March 23rd, 2015
Ola todos!
Wow, so much has happened in a week!! First off, I am so blessed. I LOVE the people here with all of my heart. They are in some troubled times and it is so wonderful to me that I am here to help them at a deeper level. This work is amazing!!
This week I was very open with my sister companions about how I felt we needed to improve. We have been teaching some really powerful lessons and have found more investigators.
MIRACLES: This week we met with a less active that needed comfort from the death of her brother, her addictive daughter, and her lack of faith. My heart broke listening to her story. My words were guided as the spirit bore witness to her of Jesus Christ's power and how he can heal her wounded heart. Because of this, she is coming back to church and we are now teaching her nephew tomorrow :) miracle.
We also met another woman who has been catholic all her life and is bitter towards God for giving her cancer and a hard life. She had the worst attitude and was so mad at the world. She told us she didn't believe that Jesus Christ suffered or understood her. My heart was crushed hearing that come out of someone. I bore my testimony of my own personal witness that Jesus Christ's atonement is real and that I cannot deny that power because I have felt its impact. I was amazed at how my solemn testimony changed her whole mood completely. The spirit was so strong. Nothing can shake a sincere testimony of truth.
I see miracles every day! It is amazing how the church is so true, that when you bear a simple but real testimony, hearts are changed. People begin to understand that you are really serious because you know from experience.
Saturday was so hard. We fasted for our investigator, Mr. K, and the lesson went nowhere. He has no desire to be baptized. We had to drop him. Worst feeling ever. I cried for a good half hour. It is SOO frustrating when you can see that someone knows its true, they know the spirit, have a testimony, and know they need to be baptized but wont. AHH it KILLS ME. But I know that Heavenly Father knows that we have done all we possibly could to help him.
Zone Conference was amazing of course! It was so fun seeing other missionaries with the same purpose. My mission President is incredible and I learned so much. This really is the work of God and the Lords church. Everything testifies of him!
We have 2 baptisms coming up and its been amazing preparing them and seeing their faith and love of Jesus Christ.
Words could never fully express the gratitude I feel for my Savior. Every day when we are rejected or feel down, I remember that I'm not the first one. He knows I need to be here at this time. He understands us perfectly. He is the best companion ever!
"Don't worry about how inexperienced you are or think you are, but think about what, with the Lord's help, you can become." -Henry B. Eyring.
I know that he is real. I see his hand in my life daily and have become so much more because he knows what I can become through him. I know that as you put your trust in him and his plan for you, everything in your life will work out. His plan is so much better! I know that this church is true and has been restored in its fullness. I love you all!!!
Sister Alena Porter
FIRSTS IN THE FIELD
March 16th, 2015
Hardest week of my entire life. I cannot believe I have been
a missionary in Detroit for a week now! This week was crazy. I don't even know
where to begin. I LOVE my Mission President and his wife.
Michigan is
beautiful!! My first day we had transfers and I got to meet my companion. BUT I
got put in a trio! So I have 2 companions. Sister C. from Houston Texas
and Sister R. from Spanish Fork Utah.
They have both been out for a
year-year and a half. I am gunna be honest. It has been rough. I have been
through a lot of tears this week. Any person that has ever served a mission
would know how I felt this first week. Alone, stressed, nervous, and you feel
like you don't know what your doing. The first couple days were tough. But, I
have learned so much in just a short amount of time. I am a changed person. I
feel that once someone experiences being a missionary in Detroit, they are
never the same. Sister R. has been such a blessing to me. I have learned so
much from her. I feel that I am here for a
reason. I have seen that even though I am new, I am contributing a ton to how
the work is progressing. The people here are amazing. We cover 6 cities.
Trenton, Riverview, Southgate, Taylor, Romulus, and Wyandotte. They don't put
sisters in downtown Detroit because we probably wouldn't be alive. They only
sent tough elders there. Our area has the cutest homes! The people are either
in super nice houses, or are in a hoarding buried alive status houses. Most
people are missing at least one tooth or more and have such funny accents. I
love them!!
I have seen such funny things this week. We go tracting and
contacting a lot (tons of rejection) and the lessons are so amazing. It is so
nice that I can understand them and speak to them in English :)
I have truly seen Heavenly Father strengthen me and teach me
so much this week. I have really learned to rely on him for everything. I have
felt my Savior lifting me up in discouraging times. It is such a comfort to me
to know that he is there always. I don't know everything and I am not perfect,
but I know that if I am trying then he will help me do the rest. I love this
work! Yesterday, we were teaching our investigator, A., and I challenged
her to baptism! She said yes! It was such an exciting moment knowing that she
will be making such a sacred covenant with God. She will be baptized on April
11, and I can't wait. I am so excited to be here for my companion's first
baptism and we will definitely be having more so long as I'm here :)
I KNOW that this gospel is true. I testify that our Savior
is real and lives. He is my strength, my guide, and my everything. I will
forever be his servant. I love all of you and know that you are in my prayers!
"Have a blessed day" :)
Sister Alena Porter
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