An experience I will NEVER forget!

Dear family and friends,

 

      This week has truly been an incredible week. This last Wednesday we had a mission conference with Elder Russell M. Nelson of the 12 apostles. We had this conference combined with the North Mission as well. So we got to go to the North Mission for the day! They had the chapel spit in half with tape running down the middle of it. They had the South Mission on one side...aka the best mission and they had the North Mission on the other side. Elder Nelson and his wife came to speak to us. Before we started the meeting we were all able to shake Elder Nelson's hand (all 400+ missionaries). He stood up at the front of the chapel and we all went in an orderly fashion row by row to shake his hand. I was pondering the whole time what I should say to him. When I got up to him I was about to say, "Please tell my mom that I love her the next time you see her in the temple." But before I could get a word out he said, "Are you Heidi? I don't think I even answered him I just smiled and he knew I was. He then turned around and gave me a plastic bag that he had brought in with him. He looked me in the eye and said, "I believe this is for you." By then I had tears running down my face as I knew who it was from. He then turned to his wife and said, "Give her a hug." She gave me the biggest hug ever. This was in front of the whole mission and north mission as well. That was one experience that I won't ever forget. I have the greatest family in the world! Mom you're incredible, thanks so much for doing that for me! That really helped me and it made me realize just how blessed I am.

    

     The mission conference was incredible! All the speakers were so good and spoke as if it was directly to me. I was striving the whole week before this conference to be prepared for this conference. The spirit was so strong and I learned so much! It was all exactly what I needed to help me to have strength to keep pushing forward. When Elder Nelson got up to give his talk he said he wanted some volunteers to help him. He called a few missionaries up and then he called "Sister Heidi Sorensen." All the other missionaries were from the other mission and he just called them randomly but he called me specifically to come up. He then asked us each a question. My heart was pumping out of my chest as I was awaiting my question as I was the first one that he asked. He asked me to share with everyone one thing that I have learned here that I didn't know or understand before. I then talked about the importance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how much the Lord does provide for us. How far the Atonement can reach and how the atonement is for each one of us. He asked me to share an experience. I just talked about how life as a missionary is hard and we all have those times of discouragment but right after that low point the Lord always sends a blessing and a tender mercy that builds us up.

     

      I know that we all have hard times in our lives and we are all going through different things but as long as we are doing what's right and doing our best then the Lord's grace will come into play. God will pour his blessings upon us as we strive to continually be obedient and strive to do whats right. I have seen that countless times. I know that God loves each and every one of us and God knows who we can become. It is up to us to align our Will with God's and He will shape us into who He knows we can become. Rely on the Lord and we can do all things. Just as Elder Nelson spoke about in the conference he said, "The Lord uses the unlikely to do the impossible." One example he shared was Joseph Smith. He was a 14 year old boy that restored the church. There is no way that he could have done all that he did without the Lord. That is evidence that this is the Lord's church, He stands at the head of it. I know that we can do anything with the Lord on our Side. Trust in the Lord and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

 

  Thanks again for all of your love and support. Keep up the good work and remember that EVERY MEMBER IS A MISSIONARY!

 

Much Love,

      Sister Heidi Sorensen

Sister Woodford and I found this beautiful dock that is our new favorite place! Green Valley is not the prettiest place in the world, but its the people that make it!

Thanks mom for the treat you gave me that Elder Nelson delivered to me. What a treat that is itself!

This is all the missionaries serving in the Green Valley Ward. We had two elders leave for home just today. As for me and my soa, we are staying put for another transfer.