Monday, September 7, 2015

With Sister Palmer

I feel a lot of pressure to write really good email and because of that, I think they are starting to get stinky. Things in the Y.S.A Branch are hard and weird The branch is so good and they are working really hard to find us people to teach and we are working really hard at finding as well, there just hasn't been a lot of success yet. This week we did have a few good lessons were pretty cool.

We had a lesson with a man named Kevin. Kevin is a drop that we had heard about multiple times and so we finally decided to go check him out. We had tried at the beginning of the transfer but his grandmother said that he was sick and he wasn't up to company. We went back this week and we had a really spiritual experience with him. We had to meet with Kevin in his room and so we pulled up two chairs next to his bed. Sister Maukeni, noticing the empty aquarium next to his bed said "What's in there?" He said "Nothing, right now. But just to let you know there is a 8 foot long Boa  Constrictor loose in the room right now." As soon as he said that, I pulled my legs up on the chair and I was like "Oh my goodness. Where is it." I legitimately started to cry. I think I can say that my biggest fear is snakes! He started to laugh and then took us around the corner and showed us the huge snake. It was the grosses thing I have ever witnessed. I was so scared. We then continued to talk to him about how he was doing and how it was going. He told us about his experiences with the missionaries that he had had in the past. We asked him what he though of the Joseph Smith and the first vision.  He said " I believe that, that, is something true. Joseph Smith had that vision and the Book of Mormon is true as well." The spirit was so strong in the room. We were all crying. Sister Maukeni then bore sweet testimony on how the Lord knows each of us and what we need and when we need it. That there is no coincidence as to why were there that nigh and that we came when he needed us the most. Then, she offered one of the most powerful prayer and when she was done we could all feel the spirit really strongly. We were really excited about the experience and told everyone. We have a lesson set up for this week and hopefully we can get him a priesthood blessing.

That same night we had dinner with a really awesome member of the YSA. Her name is Rosemary and she is one of the ward missionaries. She told us on Sunday to tell her if there was a day we didn't have dinner and we texted and she took us to get some Mexican food! It was SO good. She told us all about her mission in New Mexico. She served on the Navajo reservations and she had some pretty crazy experiences. It was such a good dinner. We had really good conversation and I felt for the first time in a long time we got somewhere with a member. She understood what we were trying to teach to her and the spirit was strong. She was so easy to get along with. Sometimes YSA is hard because they are all return missionaries and you feel like they are judging you but dinner with here was a judge free zone! It was a good night. 

On Wednesday we went out with our branch mission leader Ryan. We had an appointment lined up but it fell through. We decided to go see a member of our branch Skye. She is going though a hard time right now and we had a really good lesson with her. We talked about Enos and his experience and the spirit was strong in the lesson. We talked about faith and about how it is only through faith that anything can be accomplished. Fe is such a broad topic that you could study for years and still not completely understand. That gospel is beautiful like that. Sometimes it is frustrating like that too. 

Exciting news!!! I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON THIS WEEK!!!!! It was a monumental day. It was good this time. President Jardine extended a challenge that was to highlight every time the Book of Mormon talked about Christ, said an attribute of Christ, or Christ was speaking. It was so beautiful. My testimony of Christ has definitely grown since reading it again. I wanted to extend to you, everyone reading, to read the Book of Mormon with me for the last 6 months of my mission. I want you to email me if you accept. It is one tab a month and then by the time we finish, I will be home! I want you to choose a topic and read it. Family of mine. Accept it. If you don't I'll beat you up in 6 month! 

Alright, That was about the extent of my week! I love you all so much. Let me know how your week was! 

Love, 

Hermana Porter. 

 

 

I actually have more

We had an appointment set up with the zone leaders this week for a pass off lesson. The pass off lesson didn't actually happen but we had a really good lesson with a girl named Haley. Her grandma is a member of the elders ward and she is YSA age. She is also a member but wants to get active in the YSA ward. She was telling us about all of her missionary experiences that she's had in the last year. They have had 3 people be taught and baptized. It was so cool. The spirit was strong in their home and we got to spend D&C 18:10 and 15 with them about bringing people unto Christ and how great our joy is when we do it. This is a glorious work we are in. 

We also had an exchange this week. I got to go with Sister Clifton and we worked here in the YSA. She is the cutest girl in the entire world. We are going to be best friends after the mission, I'm almost positive. She is from Georgia and she is such a good missionary. She has the biggest heart in the entire world. I love her so much. 

Sunday was really good. We had a really good sacrament meeting. They YSA have amazing testimonies about the gospel and so many aspects of it. I love hearing people testimony. I feel like when people bare their testimony to me it makes me love them even more. Sometimes I don't like people and then they tell me their testimony and I'm like....I LOVE YOU. haha 

ok. officially done.