I Am turning Asian!!! 2/23/10

I think maybe I was supposed to be born as an Asian? I LOVE Asian culture's with a passsssssssion. I am continuing to love my time with my cute companion from Japan, she is vonderful :)

Another wonderful week has come and gone. I think to say that I have had feeling's of inadequacy is an understatement ....:) It's okay though! I am doing great now. It just took me a few day's to understand how I can fulfill my responsibility as a district leader. I have simply been called to help these sister's understand how to serve, to love them, and to carry out what the President wants for the mission, more so what the Lord wants for each of us. We had our district meeting yesterday morning and it went soooo well! These Sister's are all amazing and we are going to learn a lot from each other this transfer.

So many good experiences this week! I would like to tell you a little bit about Michael Jolly. We met him taking Lot's of pictures in the North Visitor's center when he told us that he was just "touring", which usually means that they don't want to talk to us. We found him about 20 minutes later in the basement taking more pictures and I felt inclined to ask him why. He said well I am a Christian and my wife couldn't come, she would love these pictures. He then said "I'm can't believe you don't have any pictures of Joe Smith? I thought that you worshipped him?" This is something that we hear often at Temple Square and I LOVE it! This opens the gate for us to bear witness that we are centered on Jesus Christ and this is his true church on earth. So we began walking with him and explaining the Restoration and what we believe. He had Lot's of question's and kept on asking more. We then took him to a display of the Book of Mormon and my companion just started talking about prayer. He said he had never prayed before because he felt that God was far beyond us.. My companion testified to him that he could pray and had tears running down her face. He was silent for about a minute and none of us said anything. He then said "Thank you for sharing your heart with me.. I think.. think that I might try to pray". He really appreciated her testimony and the spirit that touched him. We then saw him about an hour later taking pictures outside of the Temple and he looked at her again and said "yes, I am going to pray, because of what you told me". SOOO COOL! Anyway.. I really liked Michael.

Yesterday we had tour after tour from people who were coming in and literally asking us for tour's which does not happen very often! Usually we just ask people if they would like to "walk around the square with us" because they get scared if we mention a tour. All of these people were so amazing and so prepared. Our mission has really been enforcing to pray throughout the day that the Lord will send prepared people here and I have literally seen a difference in the kind of people that come here. The power of prayer is so real!

I'm grateful for the Gospel. I am so grateful that the Lord knows each of us so individually that he gives us calling's and assignment's to strengthen us and shape us into better people. I promise you that the Lord knows you! If you have a calling or assignment that you don't understand then get on your knee's and ask Heavenly Father! We have to humble ourselves sometimes:) But I promise that it work's and that the Lord is waiting for us to come to him, so he can help us!

I forgot to tell about my experience a few week's ago when we sang for the Jewish Rabbi that came! I sang Consider the Lillies during their catered lunch hour. It was neat to see that when we I stood to sing that everyone simply stopped eating and discussing so they could listen. 2 other sister's sang as well. The Rabbi came to us afterward and told us that he felt something special and that we were simply beautiful angel's uplifting his day... so it was good :)

I was also called as the Organist for this transfer! Every Sunday morning we meet in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building chapel for our meeting at 7:30 AM. It is all the sister's and couples serving at TMSQ with our Mission Presidency presiding. We always have wonderful meeting's! haha I really don't know how to play the Organ but I am managing it okay. My companion and I were practicing the other day when the TMSQ organ tuner came in, so he gave me the rundown on everything and let me see behind the organ pipes! 4500 pipes! So cool!

I love the Gospel, I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and love the Book of Mormon. I strongly believe that the day we stop reading the Book of Mormon is the day we begin distancing ourselves from the Savior. That is scary! Soo... never stop reading, it will protect us and give us the guidance we need at this time!

We are all part of the greatest work on earth! I love you all!

-Love Sister Carly Jo Porter

"For the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled"- Mormon 8:22