Blazing, incredibly Hot Weather!

Hey everyone!!

So this week was fun!! First off, it looks like Elder Barlow and I are moving in with the Assistants at Taunoa. Our area where we teach is called Papeete 2. Papeete 2 is also the AP's area so we do a lot of teaching with them. Living with them will just make it easier for us to coordinate lessons and also they can drop us off everyday in our sector. Papeete is a really big city and where we've been living was pretty far away from where we actually teach so we'd spends hours walking to our sector.  We are now going to be able to coordinate our efforts together. I'm very excited, but I'll miss living with my buddy, Elder Heno.

So this week was extremely difficult, physically. It was EXTREMELY hot. I think it was 92 degrees, but with 90% humidity. Super demanding physically. And we did a lot of walking. I'm grateful to have Elder Barlow as my comp though. He's really nice and very funny and we get along perfectly. Plus he's a very hard worker and helps motivate me to workout and work hard. 

So where to begin? On Tuesday we had a lesson with David and Heimiti. We planned really well on Monday night. We planned an awesome lesson about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We talked about the remission of sins, repentance and baptism. We asked her if she would like to be washed of her sins and she said yes. Then we asked if she was going to be baptized and she said yes again! Then came the big question. We asked if she was going to get married as soon as possible to be ready for the baptism. She thought for a bit and then said yes to that! We were very excited!! 

We had a little hiccup with Junior and Flora. There dad was against their baptisms. So with the wards help, we visited them Thursday night. After about an hour we convinced him to say yes. However, he used the "dad card" and made his kids feel guilty about being baptized. So now they are no longer interested. We are going to keep teaching them but we had to cancel their baptism for this saturday. We'll keep praying and teaching and with the Lord's help, hopefully their dad's heart will be softened and they will be able to get baptized.

Another cool thing that happened this week is that it's Rangiroa's temple week (does everyone remember Rangiroa. It's the little Atoll I served on for several months). So all the members from Rangiroa are staying at the temple apartments all this week. It was awesome to see everyone. Raatini was someone I taught last year and now he's here to do baptisms for the dead! Its awesome! Its really cool to see the progress he made!

Thats about it. Elder Barlow and I worked very hard this week. There were moments where I just wanted to go home and take a nap but I didn't. We found a lot of new investigators this week thanks to our hard work. One of my favorite quotes is " The Lord cannot guide our steps if we are not walking." I can testify that if we walk, and work and move the Lord will guide us and we will accomplish something great. I've seen it over and over again!

I love you all!! Have a good week!

Love,

Elder Cole Porter

Reunited with my friends from Rangiroa!! Here's me and President Huri (he's the branch president in Rangiroa.

Me and my buddy Elder Heno

A banana tree growing in our backyard

Humility

Hey Everyone!! Hows it goin?! So this week was awesome. It was a lot of hard work!! 

Last Monday, we had a FHE with the Assisstants and some of their investigators. Its a couple and they're getting married this Saturday and then the husband will be baptized. The ward has been awesome these last couple of weeks. Between us and the Assistants, we have gotten a baptism a week. The ward is the best in the mission for baptisms and member references. Its awesome working here!

We started teaching David and Heimiti. David is an inactive member and Heimiti is his girlfriend. They have been living together for like 4 months now. David wants to get married and he wants to return to church and Heimiti agreed to meet with us. It was a little difficult at first. She was pretty scared of us. Half of the lesson was silence because we'd ask a question and she would just sit there. But we finally broke through and made her laugh and its going to be better now.

We've been teaching a young kid named Junior. He's really smart and he wants to be baptized next Saturday! He understands the lessons very well. This week we have to talk with his parents to make sure they're okay with it. 

Saturday, we had the baptism of Skyano and Madeleine his mom. His mother had been excommunicated, but thankfully has come back to the church. They got baptized together. It was an amazing service. The Spirit was very strong and it was very peaceful. It was cool to be a part of that special moment for this family.

This week I learned the importance of being humble. I've learned that Heavenly Father sometimes gives us trials because he wants us to grow closer to him. I noticed that when I was the most humble, the Spirit was stronger as I spoke; I felt more guided in my words. I guess when we are humble we sacrifice our will for His will so that our actions are His actions and our words, His words. I'm praying with all my heart to continue to always let His will guide me!

​ I love you all! Have a good week!!!​

Elder Cole Porter

Madeleine and Skyano's baptism