Sister Sorensen Orlando Florida Mission

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“And this is the account of Sister Sorensen and her companions, their journeyings in the land of Florida, their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy.”

Alma 28:8 (changed it up a bit)

“And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing--sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life.”Alma 28:14

Out of all the many countless things I’ve learned on my mission. One that stands alone and I will never be able to express enough gratitude for is what I’ve learned and felt about joy. I love those scriptures because though there has been sorrows and afflictions not one can compare to the incomprehensible joy I’ve come to feel.

I wanted to share some things I didn’t expect and a few things I’ve learned. There are lots of things about a mission that I can honestly say I did not expect.

I DIDN’ T EXPECT:

Sister Sorensen & Sister Naylor

I didn’t think I would ever have to get an oil change, I didn’t think I would have to count and calculate miles so I don’t go over at the end of the month, I didn’t think of all the reporting you have to do, I didn’t think I would see other missionaries so much, I didn’t think we would have so many meetings, I didn’t think we would study so much, I didn’t think about how much of the Bible I didn’t know, I didn’t think people would give you weird looks in the grocery store simply because you have a tag on, I didn’t think I would spend so much time at the church, didn’t think I would eat with members so much, didn’t think I’d use so much technology, I didn’t think missionaries would be so normal........I didn’t realize I’d come to love them so much, I didn’t know they would become my best friends, I didn’t know I could learn so much from them, I didn’t realize how much you come to love the people you serve with.

Reenactment!! Notice picture in the background and to the right

I didn’t realize how bad it would hurt when people didn’t accept the gospel,I didn’t realize I’d experience the Atonement more than I’d teach it, I didn’t realize I’d learn so much about myself, I didn’t realize how many weaknesses I had, how many strengths, I didn’t realize how fulfilling service is, I didn’t realize how humbling it was either, I didn’t realize how much I had, I didn’t realize how much I’d have to give, I didn’t realize how much joy I could feel and sorrow too, I didn’t realize how much Heavenly Father loved me or how privileged I was.

THE LESSONS I’VE LEARNED:

Anicesha

The lessons I’ve learned on my mission couldn’t be counted. I know right now I will pay tribute to every good thing in my life to my mission. A mission is meant to be lived and to be lived well and correctly. Something out of your heart and soul has to be put into it. You have to shed the skin of uncertainty. Everything you claim to be good or bad at doesn’t matter anymore here. You surrender every bit of you to the Lord.

When I came on my mission I was pretty ignorant.

I was active in the church without being active in the gospel. And the truth is I probably would have (without any thought or real notice) spent my whole life that way.

I would have lived a life far beneath the bar of my potential.

Quickly I learned that there’s nothing I could do with my own strength and understanding and I needed to depend on my Father in Heaven. And I will tell you changing for me hurt. I had years of pride that needed to be stripped. From the moment I hit the MTC, changing hurt. I faced the wall, straight up of all my weaknesses and shortcoming and I was forced to climb it. And I made mistakes.

The call to serve is very humbling. I learned there is nothing greater than learning to rely soulfully and completely on my Heavenly Father. I am now truly able to say I am His because “I have chosen him to be my God.”

I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, I have learned for myself that it will answer unspoken questions and it will allow you to feel understood and comforted. It brings guidance and direction in a darkened world. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth in its fullness, prepared and brought forth in perfect timing. I know all events across history have played into the preparation of this restoration. I testify that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, that he did see God the Father and Jesus Christ in the sacred grove, I’ve learned that as we sincerely always seek we will be answered. I’ve learned that the Lord always has a way prepared and a lesson given. I know that the commandments are laws of love given to us as guiders and protectors. I know that God Lives, and He loves each and everyone of his children and listens, I know he listens to our prayers. They are answered in His will and His timing. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world and that without Him we are lost and because of Him we not only will live again. We will be healed and filled and changed now and in eternity. I have learned for myself that Joy comes through Jesus Christ, it’s found in Him. The Atonement of Jesus Christ isn’t just a result seen in something but rather something felt in someone. He has been healing me and strengthening me in everything everyday.

NOW I KNOW THAT:

“Only God can count the sacrifice, only God can measure the sorrow; only God can know the hearts of those who serve him, then and now.”

He knows me and knows my heart and knows what I have given. I’m not scared to go home because I see it as a wonderful opportunity for progression. And now I know the progress for progression. I have resolved to myself and to the Lord that I will never go home and be who I was, and I won’t go home and even stay as I am. With the Lords hand in my life I’ll move forward, and keep on changinggggg.

I wish I could express all the feelings in my heart of gratitude I have for this time.

Time well spent indeed.

Sister Sorensen🌞

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Before I started my 18-month journey many would say, “missions are really hard ya know”Remember how much I hated that phrase? I’ll admit it’s true though. Missions are hard. But it is not always in the way that you would expect. I guess what I expected was long days, hot days, physically exhausted and missing home and family.And although at times some of those things were true. Really that’s not the hardest part. Long days tiring days exhausted days are joyful and fulfilling. A mission becomes difficult in ways you can’t really imagine. You give your heart to the work and the people and sometimes you get a little heartbroken.

This isn’t going to be the email of miracles in the way you’d imagine missions producing miracles. But I am hopeful that I will be able to express how the oppositions brought true joy.

So with that comes an update with Anicesha.

We haven’t heard from her directly, she has been in contact with her member fellowship but this week we suspect she read into more anti. She’s made the decision to cancel her baptism and discontinue our visits. We pray for her everyday and accepted that her temporal circumstances right now probably aren’t allowing her to see all things clearly. The Lord has a timetable for her.

Then comes an update with Lucy

Tuesday we set her on a baptismal date for the middle of May and she literally thanked us for a asking her to be baptized how sweet is that? I've never had someone thank me before.Thursday our plan was to teach the word of wisdom and as we came in and sat down, she’s tells us about all she’s been reading in the Book of Mormon and then says we need to say a prayer before she tells us something. After the prayer she says, “I have a surprise, I quit smoking. Oh also I took out my nose piercings because I don’t need them.” She threw away all her ashtrays and cigarettes.

Wow! Then we proceeded to teach her the word of wisdom all of which she fully and whole-heartedlyaccepted. And she was so willing to keep the word of wisdom without us even promising blessings; she just went ahead and promised herself to do it. She said, “I have a plan that anytime I want to smoke I am going to go outside and read my Book of Mormon because I know that the Book of Mormon is going to help me and it will get me past this.” This woman has so much faith in the Book of Mormon and it’s just so fun to see.

Then Friday came. She sent us a very long text. Saying she’s very sorry but she doesn’t want us to visit her anymore and likewise wants to cancel her baptism. She talked to a Christian pastor. And she now wants to be baptized only a Christian and not a Mormon. We know obviously that false information was shared but right now she’s not allowing for us to explain.My heart shattered into tiny little pieces. Shattered.

And I broke downnnn I cried and I cried and I cried and I’ll tell you I was angry. I was so angry I haven’t been that angry in a long time and maybe I would argue that I haven’t been that angry ever, and yet there was peace in me. But the peace in me made me more and more angry. Because I wanted to just be mad and I didn’t feel it was okay for me to even feel okay.

We went to Sister Pulses’ house to have cake with President Clark for his birthday. I asked Elder Taylor if we could get a blessing and President over heard and asked if we could go outside and talk. We explained the situations and he gave us some advice and scriptures to send her. And then Elder Taylor and President gave us a blessing. One of the sweetest and most needful blessings I’ve ever gotten. In which I was promised that Heavenly Father is so very aware of me and aware of my situation and how I am feeling. He paused for a minute and said “I feel prompted to tell you that God only sends his strongest and most faithful missionaries to the most difficult situations.” “He trusts you to be able to deal with these people.”

President called us last night and checked up on how we’re doing. I felt embarrassed for my reaction to the situation and that we cried our eyes out like a little baby in front of him and Elder Taylor. President with his sweet little pause said, “don’t ever be sorry for that, I love you for it.”

It still hurts, I’m still not okay with it or happy about it and I wish it weren’t true. I wish so badly it weren’t true for Anicesha and even more for Lucy. But it is and it happened.

But I’ll tell you one thing. In the past things in my life and circumstances have made me depressed. The only hope for comfort I could find was hope that the circumstances would someday change. I let them get me down and I stayed down. I didn’t know how to access the atonement of Jesus Christ. And now what a marvelous discovery the atonement has been for me in my life. Oh how much it has changed my life to know that the Savior felt what I felt and he was, is and will forever walk with me. I felt him walking through this with me. I felt his arms and his love and his comfort. I felt his peace. I truly can say I know what it feels like to have peace in Christ (Because there wasn’t much peace around me that day). But there was my Savior and I found comfort in him.

Alma 33:11 “I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy.”

My joy is found in Jesus Christ. He is my first love, and in 18 months he’s become my ultimate source of comfort.

The second thing that God reminded me of is I still saw the miracle! I saw the gospel work through them and change them. Lucy was changing because of the Book of Mormon. That strengthens my testimony of enduring to the end. We must learn to endure. But if they don’t, if those around you haven’t endured that doesn’t take away the Miracles of faith that we’re seen on the journey.

I know that the Savior suffered the penalty of our sins. Likewise I know, with every feeling in my heart that he suffered my heartbreaks. I know he died for me and he lives for me. I know that there is no other comfort in the world sufficient, no other peace sufficient. For in Him I am satisfied.

- Sister Sorensen🌞

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Updation (word I made up)

Lucy:

Lucy is a gem earlier this week she was super nervous to come to church. She is such a blessing to me. When you think of teaching people on your mission you think of it going exactly as it goes with Lucy. She understands what you must do to change and her heart is in it Ready to do so. It’s such a blessing it really is. I know she needs things to go slow and my time is running out so I won’t get to be here for her baptism but I’m just so excited for her to get there.

Later in the week when we saw her she was very bold with her husband in front of us. She told him that basically he needs to learn and be supportive because she’s getting baptized whether or not he’s on the same page but she so deeply wishes he would be. Johnny knows what he needs to be doing it just seems that he’s not willing to do it right now.

The amount of faith and trust in that woman is awe-inspiring. Her desire to change. Last time we visited her and read Alma 36, she deeply related to the story of repentance. When we came back she had it all highlighted and had read it over again.As we talked about the importance of keeping God’s commandments we read with her Mosiah 2:41 and she stops and says, “I like it, wow I really like it... I like it so much I’m going to highlight it.” She then gets up and runs to get her highlighter.She is a sponge for spiritual knowledge. She does exactly what we invite her to do because she sees that it will help her, it’s never out of an obligation to us. She has been prepared to receive this gospel. On Sunday she came to the church first time. She had not been in any church nearly all her life. During testimony meeting she just cried and cried and cried. Looking over at her I couldn’t help but shed a few tears watching what the gospel has done for her.

Danielle and Eli:

Still crazy lessons. Eli is super tired and busy but he’s trying to make his best effort. Spirit promoted us to a new idea this week we’re going to go forward to try. There is this family we have been helping reactivate. Husband speaks Spanish and Eli speaks mostly only Spanish so we are going have him fellowship hopefully they both can grow.

Strahley Family:

Unfortunately they are without a place to live right now so we have been praying for them a whole lot. Our bishop has been amazing to them and so willing to help so he’s now helping them out. We are going to have dinner with all of them tomorrow.

Anicesha:

It has been a roller coaster week. Earlier this week she was on cloud 9. She loved Conference got many answers there, we had an appointment on Monday night but we never heard from her and knowing her that was really strange.

She ignored us pretty much all week. She said she was really sad because of her whole living situation. Later in the week we found out that she read some not so correct info on the Internet. Happens a lot. Super frustrating.

But her attitude was dropping and she was becoming sadder, so she was with a member most of the week. Saturday night she got a priesthood blessing and everything changed. After the blessing she said, “I feel all warm inside is that normal?” Then she came to church even though we thought she wouldn’t be able to come. In third hour during some testimonies of the sisters she just broke into tears. After church she texted us and said she got her answer, this is place for her. Keep her in your prayers. She is going through a lot of different challenges right now but she knows she’s in the right place.

Alberto Gomez

Alberto's Baptism

On Friday On the way to DL/ZL/STL we got a call that a man from my first area was getting baptized the next day! So we quickly made arrangements and found a ride.Saturday morning we had a breakfast at the church and did our studies. Sister Blackwelder (who was taking us to the baptism) picked us up and we drove out to Lake Crescent.

The baptism was for Alberto Gomez. I helped reactive the Gomez family almost a year ago. We were the first ones to contact them in years and her son has now been baptized and her husband Alberto was baptized on Saturday. Petra is the wife and it was so good to see her, I gave her a hug and she just beamed with joy as she said, “Finally, finally my family is all baptized”

This week was a lot of ups and downs. Satan worked really hard on me.

I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I thought I’d be a lot better at a lot of things by now that I’m not. I’ve learned of many of my weaknesses. I knelt in prayer in the study room and I just cried and cried I asked for forgiveness for my shortcomings. I asked for help to be better. I asked for mercy and meekness and charity. I cried out that I have taught and believed and preached that hearts can be changed and I needed so desperately to feel that, that is actually true. And honestly I just felt like there was noise. Noise in my head and I still felt no release. I prayed and prayed but I went to bed feeling maybe a little eased but still empty.After many good conversations with companion (who is an angel) I discovered that really Satan is just attacking me because I’m returning home soon.

And then Sunday came. The words came into my mind from conference with Elder Oaks “repentance precedes the sacrament”

So this time I took the sacrament the way I always should. I didn’t use it as a time to reflect on the shortcomings in which I have already repented for but I took it has a time to be filled by my Savior who suffered the pain with me and for me that I might be healed through Him.

I can testify that if we look at the sacrament the way it should be viewed we will be filled! We will look forward to every Sunday and we repent daily and consistently, we can be filled in partaking of the sacrament. I was.

The last scripture we read before she left on her mission.

- Sister Sorensen🌞

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Sister Naylor and I at the Easter Egg Hunt, and a photo bomb by some Spanish Moss. Eggs were hidden by some skillful Sister missionaries. 😏

Psst, There's an “Florida” Story at the end!

Lots of changes the work is hastening.

As we sustained our new Prophet President Nelson, I could not deny the confirming witness that he truly is a Prophet of God.

I loved the thoughts about going from failure to failure with enthusiasm. And that repentance is what allows us to do so. I'm certainly one to be grateful for second chances because I've needed them. I also gathered that we need to be quick to repent, quick to forgive and quick to ask for forgiveness.

I felt a personal theme of pure love and pure Revelation. I was thankful to the Prophet for speaking on Revelation; my understanding of personal Revelation has changed my mission. I was just telling a group of missionaries the other day about the Transition in my mission when my studies went from memorizing formulas of the gospel to truly seeking to have a revelatory spiritual experience. It's made all the difference for me as I've sought the spirit diligently. What a privilege we have to be members of this church!

An egg with my name on it, that's because Sister Branson made it
and had it there for meat dinner.

And this week was amazing!

Monday We had a lesson with Anicesha at Sister Werlings. Anicesha brought a lady from the shelter that was being picked on. We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, she said it was a message that she really needed that particular day. Also we have a referral for the Ohio Elders now because her friend from the shelter is moving back up there tomorrow. So all worked out. Anicesha is progressing so well right now and it’s just truly a privilege to be able to watch. She is just so excited to serve and keep learning. She always says, "I feel like I'm actually being spiritually fed and filled up in this church." She’s thinking about joining the choir, she’s going to the bishop storehouse to do service with other members, and she’s just so ready to build the kingdom of god and fulfill her purpose.

Sister Naylor and I studying out in our backyard in the warm Florida weather. Don't worry those are slacks not your casual sweatpants. Wouldn't want to embarrass myself right?

Tuesday was the best day ever

... We saw Lucy and Johnny. Lucy was waiting for us outside the apartment before we came up. She was all excited to tell us that she had read 7 Chapters. She re read the restoration pamphlet over and over again. And boy was she ready. We asked her if she had any questions and she said she understood it all and she liked it. She also told us she’s super excited to come to church and she even borrowed a dress from her daughter (mind you this women hasn’t been to church in years)

We taught the plan of Salvation and she ate the whole thing up. She didn’t have an issue with a single thing. Which hardly ever happens. As we started with pre earth life she asked a question that she said she’s sincerely had for long time about why bad things are allowed to happen and what her purpose is… (Which of course is the next couple of steps to the plan). When we answered those questions she was on cloud nine. All the way up to the kingdoms of glory she said all of it just simply makes sense. Despite the trials in her life she said, "I know if I just keep reading the Book of Mormon everything will get better and I'll have peace."

On the way home from that lesson… I cried. I cried because I was so grateful to be here. I was so grateful to be in that lesson. My mission has taught me that we really don’t do much of anything. The Lord just allows us to be instruments in his hands. My gratitude is so deep that I was allowed to come and that I had the privilege of being here and being able to witness her feeling that spirit and gaining an understanding that she had not had before. It’s hard to explain how wonderful it is to see and feel someone come to know truly who they are.

And on the drive away from that lesson my heart was full to the brim of thankfulness that I was prompted and it was in my divinely inspired plan to serve a mission.

Friday was (my last) ZONE CONFERENCE

*President Clark stands before everyone at Zone conference*

“Elder Isaacson, would you come up here”

“Elders And Sisters what do you see?”

Someone shouts from the back “I see a happy missionary!”

President: “Exactly, that’s what I see… a happy missionary, are you elders and sisters happy to be missionaries?”

(Shouts of yes come from the crowd)

President: “Okay well then tell your faces that! ... Elder Isaacson you may sit down.”

Yes that is my mission president and that was the most epic call out ever. I love that man.

Everyone else we are teaching is doing pretty well at the moment.

Me and my favorite Missionaries at Zone Conference
Sister Anderson

Sweet Sister Schomaker, She hugs me...

I hug her!

Sister Naylor!

Also Update on the Strahleys.

Eric is still just blowing my mind. He texts us during the day and gives us all these Book of Mormon references to certain topics. He's been reading the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph Smith History. Etc. He's basically just teaching himself. Mind blowing.

People are just really, really cool.

And I'm grateful to be here once again.

A beautiful majestic sunset captured by the beauty of a week well spent.

- Sister Sorensen🌞

Here's the Extra Fun Story.

Saturday morning we are having an Easter egg hunt at our relief society's president house. We get there early to hide all 2000 eggs with some other friends. This is one of those houses that are nearly completely surrounded by water. Kids start to arrive at 9. And Sister Gunnels informs us that... An alligator has been caught on their line so the alligator hunter (I don’t know what to call him) is coming at 9:15.

Kids, adults and Sister missionaries alike watch the fight between man and alligator. And it was epic.

(I was gonna make up some story about how I fell into the water and was nearly attacked but miraculously saved by the hand of God.... But ya know trying not to break any Commandments here)

Just sayin that was the most Florida thing to ever happen to me.

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