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