Monday, January 19, 2009

Sunday, January 18, 2009

January 12, 2009, To Ryan's family

Hi Sarah and Family!
So things are finally back to normal here from the holidays, which is really nice. We just had probably our best week ever! The Tai family we are teaching came to church on Sunday and I think they really liked it. Their names are Ecko & Lalita, their kids names are Putt, Pim and Poon. LOL. The are really good at keeping commitments.
So Christmas looked way fun. Thanks fer sending me pictures of the kids. They'll be all old when I get home and won't like me :( Ali looked cute tho.
So I'm trying not to get fat this year, I've decided. Sarah what do you do to stay so skinny? I fear that Ryan was right and that we have fat genes in our family, but I think it's an excuse and I don't want to get any fatter.
So rich areas are weird. Like you can just tell the people are more educated cause they have read all the anti about our church, yet it often times makes them look dumb. Like yesterday this deacon in the Baptist Church told us to turn to the 1st chapter of John in the Book of Mormon. Then when we told him there wasn't one, he took our bible and went to ST. John (after fiddling around in 1st John) and apparently realized finally our Bible wasn't different. He even said he's read the Book of Mormon, but then later I asked him again and he hadn't. Kept saying the Book of Mormon says we can become a God, which it doesn't. Anyways, way noob in this area. I'm way excited about his 12 year old kid Anthony, we are baptizing him on the 24th if we get all the signatures (he's a foster kid). But he is really a great kid and is really excited about church. Well, time fer me to go do laundry. Love y'all! Have an awesome week, thank fer writing me:)
Love,
Elder Blake Theo Porter

January 12, 2009

Hi Parents,
So ya I figured calling y'all could count as a letter home:) So sounds like thins are going way good. We just had a really awesome week, probably the best so far:) Ecko and Lalita and their 3 kids all came to church. Their kids names are Putt (boy), Pim (girl), and Poon (boy). They are the coolest family ever. Our primary president was awesome and stole the kids away so I think they really liked it. Ecko said he's have to eat a big meal just before church next time . Ha,Ha. Also we have a baptismal date set for a cool kid named Anthony and he was there too. He's foster kid and his foster parent is a way cool member, he's 12. His date is the 24th, so hopefully it will go smooth and we can get all the necessary signatures no problem.
Every pen in every missionary apartment is garbage. So finding has been pretty intense lately.LOL. Lots of people wanting to argue. It is good though, God still has people prepared and we get new investigators every week somehow. Like in the middle of the most difficult area some insanely nice lady named Ofelia lets us in and like loved everything we taught and wants us to come back and teach her family. So way crazy, you just never know where those kids will be.
Elder Craven wants me to play Mancala, but he doesn't know the rules, so I don't want to play. I'd seen it at our house, but never played it before. Ugh, ya I just played and every question I asked he's like "I don't know" LOL. So Noob. Ha,ha. I destroyed him and he doesn't want to play Mancala anymore:) I think we are going bowling again today. 2 weeks ago I like ripped my finger flesh off because the nail(?) was horrible. Hopefully today goes better.
So I'm trying to go on a diet fer the rest of my mission cause I'm paranoid of getting fat. Oh ya, I thought of something today. Can you mail me my black low top Chuck Taylors? The ones dad destroyed the laces with the vacuum:) If I ever get a chance to wear normal shoes, I'll wear these. Thanks:) not a huge rush or high priority, but it'd be nice to have normal shoes. things are going way good. Y'all are the best. Say hi to everyone. I miss all of you. Thanks for always writing me mommy:)
Love,
Elder Blake Theo Porter

January 5, 2009 Marybeth & Daniella get Baptized

Hi Family!
So I don't think I told ya'll yet , but me and Elder Craven sung in a church last Sunday. It was in Gilbert's non-dom church. ha,ha. My first duet and solo, ha,ha. So his church is ridiculous, like big speakers with a dj and mics and it was exactly what you'd expect from a church nowadays. So they (Gilbert and Joanne) sing this retarded Christian song thing and lead us in it and we are all dancing and clapping. Then he turns the time over to us (after the creepiest prayer where he leads us and everyone like chants and says their own prayer). We sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" and I thin the spirit made us sound way better than we really were. Like we sang together then split the 2nd verse into solos and then we did parts on the last verse. It was a fun experience and then we left. We went to our church after and it was good to feel the spirit and not just concert/dance feel goods.

So Marybell and Daniella got baptized which is way awesome. Gabby couldn't cause of some law of Chastity issues, which is too bad. I'll definitely keep in touch with Hector, he's gonna join someday. WE are teaching a really cool young couple Brent and Laura Hastings. Laura lived in Salt Lake for a summer and really liked it. They started reading the Book of Mormon together and said they'll come to church this Sunday, so I'm really looking forward to it.
0-But ya, things are going good. We had to stay in on New Year's Eve which was lame, but kinda good I guess. I'm glad the Holidays are over tho, it was cool to talk to y'all. I'm just glade people will be back to normal cause I'm sick of their excuses, ha, ha.So did Ali seem happy? She was so silly for starting to cry, poor thin):Today was weird it was icy like all over, everything covered. It was kinda annoying and funny to see people actually slow down to drive.
Well nothing too crazy happening. . . we found a Vietnamese family that we are trying teach, I love teaching Asians and it seem like I find all the Asians in Lubbock somehow.
So this transfer is gonna be good, baptisms for sure I think. My laundry is done so we're gonna go back to the apartment and shower and change for dinner (we just played basketball). Even though my memory card isn't full, I'm just gonna send it now so ya'll will have some more recent pics. Sey'all, love ya!
Elder Blake Theo Porter
P.S. I got some pics from Sara, looks like a fun Christmas. I really liked Davey and Nathan's storm trooper helmets :)