Temple Square is CRAZY! We have thousands of people here literally every day who are eager to learn more about the history and basic beliefs of the church. I LOVE it! My companion and I are seeing miracle after miracle each and every day! Sometimes when walking home I just want to cry because I am so full of gratitude. The Lord is trusting me to bring the light of the Gospel to so many people!
We met Jennifer and Lisa just outside the Assembly Hall a few days ago. Lisa is a wonderful member and Jennifer is a co-worker of hers from Arizona. They met for the first time last weekend as Jennifer came up for work but they have been corresponding for the last few years. Lisa was thrilled to have us walk around the grounds with them and share some more. Jennifer was so touched by the spirit. She is a young mother who teaches her 2 year old every day from the bible. They currently attend a non-denominational christian church but she still has felt empty. While we were explaining the temple I got a little emotional as I shared that many of the pioneers lost loved ones along the way but they knew that their families would be together forever. She suddenly just gave me a hug and said "thank you!!" We ended with her at the Christus and after playing the narration we shared our testimonies to her. She said that she felt that this was right and she was had never felt so "warm". With tears in her eyes she readily accepted to meet with the missionaries in Phoenix. SO WONDERFUL.
In the Referral Center I called Missy Squires. She is the mother of a sister missionary who previously served here Ashley Squires. Ashley joined the church a few years ago after feeling the spirit at temple square. She decided to serve a mission and was called to Temple Square and for part of her mission she served in Boston where I met her while attending the singles ward there!! Crazy I know.. So she came to the square with her fiance and referred her mother for me to call. Missy (mother) has met missionaries many many times but never felt the need to join the church. As I called her and got to know her on the phone she completely opened up to me. She said lately she has been ready to throw her hands up in the air and give up on life. I shared with her about the Restoration and related it to a Temple marriage. After explaining the importance of Temples I invited her to prepare herself to go to the temple someday with her daughter. She responded "I would want nothing more". I called Ashely back and was able to explain how her mother wants to meet with the missionaries and prepare herself to be baptized and go to the temple. Ashely was thrilled! I know that the Spirit prepared Missy for the message and that as a missionary the spirit helped me to know what to teach and share with her.
There are 20 new sisters as of last week serving at Temple Square. One of the sisters if from mainland China and I was very anxious to talk with her, having volunteered in China and falling in LOVE with the culture!! Well.... Sister Han is from Kunming China. Turns out that she was a student at the exact same school where I was volunteering!! Some of the LDS teachers there with my program had told her about BYU and so she started researching online. After finding out that it was a Churchy school she wanted to learn more. She was invited to come to the United States for a month so she could learn more about the church and stay with this volunteers family. She was baptized and moved back to China. Now she is serving with me here at Temple Square!! I could hardly believe it! It has been my dream to somehow share the Gospel with my Chinese friends from where I lived!!! MIRACLE! Have a wonderful week!!
With Love- Sister Carly Jo Porter
Alma 37:46 "do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way"
We met Jennifer and Lisa just outside the Assembly Hall a few days ago. Lisa is a wonderful member and Jennifer is a co-worker of hers from Arizona. They met for the first time last weekend as Jennifer came up for work but they have been corresponding for the last few years. Lisa was thrilled to have us walk around the grounds with them and share some more. Jennifer was so touched by the spirit. She is a young mother who teaches her 2 year old every day from the bible. They currently attend a non-denominational christian church but she still has felt empty. While we were explaining the temple I got a little emotional as I shared that many of the pioneers lost loved ones along the way but they knew that their families would be together forever. She suddenly just gave me a hug and said "thank you!!" We ended with her at the Christus and after playing the narration we shared our testimonies to her. She said that she felt that this was right and she was had never felt so "warm". With tears in her eyes she readily accepted to meet with the missionaries in Phoenix. SO WONDERFUL.
In the Referral Center I called Missy Squires. She is the mother of a sister missionary who previously served here Ashley Squires. Ashley joined the church a few years ago after feeling the spirit at temple square. She decided to serve a mission and was called to Temple Square and for part of her mission she served in Boston where I met her while attending the singles ward there!! Crazy I know.. So she came to the square with her fiance and referred her mother for me to call. Missy (mother) has met missionaries many many times but never felt the need to join the church. As I called her and got to know her on the phone she completely opened up to me. She said lately she has been ready to throw her hands up in the air and give up on life. I shared with her about the Restoration and related it to a Temple marriage. After explaining the importance of Temples I invited her to prepare herself to go to the temple someday with her daughter. She responded "I would want nothing more". I called Ashely back and was able to explain how her mother wants to meet with the missionaries and prepare herself to be baptized and go to the temple. Ashely was thrilled! I know that the Spirit prepared Missy for the message and that as a missionary the spirit helped me to know what to teach and share with her.
There are 20 new sisters as of last week serving at Temple Square. One of the sisters if from mainland China and I was very anxious to talk with her, having volunteered in China and falling in LOVE with the culture!! Well.... Sister Han is from Kunming China. Turns out that she was a student at the exact same school where I was volunteering!! Some of the LDS teachers there with my program had told her about BYU and so she started researching online. After finding out that it was a Churchy school she wanted to learn more. She was invited to come to the United States for a month so she could learn more about the church and stay with this volunteers family. She was baptized and moved back to China. Now she is serving with me here at Temple Square!! I could hardly believe it! It has been my dream to somehow share the Gospel with my Chinese friends from where I lived!!! MIRACLE! Have a wonderful week!!
With Love- Sister Carly Jo Porter
Alma 37:46 "do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way"
It was fun to see you there in May when we visited Temple Square with our son, Elder Partridge! This may be a strange question, but does Missy Squires have any background of living in Pennsylvania?
ReplyDelete*I'm quite sure Sis. Porter won't be reading this comment, but could you please pass it on to her? Thanks! Cynthia Partridge CynPartridge@msn.com