10-19-09 "Amos Quito"

Do you remember that knock-knock joke we used to tell? Knock knock. Who's there? Amos. Amos who? A-mosquito bit me! Well, that's very applicable this week. It was a very rainy week last week, but it finally mostly stopped by Tuesday. Unfortunately, that means greater humidity, and an even greater concentration of mosquitos. Especially at about 4:30 in the afternoon when we did some tracting on Tuesday. Especially at the entryway to every house on the street. So it went something like this. Knock knock. Wait five seconds. Look down at your legs. Slap the mosquitos away from your nylons. See if anyone answers. Leave a pass-along card. Walk to next house. Repeat. After one hour of that adventure we had plenty of bites, about 15 on each leg. I tried to take a picture, but you couldn't really see it very well. Weird, because it was totally obvious and gross. I was itching horribly the next morning.
Tomball is in big time finding mode right now, which means a lot of tracting. And yes, even into people that haven't been visited by members. I don't know. I see the need for member missionary work, but they can't do it all. Tracting is there to make us humble. Not that it's my place to say, but the Idaho elders should know by now that everyone in Idaho Falls has had some contact with members. Maybe not members who were saying, "Hey, do you want to have the missionary discussions?" but, it's Idaho Falls. I love it here when people acknowledge some type of association with members. Even if it doesn't mean they're interested right now, it at least gives us a time to have a thirty second conversation, instead of me just giving a standard, boring, ineffective door approach. My new goal since yesterday is to maintain a smile while tracting, especially when someone's turning us away. Of course, just after I mentioned that to Sister Kemp, a devout ex-Catholic atheist answered the next door, convinced that since he stopped believing in Jesus Christ as even being a real person he's been so much happier. As we walked away, Sister Kemp said, "That one HURT." I just kept saying, "still happy, still happy." But it did hurt. Ouch. That's something I've come to realize in the short time I've been here in Tomball. I already love these people. I didn't think I would love them this quickly. And I didn't realize it up in College Station because we didn't do that much tracting. But here, it's like breaking my heart every time someone closes the door. Every time. It's especially hard when people already have a church and don't want ours. Which is most people down here. So close and yet SO FAR. And so not willing to hear our point of view, most of the time. And I still love them. But President Hansen shared some wisdom with me that I'm trying to apply with the happiness thing. He said President Eyring has two ways to know if you are a successful missionary: 1. Speak in such a way that you can convey the Spirit, and 2. Love the people with your whole heart. So those are my new goals.
Sorry everyone there is sick. YUCK! This week we had dinner with a family that all had the swine flu recently. Not anymore, of course. Actually, they just moved here from Vancouver, BC, and they have the coolest stories. He works for US Customs, so he gets to go into private jets and clear them when celebrities land or leave. Plus he knows a lot of famous people that film their shows in Vancouver. Like Tom Welling from Smallville. Wow. When he showed us the signed pictures they have from him for their sons, I felt just like a fifteen-year-old again. I was suddenly in 9th grade. They even said they once took some sister missionaries up there to meet him. Talk about distracting. Plus, they know someone who works on the set of PSYCH. Amazing! They keep getting all this cool stuff from them: PSYCH water bottles, bobbleheads, etc. I'll keep you posted on any more cool celebrity sightings.
Oh, and I'll try to get a flu shot sometime in the next two weeks. It should be less than $30. I'm okay to just use the medical VISA on that, right? As for prescriptions, I think I'm just going to get them refilled at CVS from here on out, so I've saved some bottles to show my new doctor. And that's another thing: I'm going to call around today and see who can take me down here soonest. I'll keep you posted.
Eli, wow! It sounds like you're having a crazy week. First of all, Meth: Not even once. I know you wouldn't, but in this family, we're direct with stuff like that. Dont' do drugs. Ever. However, turning 8, getting your first real scriptures, and writing haikus and limericks are very good ideas. As is playing basketball. I can't wait to see a picture of you all in uniform. Center is the best position actually. My favorite player from years ago on the UConn basketball team, Emeka Okafor, was a center. Probably still is, but he went to some no name professional team and hasn't been heard from since. I don't know of any cool basketball phrases like "pitcher's got a rubber arm" and such in baseball, but I do know there's a really cool episode of Even Stevens where Louis tries to be a basketball coach. Of course, the other half of the episode is about Ren wanting to kiss Bobby Deever, but I still think you'll like it. Don't hit anyone with your Wii lightsabers. And don't see TOY STORY 3 without me! It doesn't come out until next year, right? Andy in college, eh? Good stuff. Sounds hilarious. Toy Story is the original Pixar movie, and Toy Story 2 is still the best. By the way, "Work your height man!" And it's good to know you like the Jonas brothers okay. Feel free to copy their sense of fashion, but keep your own hair. It's the best.
Good luck on Annie. I'm sure it will be fabulous, with or without JPL. (Random American Idol question: who lost to Chris this year? I CANNOT remember. Help! I'm losing my trivia mind!) And it sounds like you have plenty of projects to work on afterward. Maybe you could work on getting the Nobel Peace Prize next year. I'm sure you've done more for world peace than a recent winner. I'm sure the news media is just soaking it all up though, praising him for his (lack of) accomplishments. At the very least you could become a chia pet.
Please do send the Dallin H. Oaks talk. I know he's right, and that's probably why people are calling him wrong. Sister Tanner is great, and her husband is actually one of the vice president's of BYU. I've never heard him give a talk, but I'm sure he's great.
Okay, I think that's all for this week. Enjoy the winter. Here it's just starting to be fall, 60s-80s all the time. And flowers are still blooming. I could get used to this, for sure.

Love,

Sister Whitney Mikell Sorensen

P.S. Ed-E and Lu-C=NOT EVEN ONCE!