July 19, 2017

Hey everyone! This week has been something! It is crazy that it is my last one! I tried to take a 

picture everyday that describes the day I had! 

Monday- We mixed it up a little bit and we went and played mini gold as a District! It was way 

fun, but I go smoked! Turns out I do not have the putting magic that I used to have! I also was 

able to hit in a batting cage for the first time on my mission! It was a blast! It was really a great 

day! Then we came back to the church and played volleyball! All around it was a good P day!

This is Elder Willouby in the back, Elder Fielding driving, and I in the car!
​

Tuesday- On Tuesday we went over to a less actives house and helped her plant a tree! I know 

a lot of you have never dug a hole in Missouri,  but shovels are basicly worthless! You need a 

digging bar to get anything done! It was also so dang hot! We spent most of the morning trying to 

get rid of rocks! We got her done though, and our tree is pretty nice! We also visited a Chiropractor 

because Elder Czirr has been having some neck problems! He twisted me around like a pretzel, 

and honestly I didnt really like it! We went on splits with some members in the evening, and we 

had some pretty good visits! It was all less actives, but they were very productive I think!

This is Elder Czirr and Is tree we planted!

​Wednesday- We had a District meeting on Wednesday! We were getting ready to start, and 

President Loveland calls and lets us know he is coming to our meeting! After the meeting he 

gave me my Departing interview! Normally it happens at the mission home, but because there 

are so many missionaries going home with me he had to do some before! It was way cool though 

he gave me a lot of advice about going home! I really enjoyed it! Then he wanted to take our 

District out to lunch so we did, and it was way funny because he forgot his wallet, so he had me 

use my mission card for everyone! and he said he would refund me! It was way funny! I love 

President Loveland! We went on exchanges after, and Elder Willougby came to Chesterfield with 

me! He is a convert of just over a year, so it was way fun to talk to him! We ended up moving a 

family, and let me tell you, It was super warm and humid! I was sweating so bad! It looked like I 

just stepped out of the shower! Wednesday was also the day my Ministerial certificate expired, 

so it was my last "Legal" day as a missionary!

This is me holding my Ministerial certificate that has expired! 

​Thursday- We exchanged back in the morning, and went and did our weekly computer training! 

Then I completed my last weekly planning session! Let me tell you I am very glad to be done 

with those! The best part of the day was we had a lesson with an investigator who is from some 

small Island! Her name is Junzy! The lesson went pretty good, and then she said the closing 

prayer! It was honestly the most humble/sincire prayer I have ever herd in my life! I am so excited 

that Elder Czirr will get to continue to teach her, and i am almost positive she will be baptized!

This is our weekly planning positions, and yes I am helping and paying attention! 

​Friday-That same family that we helped move on Wednesday ended up needing help again moving on Friday, so we went and helped out there! We moved this giant playhouse, and it was a sight to see that thing driving down the road on a trailer! It was BARLEY clearing the power lines, so that made things super interesting! It did make it safe and sound though! We had dinner with Cole (our investigator) and Bailee (His Fiance/ member)! It was way good! It was super fun to talk to them over dinner because they are both around my age, so that was way cool!

This is us eating dinner with Cole and Baliee, Cole is the far right, and Baliee is the only girl! 

​Saturday- Once again it was super hot on Saturday! Biking around gets really interesting, but it 

is way fun! Elder Czirr gave 2 baptism interviews in the afternoon, so it was way nice to get out 

of the sun, and in to some air conditioning! The two getting baptized in another ward were way 

cool as well! We went with the Republic Elders in the evening to visit a Less active family! They 

also gave us hair cuts, so that was super nice of them!

This is my hair after my last hair cut on my mission!

​Sunday- We had church, and it was good! In all three hours the lessons/talks were really good! 

It was kind of weird though because I said goodbye to a lot of people! It still really hasnt hit me 

that I am coming home, but I said goodbye to them none the less! We had our weekly MCM 

meeting after church, and it was way cool! Elder Czirr and I were able to talk to our ward 

missionaries (Two 18 year olds that have their papers in) and Share our testimonies of our missions! 

It was a way cool experience!

Elder Czirr and I talking a hallway selfie at church!

​Monday- We had my very last District meeting on Monday! It was way good! We talked about the 

Book of Mormon, and its role in Conversion! I really love the Book of Mormon! It has truly changed 

my life, so it was a good Meeting to end it off on! After we went with the Southern Hills Elders

 and played cards with some Older ladies! I got the best advice for finding a wife this 87 year 

old lady said " Make sure she is a Believer in Christ, make sure she is clean and can cook, and 

Make sure she can play cards!" It was a good time for sure! In the evening Our investigator who 

is getting baptized on August 6th had his baptism interview! He passed, and we are super 

pumped for him! He is an awesome guy!

This is our district! 

​Tuesday- We did service in the morning, and we just helped out at a thrift store! It was pretty 

boring honestly! We had a youth come with us to visit Junzy again, and I was able to leave my 

testiomony with her! It was awesome! I really like Junzy! We played basketball with a ton of non 

members last night, and it was so cool! After that We got permission to spend the night at the 

Republic Elders apartment because the computers we usually email on are not available today! 

So I only have 20 more minutes, so if I dont email you today that Is why, and I am sorry! It was 

a super fun night though!

This is us posting up next to a giant wooden Jesus carving the the Republic apartment! 

​Well everyone! I guess this is it! Thank you everyone for all the support that you have given me! 

I am very glad I have had the oppertunity to serve the Lord! It has been the greatest choice of 

my life! I will see you all very soon! 

Love Sorensen, for the last time as Elder!

July 10, 2017

Hey everyone! This is my 2nd to last pday, so naturally this is my 2nd to last email! I am actually not really sure how I feel about it! My week was good though! I will get right into it! 

Monday- We had a normal pday! The exciting part is my Mother from the Mission, Sister Sherwood from Cassville ans some of her family came up and visited with me for like 30 minutes! It was pretty awesome to see the again! After they left we played the usually Basketball, and volleyball! It was way fun that day though! We also taught our last Lesson to Steven! He is getting baptized in August! He is leaving on a trip, and wont get his interview until the 17th, but It was a way good lesson! 

Tuesday- We did service at this thrift shop again! It was pretty weird the whole time they were having us put womens clothing on the racks, but we had to organize them, and I dont even know the first thing about womens clothing, so it was a interesting day for sure! It was also the 4th of July, so we were supposed to be with members all day! We didnt have anything set up, so we just played cards with some other missionaries! When it got closer to the evening we went over to some members and watched them Light off fireworks! It was a ton of fun! There were so many fireworks going off that I didnt even know what way to turn my head! It was a ton of fun! 

Wednesday- We had district meeting on Wednesday!  It was fun I guess! It was all about keeping a study journal, so that is about as exciting as it got there! The rest of the day was pretty boring! 

Thursday- We had the Bishops Storehouse on Thursday morning! It was a ton of fun! I got to help this guy who was one of the most humble/appreciative people I have met! After he got his food he started to help others get their food, and it was way cool! The rest of the day basically was spent on weekly planning! the good news is only 1 more of them ;) 

Friday- There is a companionship in our District that is struggling with each other, so we went on exchanges with them! I went to Southern Hills with Elder Swanson! He was cool! He is a greenie, so he is still new and figuring things out! I am pretty sure it was the hottest day of my life yesterday! It was around 100 degrees,  and then it was like 90% humidity! I am grateful I was in a car area for the day, and was able to get the AC! It was a good day though! 

Saturday- We exchanged back in the morning, and then we all went to lunch! We went to a pretty fun place! We had a way good time though! We also got a new investigator that is form Pompeii! She is way cool, and she  asks really good questions! It was way fun to teach her! 

Sunday- We spoke in church yesterday, and they asked us to prepare a 10 minute talk, and then we only ended up getting 5 minutes, but the good news it was on the same topic as my homecoming, so I just wrote a rough draft, and used it as a practice! 

Next week is transfer week, so I wont have Pday until Wednesday! 

Well Everyone have a great week! I will talk to you next week!

The one pic is just a average Missourian as a missionary, and then the other one is captioned "Trunky?!?! What makes you think im Trunky?!?!!?

July 3, 2017

Hey Everyone! This week like normal was a pretty good week! They seem to go by faster and faster! It always comes as a shock to me when I wake up and realize that it is P-day, and I get to email you guys again!

Monday- We had a pretty good Monday! We do about the same thing every week here, so it wasnt anything to exciting! We played Basketball, and volleyball! We accidentally went a little long, and we only had 15 minutes for both of us to shower and get ready for an appointment, but I will say this we both showered changed, and was ready to go, and we had a minute to spare! Then later that evening when we were out biking around it started to rain! It wasnt raining to hard, so it was pretty fun! We were having a good time! 

Tuesday- It was so hot on Tuesday! It was like 90 something degrees, and because it had rained all night it was so dang humid, so Elder Sorensen almost died on Tuesday! Luckily we made it through okay though! W e had an appointment with a member to go see a less active! We called and had everything set up! We got to their house, and they had recently moved! It was Empty! We called them again, and they turned out to have moved to a different part of Springfield, and they wernt even in our stake anymore! We also got to play basketball with some non members in the evening as well It was pretty fun!! 

Wednesday- I dont have to much to say about Wednesday! There are some members in our ward who are from Sullivan! We had dinner with them, so it was kind of fun to talk to them about Sullivan! 

Thursday- Thursday was also super boring! Most of the day we were weekly planning! I am not even going to lie, I am not going to miss weekly planning at all!!! A member did give Elder Czirr and I each a blanket, so that was kind of fun to get! We also got to have a dinner with a really cool Family! Their name is the Bauers, and I really like them! Their kids are all into sports, and they are way cool! 

Friday- WE had our District meeting on Friday in Branson! The meetings were really interesting! The topics for District meetings are getting so weird! During the meeting we had interviews with President and Sister Loveland! They were both pretty good! My interview with President Loveland was just renewing my temple recommend because that expired! Then Sister Loveland talked to me a lot about going home! It was kind of weird! This was my last interview until I go to the mission home to fly home! So that was crazy! 

Saturday- We spent most of the day moving a family! It was a pretty average move! I have been apart of worse, but I have been a part of better ones as well! The family was moving from one house in our ward into another, so we got to help them load up, and unload! It was pretty fun! These last few days have been like WWIII! There are so many fireworks going off it is insane! I can look out our bedroom window, and in one night see more fireworks in the space of an hour than there is in Sanpete county all year! It is crazy but cool! 

Sunday- Church was pretty good this Sunday! There was actually a really crazy testimony! I was so dang funny, and I was trying not to laugh the whole time! It was so funny though! The rest of the day was pretty fun! We had a ton of really good lessons that night as well! 

Well that was my week! I hope all of you have a really good week! Talk to you next week! 

June 26, 2017

Hey everyone! This was a pretty good week! As usual I am just going to get right into it!

Monday- We had a pretty good Pday! We all played basketball, and then after the Sisters got here the whole District played Volleyball, so it really was a ton of fun! That night for dinner President Chandler had us over to his house! He is President Lovelands 1st councilor in the Mission Presidency, so we had to mind our Ps and Qs around him! No I am kidding he is a super awesome guy, and his family is super cool as well! 

Tuesday- We went and did service at this Thrift shop with the Southern Hills Elders! That was pretty fun! We mostly just did "Busy work"! But well all had a fun time doing it! We had dinner at a really cool family's house Tuesday evening! Their names are the Bauers! Their kids are all really into sports, and they are just way fun! After dinner we got our hair cut! It was a much needed hair cut! My hair was getting pretty long! On Tuesday night the Elders Quorum had basketball, and we were able to go this week, and have an investigator there, so it was really fun! 

Wednesday- Elder Czirr had a Doctors appointment in the morning, so we went to that, and it took an hour and a half! That was a long time to sit in a waiting room! Eventually he made it out, and we went to District meeting! This was our first one as a District, and it was pretty cool! Like I said I really like our district, so we had a ton of fun at our meeting! After we went on exchanges! I went to Republic with Elder Fielding! I really like Elder Fielding, and we had a ton of fun that evening just talking and visiting some people! At one point we had 30 minutes, so we went and got some pie! It was so much fun!  

Thursday- We had service at the stake center in the morning! We helped with the Bishops store house! That was pretty fun as well! We each got assigned to a person, and we just helped them get all the food their ordered, and the lady I was helping was so nice, and so appreciative, so it made it so much fun! Most of the rest of the day was our weekly planning, so there is that! 

Friday- We went on some other exchanges Friday! I went  with Elder Strobel to the Southern Hills ward! This investigator was going to take us to lunch! He is in a wheel chair, and so we helped him in the car, and was trying to load his chair in the trunk of the car! While we were doing that it started to drizzle, and then rain, and the pour, and within a matter of a minute it was basically dumping sheets of water down! The worst part is the chair didnt fit in the trunk! after 5 minutes of trying we eventually had to give up, and put it in the back seat! At that point though the damage was already done! We were SOAKED!! It felt Like I had just jumped in a pool in full dress clothes! The rest of the day was kind of boring until we got back to their apartment for the night! The AC had broke, and not 15 minutes after it rained it was 80 degrees, so their apartment was so hot! It never cooled down either! It was one of the worst nights sleep of my life! 

Saturday- We exchanged back in the morning, and then after that the day was super boring! I really dont have a lot to report on for Saturday! 

Sunday- We had church, and that was really good! I really like this ward! It was my 3rd week, and I am still working on meeting people! It is crazy how many people come to church here compared to all my other areas! We had this amazing steak dinner last night! A part member family made it for us, and it was soooo dang good! People out here have already started lighting off fire works, so at night we just open out blinds and watch fireworks every night! 

Well that was my week! I hope you all have a great week! Here is a picture of Elder Fielding and I getting some pie, and the other one you have to zoom in above my left ear at the top of the radio tower, and if you look close after you zoom in you will see an air plane! That is what I am looking at lol! 

June 19, 2017

This week was a really good week I think! I dont know hopefully it isnt to boring for all of you! 

Monday- We had a pretty fun p day! It is a lot different here in Springfield because all the 

missionaries that are in our district are withing 20 minutes, so for Pdays we all get together and

 do something! This week we played basketball! It was a ton of fun! Brandon Burns from 

Cassville ended up coming up to Springfield to come say hi as well! That was a ton of fun! 

We went out and ate at a restaurant called Lambert's! It is a cool place they throw rolls at you! 

It was a blast! We also had a really good lesson with an investigator on Monday night! He has

 a baptism date for August 6th, so that is way awesome for him! His is a 70 year old man 

who was a biology professor at MSU, so it is weird teaching him because He tries to teach 

us sometimes! For the most part it goes pretty good though! 

Tuesday- During the day it was pretty boring! Nothing to crazy happened! We havent found a 

good place to do service yet, so we will hopefully find something soon! That evening we went 

on splits, and I went with a member who took me to see his grandma in a care center! It was 

a blast! This lady was so sweet! It was way fun to talk to her!

Wednesday- Honestly it was a pretty rough day lol! We had to grind it out! We did have a lunch, 

which was a highlight of our day! We were biking around, and it was soooo HOT! I sweated 

through my shirt so bad we had to take a shower, and change! It was some rough stuff!

Thursday- We had our weekly planning on Thursday, and that is about as interesting as it 

sounds! We did have a split that evening where I went and visited a sister in the Ward with 

a member, and that went really great! One of the best parts about Thursday is it was my 23rd 

month mark! It is crazy that I am saying that, but now I am 23/24 of the way done! Crazy right? 

Friday- We had a zone conference and that was way crazy! I got to sit next to Elder Jackson, 

so that was way fun! The crazy part is I gave my departing testimony because it was my last 

Zone Conference! It was super weird! It is a good weird though! We went on an Exchange 

afterwards! I had Elder Swansen who is basically brand new come with me to my area, and 

it was pretty fun! 

Saturday- My bike kind of broke, and while I was in the process of fixing it I ended up shoving 

my hand through the gears, so that was pretty fun! Eventually we got it to stop bleeding, and

got the bike fixed! We went to a soon to be missionaries Farewell party because he invited 

us to come, and plus that was our dinner for the night! It was way fun, althought I have to 

admit I was scared out of my mind because I have forgoten how to socialize without talking

 about the Gospel, so it was actauly a scary deal for me! 

Sunday- We had a really good/busy/crazy day yesterday! We had Church which was really 

good, and then after lunch we had MCM! That honestly was a little boring, but we made it 

through it! After we had back to back lessons with our 2 most promising investigators, and

 both of them went really well! Some sisters in our Distict had a baptism, so we went to that,

and following all of that we had dinner at a member of the stake presidency feed us lunch! It 

was a really fun day! 

Well that is my week! Sorry I didnt take pictures! My camera was dead, and I never 

remembered to charge it! Dont worry I will do better next week! 

Love Elder Jordan Sorensen

Hey this week was pretty good!! It has been a little different being in Chesterfield, and it is way weird for both of us to be new! It was fun though!

Wednesday- We ended up going to Springdale a day early to spend P-day with all the missionaries up there! We played basketball at their stake center! It was a ton of fun! After we got done with basketball we went to a North West Arkansas Naturals game! They are a minor league, and it was a ton of fun! There was like 15 of us there! We had so much fun! That night we stayed the night with the missionaries there! I stayed with Elder Jackson, so that was a ton of fun to be with him! 

Thursday- It was the official transfer day, so around 8:30 am the van came and picked me up! I got to ride to a few different places, and that was fun! I also go to see a lot of my mission friends that I haven't talked to in a while! It was way good! I got to Springfield, and I got with Elder Czirr! That was pretty cool! A member fed us dinner, and they picked us up from our apartment! The second we stepped out of our apartment this cop pulled up to us and said "I dont think Soliciting is allowed here!" That is super funny because first of we arnt Soliciting we are proselyting! The member was right there, so he said " They live here!" The cop was just like oh well welcome, and drove off! It was so funny! It was a good introduction to Springfield!  That night the Sisters that we replaced had set up splits for us, so I went with a member, and Elder Czirr went with a different member! It went pretty good! The guy I went withs last name is Wallintine, and He was the Judys Bishop when they lived in Springfield! He knew them very well, and took me to their old house, and I took a picture in front of it! For those of you who dont know the Judys they live a few houses down from me, and Brother Judy used to be my Bishop, and helped me a ton to get me on my mission! So it was really cool to do all that stuff! 

Friday- Now both of us are new, so we did some planning on Friday! It is kind of hard to plan for an area that you know basically nothing about! The Sisters did take really good notes, so that did help!

Saturday- In the morning we played basketball with some other missionaries for our exercise that was way fun! Biking around the sun is pretty tough everyday I am not going to lie, but there are some benifites! I am getting fit, getting tan, and I get to talk about Jesus, so it is way fun! That night we had our Bishop fill us in on a lot of things with the ward! He also gave us blessings which was a really cool experience! I really like our Bishop! 

Sunday- We had church, and that was way cool! There is SOOOOOO many people that come to church here it seems like! Maybe it is just because I am used to small branches, but it was way cool! This random girl came up to us after Sacrament and said hey this is my Fiance Cole! He is investigating the church, and my family just moved here, so he is going to stick with you guys ok? It was way awesome! Cole is so cool! He is really close to getting baptized we just need to work on some things with him! I am really excited to teach him! 

Well those are the main highlights of my week so far! I love you all, and miss you guys a ton! 

Love Elder Jordan Sorensen

June 7, 2017

Hey Everyone! This week was a pretty interesting week! ​

Monday- We were up in Sallisaw on this Monday, and that was pretty fun! A member in Sallisaw

 ended up taking us to Pizza hut for dinner! Well Elder Hawkins and I got into a pizza eating 

contest! When all was said and done I ate 12 pieces of pizza, 10 cheese garlic ball things, 4 

breadsticks, and I chugged a cup of marinara sauce! The worst part is He beat me by one piece! 

We ended up spending the night because they needed help moving a member in the morning!

Tuesday- We woke up, and helped that family move! It was pretty fun because they made us 

breakfast! It was really good! Defiantly worth it! When we came back to Poteau, and helped out 

at the food pantry! It was a pretty average day with that! In the evening a member took us to a 

blue berry farm, and we got to pick blue berries and eat them! That was pretty good! I learned

 I like Blue berries!

Wednesday- We had District meeting, and that was alright, but the best part was a senior missionary 

can play the Accordion, and he brought his, and played it for us, as well as he played for the 

hymns! It was way to funny! After the meeting he let me play it, and they are super hard to play! 

Elder Augustus ate a Carolina Reaper! That is supposedly the hottest pepper in the world! It was 

so funny to watch! Then some members took us to a Rodeo! That was really fun! Elder Agustus's 

stomach wasn't so good, but it was fun to watch!

Thursday- It was a super slow day, and the only real highlight was it was our planning day, but 

that is more like a lowlight anyways!

Friday-  I got a call from our vehicle coordinator, and well I got what is called red dotted! To

 translate from missionary slang to English, I lost my driving privileges! It is ok though I only

 have 6 more weeks! ;) Later that day We were going around visiting a Recent convert family, 

and it broke out into a back yard baseball game! That got pretty intense! For the record my 

team won ;)

Saturday- Again it was a slower day, so the highlight of everything was a non member took us 

fishing! That was pretty fun! We caught some cat fish!

Sunday- We had Church on Sunday! That was pretty normal! We were in Gospel Doctrine this 

week, and Elder Augustus and I had to correct some False Doctrine that was being taught, so

 that was pretty interesting!!

Monday- It is transfer week, so we had District meeting Monday! That was weird to have it on 

a Monday because it throws off your normal schedule! After the meeting we had a 2v2

 basketball torny! That was a ton of fun! It was a good way to end District meeting! at 9:30 

we got a call from the Zone Leaders! We got transfer calls a day early! I am being transferred

 to Springfield Missouri! I will be in the Chesterfield ward! My companion is Elder Czirr, and We

 will both be brand new in the area! We are also in a bike area, so we will see how that goes!

Tuesday- We did some service, but most of the day I was going around saying goodbye to people! 

I am going to miss Poteau! I really liked it here! I am kind of sad to leave!
We you all have a great week! I love and miss you!

Love Elder Jordan Sorensen