Hello world! And everyone else. :D Oh and everyone Sister Latu just said she says hi. She is a sister missionary from Tonga. Hope you all had a great week because mine was really fun. To begin we have a couple really funny stories from Elder Williams. The first is just a little short story of one night Elder Williams waking me up. Elder Williams doesn't sleep talk but for some reason I woke up and heard him mumbling. Then all of a sudden He said, "in the name of Jesus Christ amen." and then went back to sleep. I woke up to Elder Williams praying in his sleep! Talk about consecration. The second story comes from yesterdays Sunday School class. Our Sunday school teacher had for some reason asked the question, if we were to assign a gender to the Bible and to the Book of Mormon, what would it be. (Don't ask me why). Elder Williams whispered an answer to me that made me laugh. Our teacher looked over and called on Elder Williams to give an answer because of it. This is what he said: "The Book of Mormon is a woman because it is the most correct!" XD It's funny because it's true! Ok now to other things.
First off the week before's stories. I had 2 exchanges that week. They were both in a row and Elder Williams went out of our area both times. I wasn't his companion for 48 hours. By the time both exchanges were done, it's like I had no idea who he was. The first one was with Elder Latham again, but we didn't end up making Cinnamon Rolls. (I did however do that last night and today! They were soooooooooooooo good. Sister Chesnut has the best recipe) anyways it was really neat because this is the third exchange I have had with him so far in my mission. It is pretty rare to in 2 zones have the same Zone Leader come on exchanges with you 3 times always in your area. That is what has happened to me. It was really nice because he taught me about how to better ask questions and to look for how I can better use the Book of Mormon in my mission. I have been studying that from Preach My Gospel Chapter 5 and I just really need to use it more in teaching and focus on teaching specific principles from out of it. We went and taught the Carters that night and he and I came up with some questions to ask them to help them move forward some more. When we got to that part I felt and increase of the Spirit and He really helped me know what to say. I expressed my love for them over the past 5 months of teaching them and how I knew they needed to go to church. I could tell something was in the way, and that they didn't need to tell me what it was, but that they need to ponder the problem, pray to overcome it, and keep reading. They need to do this so that they can end up sealed in the temple. It was really powerful. My other exchange was with Elder Candland who is in his first transfer. He is from North Carolina and is a really good Elder. We had no appointments that day so we walked around a lot. He is a neat Elder. This week I had an exchange with Elder Kunz, last on of the transfer. He is from North Dakota and knows sorta Elder Billman, my old MTC companion. It was a really great exchange a couple of accounts. First, Elder Kunz is a HUGE Star Wars nerd so I learned a lot about the Star Wars universe and about the books for after my mission. Second, I got to witness Elder Kunz grow in his ability to teach by the Spirit when we were with the Carters. He is quieter when he teaches and has been more nervous in those scenarios, but I was just trying to help him have an easy day where I just took the lead and didn't push him to teach too much. It's good to do that, but his trainer and Elder Williams on their exchange have been doing that so I thought I would give him a little break. As a new missionary a little break helps. Sometimes I would ask him to read a scripture, and I would ask if he had anything to add, just making it really open for him to contribute if he had something. He by the end of our lesson with the Carters was talking and teaching a bit by the Spirit of his own accord and he said he enjoyed doing it which was really neat!
Yesterday at church Yvonne came as well. She and her kids have been sick the last couple weeks, but we were finally able to meet with her again and she came to church! Her baby has been sick and she almost didn't come. She was planning on all three hours, but with the baby recovering she wasn't sure, so we suggested just for an hour and she said she would still come. This was an hour before church started so it was a great miracle! She has been growing in faith. Before when we started teaching her again 11 weeks ago her faith was struggling, but we have really testified of the Book of Mormon, it's power, and really tried to teach to her needs. The Spirit has taught us what she needs and we have born testimony to her based off of that. She has come to a Why I Believe fireside, and a baptism, and she has been getting an answer about the Book of Mormon and she says she thinks it is true. Great steps!
Last night and today I made cinnamon rolls. They were so good and really fun to make. I attached some photo's of the whole process and of Elder Williams and the Zone Leaders Elder Latham and Elder Burgett trying them. They drive us around on PDAY so that is why they have some.
This is the last week of transfers, and the end of my 4th here in Vintage Hills. I will most likely be leaving, and I have loved my time here. I have one week left to work really hard and that is my goal! We have been seeing some great miracles lately like a new investigator named Sandy who we taught about the Book of Mormon and brought to a baptism. She is very a learn from the Bible person and doesn't believe in any one church. She recognizes apostasy, so we hope that by teaching her more about the restoration she will see how we need modern day prophets now.
Speaking of Modern Day Prophets, the time has come for us to listen to them again this coming weekend. The first session was already this last Saturday, and we have much left to hear. This is a great time to be alive where we can have 15 Prophets, Seers, and Revelators alive on the earth today who are not being killed or thrown into prison. We instead get to see them travel and visit us and build us up! We get to listen to them all every 6 months. I know that they are called of God and that Thomas S. Monson is the Lords chosen prophet to lead and guide us today. I invite all of you to listen to His and the other Apostles words this weekend. President Chesnut challenged us missionaries to look for where we can improve in our personal lives and as missionaries and I invite you all to do the same.
Love you all!
Elder Sorochan
7 cups of flour
Kneading dough by hand
Finished product
Elder Williams cheering me on
The original batch of dough I left in the fridge overnight