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Hey!

This last week wasn't very eventful, but we did see some miracles. :) We taught two more less-active members the 15 Step Stop-Smoking program, so now we have 3 new non-smokers in the Church. It's a good feeling. I feel like a lot of my purpose here in Owensboro was to help reactivate a few women here, specifically to get them to quit smoking. So far Karen is as active as can be and is going on week 12 of no-smoking. Liz is in the midst of quitting, and she's doing amazing. We also taught another woman, Cynthia, and I think she's doing great. Even though I couldn't teach it to Dad, I could teach it to a few people out here and see them have success and feel the Spirit more in their lives. 

My companion and I get along so well! She's SO talented! She can draw, paint, sing, play four different instruments, and is just all-around wonderful. Makes me want to develop my talents even more when I go home. :) 

Yesterday we had a big missionary program in sacrament meeting. I was the first speaker. I spoke about home and visiting teaching. I didn't want to throw-down on anyone, especially since that'd drive away the Spirit. Instead, I tried to inspire and focus on why we do home and visiting teaching and the importance of it. I got several compliments after, and Brother Fedor even told me I "hit the nail right on the head" with it. Yay! One of the elders spoke after me...he took a very bad approach to it. He basically told the branch they were terrible members. :/ Then my comp and two elders sang "Because I Have Been Given Much", and then the final elder spoke and saved the day. His talk was on conversion. It was so good!!! Overall it was a nice program. I really enjoy speaking! 

The temperature is getting cooler, all the leaves are changing color and falling off, and all my winter clothes are now out. Our apartment is FREEZING. We have a little space heater that we turn on for an hour before we go to bed, but by morning the temperature is back down to 60 degrees in the house. BRRRR. But we're surviving. :) Happy are we!

I'm learning more and more in this area that my purpose perhaps wasn't to baptize anyone. We have found some amazing people, and they are progressing slowly but surely, but I'm sure the fruit will be harvested from my work here in the coming transfers. I'm ok with that. I feel I have done the work I needed to do here (and will be doing more these next few weeks!), and I'm grateful the Lord put me here in Owensboro. He's put people into my life that I needed at this time in my mission to comfort me, teach me, help me and serve me. In turn, I'm forever grateful I've been able to learn, teach, and watch people change. I am excited to apply all this in my life when I get home. I want to be the member who uplifts, inspires, serves and changes lives. I want to be of service wherever I am. I want to follow the Savior and be His hands here. What a privilege it is to be called of God and to use up our lives in His service. 

Lots of love!

Hermana Porter

P.S. Some guy told me he liked my Spanish yesterday. He said I have a good accent. YAY! #13monthsinthemaking

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It was a pretty good week in contrast to the one before!

So we went to transfers on Tuesday. That was so fun!!! I got 2 packages and a bit of mail in the office, and then I got to see old companions and other missionary buddies. So refreshing!! Hermana Gamett got to reopen my last area of Hikes!!! Which is so awesome because I love Hikes! She's there with another greenie who just got done with training. Hopefully they can manage alright with talking to the Cubans! 

My new comp is Hermana Bennett from Idaho Falls, Idaho! She is awesome! We get along so well! We have lots of the same interests. It's pretty easy to talk to her :) She just got done with her training in Lexington, so she's still pretty new to the mission. But she's great! We're doing a lot of great work together! :) I love her!

Anyway! On our way home from transfers, we stopped in Corydon to eat lunch, and we saw a couple of members there!!! I was so excited! It was Isidro & Roselia. They updated me on how everything and everyone is doing in my first area. They also told me they're having another baby! My face hurt from smiling so much that day. :D 

We've been super busy this week! We've been talking to everyone and have been having tons of awesome lessons...and some not-so-awesome. Some of our main, awesome, solid investigators up and moved to Georgia. :( They called us this morning, asking us to translate what their boss was saying to them in English. I talked to her for about 5 minutes, and turns out she was talking to them about how the need to accept Jesus and God to come live in their hearts or something like that.... It was bizarre. Is it bad I didn't translate all of what she said? haha. I told them to send me their address so we can send missionaries there. hehe ;) 

It's interesting how when you start working harder and being even more obedient, Satan starts working harder too. We've had a lot of people give us pretty weird answers to questions we ask them. It's weird. But it's a learning experience. It's nice to be able to answer most of their questions. I'm just a little frustrated though because nobody will commit, or after we explain it all to them and are very thorough about it all, they STILL don't seem to get it... I don't know what to do! We're explaining it the best we can! It just seems we never can find them after the first visit to follow up with them.... and it seems like all the hispanics here are being like that. :/ Bah. We're working on it! 

Otherwise life is good! It's been a good week! I love my new companion, the work is moving along, and although we have little setbacks here and there, we're learning and growing and loving every minute of it! :) I've been very thankful that I've been able to refocus on the work with this new companion. Although things have been pretty rough with Dad and everything, I feel like Heavenly Father's giving me a gift by letting me be focused on the work and doing my best. There's still so much more to do these next 5 months, and I'm excited to work!! :) 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Porter

Weekly Email

Well, I'm not getting transferred! My greenie is leaving though. Weird! So yall can send letters to Owensboro still, cause I'll be here for at least another 6 weeks. :) 

What. a. week. I have never been so exhausted...and I hardly did anything! Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a lazy bum every day, but I had to take a lot of time outs to deal with things. I was an emotional roller coaster this week. Got a couple blessings, talked to the mission grief counselor, and went to the Capeners' a lot for lunch. Our branch members fed us a lot this week too, which was nice. Overall, I was exhausted emotionally and physically and mentally. Thank you all for keeping me in your prayers though. I have lots of help here thank goodness. And thank goodness for the priesthood!!! 

We had a chili cook off on Saturday night for the branch. We had some investigators come! Elder Fleener is from Alaska, and he made chili with caribou and moose meat in it.... I actually liked it! Isn't it weird to say that the weirdest thing I ate in Kentucky is caribou and moose? Not squirrel....

I don't really have much else to report about my week other than that. We had to cancel quite a few appointments because of me, but we did have some awesome lessons this week with some people getting baptized this month. I'm glad I get to stay and see some baptisms here in Owensboro -- finally! Pray for them! 

Heavenly Father has a wonderful plan of salvation. And thank goodness he does! I am so grateful that I know that plan and can share it with others. I've been learning a LOT about the Spirit World....and I'm realizing more and more just how merciful our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are. The Atonement is real, and God is there for us always!! 

Hermana Porter

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Heavenly Father works in very mysterious ways. 

This last week was one of the hardest...yet most interesting weeks of my mission. On Tuesday we went to a Zone Meeting, and our amazing zone leaders got us super pumped and inspired to make sure we're getting our 20 contacts a day. I was ready to go to work....and then I got sick for 3 days.

I started feeling sick Tuesday, and Wednesday we went out and worked, but it was so halfheartedly on my side... only because I had no energy or ability to do anything really! Elder Fleener and Elder Memmott came to the Capeners' and helped Bro. Capener give me a blessing. Bro. C gave me one of the best blessings I've ever received. (I love the Capeners. Have I ever told you that?)

I spent Thursday and Friday sleeping. I don't know what I had! It started off as fatigue/no energy whatsoever, and then my eyes started hurting, and then my whole body ached. I literally slept from 7:30 in the morning to 5:00 pm both days. My poor companion...I have no idea what she did for two days. I had to cancel my dentist appointment too. 

I was feeling pretty upset in the time I was awake because I wanted to go out and work. We've been struggling here in Owensboro Spanish these last few weeks trying to find people to teach, so I wanted to go to work to get our numbers up. And then I got sick. I didn't know what Heavenly Father was trying to teach me....until Sunday rolled around. 

I was feeling much better on Saturday, but we didn't have much time to work since we had Stake Conference, and we were going to Evansville early with a member. We unfortunately didn't have any investigators come since we went AWOL this week, but wow was it an amazing conference! Elder Bradley Foster of the 2nd Quorum of the Seventy came. It was all about families, family history, and loving one another. I really needed it!

Anyway, let me tell you about Sunday. Like I was saying, I didn't know what Heavenly Father was trying to teach me with getting sick and whatnot, but on Sunday after we got home from Stake Conference....miracles galore happened. The Capeners dropped us off at 2:00 and then told us to come back at 5:30 for dinner. In between 2:00 and 5:30, we taught 4 lessons, set 3 new baptismal dates, and got 2 new investigators. Then after dinner, we found a less-active hispanic man outside of another less-active member's house, and we had no idea he was even a member until 20 minutes into the conversation he told us he was baptized and had just gotten out of prison. He said he was missing happiness in his life and was ready to turn it all around. We said a prayer with him, gave him a Book of Mormon and told him that it was the happiness he was missing in his life. We are going back to teach him later this week. 

I sat down last night, completely dumbfounded. Why did Heavenly Father bless us so much in such a short amount of time? Sundays are usually our least-productive day! (Everyone's at church, at the store, with family, etc.) But after three days of no work and no energy, Heavenly Father decided to pour it all out on us at once. I don't get it! I don't get why Heavenly Father would bless people like us.... Or at least THIS imperfect servant. I try so hard to be my best but come up short at the end of everyday. I get frustrated with the imperfectness of my work, and I've been wondering if Heavenly Father's just sitting up there shaking his head at me, withholding the blessings for this area for the next missionary. 

Like I said, Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways.

We now have 5 baptismal dates. We located 2 less active men we didn't know before. Karen hasn't smoked in 43 days. Jenny has given up coffee. Sandy & Lino are going to get their family sealed in the temple soon. And to top it all off, gas prices are down to $2.90 here! 

I guess we'll never completely understand how He works. I feel so unworthy of the blessings He so abundantly pours out in my life on a daily basis. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what He's trying to teach me, but I have learned a few things. Heavenly Father loves blessing His children. He knows we aren't perfect and that we make mistakes. We aren't perfect servants, but as long as we are trying to serve Him, He loves us for it. His love never changes. Thank Him for the blessings He gives you. Never forget His hand in your life. He's there. He always blesses us much more than we deserve....because He loves us. 

Hermana Porter

Back in Boots

It's FREEZING again!! THIS is the mission I remember from a year ago! Brrrr! But in other news, I get to wear my boots again! I'm going to be sending home quite a few pairs of broken shoes and just stick with my boots this winter. Also, we have no AC unit in our apartment, which means no heat....This will be an interesting winter. I just went and bought myself a couple fleece throws. Wish us luck. :S

General Conference was this weekend! It was fantastic! On Saturday morning all 6 of us missionaries went to the church, but we soon discovered that the satellite in the church wasn't working.... So we quickly ran over to the Capeners' and watched it there. Sister Capener is adorable! She set up a Conference Store (a table full of treats, juice, notebooks, markers, toy cars, etc.) and handed out Conference Cash to anyone who could answer questions about the talks. It was so cute! I bought a juice pack and Nerds. :) 

My favorite talk seems to be everyone's favorite talk: the one by Jorg Klebingat. Wow! It was amazing! I just listened to it again. Those are 6 wonderful principles I need to remember, especially in making sure I'm listening to the right voice. I liked the story he included about the sister missionary he was talking to. Sometimes we get so caught up in things and think we aren't worthy to stand in the presence of God. Of course we aren't -- we aren't perfect...yet! But as long as we're trying our best, He will help us and make sure we are confident in our standing before Him. It's a process! 

Sunday morning....what.a.morning! We had an investigator AND two hispanic members come to the chapel to watch conference! Our branch president hooked up the church's family history computer and streamed conference through it the night before, but the problem was....there were also 3 English-speaking members there. We had to put it in English then, and there was no way to get Spanish subtitles or anything... So I had to translate the entire session on my own. Talk about intimidating! Having to translate for apostles of God AND the prophet! I wanted to cry when I found out I had to do it, but I could feel the Spirit speaking through me during certain talks. I have NO idea what happened in the Sunday morning session (I'm listening to it right now online to catch up) because you literally just translate the words you are hearing and nothing processes, but I remember saying 3 phrases over and over again: Prophets, prayer, and personal revelation. Perfect! I think our investigator really needed it. He'll be getting baptized in November. :) 

That was my big adventure of the weekend. I love General Conference. How blessed we are to have a living prophet and apostles on the earth again. How even more blessed we are that we can hear from them in a conference every 6 months! The Lord knows our needs and inspires those men and women to say exactly what we need to hear. Study them all yall! ¡Qué bendición! 

We've been pretty blessed this last week with more progressing investigators. We have 5 progressing now! They all have lots of potential! Two have baptismal dates, and we're going to set more dates with the rest this week. :) As we've strived to be even more obedient, the Lord has blessed us. I love being a missionary!!! 

I hope everyone is doing well at home! Thanks for all your support and love! 

Hermana Porter

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First off, I like birthdays on the mission! I got a card from my friend Dean in Germany and then a package from my family! Best package ever!!!! :) THANKS!!!!!!!!!!! I feel loved :) To celebrate today, we went and did laundry (boy do I feel like an adult), ate cupcakes with the Fedors, and now we're emailing. The Capeners are making me Cafe Rio tonight! And then we have a few teaching appointments. Fun day! 

So this week! What happened... LOTS!! First, we had a blitz with the hermana training leaders. Hermana Arancibia went home, so now it's Hermana Binks and Hermana Graham. I LOVE HERMANA GRAHAM!!! She is AWESOME! I am SO glad we had the exchange that we had together! She and I are going to be BFFs after the mish (hiking, photo shoots, etc). She is the BEST example and so great at missionary work. She answered a lot of the questions and concerns I've been having lately without me even asking. She is so in tune with the spirit and a go-getter. She knows how to do missionary work! I just LOVED working with her! I want to be someone like that. We talked to tons of people that day and had a great time. 

In the spirit of what I learned that day, I determined that we needed to be contacting more. I haven't put an emphasis on contacting at all during my mission, but Hermana Graham told me something that got me pumped about it. The promise is that if we talk to 20 people a day (among other things) our baptisms will double. We need that here in Owensboro right now! This last week we almost got 80 contacts. We're still working on getting 20 a day obviously, but that's the most I've gotten so far on my mission. We're on our way up! Exact obedience yall! 

Then we had interviews on Thursday with President Brough. He's amazing! I walked into the room with him, and he explained how our entire life is an upward climb, and although we may have steep drops now and then, we always end up higher on the climb than when we started. Then he said, looking right at me, "Hermana Porter, you will not be perfect in this life." We went on to talk about perfection and how we have this entire life to become better. He knew exactly what I needed...

The Gospel is true!!

OH! And guess what WE got to watch this week!! MEET THE MORMONS!! Just sayin, you all need to go see it when it comes out. We got to see it earlier since we as missionaries will not be allowed to go to the theatre when it's released (IF it's released in our area). It's AMAZING. I started off laughing at the beginning and bawling at the end end.

P.S. You missionary moms may want to wait to see it. Or at least take your tissues for the end because the last person in the movie is a mom sending her son on a mission. You'll cry :) 

Women's Conference was great! And I'm excited for General Conference too! We've been challenging everyone in the branch to create a list of questions you may have before Conference, and then as you listen to Conference, you will find answers to a lot of the questions you have. It works! I challenge you all to do it! Will you commit to making a list of questions/concerns you may have for General Conference? GREAT! :) I promise you will receive answers/inspiration!

That's my busy week! Our investigators are doing well. We're finding a lot of new people. We just need to get them progressing....what's hard about this area is that we are in an English branch, so as soon as we invite an investigator to church and they find out it's English, they don't want to go. I translate in Church, and I tell them that, but we've had a hard time getting people there lately. We're working hard! 

Lots of work to do everywhere!!!! Let's hasten the work!!! 

OH! AND! I finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish today! I love that book. Truest book there is. Those prophets and people of God did exactly what I want to do: proclaim the truth to everyone I meet! Let's all do it! 

LOVE YALL!

Hermana Porter 

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Another week here in Owensboro, Kentucky! 

Lots happened this week...... for one, I locked the car keys in our trunk one night before a dinner appointment. We had to call a bunch of different members to figure out what to do. We eventually got our branch president to call his AAA, and they came and saved us. Funny enough, our dinner appt. was with him and his wife. haha. I'm such a ditz. First the tow truck/mud incident, and now this. 

One day this week we got our 20 contacts! (Meaning, we talked to 20 random people on the street.) That's the general daily standard for the entire mission, but it's rare that we ever get all 20, but we did on Wednesday, and it turned out to be our best day of the week! We got a lot done that day. We've been going to town finding new investigators and talking to people. Lots of potentials!

The Lord has definitely blessed us for our effort this week. We've been struggling lately because all of our main investigators have been floundering and falling off the face of the earth. But the Lord blessed us last night with a pretty golden investigator. We knocked on the door of a less active, but a different guy answered, and we ended up teaching him all of Lesson 1 (The Restoration) and setting a baptism date for November 8th! It was great! I'm looking forward to teaching him and seeing him progress! He was the most solid investigator I've seen yet here in Owensboro. :) I'm hoping he turns into another Josue (from my first area!).... ok, not exactly like Josue, but you know what I mean! He was solid! :) 

We also received the BEST compliment this last week! So, the Saturday before last, we dropped in to visit Karen, our less active who quit smoking (Day 22!!!) with the 15 Step Program, and she ended up having 4-5 seizures while we were there. Her two sons showed up, and we stayed with her for a while even after they showed up and all was well. We just wanted to make sure she was ok. Anyway, a few days later we went by to see her again and she said, "You really impressed my son Kurt. He told me, 'Mom, those two sister missionaries really love you. They stayed with you even after Jimmy and I showed up. They really believe in what they're doing. And they're just as beautiful inside as they are outside!'" I just LOVED hearing that! It made me realize that we're doing what we can as imperfect human beings to be examples of Christ. I didn't think much of it as we sat there with her that Saturday, but apparently it made a big impression on her son. 

Then, as we were about to leave after that visit, I said something along the lines of, "Well, Heavenly Father loves them (meaning, her sons) too." And she told me, "Yeah, but I don't think they really believed it until they met you two." :D 

There are lots of miracles happening daily in the mission field all over the world. I can't believe I've been given this privilege of being a missionary at this time in the history of the world. I have a front row seat to this marvelous work the Lord is performing! My mind is expanding daily. As I read the scriptures and learn from others, I'm always given a confirmation of the truth of it all by the Holy Ghost. I know as we continue to read our scriptures, learn, and pray about the things we are learning, the Spirit will always be there to tell us what is right and what is wrong. 

I can't believe I am a missionary! I can believe it, but at the same time I can't believe the Lord would grant me such a sacred privilege. The Plan of Salvation makes more sense with every passing day as I work and study. Heavenly Father really knows what He's doing! He has a plan for each and every one of us. This morning I was reading in Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage, and I read an interesting thought: Heavenly Father knows the disposition and personality of each and every one of His children because of careful observation through infinite time in the premortal life. He knows us. He has a plan for each and every single one of us. He knows what we need, what we will most likely do in a given situation because of our weaknesses or strengths, what we want.... He knows everything! And He has a plan. Learn about it. Grow closer to Heavenly Father. Learn of Him and His Son, Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study. 

I could just write forever! I love the Gospel! I love this work! It really is a "marvelous work and a wonder." I stand in awe at how amazing it all is. I know it's all true! 

Love, Hermana Porter