Just a short one today.

Things have been great! Elder Jones and i continue to find people to teach!

We had a great Mission Leadership Council this week, there’s a lot of amazing things that will happen very soon. I’m excited!

We had some awesome finding experiences this week. We met this girl named Alora who had missionaries before and knows a lot about the Bible. She was excited when we invited her to hear our message. We hopefully have a lesson with her today at the park. It isn’t common these days to find young adults who have love for Christ and the Gospel. Those are they who the Lord is preparing to receive the fullness of it in their lives.

Elder Jones and I are doing great. He's teaching me so much and we’re working so hard. I’m grateful that the Lord gave us another opportunity to serve together again. 

Things are moving fast. The weeks are even faster. I love serving the Lord and Sharing the Gospel.

Things have been awesome in the town of Rigby. 

much love

Stoked to Serve

Elder Soren

Lovin Rigby

We’ve been working really hard this past week! It’s been awesome. Even though I’ve been here for a while there are still prepared people who are popping up. Heavenly Father has been blessing us with a lot of work. 

We’ve met some awesome people this week. One, her name is Rosie, she just barley moved to Rigby from California. She’s wanting to be more active in a church so she’s been trying some out. We talked to her about our church and the blessings we’ve seen from reading the Book of Mormon. She asked us if we have one and if she could have it! She was really curious to know more about what we had to say. She said she would read it after we left. There are a lot of doors that turn us down but I’ve realized that those are just small trials of our faith that the Lord uses to bless us with people like Rosie. 

We also met this girl named Alaynna, she said her friends would invite her to mutual and she really wanted to go but soccer got in the way. But she said this week she plans on going. She’s not a member but was interested in knowing more about what her friends have shared with her about the Church. Missionary work moves forward when Friends help Friends be more prepared to learn about the Gospel. 

I’m excited to stay in Rigby, this transfer has been a lot different then the past few and its a great different. Mostly because i have a different attitude, since I’ve changed my attitude about the area and how knowing Heavenly Father has a reason why I’m here, its given me HOPE. With this hope I’ve changed and repented and continue to do so as I turn to the Savior for strength. The strength that comes from the Atonement, once we learn how to use the Atonement and that we all need it, not just knowing what it is, that’s when it changes our character, attitude and all that we do.

I am so thankful for God’s love for us that He gave us His Only Begotten Son, to allow us to change and become better than we were yesterday. 

Hope you all have a great week! I invite you to do some missionary work!

Stoked to Serve 

Elder Soren

Elder Jones & Elder Soren at the Warner's Home

Dinner with the Warner's
their son is serving his mission in Detroit

These photo's were text to my mom who realized
when I had no pics this week that she did

Courtney's Baptism

This week was amazing! Elder Jones and I have been working hard and finding a lot of people. I’m super excited for this transfer and for the upcoming month. Some crazy things are about to happen in the mission. 

I’m excited to serve with Elder Jones again. He taught me so much when we were companions in Pocatello and we've already had so much success with re-contacting former investigators and finding new people to teach. Even though I’ve knocked on a lot of doors, there is still so many of our Heavenly Father’s children we have yet to find in Rigby. I’m excited to see what the Lord has in store for us!

Courtney Bailey was baptized on Saturday. It was a sweet baptism. She was so excited as you can see in the picture haha. Spencer her boy friend and Courtney are both goof balls. Courtney was just so happy the whole time. Her trial of faith and patience really paid off. She’s been waiting 3 years for this day, she couldn’t describe her feelings but her expressions told it all. After the baptism we went to congratulate her. She said in a very humble and meek way "Thank you for teaching me the Gospel." There was a sweet spirit that touched my heart. As a missionary sometimes we look for great gratification or praises when there are baptisms but her sweet thank you for simply teaching her the gospel was more rewarding than the praises of peers. That’s why we are here, to teach the Gospel and the Lord does the rest. I am grateful to be a servant of the Lord. 

We’ve seen a lot of blessings in our area as well. We had an experience with prayer. We completed all of our plans for an hour and needed to find someone to invite to be baptized. I prayed with Elder Jones and asked specifically for God to bring to a remembrance someone who I’ve taught before. We contacted some addresses and then I remembered a part member family to go visit. We couldn't find their home but we found a different part member family that let us right in. We got to know them and started teaching them. We had a great lesson with them yesterday with our Bishop and have a church tour with them on Wednesday. My testimony of specific prayer was strengthened and I know Heavenly Father will lead us to those who are ready and searching as we listen to the Promptings of the Spirit.

We were invited to a LUAUUUU this weekend. The Togiai’s 2 daughters were baptized and they had a huge luau. If there was anything on my mission that reminded me more of home it was this, the music, the people, that aloha spirit, it was sooooooo good. We had some ono food too! a whole pig, bbq chicken, curry, ohhh man. 

Stoked to Serve

Elder Soren

Companions again!  Elders Soren & Jones

The Togiai's baptism luau in Rigby

Wellll....

First item of news is that I'm staying in Rigby for another transfer!

It will be 9 months by the end of this new one.  I was so mind blown when we got calls.  I had no idea what to think.  I was so convinced that i was going to be transferred, 7 1/2 months is a long time to be in an area.  But i guess the Lord has further plans for me here. And i'm so excited to see what it is.  That's something that has helped me change my attitude and do something different in this area. 

Elder Coggins is getting transferred to poky and my new companion is Elder Carson Jones again!  IM SUPER STOKED.  We had a good time when we served in YSA together.  He's coming from serving in the office as the assistant so he's excited to DO WORK! 

This week was pretty bitter sweet cuz Elder Coggins is leaving but we had some awesome things happen. Courtney, our investigator is so excited to be baptized.  We had a great lesson with her on Thursday and she can't wait. 

Our 5th Ward is doing a 40 day fast for missionary work.  A family fasts then we go and teach that family a lesson.  We got to have some pretty spiritual lessons with active families.  It's so awesome to see families engaged in missionary work.  They are all willing and excited to fast and be apart of this.  When we leave them invitations they are so excited to accept them and reach out to those they know that need love.  It gets me excited to see these families experience the joy of missionary work. 

How about General Conference though.  The emphasis on Families was awesome!  It was so sweet to see how a lot of what was "impressed to speak on" was Families.  I know Heavenly Father sees the need of such council and we know these things from His mouth pieces.  It makes complete sense that we know how to keep our Ohanas strong, even when there are so many distractions in life that pull us apart.  I am so grateful for Modern Day Prophets and Apostles who speak to the world about what our Father in Heaven wants us to know. 

My favorite talk was by Wilford Anderson about Dance Steps and the Music of the Gospel.  It hit home.  It probably was one of the favorites of everyone who watched but it related to me because of my artistic background.  I felt like i knew exactly what he meant when he expressed, "When the dance is coupled with music it becomes a lot more natural."  Flow is a feeling or even a mindset that i feel like any artist knows very well.  And i remembered my flow.  I miss it and i think it's so important because if you don't have that creative flow what comes out on paper isn't the same.  Expression of what's inside changes the way the picture or the dance turns out.  "If we just dance without music its awkward" love it, although i can dance without music and still have fun it makes sense.  I thought of my sister, Rani who recently took up this art form of Dance.  Although i have never seen her, the word my mom used in describing her flow was "Natural."  As he compared it to living gospel principals if we don't hear or FEEL the music of the gospel it gets awkward.  Same as missionary work.  I know exactly what awkward is.  All missionaries know this feeling but there is a significant difference when you teach and flow with your companion than when you fight for words.  When we have the spirit everything flows.  When we don't it's awkward and uncomfortable.  It needs to come from within, you need to love what you do, have a passion for it.  As a missionary we need to have passion to love God and share the Gospel, that's when the work starts to flow.  That's when hearts are softened and the Spirit enters. 

I am so thankful that we have a loving Heavenly Father who knows us each individually and knows what we need to hear when we most need it.  I am so thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ and for his Atoning Sacrifice.  I know that HE lives and loves us and is involved in our lives more than we realize but once you realize it, your life will change.  Look for Him in your life and i promise that you will feel his love and strength bare you up and lead you to more peace and joy than you now know. 

I love you all and miss you much

I am grateful to be a servant of God

Stoked to Serve

Elder Soren