FORGET MYSELF.......BUT NOT COMPLETELY

Oi oi oi! Thank you so much mom for the package!! 

My companion cried....a ton...you have no idea how much that meant to her.  

J.and B., thank you so much for your letters! I hope to be the kind of missionary you are.

Funny things about Brazil:

-The elders talked to a woman about her baptism in the Evangelica Igreja and she said that they didn't have any water, so they used Guarana.....soda...hahaha

- It is way awkward with the culture of kissing cheeks because the men don't understand that us sisters can't.....yes......men try....and I freak out every time.

- My companion is always telling me that the dogs here literally bite people and sometimes kill. Ya, kinda thought that was silly. But we were walking to an appointment and my companion says "Sister! Coacher!  (dog)" and I thought psssh yeah right,..he wont do anything. Ummm ya he started charging at us!! I was dying! So ya a dog tried to attack us.

-I don't know if I ever talked about this, but we do not knock on doors, we clap.

Wow. I don't even know where to begin on what happened this week.

On Monday, sooo many doctors were calling me to find out what's wrong. They were investigating the cause of my sickness. I felt really grateful that people really care so much about missionaries. I learned sooo much this week through this struggle of being sick on the mission. If you know me well, you would know that this mission means everything to me and that I am here to sincerely work my hardest. Being sick, not able to focus because of migraines, feeling like I'm going to pass out in the street, and being in constant pain is not the funnest thing as a missionary who wants to work. This has seriously been the hardest thing ever. But, I was reading in Mosiah, and of course Heavenly Father told me what to do. He is so good to me. Mosiah 4:27. I read this scripture during personal study and almost started laughing because it was so funny how immediate He answered my questions. It talks all about not running faster than we have strength. I learned that stopping to take care of ourselves is a necessary. Even though I want to work, work, and work, my body has limits. Working through a sickness was not a good idea. But I took rests and learned from this experience that I can forget myself and go to work without completely forgetting myself haha. But what really was the highlight of my week was interviews with Presidente P.. Wow. Changed my life. He told me so many things that blew my mind. I believe he will be an apostle someday. The spirit beams out of his face. He told me so directly that he knows how I feel, knows what this time means to me, knows what kind of a missionary I will be, that my Portuguese is a miracle, that he can see the gift of tongues moving really fast in me, and told me that this trial of being sick will make me so much stronger. He gave me a blessing, but half way through, he started speaking English. The spirit was so powerful and was exactly what I needed to hear. The priesthood is real. He also gave me a hug. Which I thought wasn't allowed haha but gave me so much comfort. I learned so much from him.

This week we worked a lot with less active members who haven't come to church in years. We visited a man named M., and he was so happy we came to visit him, it was so touching. He said he judged the church when he became inactive because no one came to visit him, but said he repented when we visited him. The entire lesson the spirit was so strong. I literally could hear His voice whispering sentences and words to say in my mind. It was crazy. I have no doubt that the gift of tongues is real. I feel the spirit literally speaking through me every day. It is the most amazing feeling.

Saturday was Festa Junina!!! Brazil celebrates Festa Junina every year around June/July. 

It is so fun!! They all dress up like cowboys, dance, eat, and celebrate their culture. I was dying at how fun it was! 


Brazil is seriously the perfect place for me. I love the members here and the culture is awesome. But the best part about the Festa, was that we had 1 investigator, 7 less actives, and received 1 more investigator. Amazing. 

This week was a miracle. I still am getting over my illness, but feel sooo much better. I had the flu and major migraines and they never stop. But my companion and Sister P. are amazing and have been helping me so much. I feel so blessed.

This mission is amazing. I want to live here forever with these people. They have touched my life in ways I never thought possible. I will never be the same. I know this is the church of Jesus Christ. He is real. He loves you and is aware of you. He knows what things you need to go through. Stay Strong!!! Eu amo voces com tudo meu coracao!! Beijos!! (translate: I love you with all my heart!! Kisses!!)

Sister Porter

Threw away my flashcards from the Missionary Training Center...hahah

Eu e minha companheira (translation: Me and my companion)

M. B.(pesquisador) e seus netos (M. B. and her grandchildren)

Festa Junina na capela (translation: Saints Feast in the chapel)