Lindsey: Letter 44

My sweetest family!
How is everyone!? Carlee, Thank you for your separate email each and every week! How I thrill at the experiences and life you are living with your wonderful (near perfect).... husband! Whats your last name again? Ha. But really... ? You sound like you're just doing amazing and so content with all that is going on around you. I'm so glad that you two were able to have such an amazing time in New York and then Orlando Florida. WOW! Too spoiled but you two deserve every second of it. I will try to get you a personal letter off today if at all possible.
Where do I even start?! I'm trying to get the recorder off too. I don't know if theres anything on it worth listening to but I'll send it your way today. My goodness. We had the most amazing miracle last night. I will first give you the background of how it all came about. About a week and a half ago Hermana Bullock and I went over with one of the ward missionaries to check on one of our investigators, Mario, who to be honest isn't really progressing and we had planned a "turning point" lesson (-aka drop lesson but I don't like to call it that). He was there with one of his friends. He told us to come back another time but immediately his friend, Santiago, said no! Come on in! He turned off the soccer game that they were watching and pulled chairs into the family room for all of us to sit on. He sat at the end of the couch ready and eager to hear and discuss the "word of god". We proceeded to teach the Restoration of the gospel and invited him to read and pray about the book of Mormon. The spirit was strong during the lesson and by the end he had committed to be baptized if he were to find out that these things were true. We walked out feeling good and excited about it. We set up another appointment with him for a couple of days later. We planned to do a church tour and watch the restoration video. The same member missionary ended up accompanying us and provided the transportation for the to get to the chapel. We had a quick tour of the building and answered his questions to the best of our ability. We sat down in a room and reviewed the apostasy and the promise that the lord gives in 2 nephi 25:17. That he will extend his hand again a second time to recover his people from their lost and fallen state. We then watched the Restoration video and when it ended we bore witness of the truthfullness and fulfillment of the gospel and Joseph Smith. We asked him how he felt and he went off about soemthing completely random. We kept trying to bring it back but he was distracted with other things. After that, we walked to the baptismal font and there, committed him to be baptized by somebody holding the priesthood authority of god. He then told us that he could never be rebaptized and so and and so on. Right then one of the solid members in our ward walked into the room (miracle) and we asked what it meant to him to have the priesthood authority of god back on the earth after centuries of being lost. He bore the most beautiful testimony I've heard in a long time. By the end we decided that he wasn't quite prepared at the moment and told him to call us if he had interest in learning more. Once again, that was about a week and a half ago and last night just as we were about to go to sleep the phone rang. It was Santiago calling. Hermana Bullock didn't want to answer it but I told her just to see what he wanted. It truly was the most amazing phone call one could ever hope to receive. It was Santiago on the other end expressing his desire and excitement to learn more. He'd been reading the book of Mormon. He talked about the Vision that Lehi and Nephi saw, he talked about the tree of life and his amazement that Nephi saw the mother of Jesus. He talked about the waters of Mormon and Alma being given the Authority to baptize. He talked about the importance of the authority. IT WAS INCREDIBLE! He said I've watched the Joseph Smith movie over and over and I know its true. Can you hear it? (He held the phone up to the TV, the Joseph smith movie was playing haha) He just kept saying I want to know more. I just feel excited! Hermana Bullock was telling him that it was the spirit that he was feeling.
Can you believe that!? I couldn't go to sleep last night. I couldn't stop smiling! Last night my joy was full and I cant thank my Heavenly Father enough for giving me this incredible experience to work with his children here on earth. To help them find there way back. What a rewarding time this is. I'm in it forever. Theres no greater feeling in the entire world! I love you all and will talk to you soon!

Lance Letter 3.23.11

Sorry I didn't email yesterday, we were super busy again. So we had a great baptism last Saturday with Jerry Lema. He's been investigating the church for I think two years but had cancer which postponed the progress for a while; but we were blessed to be the ones to baptize him. We are also having a baptism this Saturday with one of Matthew Romans friends (recent convert) who's name is Julian Lara. He's only 10.
So my new companion...fresh outta the MTC is Elder Bruderer...I LOVE HIM. He is straight up Elder Calhoon from "Best Two Years" it's hilarious! But seriously we are having the greatest time and are working way hard.
Thank you so much for your love and prayers as always.
Be safe in New York and have a good time.
Love, Elder Porter
p.s. It has been raining cats and dogs here...no bueno!

Lindsey: Letter 43

Hello my sweet family!
How is everyone doing? Thank you for all the updates and exciting news going on in Utah. YAY FOR PAIGE AND BRYCE! My goodness, that is too exciting. Bryce will pass these last few semesters with flying colors. There is not one doubt in my mind. Faith! Faith! Faith brings the miracles! That what I wish our investigators had a little more of. Faith that Joseph Smith in reality saw our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. Faith that in all actuality they can indeed receive answers to their prayers. Faith that they are loved more than they can imagine and that there is a plan layed out specifically for them. I needed to take a piece of my own council and have the faith that I will learn Spanish and that I'm worthy to be out here. Ha. It honestly is the most humbling process and experience. I love every part of this mission. Every detail and command. I'm so thankful that I'm not the one calling the shots. That all I need to do is follow and obey and everything works out just as it should. Sometimes I get a little sick at the personal weaknesses, subtle distractions, and little lies from Satan and his minions but my goodness, we have a work to perform!
Right now I'm so thankful for the sure promises that we have the opportunity to read about in the book of Mormon. No wonder life gets hard when we slack on picking up the book of Mormon. We start to forget all the blessings that lay in store for the righteous. All the happiness and Joy that comes when we keep the commandments of the lord. Which were set in place for that very purpose. So that we might have joy! It is nothing new. They've been around since the fall of Adam and they are still put in place today. We cannot afford to rest that book. To pray casually. Satan doesn't mess around. He is there at our every turn and if we don't dress ourselves every morning with the armor of god, with his strength and righteousness that only comes when we feast upon his word, when we kneel down and pray for our wills to be aligned with his, then Satan attacks and we fall. We are weak. That's really all there is to it. We just don't have what it takes to combat the adversary. We cant do it. But the lord can. He can and he has and he does.
I'm sorry I do not have much time left but know that we're working, teaching, and preaching the gospel and we're loving every second of it. We taught a wonderful lesson to a new investigator yesterday. Santiago. He's full of faith and truly wants to follow the savior. We are praying that we can bring that spirit, the convincing power and witness that what we are saying is true and that he can gain a further witness through prayer and reading the book of Mormon. I love you all and hope that you're healthy and happy. I pray for you cant wait to hear back from you! Love you Love you!

Lance 3.8.11

Dear family,

You sound so good. We are doing well. I'm sending the recorder most likely today. We are having a baptism on the 19th and then on the 26th. So we're are being so blessed.
I'll send you some pictures \. Jerry Lima has been an investigator for a long time and we invited him to be baptized and he wants to. Also One of matthews friends is getting baptized as well. Love you all. Gospels true.
Love ELDER PORTER
. PS. The weather here is so nice. It's rained a little here and there but when its not it's sunny and perfect. i LOVE it.

Lindsey: Letter 42

My sweet Momma! Wow, what a party everyone has had and will continue to have! My goodness, California, New York, Orlando Florida? Too too fun. I hope you're all just enjoying each other and the sweet spirit that comes when you are surrounded by family and loved ones. The more people I meet and speak with the stronger my appreciation grows for the blessing of being raised in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Greatest news in that entire email is that of your Garden! I'm so proud of you! I'm excited to hear about the magic that will come from your little green thumb:)
You're going to die but I'm sitting here in the mission office and am having to stop typing every 2 min to have a conversation with each missionary that walks through the door. The computers are located right next to the entrance and I'm afraid I'm going to have to try to write a hand written letter when I get back to the apartment but know that I love you with all of my heart and I'm so thrilled to hear that everything is going so well. How fun that you get to attend the YSA ward with dad! My goodness, your primary calling just did not last that long.
Everything is going so wonderful here in Spring. We are working our little bodies to that ground and I couldn't be happier! I truly feel like I wake up in the morning, study, walk out the door to work, and then moments later return home to go to bed and this happens over and over again. Its such an interesting sensation.
Oh, one of the missionaries has a sister in town and she's recieved permition to spend some time with her. Wow, how fun! I'll be home all too soon and what a sweet reunion it will be. Continue to pray for me and the people here in Spring TX and we'll do all we can to find the elect. Love you so much and I will talk to you next week!