This week was fun! We had a mission Christmas party! A couple transfers ago the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve sent out a notification saying all that from now on we are to have interviews with our mission president and zone conferences every transfer, as opposed to every other. For this transfer President Chestnut had us have a west side Zone Conference for 2 hours followed by another 4 hours of our Christmas Party! The Zone Conference was great! There was a huge emphasis on coming unto Christ. President used the story of Peter walking on water and how the Savior will always help us and be beside us. He is such a great teacher! The party after was so fun! I got to see Elder McKenna and play ping pong! I played nine square too. It was a blast. Everyone got a present of a towel with the Nevada Reno Mission logo on it. They are nice towels! Christmas blessings!
We are starting to do more tracting since we are starting to stop seeing some people who are no longer productive and trying to find more. What was really neat was the first house we tried no one was home, but as we were leaving the front porch the wife of the family who lives there pulled up and we talked to her! She is open to having us come over after the holidays and talk with her and we hope her family too! They are catholic, but she was nice and open so this is a good sign. Elder Hadley and I prayed as to where to go tracting and the place he felt we should go found her! No one else was interested, but we had some good contacts which was nice. No other real potentials, but as we keep at it we will find people!
The weather has been getting worse. I do not recommend biking in the rain. :D Snow is better, but hurts a little on the face. Biking area's are the best everyone. Really they are. I am getting in really good shape and people have been telling me I have lost weight (which I have) Diet and exercise is the key. To this I testify!
We had a lesson with Jimmie this week where we read President Nelson's talk about finding joy. It was really good. She really enjoyed it and we talked about how she has had times in her life where she did not have joy, but she did know Heavenly Father loved her. She says she will work on trying to always have joy in all things. I found it very useful for me because having joy in missionary work is what you need to have to do it properly, but Heavenly Father doesn't always make it easy sometimes. As I practice though, it gets easier, and I am finding I am able to have more joy in more things! Even though it is very hard, I am so thankful for this experience to be tested and to see what Heavenly Father really wants me to learn. Jimmie at the end of our lesson invited us over for Christmas Eve! We didn't have a dinner that night yet, so we said yes! It was great! Her nephew I think it is who she calls 007 will be there. He has done all these top secret black opp's type stuff for the CIA or something. He can't talk about most of what he's done, it's that top secret. He is a pretty awesome guy I hear. It will be fun.
I love being out here. It is the most difficult and challenging thing that I have ever done. Sometimes all I can do is just not give up. I am really just not good at this. That is the Lord's way though. He turns strengths into weaknesses, but He has to have us go through the weaknesses first. Fortunately, Christ's grace is sufficient to make up for any weakness. I'm am so thankful for this, because I need it more than ever. Thank you for all your love and support. Merry Christmas to all and to all, a Merry Christmas. Love you! Especially you Mom, Dad, and Anna!
Elder Kynan Sorochan
Awesome Christmas lights
A dead duck!
Elder McKenna (my trainer) and Elder Hadley (my current companion)
Elder Peterson (my Zone leader from Carson)
Elf hat!
Ping pong at the Christmas party
Me and President Chesnut
Me and Sister Chesnut
Me and Elder Jones in the snow