New Address---------Blessed to have the Bartons in Waco

New Address:

Sister Samantha Porter

1700 Breezy Dr., #298

Waco, Texas 76712

 

FAMILY!!! :)

I cannot believe kylee got in a wreck! STAPLES in her head?! haha oh goodness that girl is crazy. BUT she had a cool little testimony experience. She would be such a good missionary! glad she is doing okay. what did ya'll get her for her birthday? Her and Mitch seem pretty cute if I might say! :)

 

I LOVE WACO!!!!:) :) love it! I am serving in the Hewitt Ward. My new companions name is Sister Tuck. She is super sweet and kind. I LOVE HER. We get along just great. Waco is just little counrty city. its tiny compared to arlington. But i really enjoy it here. My apartment it A LOT nicer than the one I was living in before. OH and Jill and Zack Barton are in my ward!!! haha how funny huh? I had no idea who she was until she had us over for dinner and she was like "I KNOW YOU!" small world! We got talking and she said that she loved you and dad. She said that when her and Zack were dating that dad bought him a Braums ice cream gift card and told him to go get her! :) haha sounds like dad to me. Shes so cute I love her. She is a ward missionary so she will be coming out teaching with us a lot.

 

I love the people here. Its so weird to teach older people and to be in a family ward. ITS so loud during Sacrament meeting. haha. They had a pot luck dinner at the church and a ward talent show on Saturday. It was a lot of fun and I was able to get to know the ward a little more too. Bishop Partin is a great man! So far Im just loving the change! Its good to change it up a bit. One of our investigators, Ricardo, came to church for the first time yesterday. After sacrament he told us that he felt good inside! SO awesome! and he texted us that night and said he was really excited to go to church next week! :)

 

How's work? how's seth and bay? steph and dustin? how's his leg? Stephanie writes me almost every week. haha Shes so sweet I love her. Anything new going on?

 

I would love some more stuff for my face! :) :) And I got a watch! No worries. Also my upper right shoulder has been in some serious pain the  past couple of days. ....What should I do? :(

 

I love ya'll! :) Hurrah for Isreal! I love being a missionary. I love serving my Savior and helping others come unto him. HOW GREAT IS MY CALLING!

 

Ps. What's Kodis email?

 

PSS. I already bought more of that deoderant :) but thank you for being a good mommy :)
 

The picture is  Jennifer Anderson and the other girl was marissa. she is one of our investigators.

 

A lady in our ward makes these bows!! so cute! :) they are all the disney princesses! I want to get one for avie!

Me and Sister Barton cookin' away!

Transferred to Waco!

 

 

HELLO! :)

 

Okay...I got a call this morning from my zone leaders and they told me I was being TRANSFERED TO WACO!!! holy moly!! WHAT! oh my goodness I have such mixed emotions right now. I'm so sad to be leaving Arlington, but SOOO excited to go serve somewhere else!! We called Bishop this morning and he freaked out haha. Him and Sister Pepper want to come say goodbye. Jennifer Andersen wants to take me out to lunch and Kimberly began to cry! so sad! And Leslie and Cory are driving me to the Hurst Stake Center so I can make the switch so I'll be able to say goodbye to them too! It's just so sad! And we have a couple of baptisms coming up! Sad that I wont be able to see them but so happy that they came to know these things to be true! :) Waco is about two and half hours from here apparently and its pretty getto. So ..... I'll let you know how it goes! My new companions name is Sister Tuck. And I will be the Senior companion! So excited! :) :)

 

Elder Anderson and Elder Callister from the 70 came and spoke with us on Wednesday! It was the most amazing thing ever. I couldn't contain my joy! My face hurt afterwards because I was smiling so much! Before he spoke to us we were able to all go up and shake his hand! and as he shook my hand I couldn't have been more proud to be a missionary! He looked into my eyes and said these very words "thank you for all that you do Sister Porter!" ahhhhhhhhhh!!!! :) I feel my Saviors love. He talked to us about trying to fully apply the atonement in our lives.  It was super spiritual and amazing. I'm so thankful for living prophets and apostles!

 

We helped a girl named Ashley from our ward move into a new apartment the other day. As I was moving very little of what she had into her new apartment I began to cry. Her apartment was so tiny and she shares it with her brother (who is against the church) and his girlfriend who has four children. Ashley sleeps on the floor some nights and only owns a couple of clothing items. How could I help my dear friend? Ashley my friend with so little gives so much. I know she loves her Savior, and is so thankful for the gospel. She said this to me "I was baptized a year ago. Before then I was lost. With all I had, I had nothing. But with the gospel I have the world."  She is such a great example to me and I really experienced a humbling time while helping her. I'm SOOO grateful for the life I have and the person I am. I truly feel my Saviors love.

 

The Carrols had us over for dinner on Friday and invited one of our investigators and her boy friend (who is a member) Her name is Madeline and she is so cute! But it was such a fun time to sit around the dinner table, having a home cooked meal, and laughing with everyone. haha Cory's dad said the funniest thing! Cory joked that he really like eating frosting all by itself. And I got excited and said "ME TOO!" Brother Carrol looked at me with a big smile and said " I knew I got married to early!!" hahahahahahahaha We died laughing I couldn't believe he said that!

 

KYLEE LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!! oh my goodness! I cant believe she already had homecoming. Time is flying by! I'm so happy they won their game too! It feels good to win. Do you think they will make it to state this year? how's work? I think its so fantastic that ya'll called Brother Cook to be the Ward Mission leader! He will do great things for the mission efforts! Where are the two missionaries that spoke on Sunday serving?

 

I love and miss ya'll! Hope you have a wonderful week I will let you know next week how everything goes with transfers! wish me luck!

 

-Sister Porter

Ps. The reason why no one ever post pictures from dinner and stuff and tag you is because we are in a YSA ward. And we only get fed like once a week. And when we do they usually take us out. so ya....but hopefully they will start doing that in Waco! Since its a family ward. OH I got the address for my new area ...... but its at my apartment and we don't have enough miles to go all the way back to get it so I will have to give it to you next week. Patience is a virtue! :) DID you get Kylee's birthday package?? Did ya'll get her anything fun for her birthday? can you believe she is already 18? so crazy!

 

 

 

Be Not Afraid

 

HOWDY! :)

First of all! I LOVE YOU! and missin ya'll alot! Sounds like everything is going well up in Spanish Fork! I want to see Kylee's Dress! She probably looks so beautiful! I can't believe she is a Senior.  I remember when she was just a little sophomore. How time flies. GO BYU! haha:)

 

Transfers are next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhh oh my goodness. I have a strong feeling that I will be leaving Arlington. Sad to leave this awesome ward and all the friendships I have made BUT ready to serve the Lord elsewhere! It gets harder the longer you are in an area. Any guesses on where I'll go? :) EXCITING NEWS: We get the opportunity to have Elder Anderson come speak to us this week! :) :) :) I am just so excited!! I have been preparing myself for this day for a while! I have a feeling that he is going to announce the usage of internet! That would be so amazing! SO many new changes and things that would have to happen.

 

Last night the Andersons had us over for dinner. I love Jennifer she is so sweet! She comes out with us sometimes to help us teach. I asked her if she was thinking about going on a mission and she said "NO! Im serving enough of a mission by going out with ya'll!" haha shes too funny. Me and her were talking about how we used to leave recess early to go eat with Kylee the girl who had cancer in 5th grade.  We talked about that for a minute and for some reason the spirit just overcame us. We both began to cry! The Lord confirmed to us that he was thankful for the kindness we showed to Kylee. She was a daughter of god and she was our sister. SO awesome.

 

Kimberly is doing so great!! :) She and Adrian Titera are dating!! WHAT! that is so weird for me because I know him and I taught her. haha small world. She got her temple recommend and attended the temple last Tuesday! I was just too happy! It feels good to see her come so far from when we first met her. I made a difference in her life and her future generation! Well the Lord did! I couldn't have done any of this with out the Lord!

 

John 14: 24 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let your heart not be trouble, neither let it be afraid!"

 

I love this. LET US NOT BE AFRAID! the lord has promised us peace. So let us continue in faith to pray unto our father and diligently study our scriptures. Let us not forget these amazing tools he has given us! Let us set our eyes single to the glory of God so that we can qualify ourselves for the work! President Hinckley said "The best antidote for stress is WORK. The best cure for Sorrow is Service and the best medicine for weariness is helping someone else out whom is more tired than you." THIS IS SO TRUE! We must work hard and serve our brothers and sisters! Let us not forget that when we are in the service of our fellow beings we are in the service of our god:) Im so grateful for the gospel in my life. Being on this mission has opened my eyes up to so many opportunities and blessing that I had never seen before. Christ LIVES! he is my Savior my Lord and my Master! he is my friend :)

 

HUGS AND KISSES! :)

-Sister Porter

Ps. Thank you sooo much for the support and example you are to me! And thank you for helping me out with money and such. It takes off a whole lot of stress!
Pss. This is a picture of my district. and the other one is of the Elders who split the YSA with us. Elder Bowthorpe is on the left, he is our district leader. and Elder Semideni is on the left and he is 18! so crazy!! And the girl with the blue shirt in the district picture her name is sister Nelson! she went to high school with me! :)

 

Watches----please!

Hey!

Soounds like ya'll are having some fun times! Makes me sad that I'm not there but so happy at the same time. Makes me grateful to have such a family as I do that loves and cares for one another. The babies are getting so big its killing me!! haha How's work for you? You will have to send me pictures of Kylee's room when it is finished! So I bought Kylee a cute birthday gift so I will have to send it next Monday and hopefully it gets there in time for that day!! (by the way....how much money do I have in my account?) I have a sick feeling that its dwindling away.......yuck. I think of all that hard work at the cafe and its all gone! I'm going to be broke when I get home.

 

When is homecoming? Thats so cute! I'm so excited for her:) more pictures for you to send me! woo! Has she had a home volleyball game yet? I still cant believe she is a senior....

 

I got an wedding invitation from my roommate Alex! They look so beautiful! I'm so happy for them.  They got married this past weekend in the Manti Temple! So weird that everyone is getting married.

 

Last week was a pretty good week! We go every week to read the Book of Mormon with this lady named Dorothy. She pretty old so she has a hard time reading so we help her. She had a cat named Homie who she just loves so much. (Sister Edwards doesn't like cats) It reminds me of meow meow! When I told Sister Edwards that our cats name was that she died laughing. She thought it was pretty funny.

 

 We had a really cool lesson with an investigator named Marissa. She is attending UTA up here and its her first year. She walked in last Sunday and was like "hi, I'm investigating the church!" haha Pretty awesome. So we had our first lesson with her last week and it was probably one of the coolest lessons I have ever had on my mission. We were going about teaching her the principles of the first lesson. But when I quoted the first vision, the whole room became silent and the spirit was sooooo strong. I got goose bumps and began to cry. What Joseph Smith saw that day became so real to me. At that moment I knew with out a doubt that I could not deny what I had felt.  It's true. ..... Joseph Smith was a prophet of God who restored such precious truths back together. SO AWESOME! Then after we invited Marissa to pray.  She was a little hesitant at first but when she finally gave in it was so spiritual.  That prayer was from her heart. And when she finished she proclaimed "wow!" me and Sister Edwards looked at one another and just smiled really big. then she said "I have never felt like this before." It so awesome how the Holy Ghost can reach out and touch people's hearts like that. I'm so thankful for the Holy Ghost in my life. Its moments like that when I know that this is where my Heavenly Father wants me. As a missionary, a servant, a disciple. I love serving the Lord. He is my master. I want him to smile at me and say "good and faithful servant".   HOW GREAT IS MY CALLING! :)

 I love ya'll so much. I'm thankful for the support and prayers. I feel them in my work. Thank you for the great example and the love. I just encourage you guys to continue to read your scriptures and pray with and open heart and real intent. Reach out to others in need and act on the promptings god gives you. Another thing that I think would be cool is if you guys started going through the lessons that missionaries teach! It might be a really cool experience and (might get Kylee excited to serve a mission!)

 

Next week Elder Anderson is coming to speak to the Fort Worth and Dallas missions! I;m sooooo excited! I've never met a general authority before so I'm pretty stoked! :) :)

Hugs and Kisses!

-Sister Porter

 

Ps. Remember that watch that Stacey gave me? the black one? Could you maybe find that....and send it to me? Mine has broken.  I can go get it fixed but I need another watch! and All the missionaries have lots of watches.  Sorry if it is a burden on you. 

 

PSS. We were doing less active work the other day and we went to go see this guy named Marshall Kelly. When we walked up to the door I got this weird feeling and I turned to my companion and said "I've been here before!" we walked in and sure enough it was that lady that had all those bears in her house!!!! so funny that I remembered that!  (Sister Baldwin)

 

 

Sister Day and I.  She is soooo good to the missionaries!

 

Love this place!