December 21, 2015



New Boots~!

 

Merry Christmas!

How's the new companion?  I want to know everything about her, where she from? How good is her Spanish? What do you like about her? How Willing is she to work?

Her name is Hermana Pimentel and she is super cool! She is from Yakima Washington and she is the oldest of 3 kids. She is originally from Michoacán Mexico. She is really nice and yes, her Spanish is really good. English how ever, is good but there are some communication errors. Looks like we will be speaking a lot of Spanish this transfer. 

Where will you spend Christmas?

We having to be out on Christmas so we have houses lined up to be at all day. Hispanics go hard on Christmas Eve so we have a lot of places to be the night before Christmas. Also, we have a mission wide Christmas Conference. That should be fun. We will go to the Gutierrez house on Christmas Eve to open our Christmas presents (that's why you got the picture last night. I wrote my letter to Santa and was putting it on the tree). Our investigators will be there as well so it will be really fun. Christmas morning we are going to the Andersons house (favorite family in English ward) to have breakfast and make cookies. Then we will skype (or facetime) there. Afterwards we will go to the Gutierrez and spend time with them and our investigators. Also, a lot of other members houses are lined up for that night.

Who's your favorite family in your branch?

The Gutierrez family. They are so excited to meet you all we you come out to pick me up. She is the R.S. president and he is in the branch presidency. They are so funny. they have 3 kids and who are the younger siblings i never had. She is my mom away from mom. She is the one who talked to you last night. 

Are you getting all of our Christmas letters?

yes. I am loving them. Some of the GK have so much personality it cracks me up! Landon and Grants letter had me crying! I'm excited to receive more!!!

Did you get your Christmas box?

I did and I will open it on Christmas eve! I'm so excited to open it but even more excited to talk to you all. 

How do you like being a sister training leader? Do you teach and preach my gospel?

I don't really get this question. I like it. There are more meetings and you aren't left out on what is going on. I HATE being left out. We go on exchanges too which is fun. 

Do you know what time you'll call on Christmas Day? (we are trying to make it so Brad can be here because he will be in Madison to talk to Morgan. For us, the later the better.)
So I will probably call at 11 my time and 2 your time. I'll see if I can get it changed. I'll call Christmas morning. 

This week has been really good. 

Sad story:

We went to see the girls who got baptized a few weeks ago. They are less active now. Their mom got back together with their dad. WE went to see them and the doors answered the door and they got really awkward. we were like bet you weren't expecting to see us! They said we will be right back. Then their dad came out and said "I really don't want you confusing my girls. Please stop coming over." As we started to walk away Josue said "Bye cookie quarter, I love you" Then his dad slammed the door. It was so sad. 

Happy: 

Fidel and Jess are back on track. They want to be baptized on the 1 of January. They are so excited. We had an amazing spiritual lesson with them last night and the Gutierrez really helped them out a lot. WE discerned their needs and it got so much better. WE are not longer as worried about them. Hna Gutierrez could relate to Jessica like no other. It was a glorious lesson. I can't wait until you can meet them. 

This was basically my week! 

love you, 

Hermana Porter 

ONLY 4 MORE DAYS

December 14, 2015

 

 

District Photo
(Hermana Martinez is the only one leaving)

Hno. Diaz and I switched glasses!!

 

Well, transfers are here. It seems like it has been a year since I sent my baby Hna Maya off into the big world by herself but it has only been 6 weeks. This week, I found out that I will be sending my other baby, Hna Martinez out to face the world of Stockton too. My babies have left the nest so early!  But the Lord has called them to those places and they are going to kill it! I'm so excited for Hna Martinez. She seems really excited to get a change of scenery and to work with the people in Stockton and see what the Lord has to offer her there.

Meanwhile, here in Crows Landing I will stay with Hna Pimentel. She has only been out for a transfer so I've haven't escaped 12 week yet. I've still got 6 more weeks of it...But while we are 12 weeking I will also be a solo Sister Training Leader over 2 companionships of sisters. I haven't found out which ones yet but I'm excited to be working with all these sisters and learning from them. All the Spanish sisters are new except for 3 so I am excited to see the energy they have and feed off of it. It will help me go strong until the end.

This week has been really rough for me and Hna Martinez. Basically, Satan came at our branch hard and we had a little break down about it. A lot of the things that are happening are way out of our hands. I mean we are only 20 and 21 year old girls who have hardly any life experience. We don't know what it is like to have MAJOR marital problems or to have hardships with your children. We've only experienced the drama of high school and some basic college. We are not on the same level as these people we are teaching.

As I was pondering what little I've experienced compared to the people I'm teaching, the Spirit brought some thoughts to my mind.

1. I've had to use the atonement.

2. I've experienced the power of prayer and receiving revelation.

3. I've experienced heart ache.

4. I know the blessings the gospel brings when we are obedient to the Lords commandments.

Really, those are the only things that I need to be able to preach the gospel. Sometimes, investigators, members, or companions get into the game of "you've had a cushy life" or "you don't understand because your life has been easy." Well, my life has been hard in ways for ME. The Lord gave me my trails so that I could learn and grow. With that I gained a testimony of prayer and repentance and faith. That is all any of us need to be able to testify of the gospel and its truthfulness. We don't have to have experienced the same trails as another, we just have to realize the power of change and it's importance. That is what gives us the power to testify.

I'm so thankful to Heavenly Father and the faith that He has in me to help these people change. He has intrusted ME with a great work to do and help His children come back to Him. While doing His work I've learned so much about myself and who I am. I've learned the importance of relying on the spirit and doing what He wants, not what I want. When I follow that path, I always end up more happy than before.

I love you all and hope that you have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Porter

December 7, 2015

The Penaloza Family!! Jessica and Fidel and sus hijos.

Nahoemi and Iker.

Hno and Hna Diaz.

Me and one of our little instigators se llama Nahoemi.

We have had an interesting week. This week a friend of our branch presidents family died and they have been struggling but we got to meet an awesome little kid named Daniel. He came and was helping us set up for our Christmas Party and he came to our Christmas party. He sat down with us and I started to talk to him and I asked him about his family. He said "I have 3 brothers and 3 sisters and one dad. no mom. since Monday, morning." I started to crying right there and I cried in his face for like 10 minutes. But Daniel and I became best friends and I was able to tell him about how his family can be together forever. WEll Thats about ALl I have to say this week!! Oh before I forget tho this week I had the best district meeting ever from the best district leader, He is soo spiritual and smart and just really good at everything its incredible he might be one of the three nephites I dont know but wow it was a good district meeting. BUt yeah it was really great and then me and hermana martinez went out and just did work and you know everyone wants to get baptized so we are just making them wait untill they get there stuff together and are ready to get baptized but you know some times it takes awhile for peoples stuff to get together so its a process but hey when your in the work of the lord its allll worth it in the end.

We also talked to Jessica and Fidel this week. We haven't had a sit down lesson with them but Jessica told us fidel is struggling to live the word of wisdom. The good thing is that he got a new job in town so we get to start meeting with him more often. They are still working towards him getting his passport. 

have you all read this months ensign? It is so good. The thing I love about it is it talks about Christmas miracles and in every miracle it involves service and christ. Me and hna martinez are thinking about how we can incorporate this into missionary work so we can be an example to our members. The members did a great job inviting people and we had a GREAT turn out. A few less actives came as well. 

Sorry this week was short. Next week is transfers and I will have more to talk about! Love you.

Love you all a lot 

Hermana Porter

November 30, 2015

I don't have much to talk about this week considering we were in all the week except for Saturday and Sunday. It has been a hard, hard, week. The Lord is giving me growing experience that I'm not sure I can handle. Sometimes I think He thinks I am stronger than I actually am! Hopefully with prayers and following the spirit this week will be better than the previous. 

On Saturday we had exchanges and I got to be with Hna Arevalo. She is one of my Sister Training Leaders, along with Hna Carpenter. We stayed in Crows Landing and we got to visit some pretty cool people.  Hna Arevalo is 25 and a fashion designer from Texas. She is so funny and we had a really great day. We planned to find all day long because that is something we are sorely needing! Luckily, we did find and we were exactly where we needed to be all day long. We just walked the streets of Patterson talking to everyone that we could find. It was quite fun and we felt the spirit testify of the good planning we had done the night before because everyone we talked to needed us that day. I had the chance to testify of Christ and His love for us and how He is SO aware of every single thing we are going through and through our trails, we learn our purpose. 

Yesterday we had a lesson with Fidel and Jessica which we taught them the Word of Wisdom. The lesson started of with them telling us that if we were ever sick, all we had to do was take 2 shots tequila and we would be better. Honestly, as soon as he said that I thought "Oh no. This is going to be a rough one." We got into the lesson though, and we went do good! They are so willing to live it and they are just ready to be baptized. Fidel said that him quitting drinking and smoking will not only help his body physically but also spiritually and he will not have to worry about forking out money to feed addictions. Hna Martinez and I were like "what the heck.....they are so prepared!"

We also had a lesson with Espinoza girls last night. We were seeing what they remembered from the lessons we had taught them and they remember so much compared to the beginning. We are so proud of them and the progress they are making. The sad thing that Rosario got a temporary job for the holiday season and has to work Sundays. We talked last night about keeping the Sabbath day holy and hopefully they will let her go in late or something for Sundays. We are prayer for her. It is good that Rosario's parent's are in our ward so they are great and take the kids to church for her. We don't have to worry about them going anywhere! 

This Thanksgiving season I am SO thankful for my family. They are such good examples to me and even though we have our problems and our rough moments we are so luckily. I've meet so many people while on the mission who have crappy families and they have no where to turn when times are hard. Luckily, my life isn't like that. 

I'm thankful for my mission. Even though there have been hard days, weeks, and transfers it has allowed me to grow and become more spiritual. I've learned things there that I wouldn't have been able to learn in any other place or though any other experience. I've experienced a deeper appreciation for my parents and for my friends who show me love. I've learned more about the atonement and how I can always rely on the Savior even when I feel like life is impossible and no one understands all I have to do is pray. The burned isn't immediately relieved but it is made clear to me that someone understands. All I have to do it keep going a little further and the blessings will come. They always come. 

I'm thankful for the message of the Restoration that I get to share with everyone here in Crows Landing and people in California. The Lord has blessed me exceedingly. 

Thank you for all your support and prayers. 

Love, 

Hermana Porter

November 23, 2015

 I found this Snickers.  It describes me!!

Baptism!  What a great day!!

This week we have been so busy that our immune systems were a little low and we got sick! Isn't that the worst? Me and Hermana Martinez are both sick with colds and we feel and look like death. We hope to get some sleep this preparation day to help us survive the rest of the week!

We have seen so many miracles this week. So let me start off by telling you I can't remember what I write in weeks past so if I repeat myself, sorry.

We have this AMAZING family we are teaching right now and they soak everything up. The branch has really supported us in fellow-shipping them and we see miracles with them daily. Se llama la familia Penaloza. So this week we had 2 lessons with the whole family and then 2 other lessons with just Jessica and the kids because Fidel works in San Jose. Anyways, in our appointment last Sunday we found out they weren't married and she was totally opposed to marriage. She has seen too many people fall apart once they get  married and she doesn't want that to happen to her family. Well, that is a concern considering they have to be living the law of chastity to get married. So we decided to talk to her about it on one of our off lessons. We knew that she loves the prophets so we used the family, a proclamation to the world to teach the law of chastity to her. She said "Hna, I have to be married to be baptized?" We said "yes, it is a commandment of god." and she said "alright, I'll do it." She then told Noemi (her daughter) and she didn't believe her because Jessica has always been so against marriage! Her girls were so happy. We then started talking about eternal marriage and how they could go to them temple next December and be sealed as family. When we were talking about it Noemi started to sing "I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday." Because she has been falling asleep to the primary songs...isn't that precious?

On Wednesday, when we had our lesson with both of them we taught the law of chastity again and Fidel says "We aren't doing that, are you calling us sinners?" Our branch President then said "Yes." There was a moment of awkward silence and then the spirit came to me and we got it all resolved. I said "Well, we aren't calling you sinners. You didn't know about this commandment before, but now you do so you have to start to live it. If you don't, then that will be sinning." They were like "ohhhh, okay." Then, guess what. By the end of the night, they had decided that they were going down to the court house in the morning and getting married then. Isn't that crazy? they learned the commandment and then wanted to live it so quickly. Fidel was so amazed that Jessica actually wanted to get married. He kept teasing her and saying "I'm not that easy, you'll have to get down on a knee if you want me!" It was so cute! They have a goal to go to the temple in a year. Unfortunately they weren't able to get married the next day because he lost his passport but he should get another one on Monday or Tuesday so all will be well in Zion!

We had a ton of lessons with the Espanoza girls this week to prepare them for their baptism. The law of chastity was the worst when we taught it to them. We didn't know if they knew what sex was and so we were trying to hint around the bush and you could just tell they weren't getting it. Finally, we turned to their mom and said "how would you explain the law of chastity to your kids?" then she said "you don't have sex before marriage and you stay away from bad stuff." They were like "oohhhh" Once we found out they know the word sex, all was better.

The baptism was beautiful and had an amazing turn out. The grandma gave the talk on the holy ghost and it was perfect. She had been worrying about it all week but it turned out perfectly, especially for her less active children who were there. The spirit was so strong.

I'm so thankful for all these miracles we have been having. As I see so many people changing their lives it makes my testimony stronger that this gospel is true. People don't change things on a whim because of something false, they only do it for things they know are true and if these families are willing to listen, the least I can do it continue to do the things I know are right for the rest of my life.

Thank you for all your prayers and love and support. I am so THANKFUL for all of you this Thanksgiving season!

Love,

Hermana Porter.

November 15, 2015

Boy, I don't think I've ever heard such a truer phrase! I'm either loosing my ability to handle the cold or California is having one of the coldest winters ever! I think it is a little bit of both, like 2 weeks ago it was 80-90 degrees and then over night it was 40-50. I don't remember last winter being this cold or windy, I can barley stand straight! Jack Frost is totally nipping and my nose, and toes, and elbows!

This week has been really good. We have been working really hard to get the Espinosa girls ready for their baptism this coming weekend! We have a ton left to do but through Christ all things are possible, right? We have to find baptismal outfits and everything, I'm really upset that we don't have a ward mission leader because life would be so much easier if we did.

We've been focusing on trying to get member involvement here and this week we have 4 lessons in members homes! We have seen so many blessings because of that we have 6 baptisms coming up! We found a family this week and they are so solid. 

Yessica has been to church 3 times with her girls and this week we had our first lesson with her. We showed up to the members house and Yessica had brought her husband Fidel. We taught them the restoration and they are all sponges! We can only meet with them as a family on Wed and Sun because Fidel works out of town but they were so excited to be able to meet with us. When we taught the Book of Mormon they were like "Oh my goodness, we have to read it so we can know if it is true or not." We were like, uh yeah. We were so shocked they had such a desire to know, we weren't expecting them to be that interested. Last night, at our lesson with them, they readily accepted a baptism date for December 12, all they have to do is get married. Yessica is just like Beatriz was, she soaks up everything we give her and she read literally every book we place in her hands. She read all the way to Abinadi in the children's Book of Mormon stories book. She also loves the prophet and their guidance to us. 

The Lord has blessed us so much the last few weeks. We are just trying to keep warm here. This week we are focusing on Yessica and Fidel and making sure we get everything in place for the girls baptism! The Lord really does prepare for us after we have done everything we can. 

I'm grateful that I see the blessings the Lord is giving me. Thanks for all your prayers, they are working. 

love, 

Hermana Porter

November 9, 2015

Hermana Gutierrez!  She's the best!

Sister Martinez!  Also the best!

Susie!!!

 

 

This week has been quite a trying week and I've learned quite a few things. Hopefully I will have them time to write everything that I've learned over the last year, I mean week.

So it all started with TUESDAY! We had been looking all week for investigators to take to the farewell testimony meeting of the departing missionaries. We had found for that had promised to be there but they couldn't give us a ride because they were all riding together (all from the same family.) You are suppose to attend these things with you investigators because ya know, a spiritual experience with their missionaries, plus missionaries who had taught them in the past, what would be a better experiences? Well, the problem was that we couldn't find a ride up there for the life of us. We had asked everyone on the face of the planet to take us but everyone was "busy". We were devastated. After dinner, we were traveling back to Patterson to visit some people and we both looked at each other and were like, "what do we need to be doing right now?" We said a prayer and we both felt like we needed to be at the farewell testimonies. Although it is strongly frowned upon, we went to the testimony meeting in a mission vehicle and guess what, not one of our investigators showed up. We were so devastated. they promised us they were going to be there and when we called they were like "yeah, we are getting ready to leave." Me and Sister Martinez were HEART broken. We basically just spent the whole time crying, well I guess I spent the whole time crying. We decided we needed to say because there was reason we felt that we needed to be there. I'm so glad we stayed. I got to hear Cody give his departing testimony and let me tell you all, he did New Albany proud. He bore the sweetest testimony of the Savior and His love for us. The spirit touched my heart so strongly and I felt like I need to study the Saviors life more and follow His example and sincerely pray to the Father in His name.

After Cody's comments, President Palmer spoke and I loved what he had to say. He talked about how it is all about our choices. We either choose to life the gospel or we choose not to. We choose to be obedient or we choose not to be. We choose the Lords plan or we choose the Devils plan, it is up to us. I can find as many excuses to be disobedient as I want, or I can find as many way so be obedient as I want. It all depends on how I want to use my agency. I know that sounds so simple and "duh" but I had never thought of it like that before. I can choose to and show Heavenly Father that I love Him or show Him that I don't really care. I get the choice. I'm so grateful that I was able to feel that spirit there and have that planted to my heart and be able to apply that to the coming months of my mission. I'm glad we listened to the spirit and I got the learn that important principle in a different way.

This week has been a little challenging for many reasons but one of them is that Hna Martinez and I just felt like we weren't really getting anywhere with the branch and they were a little unhappy with us and we just weren't really on the same page. We felt like drones and we weren't really progressing.  

We felt lost in the work and we were praying for what we should do. I was feeling really down in the dumps so I went back to some emails I had printed off when I was in my big depression state. I read one that mom sent to me about charity and how it never fails. Man, that relief society really knows something, aye? I realized I had forgot charity a little bit. I was contacting people and riding my bike because I felt like I was forced to, not because I loved them as my spirit brothers and sisters. Once I was reminded of that, I felt like my week really changed. I was helping out the ward council because I loved them and I love this branch and I want to see it grow, not because I was being told to and it was my role. I was doing it out of love for the people and also the Savior. Another thing that had been brought back to my memory.

The last thing I've been struggling with is all the information I have now, that I didn't have at the beginning of my mission! I ponder on the things that I've learned the last few transfers and I'm like "I was so lazy at the beginning of my mission and I'm still lazy! I've got to whip into shape!" As I learn more and more I feel so guilty for the time that I had wasted in the past and it is hard for me to remember that "I didn't know that back then, I've just go to apply it to the time I've got left." I imagine most of my life will be like that, in marriage, parenting etc. I'll have I wish I would have known moments and I'll have to use the atonement to get through them. I'm so glad that the Lord is teaching me this lesson now so I don't have to struggle though it in a few years!

I'm so grateful for this time that I have here on the mission. I'm learning so much and I hope it will give me what I need to be a good member of the church when I get home. I want this experience to change me and make me the instrument I need to be in the Lords hands. thank you for all the prayers you give to the missionaries and those serving around you. You would be surprised the boost it gives them to continue on in the hard times.

I love you all,

Hermana Porter.

 

Saying bye to Elder Lino.  He is from Peru!!

November 2, 2015

Me and Hermana Alcaraz are matching, we are super in sync!! haha

We match!  I love Sister Maukeni!

This week was transfers! We were all super nervous, if you were wondering. President Palmer gave us the longest time line ever, we had to wait TWO whole days for the call. He said that he could call sometime Saturday Night or Sunday morning. We didn't get the call until SUNDAY NIGHT!  We were going crazy. The verdict has come in though, and it is.........Hna Martinez and I will be staying here in Crows Landing 2nd Branch and Hna Maya is going to go to LODI! Seriously, Lodi is the best place in the world. We are sad to see Hermana Maya go but we are all a little bit glad that we won't be in a trio anymore. Trios are rough.

This week was a really good week. We have 4 investigators on date and we are so excited about them and their willingness to follow the Savior. We have seen so many blessings since being here in Crows Landing. Our first week here, the sacrament attendance was 25 people this last week we had 45 people in sacrament meeting. ISN'T THAT SO COOL? We have got the opportunity to work with so many less active members and also with new people. The Lords knows what each part of His vineyard needs and when they need it. There is so much work going on here and me and Hermana Martinez are excited to see it continue to develop. We have grown a trust with the Branch and they are doing so much to help us. We have also gotten a good in with the English ward here in the area and they are wanting to work with us too. We are also really excited because we are getting some AWESOME missionaries (aka Elders) in that ward, the ward is really excited as well. 

This week we had really good lessons with our investigators who are the daughters of a less active member who is returning to activity! They are so great. They are 15, 10, and 9 and they are so funny. They don't have a lot of understanding about the gospel but they have such a desire to be baptized and follow the spirit that felt when they went to a baptism of a girl in our branch. They have so much support from their family and it is such a blessing to be a part of this work. We also had some really good lessons with our investigator Olga. She was shaky before but she has started getting a lot more firm. Every time we trying to meet with her, the devil throws something at her. This week, we had a SUPER SPIRITUAL lesson on Monday and we had a member there who bore such a sweat testimony to her and Olga and her son Arcenio were feeling the spirit so powerfully. They had such a desire to learn everything that we were teaching them because the spirit was there. When we went back for their return appointment, a power-line had fell on their house, well next to their house, and then they couldn't meet with us for a few days. Finally, they had the chance to meet with us and it was a really good lesson because she ACCEPTED A BAPTISM DATE! When we first started teaching her, she said that she would NOT accept a date but she would get baptized this last lesson with her, she accepted to get baptized on the 27 of November. She said that she needs to step it up and show her faith and start going to church. She already made that commitment herself, we didn't have to ask her to. 

This week, I got to TALK TO ELDER PERRY! Can you believe he is coming home in just a few days? He is a little bit nervous, aka a lot a bit, and he doesn't know what comes next for him. He said he is going to miss everyone here and he really just wants to continue to be a missionary but he knows that he is needed at home because his time is done. 

Alright, I don't have time but it has been a really good week and we are starting to see all the blessings for our efforts! Thanks so much for all your prayers and all your thoughts! 

Love, 

Hermana Porter

 

We biked!!  President Palmer has made biking mandatory!  I love it!!

Susie!!! We are BFF's!

Abraham!  I love this kid!!

 

October 26, 2015

 

**Selfie**

 

This week has been so crazy. It has been a big blur.

So, Tuesday we went to the New Missionary Meeting. All of us learned so much while being there and we were excited to apply it. Something I have been struggling with is knowing how much to force obedience on my companions. I have NO backbone and I just decided to lead by example and I did everything that I knew I should and I prayed they would catch on. At the meeting all the things I felt like I needed to address they said they wanted to fix on their own. I was so grateful for that. I didn't have to speak up! 

Thursday we had district meeting and we left feeling pretty lousy about ourselves. Our contacting needed to be better and we should have just been working harder. We felt pretty lousy even though we had improved a lot. On the way home I saw this crazy man and I felt like we should pull over and talk to him. We did and we didn't talk to him but the Lord showed us that we were there for another man. We didn't get to add him but we did get to talk to him and he took a restoration pamphlet with our number. Then after that we went to dinner and tried really hard to talk to them about spiritual things and the experiences they have been having. The Hna had gone out with the relief society counselor that day and we felt inspired to ask her to go visit less actives with us that evening. She said yes and it was amazing. The spirit was so strong in all of our lessons and we met a lot of people who weren't even on our radar.  That day a member called us and told us that her less active daughter was ready to come back to church and her children wanted to be baptized. We were reaping the blessings of trying our hardest to be exactly obedient.

Friday we had a horrible weekly planning session. We struggled through and I was getting angry and the Hnas could tell. We were there till 4 and didn't get anything accomplished. The next day we watched all The District segments on planning. We felt like we needed to work on our area book and go back to planning. We did and it was the best planning session I'd had my entire mission. I'm so grateful that we did that! We got so much done and we are so prepared for the week. 

Sunday was disastrous. The morning went well and all was good until we went to dinner. Hna Martinez started to feel sick and went to the bathroom. She was in there for a really long time and so I went to check on her. She opened the door and she was shaking hard core. Guess what, she was having a panic attack. That was crazy. We were there and she was throwing up and it was loco. We went home and then Hna Maya had a panic attack. I really needed to be in two places at once but I couldn't be. I called the STL and they came over asap and President called. Elders also came over to give them blessings. We think it was just a mixture of stress and homesickness. but ya know. WE didn't get to go out to work Sunday. We hope it gets better soon. 

That is how my week went. Also, all of you are slacking on writing me. I now have 20 weeks left but come on. Sisters still need love. 

Alright, love you all.

Love,

Hermana Porter.

Lucy got baptized!!

Cutest kid ever. (I can't decide)

 

Cutest kid ever. (I can't decide)

       

October 19, 2015

I don't know, too much pressure, I can't think! -Elder Graham. ‏

This week has been pretty uneventful! I got the flu. Apparently, when you are feeling a little ill to being with, you aren't suppose to get the flu shot. I didn't know that so according to President Palmer I "made an Elder decision." Monday, we went to dinner with our Branch President and his family and then afterwards I was feeling really sick and I was starting to get a bad cough. The sisters took me home and made me take my temperature, it was 101.5. I swear, I've never had a temperature before. They were freaking out because apparently that was "high" they took good care of me because my temperature kept climbing until about 12:00 that night. The next morning we woke up early to go to Zone Conference in Modesto. The assistants and President and Sister Palmer gave a really good training on the Sabbath day and also making sure we are talking to everyone. I got really motivated to talk to everyone. Unfortunately I was sick all week so I haven't got to apply anything that I've learned but I did learn a lot because I went on a district marathon and I watched basically all of the district multiple times. It made me super motivated.

To be honest, I was feeling a little down on my self this week because I was trapped in the house. I just started thinking about all the time I've wasted while on the mission and the stupid things that Satan puts into your head when you're sick and can't leave the house. As I was pondering the crappy job I've been doing at training and being a missionary and all the thought came to my head "Isn't that the beautiful thing about the atonement?" My despair turned into peace automatically and know that is one of the simple truths that I was forgetting in that moment. I started thinking about all the things I had learned from my past transfers and what that has done to make me the person I am today. I can honestly say, that if I had not been through those transfers I would not be who I am today and I would not know what I know. The great thing about the atonement is that I can do what President Uchtdorf said at conference and start where I'm at and get better. I know that the Lord loves me and that He is helping me learn all that I need to become a good sister, daughter, mother, and wife one day. I know everyday I can start over and I just pray the people around me can see that I'm striving to do my best. 

This week I've also been reading in Mosiah and I keep thinking, every time I read, how important it is that we follow the good examples in life. King Zeniff was such a good example to the people and they loved him and they followed the ways of righteous but then, as soon Kind Benjamin was in charged people saw wickedness as acceptable and they couldn't remember what had happened and good they had been taught just months or years previously. It was a testimony to me that we cannot stop doing to little things and the good things, because if we do, Satan creeps in and we start to loose those good habits that we had before. 

Sorry this is short, but I didn't have a lot go on since I was in for 5 of the 6 days this week. 

I love you all. Hope you have a great week. 

Love, 

Hermana Porter. 

October 12, 2015

Leaving my Samoan girl!!

Tengo un tos ‏

Well I got a cough yesterday. I guess that is what I get for not getting a flu shot yet. I'm going to day, so don't worry. This is the first time I've been sick sick in like a year and 2 months. That's crazy. Haha Beniciones from the Lord. So this is how this last week went.

Monday. 

We got a call from Sister Palmer we were moving stat. It took us all afternoon but I'm glad to be out of that garbage pit. It was so gross. Plus now we have a functioning shower! What a blessing, I can get clean now! I'm not a funky monkey anymore. Because we spent all day moving we missed out two appointments that we had that night. We were a little disappointed but we tried to see them anyways and we just got return appointments for different nights. We are now living with Sister Dimpter. Crazy story, her son Elder James Dimpter served in the Louisville Kentucky Mission and he served in the Madison Ward of the New Albany Indiana Stake. He also thinks Larry Porter, the Stake President, is the coolest guy in the world. Isn't that crazy? He knows dad. I'm sure we don't remember him but he remembers us. What a small world. Anyways, Sister Dimpter is single and she is amazing at doing missionary work. She works hard core with the less actives. She has over 35 people she has befriended in her missionary efforts. She keeps us motivated sometimes. 

Tuesday.

Was a day of eating. We had a few lesson that were in the morning but all of them fell through. We looked for some new investigators that we could add and also some less active members. I was pretty unsuccessful. Then we had to go grocery's shopping because we didn't get to do that on Monday because we were moving. Then we ran home and dropped our food off and then after that we went to an appointment in Newman. The lady is a returning less active and she was like "I made you food" Well the bad thing was that we were going to be having dinner in like 5 minutes. So we ate her food and then after that we went do dinner. We are teaching this ladies son who is 8 so he doesn't count as an investigator. But he just started coming to church recently and he is going to get baptized soon. His names is Moses and we are basically best friends. He loves Mario and I love Mario, only when it makes me his best friend. haha We taught him the restoration and it was really well. He loved it and thought we were cool and he actually know a lot for never going to primary. 

Wednesday. 

We went to dinner with Hna Rosas and we ate some spicy food. She didn't mean to make it spicy but she did. Even my native companions were dying so it wasn't just my weak sauce white genes. But we ate chicharron and it wasn't that good. Hna Ku always told me I'd love it and that she'd make it for me but she never did, and I'm glad she didn't. It is a super chewy pork dish and it was G-ROSS. After her we went to see a lady who is less active. She just had baby and he is SUPER cute. We asked her if we could start coming over to teach her family the lessons and she said YES! WE taught her the restoration that night and it was a little rocky. We need some practice in making sure we distribute the time equally between the three of us. Also, there were a LOT of awkward silence gaps. We are getting better though. I'm learning to be quite until one of them speaks...sometimes that's a few minutes...

Something else that has been happening is we are tying to seethe less actives and a lot of them say that they were never baptized. There was this lady who said the elders always stop by looking for her but she hasn't ever stepped foot into our church. That has happened twice. I'm not sure if the people here in Crows Landing are just a little crazy or if it is true. I guess we will find out.

Thursday. 

WE had the BEST dinner with our Branch President and his family. They are so amazing. Sister Martinez doesn't speak Spanish at all but she is learning because she is in the Relief Society Presidency. We walk into her house and she says "SISTER! I'm trying to be a good missionary and I think I'm going to be having someone come over for dinner who isn't a member. Hopefully it all works out right!" She invited her ex-son-in-law over for dinner. It was so kind and he wants to feed us at there house every time we come over. He wasn't going to stay around for the spiritual thought but he did and Sister Martinez was just crying she was so happy. We talked about prophets and the general conference. He was getting ready to leave and she was crying and he said "What's wrong" She said "Nothing, it's called the spirit. I'm just so happy you are here. If you ever want to meet with these ladies call me and I can set it up." It was a tender experience and I'm glad she felt the power of missionary work. 

Friday. 

We had a lesson with a lady named Silvia. She had forgotten about our appointment and had fallen asleep. The whole lesson she was nodding off. The good news is she accepted a baptism date. But we didn't count it because she had not clue what she was committing herself to. It was a really funny lesson. Then we got to know our Elders Quorum president. He is the sweetest man in the world. He is do sad that our ward is down to 20 members. He is going through dialysis and isn't able to what he used to. He said he wants to come out with us soon though. He is the only member in his family and he is so sweet. he always says "they'll come around in their own time. and the more I have you over, the more exposure they get." He is the cutest man. The sister training leaders decided to make a surprise exchanges with us. It was quite the fun night. I got to spend it with Hna Carpenter and we got to catch up with each other. It was quite a nice time. 

Saturday.

I realized that we need to spend more time outside the car and make an effort to talk to everyone. Hna Carpenter reminded me of that. 

Sunday. 

We went to church and then had a crazy long chat. It was quite the evening. We have some goals though that we will all be working on and hopefully that will help somethings to become better. There have just been a few things that were off and now we are back on again. I'm excited to see where this week takes us. 

I love you all so much. I hope you have a great week and you make good choices and read your scriptures and say your prayers. 

Love, 

Hermana Porter.

 

Ana's baptism!!!  She is Beatriz and Enrique's granddaughter.

Saying bye to Genny Garza!

Amelia Perkins, we look like twins in this picture.

 

Bye Bye Ellyn.  I miss my YSA friends.

Saying bye to Hermana Sellers.

Baby Maya is tired.  haha  She sleeps in the car all the time.

The District.

The lady we moved in with made us blueberry muffins.  She's the best!!!

What my area looks like.  Five towns of this dirt stuff.

We were together for a day!  Reunited with Hermana Carpenter!

The Trio!  Hermana Me, Hermana Martinez, and Hermana Maya!

 

October 5, 2015

This week has been crazy, seriously crazy. Here is a play by play. 

So Monday we went to dinner with the Gutierrez family. They are SO funny I love them so much. We had dinner twice with them this week so we have gotten to know them fairly well. Anyways, Hna Martinez has been suffering with this horrible cough for two weeks. Well, we were mid spiritual though and she got a coughing attack. She got up to go get a cough drop and then on her way there, barfed all over their floor. It was quite the traumatic experience, for all of us. Hna Gutierrez was so concerned that it was her food that had made her throw up but it was just the cough. Hna's kids thought the whole thing was quite comical as well as me and Hna Maya. Well, that night we had to go wait at home anyway for a plumber for come and fix our shower because we had been bathing with a cup for about 4 days and finally we called someone about it because we were tired of it. The plumber said he would be by sometime after 6 but we waited until 8:45 with no luck. Hna Martinez was so sick so we called Elder Graham and Elder Jarvis to give her a blessing. Bless their souls they took the 45 minute car drive out to our area and helped a sista out. 

Tuesday we had appointment after appointment, but guess what. Not a single one was there. WE spent most of the day walking around looking for people to teach. It came up with no luck.We had a lesson that night with a lady named Maria. She is really lonely and is mostly looking for someone to talk to. We were there way longer that we should have been listening to her talk about Catfish. Who knew someone could have a one sided conversation about Catfish for 45 minutes...we sure didn't.  

Wednesday looked a lot like Tuesday. We spend a lot of our days "finding" with almost not luck. We feel that this week is our week though. WE are getting maps of all of our areas and we are determined to talk to everyone and their dog about the message of the Restoration. I want these Hermanas to know what missionary work is, not wondering around aimless. We tried door after door with not a lot of success. 

Thursday we had to wake up early to take Hna Martinez to the doctor so we could get some medication for her cough. Turns out she had a upper respiratory infection so it was a good thing we went to the doctor. Right after the doctor we had to go to Turlock for a zone training. Elder Torres gave it was it was really good. He talked about making sure we follow the spirit. We watched quite a few videos on President Monson and his life experiences. I learned a lot. Elder Torres made sure he pointed out when we were feeling the spirit and that we were writing down the revelation that we were receiving. He asked us who we wanted our role model to be. I decided I wanted mine to be Jesus Christ. I can always count on Him to have the perfect example of whatever quality I want to emulate. That is why this week I started to study the New Testament. Let me tell you, I love that little book. Anyways, at the zone training, Sister Palmer was there and she wanted to come and look at our apartment. When she got there, she was appalled. She kept saying "This isn't safe" "This isn't clean" "WE have GOT to get you out of here." I don't know if it was lucky or not, but the land lady was happening to come that day to check if we actually needed a plumber to come and fix the apartment. Let me tell you, we actually did. Sister Palmer had words to say with here and there was a little bit of an argument. It ended with us having our 30 day notice and having a plumber come the next day. 

Friday, we spend all day shut into the apartment. The plumber was suppose to be there at one and didn't get there until 5. Say what? By 4:30 I was over it and I called Sister Palmer crying. She told me we were in luck cause we would be moving out on Monday. OH boy was I happy! We were all happy. During our companionship inventory we all said the thing that made us the most angry this week was the fact that we had to stay in the apartment so much. We were excited to get out of there. We were also suppose to have dinner with the Aldana family but we though she had called to cancel 5 minutes before the appointment. Turns out it was our 7:00 canceling so we didn't show up to dinner. WHoopsies. Hna Aldana called at 6:30 asking where we were. It was a big misunderstanding but we got it cleared up. Not a good way to make a first impression. Hopefully there is not hard feelings. 

Saturday and Sunday were conference filled days. This conference was so good! I LOVE conference so much. Sometimes I wish it was every weekend. I learned so much and I have so many things that I am excited to work on. Some of my favorite talks were President Monsons, President Eyryings and President Nelson, and Elder Holland. I learned so much from these men. I got to make sure I am doing what I know to be right and being a light to the world and a defender of the believers. This is not the time for us to sit on the sidelines and watch, we have GOT to ACT. What I am today will to be good enough for who I need to be next week. I've got to be continually trying and becoming better. I've got to have to the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. If not, I will not be strong enough to fight in the spiritual battles of the future. I'm so thankful for the Prophet and apostles and the guidance that God gives to us through them. I'm thankful for the growing I have to do in the next 6 months and for the rest of my life. 

This week in my studies I finished 2 Nephi and I'm almost done with Jacob. I actually understood quite a bit of 2 Nephi. I'm not sure if I should be proud or worried that I'm understanding the Isiah chapters of the Book of Mormon. I think I should be happy? 

Alright, I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Make good choices and write me a letter! 

Love,

Hermana Porter

September 28, 2015

Week One with a Newborn

This week has been so crazy and this p day has probably been the craziest day of the weeks thus far. SO news, my companions names are Hna Martinez and Hna Maya. They are the cutest things in the whole world. They both speak Spanish from birth but they were basically raised in the US so they speak perfect English. (thank goodness) We are opening a new area basically and so things here have been pretty stressful. We have some really high hopes for this next transfer and I'll tell you about some of those in a moment.

So we got together on Tuesday and we didn't get home that night until 10:35. IF you know anything about missionary life you know that we are suppose to be sleeping at 10:30 so we started off on a bad note. The zone leaders came and unloaded all of our stuff for us and we didn't get into bed until around 11:30. The bad news is that we moved into the grossest place ever. It is super dirty and almost none of the appliances work. Our shower, doesn't work. Hot water, doesn't work. Sinks, don't work. Luckily Hna Carpenter and Sheffer came over on Saturday and helped us clean quite a bit. We got one sink working (turned out it was just clogged with Elder hair...we all almost threw up.) The shower and kitchen sink are still broken though. We have a plumber who is coming to fix that this evening though. Also we don't have a place to do laundry so we are hoping to recruit one of our members to help us with that. (we can't find a laundry mat either)

We have had one super powerful lesson thus far this week. We went to see a drop (who Elder Perry actually taught) whose name is Olga. She is the nicest woman ever. The lesson was struggling. I was talking the entire time and I'd try to get the Hnas to talk but we'd just sit in awkward silence and then finally I was like "hnas, explain this scripture to her." as soon as they started talking the spirit came SO strong. Olga was feeling the spirit, I was feeling the spirit, they were feeling the spirit. it was an amazing experience. They explained to her Alma 7:11-13 and they did such an amazing job. 

Another spiritual experience we had is that Elder Graham (WE ARE BACK TOGETHER!) Challenged us to pray to know how many baptisms our area could have this next transfer. We gathered in our apartment last night and we started to pray to know how many people the Lord would have us find and help come unto baptism this transfer. WE started out thinking it was only 3, 5, 8. Then we prayed for the next hour and decided it was 8. The spirit testified to us hard core that that is what we needed to be doing. But here is thing. On Sunday we went to church and our branch is tiny. I thought Lodi was small, this is smaller x10. WE had about 27 members there. So we also set a goal for people we wanted to help reactivate as well. WE all came up with the same number which was 15. President Palmer came and talked to us. He said that he know we can make this ward 500x more populated than it is now in the 3 transfers that we are expected to be there. That means that we need to make our branch grow from 27 members to 147 members. WE are ready to work and find those who the Lord has prepared for us. 

I am struggling a little with training. I feel a little inadequacy and I'm not sure how much I should be saying or doing or what ever. Hna Hurley was such a good training and I'm not living up to her but I'm doing the best I can. She just always seemed so composed and that is not me. But I'm learning that I just need to make Christ my focus and I will do good enough. 

I'm sorry this week is a little short. We had to come to a library and we only get 45 minutes. Hopefully next week it will be better. I love you all! have a good week. 

Love, 

Hermana Porter

P.s. The library wont let me send pictures. You'll have to wait until next week! 

 

September 21, 2015

I'M PREGNANT WITH TWINS!!!!

Holy Transfers. I can officially say I don't like transfers anymore! Just kidding. So here is the scoop! President PROMISED me that we'd get our transfer calls Saturday night. Well, Saturday night came and went and NO transfer calls. Me and Sister Maukeni both went to bed SO angry. All we wanted to know is what the next 6 weeks of our lives will be like.  We woke up Sunday morning and we got a call from President Palmer. He said that I was released as a Sister Training Leader but I was being called as a trainer. Then he said, there's a twist. You will be training not one, but TWO new missionaries. Can I tell you, I about fell out of my seat! I think I almost died right then and there. But I'm over it and I'm actually not stressing about at all. I feel so much peace. I think Heavenly Father is just trying to help me prepare here. So the verdict is: I am now Hermana Porter again and I am going to be training two new missionaries. Hopefully I am still alive next week! haha

This week has been a great week. We had two lessons with member presents! How amazing is that? One is with a man named Kevin. Kevin has been meeting with missionaries for a while and he is reading form the Book of Mormon. We were able to go with our branch mission leader, Ryan, to his appointment. We resolved some of Kevin's concerns about praying for an answer. He said he doesn't feel like he can pray because too many people already ask God for too much. He just wants to tell Him all the things he is thankful for. We told him they only ways to resolve his doubts is through prayer. Heavenly Father wants to be able to answer his questions and doesn't like it when he is constantly worrying about what's true or not true. During the lesson I realized I need to take more of my own questions to the Lord in earnest prayer and seek out the answers so I can grow my personal testimony. Our other lesson was with a guy named Amando. We went out with our member Ellyn and we were talking to her about how we don't have any investigators and right when we got home (aka back to her house) she said "Come on" and took us across the street to her neighbors house and we scheduled an appt for the following day! It was a really good lesson and Ellyn and Sister Palmer came with us. He had a lot of really good questions. He didn't want to be baptized but he said he would like to know more. The spirit was really strong. 

Here are a few things that I learned this week. 

Everyone has to have a clicking moment when it comes to the gospel. They have to have a moment when gospel makes sense for them and is something that they want. That is the point when all kids choose to live the gospel on their own or converts get baptized. They do it because they know it will please the Lord not because of obligation to someone else. Sometimes that clicking moment comes really quickly and others, it takes people awhile, but eventually it will come. 

Next I realized why I love my mission so much. this week Sister Maukeni and I were having a chat in the car and we were talking about how one day, we hope our daughters will go on missions. Then I was thinking, why do I wish that they would go? Because it is here on the mission, that as far as I can tell, I have learned what it means to fulfill our callings. I realize how important it is that we give all our time and energy to the Lord in all that we do. I've noticed when I started to do that, that joy came though the work. I know how important it is to constantly be doing missionary work like going and visiting less actives in their homes or going out with missionaries or making conversations with all those around us. We will feel so much more fulfilled when we do that. 

I'm so grateful for this opportunity I have to grow my testimony. That's all I need to do here, I grow and my mission will have been successful. 

I love you all. Hope you have a great week!

Love,
Hermana Porter

P.s. I got to go to another baptism this week for ANA. Beatriz and Enrique's granddaughter! It was a beautiful baptism and it was great to be able to see Lodi again!

September 14, 2015

 

New Haircut!!

 

 

This week has been great. I'm reading in the Book of Mormon in Nephi, the first book. I started it over and I love it even more this time. I am in 1 Nephi 19 and I read verse 9 which I don't think has ever caught my attention before. It is a beautiful verse talking about Jesus Christ. It reads  9) And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

Isn't that just beautiful? Christ did it all for us because He loves us. I think that might be my new favorite scripture. Maybe. Alma 7:11-13 might still take the number one spot. 

I was also studying a spiritual thought that my dad had sent me a while back. It was about the "as if" principle. If we would like to become something then we should live as if we already have it. That is something I have been reminded of this week and something I am going to apply in my life. The aspects of my life I want to apply it to are cleanliness and diligence. I feel like I get motivated to be clean or diligent and it last for a day maybe two. But if I try to remind myself that I am a clean and diligent person, then I will act as if I already have that as part of my life. Then it will become habit and then part of me. Me and Sister Maukeni were listening to a talk this week about change and about how most people let doubt keep them from changing because they see change as this huge long process that takes years and years. Elder Holland, very firmly, said that we shouldn't let that fool us. Change only takes as long as it does for us to get to our knees and tell Heavenly Father that we earnestly want to change. I LOVE that. Isn't that so true? That is something I am going to try to start to implement in my life. 

This week I got to go on exchanges with Sister Neeley again. Can I just tell you I love that sister? She is so motivated and has such a desire to work hard a be exactly obedient. It rubs off on me every single time I am with her. She is a new missionary but she seems like shes been out for years. She already has all the ropes down but she still has that new missionary fire! I wish I could be her companions so bad. We had a hilarious dinner with a few of our member. Jacob was feeding us be we couldn't go there alone because he lives by himself. He got LIz and Ellyn to come eat with us and they brought their friend William who is from Hong Kong. William just got to the states that day and he was cracking us up. He said "The first semester of college I ate 40 pounds of potatoes because I didn't know Wal-Mart sold rice." He was so serious too. Then he told me "You have the perfect complexion. You are so fare." Just imagine all of this in a Chinese accent and you would be laughing too. 

After our dinner Jacob came with us to an appointment with to a guy named Kevin. Kevin has investigated the church a lot before and he is really sick so Jacob and Brett came with us to give him a blessing. It was a really good experience for all of us. I hope Kevin felt the spirit strongly. WE haven't been able to meet with him since so we hope to talk with him about it the next time we see him. 

We met a promising guy named Marcus last night. He said he was going to come to FHE tonight at the church and to our huge "party" (thats what we tell the investigators it's called. haha)  this next weekend. He said he would come. WE are pretty stoked about it. 

I didn't hear back from any of you if you wanted to read the Book of Mormon with me. Does anyone even read my blog? Hope to maybe here some things this week! 

Love, 

Hermana PORter

 

 Right before a Sister's Conference

 

SELFIES!

I scream, You scream, we all SCREAM for ice cream!

I finally got a map of the United States!! (I've realized on my mission that I really don't know my country, at all!)

Yeah, I wore a blazer.........gross!