July 26, 2021

From Ben The Death of Elder Sorenson

And so it goes!

Elder Sorenson, my trainer, is dying. Carrying on. On Wednesday he'll have officially passed on from this life. I predict he'll be married before I come home. 
But yes. Elder Sorenson is going home, and that means I will be getting a new companion, which also means I will be showing him the ropes of the Trenton area, which means I need to be on my A-game. 

This week has been something crazy. Because it was Elder Sorenson's last week we were blitzing around our area and saying goodbye to a respectable amount of people. Because my phone has a better camera, I became the official traveling photographer to get pictures with Elder Sorenson and the members; which had me sweating buckets as my phone is caseless and feels as fragile as a phone would with a case, but without its case...  :)

Our legendary friend, Boomie, unfortunately had a stroke earlier this week, so we came and dropped off some cookies. He is so great. We asked how he was feeling, to which he said "absolutely terrible! I've just had a stroke! But come in, come in! I'm sorry that I wasn't able to make you a pie, I was planning a fruit pie, maybe a peach pie or a blueberry pie, but come in and sit down" 
When someone who is obviously suffering more than you offers to serve you, or alleviate your minor pain, it's always pretty humbling. It's the classic moment where you look at yourself and ask "was I really just complaining about how hot it was outside? Or about some minor idiosyncrasy my companion has?" I want to be like Boomie. 

Being on the mission is also such a legendary opportunity to bring the theoretical into the applicable. Being raised in the church, one of the greatest dangers I've fallen into is to take the blessings, perspectives and doctrines of it for granted. They are extraordinary, simply amazing! But if the extraordinary becomes the normal, is it any less extraordinary? When the Lord asks us to be grateful to Him, it is definitely less for him than it is for us. There is unexpected power in gratitude and a very real danger in ingratitude. 

We were also able to figure out a date for Ernest's baptism! It'll be happening on August 15th and the president of the Napanee branch will be baptizing him. Which is super hyped and super awesome. 

And finally, we had a lesson with a very honest and very open older lady. She has lived one of the craziest lives I've ever heard. She explained that she does in fact have multiple personalities, bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia, she also explained that she was under the witness protection program and so we actually don't know her real name. She was cross examining us AND our intentions. She was talking about the use of the phrase "I love you" and explained how it was not a phrase to be used lightly. She went after missionaries for using the phrase while with her, but then never talking to her again after they left the area, "Is that love?" she asked. It was actually a great conversation to have because, well, I am also a missionary, and can fall into the unfortunate danger of treating people like a "baptismal statistic". So in Moroni 7, when Mormon is talking about charity, the pure love of Christ and says "brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love" he is not kidding. It is really easy to like people, that is not a problem. But to truly love someone is a different game entirely, because that means that you've got to walk your talk, and that usually means that you've got to sacrifice personal time, pride, and energy, and that is WAY easier said than done. Hence the encouragement to pray "with all the energy of heart." 
The lesson with that older lady is one I will definitely remember. 

And finally, I asked President Ensign if I would be able to print classical, and Billy Joel music to play on the Pday. I rejoiced to find out that classical music was in fact allowed. Billy Joel will have to wait a bit :)

1) President Smith, and the legendary Ernest




2) After a district council




3) A Really cool member, Brother Holt, who did ceramic art that I needed a picture with. 




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