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