Incredible Week Full Of Miracles

Malo Lelei! Fe fe Hake?(Hello! How are you) 

    

    So this week I decided I want to learn some Tongan. Since I have a Tongan companion I thought I might take advantage of it and learn a little bit. So while we've been walking she teaches me. I have learned a lot just in the past week. I now know how to count to ten and the alphabet and how to say simple things to people. It is so fun! First I learned Samoan from my first companion and now I'm learning Tongan, its pretty cool. 

     I know I say this every week pretty much but man, I love being a missionary! This week was a great week full of so many miracles! Again we haven't heard anything about our car so we just keep walking each day. We have actually grown to like it more than the car right now. We now walk all day long and talk to people on the street. We are now getting pretty good at starting conversations on the street and teaching short lessons to people we just pass by.

  We had a miracle day this week. On Wednesday it was one miracle after another. It was incredible! At the beginning of the day we weren't really sure how our day would pan out but we just started walking with faith. That is when the miracles came. The whole time we were walking i was just praying to find someone to teach and to help. I will share with you a few of the experiences that we had.

    

   Just last week we met this Tongan boy that was walking down the street and Sister Ma'asi was talking to him a little bit. But we ran into him again and he was so keen to learn more about the gospel. He was even on the other side of this busy road and he ran across because he wanted to talk to us. We taught him a little bit and set up an appointment to go and teach him more. But that was just one of the many miracles.

  

    We were walking down this street and I felt like I needed to check the suburb list to see if anyone lived on the street that we were passing at that time. And I had looked over and saw some people outside and i wanted to go and talk to them. As we checked the list we saw there was a woman named Eleanor that lived down that street and we noticed that it was the exact same house where all the family was outside in the front yard. So we got really excited and walked over to talk to them. We met Eleanor and we started to talk to her. She said that she hadn't seen missionaries in a while and that she had never seen girl missionaries before. As we got to know her a little more she started to open up more and more. By the end she invited us back a few days later and her grand kids really liked us as well. We went back again and had a great visit with her and her grand kids. We gave the kids each a Book of Mormon and they were so happy to start reading it. Eleanor said also that after the first visit she went through her old things and found her scriptures and she now has the desire to read them with her grand kids. That was incredible to watch all of that happen. I know that her heart has been softened. She expressed how grateful she was that we came and how she hasn't let missionaries in for about 10 years now or so. That was a testimony builder about the Lord's timing. 

     Another miracle that happened that same day was with a girl named San. It was getting late and it was already dark outside. That means its harder to find people and not many want to open their door to us. So we were just walking and trying to figure out where we needed to go. There was this woman coming our way and I had a strong feeling that we definitely needed to talk to this woman. So we did and we started to introduce ourselves and talk to her a little bit about our church. She said she was Buddhist but not very active. As we got to know her more she started to open up to us and tell us some of the struggles she has been having in her life. She told us how she just moved her from Vietnam because her family wasn't treating her very nicely. Her husband is also not treating her very well and she has been very lonely. I then pulled out a Book of Mormon and started telling her about our loving Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ. Tears were running down San's face as we testified and I knew that the spirit had touched her heart. We also testified of the Book of Mormon. I could see how happy she was after we shared this with her and she was excited to start reading. We exchanged information and she asked if she could call us if she needed anything. We of course said yes! anytime! She gave us the biggest hug and then continued walking home. My companion and I were still so shocked by the experience we had just had. I know that the Lord will always provide for each of us. I knew that we were meant to talk to her that day.

  There are so many more that I could share but those are some of the main ones that really touched my heart and made me want to keep working hard to find more like San and Cavin.I know that as you pray for missionary experiences that the Lord will help you and will use you as an instrument in the Lord's hands to bless the lives of many. All you have to do is reach and to find those that are searching for truth.

I hope you all are doing well and I hope you have a wonderful week! Tau Toki Soi ( See ya later)

Love you heaps!

    Love always,

                Sister Heidi Sorensen

A member of our ward, Sister Leakehe made me a big cake for my birthday! 

hey have Sizzler here and so for my birthday we went there. It was definitely not the same as America but it was some good memories. It is also super expensive here, everything is expensive!

Thanks for my package mom, I'm way too spoiled...but keep it coming haha

My companion loved the USA shirt I gave her. She didn't take it off that whole day.

My district...well some of them

This is Eleanor's grand kids that we met this week. They are so cute!

This is what we do every morning. This morning we played some soccer and some rugby with the Tongans.

Missionary Work is the Best! (And HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HEIDI!!!)

Dear family and friends,

  First off thanks so much for all of those that sent me birthday wishes. I'm so grateful to have all of you in my life. And family thanks for making me cry from your video, it was so good to see you all. I miss you all very much but I'm so grateful to be serving the Lord at this time and spreading his restored gospel to the people of Australia. I absolutely love being a missionary and being able to help people come unto Christ.

   This week was a really good week once again. Lets face it when you're doing missionary work there are always good things that happen each and everyday. Miracles never cease to occur in the Lord's church. My companion was unfortunately sick for 3 days this week. So we stayed in the flat all day Wednesday through Friday I almost went crazy! haha but it was a great time to study. I think I studied pretty much all day, it was exactly what I needed. I'm reading the Book of Mormon again because I love it so much. But this time I've been reading the study guide along with it, it is so helpful! I have learned so much more. I think it is amazing how much power comes from one book. But I know that its the word of God. I challenge all of you to read along with me the Book of Mormon. I would also love to hear your insights as you read and the things that you learn. I hope all of you will take that challenge upon yourself. Even if you have already read it, read it again. You can never read it too many times. 

  Even though we were in the flat for 3 days, the Lord definitely blessed us the last couple days and we were able to see and teach so many people. I have found that even though we are walking, we been able to reach our goals and also been able to see even more miracles as we've been street contacting.

  I forgot to tell you last week that the other day we went and contacted the girl that we were in the car accident with. Her name is Stephanie. I'll be honest I was so scared to talk to her because I wasn't sure what to even say to her.."oh hello remember us? Well since you wrote down your address we thought we would come and share you the gospel." But it turned out so much better than that. I don't even remember what i said but I know that the Holy Ghost helped us to say what she needed to hear. She had remembered us and she was willing to hear what we had to say. She said she was living with her parents who are strict catholics so she didn't think they would be ok with us coming over to teach her but she said she would read what we gave her. We testified of the truth and told her to call us. I sure hope that she will one day come into the gospel. I know that it wasn't by chance that it all happened. I know this is truly the Lord's church.

Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers! I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love always,

    Sister Heidi Sorensen

Sister Woodford's favorite place to go is Starbucks. Last P-day we decided to go find one for her. And we found one but it was inside a children's hospital so we had a fun p-day at a hospital. Oh the things you do for fun on p-day.

Sister Ma'asi and I walking

Sister Woodford made me some gluten free cup cakes too. I love the sisters I live with, they are the best!

Last night the sisters got a little too excited and wanted to celebrate my birthday. We played some ultimate spoons, it was so much fun.

This is Lilly she is a Samoan girl that I started to teach in Green Valley. She just got baptized on saturday, I had the opportunity to go to the baptism. She is such a cute girl!

**Happy Birthday, Sister Sorensen!!! We love you!**

Miracles Come From Talking to Everyone!

Dear family and friends,

   Wow what a wonderful week it has been. I absolutely love being a missionary! This week we had a baptism for this 15 year old girl named Cindy Cabello. So this week we were very busy preparing for the baptism and making sure everything was going to work out. Cindy is a spanish girl from Chile. Her mom only speaks a little bit of english and Cindy mainly speaks english. The sisters have been working with her since February so it was great that she finally was able to enter into the waters of baptism. The baptism was on Saturday and oh it went so well. The spirit was so strong it was incredible. The baptism program was half Spanish, half English so that her family could understand. It was the first time I had ever seen that but it was so good. Cindy is the only member of her family now but now most of her family will be taking the lessons. After the baptism most of her family mentioned that they had felt something unlike anything they had ever felt before. We taught them of the holy Ghost and now many of the Spanish missionaries will be teaching her family. What a great sight to see!

Cindy Cabello's Baptism

    This week I also had to go back to the doctor to get another x-ray of my wrist. The doctor said there wasn't much improvement in that short time. So they decided I needed a complete hard cast. So I upgraded my cast and I have to keep it on for another 6 weeks just to make sure my wrist heals completely. And as for the car, who knows when we are getting that back. They said it might be up to 6 weeks because they have to get all the parts sent from America. So we are just planning on not having a car the rest of the transfer. But it has been so good.

New blue cast!

   We have seen so many miracles just by walking. Just yesterday we went out with our Stake President's wife, they are in our ward. Sister Shum is so amazing! I absolutely love her and I think she taught us more than we could even teach her. She came out the entire day with us walking around. She is such a trooper. She had it all planned out for us. We went to several of her neighbors and friends. We pretty much knocked on every single door on her street. We had a lot of fun experiences with that but we met so many good potential investigators. So many miracles! One particular experience was so funny. We went to the grocery store to get a few things and even at the self-checkout Sister Shum asked the guy if he had ever met missionaries. He said he never had and she asked him if he would ever be interested in hearing the message we share. He actually said yes! And then he asked for a pamphet. I quickly pulled one out and gave him our number. That was such a cool experience that shocked us all!

   That helped me to realize just how many are prepared to hear the gospel at this time. We just have to open up our mouths and talk to everyone. Thanks so much for all your love and support. I hope you all have a wonderful week! And don't ever be afraid to talk to your friends about the gospel, that is what they need the most in their life.

Love always,

   Sister Heidi Sorensen

Who needs a car. . . we got two feet!

Dear family and friends,

 

   Well this week has been a pretty good week. We had to take our car to get it fixed and so we were on foot all week. It has been a great experience walking this week. It takes me back to the beginning of my mission when we didn't have a car. Although this new area that I'm serving in is ginormous and so it is hard to get around to everyone we need to see. It takes us about an hour and a half to walk to the main area that we work in. So its a lot of walking but once we get to an area it is good and we are able to visit a lot of people. This week has felt like such a long week because I've been more tired from walking everyday. My companion and I get home every night just exhausted and go to bed.

 

   We are still trying our best to find new people to teach which is a challenge but we know that we can do it. We have made a goal to talk to everyone that we pass on the street. But we have been struggling with getting past the point of "hi how are you" and teaching them a little bit. So if any of you have any suggestions I would love that. But it has been a learning experience and it has brought my companion and I closer as we have lots of time to talk on our long walks. But this is a great ward and I'm really starting to like the area already. I'm starting to remember everyone's names and so it is getting better.

 

  This week we taught an investigator named Cindy Cabello. She is a 15 year old girl and the sister have been teaching her since February. Well just this last week she decided that she wanted to keep the baptismal date the sister before me have set. So she is getting baptized this coming Saturday. We are so excited for her. She is such a great example to her family. Because of her interest in the church her mom is now taking the lessons. But her mom only speaks spanish so the spanish Elders are teaching Sandra. But we went with Cindy and her family to the spanish ward yesterday. Cindy wanted her mom to understand what was being said so she decided to go to the spanish ward. That was a great experience I didn't really understand much but the spirit was really strong.

 

My mom's friend Maoha that works in the temple with her came to visit her neice in this area so I had the opportunity to go see her. She is such a wonderful lady.

 

    The commitment I leave with you is to think about those friends or people that you know that could possibly need the gospel in your life. And pray for them each individually. I know that there is so much power in prayer. Miracles can happen with the Lord and people are being prepared to hear the gospel at this time so I encourage you to not be afraid to open your mouth and share what you know to be true.

 

I hope you all have a great week!

 

Love always,

    Sister Heidi Sorensen

Dinner with Maoha

Cindy and her little brother Kevin