him and his sacrafice for me and for everyone! Without the Atonement we'd be struggling big time! I know without my Heavenly Father I am nothing Alma 26:12. One of the best scriptures out there in my opinion anyways :)

Alrighty hear goes my best attempt at my testimony.

Yo sé que Jesucristo es mi Salvador y Redentor y Él es su Salvador y Redentor.

Yo sé que a traves la expiacion de Jesucristo nosotros podemos limpio de nuestros peccados. Esté conocimiento me ayuda a tener esperanza en mi vida.

Yo sé que El Libro de Mormon es verdadero, porque yo orado a saber por mi mismo.

Yo sé que Dios es nuestro amorozo Padre Celestial.

Yo sé que nostoros podemos orar a Dios todos el tiempo y recibir una respuesta.

Yo sé que las familias son eterno, este conocimiento me ayuda a tener faliz por que mi familia es todo cosa in mi vida.

Este es mi testimonio 

En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

( The spelling is way off. I can say it just not really quite type it fully correctly yet ) Love you all!

-Elder Allison