Let Our Life Challenge Us to Great Heights

My address is still:
1700 Breezy Dr, #298
Waco, Texas 76712


Berklee Anne!! Oh that is just toooo cute :) I'm soooo happy for them! how precious! I wish I could be there to see her :( next year! haha I cant wait for the pictures!

 

I cant believe Kylee is already half way done with senior year!!! so crazy! She can't be that old already.....you and dad are gonna be all alone! I thought that story about dad was very awesome. The priesthood truly is power of god. So thankful for it.

 

How's work been? Dad getting better? Grandma wrote me. Super sweet of her. THANK YOU for the package! I might have cried a little bit when I saw you made me that little book with the Christmas stories :) Excited for the holidays! for sure will be missing my family. But it will all be worth it in the end :)

 

This week has been one of many that I have seen hard times. BUT through those weaknesses me and Sister Tuck have been able to see great things come to pass. We have done a lot of service. I truly love that we can help so many people by just simply serving them :) It makes me feel so happy in side! so great! Romans 8: 35 and 27 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? .....NAY, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Identifying and recognizing that through these hard ships and trials we become stronger! We can conqueror anything because Christ loves us. NOTHING can separate us from that love. It is freely ours. This is a magnificent truth that we can always treasure in our hearts :) I thought of my mother who always says "Let our life challenge us to great heights." I want my mission to be challenging so that I can grow and become perfect though my Savior's love :)

 

Miss and love y'all hope you have a fantastic THANKSGIVING :)

 

don't eat too much food ;)

 

love sister porter

 

ps. Braxton is going on a mission! crazy i know.

 

These mustache straws are a terrific invention! love it :)   

Thankful For Family Relationships

HOPE your having a WONDERFUL and fabulous and awesome and terrific and marvelous and rockin and spectacular and remarkable and outstanding and splendid and super duper day!! J

The blessing of the Priesthood. That is just so wonderful. I will have to print out your talk and read it. It was probably awesome :) Tell Seth and Bay that I wish I could be there but that I love them and are so happy for them! It  is kind of crazy that I won't see her ...or him for another year!! Tell Kylee that I miss her too! and love her like crazy. Thankful we have such a close relationship. Sister Tuck is not close with any of her famiily, not even her parents. It makes my heart so sad. But makes me greatful for the cloesness we all have.

 

I don't think we are doing anything fun for Thanksgiving! haha A family in the ward invited us over for dinner (so nice) but that about it! Is this like my christmas package? I think I should wait to open it so I have something on christmas!

 

Im excitied the work is progressing so much! Not just in texas but all over the world! Our stake President talked to us for a little bit on Friday and he was talking about all the wonderful things that are coming forth! The missionary work is so amazing. Truly inspiried by God. Love you guys!

 

-Sister Porter

 

ps. I heard about the sister missionaries in the phillipeans :( I cried. My roommate Meredith is serving therer right now! I pray that she is okay.

 

Reading the New Testament

Didn't get any updates from the family this week!! :( Hope everything is doing good at the Porters!

 

One of our investigators came to church yesterday. His name is Jr. and he is truly is ready for the gospel. The mission was challenged by the Mission President to read the New Testament before the end of the year. I am currently in Acts right now, BUT I have enjoyed so much reading from it. The Savior's earthly ministry was miraculous. He sets the perfect example for us to come unto him and follow in his footsteps.

 

I love you all so much! :) Hope you have a fabulous week!

 

-Sister Porter

How Great Is My Calling!

DADDYY!! I cant believe that this has happened to you :( My heart has ached! Im so so happy to hear that you are doing better though. My prayers have been more fervent than ever and I hope all is well. You have so much strength its unbelievable. Your example has made me strong and will carry me forward. Thank you for being so amazing! I love you so much!

 

So what have you been up to since you have been home for a while? I'm excited for Kylee and basketball! I can't believe it's that season already!! How's the weather? Is it snowing and all that? :) It's hotter than ever here!!! How do people live in this? I feel like I need a break from this heat! haha.

 

I LOVE the Barton family!! They are just so great. We helped them set up Christmas yesterday! haha she's so funny. She reminds me of mom getting so excited before Thanksgiving has already happened. This new transfer has been so wonderful! Me and Sister tuck are working harder than ever and are seeing a lot of success! I just love sharing the gospel. HOW GREAT IS MY CALLING :) We helped this lady paint her house on Saturday. It was some kind of sand paint so it took us a lot longer than we thought it would!! But I decided I'm not to bad at it ;) I love serving.

 

This past week I have realized what a blessing it truly is to be here serving a mission. I love my family so much. You don't see or appreciate what you have until you leave it for so long. MISS and LOVE y'all! Hope your having a great week! GET FEELING BETTER :) lots of love!

 

-Sister Porter  

 

Does anyone have time for Christ anymore?

THOSE BABIES ARE SO PRECIOUS!!! :) Oh they are so big!! Makes me so happy but so sad all at the same time! They are growing in a blink of an eye. So excited for Bay to have her baby :) Dad is deaf in one ear?? That breaks my heart for him. I can't believe that.

 

These week has been full of wonderful things! First I have to share this wild/funny story.  The other day me and Sister Tuck were knocking doors when a young girl probably in her teens answers the door. She is holding a young child in her hand and trying very hard for two giant dogs not to get out. But even with all her might, they squeezed through the door and began running as fast as they could down the street. With in two seconds they were gone! Out of site! She shrieks with fear, puts down the child and starts chasing after them! Me and Sister Tuck had no idea what to do. Probably realizing that she had left the child, she frantically ran back and asked if we could help her. She cried out "Those arent even my dogs, I'M BABYSITTING!" My heart dropped and I then realized we NEEDED to find those dogs. I can't imagine if I was a young girl babysitting and I had lost their (probably expensive) dogs. We began running up and down the streets calling out for the dogs to come. We suddenly stopped and offered a prayer. We knew we could find them with God's help. All while running I kept panting out loud "Heavenly Father PLEASE help us" We told the girl we would get in the car and try and find them that way. So we drove down the street trying to follow the promptings of the holy ghost, and made a left turn on the last street of the neighboorhood. And out of know where we see this lady trying to catch the dogs! We hurry, park the car, run out to try and help her. She asks if they were our dogs and we then explained what had happened. She ran into her house and grabbed us leashes so we could walk them back. I couldnt believe it. What an experience. I knew with out a doubt that god had answered our prayers. AND in the end we walked back to the ladies house to give her back her leash and set up a return appointment with her! amazing :)

 

I love when these things happen. Have I ever told y'all that I love being a missionary? Well...I DOOOO! :) hehe okay another story. So me and sister Tuck go once a week to help this lady in our ward take care of her sister-in- law. Her name is Oma and she lost her voice in January. Her mind also doesn't work the same way anymore so Sister Brown and her husband help her now and its practiacally a full time job for her. So to help her out we come and take care of her so she can go out and get stuff done. We do excercises, read flash cards and go for walks. This past week while we were on our walk Oma cried out in a tiny voice "TIred" She flipped her walker around and sat in it!! hahaha she made us push her back home in her walker. SO funny. 

 

The night before Holloween was the ward party. SO FUN! We get a call from Sister Barton that morning asking if she could get some help decorating! It took a good chunk of time BUT was totally worth it :) It looked great! GO big or GO home right? I love it. OOOHH also, The bartons where the ghost busters! hahaha it was so great.

 

We ended up not doing anything for Holloween. Our mission president wanted us to stay inside our apartments for the night so ....it was a little boring. The last couple of days were kind of hard for me. We did a lot of tracting and we got a lot of doors slammed in our face and rude things said. Finally when another person slammed a door in our face I cried out "doesn't anyone have time for Christ in their life???" I began to cry. This broke my heart. But then I thought about my life before the mission and thought "Did I make time for Christ in my life?" This concept is so important. We must set our priorities to the Lord. Being a disciple of Christ isn't just something we do here and there, its a life style. Its what we do at ALL times and in ALL things and in ALL places. 

 

This really is the icing to finding a future spouce huh! ;) haha that made me laugh. But its very true. I'm greatful that I have done this. It has changed me forever AND my wants and desires for the future are a lot different! The gospel is so important for me to teach my children. This will make such a stronger household! I love my Savior and my famiily :) 

 

MISS and LOVE you guys sooo much. Hope this email finds y'all doing well. 

 

Loves sister Porter :) 

Ps. Thank you again for all that you guys do for me :)  

 

pic 1: This is all the little candy packages we made for everyone :) they all loved it.

pic 2: GHOST BUSTERS!! soo sweet.

pic 3: this is oma in her walker and sister tuck :)

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

FAMILY! :) First I just wanted to say tttttthhhhaaannnkkkyyyooouuuu sooooooooooooooooooo much for the packages!! OH my goodness it felt like Christmas! haha I really appreciated it. The clothes were perfect and my new garments! yaya feels so nice. How long has dad been in the hospital?? :( tell him I love him with all my heart and I have been praying for him 24/7! AW! Senior night! That is so crazy I feel like that was just me! Your getting so big!;) I heard you got a blanket??? We are matchy matchy! :) You guys doing anything fun for Halloween??  When is bay due?? I cant believe Kodi got her mission call to Maryland!! How exciting! What a wonderful time for her and for her family to send her off to serve the Lord. What an example! :) who's next??...Kylee? ;)

 

OKAY so I don't even know where to begin this week has been SO amazing. Ricardo Ayala was baptized on Saturday and it was such a neat experience. I've never seen him so happy. Baptism is such a magnificent and wonderful act. He has "fulfilled all righteousness" :) and now he has the gift of the Holy Ghost. My testimony has grown and my heart is full. I know the Lord has been with me the whole way. I know Ricardo has found the true church and how cool to see that it will effect not only him but his future generation. Ricardo's family doesn't accept his choice in being baptized but its truly amazing to see that because he had gained a witness of its truth that not even that would stop him from making the right choice. I know one day his family will soften their hearts and see the great joy and everlasting joy that Ricardo NOW has in his life. THE WORK GOES ON! :)

 

Transfers are this week. We got a call this morning from our Zone leader telling us that sister Tuck will be staying in Hewitt one more transfer!! wooo hooo :) So very happy. She has been a fabulous companion and I'm honored and excited to be serving with her for another transfer. We have great goals in mind and we are excited to "Forget ourselves and go to work" :) Its been raining like crazy here the past couple of days! The lightning and thunder is awesome!!! I LOVE IT:) It kind of scary when your driving though because you literally can't see anything. Good thing I know where I'm going...right......The ward is having a Halloween party this week and we get to go and help out. So that will be fun. On Halloween were not allowed to be out working that night so all the missionaries in the area will meet at the church and be doing something....don't know what yet but we will see! Saturday the ward is helping clean up a park in Lorena so that will also be something fun to do. Our mission president has told us that he wants us to be doing 8 hours of service every week!! It kind of hard to find it sometimes because people are stubborn and wont let us help them!! So PLEASE when someone ask if they can help or serve you LET THEM! because I think, If I want people to let me serve them I have to let them serve me as well!

 Sister Tuck stated a quote (I don't remember who it is by) that says "If you don't have time to pray and read your scriptures everyday, than you are busier than god attended you to be." I LOVE THAT. because its true. It is SO important that we do this EVERYDAY! I have had the opportunity to study for two hours every morning for six months and I can honestly say that it has changed my life. I have learned so many things and have never felt so close to Christ. It makes a difference when you do these things daily. So I encourage you guys to always read and pray! LOTS OF BLESSINGS :)

 My heart is filled with JOY. I love my family. You all are the world to me. I miss you lots. Hope all is well. SEND me pictures of senior night and stuff.

pic 1: So for district meeting we dressed up like cowboys and Indians....

pic2: Ricardos Baptism!

pic 3: Ricardo and Brother Morley

PS. I will send more pictures to moms email because I cant remember if this is kylees phone?

PSS. me and sister Tuck got this pumpkin spice ice cream.....SO GOOD....ate it is 24 hours no joke!

Another email the same day:

HAHA this story was amazing. Its cool to have experiences such as this one. How truly amazing is the plan of salvation. This is one of the most powerful things we can share with others around us. God is a God of Miracles. He is the same yesterday today and forever. He is a merciful and loving father who has provided this plan of happiness. I KNOW the reason for my yearning and desire to return to him someday is because I was with him before this life. I was his spirit child :) And I loved him and promised him I would do everything I could during this life to make it back to him one day :) I began to cry when I read that the little kimberly would run up to kylee in heaven someday in her perfect form and thank her for all that she had done. :) what a blessing. what a gift. This sounds like a merciful God to me. Thank you for sharing this story with me. Touched my heart. 

 

How great of week has this been. Ricardo had his interview on Saturday!! He is already for his baptism this Saturday. What a fantastic way to end the transfer! So as you know I gave my talk yesterday it actually went a lot better than I thought ;) It was on "the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion" In the beginning of Alma he is testifying of Christ unto the people. But in verse 45 he says "And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?  46: Behold I say unto you they are made known unto me by the holy spirit of god. Behold I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made the manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me." He did not know of these things by himself. And neither can we. If we want to have the truthfulness of things and a true conversion we must have the witness of the holy ghost tell us these things

.

 In Mosiah, Kind Benjamin was giving his address when he asked his people "what do you think of these things? do you believe the words which I speak? and they answered in verse 2 saying: "And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and aslo, we know of their surety and truth, because of the spirit of the Lord, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts that we have no more disposition to do evil, but do good continually" HOW POWERFUL! I love this :) They said they knew what he spoke was true becuase the spirit told them!! how wonderful that must have been to gain and know the truth because of the burning in their bosom!  Let me ask now, are we truly converted have WE seen that mighty change? Are we doing good continually? Let us have a "full" turning to christ and consecrate ourselves in the sight of God. :) 

 

Our district leader is in the hospital.......So scary. His appendix burst!! He had surgery yesterday morning and is doing good. But how crazy! If I was getting surgery I would want my mommy to be there!!! haha. Transfers are this week!! I pretty for sure I am staying here. BUT I dont know if Sister Tuck will! She has been here for four months now. I'll let you know what happens! 

KODI IS GOING TO MARYLAND!! That is so crazy! can you believe it! how amazing:) I'm so excited for her. How's everyone doing? doing anything fun for Halloween? 

LOVE YOU GUYS! :)  

 

-Sister Porter 

 

picture 1: This is our motivation for working out in the morning! 

Picture 2: Sister Tuck and I saw this awesome pumpkin patch on the way home from a teaching appointment and HAD to take a picture I like this one makes me smile :)