Hey Mom,
I got the
news that Grandma Bowen passed away yesterday.
It is hitting me pretty hard right now, but I know that she was ready.
I´m gonna miss her but I know she’s still looking out for me and the rest of
the family.
Just FYI you will have to continually update
me about purchases because we didn’t think about converting Brazilian currency
from US in my check book... so I can do estimates but do not know exact
amounts. (Carson bought a Portuguese quadruple combination set of scriptures,
so he can read in Portuguese hoping that will help him learn the language but
wasn’t sure if his bank card worked right or what the US price was.)
I love the
picture you sent, I hope you had a good birthday and a great time in Disneyland!!
I still haven’t gotten any letters, not sure if they got lost in the mail or
you guys had the wrong address or what. But other than one from Reese and Mira,
I haven’t received any :( So that kind of sucks but hopefully they all are
waiting for me at the mission home? We´ll see in a few days...(I double checked
the address with the training center, it is correct – my Facebook Mom’s say
that it is taking their letters at least a month to get to their
missionaries. Fingers crossed he gets
them before he leaves the training center on Monday for Joao Pessoa. He really needs a pick-me up.)
This week was
hard. We had infield training with Brazilians. Basically it was 2 hours a day
of Brazilians talking really fast. The
exercise was supposed to get you pumped and prepped for the mission field, but I'm not sure it did that for me. I feel I am NOT ready for the field! But, then again, I don’t
think anyone really is... We´ll see what happens.
I´m thankful for the instructors we´ve had here at the training center,
they are kind of like our ´moms´ out here, especially Irma Perazolla. She has been very encouraging. She doesn’t speak any English. A lot of the time she would bare her testimony to me and I couldn’t understand any of it, but the spirit was there and I know she believes in me and in the rest of my district. She’s shared so much hope through the scriptures. She has really been an answer to my prayers. The instructors will
be sending you guys’ photos of the last 6 weeks once we leave.
We proselyted
last Saturday again. I got 2 more
contacts but it was disheartening because I felt like I couldn’t speak or understand any
better than the 2 weeks before. My brain just has this wall, I can’t remember
anything, it’s so frustrating!
I finished the BoM this week (in English) I hadn’t
planned on finishing it in the CTM but it just ended up happening. I had no
crazy spiritual experience but I felt peace.
I felt that same peace as well in the temple today. I am working on strengthening my own testimony as I reread the
Book of Mormon and pray continually - I have the DESIRE! I continue to learn more
while I am here, it all logically makes sense. I am a very logical person. Now, I
just need to work on not relying on logic wholly and recognize the Spirit in it.
We got new roommates.
One is from Angola, and I taught him how to play the violin. - He picked it up really
fast and was playing Nearer My God to
Thee in an hour! Very impressive.
I´m super
excited for general conference this weekend. Our last 2 days here are basically listening to general
conference then we´re packing up and leaving. I know if anything, listening to
conference is what will help me the most prepare for the field. I am going in
to it with some specific questions, and I hope to be able to get some answers
from the spirit through the words of the apostles.
The next email I send will be from in the field. I don’t know how I´m gonna do this. I guess I´ll just
wing it! I pray often for my companion and my mission president that when I
arrive they will be able to see and do what I need, and I will be able to be
who I need to be for them. I will also finally be able to send pictures! So you
can look forward to that :)
One scripture
I have been thinking a lot about is Mosiah 24:14,
And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
I have
memorized it in Portuguese this week. It is a good reminder that we are never
alone, even when we feel like it. I have felt so alone while I have been here,
but in moments of clarity (like in the temple and when I read the Book of
Mormon) it is easier to recognize what I have around me. I have the many people and things in my life
here at the CTM that I need to be grateful for, and recognize those things as
the hand of God in my life. I will continue to keep this scripture in mind.
I love you, Mom. I hope you had a good week, stay safe and
give everyone hugs for me!
Love,
Elder Sork
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