Reading Sherlock Holmes prepared me to read Jesus the Christ. (05-25-2015)

In reference to the subject line, I'm sure that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and James E. Talmage would have been best friends! The complexity of their writing is fantastic!

Ok. I have like no time to write today. We have to get to a hair appointment for Sister Martin. 

BUT! We had such a great week! Not a lot of progress in the work, but we had several meetings and trainings that were very uplifting and inspiring. We had a meeting with Elder Clark of the 70 to prepared us to receive iPads to the mission soon, but the focus was really about our choices and eternity. It was amazing. I wish I had time to type all the notes I took! 

So, Sister Martin is getting transferred tomorrow! Sad, but good. It will be a chance for more growth! My new trainer will be Sister Unstead and I'm excited to get to know her. 

I spoke in church yesterday about missionary work, and it was so encouraging to see the members response! Several came up to me to compliment me and tell me that got them excited to do more missionary work. That was a good feeling. 

One of the members said, "You have to be the happiest person on the face of the planet!" and he told me my smile is contagious. That was also a good feeling :) 

Ok I've got to go. I'm sorry. I love you all! Have a good week!!!! Pray and smile always!

Love, Sister Porter

QUOTE: "It's hard to serve people you don't like, but it's harder not to like the people you serve."

Last week of transfer #1... What?! (05-18-2015)

Hello! 

This transfer has flown by! On Saturday we will be finding out if we are staying or going. Sister Martin has been here about 6 months, so she's feeling ready to move on. It's not super common to have more than one trainer (training lasts for the first 2 transfers/12 weeks), but a lot of people are thinking I will. I really don't know! 

So this week was...... interesting. Some eventful parts include a phone call that came Tuesday night around 10 after we had planned for the next day. A 47 year old investigator of ours sent a text saying, "Sister Porter, can you call me I have to ask you a question." As I was reading the text, the phone started ringing, so I answered it and put it on speaker phone so Sister Martin could hear also. This gentleman was calling to proclaim his love for me and ask if I returned his feelings! I told him I only had the most pure, Christlike attitude toward him and that I had no more feelings than that for him. He said that made him sad because he was really hoping that I loved him too. He went a little crazy after that, so we are no longer teaching him. HOWEVER, through him, we met Keith! Keith is this SUPER awesome 17 year old who absolutely loves the gospel, and we have set a baptismal date for him in June! The Lord works in mysterious ways!

Another interesting thing happened with a referral we had received... We were on our way to find this referral when we saw a woman walking in the apartment complex parking lot, so we started walking with her and talking about what we do, when she stopped walking she was in front of the apartment door we were about to go knock on! She was our referral! She told us she had been waiting for us to come for the past 2 weeks and she would love for us to come back! What a miracle! This woman seemed golden. Then we went back for the appointment and there was no answer. We left a note, texted her the next day (no reply), went back the next day (no answer), went back the next day (no answer even though we knew they were home)... then we went back a few days later and there was a sign taped to the door along with the card we had left her that said, "DO NOT DISTURB! NO THANK YOU!" I wanted to cry.

So, yes, this week has been a little discouraging. We are trying to get the members more involved in our work since we know that is the key! Please, remember the council of Elder Bednar! He said that the missionaries are to be full time teachers, and the members are to be full time finders! It would be amazing if we could just teach all day instead of feeling like we're wasting the Lord's time by going to return appointments where we just get stood up all day. Something that occurred to me this week is that in D&C section 4 when it says, "If ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work," no where does it say anything about being between the ages of 18 and 26, being single, being a life-long member, or any of that! And then I read in the section heading, and realized that this was a revelation given to Joseph Smith Sr., a member missionary! So cool. This is an admonition to anyone who wants to serve God, and you can do it right where you stand. So do it!

Also, I read a talk this week by President Uchtdorf given in the April 2014 Priesthood session of conference entitled, "Are you sleeping through the restoration?" He talks about how it seems like everyone has the idea that the restoration is already over. The truth is back on the earth, we have the Priesthood back, we have the Book of Mormon, everything is good, right? NO! The restoration is not complete until the Savior comes again! The restoration is a restoration of bringing souls back into God's presence, and that is not complete until EVERYONE has heard the true gospel and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done! Isn't that what the gospel is for? Giving us access to God?

Something awesome from this week is that Si'i called us wanting us to come over and answer some questions for her about the restoration. We weren't sure what kind of questions she would have, but when we went over she said, "Sisters, how do I tell other people why I believe what I believe? How do I share my testimony about the restoration?" AHHH! So cool. She's the best. We need more people like her! 

Also, Edwin and Angela's kids, Tiyanna and Al, are going to be baptized by their dad in June! They are such an awesome family! I love teaching them. 

I love you and miss you all! Please help the work move forward wherever you stand! God needs us on His side!

Love, Sister Porter

QUOTE: "Today is the oldest you've ever been, and the youngest you will every be again." #deep

You know you're in NV when...(05-11-2015)

You know you're in NV when... you do yard work, and it just consists of moving rocks, and you start to think, "Oh those are some nice looking rocks!", or when you think, "That's a really nice shade of brown!"

Hello friends and family!

So, this week felt kind of dead. We have a LOT of new investigators, but we're struggling with getting them to progress. We are also trying to get in contact with all of the referrals we've received, and that's a chore all in itself! But it means we stay busy!

Saturday was Si'i's baptism! It was absolutely beautiful. As she went down into the water, my companion and I were at the top of the stairs of the font waiting with her towel. I couldn't help crying. She is the most beautiful example of pure faith and love for our Savior, and she truly loves this gospel. 

Since Sunday was Mother's Day and we cover 2 wards, I heard a LOT about mothers and families! It made me so grateful for such a wonderful mother and such a supportive family! I love you all very much! I can't wait to be a mother and have a family of my own someday. Si'i was sitting with us in sacrament meeting, and her girls were all cuddled up next to me. They love us. Eventually they both fell asleep on my lap, one on each side. As watched them, I started to cry because I thought of how their lives will be different now since their mother has accepted the gospel. These 3 beautiful girls will probably go on to be baptized, live the gospel of Jesus Christ, be married in the temple, have callings, and raise families of their own. I was overcome with such love for these girls and I thought, "Father, I know you loves these girls so much. Thank you for letting me love them too." That's how I feel about each of our investigators, and how I know I will feel about my children someday. I'm just grateful for the love in my life, both that I receive and am able to give! 

The gospel is a gospel of love. Love is the motivator for everything we do, because it's the motivator for all Christ does for us. I have a quote that says, "Love is the great power to influence this world," and it's so true. Do all things with love. Without charity we are truly nothing. 

I love my Savior. I love finding others to share that love with. The Lord said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) If we are ever tempted to vary from that which we know the Lord has set for us to do, we just need to ask ourselves how much we love the Lord. Do we love him enough to graciously accept the gift he has given us as he has paid a debt we could never hope to pay? And do we love him enough to accept him as our creditor? And follow the terms he has set? And still be rewarded beyond measure though we stand as helpless servants? It boggles my mind, but I'm ever so grateful!!! The gospel is the atonement, and it is real. I love it so much.

I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!

Love, Sister Porter

It's windy here, and we wear skirts. (05-04-2015)

Hey friends and family!

Well, it's been another week already! I can't even believe it! Friday was my 1 month mark for being a missionary! What?! Craziness. It's already flying by. We are so busy! We don't even have time to try to find more investigators because of the ones we already have and all of the referrals we get every day! It's great! 

We are also having fun. Last Preparation day our district went to a chocolate factory nearby,

so that was good! I really like my district. Then today a member took Sister Martin, another set of sisters, and I to the Hoover Dam. It's good to get a change of pace every now and then! 

Being myself and still being a missionary!

I've figured out how to be myself and still be a missionary, so that's good. Up to that point was kind of stressful. But I've figured out some new outlets for stress and I've been able to incorporate my sense of humor, which just makes me a much better missionary! 

We got to go to the temple on Friday with President and Sister Snow! We go as new missionaries together, and then we get to go  quarterly. It was so wonderful! The temple is gorgeous here! Afterwards we all had lunch together and took pictures. Then Saturday we had Zone Training Council, and that was so great! I got to know my zone a bit better and we had some really constructive discussions. We want to become a Zion Zone, or a zONE! Clever, huh? 

The Poulo Family!

Edwin and Angela Perez were baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday!!! Woohoo!!! They are the coolest couple, and they have an awesome family. The next step is to teach their older kids (11 & 13) so they can be baptized too. They are on fire with the gospel! I hope I continue to find people just like them all through my mission. Peter was drunk again 2 of the times we went to see him this week :( It's so sad. He's been drinking since he was 9, and his body just can't handle the withdrawals if he stops. Si'i Poulo is going to be baptized this Saturday! And her husband, who hasn't been very interested, came to church with her yesterday! They have 3 gorgeous girls who are 5, 4, and 2. They love church. They were running late to the meetings, but we had saved them a spot on the pew next to us. Then another family who was recently baptized came in and took the spot we had saved... we looked around and there was literally no where to sit. The chapel was so full because a couple in the ward was blessing their baby that day and there were tons of people visiting. We didn't know what to do! The baby blessing happened, and the Poulo family still wasn't there. As they came in we looked at them afraid we wouldn't have anywhere for them to sit, and lo and behold the bench behind us had opened up! A family who had been sitting there left as soon as the blessing was over. Miracle! Miracles happen every day. God is pretty awesome like that. 

Well, the work moves on! We are working hard! I love it! I'm bracing myself for the heat. Our car said that it got up to 109 degrees this week, but I'm pretty sure it's off. In any case, it's getting hotter. Pray for me! 

I love you all!!! 

Love, Sister Porter