Oh what a beautiful mooooorning!

What a weeeeek.

First off, I don't have my "mom" anymore. Hermana Lawrence got transferred. :( We went to transfers on Tuesday morning, and she is now in a trio in Louisville (Fairdale) on a bike. LOL. I miss her to death. :( It's hard not having her around Corydon....just not the same!

My new companion is Hermana Wilkinson. She's from Colorado, and she's only been out six weeks longer than I have. She's really nice. :) She's 19. Our Spanish is about the same.... I can speak it fine now--not perfectly--it's just hard because I don't get 100% of what people are saying to me, and I can't turn to her and be like, "What'd they say?" because she got about as much as I did. Meh. It's going to be a growing experience, that's for sure.

This last week has been really exhausting. Now that we don't have Josue to teach, we really have to focus on finding new investigators, which is hard here in Corydon because Hispanics don't just walk the streets around here. All the Hispanics here know us pretty much.... Just have to find the ones who want to be taught. Pray for us!

It's also been exhausting because I feel like senior comp right now. I have to teach my new companion all about Corydon and the people here. It's hard work. I'm trying to make sure she gets it all just in case I get transferred next time and she has to take it over. So much has happened here in the last 5 months though. I hope I can fill her in on everything! She's also big on "HSI" (in Spanish, it stands for Speak Your Language). Hermana Lawrence and I didn't do a whole lot of HSI outside of lessons, like when we were in the apartment or out and about, and I feel like my Spanish is about where Hermana Wilkinson's is, if not farther along. I dunno. Guess I need to gain a testimony of HSI. She's an awesome person. Very positive, and she wants to work. It's just been an adjustment having to switch from Hermana Lawrence who was so bubbly and happy and laughing all the time, where Hermana Wilkinson is still friendly, just a little more reserved. I'm just realizing now how much I've picked up from Hermana Lawrence haha. I have all her little -isms. I get to see her this Sunday at a mission fireside! Woo!

Josue is doing well! We met with him when we got into Corydon on Tuesday, and he came to Conference yesterday. We're working on getting him prepped for the priesthood. :) He's a good guy. So solid. He's been setting up some appointments with his friends for us to teach this week and talking to them. Yay for missionary work!

Speaking of General Conference...WOW! I LOVED IT! Luckily I got to watch it in English (because I wanted to be able to understand everything, and if President Packer started telling another story about his garden, I wouldn't have a clue what was going on in Spanish...too much weird vocab I don't know yet!). Of course, I loved Jeffrey R. Holland's talk. His talks are always the best. I especially liked M. Russel Ballard's though about inviting and following up and how he invited everyone to study Preach My Gospel. I think he said, "It's the guide book for life" or something like that. It really is! As members we are supposed to be missionaries! We can't just sit back and enjoy these blessings for ourselves. We have to share them with others! And you as members have an even greater opportunity to help the missionaries because you know people that they don't know. Trust the missionaries! They've been called to that area for a reason, and if you have someone who you think is ready to be taught the Gospel, go for it! Yay for missionary work!

But anywho. I loved General Conference! I loved all the messages! I love our Prophet! We are so blessed to have a prophet on the earth today. I've had plenty of people try to tell me that prophets don't exist, but I know they do. Thomas S. Monson is the true and living prophet on the earth today. Like Jeffrey R. Holland said in his talk, there will come a time to defend your beliefs. As missionaries we defend our beliefs on a daily basis, and it's only made my testimony stronger and more sure. When I have to testify to others of what I know to be true and right, it only helps me reassure that the things I am saying are true. I love the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I love my Savior!

Keep on keepin' on y'all :) Les quiero!

Hermana Porter