April 25, 2011

Brampton is awesome. This week has been full of miracles-just as last week was. Elder Hancock and I are working as hard as we can, and doing everything that we know how to do. I'm so blessed to be paired with an amazing missionary like him. It feels SO good to have somebody who is constantly lifting you up to a higher standard, instead of doing your best to maintain enthusiasm and try to constantly carry your companion and an area.

The past week has been FULL of teaching. We fell 1 lesson short of our goals this week, and it’s only because we got bombed on Sunday evening. We're teaching like crazy! It’s hard to find time to reach our finding goal of 20 hours per week. We had 7 lessons taught to investigators with a member present...it’s a great blessing to be able to teach so much! We're reaching all of our other goals, and our area continues to be one of the most consistently successful units in the whole province. We're so blessed to be here. There is something very special about Brampton. I think it is the influence of the temple being so close.

Let me tell you a bit about my new area! (If I haven't already) I'm currently serving in the Heart Lake Ward, and the Toronto, Ontario Temple is about a block outside of our ward (proselyting) boundaries. We attend the Stake Center which is right next to the temple, so we get to see the temple a few times a week which is so awesome and amazing. My area is in the heart of Brampton, and we cover approx. 200,000 people. It’s a burdening feeling to know that my companion and I are the only two chosen people of God to bring every person we see unto salvation and guide them back to Heavenly Father. It’s a blessing to be able to stretch yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually every day. You learn and grow so much here, its amazing.

The Heart Lake Ward is the most missionary-minded unit I've ever seen. Ever. The leadership is just fantastic, and we have resources for missionary work I would have never imagined here. The members are fantastic, and our ward has many, many different cultures. Lots of people from Africa, Guyana, Colombia, China, Europe, and many other smaller Asian countries. Such a diverse place.

Contacting and tracting is very unique in Brampton...there is a HUGE population of Indian people here. Lots and lots of Islam, Hindi, and Sikh people to talk to. I'm learning words and greetings in quite a few languages, and often make people laugh from talking to them in the wrong language or displaying my ridiculously strange accent. There are some places you go and it feels like you are in India. Everybody you see will be wearing turbans and be speaking in Punjabi. It is a really strange experience.

A few random things about Canada that I have not yet mentioned-the milk here comes in bags. Not jugs or cartons. BAGS. It still freaks me out every time I pour a bag of milk to drink. Every single dinner app. I've had here has also had a dessert. I have a dessert almost every day. And it makes you chubby. No good. It's a Canadian thing. It’s awesome in a way, but so terrible as well. Also, it is a culture thing to take off your shoes when you go into any house. I know lots of people in the states have that rule at their house, but it appears that everybody without fail has it here. They don't even sell shoe hangers that go in closets, because your shoes will never make it to your bedroom.

Well, the work here is speedily coming along. Our area vision that we made has a goal of BAPTIZING 2 this month of May, and having 2 future dates set. It’s very realistic, and we're both expecting to hit it. We'll be having a baptism (possibly) this Sunday. We're working with a less active family who has a 9 year old son, so technically he is an investigator, and will count as a convert baptism. We're also working with an AMAZINGLY PREPARED investigator. Her name is Taryn. She is so prepared for the gospel. She has had so many hard things happen in her life, and every single thing has slowly and eventually prepared her to meet the missionaries. It’s so amazing to hear her already strong testimony of the love Heavenly Father has for all of us. She is so convinced that it was meant to be that we knocked on her door the other week. So many things lined up and started making sense right to the point where we met her. So amazing. She is doing so well, and is currently powering through the BOM before her baptism (which has been moved to May 8th) She is simply working through an addiction that should be taken care of by then.

Elder Hancock and I are continuing to find people to teach, and are continuing to teach by the spirit. We feel good at the end of each day, knowing we've done all that our Father in Heaven has required of us. It’s so amazing to watch both of us grow stronger and stronger as missionaries. We can FEEL if the Lord is displeased after a contact where we did not say what we needed to say. We can FEEL when we didn't follow the promptings of the spirit in a teaching appointment. It’s so amazing to go back, and fix your mistakes and make the Lord proud. It’s how you learn and grow. I'm so lucky and blessed to have a comp. that helped me make those proper steps.

It’s finally warming up-but raining a lot more. It’s not cold at all, but it’s been wet quite frequently. Hopefully it'll even out a bit. I'm afraid to start complaining, but I've heard it gets really really hot and humid. It gets to around 40C (104F), with 100% humidity. Such strange weather...so opposite ends of the spectrum.

Anyway, things are amazing here in Brampton. Until next week-

-E. PORTER