I Just Don't Understand!

Hey Mom,

The musical number went really well. Everyone knows me now has the guy who works out AND plays the violin really well. We had our district presidency member come up to us after with tears in his eyes, saying he felt the spirit so strong during the number and had a vision of his parents. He thanked us all. The people I played with were amazing; it reminded me what I love about playing the violin.

The fire sounds crazy, I hope it gets under control. That makes me so sad to hear. Chad sent pictures of the Gorge - SO SO SO sad.  Also, I am extremely sad about Grandma Bowen.  I will be praying for her and hope whatever happens it’s as comfortable for her as possible and what she wants, but I´m gonna miss her and don’t look forward to hearing the bad news.

I haven’t been doing too good over here, Mom. I'm really struggling. It’s all centered around learning the language. I know you are gonna think I´m just being hard on myself; that I´m a smart guy and will get it eventually, but I am REALLY struggling. Mom, I don’t know what to do. I don’t understand anything in Portuguese still! I can´t even give a simple lesson unless I just read off of written sentences.  It feels like my brain has a learning disability or something.  I study flashcards and read phrases and do so many things and try to memorize passages but at this point nothing is working. And, to top it off, everyone keeps talking about the “dom de linguas,” (gift of tongues).  I haven’t seen it yet. I have broken down several times now. I don’t know how long I can do this.

Every day I wake up and just dread the day knowing I´m just going to get further and further behind.  I always just have a bad attitude now. I really hope I´m able to persevere and become who I need to be but I´m halfway done with the MTC and still am clueless. 

I love you and the family so much.  I miss you all so much. I don’t want to let you down or myself down, and I just want to be a missionary but everything about Brazil feels wrong. Right now I feel wasted and feel like I should be in the United States where I know I could be successful. I´m gonna keep trying but every day is a struggle, please pray for me Mom.

I know you’re gonna be an awesome seminary teacher, and everyone in your class is very lucky to have you.  I would know! I will continue to study the Book of Mormon; right now it’s the only thing getting me by because it helps me forget about my problems.  The gospel makes so much sense.  Logically I believe but I am just really struggling with feeling the spirit and having faith when it comes to my abilities.

I hope in the next few weeks things get better and I can tell you how awesome and strengthening an experience this was, but I´m just afraid it's gonna wear me down. My teacher has been really patient and has a strong testimony.  She is a convert from missionaries. Her name is Irma Perazolla and she has shared some good scriptures and tried to share her testimony with me but it’s hard when I can’t even really understand what she’s saying. My companion Elder Davenport has also been a big strength, his faith has kept me going and he’s already given me two blessings. I´m glad I´ve got them and my district is supportive I just hope I can do this. I want so bad just to be able to preach the gospel. Tomorrow we’re supposed to go proselyte, teach two investigators, and have TRC and its gonna be a really hard day for me. Please pray for me.

I love you Mom, let everyone know I love them!

Elder Sork

First Impressions of Brazil and the MTC

September 1, 2017

Hey Mom,

I don’t have a ton of time to email, our schedules are so jam packed with stuff. Before I left Austin told me the MTC was the hardest thing he had ever done and he wasn´t kidding. This is so hard. I thought the language would be a strong point for me, with my intelligence and study habits and things, but for some reason my brain just doesn’t seem wired for it. I know I´ve only been here for like 11 days but I am really, really struggling with the language and falling behind everyone. It has been a really humbling experience.

I miss everyone so much but I know this is where I need to be. My days have been the same until today, wake up and eat a sandwich for breakfast, then beans and rice and meat for lunch and dinner. I´ve actually started to get used to the food though. Right now the language is just such a barrier and is really frustrating for me, but I hope to find strength in my Heavenly Father and that he can help me to be able to do what I need to so I can preach the gospel to the people of Brazil.

Pictures on google drive aren’t working right now, I don’t know if it’s because I´m in the MTC and they don’t allow us to send/receive pictures here, or if it will be a problem once I get to the field. We´ll just have to see. But, I´m taking some pictures while in the MTC to send to you guys when I get the chance!

Today we were able to go to the São Paulo temple and that was one thing I really needed. I really felt the Spirit there today and God’s love for me, and I know that with Him, I can do this.

First impressions here in Brazil: I love the people, I just wish I could talk to them. Everyone is so loving and friendly. Also, they are CRAZY drivers. I´m glad I won’t be driving anywhere on my mission. The city is HUGE, it’s unbelievable just flying in to see how big it was. It’s been chilly but whenever anyone hears I´m going to João Pessoa they assure me being cold will not be a problem... so I better make the most of being cold while I still can!

Mom, I want to apologize for not playing the violin with you before I left. It´s a gift I have that I should have been sharing. I was asked to play at our mission conference on Sunday with a flute/cello/piano quartet and I´m excited to actually be able to do something that I´m good at and share that talent with people after struggling so much this first week just trying to learn the simplest things about the language.

Me and my companion, Elder Davenport, are both having a hard time with that, but spiritually we are a really good match and work well together.  We get along great. He´s a really nice guy and has some awesome insights about the gospel and we have good study together.  He´s from Queen Creek Arizona, sounds like its fairly close to where our family is but I´m not sure...I´m glad to have him as my companion though. In 5ish weeks you guys will be able to see some pictures of him and then whoever I´m assigned to in the field!

This MTC experience is going to be so refining.  I already see changes in myself and the Elders in my district. I know it’s hard but I am so grateful for this opportunity to grow closer to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and learn to recognize the Spirit better.

There’s a rule here of “no jumping” because Elders get hurt a lot. Our district leader is Elder Allen and reminds me a lot of Austin. He was doing a heel click in the hallway and tripped and sprained his ankle really bad.  He is not going home but has a cast for 2 weeks and then a boot for the rest of his time in the MTC. There are reasons for the rules! I was able to give him a blessing which was really cool, I´m glad for the pre-mission experience I was able to have with Dad in giving a blessing to someone.

I love you guys all so much, I´ve already spent some time with my family photo album, but again I know this is where I need to be.  I really hope I can start picking up the language so that doesn’t frustrate me anymore. I´ll be emailing you guys next Friday, I can’t believe it’s been so long already even though the days go by so slowly.

We have physical activity almost every night and they have some pull up bars so I usually just do that and push-ups for our 30 minutes of exercise, my whole district likes making be uncomfortable by talking about my muscles... but I gotta use them while I´ve still got them!

My stomach has been doing a bit better which is good, hopefully it continues to get used to the food. I love you Mom, thank you for all the work you put in to get me prepared.  There is nothing I need that I do not have with me. You set me up for success, now I just need to do my part to become what the Lord wants me to be.

Let everyone know I miss them, give Pippin some loves for me, and I hope you recover from your superman slide! (I did laugh out loud, through some tears, by the way.)

Love, Elder Sork

From the MTC President

Dear Parents,

Sister Grahl and I are very happy to let you know that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil Missionary Training Center.  What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they begin their missionary experiences with us! We will surely take good care of your missionary.     
                                                                                                
The missionaries now have companions and are settled into their rooms.  They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study.  Their branch presidents and wives will meet them this Sunday.  These wonderful couples are richly blessed as they work with, motivate, and interview the missionaries assigned to their branch.

The MTC has a physician to care for their health needs. We are also happy to report that the MTC food is plentiful, healthy and very good.

Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple.  This will be either Wednesday or Friday, depending on individual assignments.
Your missionary is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of many others. President Lorenzo Snow said: “There is no mortal man that is as interested in the success of an elder when he is preaching the Gospel as is the Lord who sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord's children".  We love these missionaries as if they were our own.  We will watch over them carefully to ensure they are ready for a wonderful missionary experience after the rewarding time they will have in the MTC.

We thank you for preparing such a wonderful representative of the Lord.
Pres. Paulo R. Grahl and Sister Zuleika M. Grahl

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  

PlEASE DO not send packages to the Brazil Missionary Training Center. All packages must be sent directly to the mission where your missionary will be serving, not the MTC. If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC, please understand that the package cannot be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you.
WE Strongly eNCOURAGE sENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. Please write your missionary´s first and last name. Your missionary will provide you with his district and box number. Also, please DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BY FEDEX, DHL, UPS, or other private carriers.  The cost to process this type of correspondence is exorbitant.

I Have Arrived!

Hey Mom and Dad, 

I just got to the MTC (they call it the CTM down here) about half an hour ago, it still doesn´t seem real that I´m out here. It´s actually pretty chilly in Sao Paulo, probably one of the few times I´ll be saying "I´m cold" for the next two years. 

Sao Paulo Brazil Missionary Training Center

I just got assigned my companion, his name is Elder Davenport and he´s from Arizona. We haven´t really had a chance to talk much yet but he seems like a cool guy. 

The trip here went well, after I went through security Brother Cannon was waiting by my gate because I guess he was leaving on another flight about an hour later and knew I would be leaving the 21st. It was good to see him and talk to him after a hard goodbye from the family. (A little tender mercy for Carson, but it did my heart good too.   It is what I need to see-- Tye wrap his arm around Carson when he got through security and walk him down the concourse to his gate.  It made it easier for me to walk away knowing it would be two years before I could put my arms around him again.)

Brother Tye Cannon
Elder Sork's Young Mens Leader

Getting to Atlanta was fine, the lady checking my passport took like 5 minutes just looking through it and asked if I had actually received a Visa from Brazil, which scared me but she eventually said I was good to go. I was alone in Atlanta for about an hour which was pretty lonely but pretty soon some other white shirts started showing up. By the end we had about 15 missionaries flying out to Brazil, I felt the spirit with all those other Elders knowing we are all making this sacrifice together to go teach the Gospel. 

I have noticed today, and yesterday as well, some blessings. First, even with how nervous I usually get I have been very comfortable, just a little nerves but from what I´m used to it is a huge blessing. I believe that to be a confirmation that what I am doing is right. Also, as of this morning my foot hasn´t been bothering me at all so hopefully that keeps up! My stomach is already having issues though so not looking forward to that. Hope the family is doing well, I won´t be able to write again until next Friday when my first P-Day will be. Miss you all!

Love,

Elder Sork

He is Off!

Yesterday morning we dropped Elder Sork off at the Portland airport.  How can you be so happy and so sad at the same time.

He was set apart to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Joao Pessoa Brazil mission by President Vern May.  The blessings he was given of success and health were comforting and will be nice to refer back to when things get tough, as they will.  Elder Sork did a very nice job speaking to the congregation of our ward, family and friends on Sunday - he was so polished and professional looking even after we all lost it trying to sing a musical number before he spoke.  He got up and called us all a bunch of babies!  I find it ironic that his first talk in church he couldn't get up and speak and was crying and now the roles are reversed.

He is more than ready to go out and conquer the world.  When I told him that as he was leaving he replied, "Not the world mom, just one country."  I reminded him:  "Remember who you are, what you stand for and who will be waiting for you to return home."

Good bye, my son - a piece of my heart is with you wherever you go!

Getting Ready to Go!

It takes a lot to get a missionary ready to go out and serve for two years!  Just getting the appropriate travel documents in line can be quite overwhelming.  Brazil will allow missionaries into the country if they have a current passport and a religious proselyting visa.  The passport was easy, the visa required a little more.  One of the requirements we had to meet to obtain the visa was to show proof that Carson had graduated with 4 years of religious education.  The church has an amazing seminary program.  For the last four years Carson has attended an early morning seminary class before starting his classes at the high school.  His transcript and graduation certificate from this program allowed him to obtain his visa.  After a drive up to Olympia to submit paperwork to the Secretary of State office and then a flight to San Francisco to the Brazilian consulate to present himself and his paperwork in person to the country of Brazil, Carson had all of his travel papers in order.

Visa Photo

Then the real work began:

Medical Forms had to be completed with his appropriate travel vaccinations complete and the pesky warts on the bottom of his feet taken care of.  The shots proved easier than the warts and we sent him off with the bottom of his foot looking horrible.  I am finding solace in the fact that he will be at the training center for 6 weeks with a medical facility before he has to start walking 10-12 miles a day on that foot.  I am sure it will heal by then.  (We have been treating these warts since FEBRUARY!!)

Dr. Sherilyn Foltz-Cook's torture chamber at Cascade Family Medicine 

Carson's left foot after his final treatment.
Stubborn Warts!!!

Now, think of getting ready for a trip to a foreign country without knowing exactly what your accommodations are going to be like for two years.  We planned for every scenario we could think of with a little help from other Brazil missionary Moms on Facebook and LOTS of packages from Amazon.  I feel confident he has everything he needs to be successful while he is away (that includes 2 years worth of deodorant &skin care products [which we hear are not very good in Brazil and super expensive], sunscreen since he will be so near the equator and Ultrathon bug repellant [again things that are best bought in the states], bed and bathroom linens, mosquito netting, three pairs of dress shoes and a pair of athletic shoes, 6 pairs of dress pants, 12 white shirts (and underclothing :) a few pairs of casual/athletic clothes, all of his books for study, a full fledged first aid kit, camera with batteries and SD cards, power converters, alarm clock, hangers...you get the idea)  I was told after about the 7th or 8th box from Amazon came that there was no way I was going to fit all that into his luggage.

Ron at Remington's CTR Clothing

When The Shoe Fits 
I know that if your feet aren't happy you aren't happy!
It is worth the expense.

Will it all fit?  Absolutely.
I am not sending him without any one of these items!

Challenge accepted!  I was even able to get in a family size jar of peanut butter in, which I hear is like gold over there.  There was room for a box of protein bars, but Carson didn't want them (I am sure he will be wishing he had them after a few days in).  I am proud to say his two checked bags were under 50 lbs (barely) and his carry-on bag and personal item were very manageable.

Now, I have nothing left to worry about, right?!!!???

"Called To Serve & Assigned To Labor"

After weeks of anxious waiting, Carson's call from the Lord to serve a full-time mission came in the mailbox yesterday afternoon (it looked a little worse for wear):

He is very excited for this new chapter in his life.  As his family we support him in his decision to serve 100% and know that the people of João Pessoa, Brasil will be blessed to have Elder Sork among them.  We know this experience will bless Carson in just as many ways, if not more.

Following the Priesthood session of conference last night we went as a family into Portland to a Brazilian Food Truck to give Carson a taste of his upcoming mission.  We had some really good authentic Brazilian food and met several Brazilians.  Carson was able to hear conversations in Portuguese and ask them how to pronounce the mission name—he has been practicing it ever since.  What a great way to celebrate his call.

Pictures of the Region:

Mission Area Map:

Here are some fun facts about the João Pessoa, Brasil mission (as of Sept 2016):

• Address:  Rua João Amorim, 429, Centro, João Pessoa, Paraiba 
• Statistical Region :  Paraiba, Brazil 
• Unit Creation Date:  July 1, 1998 
• Number of  LDS Congregations:  1 District, 1 Mission Branch 
• Congregations:  Mamanguape Brazil District  & Brazil João Pessoa Mission Branch 

Here are some fun facts about the area in general found on Wikipedia:  

João Pessoa (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒʊˈɐ̃w peˈsoɐ]) is the capital of the state of Paraíba in Brazil. It was founded in 1585 and it is also known as the city where the sun rises first, because it is the easternmost city in the Americas at 34° 47′ 38″ W, 7° 9′ 28″ S. Its easternmost point is known as Ponta do Seixas. 

The city is considered "the second greenest in the world", with more than 7 square kilometres (2.7 sq mi) of forested land, second only to Paris, France.

It is the state's largest city, with a estimated population of 801,718 of inhabitants. Its metropolitan area comprises eight other satellite cities (Bayeux, Cabedelo, Conde, Lucena, Santa Rita, and others), totalling 1,223,000 of inhabitants.

Joao Pessoa has a tropical rainforest climate with very warm temperatures all year long and strong rainfall in most of the months. October to December have a rather low rainfall, which means the city has characteristics of a tropical savannah climate.  The average high is 84.7*F and the average low is 72.5*F.  The average rainfall in a year is 84.5" on average over 149 days.  The average humidity level is 77.7.

According to Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics as of 2009, there were 702,000 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 45.72% White, 38.72% Pardo (two or more races), 2.77% Black, and 0.25% Asian or Amerindian.

Religion
Religion  Percentage  Number
Catholic     74.06%     442,841
Protestant   15.92%       95,191
No religion   7.41%       44,332
Spiritist        1.10%         6,571