Tocamos mas que 120 puertas esta semana

This week was a big week of tracting for us. We knocked over 120 doors. Can I just say that white people are ornery? I’m so glad I’m a Spanish missionary because Hispanics are usually so much nicer than whites. But don’t get me wrong, there are some really nice white people too, but usually they just say "no" and shut the door. All you can do is smile and say, "have a nice day" and jump so the door doesn’t hit ya in the behind ;)

But there have been some good fruits of the tracting we did. We have 5 new investigators and I think three of them have some really good potential, but all 5 could become members too, who knows!

Really cool was when we knocked a door and a Hispanic man answered and he talked to us in English, so we responded in English. His name was Jose and he let us share a scripture with him. We asked if we could leave him with a prayer and he said yes. Then I asked who would he prefer to say the prayer. He then replied "I don’t know I’ve never done this before" and for some reason I said, "Have you met missionaries before?" I don’t know why I said that, looking back it doesn’t make sense. But then he told us how his mom used to meet with missionaries from some church when he was little. The only thing he remembers from them is pamphlets. SO I pulled out one and he said it was like that. So super cool that he has had contact with missionaries before. :)

We have also taught Carlos and Elizabeth a lot this week. One day we were going in to teach the commandments: baptism and follow the prophet. But as we were talking we started talking about fasting, and then the lesson turned into a lesson about fasting to receive extra blessings from the Lord to help them in their situation. I hope they received it well and that they may fast and the Lord will help them. Carlos was also received the Aaronic priesthood yesterday at church. Super cool experience as I got to stand in the circle with him. It is incredible to see the changes in Carlos and Elizabeth as I have been here in Seymour. They used to fight a lot in front of us when I first came in, and now they are a lot more loving. Elizabeth also has this notebook that she takes notes about the scriptures in. She has stayed up late most nights reading the scriptures. Super cool! The gospel really does change lives.

Love you all! Hope your week goes great!

Love

Elder Porter

Stuff to Mom:

I asked about his companion being from Utah again, and asked if any of the Spanish speaking were from somewhere other than Utah.

Most missionaries are from Utah, but ya there are some from other places. He is from Orem though. I have been doing a lot of senior comp things, but that’s just cuz that is my personality, I have toned it down and started making him do some of the stuff. I don’t need to do everything.

I was telling him about talk I was giving in church talking about judging something by the fruits it produces.  Here is his response: 

I think that is the best way to see if the gospel is true, look at the people who are wholeheartedly following the church, and look at the good that comes from them. That is the biggest testimony for me. Don’t worry though, Luis didn’t hurt my pride, I know my Spanish isn’t as good as someone who is a native, that’s a given. All I can do is my best.

Just playin' in the train tracks

Tengo nuevo compañero, y también tenemos algo triste

So I got a new companion this week. His name is elder Baird from Utah. He has been out 7 months; super cool kid. We seem to be getting along just fine as well. He is senior companion, but it is kind of weird because I am the one who knows the area, so I kind of do the senior comp stuff. But I am really sad to see Elder Wright leave; He is now in Indianapolis.

We got some really cool news this week. The Indianapolis temple is going to be dedicated August 23 2015! This is going to be a huge blessing to the people here in Indiana and to the work. I am so excited to be able to be here during this great time!

This week we weren’t able to teach any lessons, don’t know why. But we did get to come into contact again with Isaac. We gave him an English Book of Mormon so he can read it in both languages, and he was more open to us and told us to come back this week so we could discuss more. SO that’s cool.

But this week we lost Luis as an investigator. He had changed the part of the factory he was working in and was super sore. His uncle wanted him to go to church (don’t know which church) with him but he did want to go but his uncle convinced him to go. He said he really liked it. He also said that it was really easy to learn from him because his Spanish was a lot better that ours (OUCH) and that he finally learned where Satan came from (our next lesson was the plan of salvation dang it!) also the preacher said a prayer over Luis and as soon as it was over the soreness left his body and he felt tons better. So he told us muchas gracias for everything we had done for him, but he was going to study with this preacher now. I am super sad at this happening, and I hope one day he can be taught by the missionaries. I know he felt the spirit so hopefully that will work within him and soften his heart.

This week is going to be a big week of tracting. Trying to find new investigators. I know God places people in our paths to where they and we need to be. So we are going to be doing what we need to do to be in the right spot for the right people.

Love you guys!

Elder Porter

End of the Seymour posse -super sad!

Pues, viene otro compañero esta semana. Me pongo un poco triste.

So Saturday we got transfer calls. I am staying but Elder Wright is leaving. I am really sad that he is leaving because I really enjoyed being his companion. I am the only missionary in Seymour that is staying. The Seymour sisters are being double transferred out. Time to expand my social circle!

This week was not a big week for lessons, but we did have some really cool service opportunities.

We were with Carlos teaching him a lesson and his wife wasn’t home. Right as we get done with the lesson she comes in just crying. She goes and stands in front of her son, and says to him "I’m sorry I can’t feed you. I don’t have any money and no one wanted to help me out. I’m sorry."  And then she goes into her room crying. We had known that they were not the greatest financially, being newlyweds and not really knowing how to budget, but we didn’t know it was that bad. Their house was also having problems because it had been cold for a few days. Their hot water pipes had frozen and their windows were not good so there were drafts coming thorough them. They were only using space heaters so their electric bill was going way high. We calmed the wife down and got her to realize she would be ok. We then met with the Sisters and got some baby formula from someone in their ward. Then on Saturday we went with our Branch President and helped them unfreeze their pipes. President then sat them down and started helping them make a budget so they would know what they had money for. While he did this Elder Wright and I taped up plastic over all their windows. We spend over 3 hours there that day.

We have had a hard time getting a lesson with Luis. He is totally willing to set one up, but then something comes up and he can’t do it. So hopefully we can get in contact with him and set up a real lesson.

Luis has a friend who is interested in learning about Christ and stuff. So Luis told him about us. We got in contact with him. We have a lesson set up with him tomorrow. I hope it goes through because he wants Luis there, but Luis has been hard to have a lesson with.

Had a really cool experience this week. Elder Wright and I said a prayer before leaving the apartment. Elder Wright asked that we could have  a miracle. Then we went and looked at the map and I pointed out an area we hadn’t been to yet. We decided to go there. First door was slammed in our faces. The second door was a really nice Guatemalan guy (Guatemalans are sick!) And then the third one was answered by a boy. We asked if his parents were home and he said someone was. A man came to the door (this is all in English btw) that looked kind of Hispanic, but more black, and had a slight accent. He let us in and the first thing we saw in the house was a calendar right by the door with naked girls on it. I was like "oh boy here we go." We shared a scripture and it went really well. Then we talked to him and I asked him if he had a church he went to and he said the same one as us. I was like "ok whatever dude," and then he told us his name. His name is Arturo "Chocolate" Romero. Come to find out he is a less active that we have been trying to find all transfer. He moved in with his friend because rent was too much at his apartment. So everything in the house wasn’t his (which made me feel better because then the porn wasn’t his either)

Been a pretty good week. Sorry I don’t have any pictures this week.

Love you all

Love

Elder Porter

Mom’s corner:

I liked this from letters to me – He told me he learned a lot from Elder Wright that will make his life so much easier– specifically, “How to chill out a little and stuff, and be super self motivated.”

I asked if his companion was sad to leave.  He said, “Ya, I think he liked it here, but I mean who can be super sad when it’s God who wants you to move.”

Spoken like a true missionary! J

Como esta su ano nuevo?

Well it’s officially 2015, so weird to think of where I was last year at this time and compare it to now. Totally different, but in a good way I think.

Not too much happened again this week, our schedule was kind of messed up because of the New Year.

On Monday last week we had a really good lesson with Louis and Brother Kerby. Even though Brother Kerby doesn’t speak any Spanish, he was cool enough to come with us. We talked about how the Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ and how he can pray to know. He talked about how he hasn’t been praying to his little saint statue and he has been feeling the spirit a lot more. That was really cool. Brother Kerby also bore his testimony and Elder Wright translated for him, and it was just super awesome. We haven’t been able to contact him since, some weird schedule thingy or something, but Carlos has talked to him and he still wants to come to church and stuff, so that’s still super promising :)

New Years was good, hung out with the Kerby’s on New Years Eve and then played sports on New Years Day.

I’m excited to get back to regular schedule and get to work hard. This is the last week of the transfer. I can’t believe it; it has flown by so fast! Super crazy. I have hopes that 2015 will be awesome! In 2014 our mission reached its goal of 400 baptisms, which is amazing! The Lord really is hastening his work.

Love you all!

Elder Porter

Me chilling on New Years Eve with Piper.