Mission's are truly amazing

August 1, 2016

Hey family! (and friends :D ) How is everyone doing? I hope you are all doing great and are able to eat some ice cream today. Well let's get to it. The fun stuff first.

I know I said last week that there was a couple of lessons I wanted to talk about so I will touch on those quickly. The first is the Millers and for them it's just more I wanted to talk about them since we are teaching them. They are a part member couple who are great. Bro. Miller is a less active member and Sis. Miller is investigating. They want to be married in the temple which is super great and are excited to work towards it. I hope that Elder Jones and I will be able to help them get there. As well the other lesson was with the Moretto's. Sister Moretto is a less active member due to work and Bro. Moretto isn't a member but loves the missionaries and has been involved with the youth at times. He has done some coaching as well at the school I believe. Their lesson recently was super great. We had something planned and it turned out to be exactly what they needed. We went in and started talking to them and since we have built up a friendship with them they opened up to us about a concern about something going on in their lives. From that we talked to them about some things in the Family: A Proclamation to the World. We as well used the scripture we had planned for them, Helaman 5:12 which seemed to be what they needed. There was definitely a good Spirit there.

Fun moment of the week: We went and visited a less active member, Bro. Rogers. He recently had a stroke and so has been recovering but we went and visited him and he has some crazy experiences. He was in the military (I think maybe the marines) and has done some crazy stuff over sea's in Afghanistan. If I got into it all that would take too much time but he was doing a bunch of under cover stuff. He as well was in the Military Police and went over to Alcatraz when some Natives tried to take it over after some law was passed allowing them to take certain plots of government land if it fit the conditions. He is closely related to the chief of those people so they had a talk. He has so many weapons and the entrance to his weapon room in his house has this thing that he has to press his thumb into. I think it is a thumb print scanner. WHAT?!?!?!? It was a fun lesson.

Now onto this week. This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life. Before this week I had only planned one full day so far on my mission, now I have to plan every day based off of what I know. I don't have Elder McKenna helping know who we can see. He had been here 6 months and now all of his knowledge is gone to North Reno. Can't really call him with him being so far out of zone... I am training Elder Jones which is a huge responsibility. He is very dedicated and is going to do very well as a missionary, but I have to take that new missionary fire and try to direct it into real effective work. I have to try and figure out what has been done and what needs to be done in 2 wards. I need to work with 2 different wards who have different obstacles to do effective work. I am feeling so overwhelmed, exhausted, tired, drained, and inadequate. I don't know how to do this. I feel to tired at times to do this. I have to direct everything for awhile and try and accomplish good, effective missionary work while working around the challenges that get put in our way. A lot of times it feels impossible. Then however, at other times, it feels very motivating. I can't wait to see what I can do. What things I can accomplish. What miracles we will see. It's a great puzzle that I get to try to solve and put great happiness and energy into. It's those times that are keeping me going. What I am truly learning though, and have had many experiences with this past week, is the true power of humbling ourselves before our Heavenly Father and coming to Him in prayer, seeking help, strength, and power from Him and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. When I have knelt in prayer and poured out my heart and soul, told my Father in Heaven all that is in my mind and heart, and begged for help, comfort and strength, I have experienced something amazing. In a very small, still way, I feel my attitude and emotion shift. I have bits of strength come into me and have received a sense of peace to keep going. I have had thoughts of help and instruction come to me. None of it has been overwhelming, but it has been life changing. My Heavenly Father is there for me and is helping me. As I come to Jesus Christ I receive that which I need to keep going but as well as still feel how hard and trying this is so that I learn. Serving a mission is the hardest thing I have ever done, but I cling to the knowledge that this experience is leading me to become what my Heavenly Father wants and needs me to become, and to receive greater joy than I can ever imagine. I love you all. Keep being great.

Love,
Elder Kynan Sorochan