Lizards, and roaches, and ants, oh my! (06-29-2015)

There are so many creepy crawly things finding their way into our apartment! We don't like killing the cockroaches and hearing the crunch, so we've started trapping them in a jar. We've caught 5 this week. And my bathroom is infested with ants! I'm going to have to buy a trap today. There are also earwigs galore. Want to teach a kid not to throw his clothes on the floor? Live in Nevada! We've also seen some big horned sheep and a lot of jack rabbits! Every day is an adventure. 

We had a pretty good week! Our teaching pool is dwindling a bit in one ward, and it's very slow in the other, but it's all good! We are seeing progress, though it may be slow. 

We met a woman in a parking lot this week getting some things out of the back of her car. We approached her, calling out as we were walking toward her, but she didn't flinch. Then as we got closer I said, "Excuse me..." but no response. I wasn't sure if she was ignoring us on purpose to be rude or what... but as I got closer she turned and I said hi, then she motioned that she was deaf. I automatically switched to what little sign language I know to ask her if she wanted help unloading her car. She said no, and that she could do it alone, but we gave her a pass-along card and she thanked us. It was just cool to see how even my past experiences of having deaf friends, a friend in the ASL program, and nonverbal clients has prepared me to be a missionary. So cool. 

Another day we were out trying to contact some people we had in our records, and we were wanting to see a man named Jose. We had never met him, but knew the address so we drove on over. As we pulled up we realized it was the same address for a unknown name referral we had gotten several weeks ago. We had tried and tried before, leaving our card in the door, with no answer, so we hadn't been back there in while. We looked at each other, and had an unspoken conversation of, "Well, we already tried a bunch of times and never succeeded, so let's just go to the next one." As we drove down the street I had an undeniable feeling that we should go back. There had to be a reason we had picked his name, right? So we stopped and walked back to the house to knock on the door. And what happened? Nothing. No one answered. I stood there thinking, "Is this supposed to be like an Abraham and Isaac experience?" Or maybe it was all just in my head and the Holy Ghost hadn't been telling me we needed to go back. 

Fast-forward to later that day. It was 8:30. We were tired, and just wanted to go home. We had just finished talking to a less active member in a parking lot, and we stood outside the car not sure what to do the rest of the night, and I was honestly more stumped than I've ever been. We had already used all of our back-ups we had planned for the day, and going home is such a tempting thought at moments like these! But I had the impression that the person we needed to see was in an envelope of old referrals we had inside the car. So I got out the envelope and passed over the name of Leticia twice before deciding that was who we needed to go see. We pulled up to her house, and it looked very dark. Sister Unsted said something indicating we should probably just go home, and it really is so hard to bother people that late at night, but I thought the least we could do was try. We knocked on the door, and a very excited Leticia answered the door! She was so happy to see us. It turns out that she's a less-active member, and she doesn't come to church because she has to care for her dad who lives with her. Her brother works to support them, and she stays home with her dad 24/7. We talked about her mission she served in Venezuela, and her experiences in the church. She told us about her mom's death and how hard that was for her, but she bore a beautiful testimony of the gospel and shared her feelings. We asked if there was anything we could do for her, and she hesitated, then said, "Actually, yes, could you sing a hymn for me before you go?" My heart melted. Such a simple request! Sister Unsted and I smiled at each other and readily agreed, then asked what her favorite hymn was. She requested "A Child's Prayer," and we began. The Spirit filled the room with such force! It took everything I had not to start crying, though Leticia was across the room wiping away tears of her own. As we sang I felt so strongly that her mom was there with us, thanking us for coming to see her. When we finished, she told us that the sister missionaries used to come and sing hymns to her and her mom when her mom was dying. I will never forget the feeling I had that night, and I am so grateful that I followed the promptings that were put into my heart. 

I believe that our fruitless labor earlier in the day was simply a test to see if we would do as we were directed later in the day. I read a talk today called The Law of Sacrifice (https://www.lds.org/liahona/2002/03/the-law-of-sacrifice?lang=eng ) by Elder Ballard, and he speaks of how the law of sacrifice and the law of obedience are inseparably intertwined. He shares this story: 

"Brother Truman G. Madsen tells about a visit he made to Israel with President Hugh B. Brown (1883–1975), an Apostle of the Lord who served as Second Counselor and then First Counselor in the First Presidency. In a valley known as Hebron, where tradition has it that the tomb of Father Abraham is located, Brother Madsen asked President Brown, “What are the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?” After a short moment of thought, President Brown answered, “Posterity.”
Brother Madsen writes: “I almost burst out, ‘Why, then, was Abraham commanded to go to Mount Moriah and offer his only hope of posterity?’
“It was clear that [President Brown], nearly ninety, had thought and prayed and wept over that question before. He finally said, ‘Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham.’”

I know that the Lord tests us to see if we will follow. The purpose of sacrifice is to test us and bring us unto Christ. We must be tested! We came here knowing that, and we must not complain when it happens! A faith that hasn't been tested cannot be trusted, and if we want our Heavenly Father to trust us we must be willing to go through the refiners fire that we knew and expected this life to be. I am grateful for the opportunity to build my faith as I sacrifice what I think is important for what I know is most important. 

I love this gospel! I love being a missionary! And I love all of you! 

Love, Sister Porter

QUOTE: "Salvation cannot be bought with the currency of obedience; it is purchased by the blood of the Son of God." Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

Death Valley, Sin City, Saint City, whatever you want to call it, IT'S HOT. (06-22-2015)

This week we hit 118 degrees. Oofda!

So, I'm pretty torn, because I feel like we had a super awesome week! We worked so hard! And at the same time, I feel like we have nothing to show for it. But a quote I found recently has really helped me. It says, "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant." I'm becoming a great seed planter! 

We stopped at the Davis family home this week to meet them, not knowing that Sister Davis had just passed away last week. They have been less-active in the ward, and many of their family members who were there are not members of the church, but we were able to briefly share a spiritual thought to bring them some comfort. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and he comprehends what we can not. 

Some of the people we are working with are:

Isaiah and Jacob Sanford (brothers, 8 & 10)

The Denton family

The Diaz family

The Nicolosi family

Afa (Si'i's brother in law)

Darcy

Jenny

Raven

Adelina and Dana (Ivan's daughters)

These people are all amazing! Please pray for them. The Sanford brothers have a dad who is a member, and he and his wife were baptized about 5 years ago, then his wife passed away. He remarried pretty recently, and his new wife isn't a member. She is staunch Catholic (even though she doesn't necessarily practice it) and has little interest in the church, but at least she's fine with the boys learning and being baptized! Hopefully her heart will be softened as they continue to learn and grow in the gospel. Something way cool about it all is that the boys have high functioning autism, so I am loving working with them! The Lord is certainly preparing people just for me to teach. 

We had a great lesson with Afa this week! We found out that he is a musician, and loves to sing, play piano and guitar! Just like me! So he brought out his guitar and we all sang "How Great Thou Art" all in parts. It was awesome! Then I got to play the guitar for a bit. I'm getting pretty rusty already! :( 

Ivan is doing so well! We went to see him yesterday, and we are now starting to teach his teenage daughters, and he has requested that missionaries be sent to his wife who is still living in Belize working. They are an awesome family! He has the best stories, and the best perspective on life, and the best accent! It's fun to talk to him. The man in the picture was his brother, Franklin, who lives here in Henderson with his family. He is showing a little interest in the church now too, but he's not in our area so I don't know how much the elders have been able to teach. 

The Perez family is doing well also! Angela's sister had a baby yesterday, and Angela and Edwin are going to adopt him. It's so exciting! Edwin came to help us teach a lesson this week, and he was just on fire! He is not afraid to talk to anyone about the gospel. I'm so excited for when they will be able to go to the temple, and I will be here to go with them! 

I love you all! Keep on keeping on! The Lord will do it with you. 

Love, Sister Porter

"I'm not asking you to pretend to have faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have." -Jeffrey R. Holland

If I ever become one of those missionaries who talks out of the side of their mouth...just slap me. (6-15-2015)

Hello people! I hope you're all having a great day! 

Oh my goodness, so many adventures this week! On Wednesday we went on exchanges, so I went to Boulder City with Sister DeFrietas. It was awesome! We talked to a shirtless man who looked like Buddha, and he just wanted to challenge us. But I found him really amusing. It's a good thing I'm not easily flustered. 

Ivan's baptism was this week! Sister Unsted and I went to fill the font and get everything prepared. Ivan has both legs amputated just a little below his knees, so he was going to have to sit on the bottom of the baptismal font for his baptism. Sis Unsted sat down while it was still dry so we could put a marker on the wall to determine how deep the water needed to be (about 3 feet). Well, we got it filled to that point, then I reached in and felt it, and it was so cold! We still had some time so we decided to empty it a bit so we could fill it with more hot water. So I hiked up my skirt and reached down to unplug the font, then plug it again after a minute. We filled it up the rest of the way and everything was fine! The baptism began beautifully, and we waited until Ivan was in the water before opening the font doors. When the doors were opened we could see there was only about a foot of water!  Oh crud! Apparently the plug hadn't sealed. They tried doing it anyway, but there wasn't enough water. So we had to shut the doors and Ivan just sat there for about 10 minutes while we filled it up more. Then it took 3 more times to get his whole body under because his legs kept floating to the top since there wasn't enough counter weight. Good thing all of us had a good sense of humor and Ivan is the most patient, Christ-like man alive! Then, at the close of the baptism, I was leading the closing hymn, "Onward, Christian Soldiers," ...and it just was dead. It felt more like a funeral than a baptism! Some people weren't even singing, and others were just mumbling the words. So before the last verse I stopped and said, "Let's sing like the gospel is true!" Everyone lit up! People sat up straight in their chairs and smiled as they sang, 

"Onward, then, ye people; Join our happy throng. Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song: Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King. This through countless ages, men and angels sing. Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus, going on before."

It was wonderful. Then in Sacrament meeting the next day, the brother conducting said as he announced the hymn, "And as we were reminded yesterday, lets sing like the church is true!" It was pretty funny. I really love this area! I'm already dreading the day I'll have to leave! 

In the same Sacrament meeting, a young man was speaking in preparation to leave for his mission this week, and he parents also spoke. It was a very touching meeting. They are from American Samoa, and they had a LOT of family there! Everyone in the family, and in the bishopric, was wearing leis around their necks, and part of the father's talk he gave in Samoan. But the end of the meeting I just wanted to stand up with both fists in the air shouting, "Hurrah for Israel!" Just like Elder Kolipoki on "The Other Side of Heaven." It was awesome. 

Some of our investigators are having a hard time keeping their commitments and progressing, even thought they know it's true. Keep them in your prayers. 

Please don't forget what a privilege it is to be a member in the Lord's kingdom and a missionary at all times! I'm so grateful for my dad in being an awesome example of missionary work to me all of my life. He has never hesitated to talk to someone about the gospel or leave a pass along card. As Father's Day approaches, I am filled with gratitude for not only an amazing earthy father, but also my Heavenly Father. I want to honor Him with all that I am. I am so grateful to know that I am a daughter of a King, and that I have infinite potential in his kingdom! And for as much as I believe in Him, He believes in me so much more. He is yearning to bless us, comfort us, and guide us by the hand as we humble ourselves and recognize our place in this marvelous work. Don't give up! Just look up :) 

I love you all! Have a splendid week!

Love, Sister Porter

QUOTE: 

"I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. 

I sought my God, but my God eluded me.

I sough my brother, and I found all three."

(6-08-2015)

Hi everyone! 

Wow. What a week! The Lord is building up His kingdom here in Henderson, NV, and I get to be a part of it! 

We've continued meeting with Ivan, and he is just the best. His baptism will be this Saturday! The ward has been very involved in helping since his baptism will be a little unorthodox (since he is missing his legs). It's been awesome to see everyone pitch right in and be willing to do whatever needs to happen. Ivan has so much faith. I swear, he's the one teaching me every time we go there. He got the Gospel Principles book last week and reads it whenever he's not reading the Book of Mormon. He's almost finished. 

Tiyannah and Al were baptized and confirmed this weekend! They are amazing youth with a determination to serve the Lord. Both of them are already planning on serving missions! 

We met a referral from the mission named Brandy this week. We got to her door and she said, "How did you know to come see me?!" She was pretty excited we were there. He mother just passed away, so we had an amazing lesson on the Plan of Salvation. She is determined to read the Book of Mormon and find out more! We'll see where it goes! Thank you, member missionaries!

On Saturday night we were leaving Si'i's apartment after teaching a new member lesson, and we ran into Sister Bench who lives in the same complex. She said, "Hey, Sisters! You want a missionary opportunity? Follow me!" So, of course, we followed! She introduced us to a young single mom who lives there also. Her boyfriend just went to jail, and she's feeling very alone. Her name is Bre. She said she was raised going to an LDS church, but she was never baptized. She wanted to come to church and meet with us as soon as possible! We played it pretty cool rather than dancing the victory dance we felt like doing! That took place in the car as we drove away :) Once again, thank you, member missionaries!

Yesterday we had an awesome missionary musical testimony meeting all focused on Christ. Our zone had such a good turn out. We had a less active member from our ward go, the Perez family, and Ivan and his daughters. It was so good! I really needed it. I was filled with such reverence and awe for the Lord, my calling, the faith of the members and investigators we have, the life experiences that have made me who I am, the people I hold dear in my life, and eternity as a whole. I am so grateful for an eternity to know that I am a daughter of a King who loves me and will help me succeed! I'm grateful to have an eternity with the ones I love! To grow, to learn, to love, to serve. Having this truth gives me so much confidence in my purpose!

I can't wait to someday take what I'm learning here and implement it in my own family. I want my family to be a full-purpose ward builder family! I want them to know who they are and why they are here. I want them to be like the sons of Mosiah, who could not bare the thought of another soul suffering without the gospel in their lives. I want them to have charity, and the courage to share God's love with everyone. I hope I can cultivate and retain all of these things in my personal life and be who God intended me to be, forever being a missionary. I love this work with all my heart, and I won't ever stop. 

I love you all! Have a blessed week! Look for the miracles. I promise they are there!

Love, Sister Porter

QUOTE: "Our commitment is supposed to be a test, it's supposed to be hard, it's supposed to be impractical in the terms of this world." -Hugh W. Nibley

First week of transfer numero dos! (6-01-2015)

Hello, all you wonderful people! 

So, this week has been good! The Fairview ward is on fire! Since Sister Unsted got here we have found 7 new investigators in that ward and we had a total of 31 lessons this week! Calico Ridge is struggling a bit... It is made up of a lot of gated communities which we are not allowed to proselyte in, so that makes it harder. Our only really way to be successful is through the members. So hopefully our enthusiasm for the work will spread a little bit and we can find more souls to bring unto Christ as the ward helps us out a bit. Our vision as a zone is to be full-purpose ward builders! 

We were teaching a recent convert, Chris Cooper, this week, and he just is so fun to teach! He was very impressed by my talk last week, and he brings it up every time he sees me now. So we were teaching him and something was said about how no one is perfect, and he stopped and said, "Except for Sister Porter! She is as close to perfect as it gets! She's the Mormonest Mormon there ever was!" I was dying laughing! Probably just because of the "Molly Mormon" label I've carried a lot of my life. But I am NOT perfect. At all. I'm just a sinner who keeps on trying (Nelson Mandel). I've created a little reminder for myself... "AAA"... triple A... "Apply the Atonement Always." Anytime I get a little down or frustrated, I remind myself of this. "Triple A, Sister Porter!" It works :) 

Another funny moment from this week... The other night we were on the phone with a man who was a referral for us. We were setting up a time to meet, and he said he just wanted to ask us a quick question. His question was why we now observe the Sabbath on Sundays rather than Saturdays as was the tradition of the Jews when Christ was on the Earth. We explained a bit about it being because of the Resurrection, how Christ was raised from the dead on Sunday, and with his atonement the law of Moses was fulfilled. We told him God has revealed that the Sabbath day is to be on Sunday, and he said, "Does God have the authority to change that day?!" I lost it! My body was shaking in silent fits of laughter as Sister Unsted answered, "Why, yes, he does!" It was pretty great. We will be meeting him in person tomorrow, so we will see how it goes! 

This Saturday Tiyannah and Al (Edwin and Angela's children) will be baptized! I'm so excited! They are so ready. Al (12) can pretty much teach the lessons to us at this point! And Tiy (13) really wants to be a missionary! They are the neatest! 

We have also started teaching Ivan, a double amputee from Belize! He will be baptized next week, June 13! He is probably the most golden investigator I will ever find. He is so convinced that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that this is the Lord's true church. I'm so grateful for humble people who are so willing to listen to the Spirit!

I'm striving to be more humble in all I do. Satan is sneaky, and pride is how he truly gets us! I've been praying to be more humble, and I know he's helping me! Thank you for all your prayers! I love each of you so much!

Love, Sister Porter

QUOTE: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less." C.S. Lewis