Week 6 at MTC

Hey Everyone....so not a lot has happened this week....just a lot more studying and a lot more teaching....I honestly have nothing to report....Our district is working on a song that we might sing at a devotional.....and yesterday we moved classes into the newly renovated 4M building....Its super nice!!!! the classroom is bigger and there's an investigator/interview room with a picture of a bear with her cubs so of course I claimed eternal dibs on it!! Its getting really cold up here but its also super nice!!! Also last night I got kind of sick and I was up all night with nausea and a really sore throat...I went to the clinic this morning and the doctor thinks I just have a virus but I'm doing okay now....I'm just really tired....That's all thats really happened....Thank You All for your support!! Keep me updated!!!!

P.S. I'm loving Hebrews 11 (the whole chapter) right now. I'm always changing what my favorite part of the scriptures are, but right now Hebrews has it!

Love Elder Porter

Picture of me and Elder Elledge...

Me and the Utah mountains (can't wait until it's me and the Tahiti mountains)...

Pictures...because my mom asked for them!

    Me and Elder Hill being awesome!

Me and my district...being awesome!

Our windowsill

Me and Elder Hill contemplating awesomeness!

Your Welcome.

Soccer and Uno

​Hey Everybody....so this week hasn't been that exciting.....​Its just been a lot of class time!! I honestly have nothing to talk about.....The most exciting thing that's happened is that Chad Lewis came and spoke to us on Sunday.....His talk was super entertaining.....I honestly have nothing else to tell....My room played Uno all night for my b-day party and we play soccer every night which is super fun!!! Elder Heno(who's French) and Elder Spoors(who's British) play with us and its really funny to watch them play each other!! My testimony is growing everyday and I'm trying really hard to love the people I'm eventually going to teach....I love you all and Thank You for your support!!!

Love,

Elder Porter

Elder Spoors, Me and Elder Hill

Kind of homesick and birthday presents!!

Hi mom, I'm good!!! The MTc is awesome.....I'm kind of homesick though...I miss Raya and Jacy alot! And thanks for the Birthday stuff....the ugly ties are the envy of the entire MTC and the rubiks cube and the Uno cards made me and my zone so happy!!! best birthday presents ever!!! Thank you So much! LOve You!!!!!

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My Family. From left to right. Jason (Dad), Ren (brother), Jacy (sister), Raya (sister), Matt (brother), 

Alice (niece), Monica (sister-in-law), Cole (me), Julie (Mom)

Art that my sisters, Raya and Jacy, have sent me, hung on my MTC closet door!

New Elders

Hey Everyone.....So this week has been crazy.......we got a bunch of new elders from France, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia...Some of them speak English and some of them don't....Its been crazy...​Its been a challenge to communicate with them however they are all awesome...Elder Brunet, see picture below, (who's from a small town on the border of France and Switzerland) told me that his girlfriend is going to Gilbert on her mission...I don't know what her name is but i'll find out and you can watch out for her....The Sunday devotional was given by a guy who's in charge of the church missionary media...he showed us how to use technology to teach and a new special project that I'm not allowed to discuss...We started french yesterday even though our Tahitian is purely doctrinal Tahitian...I can teach repentance and baptism but not how many children someone has or what they do for work....it'll be a challenge...Our teacher Orometua Maples has talked to us a lot about Tahiti...he just got back like 8 months ago...I'm so excited!!! Tahiti sounds awesome....The church is true and the MTC is awesome!!! I love you all and miss you!!! Talk to you next week!!

Elder Brunet

What A Blessing!!

What an amazing blessing it is to be at the MTC at the same time as my Grandpa Alan Porter and his wonderful wife Patti. 

Me and Elder Hill (my MTC companion)

Uncle chad, Aunt Cami and ugly ties!

Hi mom, I dont remember all the questions you asked....and i dont know how often Ill be able to send pictures because it takes ten minutes to send just one picture because of all the restrictions on the computer...can you tell uncle chad thanks for his letter!! It was super awesome and really helpful!! It made my day to get a letter from him!!! and can you tell aunt Cami thanks for her letter too!!!!?? I dont know if i need anything else...just cheap snacks like goldfish and stuff......and can you pick up/send any really ugly or cool ties....Elder hill and I started an underground tie ring....we've been doing really good in that business!! I love you Mom!! and ill email you next week!!! 

Love Elder Porter!!

Tahitian is Cool!

Hey Everybody! This last week has been awesome. General conference was super awesome to watch and on Sunday Vai Sikahema gave a devotional and it was the best talk I've ever heard!! He just told a lot of stories about all his missionary experiences. He's way cool. Last Wednesday we got to do a thing called TRC (Teaching Resource Center). We had to give a 10 minute lesson to actual members either from Tahiti or fluent in Tahitian. They speak really fast!! Bro Parsons went on his mission to Tahiti in 1960 and he was extremely surprised to know that we had only been learning Tahitian for two weeks. We're starting French on Tuesday. Tonight we're meeting all our international missionaries. They're either from France or Vanuatu. Elder Hill and I are really clicking. We go hard at teaching!! I love you all!! Thank you for your support. Ua ite au e, e parau te Varua Maitai i to tatou aau e i to tatou feruriraa. Ua ite au e, ua here Te Atua ia tatou. E parau mau te evanelia. E parau mau te Puta A Moromona! Ua here au ia outou!! Na'Na 

Grandpa Porter, Patti and Me in the MTC

My Grandpa Alan Porter and his wife Patti just joined me at the MTC! They are going to serve a mission in Cape Verde, Praia (Portuguese speaking)! How amazing is it to be at the MTC with my grandparents? Only drawback....they take embarrassing photos of me while I'm eating!

Me and other elders eating lunch!

Me and my Grandpa Porter and Patti in front of "the map"!

The Spirit (week 2)

So Ive had a lot of spiritual experiences!! Ive learned a lot about how to teach people and how to bring the Spirit into the lesson. We had a district meeting the other day and it was super cool. Each elder gave a 5 min lesson on a specific aspect on the Book Of Mormon...the Spirit was so strong! We all felt the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon!! One thing I really miss is going to the temple with you Mom! Its probably the thing I miss most! So I was super excited to be able to go to the Provo temple however it felt different. Usually when I go to the temple I receive the impression that the work I'm performing there is the most important thing I can do and I never want to leave the Celestial Room. However at the Provo temple it felt different. As soon as I got into the Celestial Room I had the strong impression that told me, " Even though temple work is of a great importance, the calling of a missionary is of greater importance." No missionary likes staying in the Celestial room...the Spirit whispers to you that, "you need to leave because you've completed all that you've needed to do and that it is time to go back to work." It's a really interesting feeling. I love you all so much....Ua here au ia outou atoa.

I know the gospel is true.....Ua ite au e, e parau mau te evanalia. The MTC is awesome....E mea oaoa i te MTC. Na'Na!!!

Me and Elder Hill (my companion) in front of the Provo Temple

The MTC life (week 2)

So, this past week has been super crazy!! All the French Elders left and So Elder Hill and I are the new zone leaders. M. Russel Ballard spoke to us on Tuesday which was super cool. Its been a lot of class time and a lot of studying!! The food here isn't too bad...the salads are pretty good. Elder Hill and I both caught a cold....which was super fun!! So on Sunday I was trained on how to  be a zone leaders and its a lot of work...today for example...some elders from France are arriving and I have to show them around and stay with them the whole day. Then tomorrow, we're getting a shipment of 22 elders and 20 sisters...and Elder hill and I are in charge of them all. Its so crazy!! I've barely been here for two weeks. Elder Hills birthday was yesterday so to celebrate we ate a bunch of dougnuts and played with a bunch of sticky hands his parents gave him. Then we went to workout at the gym and both of us lifted so many weights that we both puked afterwards and neither of us can walk today!! It was awesome!! The french elders that left yesterday gave us a lot of parting gifts...namely: a small cactus, a small christmas tree, 25 pounds of junk food, a moose head signed by all the zone leaders, handdrawn pictures, and all their garbage!! they also snuck into out room in the middle of the night and placed cookies everywhere....it was really creepy!! I love you all!!!

MTC, first day and big news

 So I don't have a lot of time right now...but ill try to tell you everything that's happened. So the first day was super confusing!! I had no idea what was going on. Another Elder showed me to my room and immediately he took me to my class where "Orometua Maples" only spoke Tahitian to me. We learned a lot of Tahitian vocab that day. I met my comp Elder Hill. He's awesome!! The MTC is awesome!! We have 12-13 hours of class a day. We got to watch a video of a talk by David A. Bednar on Sunday and it was the best thing I've ever heard. Our branch Presidency is so amazing and nice. On Sunday Branch President Barker pulled just me aside for an interview. It was super cool to talk to him. He said he liked my spirit which was why he singled me out. Oh and big news, the Tahitian mission has the longest stay of any mission in the MTC. 12 WEEKS!!!! 6 weeks of each language (French and Tahitian) but im excited. People say the Tahitian missionaries get a lot respect since we are here so long. I'll send some pictures later today and I'll write some more but I got to go now. Ua here au ia TATOU.  I love you All!!

-- 

Love,

​Orometua​ 

Cole Porter

Life in the Provo MTC

Elders working hard learning the Tahitian Language!​

​Hey so I just have a couple more minutes! How are you all doing? And by the way mom I did send a lettter!! it might just take time for it to get there. Thank you for your letters and for the doughnuts! all the elders really appreciated it! My tahitian is coming along!! its so much fun to speak!! I love you all!! 

Reunited!!

Seeing two of my best friends at the MTC....

Me, Elder Drexton Tanner (Portland, Oregon Mission) and Elder Robbie Konieczny (Santa Rosa, California Mission)

Heading for MTC

I got my mission call! I'm going to serve in Tahiti, Papeete mission for the next two years. I'm packed and ready to head to the MTC.

                                                     Me and my parents at the airport......

Me and the rest of my family saying goodbye at the Airport!