CLAPPING FOR JOY

Oi todos!! First off, I have to announce some awesome news. Our mission president is allowing us to Skype our dads for Brazilian father’s day!!! AHHH so I can Skype my daddy on August 9th!!! YAY! I am so excited! So get ready dad :) I will let you know times and everything later.

Health- mommy, this week I have felt sooo much better. I think the meds are starting to work. I went from having major pain all day every day to only once a week for a day or two. Heavenly Father is really blessing me. I know I am supposed to be here. I am doing everything I possibly can to take care of myself, so I hope I will feel completely better soon. :)

Awesome stuff:

-The little kids here ask us every day to say their name in Ingles (English) haha it’s so funny.

Funny:

- I told a lady that the church was resurrected instead of restored haha The words are so close in Portuguese.

This week. Oh my goodness. I found out yesterday that my dear investigator in Santa Maria, J. will be baptized on the 8th of August too. My heart is full. We are working like none other here in São Gabriel and I am loving every minute of it. I am literally in Heaven. We taught so many lessons this week and helped so many people. But I want to share the miracle.

One day we were clapping doors and no one was answering. I had the thought that maybe someone is just waiting for us and we are just in the wrong place. We walked around and my companion saw a house and said, "Sister, this is the house." We clapped the door and I began to talk to the lady. She immediately let us in her house, showed us pictures of her family and we taught her the restoration. The entire time the spirit was SO powerful. The room was completely filled. At the end of the lesson, I felt the strongest prompting to tell her that Heavenly Father loves her, that he led us to her, and that it wasn’t by chance that we met her. Tears filled her eyes. She expressed to us that she has been waiting for this message and knows we are messengers of God. My comp and I couldn’t believe it. We met with her again and talked about the Book of Mormon. She said she feels the calmest spirit when we visit and when we gave her the Book of Mormon, she started crying and was so grateful. I was so amazed and touched. She came to church with us yesterday. We walked with her in the freezing cold, on her birthday, at 7:30 in the morning. I am so excited to teach her more. She loves the church. I love being a missionary.

I have 6 months in the mission tomorrow. I can’t believe how fast the time is flying. I am living my dream and loving every moment of being here. The people, the culture, the language, everything. I love being a missionary. I know that this is the true way to eternal happiness. Always trust in god’s plan. He knows so much more than we do. Amo voces!!!

Sister Porter

July 20th, 2015                

HORSES, COWS, & CHICKENS....OH MY!

Tão, first off, last week the computer shut off in the middle of me typing so I didnt get to read or respond to a lot of things, but thank you all who wrote me an email or letter! I always print them out & read them on P-days -they mean so much. It is so hard in the mission to respond, but always know that I read, appreciate, & love every email I receive, so thank you!!! Thank you tons for your emails. I can't wait to read them. Health- Tiamina is not a disease! haha it is an allergy. Sister P. said that it is in flour, peanuts, milk, oil, etc. but she didnt say I have it for sure. I haven't been saying anything about my health because I honestly still don't know what's wrong. I have headaches constantly whether I eat fruit all day or not. The doctor just said I have Enxaqueca which is a constant headache that doesn't go away unless you take meds and he gave me medicine. I really don't know what to do because I constantly have headaches and I'm constantly in pain. I take medicine every night but it doesn't do much. I'm taking it for 4 months and the doctor said it will work slowly.  The medicine here isn't very strong. I used to take the Advil I brought from home and it worked great, but I don't have any more. So I bought Ibrofen at the store. So mom, I don't know what to do. I still have headaches, but I just work through the pain every day. Sounds sad, but it's true. There are some days I feel better than others but I am trying everything I possibly can. Advice and help would be nice!I am in love with São Gabriel still. The people are so sweet and such cowboys. People just ride their horses around all day and wear their funny gaúcho clothes. I love this country! I love walking to lessons with horses, cows and chickens in the middle of the street and seeing people just sitting outside drinking chimarrão and talking to their neighbors. This cutlure is awesome! The people here kiss eachother on 2 cheeks....kinda different. and I still have to tell the men that they can't kiss a sister missionary. Kinda awkard still, but necessary.This week was great, we had so many amazing experiences!!  We are teaching so many people. Our investigators are golden. We have so many families that need to get married, baptized and sealed in the temple. It was so amazing this week teaching about the Plan of Salvation and the power of temples. We are so lucky as latter day saints to have the knowledge that we are going to live again and that we can live with our families forever!! Que Legal! We taught a family about the temple this week and they immediately said they will be baptized and know that the church is true. We regualary meet with a recent convert, N. and  I love seeing how the gospel literally changes lives. I love seeing the light that comes into the eyes of people as they gain a love for the scriptures. She gets so excited every time we read the scriptures with her and loves singing hymns with us.This gospel is joy and happiness! There is no greater joy than being a missionary.  I love bearing my testimony every day in every hour. This is his work. God is the same yesterday today and forever. He is continuing his work here on earth and still speaks to us! I love him. I love this gospel. Keep praying and keep trying!! Te amo!!!

Sister Porter

  

SAO GABRIEL & THE WHITE CASTLE

Oi Todos!! I am in São Gabriel!!! And lemme tell ya, I am in LOVE with this place! I am in a dream. everyone has chickens, cows, horses, pigs, and dogs. I was dying on the bus ride here staring at the rolling hills and cute little houses. I am in such a small little city. The people are so humble, have hardly anything, and are so accepting of us missionaries. We are so blessed here. We have a Ramo (district) instead of a Ward and the members treat us so special. We have a house. literally a house. Just the 2 of us. 3 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms. The best appartment in the mission and the weather here is amazing. I couldn't be more happy! My companion is a dream come true! Seriously prayers have been answered. This week was literally a miracle. Milagres em cada lugar (miracles everywhere). Seriously. This week was insane!! When you put 2 American sister missionaries together that want to work hard, love teaching people, want to talk to everyone about the gospel, and have the same vision....man...miracles!

My second day here we got hungry, so we stopped to eat something on a bench in the front of a house in the street. A lady came out and asked us what we were doing, was fine with us sitting there, but then returned later and invited us in her house because it was sprinkling outside. (hehe we were more than happy that someone actually invited US in for once!). But as we were talking to her about where we were from, she got a shocked look on her face. She began to tell us that the night before she had a dream that she was in the United States and saw a White castle with a woman clothed in all White that made her feel really calm. We couldnt believe it. My companion pulled out a picture of the St. George temple and she freaked out and said "That's the place! That's the castle I saw!" Ahhh! The spirit was so Strong as we bore our testimonies and explained more about eternal families and temples. Miracle. It was a testimony to me that Heavenly Father knew that us American sisters needed to find her that day and that we are together for a special purpose. We don't speak the language perfect still, but the spirit is guiding our work.  A funny thing that happened this week was that we got locked out of our house. We tried everything. Clapping the door of the neighbors, calling the elders, breaking in, everything. Nothing worked but my companion is always happy and up for an andventure, so what did we do? We climbed two walls. Ya, in our skirts, with cars driving by, with our bags. everything. It was sooo funny!

I'm loving this time with her. It is very rare to have two Americans together in our mission so I know this time won't last long but man, this week was one of the best weeks of my entire mission. We worked so much and helped so many people! Our moto is "vamos trabalhar até o pó!" (we will work to the dust). The elders were so suprised with our numbers this week. They literally asked us how we taught so many people. We had 8 investigators attend sacrament meeting. It was awesome. I'm in heaven!

Heavenly Father knows us so well. The mission has taught me so many things and these past couple months have changed my life forever. I know this is His work. I love you all!!!

Sister Porter

LAST WEEK IN SANTA MARIA / TRANSFER

Guess what happened this week?! So much. Hospital, trabalho (work), and TRANSFERS!! Ahhh!! Crazy. But I will make things short and sweet.

Tuesday- We had lunch with a member, like usual (oh btw we Always eat with the elders....strange...but ya) and my stomach and head hurt SO BAD afterwards. I prayed so hard afterwards and guess who called us? Sister P. (Presidentes wife) miracle. She said she has been looking up my symptoms online and has found what I have. An allergy called "tiamina". It is found in milk, sausage, bread, oily foods, etc. Man! I cannot express how thankful I am for Sister P. She is the only person that would listen/believe in me and isn't giving up on me. She found my allergy! Que bênção! (translate~ what a blessing!)

Thursday- Sister P. told me to stop eating a ton of diferente things...um ya I was dying of starvation eating fruit all day and my headaches continued. So we went to the head doctor to see what's up. Sister P. was so funny telling the man, "This young woman is a sister missionary who has headaches constantly. I know she doesn't have depression and she speaks this language well. I know it has to be something more than an emotional problem. Doctor, she needs to stay in this mission. so do whatever you need to do." I about died with gratitude. He knew immediately what my problem was. Enxaqueca. (migrane that never goes away). He said that some one in my family genetically passed enxaqueca to me and that I got it this early in my life because of allergies to food, stress, lack of sleep, working without stopping, and many other things. It is awful. It is a dizzy, pounding pain that doesn't go away. But, he said with time it should go away if I take the medicine he gave me and take things slower. He gave me meds and I have been feeling SOO much better!!! I feel sooo blessed that Heavenly Father answered my prayers!! I felt so loved and special the whole day as Sister P. accompanied my companion and I. When I thanked her, she just said, "Oh Sister Porter, you have no need to thank me. You have so much you need to do still in this country. You will be a powerful missionary. I know it." I couldn't feel more grateful for my mom here in the mission. She is such an example to me and I can actually understand her haha! Accomplishment! (she talks super fast Portuguese)

Friday-TRANSFER CALLS! Ahhh! Sister Souza and I have BOTH been transfered out of our área. Our área is too dangerous for sisters, so elders will be taking over. :( SO SAD. I have been transfered to serve in São Gabriel with Sister Hansen! She is an Americana and is from Utah. She has been out for about 1 year and I'm SO excited to be working with her. I've heard she is super happy all of the time and that she speaks Portuguese really well. I cant wait!! Also another answer to prayer. I will be traveling to São Gabriel tomorrow morning.

I will miss Santa Maria so much. Saying goodbye was so hard. Yesterday EVERYONE bore their testimony during sacrament meeting and it was so sad having to say goodbye to the members. 

Because there was no time, I bore my testimony in Relief Society and it broke my heart seeing so many wonderful women that I love so much. This is the best mission in the world. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love you all!!! Tchao :)

Sister Porter

Minha companheira. Eu amo ela muito.(My companion. I love her)

We love C. -our future missionary.

The Elders

M.-leaving on his mission to Bolivia this week

Bishop and his cute Family-changed my life

My gaúcha boots that a member gave me. I'm in love and they are so warm.