Snow

I would just like to start out by saying THANK YOU DAD!!!  I got a pakage this week from Dad, it was full of thermal underware and gloves...warm things like that.  I laughed to myself and though "Oh Dad...doesn't he know I'm serving in TEXAS and that I don't get cold??".  The next day was the coldest day of my life!  It was raining all day and there was heavy humidity, so it just hurt to be outside haha.  The next day was EVEN WORSE!  So Elder Greenman and I had to go to the store to buy some more warm things.  I got some sick boots for only $8 and a beany to keep my ears warm.  I have been wearing Dad's supplies every day since then haha.  So thank you so much!

 

Missionary work is pretty hard in the cold and dark.  No one goes outside and no one opens thier doors.  If they do open the door its just wide enough for them to say "I'm not interted thank you".  It makes for some long nights!!  We even started singing at people's doors to see if it would help at all...like Christmas Caroling but in November and with church hymns.  It was really really really funny and so awkward if the person did answer haha.  It make the night interesting, but I don't think I will ever use that method again!!  We just finally started having language study at 8 pm insead of in the morning, that way we could be home earlier.  Its been hard, but a lot of fun!!

 

It got so cold and icey on Saturday night that the Zone Leaders called us and told us to go back in.  They cancled Church in Odessa and Midland and we were told not to go out at all on Sunday (yesterday) due to unsafe conditions.  We got special permission to walk to church though, cause we were close and it wasn't cancled for us!  It's crazy how a little ice and snow can shut the entire town down for a little while in a place like Texas!  We were gonna be able to go and play some 'Turkey Bowl' on Thanksgiving, but I'm pretty sure all games will be cancled because its cold. Booooo!!  I was so excited.

 

Not a ton more things happened this week, We only taught a few lessons and not really anyone is progressing, so I don't have much more to report!  Sorry!  For Thanksgiving this Thursday we are going to a Less Active families house with an investigator as well.  It's gonna be straight spanish the entire night...so that is sick!  My Spanish is getting worse and worse because we never really get to use it.  I'm in Mosiah in my Spanish Book of Mormon though...so I'm PUMPED!!

 

Anywasy, sorry this wasn't longer...hopfully more next week.  I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!  Stay safe and warm and have a happy Thanksgiving:)

 

Thanks for the granola Mom, it was pure taste:)  And thank you again Dad! 

 

I love you very much!  I'll be talking to you in a month!!!  Yipppeee:)

 

Love,

Elder CHP

green smoothies

I drink a green smoothy every day...its the worst thing ever! Hahaha.

 

We had Zone Conference this week up in Midland (that is a "big" city connected to Odessa).  It's about 2 hours away from home, but its a nice drive.  I really really don't ever want to live in a biger city because driving is so stressful!!  No traffic is where I belong...no roads bigger thatn State Street would be nice:) haha.  President Augustin made a few changes to the way we work, mainly concerning Member Present Lessons.  We aren't even supposed to keep track of non-member present lessons now.  The whole point of this is to get more Members out and more investigators fellowshiped!  It doesn't work well in a town with only 5 active families hahaha.  Aidee (Adrian) came out with us a few times this last week, it was really cool to hear her teach and bear witness!!  That's what it is all about!  We still only get like 3 or 4 member lessons a week though haha.

 

I decided the best thing about my mission so far is just the chance to talk to people!  I love talking to random people on the street, it is literally a dream!!  Missionaries in big cities have problems deciding who they should talk to...that must be rough!  Here in the Texas Lubbock mission we talk to EVERY SINGLE PERSON WE SEE, if we aren't going somewhere or anything like that.  I meet cool people every day!  People's beliefs and their habbits facinate me and i LOVE to hear some of the stories they tell.  It ranges from prison stories to sports stories to gospel stories to miracles.  I LOVE IT.  Wet a lady who just got over Breast Cancer, she wrote a book called "I Survived the Attack of the Killer Boobie" hahaha.  She said to tell you to read it, well Mom only cause no one else has had breast cancer.  It looked really funny, I have no idea though cause I'm not allowed to read anything but scriptures!

 

I want to learn so bad!  I told you about how I want to go to prison last week...and now I still do!  Or just a place where I could go and not worry about anything, just learn, for like a month or two.  It's frustrating sometimes because as a missionary we are prohibited from learning anything but scripture and social science things, that is really really fun stuff to learn about, but I crave MORE!  Hahaha, I don't know what has gotten into me!  I even want to read books!  Hahaha.  I <3 learning.

 

I splurged today at WalMart and bought some Brats, some good ol' Johnsonville stadium Brats, just like at home.  I cooked them up for lunch on our neighbor's grill.  Man...they were SO GOOD!  I really missed the football season this year I guess!  They were the same brats, but they taste better when you make them, Dad.  It's ok, I'll be back in time for some good Saturday grillin in 2015 haha.  I also cut my hair today, all by myself.  It actually my second time doing it, I just forgot to tell y'all last time.  I buzzed it and it feels so nice.  Last time I cut a Euro (a missionary appropriate one) and it was a lot of work.

 

I was wondering if you could maybe nd me some granola, Mom? :)  Just next time you send a package or whatever, Elder Greenman has been trying to make some on his own and it is crap hahaha.  Also, where was the Rookie filmed?  I think I passed through the town on  the way to Midland! 

 

I love you!  AND.  I miss you!  Have such a good week:)

 

Love

Elder Caleb Hyrum Porter

Baptism

I was gonna start explaining about why I didn't write yesterday (because every American Holiday is on a Monday, something I have always complained about during school.  I HATE it now haha) but Dad was already aware that I would probably be delayed...so good on ya Dad!  We got to eat dinner at the Michies again yesterday (the Missionary Branch President and his wife).  They showed us how to cook some tasty Mexican food.  It was so good and so spicy....today I am suffering from serious indigestion and heart burn hahahaha.  I'm still a Utah boy inside. Outside though?  I'm already used to Texas!  Its been like 50 degrees and night and I almost die because I shiver so much I forget to breathe.  HAHA!  I'm sure it hasn't been that hot in Utah for a couple of weeks!  I'm just a tenderfoot, that's all.

 

The baptism went well!!!  Things went just as planned.  :):)  Elder Greenman baptised her on Saturday and I was able to Confirm her on Sunday!  We invited everyone we teach and that we talked to to the service because its a super spiritual experience and people who attend a baptismal service are much more likely to have one of their own.  Not a single person showed up (other that a few branch members) but MAN...it blew my mind how strong I felt the spirit!  After I confirmed heron Sunday she bore her testimony to the Branch.  It was unreal.  She told us about how she had been praying for guidance in her life, she was going through a lot of hard times and wanted help for her and her 4 kids.  The next day we showed up at her door...  The Gospel appeals to honest seekers of truth, those are the ones who will listen and progress.  After she finished talking about that stuff she thanked me and Elder Greenman, I really wasn't expecting that.  She was so sincere and loving and SO SO grateful for what we had done for her.  It kinda set me back.  I realized how truly amazing this Gospel is...It literally changed Adrian's life...and I brought it to her.  Wow.  Missionary work really is SO important.  There are so many people out there who are honest seekers, just wanting some Peace and love in their life!!  It truly is SUCH an honor to be trusted by our Heavenly Father to find and teach those people as a full time job!!!  It blows my mind apart!!!  Haha.  Anyway, needless to say we are working a little bit harder since that little reminder.

 

I want to go to prison.  For real.  For like a month or something.  Lots of people we talk to are ex-convicts and prison sounds like A DREAM!  1.  You get to learn about and attend ANY religion you want.  2.  You can learn about SO MANY different jobs and learn the skills for that.  3.  You can get JACKED.  4.  You get to meet so many cool people with cool stories.  5.  The only thing you have to worry about is getting shanked.  That isn't even bad!  100% of your time is focused on LEARNING.  That would be so cool...  I have such a desire to learn about everything, now that I no longer have access to books or Internet to do so.  Learn something new today..Okay?  For me.  Hahaha.

 

That is about it for this week for me!  Mom, you better be doing ok.  I've been praying for you and will continue to do so!!  I hope they can find the source of the pain and can get rid of it quick!!!  I love you all a whole lot.  Stay warm and Safe!  Love you lots:)

 

Elder Porter

The Temple Was a Dream

The Temple was a dream. It blows my mind how much more I understand and how much more I realize I don't understand...I'm pumped to go again sometime next year and then all the time in 2. The drive to Lubbock though? Worthless. It was like 5 hours cause we had to drive throught McCamey to pick up the other Elders in the district. I drive, I don't know if I told you that. Elder Greenman isn't allowed to cause he toatalled a car early on in his mission. We have a 2010 Malibu...easily the worst car ever invented. I want to die every time I sit down in it because it isn't even close to the quality I'm used to driving. Old Toyotas for life. The road was straight for the entire time, I only had to turn 5 times total. So I think I probably could have slept the whole time and we would have been fine. Way fun trip though. There are a lot of Jehova's Witnesses here. At least it seams like it to us. A lot of people we talk to say they already study with the Kingdom Hall people (JWs) and that they don't feel right talking to us...haha whatever. We end up trying to talk to a lot of the JWs too, they always try to tell us how wrong we are. There is a pretty solid steriotype to tell if someone is a JW...if its a middle aged, clean, bald man he's probably one OR if its an old Mexican lady. On Friday morning someone knocked on our door, when I opened it it was 2 old mexican ladies. They looked at each other and laughed a little. She said "hablan espanol?" as the other one started to walk away, thinking they got out of talking to us. Imagin their suprise when I replyed that I am learning spanish and am a missionary myself...they looked so upset and just walked away. Golden. I love it when that happens. No one thinks we can speak, so to get away from us they talk to us in spanish...in the end we usually know more spanish than they do hahaha. A lot of the members have been feeding us recently. No complaints at all. I've gotten some UNREAL Mexican food from a couple of the Less Actives. Mom....I even ate green peppers and LOVED them. You just have to fry them with meat and some kind of tasty bean recipie. We have a fridge full of taste right now, so shopping today I just bought crap. Like Chocolate Milk...something my buddies out side of the USA cant do! Suckers. Its all about WalMart pride. Adrian, that lady I told you about a few weeks ago, is getting baptized on Saturday!! We are all really excited cause it will be the first baptism Fort Stockton has seen in over 3 years haha. Adrian is the definition of Golden Investigator. She was so unbelievabley prepared. When we taught her about the Law of Chastity she just started to bawl because she had decided to do all those things a week before we taught it, just because it felt right. And when we taught Word of Wisdom she told us the only think she had ever done against that was drink tea...but she stopped that almost a year ago because she didn't feel like it was healthy for her body. The third time we taught her she was already in Mosiah. Seriously just a dream. It has been really good to teach her. Its kinda nice to have a little output for all our input! I'm loving missionary life...obviously. Its not like anything has changed. I love and miss you all so much! Go be a missionary somewhere because it is a dream. :) Be safe. Be well. I love y'all! (I really do say y'all all the time now, its so efficient!) LOVE ELDER PORTAL (that is what some of the mexicans call me hahah)

Temple. It looks just like my tie!

Typical Texas...

Halloween

Thank you so much for the mini bible and case, it is exactly what I needed! I don't like to put a ton of things in my back pack because my back always hurts by the end of the day, the mini's have made a huge difference already though!:) I use giant scriptures when I study, the real big print, to help my focus I guess hahah. One thing about Texas is that everyone knows their Bible! Its a little frustrating at times, but I am pumped about it too. I have had to learn a lot of Bible Scriptures and stories...way more than someone serving outside of the Bible-belt. I'm pleased with it! Fort Stockton changed Halloween to October 26 to "keep the children safe" I don't even know why changing the date would do anything. We had to stay inside after 6 though, so we didn't bug anyone too much I guess. At 6 pm we heard a real loud siren (I really have no Idea how to spell that) and another one at 9. We are pretty sure they were the signs for tricker treaters to know when to start and stop. We didn't see any trick or treaters though, they avoid our part of town because its dark, dirty, and dangerous at night hahah. Whatever though, we were prepared to give them pass-along cards! While we were inside I found a way sweet book that had a bunch of codes in it so now I'm re learning Morse Code! I bet you didn't know I learned it once...tehe. I have recently been studying about Caleb, in the Bible. He is so SICK! I really really love my name, so thanks mom and dad:) He had so much faith in what he could do with the Lord's help. In Numbers 13:30 he just power house's the people and says "We can overcome it" and then in 14:24 (the one Ben wrote on my tie) he just gets rewarded. I LOVE that kind of faith. Abby told me that Caleb means something about courage in hard times, or something like that. Its so cake to have courage when you know that Heavenly Father is on your side! Everything is easy. This week we met a sick black guy named Caleb. I asked if he knew about Caleb in the Bible, he didn't. As I told him I felt prompted to promise him a similar promise as in 14:24...that if he had faith, if he could get the different spirit and keep it with him (through talking to us and coming to church) he'd be able to overcome whatever trials he had at that time. It was a pretty powerful moment! He wants to meet with us and come to church, but he's under house arrest for the next month...hahahhaha. We keep in daily contact though, so we will see how that goes! WE GET TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!! None of the missionaries have ever been able to go to the temple before, there are just too many of us. But it is finally happening! Our district gets to head up to Lubbock on Wednesday night to go to the 6:00 PM session. I am so pumoed, I LOVE THE TEMPLE! I went at least once a week all summer long, but its been about 9 weeks since I've been last so I'm pumped. I can finally show off my tie!! That night we are gonna sleep in President Augustin's house and come back Thursday morning...I am so happy:) This week was Homecoming at the high school. No one would meet with us on Thursday night because there was a parade. So we went to the parade! It was HUGE! Every single person in the town was there. A real mad house. I loved it though. AND we talked to like 40 new people and set up 20 lessons. So it was a VERY fruitful night. Right after the parade they had a bon fire. I stack of pallets like 40 feet high covered in gassoline. It was a DREAM! I love fire haha. Anyway. I love all y'all so much and miss ya lots! I love to show off our giant family picture and I talk about y'all all the time! Be safe trick or treating. Have fun at school or work. That was the sickest costume ever Joe and Andy...unreal. Haha. I love you!!! Elder Cae

Chivitos

That is a pretty solid subject line.  It means little goats.  One of the less actives we have been meeting with a lot is a mexican farmer and his chivo had 3 babies on Thursday.  He called us and was super pumped about it, so of course that night we had to go look at them!  He named them Jorgina, Alexandria, and Nathan...Nathan is a white goat so he named it a white name haha.  Just a funny story from this week!

 

Every week before I write y'all I make an out line, so I can utilize my time effectivley.  I really had no idea what to say at first!  I thought of some stuff later on but it didn't make the outline.  So sorry if this is a little unorganized!!  I hope all is well at home, I'm sure they are.  Hannah is moving..boo.  I have a couple friends serving in North Carolina so invite the missionaries over and feed them :).  Dad, you said in your email that you try to have 30 lessons a week (as in your missionaries)?!?!  That would be a dream.  We have like 8 a week some weeks haha, goood stuff!  I guess member missionary work really does help things out!  We wouldn't know out here since we only have 1 member who will ever help us out with anything hahah.

 

The work is going well though, I'm still loving every second of it!  We are teaching a lady named Jennifer, she is a full blown Jehovah's Witness, the first one who didn't tell us we were just digging our own way down to Hell haha.  She knows so so so much about the Bible, but is surprisingly willing to learn about the BOM!  We teach her twice a week and she comes to church, but her mom is getting furious about it.  I guess that is what you get when you still live at home at 33.  We met a budding family this week and began teaching.  Brent and Adrian with their 4 kids.  The lesson we had went so so well, the Spirit was just bearing pure witness all day long.  This is what she texted us that night "Oh my gosh guys, that book you gave me is so AWESOME!  I have been reading it all day.  I also looked up some history about the Mormons, they went through some really hard stuff.  I started to pray and ask God how anyone could go through so much trouble and I knew the answer before I finished asking...its TRUE!"  So like....that is a pretty unheard of experience. 

 We spend a lot of time at this one Apartment, it is absolutely trash.  Everyone who lives there is in an out of jail or has CPS called on them every other day, but there is also a lot of humility, so we teach quite a bit there.  Every time I walk up to them I get stormed by little kids.  There are like 20 kids from 2-7 who just attack me because I always give them pass-along cards.  I really love it!  Haha.  Makes me miss y'all though.

 

When transfers come we have to stay up and wait for the AP's to call us and let us know.  The calls came at 12:48 on Saturday night..booo.  Elder Greenman and myself are staying here in FT. ST. but Elder Moyer got transferred to a little baby town called Mccamey. He's gonna be living in a trailer!!   I think that would be a dream.  This transfer went pretty well, I'll send mom a letter that has all my progress recorded.  I FINISHED 1 NEPHI IN SPANISH! hahaha.  It took me an entire transfer.  At this rate I'll be done in May so...that is pretty sweet!

 

Anyway, I better head.  I love you all A LOT.  And I miss you all a lot too.  For real.  But I'm surviving, hope you are too:)  LOVE YOU!

 

The Church Guy

 

P.S.  Mom...I have some requests:)  If you can find my mini scripture case (the brown one) and my mini bible (KJV)  I would really REALLY appreciate it if you could send me that.  Also I would love a picture of my back x-rays (since its almost been a year!).  I love love love you so much.

P-day adventures.

The usual.

It was freezing this week.

 

Love ya!

Columbus Day Made me Late!

Sorry I couldn't email you yesterday.  The Library was closed for Columbus Day! #americanmissionaryprobs.

It was my birthday!  I had such a great day, easily one of my favorite birthdays ever!  Thank you all so so much for the letters or emails!  It really made my whole week special since they were all coming at different times!:)  And Ab...that Pirate Telescope is a dream.  I read scriptures from across the room now!  I started off the day down in Alpine (I'll tell you more about that) and taught some sweet lessons with Elder Carlile, another Elder in the District.  We biked 7 miles in the heat to get to one of the lessons, it was so sick.  Then we (Elder Moyer and Greenman and I) headed back up to FT. St.  We had a lesson with a Less Active family, the Hernandez family.  They have 3 little kids who are SO cool and I just love talking to them!  After we had a short lesson about the Temple they turned off all the lights and brought out a big ol cake for me.  It was such a suprise haha.  It is a Mexican tradition to smash the person's face into the cake on their birthday.  Even though I am a missionary they didn't want to bread tradition...:)  Yesterday we went to the Michie's house.  They are Senior Missionaries here, acting as Branch President.  They cooked us Lobster and some other pretty ellegant stuff and then we played games!  It felt just like home with the family, except more quiet haha.  So all and all...it was an AMAZING birthweek!  AND I"M 19!  WOW.

We had "exchanges"  this week.  So I went up and spent a day with Elder Carlile in Alpine and his two companions took my place in Fort Stockton.  Alpine is actually kinda pretty!  It reminds me of that tiny town Grampa Zeigler lives in haha.  It has mountains and stuff, but they still are dry and ugly looking, and it is a tiny town as well!  There is a Texas State College out there, Sul Ross, the students there make up most of the population.  It was actually a really really nice looking college as well.  We spent most of our time out there knocking on people's doors!  We dont do that much in FT. St because every house has been knocked a million times.  I had a great time!  I think it is so fun to just talk to random people and maybe even getting to speak some Spanish!:)

This week, as far as numbers go, was the worst week EVER!  Haha.  We were working so so hard all week but we only taught 1 lesson, 0 member presents, and 2 less actives visited.  It was pretty bad and we were confused casue we were working like warhourses!  It all pays off though!  On Sunday we had 6 investigators at church and 2 less actives.  It was a dream.  And then that night we met a girl who accepted a challenge for baptism.  HARD WORK PAYS OFF!  I think that is easily something I have learned a lot of out here.  The Lord blesses us for our work.  It is found all over in the scriptures (I have been studying it a lot).  Whenever a new group breakes out in the BOM, like when Nephi seperates from his brothers after they get out here, the first thing they do is become "industrious".  I think it is pretty cool that so many blessings come just from working hard.

I love love love it out here still!  MY first transfer ends on Saturday and that is when we will see if anything is gonna change.  Since I'm still being trained I doubt anything will, but after the NEXT transfer (6 weeks)  it might! Thank you all so so much again for the birthday stuff and for just being my family!  I think about ya'll so much and I miss you a ton.  So I guess thanks for just being there.  You make me happy:)

I love you so much and will talk to you in ~6~ days:)

Love,

ELDER CALEB HYRUM PORTER

family pictures *(Sarah's gift for me was moustaches)

Cake face

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

Love you mom!