"I'm in Love . . . With My Mission!"

August 27, 2012

We're excited for the coming 2 weeks here in London YSA! Students are just now starting to move back into the city, and that means more and more people for us to talk to. We don't need to YSA hunt any longer, but we'll be surrounded by people with whom we can share the gospel with.

During our weekly planning the other week, as we were planning to find new investigators, we really tried to think about more than contacting people on the street. We had the idea to post up flyers advertising us being able to help students move in our out for free. It would be an excellent way for us to meet more people in a different way and also to bring members of the branch to help and start forming friendships with nonmembers. We didn't know if the idea would work or if anybody would call. We started posting up the flyers and we have scheduled several moves already! We look forward to inviting these people to learn more about the restored gospel.

I really am in love with my mission. I am grateful for the chance to forget about everything else except for serving others and helping them come closer to Jesus Christ. Last week I really felt the buffetings of Satan trying to slow me down and confuse me in the final months of my full-time service. I felt it would be a good opportunity to fast and petition the Lord for extra focus, strength, and desire. Once again, I bear my testimony of fasting. The feelings of commitment that I felt after my fast were stronger than I had ever felt previously. I saw the grand importance of the gospel and felt so strongly a desire to help people accept it. I felt more invested than ever before. I know that feelings like these are gifts from God. There have been times as well where my commitment hasn't been at its highest for a number of minutes or hours, and just as the Lord did for the Nephites at the request of Enos, He brought down upon my head sorrow for my transgressions. I am grateful for the divine discontentment that I have felt, and I'm grateful for the peace and faith that is a product of acting the way I know Heavenly Father wants me to act. We are all entitled to these feelings of commitment and peace as we go throught our day as deciples of the Lord.

The zone is really preparing well for a powerful September. There are lots of new missionaries who are ready to be taught and shown how to be effective misisonaries.

Thanks for the support and love that you all show me!

Elder Porter