2 fortnights

So, after two very long fortnights in the MTC...I'm finally leaving!  We got travel plans on Friday night.  We had a big ol' fiesta in our room.  Thanks to Mom, I was able to supply everyone with food.  As it gets closer and closer to being time to leave I'm beginning to feel a little bit nervous, as you can expect.  But don't even fret.  I'm MUCH more excited than nervous.  Things will turn out fine no matter what, so why not just be pumped about everything? Haha.  The group heading to Lubbock has 24 missionaries, including Tom and Stu.  We meet together at 2:30 am here on the main campus, then head up to Salt Lake.  Our flight leaves there at 6:25and arrives in Dallas at 10:05 (I assume that is Texas time?).  I will probably have time and permission to call home during the layover here!  So Mom, be by your phone between like 9:30 and 11:30 on Monday morning.  I definitely don't know anyone else's numbers so, just get over it and ask Mom how I am.  We leave Dallas at 12:55 and arrive in Lubbock at 2:00.  I cant wait to find out what its like to be a real life missionary.  And I cant wait to find out how much Spanish I really know.  Oh baby, exciting times!!!

I had a pretty funny experience with the Pride Cycle this week:  

So when I get to the MTC everything is hard and I hurt and stuff, naturally a humbling experience.  I worked really really hard and prayed a whole bunch and I start to progress faster and faster, getting more confident, loving life.  Now here is the funny part.  I decide to break a record here at the MTC...Most Bowls of Cereal Eaten in One Day.  Previous record? 18.  So I began the day with a plan, 7 bowls a meal.  After breakfast I'm feeling pretty good about myself, feeling unstoppable.  Lunch? No problem.  Then I get to Dinner, this is getting hard.  Put I pushed through it!! Record broken, new record 21 bowls in one day.  Now, just imagine the kind of pride I'm feeling.  Definitely serious orgullo.  Thank heavens I wasn't destroyed via war against the Lamenites, but I was destroyed... Just picture Elder Porter, walking up to the lady in the book store and putting a little box face down.  The lady looks at it and begins to laugh a little bit.  As she scans it in she says "is this laxative all you need?".  Ouch.  For real though, I was so pumped about the record, I still am, but the whole next day was a rough one for me.  Point of the story?  BE HUMBLE!  :)

All of our usual teachers just started real school at BYU, so they all had to quit.  So right now we're just cycling through subs.  We had this one guy named Hermano Rios.  He was the best teacher I have ever been under the direction of, without question.  When we taught him he told us to teach him (as in don't pretend he's an investigator).  It was an unreal lesson.  The spirit was so strong and Elder Lammi and I were so pumped.  We started to ask him questions about his current relationship con Dios.  He paused for like 3 minutes and began to cry.  I was pretty weirded out.  I started to like sniff the air to see if Elder Lammi ripped a smelly one or something.  Then he finally started talking.  He spit out Spanish a billion words a minute about how since his mission, even though he has been trying to stay so close, he feels like he could do much much better.  I felt prompted to challenge him to do everything he can to invite others to Christ, just like on his mission.  It was so crazy because it was like a real thing!  We were really teaching, really inviting, really following the Spirit, really speaking Spanish!  I can not wait to have that be my life for the next little while.
I don't think there is much else to say about this last week....Thanks so much for the Disney songs, Abby and Val, and for the food, Mom.  I love you all so much!  

I'll talk to you on Monday (some of you hehe), and my next email will be from TEXAS! YESSS. 

LOVE YOU,

Elder Porter

Mother,

I draw quilts.  For real.  I just sketch them down haha, it is  pretty funny.  Thank you so much for all the packages.  I don't think I need anything specific.  Maybe a bar of soap, and toothpaste.  I guess I could think of things.  I love you, Mom! Miss you a ton.

Elder

Here is the picture of my district!  Elder Lammi is the guy pointing to Idaho, Elder Collins is the black one, and I'm pointing at Elder Roberts.  This was on my first day back.  Enjoy!!

Love youuu.

AH!! I forgot the most important thing in the real letter!! I TRACED OUR FAMILY TREE BACK TO ADAM AND EVE THREE DIFFERENT WAYS!!  WE'RE FAMOUS!!  Also to Priam and Paris and Hector (from the Iliad).  Pretty dang cool, I guess!  Haha, include that and the pictures in the blog?  Love ya!