Elk Whistle

Holy crap I don't even know what to do!!  I go home in 8 days.  AH!  I am really really really excited to see y'all, but I am also real sad to be done. It's ok because I know that I have served my hardest for 2 years and not it's just time to go, I don't have any regrets. That is a good feeling, for sure.

 

Yesterday was SUCH a fun day! The Lubbock Stake (that's the one I'm part off) had a fun run for memorial day and we got permission to go if we could get a member to give us a ride. So what did we do? We got up at 5:15 and piled into Josh Gandy's tiny truck and rode to Lubbock.  Dress code for the Elders was: white shirt and tie and tag with basketball shorts. It was SO funny. It was pouring rain the entire time we were driving up there and we kept joking about it getting canceled, when we finally got to Lubbock it was still raining really hard but the park was SO full of Mormons ready to run the race! I was so pumped! Then it started to lightning....it ended up getting canceled hahaha. Too bad. President Heap told all the missionaries to wait for the members to clear out before we left and by that time the lightning had stopped and so he yelled "the Willy and Martin handcart companies didn't quit because it was cold outside!! We can't just not run this race!!  It's in our heritage!" haha and so we ran a 5k in the pouring rain. Man, it was SO fun. I had a real great time.  I was hoping I would lose 10 pounds during the race, that didn't happen, but I still did really well. I am so sore today though, that is for sure.

 

This last week was some good work. I am finishing working my butt off and having a real great time doing it! Miracles are happening all over the place. One of the little miracles we saw is that we finally are making and keeping contact with a less active family called the Ibarras.  Another miralcesito is that Ivonne is their prima and loves them so much, so she's been helping A TON!  It is just so cool to see how things work out for our good. I love the Church and I love my mission!

 

I have been pondering Alma 25:35-37 quite a bit. It gives me a lot of peace.  I think it's my favorite scripture right now.  Just take a gander at it...God is good. He loves us so much. Don't forget that.  We have a really really really big reason to be happy, we have really big potential, so we better be happy and reach that potential!

 

35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all‍ wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful‍ Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.
 36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch‍ of the tree of Israel, and has been lost‍ from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers‍ in a strange land.
 37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful‍ of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.

 

I love you all so much. Sorry this email is kind of crappy. I'll just come home and tell you all the good stuff next week, ok?!  Be happy and safe!

Love,

ELDER Porter