Popcorn and miracles

June 12, 2017

Hello all! It was an interesting week.

On Tuesday we went to the funeral for a less active sister in the ward who passed away. It was led by a pastor of another church who was a relative of the family, but last minute Sister Durrant got to lead the song and got many compliments. It was funny because they passed out little bags of popcorn because the sister had joked before she passed about putting popcorn in the crematorium with her. On Wednesday we taught N and brought a member Sister C who lives nearby so they could meet because N will need rides to church. They got along great and related to each other in a few different ways. N didn't end up being able to come to church, though. Later that day we stopped by a referral V who we had received from some other missionaries and she was home and let us right in! Her son was there, too. We taught them the Restoration and she definitely felt the Spirit strongly. She said she would be baptized but wants to become more familiar with the scriptures and the church first. We can help with that!

On Friday we biked around a neighborhood, visited a member who was sick, visited a member in the hospital, taught J, then biked some more to visit a less active couple and they pulled in right as we were riding away and were able to talk to them. On the way back we met a lady who told us about an awesome service opportunity. In J's lesson we were able to reset his baptism date for June 24th. He seems confident about it and we feel good about it as long as we meet with him a lot more often which shouldn't be a problem. We are excited for him! He wasn't feeling well enough on Sunday to come to church, but the member who went to pick him up said he tried getting in the car.

On Sunday church was really good. We had a Spanish speaking sacrament meeting with the English words projected on the wall. After church there was a baptism for a little girl. Her friend who is not a member came and it was just a really special experience. That night we were biking near our apartment and stopped at the hospital for the bathroom. On the way out we met a young man who talked with us about how he used to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others and his baptism changed his life completely. He gave us his phone number and wants to meet with us. So many miracles in Apollo Beach!

I hope you all have a great week and remember your earthly father and your Heavenly Father on Father's Day! Hebrews 12:9

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Pictures
1. Sister Durrant made me this awesome quote because I liked it. It is from President Gordon B. Hinckley.
2. Sunset selfie!
3. Beautiful sunset
4. E's baptism!

A Land of Opportunity

June 5, 2017

Hello, all! So here I am with Sister Durrant. She's pretty awesome :) She is super silly and she loves to sing. We have seen so many miracles this week just by talking and meeting lots of different people. We went to one neighborhood I had never been to and were able to meet and set appointments with 2 less active members. On Friday we were able to help T by cleaning her floors and making breakfast. She is so overwhelmed with everything that is going on. We ended up answering a couple questions about the Book of Mormon and T basically committed herself to read the introduction page. After the lesson she got really emotional and gave me the biggest, most meaningful hug saying thank you so much for everything. We were also able to give their new hospice worker a Book of Mormon! We taught J that night. We had trouble finding a member to come with us but finally did and it was a great experience for her. She had never taught with missionaries before and she shared a beautiful testimony. J came to church and told us that he was planning on coming last week, but nobody showed up to give him a ride. We hadn't asked anybody to pick him up because he hadn't answered his phone so we weren't sure if he was planning on coming or not. He has a lot to learn, but he wants to learn and is trying hard despite all his questions.

On Saturday we met N who was a referral who moved from New York. She is super awesome and we set up an appointment for this week. She will come to church next Sunday if we can get her a ride, and there is an awesome member who lives in her neighborhood who can probably pick her and her daughter up. Her daughter was really excited to come to church, too :) That night we were about to leave a neighborhood, but I got a feeling we should go see somebody. Well, we didn't end up going to see that person but on the way we met several awesome people! One was a man who remembered us knocking on his door on Easter and sharing a video. I think I remember who he is but I'm not sure, haha.

Last night was awesome as well! We went back to an area near our apartment to try to see a woman we had met a couple weeks before. We not only got to see her and set up an appointment, but met a super cool man named J who said he has been wanting to get back into church and believed everything we taught him. He even said he would be baptized!

Well, who knows what this next week will hold, but I do know that it will be full of miracles and that whatever happens is God's will. I love you all and hope you never forget how much Heavenly Father loves you!
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Transfer Pics!

1. Sister Lesuma saying goodbye to the B family
2. Transfers...bye Sister Lesuma! ☹️
3. Sister Swanson! 😊
4. Me and Sister Durrant...she's a lot of fun 😝

Circle of Life

May 30, 2017

Hello, all! Our P-day was changed due to Memorial Day. So first off, transfers are a real thing. Sister Lesuma and I didn't think that anything was going to happen to us, so we were shocked to find out that she is going to New Tampa to be in a trio with Sister Swanson's trainee. What?! My new companion will be Sister Durrant who was previously in Tampa 2 and was companions with Sister Hunt awhile ago. There is also a new sister training leader in Lithia, so I might be able to go on an exchange there!

This week we met a lot of people who seemed interested and said we could come back. The trick is catching them again, and before they forget the feeling from the Spirit that led them to invite us back. But we are very hopeful for the future! We also got a couple referrals, one from New York who is moving in and has been meeting with missionaries for about a year, one who some missionaries met in downtown Tampa, and another from the elders. She is a self referral who they hadn't been able to meet with. On Saturday, all of our appointments and plans fell through so we biked to her neighborhood to go see her and she was home. She is super awesome! She has been researching the church because she is looking for a church and has some friends who are members of our church. She said she wanted the happiness that she sees in them. We have an appointment with her on Thursday.

Oh, we also had to say goodbye to R and his family this week. They are so sweet. We will probably call them soon and hopefully in a few weeks they will be settled in their own house and we can ask the missionaries up there to start teaching them again.

We taught T on Thursday and she had tried to read the chapters we gave her, but was not able to focus or understand. She just has so much on her mind. We promised her that reading the scriptures would help her mind be clear for the challenges she faces. We talked a little about prayer and eventually committed her to pray with her husband that night and try to make it a daily habit. It will bless their relationship and their outlook through their trials immensely. We also gave her a Restoration video in hopes that would speak to her if reading didn't.

That night, we did an activity with the 8-11 year old girls from the congregation about missionary work. They are amazing missionaries already! It was so cool to see. We all got "mission calls" (I'm going to Uganda) and we practiced with them talking to the adult leaders as if we were missionaries meeting them on the street.

We taught J on Friday night and the member we brought with us was really helpful in finding out his needs and helping him open up about his questions and concerns. He is still open to learning but we're not sure how he is progressing. There was a baptism on Saturday and we wanted him to come, but he didn't answer the phone so we didn't get him a ride. He didn't come to church and still hasn't called us back.

Last few random tidbits: On Saturday night, Sister Lesuma tried to make a cake but accidentally misread the instructions and mixed the cake ingredients with the icing ingredients. We also didn't have any eggs. It didn't turn out very edible, but it was fun to watch it bake! We had a family home evening with the Hs and the Hs last night which was also fun.

Well, that's about it for this week. Love y'alls!
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1. The district
2 and 3. What happens when we try to take jumping pictures...
4. Giant grasshopper we found
5. Saying goodbye to the cutest family...the kids wanted us to hold the stuffed animals 😊
6. Sister Lesuma saying goodbye to the Hs

Miracles all around

May 22, 2017

Hello, all! It was a pretty good week. On Wednesday we taught T with A, the girl who was visiting who just got home from her mission. She is awesome!

On Thursday we had zone conference! It was amazing. I got to see Sister Swanson as well as Sister Smith and Sister Frye. There were great musical numbers and we learned a lot. After the conference, a group of us stayed to practice a song for the Why I Believe fireside. It was so fun a send I felt like I was in choir again! Then we drove back to church, had English class, and played volleyball afterwards. We had invited a lot of people because we had heard that a few less actives had really enjoyed it in the past, but R's family and the elders were the only ones who came. But it was fun! I still think that those kids are the cutest ever :)

We had a couple of big thunderstorms this week! One started during a lesson with Tammy and she gave us trash bags to go outside with. We ate dinner on the beach before the lesson.

But Saturday was the best! It was such an amazing day. We did service at the thrift store, had lunch, called a bunch of people, and then went to see a family that we had met a week or so before. We walked up just in time to help the wife and son carry a couch up the front steps and into their house. The wife and daughter were open to learning more about the church and we set an appointment for next Saturday. Then we went to visit Sister V. She is less active and her husband is not a member. We got to meet her husband and he is really nice! They were talking about doing yard work and we offered to help. Sister V was hesitant to let us help, but Brother V was all for it! So next Saturday we will (most likely) be going over there to help out. It will be a great way to get to know him and see if he is interested in being taught. Then we stopped by a couple of potential investigators and had good conversations with them. We set up an appointment with one of them for...wait for it...next Saturday! Wow, that is going to be a great day! After that we decided to try to find this nice beach with a restaurant that a lot of people had told us about because it was Sister Lesuma's 10 month mark. We found it and the restaurant wasn't great, but when we walked out onto the beach we started talking to a lady who was sitting on a bench. She was really nice and eventually told us that she had met with elders when she was a teenager because her friend had invited her to. She mentioned that she had moved here recently and seen the elders biking around. She felt it was a sign from God that we had run into her. We were led to that beach, and she told us that they had been about to leave, but her sons had asked to stay longer. She said she would come to the Why I Believe fireside, but she didn't make it. However, she did say that she would be willing to learn more if we would be openminded towards her. She is so cool! Her name is S. But the miracles of the day don't end there! We stopped by a less active man and he and his daughter opened the door. They were really nice and he was going to let us in, but his wife wasn't home. He said he would talk to his wife about coming to the fireside, and that we could come back and share a message sometime. The Lord definitely has a hand in His work!

Yesterday J made it to church! After church we came home, had studies and dinner, and then headed to the stake center for the Why I Believe fireside! It was really cool. There were 4 or 5 recent converts to the church who bore their testimonies, interspersed with musical numbers by the missionaries. It seemed as if almost the whole mission was there, haha. Then President Cooper and President Howell, the stake president, spoke. It was a great event.

Well, I love you all and hope you aren't too cold up farther from the tropics :)

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1. Us with A after teaching T :)
2. Zone conference
3. R and his family after volleyball
4. Storm coming in on the beach 
5. Manatee mailbox.  Manatees are big in Apollo Beach
6. Adorable little kitten at the Vs!
7, 8, 9. Us on the beach with S
10. A random group of missionaries after the Why I Believe fireside

 

Another week in the hot sun

May 15, 2017

Hello, all! What a crazy week. Here is what happened:

We had a lesson with R and his family on Wednesday and it went well. There was a even a less active young man there who helped us translate. We invited them to be baptized and they said yes. But when we tried to pick a date, R says, "We have a big problem." He goes on to tell us that they are moving back to Wisconsin in 2 weeks! So sad. But the whole family came to the multicultural event on Friday night and it was super fun! R is the coolest DJ ever. He went around and took pictures of everyone and put them straight on the projector screen. There were lots of tables with food and artifacts from China, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Honduras, El Salvador, Denmark, Germany, and more! I love the diversity here. Us missionaries did some fun acts. The last act was our presentation on Fiji that Sister Lesuma came up with. The elders were the first missionaries in Fiji who found her uncle's wife's mother, played by me. We made props and everything. It was great, even though I totally missed the elders with the water I was supposed to throw at them...

Yesterday we met a girl who was visiting family in the ward who just got off her mission less than 3 weeks ago. She really wants to come teach with us. She is so cool! I wonder if I'll be that cool when I get home 🤔

Then last night we got to skype our families! It was so fun. It was so weird because it felt so natural, but so crazy at the same time. I can't believe it's the last call I have before I come home.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful week!
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Pics from Zone Activity, Multicultural Event, Mother's Day

1. Zone Activity
2. Cutest kids! (R's)
3. Us with our ward mission leader, Brother Y
4. Happy Mother's Day!

Primera Dios - God First

May 8, 2017

Hello, all! So many amazing things happened this week. I think it was the best week of my mission! Here we go:

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we had an exchange and I went with Sister Suman in YSA (USF Campus). It was so fun! We met a lot of awesome people and hope they keep in contact. One of their investigators came to institute class with us and said he felt something different there. We also went to Vallarta's for dollar tacos - so good!

On Thursday we cleaned out a disabled member's pantry and food storage that was old and dirty. English class was cancelled both days this week because they all work at the same place and had to work late. We taught J on Friday and he seems to be progressing in his knowledge. He wasn't able to come to church on Sunday but has been reading the Book of Mormon.

Saturday and Sunday were the best. We stopped by R's house and were able to teach his whole family! He and his son H took turns translating for R, R's wife. They were very receptive and had already been planning on coming to church with their cousins. When we asked them to come, they looked at each other and said, "Primera Dios" or "God first". They are so amazing and the kids are so cute. They came to church and got Spanish translation headsets. We have a Spanish Sunday school class, so R and R went there while we got to go to Primary with S, their daughter! It was so fun.

After church we had a lesson with T and she opened up to us with questions and concerns. It was really good because we were able to understand how to teach her better. She wouldn't take a Book of Mormon because she said this week was so crazy she wouldn't have time to read it and she also wanted time to absorb what we had taught her. But she agreed with almost everything we said and is very close to the Spirit.

Missionary work is amazing. There is no greater happiness than to see someone come closer to Jesus Christ. The love we feel for those we teach is amazing as well. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father's blessings. He knows us perfectly and wants what is best for us.

Have a great week!
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Crazy week #52!

May 1, 2017

Crazy week. It feels like it has been 3. But here's what happened:

On Tuesday, we had district meeting and stopped by a woman named T who we had met last week and she told us to come back. This time, her husband let us in and we were able to teach them a little bit. They are very nice and seem open to the gospel, but can't come to church because they watch over his mother and nurses don't come to help on Sundays. We haven't taught them very much yet, so we'll see what happens. But she said we came at just the right time and she knows God is watching over her because of that. That night, we went to the Bs and they gave us a "snack" because they know we can't eat with them. The snack was 2 tacos and a huge bowl of ice cream. Funny!

On Wednesday, we taught J with the Hs and they were amazing at helping us teach and helping J feel comfortable. We were able to help him accept a baptismal date! He was hesitant at first because he said he didn't think he was worthy. He came to church on Sunday as well! He still has a few questions, but he seemed to enjoy it and said it was inspiring.

Thursday - We stopped by T and happened to be there right when they were about to sing Happy Birthday and eat cake for the mom's birthday with her nurse. How fun! Then, we went and got ice cream because GUESS WHAT. It was my year mark! I have been gone a year. I can now look back in my journal and see what happened in my mission last year. Crazy! Anyway, we had English class after that and R, one of the people who comes, said he had been looking at LDS movies. (He also said a fantastic prayer on Tuesday, by the way) So we asked him if we could teach his family! When we went over on Sunday, there were a lot of people there just hanging out so we didn't really get to teach anything. But we initiated a spiritual discussion and prayer and it was cool because his cousins who he lives with are members and were able to share their conversion stories and testify of eternal families. R and his wife R listened and seemed to enjoy it. We wish their kids had stuck around to listen, too! Maybe next time.

On Saturday we helped to clean the church a little. The Ks invited us to go out to lunch with them. It was pretty good! Then we went to teach some former investigators and a few minutes in, their pastor walked in and started challenging our beliefs. He really wouldn't let us talk back. About an hour later, we walk out feeling pretty awful. We drive home for dinner, I plop down on my bed, and then the neighbors invite us over for dinner! It was really nice, and definitely a blessing after the crazy day. I realized from the experience how important it is to have a strong testimony from the Holy Spirit. I am grateful for what I have learned in the past so that I could not be confused by what that pastor was saying. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and is written by inspiration from Him and not by man. It testifies of Christ. I know that we have a prophet just like in the Bible who leads and guides us and teaches us what God wants us to know right now. I know not because of what anyone told me, but what I feel from the Holy Ghost. It brings me a lot of peace and happiness.

Love you all! Have a great week.

-- Sister Porter
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1. We got ice cream to celebrate one year!
2. The elders decided to decorate our car with invitations to the ward party...