Fwd: ONE YEAR.

Oh hey! It's been a year! That's so fast and so crazy and there's still so much more to do! It's going to be a weird week.

I don't remember much of what happened this week besides our Zone Training Meeting and the General Women's Meeting. Zone Training Meeting was excellent! I love giving trainings, and I was able to teach about how we can qualify ourselves for the Spirit. I learned that it starts from the very thoughts and intents of our heart, and that can be a huge factor, especially when as missionaries we need that constant, specific direction. We also talked about trying to teach people inside their houses instead of outside, and how that can help them learn that the Spirit can change their home. We talked about how Christ cleansed the temple before he healed therein, and how homes need to be like that temple. It was cool! We also watched this video:

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-06-002-origin?lang=eng

I don't know if you've seen it yet, but we loved it.

General Women's Meeting was great, but there were more Sister Missionaries in the chapel than members, and we were probably about 60 total. Yikes! I pray attendance is higher this weekend for conference, which we are all SO looking forward to.

Anyway, I know it's short, but I love you all! Keep up all the good things you are doing, and analyze the not so good ones. :) There's always room for healthy change.

Sister Porter

this week..

Whew. It is hot in this computer shop. The weather here is just being rather bipolar. 

So, we had transfers this week! I love my new companion. Her name is Sister Gadiano, and she is pretty awesome. We're fairly different, but our sense of humor is close so we get along. :) We're having a good time. On transfer day, we had to be out on the street to flag down a ride at 5 AM, which was not very fun. The sisters were not very excited about leaving here, it was really hard for one of them. But, after that, me and Sister Alsado went to Lal-lo, the "city" next door, to work as a tripanionship with another Sister until all three of our companions came later in the afternoon. It was so fun!! Kind of hard though, haha, since working with three brains is fairly difficult. what we kept laughing about was how each of our companionships had our own "signals" for when to switch off sharing and talking, but nobody knew each other's signals! So when one sister would try to pass it of to one of us, we would just chuckle because we had no idea what was going on. It was fun. Our companions came later in the day, and we picked them up and went right off to work! It's amazing how smooth transfers go when there are hundreds of people moving around that can never be alone. 

Oh man, funny story. So, probably like, Thursday night, our water stopped working. Friday morning it was still not working. Well, we all needed to eat and cook and shower, so we went out in the back and tried to get our pump working. It's a way old pump, like, Little House On The Prairie style pump. Not even joking. But, the thing is, you need to pour a bit of water into it to get it primed before it'll start pumping for reals. The problem is when you don't have ANY water, which is why you need the pump! we were collecting from every little spigot we could find, and eventually drained the excess from the little tanks in our water filter, and got just enough to get the pump going. yay! so, while we were all getting prepped to take fully-clothed-showers outside, the landlord comes and tries to get it fixed, he then points inside to the wall and asks, "bukas ba iyon?" "is that on?" and it turns out that there's a little light switch on the wall (that we'd always been way confused about since it doesn't turn on any light) that turns on our water. And I'd switched it off the other day looking for the real light switch. oops... :D we have now labeled the water switch and don't plan on turning it off again. 

Another cool story on the spiritual side. We are teaching this cute 11 year old girl, and her fingers and toes never fully developed before she was born. She is awesome, and we got to teach the resurrection the other day and tell her that someday, her hands and feet will be perfect. A little light of excitement and understanding came on in her eyes, and she was just a little more.. relieved. That was a pretty cool experience. The Plan of Salvation is definitely real. 

I love you all! Thanks for everything. Enjoy the olympics! haha. Go Philippines! You'll have to let me know if they win anything. :) 

Love, 

Sister Porter 

This week.. is the HALFWAY MARK!

So, another week! and I'm halfway done with my mission!!!! Uh, weird. So weird. Kind of nice to be on the downhill, but it's weird that other missionaries here use "po" when they talk to me (the word you use to add respect) and it is culturally correct since i'm getting "old" here on the mish. Anyway, here's what happened! 

We got back from MLC, and on Thursday had our Zone Training Meeting, and I gave a training! It was different to be one of the leaders teaching instead of avidly taking notes, but it was a fun change. I enjoy teaching peers. That was scary, but fun. 

We did apartment checks for the whole Zone. We traveled to all of the apartments for the zone and did cleaning checks, muahahaha. It was actually fine. The apartments are a LOT better than what they used to be I guess, so that's awesome. We did find a rat in one of the Elders' apartments, but then in the next Elders' apartment there was a dart board we (or just I) was grateful for. We also got to buy fresh buko rolls, which are the best things EVER. They are rolls with this vanilla like pudding stuff inside and big chunks of coconut (buko in tagalog). they are so awesome. Coconut tastes so much better when it's not processed!

We had a baptism! Jessa got baptized yesterday morning, and the poor Branch had never had a Sunday morning baptism before and were kind of freaking out about it. It was a little rough, but she is awesome! She has some really good friends in the YW and I think that was a big part of her conversion. She's way awesome, but it's weird to think that she's younger than Holly! She's only 13, but doesn't look it. All I could think of was how Holly must look SO OLD by now! haha. love you hols. 

Um.. I think that's it! I love you all, I'll try to be better about remembering my week! OH! I remember something else. I ate sting ray! It was so good!! Kind of the consistency of the roast mom makes in the slow cooker, but just a little more fishy tasting. So good. 

Anyway, I love you all! Thanks for everything. :) y'alls the best! 

♥ Sister Porter

MY WEEK!! Christmas Conference and... transfers!

Oh man. I cannot even describe to you how crazy this week has been. And, I'm running out of time anyway, so it's going to be a very digested version! 

We had Christmas Conference! It started Tuesday, with half of the mission having games and sports all day, then their performances and gift exchange on Tuesday night. Since that was Sister Storey's group, Sister Ai'i and I got to go to their performances and stuff since Sister Storey and I were dancing. It was so fun! So creative, and we just had a blast. Sister Storey did beautifully, but I watched the video of our dance, and it was the worst dancing I have ever done!! haha. I really am losing it. :/ sayang. It was fun anyway. :) Tuesday was pretty nuts too, because there were so many missionaries staying at our place since they live too far away. We had a total of 12 of us in my apartment, 10 in the apartment above us, and about 20 Elders that stayed in the apartment next to us that used to belong to the Senior Couple that just went home. And they all needed to use OUR key! We had to cut like, three hours total out of proselyting just to let people in and out and play hostesses. Man, it was stressful. Wednesday morning was devotional for ALL OF THE MISSIONARIES in the whole mission. Total, I think 227 of us? In one chapel. It was a tight fit! It was insane. My trainee, Sis. Dollete, gave me my christmas present! She has this ring with her name on it, and I remember once telling her I thought it was cool. So, she told her little sister to have one made in her hometown with my name on it and mail it to her so she could give it to me. I LOVE HER! Sad that I can't wear it for 10 more months because it's my first name, but it's so awesome! So, after our big devotional, we ate lunch and then the second half of us went and played sports. we went to a local college campus, and it was so fun. I ended up playing soccer the entire time, and I wasn't too bad! I played with Sister Wood, who plays on the BYU women's soccer team, and she told my I should try out after the mish. haha! yeah, right. After sports, we had our performances! Our zone did our "itik itik" dance, and then after that we gave President and Sister Barrientos some Polynesian lava lava's and some candy lei's and had them dance with my Samoan companion. it was pretty funny to watch! Our skit went over well, and there were some pretty funny things going on. I loved it. After that we had a gift exchange! We just numbered everything, drew out a number, and that was what you got. I got this awesome vintage-y mickey mouse photo album! I'm pretty happy about it. That night, we got home at 11:00 and were all in bed at midnight. The next morning was rough, that's for sure! So worth it though. 

The next big thing- I'M BEING TRANSFERRED! Again. I'm going to Camalaniugan, which is in the middle of Cagayan, the other province in my mission. It's going to be cold, and I'm going to miss my fast food and flushing toilet. It's going to be culture shock all over again so I'm told, so we're going to McD's one more time today to prep for it. :) Also... I'm a Sister Training Leader!! I don't know if you remember much about when that came out, but basically it's like a Sister Zone Leader. There are one pair per zone, and we go on exchanges with all of the Sisters and do cleaning checks for everyone's apartments. My new companion is my trainer, actually. It'll be weird to work with her again, but at least now I speak Tagalog! haha. I'm really excited, but kind of nervous at the same time. So, we head off tomorrow morning for a 6-7 hour bus ride along the beach out to the middle of the rice fields. SO excited!!! And I should probably go now. Gotta finish packing! Or try to, anyway. I hate packing. 

Well, I love you all. Thank you for the support, and the prayers! They are felt, and used. Stay safe, and enjoy the snow! haha. I miss that stuff. 

Love, 

Sister Amy Porter

Saved by a Baptist..

Hey! How are you all?! I am so glad to hear about all of your adventures in California. Thanks for the pictures! You all look smashing. So, this week was fun! A little crazy, but that's just how things go I suppose. Mostly, one thing in particular happened. 

We were "Saved"! By a Baptist. It was nuts. we were teaching a Less Active, and her friend that I guess used to be a member but will "Be Baptist till the day she dies". So I thought, "It's okay, we'll just teach about Jesus." So we share this nice little message, and she just says, "Can I ask you one question? Where is your soul going if you die right now?" All this is in English mind you. So I pull out a Plan of Salvation Pamphlet, and just decide to give it to her and leave. Well, she wouldn't have any of that. We start to say something about the Spirit World, and she says, "I am NOT asking about your SPIRIT, I am not asking about your RELIGION, I AM ASKING ABOUT YOUR SOUL." Jeepers. So, we got this whole lesson, and man, it was scary. We didn't really know what to do, so we just sat there. But let me tell you, there was NO Spirit there. It felt so gross inside. She eventually asks us to say the Sinner's Prayer to get automatic salvation, and we just said that she could say it. So, she said this Baptist prayer, and was sweating since she got into it so much. Wowzers. Well, we're saved I guess. woo! It was even thanksgiving! Which, by the way, was great. We had broccoli cheese soup, stuffing, idaho mashed potatoes, and jello! One of the Sister's mom's sent it. It was so good! Also, random fact, Sister Storey called me on President's phone and said that President's wife wants her to dance ballet in the Christmas Conference, but she doesn't want to do it alone, so now I'm doing a ballet number with Sister Storey too. ha! Love life. 

Anyway, I love you all! Thanks for everything. :) Masayang Pasco!!! 

The latest weather report from the Laoag Mission..

Just so that you all know, we had no ill effects from the Super Typhoon that came through the Philippines the other day. All is well up here, and life goes on as normal. I, however, have gained a new perspective. I remember when I was at home, and I'd hear about something like this happening, I would think about how cool it sounded, and how crazy it must have been to see. Now, serving here with these amazing people, all I can think of is if the people I'm teaching were affected, how would I react? I am amazed at how much love I feel for the people that were affected, rather than if it looked cool or what. Anyway, we're fine, but that's my testimony. :) We are all children of God! He has control over everything, and if we trust Him, we will be fine. 

A very safe and very dry Sister Missionary, 

Sister Porter

WOW MY LIFE IS CRAZY.

Alright, this week. Has been insane. And I will try to tell you about it in the little amount of time I have left! :) 

We got SLAMMED by a typhoon. I don't know if any of you keep up with the weather here, but it was pretty crazy. We couldn't go out all thursday, and thursday night it got really crazy. The wind was screaming through the windows and under the doors, and just ripping everything apart. It was so loud we couldn't sleep. I probably slept for maybe three hours. The power was out for about 12 hours, and wow, it was just bizarre. So scary. BUT SO COOL! But I'm grateful the wind has died down. It didn't really affect much here since it's just city, but it was still way intense. I guess there might be another one on it's way? Pray for us!

This experience was a first and hopefully a last- We were proselyting and met this man who was interested to talk to us. We talked for a bit, invited him to church, and exchanged numbers so we could set up an appointment. Nothing super different. But, we get a couple texts from him later that night, asking how old we were and stuff. He called twice in the middle of the night. We get more texts the next morning with him telling us how he was sorry, he was just "fallin in love with sis. porter". uh... yikes. He said he wanted me for his wife before I go back to America, and in all his looking for an American wife, I was the best he's found so far. So, we obviously tell president, and he just says to ignore him. But, then we get a text from this guy saying that he's definitely coming to church. AAAAAAHHHHH... I have never been so scared to go to church in my life. luckily.. he didn't show up. But wow, I was so scared. Still kind of am a bit. But... 

I'M GETTING TRANSFERRED! so it doesn't matter, haha. Totally a surprise! I mean, I've only been here for one transfer with Sister Diamond. And I LOVE it, and am way sad to leave. Luckily, i'm only being transferred to the Laoag 3rd ward instead of the 1st. haha. I move apartments, about 5 minutes away, and my new companion, Sis. Copeland, is currently the companion of my MTC companion, Sis. Hansen. And.. Sister Diamond is our new Sister Training leader! So, I'm transferring from the second nicest apartment to the nicest (they call it the missionary mansion), I'm still in the same district, and I get to see/go on exchanges with Sis. Diamond!! It's pretty great. :) though, I still have to pack and say goodbye to people, which is way sad, but I'm still close enough to see them. Yay, blessings!! 

Anyway, that's about where we're at with things. :) I love this work! I love this country, especially during the "Christmas season", haha. This place is great. :) I love you all!! 

Love, 

Sister Amy Porter