Odessa

Odessa is a dream!!  I love it so so so much!  This past week has been the best week of my mission.  I have so much fun.  Elder Heaps, my comp, is the funniest guy around.  He and I would be real good friends back in high school, if he didn't live in Toole. He reminds me A LOT of Kendell (I have no idea if I spelled it right.  My Brother In Law.)  He's like 6 3 and drinks out of giant cups and tells a ton of funny stories.  We work real well together.  There is a ton of Spanish here in Odessa, but the city is HUGE!!  I don't know if I'll ever learn the streets, haha.  The Oil field is booming though, so the Spanish is way up.  It is gonna be a great transfer.

We live with a member named Brother Kelly.  This guy is the funniest/weirdest/coolest guy ever.  He buys us a ton of stuff and is just so nice.  We aren't separated from him at all, like we eat dinner with him and things like that.  He has only been a member for 12 years or so, but his testimony is astounding.  He usually just sits there and pretends we aren't there, apparently most of the missionaries in the past have never really talked to him much, but that is no so with me!  I ask him questions constantly.  He showed me his giant stamp collection and got me pumped to look forward to the new stamps next month, haha.  He is a passionate scouter...I don't have the heart to tell him I detest scouting, I'm pretty good at faking interest in that though.  Two nights in a row we have stayed up till about 11:30 have a real good doctrinal discussion.  I have already learned SO much.  I am absolutely blessed to have made this new friend.

ELDER TOM WHATCOTT is here in Odessa!  Every morning at 6:15 we play some kind of sport because there are so many companionships here, so I get to see him EVERYDAY!!!  It is so nice.  I love that kid so much.  He's a killer missionary.  Gah, I am just excited about this transfer.

PS.  My address is:  4215 E. Everglade.  Odessa, TX 79762.

It rained a ton this last week and Odessa has TERRIBLE streets, especially the one we live on.  It created a river in almost every street.  It is was real fun to walk though, haha. 

We have 0 investigators right now, so I get to apply what I know best!  Finding.  Elder Heaps is down to go hard finding, so that's about all we do.  We set specific goals for each day and each hour and report them to our DL.  So far it has improved our effectiveness ten fold and we are already beginning to see miracles.  The work here will explode shortly, it always does:)

I am so happy about this new change.  I hope y'all are doing well and having fun.  I love you so so so so much!! 

Love,

Caleb Porter

(This is Kathy.  There are pictures but I can't figure out hoe to post them with my iPad from Maine so I will add them to next weeks post.  Sorry)