February 14, 2011

Heyyy. This is Elder Porter here.

Honestly, I don't have much to report this week. Not much at all. Lots of finding hours. Quite a few member lessons. I'm sad to say, but hardly any investigator teaching. Not much going on. Elder Lee and I are doing all we can. Our faith is simply being tested at this point in time. It’s hard to remember that the Lord is in charge. It’s hard to remember to simply do our best, and strive to do His work in His way. It’s easy to get greedy and try to force things, and make things happen before they are there, or before they are ready.

Most kind of work, you get a pretty direct correlation of how much you put in, to how much you get out. With missionary work and direct results from your work, it is not the case. You can spend 25 hours out in a Canadian winter talking to literally probably 90% of all people you lay your eyes on, and not have one person stop for more than 5 seconds. That happens some weeks. Weeks like this past week. But you've just got to remember that the Lord is very pleased. You can know that when you feel the spirit working through you. It’s a real thing. I know the Lord is pleased with me. Our faith is being tested right now, that’s all. I'm happy, I love my mission, and I'm working hard. In the BOM in Ether12:6 (I believe) it says "faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." That scripture is SUPER true. Our goal is to get 3 new investigators a week. Lots of weeks we get it. In fact, most weeks we do. But I can tell you that almost every single week (I kid you not, completely serious), we get 1 investigator early on in the week, and the last 2 people we talk to on Sunday evening end up being our last 2 expected investigators. After we work hard all week. After we don't give up. After we went out of our way for the 100th time. And after the trial of our faith. It is funny how that always works. The Lords work will go forth at the Lords pace. I have a testimony that it will.

Love you all lots

Elder M. Compton Porter