[No Subject]

Hellooooooooooooo todos!!!

My goodness it is cold! But it's ok because I've discovered what Biscoff is, and I'm in 7th Heaven. Mmmm :)

This week went pretty well! We had two exchanges with some wonderful hermanas. I learn so much from every exchange I go on. What a privilege! Everyone is so different, and I've seen how my experiences have been able to help some of the hermanas. I even got a thank you note from one of them the other day! :) I just love being an STL. Plus my companion is amazing! I really don't know what I would've done if I wasn't her companion! I am SO grateful for her. Gah! Hermana Graham rocks!

This week was really busy. On Monday evening we went to a mall (my first time ever on my mission...weird) before going to the mission home. All the STLs (8 of us) spent the night in the mission home and helped Sister Brough with dinner and taking down the Christmas decorations. We even got to sit at the dinner table and talk to President about some issues the mission is facing. It was so great! Then the next day all the Zone Leaders came for our Mission Leadership Council, and I felt like I was sitting in a the hall of Greats. It was ridiculous but wonderful. I was kind of wondering, "Uh, what am I doing here?" But it was an amazing 7 hour meeting. I was very inspired and motivated to help and improve. Both President and the APs trained us. The AP training was my favorite. We talked about how we can help self-motivate other missionaries. Then they gave us STLs a talk entitled "The Belief Window" by Hyrum W. Smith. WOW. It has changed by LIFE! You can't find the audio online, but I'm going to have to copy it and bring it home for yall cause it's amazing.

So that was fun! We then had an exchange with the Hurstbourne hermanas, and then we had another exchange on Saturday with the Paris hermanas. It was pretty fun! :) We also had to do a training in a Zone Meeting, so that was crazy. We trained the zone on how to drop investigators who aren't progressing. It was pretty funny and spiritual. :)

OH! And we're having a BAPTISM this Saturday!!! Eric is a 9 year old we've been teaching, and he's so ready for baptism! His sister Brianna (11) got baptized in November. It's going to be great! I feel like a proud mom! :) He knows it all! And just when you think he's not retaining much, he blurts it all out and you realize, "Yep, he's definitely ready." haha.

I just love the mission. I really really really do. I feel so lucky and privileged and blessed. I am so inspired and love the Spirit. I just love this Gospel! I just want to give it to everyone!!!! Everyone within reading distance of my email, GO ON A MISSION!!!!!!!!!!!! It'll be the best thing you ever do!!!!!! I am just filled with too much love and happiness and inspiration. I've gotta go share it!!!!!!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!

Hermana Porter

[No Subject]

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can I just shout it from the rooftops?! :D I seriously love my life. I really really do. I just want to be a missionary forever!!!

This last week was quite eventful! Maybe I'll just write it out day-by-day:

Tuesday, I was in LaGrange on a exchange (haha that rhymed) all day. It went so well! They had some investigators there that I really clicked with. I shared a lot about my conversion story, and I totally empathized with one of the girls they are teaching. At the end of the lesson, she said, "I really need to do my reading. I need to read the Book of Mormon!" It was great! Then when we exchanged back that night, Hermana Graham filled me in on some mission drama that had happened since I'd been gone. It was CRAZY. It's weird to be on the inside circle....

Wednesday was New Years Eve. I had a breakdown on Thursday morning, realizing that is was 2015 and the mission is ending soon. I was a weepy mess. Hermana Graham and I have both been so up and down lately with emotions. It's quite the sight haha. I just felt so sad realizing that it's the year I go home. On one hand I'm excited to see everyone again, but I also feel a lot of panic inside knowing I have to go back to normal life. It's just hitting home. I just got permission to go online and pick out my classes at BYU. AH. I don't want to have to think about this stuff yet! Ugh! Then to make matters worse, I hit a bird on Wednesday, and I'm pretty sure I killed it.  

But anyway, I'm not turning this into a little crying-sesh for yall. haha. Aside from my little late-mission-crisis, it was pretty good week. We are teaching some great families and seeing miracles all over. Our exchanges were pretty fun! I got to go back to Hikes for a day! That was fun!! They are working with some great people. Hikes is the area I was in for just one transfer. My greenie that I trained is there, but I worked with her companion, Hermana Magalei, this time. She's from Hawaii. She's so fun and loving! I also got to stay in Shelbyville with Hermana Graham's greenie, Hermana Farris, all day Friday. It was pretty great!

I love going on exchanges and working with all the hermanas! Sometimes it's crazy because I miss my own companion haha but I learn a lot from everyone. It's such a blessing! I love the GKLM!!!!!

 

Also. Bradon sent me a magazine about sheep. I have to admit, it was pretty funny. My comp and I were on the floor laughing for a good while. But I still hate sheep!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep movin forward yall! Pray for miracles and read the scriptures and eat some tamales, and all will be well!!!!!!!!! :)

Love from the GKLM!

Hermana Porter

[No Subject]

Hello hello hello!!!!!!!

It was so good to see you all on Thursday! I love seeing your faces and hearing your voices! :)

Christmas was so fun. The families in my ward here really take care of us. We have sooooo much candy and junk in the apartment. You can imagine what our New Year's Resolution is going to be. haha. But anyway, we had a fun Christmas day. Life is good!

Friday was the bessst!! I got to go back to my greenie area for an exchange! I was so excited! I got to go to Corydon with Hermana Bown. She's amazing. Our first appt. was with Josue, who my trainer and I baptized. It made my heart so happy to see him, but at the same time kind of sad because he's really struggling. :( We taught him about repentance and read Alma 36 with him. It was amazing to feel the same Spirit we used to feel when we taught him almost a year ago. Heavenly Father loves him so much, even if he's struggling. I'm going to write him an uplifting letter today. Anyway, the rest of the exchange went well. We got to see lots of members and new people. I even got to see the Van Uiterts! Their son who just got home from his mission came out teaching with us. It was great! I love Corydon!!!!! <3

The STL life is pretty exhausting but rewarding. We are getting into the thick of exchanges, so Hermana Graham and I feel like we never get to work with each other, because when we ARE together we're planning -- for the week, for our trainings, for Church. It's craziness! But our schedules are always filled, and it's so fun to get to work with all the other hermanas and see how they're doing. It's been amazing to see how some of the experiences I've had throughout the mission have been able to help some of the hermanas I've worked with. It's a wonderful calling. :)

I'm ready to get over this holiday hump already. I love Christmas and the holidays, don't get me wrong, but boy are we struggling! We've been eating so many sweets and trying not to overdose on sugar and sweets. Plus everyone's busy and/or out of town, so we had quite the interesting week. But here we go! Life's gonna get good!!

Well stay awesome yall! Happy New Year! I can't believe it's almost 2015!!!!! D: :D I don't know whether to be happy or sad about that!

LOVE YALL!

Hermana Porter

[No Subject]

Hey Yall!

This is going to be short because we just got home from a Christmas conference!!! I just want to send a quick update about my week!

First off, I looooooove being a Sister Training Leader!!! I get to work with all the hermanas in the mission and see all the different areas. I'm so excited! I had my first exchanges as an STL this last Friday and Saturday. On Friday we went to Evansville, and I worked with a new hermana. She's struggling a bit, but it's amazing that I could give her tons of advice because I struggled with a few of the same things she's struggling with now.

Then on Saturday I got to go back to Owensboro!!! It was so good to see everyone! It's all in good hands there :) I got to see Karen! She's the 63 year old that I helped to quit smoking. She cried when I walked in the room. :') Then we worked with Fernando and few other Less-Actives I knew before. I love Owensboro!

Tomorrow I will be in Louisville, probably on a bike all day in the rain. Should be fun!!! Wish me luck!

Today we went to a mission conference. All the missionaries in the mission were there! It was sooo fun! We had a fun program, games, and lunch. I love seeing and socializing with everyone. We have some pretty amazing missionaries here in the GKLM. I am among great men and women here. :) I wish I could send you the videos I recorded, but it'll have to wait!

I am grateful for my amazing companion, Hermana Graham. She uplifts, edifies and inspires me so much! This is the best companionship I have ever been in. I am so grateful for the goals she's helping me to set and for the person she is inspiring me to be. We have the best conversations all the time. AHHH I just think she's the greatest! we are both trying to be more and more obedient each day so we and others can receive blessings!!

Ok I am going to end here since I will be Skyping yall on Thursday!! I'll have more to tell you then! :D I will call you later tonight to set up a time on Thursday, so be ready! :D ADIOS!!!!!!!!!!!!! LES QUIERO MUCHISIMO!

Hermana Porter

[No Subject]

To start off, I think I'm allergic to ham. Ugh.

But my new area is awesome!!! I'm in Shelbyville, KY, which is just outside of Louisville. We teach in both English and Spanish, and we're working with some pretty amazing people right now. Hermana Graham and Hermana Binks have done some great work here. I hope I can keep up with her! This week we're going to start going on exchanges. We're going back to Owensboro this weekend--woohoo! But the Capeners will be out of town.... :(

Saying goodbye to Owensboro wasn't as hard knowing that I'd be back. This week has been pretty crazy. Transfer Meeting on Tuesday was pretty fun. Afterward we got lunch, and then when we got home we jumped right into planning our exchanges. It's going to be a fun transfer! As an STL, we got on exchanges with 11 other areas of Spanish hermanas. Somedays I'll be in Shelbyville, and somedays I'll be in other areas. I'm really excited!

We saw a few miracles this week too. We're teaching this guy, Matt, and his wife Brittany, who's pregnant with their first kid. He just lost his job this week, and he's really worried since they have a baby on the way. The member we brought with us was great! She said she had gone through the same exact thing a year before. Totally inspired! Matt agreed to be baptized! :)

Then last night we went to go visit our main progressing investigator, and that ended up being a very dramatic visit. He lives with some members who are pretty....well, anti-Mormon now, and they flipped out on us for coming over. And poor Julio didn't want any conflict....ay ay ay! Satan's working hard, but God's always stronger!!

I'm so excited to be able to work here with such an awesome companion and with all the hermanas. It's going to be an amazing few months! I'll be STL until I go home in April I think. My companion goes home just a transfer before me. Hermana Graham is amazing. She's seriously perfect. I love her to death!!

Life is good everyone! Keep moving forward and share your testimony with everyone you meet!!! Love you!!

Hermana Porter

Transfer News!

So, I'm getting transferred! I'm going to be a Sister Training Leader! That means I'm going to be going on exchanges and training all the other hermanas. Should be fun!! My new area is Shelbyville, KY, and my new companion is HERMANA GRAHAM!!! I'm SO SO SO excited to work with her! She is awesome!!!

I'm kind of nervous about all this! President Brough called me on Saturday to ask me to be the new STL, and I said, "Uh, are you sure?" And he jokingly said, "Well I wasn't sure about it, but the Lord was." Then he said, "I'm just kidding. I made the decision and then took it to the Lord, and He approved." :D So yeah! It makes leaving Owensboro a little less hard just because I know I'll be coming back here 3 more times before I go home. All I know is that these next 3 transfers are going to flyyyyyy. 

Here is my new address:

1075 Lakeview Drive #210 

Shelbyville, KY 40065

Aside from that news, this week was pretty eventful! Elder Erich W. Kopischke came and spoke to us in a mission conference on Friday. I left very inspired with a stronger testimony of prayer. He didn't come with an agenda or anything to talk about. He asked us to write down questions that we had for about 5 minutes, and then he would follow the Spirit and teach us for 2 hours. WOW. I was blown away! Eventually, after speaking for a little bit, he asked for a few questions. An elder asked the question, "Do I have stewardship over my family and friends at home?" I was so shocked -- that was essentially one of MY questions! Elder Kopischke answered it by having us read in D&C 100:1-8. He then spoke a few sentences that I REALLY needed to hear. I just sat there and cried. I felt like he was speaking directly to me. Elder Kopischke had NO idea what questions we wrote down, yet he answered every single one of mine. He was teaching by the Spirit for sure. I KNOW Heavenly Father answers prayers. He is SO aware of each and every one of us and our struggles. He will answer you as you are ready to receive it. Have faith and keep showing Heavenly Father you are searching, pondering, and thirsting for an answer. 

I love the mission!!! The GKLM is the BEST!!! <3 Keep working hard everyone! I love you!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Porter

[No Subject]

I had quite the week!

First of all, let me share with you all the little miracle I experienced this week. I shall call it "The Miracle of the Wisdom Tooth." SO. I went in to go get my root canal done on a tooth on Tuesday, and I had blocked out our schedule for the day just in case I was dead in the afternoon. I went in, and they did a couple tests, and they came back and said, "Well, good news! You don't have a root canal! But we do need to pull your wisdom tooth."

After all the wisdom tooth horror stories I've heard....you can imagine the look on my face and the feelings I was feeling at that moment. SO unprepared!!!

I told him to go ahead and do it, so he numbed me up, let me sit for 20 minutes, and then came in to pull my tooth. I braced myself, waiting to die....and 3 minutes later I was up, wisdom tooth out, gauze in my mouth and ready to go. They gave me extra gauze, told me not to drink out of a straw and sent me on my way. 

This entire week I have had ZERO pain and ZERO swelling. It's a Christmas miracle!!!! I'm considering this a big blessing of being a missionary haha. Maybe I should get all of them pulled... Juuuust kidding!

I was able to go to the Pie Party at our branch president's house on Wednesday night, and then I got to eat a very delicious Thanksgiving dinner at the Beckners'. :) It was a good week! Plus we were able to get quite a bit of work done. The Capeners invited us over for some really fun Thanksgiving games that night. I decided I'm going to do Thanksgiving games from now on! Smart idea! 

Then yesterday we got to go to a baptism in Evansville, and our investigator Fernando came! It was great! One of the baptisms was a hispanic man, and Fernando was so intrigued by the way we get baptize. He was asking all sorts of questions and really felt the Spirit. I know he did. I'm so excited for him to get baptized soon. Hopefully in January!! I was so happy that he got to experience that yesterday. Nothing like a baptism to bring in the Spirit! It was powerful.

I have been so blessed to be here in Owensboro. I love all the families here and all of the investigators we have. I'm grateful for everything about my mission!! Transfer calls are this Saturday, and I have a feeling I'm getting transferred into my final area, so I will keep you posted next Monday. I can't believe I only have 3 transfers left...yuck!!!! I need at least another year! ;) just kidding mom....

Anyway, keep being awesome yall. Keep writing/emailing me....I'm progressively getting less and less letters/emails....you would think I was getting older in the mission or something! ;) I LOVE ALL OF YOU!

The Church is true! I know it! Share it with EVERYONE!!!!!!!

Hermana Porter