Last Week at the MTC

I wanted to make sure I shared the last letter we recieved from the MTC. It has some really special moments that we really enjoyed:

Dear Parents,
Today is Sunday again I'm starting my last week at the MTC. Thank Heavenly Father for that. Holy package! lol Thanks for the food, I'm still trying to get kids to eat it. I especially liked the beef jerky. I'm almost adjusted to eating meat and grease again. I've had horrible diahrea here!I don't think I'm quite as homesick now. I'm excited to leave the MTC, but I'll miss my district, most of them anyways. I sent Sharon some pictures, they aren't even from my camera. I hope she can load them up online. I'll mail my card to u guys soon.

So I talked to a lady from Tennessee for over an hour yesterday, it was cool!. Like I called to see if she received a Book of Mormon she ordered. She got it, but didn't open it yet, so I read some stuff with her and she kept asking questions. I ended up giving her the first 2 lessons over the phone and referred her to the missionaries there to go teach her some more. Like it was fun! My teacher, Sister Hodge, was texting my computer to help me and like stuff, but she mostly just said you're awesome and we both laughted cause Dee (the lady) had the typical accent and like she truly was a babe in the gospel. Didn't know what prophet or Holy Ghost or anything meant really. I had to try and make it understandable for her.

Well, that was a cool experience. Tomorrow me and Elder Root are teaching lesson 2 for the first time to the fake investigators. Our practices have been shaky cause he didn't seem to know parts and hasn't studied too much. We'll be good I hope.

Another cool experience was I taught the first lesson as a demo to a new district with my old friend Tad Farmer who's a teacher here. I was nervous but it went very well, and the spirit was really strong. It was fun cause we adusted the lesson and taught them as missionaries rather than have them act like an investigator. My district, zone, and teachers are really good. Like I was blessed for sure. I think we are gonna walk up to the temple. O ya, so dumb, we like got lost in the temple on Wednesday, so like we barely missed our session. Luckily we still knew a few people when we went through, but ya my stomach just made stupid sounds all the time and it was all loud in there, so embaressing. O well that's my noob life. Ali made me an awesome scrapbook thingy and like sent me wax and seals for letters. lol I don't have any matches tho! Wah!
Love,
Elder Blake Theo Porter

First Letter to Mom and Dad from Plainview

Hello, Hello! I'm in Plainview, TX! Ha,Ha! My trainer is Elder Tripp he seems really awesome. It's sad tho since he's been out he learned his parents are getting divorced. It's really lame. I couldn't imagine you guys doing that. If you do I'm going apostate. He is really strong to still be out here, he's already trained one guy and now me and he's only been here 9 months!

Getting here was ridiculous though, it was such chaos, but most of the Elders seem awesome. The mission is huge, Plainview's like 45 minutes north of Lubbock. My first night in Lubbock, when we finally arrived, was nuts the zone leaders took us out tracting and it went good. We got to teach a lesson our first night out. Today I got to Plainview (ugh, just realized I said Plainville lol!) and finally got to unpack. That was like the best. So I have a new address and I'm sending my memory card. So ya, give that to whoever so they don't send it to the office. I haven't got my bike yet BTW, hopefully it will arrive. My P-day is Monday so I can email you kids then. I've knocked on some doors here. The people seem really nice. It's kind of small. Ugh, we shopped at Walmart. I'm pissed. So ya better get the memory card or I'll flip out. Tell Brian Breese I'm so sorry I never got to him at the airport, it was the craziest day ever. Teaching people is awesome, it's definitely when I'm the most happy. I love you all you're the best. O and it's really windy here, all the time. . . .Texas is a big dusty diaper.
Love,
Elder Blake Theo Porter
P.S. I have no idea how to grocery shop!lol!

So this actually the email that my dad recieved. I also recieved one it says a lot of the same things except it said, "Hey you get the honor of my first email, aren't you special? :D" so of course I felt very special. I'm still trying to figure out how her left Mom's, Ryan's and Melinda's addresses home? I would think they where all on the same paper. Anyhow. Here's the letter. Sounds like he is doing good. I personally think he sounds like he is south of the border instead of north, because Cow stomach sounds foreign to me, and totally disgusting, there is no doubt in my head that Blake will become a vegetarian the minute he gets home. :-)

Hi dad what's up? I am at a library in Plainview which is my new area incase u haven't gotten my letter. O make sure everyone gets my new address.

So ya this place is pretty small like 22,000 people i think. Mytrainer is pretty cool we are having a good time. Already there have beenmany adventures in just a few days, we gave someone a blessing at thehospital, we blessed the home of one of our investigators, someone in the ward died so we went and comforted the wife, it's sad they just barely adopted a baby girl. We are whitewashing this area which i guess means weare both new? It's kinda hard cause it's like where do you start?

But we have some new investigators which is cool. One is a couple, they are living together and are really young like only 20 and they have a really cute 10month yr. old girl. The first lesson went really well and they seemedreally interested. The other investigator is Joe Ortiz, he's a really interesting guy. Like we met him and his grown up son working on a truck in their garage we kinda just walked in and taught them for like 30 minutes, we came back the next day to teach Joe. He really is looking for a change in his life but he's got kind of a wild side he likes dancing and drinking sometimes just socially. He's 50 or so but acts like he's 20 lol. He was married for like 23 years and is now divorced for like 5 years. After our lesson we went and hung out for a while lol we drove all around town and it was funny he got something to eat and drink and kept wanting to get us stuff like all day but we couldn't eat cause we were fasting lol. I dunno why elder tripp just didn't tell him we were fasting but we just kept declining as nice as we could. We then went and he treated us to a manicure. Lol yes a manicure haha. It was funny i guess it's all in the name of fellowshipping.

The manicurist likes us tho she said she'd do our nails for free whenever we wanted cause we're missionaries, she's not a member tho it's cool.

So ya i forgot to bring like mom and melinda's and ryan's email with meto this library so if you could make sure they get to read this that'd becool and maybe email them so just in case i do the same thing next week lol.So did you get my memory card? eeee it's frustrating sending snail mail everywhere i feel like i'm in the... 80s. President Rose is a really intense guy like he tells us we gotta shine our shoes and like wear nice ties and stuff and makes us part our hair even tho the letters from the church don't even say that anymore. It's ok i'm fine with all that stuff cause i hated ugly missionaries before.

We found a huge coakroach at our apartment so gross, my trainer was like freaking out about it ha ha.

Man saturday we just went finding all day, like we only had one short visit forlike 30 minutes, then back to tracting. It was really hot too it was a ridiculous day, and now i'm in my P-day clothes and i have like a collarline from the sun it's lame.

I think i told you a little about my trainer Elder Tripp he's cool he's from cedar city. Like i said in my letter if you guys got divorced on my mission like his did i would like leave the church,so you better not.

Today's probably the nicest day weather wise since i've been here it'sreally hot and windy and it's not even the hot months yet so that'll be something to look forward to... O ya after church on sunday we went to theMontaya's to eat lunch, definitely an experience. They are mexican, whichlike half the people in plainview are and half of those are illegal, butanyways they had something called Manudo. I dunno if you guys have had this stuff before but it's cow stomach soup and apparently it's like really traditional food down there that everyone just loves. I literally couldn'tstomach it. I ate almost all of it but just looking at the grossest thing and then chewing it... so bad dude and like i don't get it cause the guy that took us there works at excel, which is a gigantic meat place like they kill thousands of cows a day there. Like you'd think since he gets meat cheap he'd get some naughty sirloin tip roast or something ugh.

yes plainview is basically everything i hate about life and i know exactly whygod sent me here. It's kinda fun tho. Well the best part is definitely just going out and teaching people like everyone here is super nice cause it's the south so even if they hate us they smile it's funny. The Church of Christ is big down here and i guess they teach over their pulpit about our church so everyone "knows" about us. Well hope everyone gets this email miss you all a ton and lots of love.
Elder Blake Theo Porter

The only other thing Blake siad in my letter was that he does get along with His companion so that's good. And that Elder Tripp is from Cedar City. Now we just need to get those pictures from mom and upload them!

News from Blake :D

My mom texted me at work today saying that I got a letter from Elder BTP :) from his new address so I was looking forward to reading it all day long. 

Before I opened the letter, I saw that he had tried to use the wax seal I sent lol and it just looks so funny. The wax is like smeared and only half as 

big as the seal. There is a small note to the side that says "LOL... Tried :)." I'll have to take a picture. So cute!

The letter went as follows:

Eeee I is in Texas! (use new address :) the return address)

It's the biggest dusty diaper of my career. I shouldn't write you except on P-day (Mondays now) but I wanted to give you my new address & say I love you. My phone can go to silent by holding down t

he bottom right key I think there's a small mute symbol on it. {I had asked him about that cause I couldn't figure out his phone he's letting me have while he's gone}. I think I can use your seal now LOL I was sad your last letter didn't have on

e :( You get my pics? Eeee gonna go meet the local scout group at the church & a counseler [sic] in the Branch Presidency. I await a letter to my new apartment! :) Texas is a big dusty diaper! Always windy.

Love, 

Elder Blake Theo Porter

P.S. My thighs are chaffing I feel like Andy from The Office LOL.

So he is on his way

Well Monday June 2, 2008 Blake left for Lubbuck Texas, no word on if his flight ever may it there, so I'm assuming it did. I do know from talking with Mom and Dad that his flight from Salt lake to Dallas was delayed until noon. I had just got a letter from Blake that morning. He informed me that he needed email addresses. So I called mom to tell her I got a letter well she had just talked with him.
Anyway I found out what airline he was flying on and called my Father-in-law, Brian, who works for Delta and emailed him the email addresses so he could delivar them to Blake. Well they couldn't find him when he walked over but he gave the email to the "travel Leader" I'm guessing that's another missionary.

My last letter mentioned how Blake played four square in the MTC. That's kind of cool for us because when he came out to visit that's all Michael wanted to do. In fact when we where in St. George he told Grandma (my mom) that "my mom has some pretty good moves, but Blake is the best." Blake said he got 7 points and you get a point when you stay in the server box for 3 games. So he played 21 games or serves and stayed in the box. He must be pretty awesome. Now I know what he meant by them being so competitive. But he sounded happy, and upbeat.

So after the delayed flight in SLC they where going to be waiting in Dallas until 8 pm that night before they flew on the Lubbock. I guess we shouldn't complain at least he isn't traveling by foot/wagon/horse/train/boat etc. The missionaries do have it pretty easy that way now days.

Well I'm sure you are all like me waiting for that first letter from the mission field.

The Call From the Airport

Elder Porter called about 8:00 am and asked if Mrs. Porter was there. I answered and asked if this was Elder Porter, after which we were disconnected! ! He called me back and asked if I was going to hang up on him again! lol He sounded excited and happy but his flight was postponed to 12:00 pm instead of 8:30 am and he would have a layover in Dallas until 8:00 pm. I told him that would give him lots of time to approach people about the gospel. I teased him that he could give them a flower like the Hirna Krishna (spelling??) used to do in the airports. lol. There were 13 elders going to Lubbock, two of them sister missionaries.

He wondered why I hadn't sent emails for everyone, and I replied that he only asked for addresses, which were in his address book, we didn't think he could email in the MTC. I am so out of touch with this new generation, when they say addresses, I guess it only means email addresses. What was I thinking????

I said it sounded like he had some really good experiences with the lesson he taught to the new district and the call to the investigator in Tennessee. He said the lesson was really great and the spirit was strong, but he thought maybe the investigator had already forgotten all about his call. I assured him the missionaries in Tennessee were right on it, giving her more lessens right now! I wish I had told him that this could be his first baptism. I told him he was going to be a wonderful missionary. He was a little apprehensive about that and said he didn't know what he was doing. I assured him he'd do great and that there are people in Texas waiting just for him, that only he could reach. He said, "That's what they tell me".

Elder Porter he was sorry to leave the elders in his district, and the MTC was an amazing place, but he was excited to move on to the mission field. I asked him if he had any general authorities speak to them while he was at the MTC, and he said that President Monson's daughter, Sister Dibb, spoke to them and she was just like President Monson and had a lot of really great stories. He said a seventy that had just returned form Japan spoke and was really amazing too. (I can't remember his name, surprise, surpise!)

He was about to tell me about his district leader, Elder Ricker, but some of the Elders were going to get some lunch and he wanted to go with them, so our conversation ended, but not without Mom choking up and telling him how proud we are of him and giving him lots of love.

Blake's Mission Call