Ngek

Hey Family!

I have no idea where to even start because I don't even know what has happened in the last week.

One minute I was saying goodbye to Sister Sia (so hard!) and the next I was on a jeepney with Sister Cestona and all our luggage headed to Malolos and ever since I got off the jeepney has been a complete and total blur haha I have never been so mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually EXHAUSTED but I love it!

So I am now in Malolos, Bulacan. This area is SO difference from my last two. It actually reminds me a lot of Logan. It is what they call province or country. There is fresh air!! So much green and life is just quieter but you can also easily get to city just like downtown Logan. The Tagalog is blowing my mind here. It is SO deep! Which just means they are speaking pure Tagalog without all the Taglish mixed in. There are also a lot of words you can say in Tagalog a lot of ways some of them are deeper and older Tagalog and that is what they are using here haha I LOVE it!

My new companion Sister Ayub is fantastic! We have already had so much fun with each other and I can't wait to spend the next 6 weeks with her. Like I told you before she is from Pakistan and we are actually batch, meaning we entered the mission the same transfer, which is super fun. At this point Sister Ayub knows broken English and little to no Tagalog. That hasn't already made for a lot of adventures haha and lots of patience from both of us. I have been so impressed with her these last few days and her improvement in the language. She wants to learn it so bad and has finally started to speak as much as she can in the lessons and studying diligently. I am so impressed with her and excited to see her just continue to get better. One struggle with her not being able to understand much of what is going on around her is that she doesn't remember who anyone they have been teaching here are and where they live...so as of now we are basically on open area mode and just going from one adventure to another. I feel so blessed that we have been assigned to the Malolos 1st Ward. They have been incredible in working with us and have completely inspired me to be a better missionary. I have never seen such and organized and excited ward to help the missionary work progress. As of now our teaching pool is literally at zero so we just keep telling each other we can only go up from here! As we have fasted and prayed together we have already begun to see miracles and can't wait to see more of what the Lord has in-store for this area. 

These last few days have had been praying and relying on my Heavenly Father more than at any point in my life. I am just so humbled to see how He prepares us perfectly for the tasks He will ask of us and I am just so grateful for the comfort and answers that come through seeking Him. I am amazed by the miracles that come as we rely on our Savior when we don't have the strength, patience or love necessary for the task. I know this work is HIS work and I am just so grateful to be a part of it here in Malolos!

I love you all so much!!

Love always,

Sister Porter

Filipino Fun Fact:

Most people have the babies sleep in little homemade hammocks. I think it is seriously the coolest thing. Some of them are made out of woven rope but a lot or just made out of sheets they tie to the windows or whatever else works inside the house. I attached a picture of the cutest baby in one at Sister Laude (a less-active women or returned to church) house.

Baby Helaman (they are members haha) in the hammock.

Ninoy's Baptism

 Sister Sia and I :)

Our Christmas fireplace...missionary in the Philippines style.

Reading the Christmas Story together on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning. Sister Sia surprised me with matching shirts!

YSA of Malanday Ward!!

Sister Sia and I sneaking a picture when no one was around.

Cooking our Christmas Ham hahahahah

Matching shirts!

Manigong bagong taon!

Happy New Year!!

I hope you all had a great New Year's Eve. Mine was insane. There is no possible way to describe New Year's Eve in the Philippines. They love it! The one word I would use to describe it is LOUD. We went out to teach a few lessons in the early afternoon because we had an early curfew for safety. The streets were filled with stands selling any kind of firework you can imagine, homemade and not, as well as every kind of noisemaker, also homemade and not. You could already hear fireworks going off and music blasting EVERYWHERE-- Filipinos love their karaoke. By about 4:00 pm the noise level went up a notch and the fireworks started even more. We went to Bishop Dela Cruz's for our last dinner before transfers and then rushed home before curfew. By about 6:00 pm the noise level was intense and in America the police would have been called hours earlier. We cleaned the apartment, started packing for transfers and then I set-up the Porter family traditional fishpond for the other sisters. I gave them stickers, stamps, letters, candy, noisemakers, etc. Then they surprised me and said they had some for me ha then Sister Sia just started sending a bunch of Sister Jenkins things for the sheet ha and I could hear Sister Jenkins complaining in the backgroud haha so fun. Sister Domagas did give me a bamboo bank which I am super excited about! Then we all got ready for bed and had another sleep-over with Sister Jenkins telling us stories. Then came 11:30 pm and World War III began outside our wind. There was SO MUCH NOISE. I can honestly say I know what it feels like to survive a bomb raid haha the sky was flashing and there was every kind of firework you can image going off. It was so much fun and definitely a night I will never forget.

To rewind a little bit, this past week Sister Sia and I saw so many answers to prayers in our area. We found the Turla family, former investigators, that are so prepared. I already love them so much and I am so excited for the happiness the gospel will bring them. Brother Dionisho and his son came to church again without his wife because she was sick. I am so excited for that family as well. We talk Brother Ninoy about baptism for the dead and temples. He is excited to prepare to go! He told us again that this is the truth he has been looking for. Brother and Sister Pernia came to church again. We aren't sure what will happen with Brother or if we will make it to baptism in the near future but Sister is attending church regularly and so involved in all the activities. We are excited for her! I have been so grateful for this area. I struggled a bit in the beginning to love it and adjust to the change of leaving my first area but I have absolutely fell in love with it. I have seen the miracles that can come as we patiently wait AND work for the Lord's timing. I am so grateful for all I have learned here and will never forget the Malanday ward. I am also so unbelievably grateful for Sister Sia and the opportunity I had to train her. I feel like I learned FAR more from her and the Lord as a trainer than I taught. I love her so much. I feel like I gained another little sister. 

So, to begin 2014 I will be transfering to Malolos. I am so excited and of course sad to say goodbye to this area. My new companion will be Sister Ayub. She is from Pakistan-- I have mentioned her in emails before. I am so excited to work with her and love this sister so much already but I won't lie I am pretty nervous. She still struggles with both English and Tagalog and has faced some difficult challenges in the last few transfers. I am grateful for all I have to learn from her and the opportunity we have to grow together.

I am so grateful for the experiences and opportunities our Heavenly Father gives us in this life to change and grow. I am constantly being reminded of my weakness but also given courage to overcome them through my strengths. I am grateful for my Savior who makes all things possible and the hope we each receive through Him. I can wait to continue to grow and change in this next year and see what the Lord has in store!

I hope you all and hope you are all happy, healthy and safe!

Love always,

Sister Porter

Skype Call

Pasko Na

Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat!!

Where to even start...these have been two of my very favorite weeks of my mission. Christmas as a missionary is one of my very favorite things! There is nothing like it and it will always be a December I will never forget.

First of all, on Saturday we got the greatest Christmas gift of all when we saw Ninoy Sulla baptized. It was an amazing day, one he has been waiting for for so long and he was beaming the whole time. His twin brother Toni who is a recent convert and the one who referred us to him was his baptizer and got to exercise his priesthood for the first time. Everything was just so special. We asked Ninoy on Sunday how he felt and all he could say was, "Masaya!" or "Happy!" and he just said it over and over again. We are so excited for him and all he will add to the ward and the difference this will make in his life.

For the past 12 weeks Sister Sia and I have been praying to find a family to teach and it just hasn't seemed to happen but this week we found them...the Dionisho family. They are former investigators that we have taught on and off but they have just never been able to make any changes or really progress. Then this past week Sister Sia and I both felt that it was time to visit them again so we did and this time was different... they are ready! We invited them again to church, texted them Saturday night and they came!! There is nothing like seeing the people you have been waiting, hoping and praying for walk through the chapel doors. We are so excited for them and all the progress they are now making towards baptism. On a funny note, their little kids always run around yelling, "Mormons!" when we come and they happened to see us in the chapel and began doing that during the Sacrament. If that doesn't make everyone aware that they are investigators I don't know what else would :)

Yesterday for Christmas Eve us four kabahay or roommates had a whole celebration. Our Bishop gave us take-out with a Christmas ham and everything...have I told you yet how amazing he is? So we set up our whole feast and then after that played some Christmas games (including the cereal one Mom-they loved it!) and then opened presents that different members had given us. We read the first Christmas story from Luke, had a sleep over in the other sister's room and fell asleep to Sister Jenkins telling us stories. Then I woke up early on Christmas morning (today) and put the little things you had sent Mom in some socks we had taped up then went back up to bed. We woke up said our prayers and they came down and saw their stockings (ankle socks) and were so excited. We opened those and then had our Secret Santa gift exchange with each other. We relaxed and just enjoyed Christmas. It was perfect! Seriously. I love being a missionary at Christmas.

This past week we had Christmas Conference and it was honestly amazing. I loved every minute of it. By far my favorite part was when they surprised us and said we would be watching a movie and guess what it was...Ephriam's Rescue. I freaked out. For those of you who don't know it is about my great great great grandpa and so as his ancestors my family got to be involved in some of the filming. I totally saw you Dad like 4 times and Grandpa your hands and beard DEFINITELY made an appearance. I loved every minute of it and have pondered quite about about it since. There is so much I loved from it but I think my very favorite thing was when Ephriam was asked to participate in the rescue and he replied, "I am ready now." That phrase had a special impact on me because being ready always to the Lord's call has been something I have been trying to focus on in my mission. 1 Peter 3:15 which reads, "...be ready always..." has become I guess a motto for me. When I feel overwhelmed by approaching the person in the jeepney or apprehensive about a lesson I think about that and am always filled with the courage to act. I am so grateful for the reason for this season. The knowledge that we have our Savior who lived and died for each of us, who set the perfect example of submitting to the Father's will in all things and ready in every way to run his Father's errands. I hope to serve my Father in such a way that he can trust me to "be ready always" as the calls comes. 

I love you all so much!! Merry Christmas!!

Love always,

Sister Porter

Filipino Fun Fact:

Here in the Philippines, December 24th is actually the big day, when all the celebrating happens. They prepare mounds and mounds of food. All the families come together drink haha, sing karaoke and just plain celebrate. Then at midnight they open all their gifts. People do sort of believe in Santa here but not a whole lot especially because there really isn't a lot of money for gifts to be given. Yesterday the one lesson we were able to teach because so many were busy was in a dark little shack with no electricity. We taught a less-active sister named, Delilah. She told us that she had told her children how lucky they were that they just had time to relax on Christmas and think about the reason for the holiday instead of being busy with all the cooking and presents because they don't have enough money. She is such a humble women! I really do love Christmas in the Philippines!

Maging sunurin palagi!

Kumusta na kayong lahat?

What a week. Sister Sia and I loved this week. With training we have been working on having the courage to extend baptismal dates to our investigators in the first lesson. Kind of scary but ALWAYS worth it. So that was our goal this week, only problem is you need investigators first. So we have been praying like crazy to know how to help this ward and area progress and also to find new investigators. Do you remember Sister Alonde that I told you about last week who introduced us to all of her friends? Well she is amazing and I will NEVER forget her example of member missionary work. We were able to go back and teach more of her friends and neighbors and gave ALL of them baptism dates which they accepted and were also able to contact and extend baptismal dates to some former investigators and referrals we contacted. The first appointment we went to knowing we were going to try and extend a baptismal date I told Sister Sia she was going to do it. Haha she was so mad and really didn't want to but I told I wouldn't be helping her in anyway if I just did it for her. We did a lot of practice teaching so she was totally prepared and headed to the lesson--- she was silent the whole way there :) But when we got to the lesson it went perfecting and she extending the baptimal date which they accepted and she walked away with a huge smile on her face haha I love that sister. We'll see how the investigators progress we still have only taught them one or two lessons but we are excited to see progress in the area.  

Brother Ninoy is doing so great and is so excited for his baptism in two weeks. I can't wait for him!!  Speaking of answered prayers. Bishop got up on Sunday and just started announced newly called ward missionaries, about 9 of them. We are so excited to work with them! They are so many who either have calls or are now working on the paper work. Malanday Ward will exploding with youth and young single adults ready to serve. I am so excited for them!

This past week I have been thinking quite a bit about agency and obedience. As I said before it is one of my very favorite things to study and teach. I read a talk by Elder Christofferson where he said, "It is exciting to realize that we can expound our freedom by perfecting our obedience." It's so true! I have seen it so many times in the people we teach. When they are prepared and willing to exercise the great gift that our Father has given us of agency correctly miracles occur and we are set free. I am so grateful for a mission that is teaching me and allowing me to experience the joy of self-mastery through obedience in all things. I am so grateful for the Savior whose perfect example and sacrifice set us all free.

I love you all so much. Mahal na mahal ko kayong lahat at ingat kayo palagi!

Love always,

Sister Porter

Filipino Fun Fact:

Contrary to popular belief this country does not make you loss weight- SO MUCH RICE...I got of the first scale I've seen since coming to the Philippines at Bishop's house this week...I've gained 20 pounds...this is not a joke. Good thing I've still got 9 months before I come home...good news is I've been told I wear it well hahahaha.

Here is the actually cultural fact connected to this. Sister Sia will not eat unless I am eating so even if she is super duper hungry so will not eat so I eat ALL the time so that she will eat her food. This isn't the way all Filipinos are but I've talked to other Filipinos for Bacalod (where she is from) and they said they are the same way. She also thinks it is hilarious to the tell members that I am losing weight here so they pile more and more and more food on my plate...just so you know there is no one on earth that can say no when a Filipino nanay or mom tells you to eat. Good thing the food is almost always delicious!

Nasa 'yo na ang lahat

I hope you are all having amazing holidays! I miss you all :)

I am just going to start right with the highlight of our week...we finished teaching the lessons with Ninoy yesterday, reviewed the baptismal questions and helped him bear his first testimony. Such a special experience. Then he headed to the baptismal interview and he passed. He is so excited and has been waiting so long. We are so excited for him! This Saturday he will be baptized by his twin brother, Toni, the one who introduced us to him. Teaching Ninoy and seeing the joy he has found makes it all worth it. The trials and challenges, hard days and dissapoitments, all of it is worth it for the people you do find who are ready. As he bore his testimony for the first time he started strong by telling us all he had learned and knew to be true. Then he suddenly covered his face and said he didn't want to cry. He left his face covered and told us how grateful he was for his brothers example and for helping him find the church. He told us that this is what he had hoped for as a kid was a group of people that would help him find the truth and this is it. I am just so happy for him! He is definitely what you call a golden investigator. I have learned for him what it means to have a desire to learn. He studies and searches the assignments  we give him and the ones we don't. He writes down questions and does everything that is asked of him.

We also had a less-active sister return to activity this week. She hasn't been less-active for very long she just kind of lost sight of things for awhile. I've told you about her before. Her name is Sister Laude and I love her so much! I will never forget the Sunday I saw her walk into sacrament meeting and see has been there religiously ever since even though she has to walk and then ride a tricycle and jeepney all while hauling her two young and totally wild grandkids. Last week we were sitting in our district meeting and I saw her out the window. I went outside to see if she was okay and she said she was here to renew her temple recommend. I just broke in the biggest smile and sqeezed her. We had never talked to her about her temple recommend but it was amazing to me that as she started obeying on commandment everything just followed. This past week she was able to go to the temple again. Something she hadn't done for a year. We are so excited for her. The one downer is she wasn't at church on Sunday...

I love this work, especially at Christmas time. It has been so weird. It really doesn't feel like Christmas for me, its just so different. Different country, no family, etc. But I have been able to come closer to the Savior. I have tried to focus all of my study on the Savior and do all I can to make it special since I will only have one Christmas as a missionary. I decided to try and think about what I can give Him as a gift this Christmas. I have been thinking of so many different things I could do and work on for Him but last night, at the Christmas Devotional rebroadcast, I was stuck by what President Monson said. He asked the very question I had been pondering, "What can we give Him?" He answered by saying our hearts, giving Him a tender and loving heart. I want to do all I can to better seal my heart for His courts on high this Christmas as His missionary. I know that He lives and we can find no greater source real and lasting joy.

I love you all!!

Love always,

Sister Porter

Filipino Fun Fact:

First of all I would like to say these fun facts are now Filipina approved. I don't know how because I haven't told anyone my first name but some of the girls from our English Class searched me online and found the blog Brenna posts these on. One of them came up to me after class and said that she agreed with all my facts haha. [Salamat sa approval nyo, Joyce at Analyn, kung binabasa nyo ito.]

I think I might have already shared this but people no matter what mode of transportation someone has the make use of every free space. In the jeepneys no matter how full they are the drivers will yell out, "Isa pa!" or "One more!" Someone else will get in and when they see about and inch between you and the person next to you they will just turn around and start backing into the seat so you have to choice but to try and make room haha they basically end up sitting on your lap. Same rule applies to motorcycles, tricycles and anything with wheels. Last night I saw a family drive past me on their motorcycle including-- Mom, Dad, Big Brother, Toddler and Baby (in Mom's arms). I also see people go past on their bicycles with someone sitting on the handlebars (like we used to do on Randi's bike as kids) or on the cross bar but the kicker is the it is usually done with two men...haha so weird but I love it.

Traffic Palagi

Hey Fam!

First week of a new transfer. I feel like I just said that. Sister Sia and I are loving life just as much as ever including the blazing heat in the middle of November :) Speaking of November...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Let me say that Thanksgiving is actually surprisingly difficult to explain to someone who hasn't ever experienced it and has no idea why we do it, or what pilgrims and Indians are haha. This past week our Bishop fed us turkey in honor of us Americans. That is a once in a lifetime opportunity in the Philippines. That was the first time for Sister Sia and Sister Domagas eating turkey in their whole lives :)

This week our life has been sitting in traffic. Not really but the main road to get to our area is under-construction, like it ALWAYS is (its as bad as Utah County), so we get to spend a lot of time in jeepneys talking to people and being stressed about being late to our appointments ha. Speaking of the traffic...the other day we were walking near a traffic filled intersection, meaning there were a bunch of jeepneys jammed together FULL of people, and I being a tall white person am already constantly stared at but to make matters worse I then proceeded to unintentionally step in a puddle of muddle which I then slipped in and sprayed ALL over myself. I called out to Sister Sia who turned around and looked at me like I was truly insane. I then looked around and could see people inside ALL of the jeepneys laughing and pointing at me...great haha. The worst part was that I had no way to even attempt to get it off so we decided to just get to our next appointment and ask if I could just wash myself off there. Needless to say I got even more weird looks along the way.

Our best news this week is that Brother Ninoy's family is safe! We are so happy for him and know that that was an answer to lots of prayers. We also had a great lesson with him on Sunday and can't wait for his baptism on Dec 14. He is so ready! He will be fasting this Sunday for the first time to get ready for his baptism :)

On Saturday we also had a really neat experience with our ward. We had the chance to coordinate a Mini MTC fireside with our Ward Mission Leader because there are so many prospective elders in our ward. It was a really neat night and we got the elders in our zone involved too. We taught basic teaching skills and had practice teaching with them split up into companionships. They will hopefully now be more prepared for their missions and are going to be helping us reteach the recent converts in our area. 

Bad news was that Brother Pernia and his family didn't come to church, including Shina who was supposed to speak in the Young Women presentation. I love that family so much and just know how much happiness the gospel could bring to the. Free agency is frustrating sometimes.

This week I have learned a lot about "being of good cheer" and taking courage. I love that we know assuredly that we are on the winning team and no matter the obstacles we face all is possible through faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. We have the perspective of eternity and know how the story ends. As members of the church and representives of Jesus Christ we can be filled with the hope that comes through knowledge of the truth. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this work.

I love you all!! Happy Thanksgiving! I am so grateful for you all.

Love always,

Sister Porter

Filipino Fun Fact:

There are roosters EVERYWHERE here. You hear them crowing all the time. You can always see them outside of people's houses tied to a little rope or find men just sitting outside grooming their roosters. They are used for cock fights.