4 Weeks Out!

Definitely the least exciting week in the CCM, but it was still good!

Picture attached is of one of the beautiful sunrises we have! Yes I am up early enough to see the sun rise. Ironically the sunrises and the sunsets are in the same spot. Still haven't figured out how that happens because I am pretty sure I’m still on the planet earth, and I know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. no se.

On the topic of weather if you like thunder this is the place to come! The thunder here is sooooooo loud its crazy! Like rattles windows and scares Hermanas loud! But its cool and the lighting is cool too!

Funny story, so I was looking in a dictionary and there was a word I couldn’t read and it was in english. I was like conn.....congra......contrat...what does "congratulete" mean? I am so stuck in trying to pronounce spanish words I can’t even read the english word "to congratulate" anymore. Felt like a big dummy after that! But my spelling has gotten terrible now, investigators are now investagadors because thats close to the spanish spelling. (Had to spell check it to even spell it in english just now.)

Cool experience Hermana Wainwright in my district started sharing an story about how people are rooting for us back home and especially those who aren’t able to serve missions. This led to the thought of us as missionaries aren’t alone, There are angels of missionaries and ancestors right along side us helping us teach the investigators and testifying right along side us that the message is true. A lot like how the pioneers felt that their carts were being pushed and no one was there. It is a really cool thought and I know it is true. Now if only I could paint and paint a picture of that. Because it is a beautiful sight in my head!

It is so important to share the gospel and fellowship others! Many many converts come first through someone who is a member inviting them to activities with the church and fellowshiping them that way. And if they have a friend in the church they are more likely to stay active in the church because they know and have friends in the ward.

One of the coolest experiences I had at home was choosing the seminary theme for the 2013-2014 year. One of my favorite scriptures. Its 2 Nephi 31:20. That scripture has popped up so many times already here in the CCM. I know that God inspires us to do certain things and choose certain actions for a reason. I have a great love for that scripture already and now it is in the mission field too!

For some reason I have become weak, my eyes seem to be more leaky. And I don’t understand it. ;) The spirit has such a power to influence for good, even though I don’t think tears are very useful.

This week has been good for spanish. I have finally been able to stop writing a script for my lessons. We have been able to go in with just a list of scriptures and teach a lesson. I know that the gift of tongues is real. I have learned more spanish and about spanish more in the 4 weeks here than I did in two years of french in Jr high!

My teacher Hermano Cruz told us a story from his mission. His companion was from America and was fluent in Spanish in 6 months, but they ran into some missionaries from another church that had been in Mexico for 10 years that were only functional and not fluent. Power of God right there!

Me and my companion had to teach a lesson to Hermana Wainwright who was acting like her cousin. We had to asses her needs and teach a lesson right there. It was a really cool experience because elder Burgon and i were on exactly the same page for the lesson without talking about exactly what we were going to do beforehand. The spirit was definitely guiding the lesson. I know that it is the spirit who teaches and not me. I pray every day to be a mouthpiece for the lord.

Another experience is that we were teaching our investigator Alexa and she decided to change the teaching spot. So Elder Burgon and I didn’t stop off at our prayer bench. That was one of the hardest lessons because we didn’t pray for the gift of tongues and for the guidance of the spirit. I could barely understand what she was trying to tell us. Never gonna forget to pray again!

In my farewell talk, you might remember, I said something like "Drew you got this, the gospel was shoveled down right alongside the mashed potatoes!" I don’t feel like that anymore! There is so much more that I don’t know! I am constantly learning more and more about the gospel every day! It is not enough to just go to church and say you know everything, or to listen to your seminary teacher/dad. You have to search it out for yourself and find out and learn on your own. That is how a testimony is built! 

The CCM is really the refiners fire for missionaries! I have learned so much, and yet I still feel guilty for not learning more! The Gospel is so true! I wish I could just read the scriptures every day! Cada Dia todo Dia! The scriptures are so amazing!

I am ashamed to say this but I used to think that it was tacky to have pictures of the Book of Mormon stories in your house. But now I want to cover the walls of my home in pictures of Nephi, Mormon, Alma, Mosiah, Helaman. Not only pictures but big portraits! They are so strong in the gospel and everyone should try to be like them! There is a cool story about captain Moroni and Mormon said that if everyone in the world could be like him the world would be the most righteous place ever! I want to be like Captain Moroni and have a prophet say that I am so righteous that everyone should be like me. Not because I want people to look up to me, but to be that close to the Lord and to his purpose!

Sorry for the ramble!

I know this church is true and it blesses the lives of all those who live it! Jesucristo es nuestro salvador, y el vive! arrepentiemiento es verdad y ayudamos muchas en nosotros vidas! El Evangelio es verdad. Dios es nuestro amaroso padre celestial!

Love

Elder Porter

PS Sorry for the terrible grammar/spelling. Spanish keyboards suck.

One part of his email to me that I want to share:

Thanks mom! Doing good! But I wish I would have prepared more beforehand, but can’t change that now. There is one thing you guys could pray for me for and that is more faith. Because faith is everything and you can’t have too much of it. It is said like a bazillion times in the Book of Mormon. Got to go. Love you

Trying to get clean sheets cuz they didn't give us new ones.  Too bad the window was locked.

Mexico sunrise

Mexico MTC (CCM) campus