This work, it's good work

HEYO!

Hello to all the people out there! How ya doing? Thanks for all the letters and love. I've been really feeling it. Ok first before we get to this week we have some questions to take care of!

1. What's it like at the MTC? How is the food?

The MTC is great. The first week is over whelming and lasts for what feels like at the time an eternity. After that though it is so amazing. The schedule here is jam packed of learning, teaching, learning, teaching, a little studying, and in case I didn't mention it, teaching. Right from day one and almost everyday after you are practicing teaching. Sometimes our teachers act as investigators and it is a really cool intense role play. We prepare for them and give them commitments and they never break character. We even do it in a separate room. Lucy or Kellie whichever of you asked there are no tests but we do have people from the outside (aka the real world) come here and we teach them as real investigators. Some are members, some are not, but for us they are all investigators. The food here tastes pretty good but is carb-a-liscious. Yeah that's a word. Don't drink the orange juice. (I promise I didn't) I actually am slowly losing some weight just cuz I'm not as hungry. I just try not to eat too much.

2. What does a district leader do?

I am in charge of looking after those other missionaries in our district or group. 3 districts make up a zone and I look after our district. I also go get our mail twice a day and there are a few meetings that I have to lead and on Saturdays I interview all the Elders in the district to make sure they are ok and if there is anything they need some help with. It is cool.

Jessica and Brandon CONGRATULATIONS on the new baby! So excited for you.

Ok now for the week cuz we have some cool things to talk about. This week our two investigators are Josh Christenson from Seattle (hope his last name is right) and Samson Soli who is a huge Samoan. I'll start with Samson. Monday we taught him a bit of this and that but mostly got to know him. We gave him a restoration pamphlet and asked him to read it. He said he would and Tuesday when we met again we followed up and he had! He actually has a photographic memory and went over the general points in each section to us just from memory. WHAT?! It was so cool. We then taught him the restoration and since he is Catholic found out that the Catholics think that Peter gave the priesthood to someone named Linus. We kinda were like "ok cool never heard that" and kept going. The good thing was is he wasn't really sure what to believe so that's why he was meeting with us so that he could try and find the truth. His desire to know the truth was so strong that we knew that this priesthood topic wasn't going to be an issue because at least I could tell that if he reads the Book of Mormon and prays sincerely the Holy Ghost will teach Him the truth and that topic won't be a concern. We left him with a commitment to read the Book of Mormon and to pray about it and he said he would. On Wednesday when we came back to teach him we really didn't teach our lesson because it had turned out he had read the first 12 chapters of first Nephi that night! We talked about his experience with that and he told us about specific parts that as he had been reading he had really personally connected to and about how amazed he was that a book with a record that was written back in 600BC could connect and be applicable to him today. We then asked if he had prayed and he said he had and that he knew that is was true. It was such a real experience and you could just see that the Spirit had and was testifying to him of the truth. So awesome because he did most of the talking too. It's not us that converts, it's God. Love it. Our other investigator is a really friendly guy and I gave him my blog ULR so he can follow my mission but his interests are on just learning about Mormons not about coming unto Christ so our challenge right now is to find out how we can build his desire to change and have the Holy Ghost be able to teach him. One last crazy thing happened last night. So as our district sat in our room trying to study (trying being the key word :D ) These two people with MTC worker name tags came to our door. I thought I had seen one of them around in the cafeteria but when they came to our door they asked "hey would you be willing to teach us more about your church?" They aren't members. Braulio is from Peru and Ivette is from El Salvador and from working here at the MTC they see all the goodness and love that is going on and wanted to feel the love from God that we talk about. For about half an hour we taught them just this and that as the Spirit directed and with God's direction were able to build some faith in God being our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ being able to help us with anything, and that by praying sincerely we can feel that love that they have for us. They even at the end said a prayer with us. Braulio said it and you could see that both of them were really feeling the Spirit and knew and felt that God loved them more than they could know. I saw Braulio today and he still has a smile on his face. Love that man and he really loves the missionaries. They are actually having scheduled appointments now with the missionaries but they wanted to find more. They have such a great desire.

I love this work so much. The Atonement allows us to overcome any challenge! I invite all of you to pick some challenge and work to overcome it praying to God that He will help you. I promise that if your desire is sincere that He will help. Also read the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. It with prayer will give you the strength you need. My stress and worry that I have experienced here aren't much of a problem anymore thanks to Jesus Christ. It is amazing what He can do for us. It is limitless.


Love you!

Elder Sorochan

PS this computer won't read my SD card either. It might be next week that I send pics. Also my visa isn't here yet so as of right now I am going to Winnipeg. The Lord will send me where He needs me and I will serve with all the love I can. Bye!