3-15-10 "Beware the Ides of March"

Guess what? I forgot about Pi day. Well, almost. Actually, last night one of the elders called us to say, "Happy Pi Day!" I was very sorry I'd forgotten about it. But I wasn't really craving pie. And I could only remember this much of Pi: 3.14159. So I'll submit myself to the contest, but assume that I lost. However, I remember my Shakespeare very well, because I know today is the Ides of March, an ominous day if one is Julius Caesar, but not so much if one is a missionary. Because today I have been in Texas for eight months. Crazy!

I'm sending a couple of pictures. One is of me with the Tomball High School cougar statue. I'm imitating it, although I'm not that kind of cougar. I'm the BYU kind, of course. The other one is of Sister Hoskins and Sister Smith on their way out to do missionary work one day. I'm really trying to remember to take more pictures. This week we're going to the temple, so we always get some good ones there. I wish I could send more. I have a whole bunch of our bowling excursion a few weeks ago, but I can't decide which to send. So I'll send them later.

This week we were either mistaken for paparazzi or celebrities or both. Here's the scoop: we were on our way home for dinner one evening, just driving along the highway. We notice a school bus next to us, but then we realize that instead of saying SCHOOL BUS, some of the letters have been scratched out so it says C-OOL BUS. Sister Hoskins gets her camera out and starts snapping photographs, and Sister Smith is doing some pretty clever driving to keep us in the right place to get said photographs. Soon we're on the back right side and someone in the bus comes walking back and waves at us! But it gets better! As we speed past the bus, everyone on the bus starts taking pictures of us. We're talking six cameras with flash pointed at our little missionary mobile. Best story of the week.

We've still been tracting and tracting and tracting like crazy, but the ward continues to support us with meals and everything else. Sister Tetreault is one of my favorite people. A second mother, if you will, and one of the nicest ladies I've ever met. She took us out to lunch last week, a little cafe in town called "Whistle Stop." I'm sure it gets its name from the same source. Delicious tortilla soup and a great sandwich. I have a business card I'm going to send you. Great place.

I'm also happy to report higher spirits and more joyful days. The more I focus on missionary work and throw myself into it heart and soul, the easier it is to find joy in meeting so many new people everyday, even when some are less than nice. Like the lady who threatened to call the police on us for tracting in her neighborhood. She didn't.

Hooray about Cody! Hooray! He's going to be an amazing missionary. Which reminds me. Yesterday we got invited to go to Brother Tetreault's primary class since the lesson was on " I want to be a missionary." We told the story of Ammon, and at the end of the class, he gave all the little seven-year-olds future missionary badges. If you want the picture, e-mail Sister Tetreault. I'm sure she could get you a copy.

Dad, thanks for the news about the Chilean missionaries. We all enjoyed it. It's amazing to see what the Lord can do through revelation if we only but listen to His counsel.

I feel like there's more to say, but maybe I'll send another e-mail when I re-read yours.

Love,
Sister Whitney Mikell Sorensen

P.S. I'm glad to hear my handwriting looks good, because I've been practicing. And my typing skills are definitely low today. I've caught many typos, but I'm sure some slipped through. Please forgive.