July 13, 2015

The Esparza's have kittens!  Their cat, Porter (named after yours truly), had babies.

This is week two with out the Jardines, I'm in a fallen and depressed state. JUST JOKING. Although I do miss the Jardines very much I am LOVING being in the Modesto Mission. Me and Hermana Carpenter have had a very busy week. We had two investigators at church yesterday. Beatriz and Enrique.

Beatriz and Enrique...I love them so much. This is a long story so if you don't mind sitting down and settling in...here i got. Feel free to go get a snack first. So it all started back in the trio. We were teaching Beatriz and Enrique and they were golden. They would study their assignments for hours and once we left them the Jose Smith video to watch and they watched 3 times before we came back two days later. When we got there they knew dates and fact and everything. We extended them a baptism date for the 17 of July and Enrique really wanted to accept but Beatriz wasn't too sure. Plus, they had never been to our church. When they realized that our church was in Spanish, because they thought it was only in English, they were jumping to go. Things got crazy and we couldn't find time to go visit them and they were going out of town every few days. So for about a month we couldn't get over. 

Well when Hna Carpenter got here we made it priority to see them .The first day visiting them (last week) Hna. Beatriz was home alone and she just started crying and was telling us all this bad stuff that had happened to her family with in the last month. Hno. was working overtime at their son's business because a business deal had gone wrong and he was in jail. This that and the other was going bad. We brought Hno Ku with us to one of our lessons and he gave her and her husband a blessing. When we came back the next day to see them Beatriz was like "Hermanas. Last night, I slept with out a sleeping pill. I have felt so much peace since I got that blessing. I know the power of the priesthood is true." Then Hna Carpenter, being the inspired genius she is said "Hna. How do you feel about Jose Smith?" Beatriz said "Oh, it is true. I know it is true. Everything that happened with him, true." Then she said "I was a little bit leery about the book of Mormon. I wasn't really sure about it. But then you left me that scripture the other day in Alma and it was exactly what I needed so I decided to give it a shot. I started from beginning and I'm in 1Ne 13. I love it. It relates to me so much and I see how it goes hand in hand with the bible." We extended a baptism date right then and guess what. HER HUSBAND WAS LEERY OF IT! He said "Hnas. I'm not sure about this." Then Beatirz said "I think I know what it is. Honey, you've been so busy that you haven't had time to listen to me read the book to you. Because you haven't been reading you aren't sure anymore." Me and Hermana Carpenter were just like "Um, yep. Exactly right." Then she said "I want to get baptized by the end of the month, but I want to do it with my husband because we do everything together." 

Flash forward to church. They came but they were only going to stay for the first hour. When it came time to go to Sunday school Hno. said he was going home but Hna was like "Bu-bye. I'm staying here. I wasn't to learn more" It was beautiful. She stayed the whole time and she basically taught gospel principles. It was so cute. She already has a lot of little friends and everything was about what she needed to hear. She just kept saying "I feel full. This is where I need to be." I can wait to go and see them tomorrow and see what they have to say! 

We didn't get to see or really talk to Janelle this week. She got grounded from her phone and her dad hasn't seen her in 2 days soooo. This week we are going to try to get back in touch with her and see what we can do to work on this whole situation. She is really sad that she couldn't get baptized but she said she wanted a blessing so she could get happier quicker and start progressing again. What a stellar little girl she is!

Fidencio is doing great. He couldn't come to church yesterday because he had to work. We should have a lesson with him tonight. We are just working with him so he can receive an answer of his own. We know he wants it, I just don't think he knows how to recognize it. that's what we are going to talk about tonight. 

I got a letter from Kaylea Trueblood the other day. I was SO excited. I love that woman. 


What is your favorite thing about your companion?

We get a long really well. We are really good friends but we also work together really well. We are always looking for ways to improve and get better but it isn't annoying. I just love her. She is the BEST. 

What was the funniest thing that happened this week?

Well last night. We went over to our Recent Convert Noe's house. His wife was making something in the kitchen so we went to see what it was. Turns out it was a bunch of bugs eating bread. They were eating them too. We were so grossed out. But then...we decided to do it just for the picture. So we did. Last night, I ate beetles. Yup...I'm disgusted with myself too. 

Any new changes with being in a new mission?
Not yet. Maybe next week there will be more information. Sister Palmer is coming up here to go out with us this week. We are going to take her out to dinner and then to a few appointments with us. We are so excited! 

What is the next transfer date?
August 12th. Right before my birthday :(

What was your best lesson this week?
Beatriz and Enrique. Hands down. 

Love you all,
Hermana Porter

 

All the bugs!

I wasn't happy!

Me and Homegirl.  We were waiting to see if we were going to die from eating the bugs.

Real life FEAR FACTOR!

 

Ice Cream for days. 

 

 

July 6, 2015

It's Official:  California Modesto Mission

 

 

New Mission, New Me

 

Welp, it is official. I'm in the California Modesto Mission. Everything online is changed and everything. That is crazy. Now when I get home and people asked me where I served my mission I will say "Well, I served half of my mission in the California Sacramento Mission but then I was rejected to the California Modesto Mission." Okay, rejected that is a little harsh. This week we got to meet our new mission president. I didn't get a picture with him but I did get to meet him, so he is a real person.

President and Sister Palmer are awesome. They are so sweet. Sister Palmer is a convert to the church and he isn't. He served his mission where she lived, near Plymara,  but they didn't meet while he was on his mission. He owns his own business and does pension funds. They have 5 kids, I think. They are really funny and really sweet. I feel so bad for them because they are basically shot-gunning a mission. How cow, that would be stressful. 

This week has been a little bit stressful. The last three days have been really hard. This week we decided that we were going to plan a miracle baptism. My first baptism. We felt really good about it and we felt that it needed to be Janelle. She is 10 and the only reason that she can't get baptized is because her mom hasn't said yes yet. She has been coming to church since the beginning of the year and has only missed 2 weeks. Her dad has been taking her. We fasted and we prayed for it and we worked up until the last minute. We worked with her all week to tell her mom her testimony and get permission. We tried talking to her mom a few times and she would blow us off. We had Janelle's address but we thought it would be better if Janelle got the permission and not us. Welp Saturday came along and we still didn't have the "yes" from mom. We had to start filling up the font at 2 to have it ready for her by 4. At 1 we went to try to talk to her mom. She wasn't home and at 2:00 her dad, Jorge, called us and told us to call the whole thing off. Her mom was ticked.  We made all the calls to tell people it wasn't going to happen. President Palmer was even planning on coming...it was hard to tell the AP's to call that off. Me and Hermana Carpenter were super depressed. 

It was hard because we felt like it was the right thing to do but then it didn't work out. We know that the Lord has a plan in all of this. It is a time where Janelle has the chance to share the gospel with her mom instead of just ask for permission to be baptized. We know this is His work and He knows what He is doing. We just have to wait a little while. She will be baptized eventually. 

The good news from this week. 

We had an awesome lesson with is guy named Fidencio and his friend Deena. Deena has been making some changes in her life and really wants to find a church to go to. She LOVED everything that we had to say. She was so prepared. She even accepted a date for the 15 of August. So did Fidencio. The way we found him was really cool. He was a referral from the Spanish Elders. We gave him and call and he said "So when are you coming to visit me?" We was even there when we went to see him! It was so cool. He didn't come to church yesterday but when we went for our appointment he has been reading in the Book of Mormon and he was in 1 Nephi 4 already...we had just asked him to read the introduction. Then we asked him to pray. he told us that he had NEVER prayed in his life before so we taught him how and he prayed right after. It was so cool. It was a really good experience and we are so excited to teach him. 

This week we were asked to study John 4:34 that says "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." I've been thinking of that scripture a lot lately and I LOVE it. I love that it says that "my meat is to the the will of him that sent me." Now I'm not sure about all of you, but I love me some meat. I feel like that should be the same of doing the Lords work and following his commandment. I should make that my meat, the think that I love. As I do so my will will align with his and we will become one in purpose. I invite you all to ponder on that this week. 

I Love all of you so much.

Love, 

Hermana Porter

 Me and Elder Perry!!!

Me and Puppy

 

June 29, 2015

 Saying goodbye to President and Sister Jardine

Holy 10 months!!

Yep. That's right. I've been out 10 months. Who would of thought. That means I have only 8 months left and the panic has started to set in. 

So here is the thing that I learned this week. LOOSE YOURSELF IN THE WORK. This was the Zone Focus that we set last week and me and Hermana Carpenter have been working really hard to achieve it. We started our small and now we feel like we are working really effectively. We pinpointed the time that we felt like we were being the least effective and that was in the car. We spend a lot of time going from place to place and from Lodi to Galt to Lodi again. There was a lot of time that we'd spend in the car not doing anything. We started by making a list of things that we could do in the car. Let me tell you, for every one thing that we crossed off we get 3 things added on. Also, we see that it is blessing our work because it shows us the people who are truly interested in our message. 

This week was good. We added 5 new investigators. A recent convert in our ward brought his mother in law, brother and sister in law to take the lessons. They are super interested and they came to church on Sunday. They stayed for the first 2 hours. They said it was different to what they were used to but they liked it. We met a few more people who seemed really interested we just make return appointments with them though. 

We are planning to have a baptism this week. Her name is Janell and she is going to have a miracle baptism, I can just feel it. She is 10 and has been coming to church with her dad. She has been taught everything the only thing is that her mom wont let her get baptized. We have her whole baptism planned for Saturday. We have the program made the talks assigned and the font reserved. We are going to fast with her tomorrow and we are praying really hard that her moms heart will be softened. Her grandma (who is a member) is coming up from Texas so she can be there. Our faith is high and we really feel like this is going to happen. 

Who did you have dinner appointment with this week?

We had a dinner appointment with the Perez family. During dinner we have been focusing on the first vision and asking them to make a list of people in their lives who could use the gospel. We are making a return appointment with them so they can talk with us about the next step is that they can do with their friends. Hermana Perez was super excited about it and she also wanted us to help her with her family history work. Serving the members, CHECK. I really should have paid more attention to dad though when he was trying to teach me how to it.

How are you and your companion getting along?We are best friends! We are working getting our studies done because we love each other so much that we just talk and talk and talk. Things have gotten a lot better. She is such a classy person and we are working SO hard. It is going to be a great 8 weeks.

What was your favorite thing about this week?So last night to start off the new mission we had a little get together with the zone and we shared our testimonies. At the end we wrote all of our fears down and tied them to a balloon and let them go. Well you see, homegirl here, let her balloon go and it got stuck in a tree. After forever of it not getting itself out an elder climbed up into a tree and he got it out. When the balloon let go the fears i tied to it fell. Guess I wasn't meant to let my fears go. 

Do you still go to a Spanish branch?

Yes. I only work in Spanish work. 

Did you get to see Cody Perry? What's the weather like now?

I haven't seen him yet but I did hear that he was in my mission now! How exciting! Hopefully this week. The weather is really hot. It is in the 100's almost every day. The high has been 114. It isn't too bad though because it is different heat than home.

What's your favorite thing about the area you live in?

There are super nice people. They are all so loving and kind. I love everyone here.

Have you met your new mission president yet?

I haven't met him yet. He just landed last night and the split officially happens on Wednesday. We will probably meet him this week sometime. 

Love you all, 

Hermana Porter

 

 Letting our balloons go.......

 Sister Jardine trying to do a jowler.

 Unloading $5000 worth of food for a stake trek.

Hermana Carpenter and Elder Williams