Para siempre Dios este con Vos

This week has been great! We have 3 people on date to be baptized!!!!!!

The first one is the 9 year old son of a returning less active. So kinda cheating, but hey it falls under our jurisdiction ;) He is progressing well and really wants to be baptized

The other 2 are friends of Simon, the guy who we visited in the hospital 3 weeks ago. They are named Luis and Leandro. They showed up to church last week cuz Simon invited them, and then we were able to meet with them on Saturday, and put them on date for the 20th of August! Simon is also getting baptized this Saturday!!!!

Thursday we were able to go on exchanges, and I was with Elder Rasmussen. We had a cool miracle where we had been knocking all day, and no one answered. Then we knocked a door, and a lady with an accent answered. I thought that she could have been Hispanic, or Arabic. So I asked where they were from. She was from MEXICO!!!! So I switched into Spanish and it broke the ice immediately! And then we were able to go in and teach an awesome lesson! They have so much faith! Hopefully they progress :) 

There was another miracle on that exchange. Elder Thayne got a call from the YSA sisters saying that Rosa showed up in the parking lot of the church looking for us. So we tried to set up something, but alas it didn’t happen. But she told the sisters she wants to change her life again, so we are hoping and praying that it will work out! 

Bryan is out of the hospital, and doing really well :) He’s just really bruised up right now. 

Yesterday at church I had to give a pretty hard talk. It was on gossip due to some situations that have happened recently. I was really nervous to do so, but when I got up to the pulpit, I felt calm. I know the spirit came and helped me. And the strangest part was that everyone payed attention. Like everyone was attentive and looking at me. STRANGE!!! Cuz that never happens!!!

This is sad for me. Because this is my last email as a full time missionary for the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have loved and cherished my time as a missionary. I know this church is true and that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that God loves each and every one of us. I love this work.

Love you all

Elder Drew C. Porter

Zone selfie at the Senior Couple's house

Nuestro testimonio es lo que cambia los corazones

It has not been long since I emailed y'all last time, but de todos modos this week has been good :) 

So on Saturday I had the opportunity to baptize Emily, the daughter of a returning less active. It was a really special experience because a year ago when Elder Wolverton and I were here, we started teaching them and trying to get them active. Then when I came back the second time to the branch, they were coming to church :) So it was a neat experience to see the progress that they have made.

So Griselda and America no longer want to talk to us. For some reason Griselda doesn’t think we should use object lessons to teach lessons, because, "That is not how Jesus taught". Sooooooo obviously she doesn’t know how Jesus taught lessons. So we are going to give them a good month or so, and then try back.

So Sunday was a very interesting day. There was lots of drama, YW being slapped in the face during Sunday school, the piano not working so the music was awful. And none of our investigators came to church :(

So we stopped by Wendy and Audel after church to see why they didn’t come and it was because Wendy's mom had fell and hurt her shoulder and was in the hospital. But then late last night we get a call from Wendy, and she starts crying saying that she was at Riley's Children’s Hospital with her son Bryan. He had gotten hit by a car and they were doing tests to see if his head was ok. So we like freaked out and called the Branch President and he went and visited them. Bryan is ok, he has a concussion, bruises, and they are keeping him in the hospital for a few days to make sure everything is ok. So if you would all keep them in your prayers :) 

We were also able to go to a meeting called Why I Believe yesterday and hear the sweet testimonies of recent converts. I love that meeting because the speakers are all so genuine in their testimonies :)

Un tarde Feliz 4 de Julio!

This week was super great weather wise :) not very much humidity and not too hot either :) So that was great :)

But I think the Lord is seeing if I’m going to get trunky or not. I say NO! 

So like all our appointments this week fell through. It was really quite annoying. We don’t know why it happened but it did. So that meant some tracting, or lots of it.

So there are these two young girls who are sisters who are less active. We have actually been able to make some good progress with them. I taught them when I was here the first time, and they hated meeting with us, because their mom forced them to do it. But now they are doing it of their own accord which is great! We just have to work on getting them to church. But it’s kinda hard because now their mom is less active and doesn’t do the things that she tells the girls they are supposed to do. Oh and btw their names are Liz and Sara.

There is this family that is coming back to activity named the Manzano’s. Their daughter Emily is getting baptized on Saturday, and she has asked me to baptize her! It’s actually funny cuz when the branch president asked Emily who she wanted to baptize her, she said "Harry Potter!" because to all Hispanics "Porter" sounds just the same as "Potter.”  But I feel blessed to be able to baptize her.

The Miracle of this week was that the family we talked about where the girl needs lots of help overcoming some struggles. Well her mom Hilda and her step dad Adrian came to church this week! They stayed for all 3 hours and said they really liked it :) So we are hoping for some progression there! 

An ironic thing on the fourth of July, our branch (Spanish) was the only unit to have a fourth of July celebration. I found that quite funny.

Yesterday we were able to meet our new mission president, President Carlson and his wife. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I wasn’t expecting them. They are so great! but so different from what President and Sister Cleveland were. I was able to have my departing interview with him (which was a funny thing too) and he is just a very soft spoken man, whereas president Cleveland was a fireball, and 100% coach. Too bad I only have him for 1 more week. 

This work is true, and I know that when we open our mouths and bear our testimonies, that we are blessed with the word that touch others hearts :) 

Les quiero :) 

Elder Porter