Pickle Helped Us Out

Family -----06/22/2014

Oh your letter just made me cry! Its amazing to hear that you followed the prompting of the Lord and invited this dear sister to partake of the blessing of coming to church!! You planted a VERY important seeed :) In time her eyes will be opened :) Gives me some missionary work to do when I get home ;) hehe.

Sounds like from dads email that things are going well! Keeping busy. The summer is going by so fast. It actually was very beautiful day today. It started off with rain but now its all sun shiny :) I don't have a lot of time on the computer today we are running a little behind on schedule.

Nothing too exciting happened this week. Thursday night we were out and about trying to contact some people when a little black boy named pickle started following us around. He would knock peoples doors for us. I don't know what he did differently to knock the doors but people were answering! haha he was like a little angel sent from heavenly father!

This morning I was sitting at my desk reading my scriptures when it begin to pour rain. I knelt down to thank my father in heaven for the beautiful weather. I love the little things he blesses us with its amazing :) I also asked him if he would relive me from the pain I have been having in my back lately. Then, while still in kneeling position, I felt someone whisper "Its going to be okay, I know how you feel." It was very real the peace that overcame me. It was as if I had truly experienced for a split second the re assurance that Christ had during his suffering, knowing that his Father in Heaven was going to be there for him. Tears rolled down my face as I tried to comprehend what he went through. I think I "experienced" the reality of the atonement for a second this morning! How glorious to know that we too can live again because of what he did for us. We can be resurrected and clean from sin so that we can enjoy eternal life with our Father in Heaven.

Love my family. So grateful for yall. Missin you.

Love sister Porter

ps. To answer dads question. Ill probably be transferred in two weeks!

pss. Thank you for the package! I loved the skirts tell grandma thank you :) 

Happy Father's Day!

06/16/2014

Happy Fathers Day!!! :) did you get my card? I was thinking about you all day yesterday. Grateful for you. We went to the Hills for dinner last night and after we shared out message we went around and told everyone things that we are thankful for about our dads. I told them about how that one time when I had made that mistake and had to go talk to the Wilson parents, before we went you had us kneel down and say a prayer. I started bawling and told them how thankful I was that you were so faithful in the gospel. You are such a HUGE example to me! I love you. missin my daddy.

I didn't know that Dustin had surgery! Did he tare it? Aww so sad from him. I haven't got much update on them. Stephy hasn't written me for a while. her sickness doing better? she due in August? or September? oooo so excited for her :)

Looks like you and kylee have a blast at work together :) I love seeing my family being so close. its awesome.

This week was kind of uneventful as well. haha. we had interviews with president. I just love that man. He is amazing. I hope you have the chance to meet him one day! A kid in our ward invited us over to see him open his mission call. I got all nervous for him. haha reminded me of how I felt! he got called to Ogden Utah!! The family just laughed. Hes gonna do great!

Saturday night we went to see one of our less active members. She broke down crying and told us that her and the boys had nothing to eat and that they would have to move into a shelter. Oh my goodness :( i just was crying and crying I cant believe what the people we work with are dealing with. It is sooo heart breaking. we called the RS president to have her help out. But that night me and Sister Nielsen didn't have a dinner appointment so we drove to wal-mart and got some pancakes, eggs and milk. brought it over and made them dinner. They boys were SOO happy and she couldn't stop thanking us. it feels so good to do things like that for other people. Its so hard because I wish there was more that we could do! But we promised her that if she continued to be obedient to the Lord that he would provide away.

 This week me and sister Neilsen had an amazing growing experience with one another. Sister Nielsen has a beautiful heart. She knows that she is a daughter of God and she is ready to do this work. My eyes were opened and my heart was filled! She cried and told me how things are sometimes it is hard but how she knew everything would be okay. She has GREAT faith! And I know that I had put up a wall. I wasn't willing to see the inner of my sweet companion. And now that I have, I will never be able to look at anyone the same! We never know until we are willing to open up and LOVE them. I'm so grateful for that experience. I love her with all my heart.

Shana wasn't able to be baptized this weekend. We sat down and talked with our bishop for a while and thought it would be better to wait a little while longer. All though I know this is best for Shana it was hard to tell her that her baptism would be postponed. Everything will work out for the best though :)

I hope y'all have a wonderful week. keep strong in the gospel. Never forget our loving father who is always by our sides. i love my family!

-Sister porter

Pic 1: crazy elders in my district

Pic 2: this is normal to see on the side of the road...

Pic 3: This is our recent convert. These are thumb gloves that you wear so you don't text while driving haha....it was pretty funny.

The Kimballs

Family----06/09/2014

I went to the doctors twice. First time was when they called you for the card information. The second time was because it was infected again and that’s when she told me I needed to get it removed. So she prescribed me some Bactrim (I think I spelled that wrong) It was really cheap though so ...I don’t know. Copay was about 35 dollars. I can send you all the papers they gave me if you’d like? they shouldn’t be charging you.....

AND thank you for the pills. I started crying when you sent them to me. I just know that you’re so worried about me and that you’re watching over me. Heavenly father has blessed me so much to have such a loving mother. I love you. They have been making it feel weird though.....oozing a lot more and shoots pain down there randomly. Just tickles me that you texted sister Rasband :) That’s awesome missionary work! When others know that you love and care for them they are more willing to open to an invitation to the gospel :)

Looks like the graduation was a blast :) I can’t believe summer is here. Just waiting for the heat to arrive. It might be a cooler summer though because of the bad winter we had. Cross our fingers! 

Wowow Gray is getting married!!!! what! that is crazy!! How long has he been a member? Do they have plans of where they are gonna live? does her work? Is she working? doing school? I feel like I need even a couple years when I get home before I get married. haha

Im so sad that your so lonely :( Don’t worry I will be home sooner than you know and we will do everything together! :) 

Nothing too exciting happened this week! We helped our recent convert move into a new apartment last Tuesday. She has over 200 hundred shoes!!!!! isn’t that crazy?? I couldn’t believe my eyes! I found a pair that I liked that she wanted to give me :) hehe. I love her. She is such a faithful members. She is working on her family history so she can take her mom and dads name to the temple! oh how glorious this work is. I love it with all my heart.

Shana didn't end up getting baptized this Saturday :( We were all ready and excited Saturday morning when we get a text from her proclaiming that she didn't want to get baptized anymore. We dropped everything we were doing and drove to her house. We talked with her for a little bit and then went to our knees in mighty prayer to the Lord. The spirit was so strong it was unbelievable. After we finished she looked at us and told us she knew now that this was what god wanted for her. We rescheduled her baptism for next week. Keep her in your prayers. Some women in the ward gave us some money to buy her a dress for her baptism because she doesn't own one :( I'm excited to see her face when we give it to her :) 

I got a letter from one of my investigators in Waco who got baptized! :) She told me she was so thankful for me introducing her to the gospel. Made me beyond happy. :) so grateful that I can do the lords work. 

Ill end my letter with a cool story. Yesterday for third hour of church we combined with the priesthood for a presentation about the pathways program. We sit down and some service missionaries start talking to us about it. when I look up to see who it was I was so confused. THEY LOOKED SO FAMILIAR! Then they introduced themselves as Sister and Elder KIMBALL!!! :) :) :) haha. After the program was done I went up to sister Kimball and asked if she recognized me (I was covering my name tag so she couldn't read who I was) She looked at me for a second. I took my hand off my tag and she gasped while putting her hand on her mouth! Samantha! oh my goodness her and brother Kimball were so excited to see me in Texas! haha brother Kimball hugged me twice he was so happy. After we finished catching up Brother Kimball told me to tell dad that he loves him a lot and is so thankful for all the hard work he does. They send you both lots of love. Isn’t that soo neat. I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. Feels so good to see everyone :) I really hope they call me to Mansfield for my last area. I really feel I could do some good work. Brother and Sister Kimball told me to come down and baptize the Grena’s haha.

Miss and love you.

-Sister Porter 

 The Kimballs

Box of Sunshine!

Family 

Kylee looks so beautiful!! I am so so proud of her. Cant believe that she is done. makes me a little sad. No more little baby kylee. Sounds like yall are keeping pretty busy! Missing being with all the family on those special days. But goodness did we also have a busy week!

First I want to start off by saying thank you for my box of sunshine :) it arrived at my apartment at the perfect timing! I remember we were planning and something had really upset me. and right after I finished saying a prayer asking Heavenly father to help me to be happy the doorbell rang! And the wonderful mail lady who was smiling at me gave me my box of sunshine! I looked at her with tears in my eyes and told her she has answered my prayers! Amazing how that happens. Heavenly Father is sooo good to me.

Wednesday night was crazy. First we went and taught our recent convert. We always teach him in his work shop because his wife doesn’t really like us being inside. When we finished up the lesson he was messing with his nail gun and accidently shot himself in the thumb!!!!!! Let me say that again.....HE SHOT HIMSELF IN THE THUMB! ...and all he said was ow. I was kind of freaking out. There was blood everywhere and he was determined to get the nail out right there and then. He grabbed the hammer and asked if i wanted to do it!!!! umm......if you really want me to?? he began to laugh and pulled it out himself! oh....it was sooo gross. But he is okay now. It was just too crazy haha. Then I got pulled over driving home.....but it was only because my lights weren’t on......thank goodness.

Thursday night while we were planning for the next day, sister Nielsen was on the phone talking with our ward mission leader when she began to scream while pointing behind my head. I immediately look and there on the wall right behind my head was the biggest croak roach I have every seen in my life!! it scared me so bad that i jumped out of my chair which then scared the roach to crawl into my drawer!!!! ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!! So .....We stayed up for about an hour trying to get it out so we could kill it. Finally it came out and I was able to hit it with one of my shoes. Oh it was so gross. haha we have been having a lot of random adventures.

Its funny some of the places we have taught the gospel. I hadn’t thought about how weird it was until just now. This week we taught one of our recent converts about eternal families in Barns and Nobles and taught our investigator the law of chastity in jack in the box. haha its great! And our area is very poor so most of the apartments and home we go into don’t have furniture. So we sit on the floor most of the time. (Which doesn’t really help my tail bone problem) makes me so sad to see this. No one has cars either so we have to make tons of calls to try and get members to take them.

I was very excited while reading your letter. It warms my heart to hear the success of the mission. We have wonderful missionaries in this mission who are ready to go to work :)

I have loved hearing about how the members are getting more involved in the work! We have actually been seeing a lot of that here in River trails! Me and sister Sylar about a month ago were singed up to go have dinner with some less actives in our ward. We were pondering on what we should share with them. I won’t lie; we were a little timid to share the Work of Salvation lesson with them but then decided that the Lord would have us do so. It wasn’t super successful at first, but as we continued to follow up with them and help them in this work they set up a time to have their neighbor over for dinner to listen to a message. Oh I was so excited! :) Built my faith in never giving up on members. If they don’t have someone at first doesn’t mean they don’t have what it takes to be a missionary! Anyone and everyone who has Faith in Jesus Christ and his gospel can share it with others. And we are here to guide them that way.

We were able to take our recent converts Liz and Blake Holland (siblings) to the temple. What a sacred and special experience for them. I have seen the gospel enrich their lives and bring their family closer. The temple president congratulated them on being worthy to do such a powerful work. Now not only have they blessed their lives because of this decision they have made but they can give their families in heaven the opportunity to have the fullness of joy! I was thinking about when our stake President had attended one of our zone conferences and he had drew out a chart of how many people’s lives we would be blessing. In my mind i thought about the temple work that our recent converts will be doing and added all of the people who have accepted their work in the spirit world to the chart! :) mind blowing! Love it with all my heart.

Shana Taylor was interviewed yesterday for her interview this Saturday and is all ready to go! :) I hope one day you can meet her. She is fifteen years old and has such a deep desire to follow Christ! It’s neat to see someone so young want to do so much good! :)

Thank you again for all the love and support. Im soooo grateful for a loving family and a merciful father in heaven. I am truly blessed. Hurrah for Isreal!

Lots of love. Sister porter :)

You've Gotta Dance Like There's Nobody Watching

Howdy! :)

This week is transfers. I can’t believe another one has come and gone. I have six weeks left training Sister Nielsen and then Ill probably be transferred to my last area! Still cant believe Kylee, little baby kylee is graduating tomorrow! Sad to be mission it. Sounds like it will be a fun day. Any fun plans for the summer? Our your hours at byu still the same during summer? What the weather like right now? it actually so beautiful over here! Trying to enjoy it as much as possible before the heat hits! Nothing too exciting happened this past week. Thursday we had a follow up training meeting. All the trainers, new trainers, district leaders and sister trainer leaders attend this meeting. There were a lot there this time!! I think we have a lot of new missionaries coming in this round. Lots of new changes.

They are moving the mission office into our church building in Hurst!! they are knocking out some of the classrooms and building the office. Kind of crazy. The wards aren’t too happy about it....haha. Saturday we had one of the youth come out with us all day. I think it was a neat experience for her to work all day with us. When we were driving her back home she said "phew! man....am I tired! how do yall do this all day everyday?" haha i laughed. Then Saturday night our district had 3 baptisms that we were able to attend :) pretty amazing. Sunday was graduation for all the seniors in our ward so half of our chapel was empty!

This week I have come to more fully understand that making mistakes is part of life, and that its okay to have mess ups! There is a quote by an unknown author, “You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.” This quote is redeeming because it encourages us to live life without the pressure of seeking the approval of those around us.

We don’t need anyone other than our Father in Heaven to tell us that we are doing what we should. In the end, what others think of us just does not matter. It only matters what God thinks of us

I have made a lot of mistakes on my mission and have had a lot of hard days, but I truly have learned that it is OK. We need not sweat the little things. Because god has blessed us with each new day that we can learn and grow. I have not been sent to Texas to fail or to be judged of others. I have been sent to Texas to succeed and to be judged by God for the works that I do. He sees all our works and all our efforts. He will help us heal from every mistake and help us learn from every mistake. I would say that not only is it okay to make mistakes, it is necessary. We cannot learn and grow unless we make some mistakes along the way. We always learn more from our failures than we do from our successes.

I’m grateful for my merciful Father in Heaven. He has provided away for me to be with him again through the sacrifice of his beloved son, Jesus Christ. Not only will he forgive me of my mistakes but he will help me keep pressing forward. Don’t let mistakes keep you from living up to your highest potential! We can achieve most anything with our Lord and Savior!

I love yall soooo much. Grateful for your example to me. I hope you find much joy in this week!

 

05/26/2014

Howdy! :)

This week is transfers. I can’t believe another one has come and gone. I have six weeks left training Sister Nielsen and then 'Ill probably be transferred to my last area! Still cant believe Kylee, little baby kylee is graduating tomorrow! Sad to be mission it. Sounds like it will be a fun day. Any fun plans for the summer? Our your hours at byu still the same during summer? What the weather like right now? it actually so beautiful over here! Trying to enjoy it as much as possible before the heat hits! Nothing too exciting happened this past week. Thursday we had a follow up training meeting. All the trainers, new trainers, district leaders and sister trainer leaders attend this meeting. There were a lot there this time!! I think we have a lot of new missionaries coming in this round. Lots of new changes.

They are moving the mission office into our church building in Hurst!! they are knocking out some of the classrooms and building the office. Kind of crazy. The wards aren’t too happy about it....haha. Saturday we had one of the youth come out with us all day. I think it was a neat experience for her to work all day with us. When we were driving her back home she said "phew! man....am I tired! how do yall do this all day everyday?" haha i laughed. Then Saturday night our district had 3 baptisms that we were able to attend :) pretty amazing. Sunday was graduation for all the seniors in our ward so half of our chapel was empty!

This week I have come to more fully understand that making mistakes is part of life, and that its okay to have mess ups! There is a quote by an unknown author, “You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.” This quote is redeeming because it encourages us to live life without the pressure of seeking the approval of those around us.

We don’t need anyone other than our Father in Heaven to tell us that we are doing what we should. In the end, what others think of us just does not matter. It only matters what God thinks of us

I have made a lot of mistakes on my mission and have had a lot of hard days, but I truly have learned that it is OK. We need not sweat the little things. Because god has blessed us with each new day that we can learn and grow. I have not been sent to Texas to fail or to be judged of others. I have been sent to Texas to succeed and to be judged by God for the works that I do. He sees all our works and all our efforts. He will help us heal from every mistake and help us learn from every mistake. I would say that not only is it okay to make mistakes, it is necessary. We cannot learn and grow unless we make some mistakes along the way. We always learn more from our failures than we do from our successes.

I’m grateful for my merciful Father in Heaven. He has provided away for me to be with him again through the sacrifice of his beloved son, Jesus Christ. Not only will he forgive me of my mistakes but he will help me keep pressing forward. Don’t let mistakes keep you from living up to your highest potential! We can achieve most anything with our Lord and Savior!

I love yall soooo much. Grateful for your example to me. I hope you find much joy in this week!

Nothing Too Exciting

Wow your garden is beautiful! :) good job dad! hahaha I cant believe your staying at BYU. I had a feeling inside that you weren't going to like that drive....What a crazy experience though. haha I'm glad you feel good about it now though. eeeeeh! I can't believe next week kylee is graduating! :( makes me a bit sad that I'm not going to be there. I truly was so good to hear yalls voices too. I just bawled after I hung up. I just love my family soooo much. SO SO grateful for that. And that we can live together forever!

Are yall planning any fun trips for the summer? Nothing too exciting happened this week. Tuesday we were teaching a lesson to one of our investigators and out of no where some guy pounds the door down, runs into the middle of the room, and starts yelling at us telling we are crazy and what not. so...that was fun. Had to hurry and get out of there. I guess we were on their "TERRITORY?" haha....Wednesday we had a zone conference. This is with the mission president and all the missionaries in our stake. Golly do I love that man! He is sooo amazing. He is just so powerful when he speaks. it was a seven hour long meeting. woo! On Saturday there were some members in the ward who needed help doing some moving so that was an all day event! Then that night was a ward social. We had it at some park in Hurst. LOTs of fun. Good opportunity for us as missionaries to make sure we meet at the members and their non member friends! :)

Sorry that this letter is so short we are running a little behind on our errands today. I am beyond grateful to be out here serving the lord everyday. We talked a lot about keeping out eyes single to the glory of god. We cant turn away from the Lord. So important that we endure towards him. And i love the phrase, "waste and wear our lives in the service of God." I want to say that I did that. Its soo worth it :) My mission, the experiences that I have had, The gospel, has truly changed my life. And that indeed is possible because of our Savior. I love him with all my heart.

LOVE Y'ALL! :)

PIC: us at the super getto laundry mat