That Was Unexpected

Dear Friends and Family,

Well after one week of being Senior Companion I am ready to switch back, but Sister Nielson won't let me. So Elder Sorensen enjoy the freedom of being able to work really hard to meet goals without feeling that when you don't meet those goals it is your fault. I probably shouldn't be feeling that way--well at least hopefully it isn't my fault--but I do. I know that the goals we've set for OYMs,finding, and lessons are attainable, but for some reason or another we did not make them last week. So to make myself feel better, I will blame it instead on the fact that it was the first week of the transfer and we had to help Sister Mauga (pronounced Mao-ng-ah [the ng is like at the end of sing, there us no "uh" sound after the g]) get to know everyone, move in, etc.

Last Monday was weird. First we packed up Sister Howard and sent her off. Then we spent the day teaching, doing errands, and me realizing that it is harder to drive around here in the dark than I anticipated. Tuesday we had our regular morning routine until all the Sisters arrived to swap companions and then we gave Sister Mauga some time to move in before we headed to an appointment where the person was not there. So instead we went tracting and found a new investigator, waited for the APs to deliver our 3rd desk, and sundry other visits before our evening appointments. And our week generally continued in that pattern: introducing Sister Mauga to ward members and investigators. I am bound and determined to do everything possible today and throughout the week to get as many OYMs as possible and to find new investigators. Though we were able to find some more people in the Buttes Vista ward last week which was good.

But I guess things are going pretty well. The 16 year-old we're teaching has set another Baptismal date which hopefully we should make this time. Sister Mauga is really funny. Her English is very good (though I admit that extra hour of language study everyday is giving me cabin fever); she is quick to laugh and smile, and she wanders around singing random church music--all in English. We're going to have a very musical apartment.

Love,
Sister L. Sorensen

PS We've had no hot water for 3 days. That is no fun. But our hot water heater breaking did give us the incentive to clean out a closet full of junk from the last 10 years of missionaries living in that apartment. So there is a positive side to everything!