Happy Easter!
I very very grateful for this week and everything I have
been learning. I'm feeling more converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I've been immersing myself in the Book of Mormon and feeling
such a spirit come into my life. I love the Book of Mormon and has become the
most precious thing in my life. I've been more able to answer the questions of
my investigators. I have been able to be more motivated to share the Book of
Mormon with everyone I meet. It has become the subject of every TC and every
lesson.
I loved follow-up training. I saw a lot of things that I
definitely need to improve on, and I know that maybe I'm not the perfect
missionary and I fall short, but I know that I'm working as hard as I possibly
can to improve. But I decided to teach with a way more tremendous sense of urgency
-- to text all of our investigators every day to read their Book of Mormon
assignments, and to teach everyone based on the Book of Mormon. To be more
exactly obedient, to talk and find always. Sometimes I am still confused on how
to make decisions right even though I'm trying to make the best decisions I
can, but I know and feel in my heart I'm still striving to do my best. But I
also strive to not be hard on myself, recognize the Savior knows how I feel,
and will enable me to improve line upon line, precept upon precept. I love
sharing the restored gospel with all my heart, and have a wish that I could do
this for the rest of my life -- night and day.
The Bacolcol family is progressing -- especially Nanay
because she is reading and understanding the Book of Mormon and she testified
to us this week that even though she hasn't finished it yet she knows it is
true and the Spirit has testified it to her.
She really wants to be baptized. Brother Alfredo is still struggling a
little -- it's hard to leave old habits and traditions behind, and he has a hard
time understanding why the life of his son was taken at such an early age. He
reads the Book of Mormon but he's having trouble concentrating and
understanding what he reads. We are looking in the scriptures for how to
resolve his concerns. We know that their son is cheering them on from the other
side of the veil.
We had an interesting experience with the Calica family. We
taught them out of the scriptures in 1 Nephi 2: 11-12 about why people complain
against prophets and commandments and what the Lord asks us to do. It struck
their hearts that they were doing the exact same thing about keeping their commitments.
We were overjoyed and excited that they would change and repent. But when
Sunday came around we waited and waited but they didn't come. So we marched
across the street from the church before sacrament meeting where they live and
asked them with completely devastated tone why they didn't go. They were
cooking peanuts and said they felt too lazy to keep the commandments. I was
completely devastated and we just stood there so sad. But we told them it was
not too late and they could come now to church, but that we loved them so much
and we wouldn't force them. We told them we loved them again and then left.
They didn't come. Now I understand how the Savior feels when we don't keep the
commandments. He is soooooo sad --- He says in 3 Nephi 9:13 -- will ye not now
return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?
14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye
shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and
whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto
me.
Jesus Christ came, suffered, and died for us that we might
change and repent and prepare to become like our Heavenly Father as eternal
families. He is devastated when we choose not to follow Him -- why don't we
just come unto Him that he will heal him. Choosing to be lazy and procrastinate
truly is the thief of eternal life. BUT-- he will always love us just the same.
He suffered for us just the same. And in this life He will always give us the
chance to repent and change. But this life truly is the time to prepare to meet
God. And the Second Coming is malapit na. We have to share the gospel with
EVERYONE because we don't have much more time to prepare. There is truly
URGENCY in the work of the Lord. We cannot do it with lightness.
We got a chance to meet the Delegado family this week
again. They had read the whole pamphlet
and took notes and said if we were truly the truth that they would be baptized
kahit tomorrow. But they had a ton of questions and were more sure that they
were right. They believed that Jesus Christ could show himself to man but not Heavenly
Father. They still believe in apostles hanggang ngayon because they are
Pentecostal -- they trace their authority all the way back. We tried to share
scriptures but we had a hard time dominating the conversation. The only thing I
could say was that they must read the Book of Mormon with an honest heart and
they would know. He is searching for the truth. But I think next time we are
going to be bold and assert our authority as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ
and testify more boldly. I have no doubt in my heart that the Delegado family
will someday receive the fullness of the everlasting gospel because it is the
truth. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet of the most High God. I KNOW the Book
of Mormon is true. I know that we have living prophets and apostles today with
the proper authority of God. And I know that the Lord is in charge of this work
even though I'm not a perfect servant -- I am still young and don't have a
perfect knowledge of things. But I believe in this work. I can see that I'm
growing in spiritual strength and maturity on my mission and I love being a
missionary.
Angel and Alex Estofalia are the children of a part member
family and are going to be baptized on April 21. I love the sweet humble spirit
of the kids and the support of their uncle, their aunt, and their father. I
feel such a sweet special spirit unlike any other when I teach children. I love
them with all my heart and can see Heavenly Father has a grand a marvelous plan
for them.
I am absolutely convinced that President Bangal was meant to
be my mission president. I think that if
it weren't for him I would never have been able to experience my mission. I had
to go through some of the most painful trials at the beginning of my mission --
more pain than I had ever experienced. Pain that went through every fiber of my
being. True anguish. I know Satan is real and he knows who we are and who we
are meant to be. I am meant to be a missionary. I believe that. I know Satan
tried to stop me but I am overcoming that. I haven't felt that pain again. I
know the enabling power of the Atonement did it. Sometimes progression takes
time and we are all on different places on the straight and narrow path. But I
will never stop trying and try to share the gospel. I will never stop believing
that we can experience so much success. I will keep repenting and give
EVERYTHING every single day.
Sister Porter
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