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)

New

I am being transferred!!  I'm released as a Zone Leader and going to Odessa to serve in the Spanish Branch there with Elder Heaps!  YAY!  I'm so excited.  I don't want to leave though, things just finally started to pick up!  Odessa will be fun though:)

 

This week we taught a depressed 13 year old kid.  His whole family hates him, basically, and that is why he's depressed.  His parents and g-parents are Less Active members, but they didn't talk to us at all, just him.  It was such a sweet lesson!  We just read Enos 1, the first few verses, he was pretty confused about what it meant so I just explained it in my own words and asked some questions and got him PUMPED about prayer.  He didn't really understand why prayer is important, but now he does!  He asked us what to pray for and we told him to pray to ask God to show him a special gift or talent that he has, then to open up the scriptures and read a page.  We promised him that if he did that every day for a week he would know for sure that he is a son of God and that he has a special, God-given gift.  It was a really fun lesson to teach/

 

We get referrals from time to time from some of the other missionaries in Hobbs, just people who don't speak English, but seem eager to learn.  The sisters sent us to some lady named Lorena.  When we went to contact her we couldn't find the house because of faulty directions, of course, but after a few calls we figured it out.  We went up and contacted this lady and it turns out that she is SUPER PREPARED!  She's just been searching her face off to find truth. At first she though we were JW and she still talked to us...you know it must be an honest search if they are willin to talk to JWs.  After all was said and done it turned out to be the WRONG HOUSE AND THE WRONG WOMAN!!  That is a testimony to me that God has a real perfect plan.  No coincidence.  She'll be baptized soon enough, no doubt.

 

Our branch president called us on Tuesday and asked us to prepare a talk for sunday.  It was just gonna be back up, in case the members didn't show up. That is Spanish culture for ya, members don't show up the day of a talk, it happens all the time.  So anyway, we didn't prepare one....  Come Sunday and the member WASN'T THERE!  We had 3 minutes while the youth speaker spoke to prepare.  We each gave 15 minute talks, with 3 minutes to prepare, IN SPANISH!  Man, it was a miracle.

 

We are teaching a Part Member family right now, well 3 families actually.  One of them is this life long member named Denisse and her husband.  They have been married for only like 2 years, but he has never shown interest.  Finally he agreed to meet with us.  The lesson was killer and then on sunday she basically sprinted up to us and told us that he had been reading and seemed real interested.  She is SO happy and SO excited.  Easily that is one of the most rewarding things I have done on my mission.  We've only taught him once, but already she has so much joy and hope!  We truly are workers of salvation!:) 

 

Anyway, I love y'all so much!  I hope this week goes real good and that y'all are happy:)

 

Love,

Elder Caleb Porter

Hindsight is 20/20

Wow!  It was really really good to see y'all and talk to you for a little bit yesterday!  Easily the fastest 45 minutes of my entire life.  I love you all so much!!!   In the excitement of things I forgot to write a rough draft for this email, so it's gonna be a short and messy one:)

 

On Monday we had big plans to go to the racquetball court and play a few hours of some good ball.  I got excited and remembered when me and my buddies got up at 5:30 every Tuesday before my surgery to play, that was good times.  There were no computers available in the computer lab and then the other Elders needed a haircut, so it didn't happen....maybe today. I got a hair cut as well, I cut it myself, as always. It looks real good, I imagine Adolf Hitler would be proud of it.  I don't know if you could tell via facetime, but I was reppin Nazi style:)

 

On Tuesday we went down to Carlsbad to move the east elders.  Their new apartment is AMAZING!  It has two stories, like ours, but is a lot bigger.  That isn't even the best part though.  They are RIGHT on the Pecos River.  Now, in Ft. Stockton the Pecos was just a dirt place, but that is not so in Carlsbad.  IT looked like Lake Powell.  Huge.  All I wanted to do was jump in!  It's a good think I don't live there. I guess it's truth when we're told that we wont be tempted above what we can handle, cause if I lived there I would swim so...   The move went real good though, it felt good to do physical labor.  Carlsbad is a beautiful place.  They even have 2 wards and a Spanish Branch!!

 

Wednesday was a surprise Zone Training.  I taught about the Power and Authority of the priesthood.  I used 22 scriptures and all 4 standard works.  It was so sweet!  I felt the Spirit guide my words and thoughts, no doubt.  I focused on how each of us, especially as missionaries, even the sisters, have so much divine potential with the Priesthood power we have access to.  We can do all the Savior did, as far as miracles, and even more. It just takes faith and diligence and a bunch of other stuff, I guess.  We had a really good discussion about it all and each companionship has commented about the excitement it gave them for the work.  Excitement is what I was hoping to instill, it's something that is so crucial in missionary work, yet it is something that it so hard to maintain!!  It went well though, got me pumped, that's for sure.

 

Thursday was Temple day and boy, was that amazing.  Go to the temple all the time, it's the best thing ever. 

 

Friday was normal and so was Saturday.  Then on Sunday I talked to y'all!

I don't really have much else to say for this week, sorry!  I love you all so much and I really was so happy to see you.  I cant believe how different things are in just a year!  It's exciting to think about what one more year will bring:) 

 

LOVE YOU!

 

P.S. Good work Ab!  Congrats:)  Redd is real neat.  I'm his favorite uncle.

 Elder England (I think)(Kinda Looks like the FBI.. Moms comment)

Elder Martin

Pecos River behind the Elders' house in Carlsbad

Wildeyed at training meeting

Darkies are Gay

I had to say that ^ in honor of the Kentucky Derby.  I didn't win:(  I picked Dance With Fate, who got third, so I'm told. I didn't get to watch it, which is probably a good thing.  But I had a member tell me the second the race was over.  I was so excited all day!!

 

Picture this:  You're a young Donny Osmond, 14 or so.  You walk out on stage, microphone in hand, and the ladies begin to SCREAM!  "We love you Donny!!!" You reach into your back pocket and grab a comb, brush through your hair a couple times and the ladies go even more wild.  Then the music starts, you take a big breath in and begin to sing.  "and they call it.....PUPPY CHOW"

 

That was the end of that visual.  Elder Martin made puppy chow this last week and that was all I could think of.  I know the real words are puppy love, but that isn't fun at all.  Elder Martin's puppy chow sucks compared to ours.  He uses half the amount of everything, except for Chex.  There aren't any goopy clumps and you don't even feel sick after eating a few.  Oh well, I'll take what I can get:)

 

Did you know Brian Urlacher grew up in Lovington NM?!  That is 20 minutes away from hobbs and we do a lot of work up there...pretty cool!

 

We had MLC again this past week and it was a lot better than last time.  We had some pretty sweet instruction, it was President's second to last time in MLC, so it was tender for him.  He taught about the Priesthood and Humility, it was killer, real strong spirit.  Then we learned how to find people using FAMILY HISTORY.  It is so fun!  So far it works pretty well too.  Everyone loves their family, so duh!!  Anyway, now I get to teach Zone Training again, second time this transfer, on Wednesday.  I am real excited.  I've been shining my shoes up real good recently too, so I'm always happy to show them off hahahah.

 

My watch broke, well the battery died, early on in the week.  I cherish the tan-line I have on my wrist though, so I didn't take it off.  I've just had a blank watch for a week and it is so frustrating sometimes hahaha.  I'll buy a battery today though:)

 

I got to go on exchanges with the Elder who trained Tom Whattcot.  The kid is real quiet, but a powerful teacher.  I enjoyed talking about all the funny things Tom does too.  At the end of the night we listed off all 151 original Pokémon. IT was hard, but a real fun night haha.

 

We taught a couple killer lessons this week too.  We found this guy named Carlos who calls us his homies, even during his prayers.  When we taught him the spirit was powerful and at the end of the lesson he gave us the last of his marijuana...he wants the gospel a lot more than he wants to be high!!  It was a cool experience. We even set a Bap Date!!  We had to pass him off to the other elders though, cause he doesn't speak Spanish. It's ok though, I am still really happy to have got to teach him that one time!  He'll do great. 

 

I finished El Libro De Mormon this week!!  It felt so good!!  Now I need to read it again and actually try to understand it all hahaha.

 

This next week is jam packed.  We are going down to move some Carlsbad Elders on Tuesday.  On Wednesday we have Zone Training.  Then on Thursdaywe get to go to the TEMPLE!! YAY!  THen to top it off I get to Skype home on SUNDAY!  Yippeee!!

 

Anyway,  I love you so much.  Keep doing good work and be happy!:)

 

Love,

Elder Porter

agsd

Lots of funny things happen to me all the time,  I forget most of the funny stories even before I get to my journal at night, but I want to share a few that happened this past week that have stuck with me.  So Elder Martin and I stopped to talk to this guy who was playing basketball with his 8 year old nephew, the guy was trashy and drunk, but the kid was loving it.  As the conversation began to unfold we found out that he hated Catholics, but he worships Saint Michael, and he believes in Greek Mythology...and he's furious that no movie ever shows the Old Testament guy, Samson, as black.  I decided to tune out and bounce the ball around with the little kid.  We were playing around an all of a sudden he came up to me and showed me that the throw I just did made it land in some goat heads and it popped the ball.... -_-.  I ruined his day.  I felt terrible and as soon as I got to the truck I grabbed 10 dollars and ran back and gave it to him, trying to make some kind of restitution hahaha. 

Second story:  We stopped to get some gas before heading out to Carlsbad and we see this guy pull up in the stall thing right next to us.  As he pulled up he was grinning real big and shaking his head as if to say "heck yeah!" at us.  When he stopped he jumped out of his car and he was wearing a suit.  He came up and gave us a high 5 and yelled "Suits for life man!  I thought I would be the only one in the world wearing a suit today.  I'm so happy I saw y'all."  hahahahahahha..  What a good guy.  We didn't have the hear to tell him that that's all we wear!

 

My studies this week have been out of this world.  It is easily my favorite part of the day!  I wish I could study for 18 hours a day, but I only get one:(  Once again...prison sounds pretty nice for that aspect only;)  I have been in love with the scriptures recently and learning all about everything.  I've been doing some pretty deep studies from ALL of the standard works, its a dream.  I have even dedicated all me extra time (lunch hour, dinner hour, 7-8 AM, and calls at night) to studying haha.  It's only like 2hrs extra in total, but still. I love it!!  I have defiantly erence in the spirit since I've been doing it.  READ YOUR SCRIPTURES!

 

We had Zone Training this past week and I had to instruct again.   We were assigned a topic to teach and it was really hard this time, about cutting out casualness.  Correcting and enforcing have been the hardest part about leadership for me, cause I just want to be everyone's friend.  I figured out a way to teach that made a lot of sense to me, about the difference between a friend and a brother.  I got to tell lots of stories about all my buddies, my "brothers".  It went pretty well and the spirit was pretty strong.  Afterwards one of the APs raged on some of the missionaries for joking around, it kinda ruined everything, but it's whatever!  It was still good to teach:)

 

Anyway, I love you all so much!!  Enjoy the Kentucky Derby this week!!!!!! 

Love,

Elder Porter

Luke 7:41-43

This week we had interviews with President Augustin again!  IT was real nice.  Strange, though, cause it was over 6 months between the last two interviews and now we've had one this transfer and last.  It was real good talking to President, I learn so much every time I come in contact with him.  This time I decided to ask him a question that has been destroying me for forever.  In Luke 7:41-43 the Savior gives a real short, but pretty neat parable.  I've always been confused by the answer Peter gave, so I decided to ask president to help me out!  He told me to study some more and then ask the new mission president in 2 transfers..-_-..gah!!  I studied it a little and I think I am beginning to understand it more.  So the scripture compares 2 men who owe a master money, one 500 and the other 50.  The master forgives them both and the Lord and Peter say that the guy who owed 500 loved the master more.  That always seemed wrong to me.  I applied it to the Atonement and I always kinda took the view of "well, just because I don't sin as much so I don't need to use the Atonement as much makes me not love the Lord as much?"  then I would think "maybe that is why good people have so many trials, they need to have the equal chance to love the Lord."  Neither answer is acceptable to me.  So this is what I have come up with:  Christ suffered for all of us and for everything, no matter what the price.  We don't need to suffer or sin, though, to take advantage of the Atonement.  We can apply it every day and in everything.  It's as if the master in the parable had told the servants they could take as much as they wanted to, but he would only give it to them 10 at a time.  The 50 guy decided he only wanted 50 and went to the master 5 times, to get the money.  Each time he went he got to know the master a little better, they became more acquainted, but it only happened 5 times.  The 500 guy too more advantage by taking the 500, he went to the master 50 times to receive the money.  He got to know the master a lot more and therefor he loved him more. 
I know none of that is doctrine, but it makes sense to me.  We all have the equal chance to take advantage of the Atonement, to apply it each and every day.  The more acquainted we become with the Lord, through his Atonement, the more we will love him.  It doesn't matter how much we sin or how many trial we have because it is an infinite and eternal Atonement.  All we have to do is apply it!!  That's my conclusion.  I'm excited to find out what president thinks about it and even more excited to see what President Heap has to say about it!!!

Elder Martin and I have been going hard in the morning with the exercise.  We wake up at 6:15 and end at 6:45, that way I have time to take a nap before studies start...I can not make it through all 3 hours of studies without that nap!  haha.  We did a whole lot of running and cardio crap, it is pretty fun working out hard again, it's been a long time!!  We went on Saturday morning (6:00) and played football with the other elders.  IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!  It felt so good to be on a football field early in the morning, it made me miss football a whole bunch.  It rained like crazy on us as we played, it was a dream and a half. 

Easter was sweet.  Really, it was my first time spending a majority of my day actually focused on the Savior and the Resurrection, it was pretty nice!  There was a special spirit at church, even though I couldn't understand it haha.   Elder Martin's mom sent us some eggs to hide from each other, we hid them in the morning and we didn't find the last ones until late at night hahah.  IT was a lot of fun.  A real good holiday. 

WE bought pinewood derby kits from Hobby Lobby and have been carving a car with pocket knifes....I'll let you know how that goes when the story unfolds a little more. 

 

I love you all so much and miss you a ton!  Be safe and smooth and whatever:)

 

Love,

Elder Porter

Transfer Week

Transfer week as a zone leader is a whole new world. Even though I got to stay I still had to deal with everybody else leaving and coming and making sure things went smoothly.  They did:)  On Tuesday night we had 5 other missionaries staying at our apartment waiting to leave on the bus the next day.  That was real fun getting to know them better, there are a lot of good people out here.  The best part about this transfer though is that we got TWO trainees in the Zone now and they are BOTH IN HOBBS!  I love to be around the new missionaries, it is so cool to see them grow and to help them out and stuff.  I remember my first zone leaders, they were the coolest/best missionaries in the world as far as I was concerned, so I hope I can be that for the new ones here!  One is being trained in the Hobbs English area, he and his trainer white washed in.  That's what they call it when both missionaries are replaced.  He's poly, so its a dream. 

Also with transfers it means a lot of driving, at least this time it did. We drove just under 800 miles last week!  A member never showed up to take some new Carlsbad Elders out there, so we had to make the unexpected trip.  It was all good though because I got to go to BLAKES LOTABURGER!  We also had to drive out to Dexter (a little baby town in the middle of nowhere) to clean out an apartment cause we just closed the area.  Then we had to drive to Artesia to do a baptismal interview.  Those trips plus various trips to Eunice, Lovington, and Seminole made for a lot of tome on the road!  The highlight of those trips is when Elder Martin locked the keys in the car in Artesia at 8:00 at night.  Thank heavens there was a member there who had some tools to help us out.  We were late that night haha.

 

I had some real real good food this week.  I was pumped I got to go to Blake's. It was my first time there and it just made me feel like I was visiting Sarah.  It was pretty good, but I have a few suggestions, Scott:  I was pretty disappointed that breakfast ends at 11:00.  What is this?!  I just wanted to eat a burrito so I could compare it to Betos.  The green chili was DELICIOUS, though.   Some of the best I've had.  A perfect blend of spicy and flavor.  It was pretty cheap too, so that was pretty nice. I guess just the breakfast thing.  Get on that?  Thanks:) hahah/ 

 

I also ate at a place called Gator J's.  Now that was good.  It's just a little bitty trailer by our church that closes every weekend to go to Louisiana.  We heard it had pretty good onion rings, so we went to try.  I got a sampler plate that had catfish, gator, shrimp, jalapeno cornbread, fries, and onion rings.  All things were cooked Cajun style and holy crap it was tasty.  I was so full.  I think the best part was the catfish probably, who woulda thought?!

 

The work is still progressing.  It's slower, but still going on.  I don't have any stories or anything like that to share for this week, but we'll see for next week:)

 

I love you all so so so much!! 

 

Elder Caleb Porter

ps watch this video.  Mormon.org/becauseofhim 

 

Will you put this on my facebook, abby?  Thanks