February 29, 2016

> This is my last week in Modesto. I seriously cannot believe that I'm going into my last full week as a missionary. I hope you have gotten something spiritual out of my emails for the last 18 months or 72 weeks and I hope I can express in this email what my mission has meant to me.
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> The experience of going on a mission is something indescribable. You just have to go on one to understand what it's like. You learn so much in such a short amount of time and a lot of what I feel I have learned can't be described. I feel a burning in my heart to serve my Heavenly Father for the rest of my life. I hope that feeling continues. On a mission, you learn not only because of experience that happens to you but also because of experience that happen to those you are working with.  You develop such deep relationships with people because of the blessing you have to be called to serve them. I've got a family here in California that will always be in my heart.
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> I have had transfers where I am more obedient than others. I've had transfers that I was happier than others. I've had companions that I liked more than others. I have investigators be baptized, dropped, and in limbo. I've had tears of frustration and tears of joy. I've had days where you fake it till you make it and days where you are making it so much that some people think you're faking it. I've seen trials and blessings. Most importantly, I have seen myself grow along with my testimony.
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> Before my mission I felt like I had a testimony. I felt that these things where true. Now that I've been on a mission I realize that a testimony isn't just saying "Oh, I've felt that spirit." Now I can say that I know these things are true. I know that Heavenly Father restored HIS church through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that as we put the Lord and His work and commandments before anything else, we will be provided for. The Lord has shown this to me though my own experiences and also though the experience I've seen my investigators and members go through. Beatriz and Enrique are my biggest example. They put it all out there for the Lord. They decided to follow him and obey all of his commandments. That meant to stop drinking coffee and changing a few other things. Because they did that and accepted the will of the Lord they were able to face the other trials that were ahead of them.
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> I've also learned the importance of studying the scriptures. The Lord hasn't given them to us so that they can gather dust. Scripture reading is an act of faith. We are showing our Heavenly Father that we are ready to receive His revelation when He is willing to give it to us. We are opening up windows to receive answers for ourselves every day. Because of the simple action, the Lord as promised us he will bless us. His prophets and apostles have also promised happiness for obeying the Lord and demonstrating our faith.
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> As missionaries we commit people to do things. The first commitment we extend to them is to pray, next read, then come to church, then be baptized. We don't expect those who aren't praying or reading to come to church and we don't expect those who aren't coming to church to get baptized. That applies to all members. If we are less active, we have got to start with the basics. We've got to start praying and reading then that will give us the strength we need to come to church. If we ever feel like we are wavering, we need to go back to the basics and have faith. Eventually the promised blessing will come.
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> I'm so thankful for all the things I've learned on my mission. I've gained insights on being a friend, being a wife, being a mother, being a sister. I've learned about budgeting and healthy eating. I've learned more than I can ever say. I hope that I can reflect on my mission for the rest of my life and always have this desire to be a Representative of Jesus Christ. I'm thankful for all the many blessings I've received.
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> I love you and will see you in a little over a week!
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> Love,
> Hermana Porter