April 22, 2018
Well everyone I am sorry it took a little bit longer to get this up. This week was more impacting mentally, physically, and emotionally than I had originally anticipated. Thank you for your patience. Here is what I have to say.
Two years ago I began this journey. I had been excited to go on a mission almost my whole life. I had studied and prepared, dreamed and schemed, and many other things that one does leading up to a mission. In terms of what one can do to prepare I had done a lot, but nothing really was going to prepare me to do what the next 24 months were about to bring. I thought I knew what hard was, but I had no clue. I thought I knew what hard work was, but I was kidding myself. I thought I was ready to serve a mission, but I wasn't. No one ever really is, because this is not an adventure where you go teach the gospel life is just peaches and cream. Missions are partly that, but they are also this. Missions are the chance for you to give up everything and let the Lord fill that time with whatever HE wants to be there. You give up school, sports, fun, work, really just life. He then fills it with trials, troubles, struggles, and afflictions. With successes, joy, new friends, new culture, and amazing learning opportunities. He fills it with everything you need to be ready for and to be successful in the rest of your life. Your purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ, but His purpose is to help you know how to do that. Not just on the mission, but for eternity. He does not only have these 18 months or 2 years in mind while you are out here, but rather eternity. I testify that what I experienced and went through on my mission, everything, both the great, and the terrible, was because my amazing Heavenly Father was thinking not only just about what I would experience on the mission, but everything I have to do and that He has in store for me for the rest of eternity. I learned lessons on how to be a genuine person and disciple of Jesus Christ that will benefit me forever. I learned about overcoming pride, about focusing on others, and about developing Christlike attributes not just because it would help me be a better missionary, but one day a better husband and father, church member, friend, classmate, coworker, and everything else you can think of! Missions are about you learning how to come unto Christ. Your purpose is to invite others to come unto Him, but you can't bring them any closer than you already are! While you are being someone else's missionary, the Savior is being yours.
I learned so many things. I learned how to adapt in unexpected circumstances. How to be comfortable and confident in new situations. How to "embrace it till you make it". I learned that I am often going to fail, and that's ok. I learned that as long as you are trying, everything will work out. You do what you know you are supposed to do and then trust that God will bring about what needs to happen. Then when whatever happens next does happen, you need to trust it is the Lord's will. Don't freak out if it isn't what you wanted or expected. Trust it is what is right. I learned how to love those who don't love me. I learned how to love someone who is hard to love. I learned how to love someone when I don't really like them. I learned how to be someone who is easier to love. I learned how to do all this not just in word, but in deed and thought. I learned how to have pure motivation; to be motivated by my love for the Savior rather than for anything to do with me. I learned how to better do hard things. I learned how to love what I am doing, no matter what that thing is. I learned how to recognize and understand the Spirit in a way I never have before. I learned more on how to qualify for the companionship of the Holy Ghost and to trust that when I am doing those things He is there even if I don't "feel" Him there. I can instead trust He is with me and guiding me in a way that works best for me. Oh I could go on but really what it all boils down to is I learned how to come unto Christ. Whilst inviting others to do so I learned for myself how I can do it. Before my mission I could say I knew of Him and kinda a little bit knew Him. I still have a long way to go in life but I can say by true experience that I now know my Savior. I know what He wants of me, for me, and that He will always help me become who He and my Heavenly Father want me to become.
I love them. They have helped me through these first few days of being home. It has been hard. Harder than I had anticipated. Just like going out on a mission I thought, "I got this", and in a sense I do, but not really. It's nothing I have ever done before, but I'm learning that I don't have to do this alone. I don't have to be alone. It will feel like I am sometimes, that's the unavoidable truth. There are times right now where I feel very alone. It is not for very long or very often, and I am blessed with an amazing family that loves me and great friends. It's in those times however that I try my best to remember my Savior. That's how I really get through it and everything else, and I testify that it is the only true and real way to get through anything and come out on top. Bad things happen to good people, and so do hard things. The purpose of them, and the purpose of life, is to bring us closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Nothing bad in this life lasts forever, no matter how much it feels like it. Everything that was hard on the mission did come to an end. Everything in your life that is hard will too. It is because of our Redeemer that this is a reality. I know He lives. I know He gives us things like the Book of Mormon, prophets, and families to help us overcome the bad and improve in where we are good. This works because all these things like prayer and church bring us to Him. It is through Christ and His Atonement that we go from bad to good, and good to better. We do this till one day after experiencing countless hardships and numerous joys, we stand before Him at judgement day to hear him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" and then be led to live with our Heavenly Father for eternity. All of us can make it, just come unto Christ. This is my testimony that I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
April 16, 2018
Well everyone... the time has come! Who knew 2 years would eventually come around. There is much to say but not very much time to say it. On Friday or Saturday I will post a final message on my blog but till then this will be short. I love all of you. Thanks for coming along with me on this journey. It was nothing I expected but everything I needed. See ya soon!
Elder Kynan Sorochan
April 9, 2018
Hey everyone this is really fast because there has been a lot of stuff to figure out and a lady just came and talked to us for forever offering to teach the missionaries Greek so we can learn the Greek new testament.
Quickly Monday was cool. I felt prompted to go stop by Brother Lardin which hasn't really happened before, but I had the thought and we went. Turned out to be the perfect night to see him.
Finished the restoration with Chloe and Andrew. They are so solid! They are really fun to teach too.
We did service for Isabella! The missionaries have been pushing for that for months and it has finally happened!
Did a lot of service this week and putting records into our phones. Has been really weird having a smart phone.
Not too much crazy else to report. Wish I could write more but, oh well!
Love yall!
Elder Sorochan
April 2, 2018
Well everyone I'm back! This week was weird and I'll tell ya why!
Monday was pretty normal. I almost twisted my ankle AGAIN but that shouldn't surprise anyone. I have a hard time being careful. It's ok though. It didn't because of the exercises I've been doing or at least that's what I'm sticking with! We also had lunch at Costa Vida and got 70% off!!!!!!!!!!! I love being a missionary. We also had a solid active member lesson with the Steimle's where we taught part of the restoration and help set goals of some things they could do to be a missionary to people they know. They all participated and are set to go!
Tuesday was our last day with a flip phone. I do not miss it I do not miss it I do not miss it. Don't get me wrong, I was super grateful to have a phone, but there was so much that was just tedious and slow with it that I will not miss it so far as the quality of phone goes.
Wednesday two things happened. We got our smart phones. I get a loaner one due to time but it is nice! We both have a phone but only one has a sim card. The other is just kind of a tablet. Our whole zone conference was on it so that was both fun and tiring. Lots of video's. I played the piano again and something cool happened. The closing hymn was 246 onward christian soldiers and while playing I felt inspired to stop playing for the last verse and have all of us just sing. I did it and President apparently when we got to it I found out later was going to lower his book and ask me to stop playing. Inspiration is cool! That night we also had a sweet new member lesson with Andrew and Chloe. They are so solid and we had an awesome discussion about prophets and the priesthood. One of the members we brought had never been out with missionaries before apparently and she killed it! She needs to go with us more.
Thursday we helped at Davis creek and was actually the day we met with Andrew and Chloe, not Wednesday! APRIL FOOLS
Friday we went to the hospital and visited a member that has been in there since December! Helped Mark which was fun.
Conference was amazing! I loved it so much! I felt great power during the solemn assembly. I already new President Nelson was a prophet, but that just gave it more power! I learned so much and gained some good direction as to where to go forward in my life of studying the gospel.
Love you all!
Elder Sorochan
March 26, 2018
Hey everyone! I hope yalls week has been as good as mine. Sit down, buckle up, and enjoy the show!
Monday was a good day. Elder Casablanca and I didn't have dinner because the member who was supposed to feed us became unavailable so they gave us some money. When this happens you naturally have to go to Red Robin. Naturally with money from someone else we get one of their fancy burgers and oh my goodness it was amazing. Best burger I have ever had from there. That night not too much happened. We just did some normal stuff.
Tuesday was such a good day. In district meeting we did this activity for teaching by the Spirit where we thought about our companions and shared something we felt prompted that they could need to hear. We had to focus on the charity we have for them. Elder Casablanca I know was inspired when he shared his bit with me and that he cares about me. He shared the scripture about where Christ talks about considering the lilies. He said I've been doing good at not worrying about things, but there are times where things bug me, and he helped me see how I could improve on this area of my life. I was really grateful for his worthiness to have the Spirit! That night we also had a super good talk with the Foothill ward mission leader Brother Castiblanco. He is so funny. His nickname for me is El Pollo Loco. My first dinner there the spanish elders were there too because the Castiblanco's are from Columbia. They were all speaking in spanish. I can pick out a word here and there I know and at one point I heard loco. I thought I would try and chip in so I said, no, pollo loco. Everyone laughed really hard at that so I was happy. Well turned out they had been talking about me so I then became Elder Pollo Loco. (down here there is a fast food chain called El Pollo Loco so that's where the name comes from)
Wednesday we had dinner with Andrew and Chloe. Andrew made it which is apparently risky since he has never made anything that tastes good but with some help from his brother Dakota who is a really good cook it worked out great! Chloe ordered pizza just in case though XD Then we watched the restoration video with them and it went really great. Then a member fixed Elder Casablanca's bike!
Thursday we had interviews. Presidents and mine was longer since it's my last. We talked about a lot of things. He helped me understand how to transition, to date, and we went over school stuff too. He committed me to all the things we commit people to do.
Friday we had dinner with a member family and non member and it went super well. We got to explain what the book of Mormon is. Saturday was exchanges with Elder Tolbert. We are becoming really good friends I love that Elder! We even got to attend a baptism and a less active just opened up a ton on the porch at one house.
That's it for now. Love yall!
Elder Sorochan
March 19, 2018
Hey everyone! Quick funny story before we get started. A couple weeks ago I got a package. Who from you may ask? Well it was from Grant. Who is that? The formerly Elder McKenna! We had a joke when we were together that whenever I was stressed or anything he would take a pixy stick, throw it at me and say "Elder Sorochan, EAT A PIXY STICK" and then I would have to eat it and it would make me feel better. Well, he sent me TWO POUNDS OF PIXY STICKS. I'm going to just give them away... :D Make me fat!
This week was fun. WE GOT OUR CAR BACK!!!!!!! Monday afternoon Elder Bellamy dropped it off it was great. We can really do things again! Tuesday we went up into the Virginia city highlands which was super fun. We have about an average of 60 miles a day we can use. We are doing ok at using it. Our dinner that day fell through but the last less active family we tried, the Dixons, let us in! They even invited us to dinner with them so we know why our dinner fell through that night it was awesome! Sister Dixon used to come every week but just stopped for a little bit she should be coming back to church soon! That's good.
Wednesday we did a lot of service as per usual but the weather was good so we were happy!
Thursday we had a lesson with Andrew at the Crossmans! Chloe was sick but we had planned to talk about family scripture study, family prayer, and FHE and they were already doing the first two things! A talk in this last sacrament meeting inspired them to do it so essentially half our lesson was done! They are so solid it was cool. They are also really excited to go to the temple to do baptisms. That should happen in the next couple of weeks we are hoping.
Then it snowed. And snowed and snowed and snowed. I haven't seen this much snow in 2 years! we got like a foot and a half of snow! Needless to say we shoved A TON. We did some planned shoveling and some anonymous shoveling. I like to do things like that. People then don't know who did it!
Saturday we had a Easter breakfast in Washoe and that was really fun. A non member friend of someone came. We've had dinner with her a couple times. Her name is Isabella. She is from Poland.
On Sunday I learned something neat. Repentance works best when you include someone else. If others know you are working to improve and change, they will be more understanding and better able to help you improve and change. When they don't know, they are more likely to judge you and be unsupportive. They may even put you down not knowing you are trying. We need to do better at creating a culture where it's ok to talk about the things you struggle with so that you don't feel like people are mocking you for your imperfections and are going to knock you down rather than build you up. The Savior I know will always help you change and repent, you just have to go to Him for Him to help you.
Love you all!
Elder Sorochan
March 12, 2018
Hello everyone! It's been a great week!
Elder Christiansen had to say goodbye! We had so much fun together I am sad to see him go! His replacement is great though, it's Elder Casablanca!!!!!!!!!! He is from Atlanta Georgia but has spent time all over Florida and in Texas! He is cool. Kinda nerdy, but in a good way. Also loves soccer. He is a hard working obedient fellow who is good at biking which has been useful this week!
With our car gone we have been biking a lot. One round trip to Davis Creek is around 15 miles so that was fun to bike. Wind wasn't bad to us though so that was nice. Chloe's baptism interview went great. She came out of it crying which is a good sign. Happy cry!
We did some service for a man named Dennis digging some holes. He had some good tools which made it easy to dig them which was GREAT!!!!!!! My ankle is doing way better but it's nice to not have to worry about hurting it doing something like that. The Lord has been blessing my ankle to finally heal I am so grateful for it.
Saturday was the Baptism. I'll have pics next week. It was so fun a lot of people showed up. There was cookies after and the talks at it were on point! There is a nice peaceful feeling at baptisms. They are such happy times.
I didn't see Chloe and Andrew come into church so for the confirmation I thought they weren't there and I thought "this is really awkward, they aren't here for the confirmation." Then I saw they had somehow snuck in without me seeing and a wonderful blessing was said. I love seeing stuff like that!
All our dinners this week fell through it was so funny. Nothing worked out it was so random. As soon as Elder Casablanca showed up they all fell through each day. Today will be the first day it doesn't. It was so weird this has never really happened to me. Little random quirks.
Love yall!
Elder Sorochan
