Week Five


From: Elise LaPorte 

Date: Thu, Jul 26, 2012 at 1:38 PM
Subject: This is the place!!!!!


Hello Family!!!!

Thank you for the uplifting words and pictures....I LOVE IT!!!! :) Well, I LOVE Temple Square!!! I am shocked on how much I get to teach...haha. I would say that about 70% of the people that we talk to are not members of the church and they are from ALL over. Wes, I taught two families from Jerusalem last Saturday, which was the NEATEST experience ever...I may have cried when talking to one of the Dads...we can't invite them to learn more because of where they are from but we could answer their questions. Seriously though, I have met people from EVERYWHERE...haha.  It's really neat and it is SO neat to be surrounded by sisters from all over the world (Baby Heaven...that is what I call it because I think it will be a little experience of what Heaven will be like) haha. Earlier today, I was thinking about how at first I could really tell all the sisters accents, but now I don't really...haha it's all a blend.  I think it is because we are all speaking the language of the gospel!!! :) This whole week has been a growing experience of my life. Haha...Missions have high and low points, but I have truly felt Heavenly Father's love for me. it is such a comfort to know that I am never alone and have someone to turn too. It's been a really neat experience as I have just turned everything over to the Lord and am giving it my ALL! Haha. I know that He will use everything that I will give Him...so I am giving it all I have. Okay, well one neat story before I go is that we have not had an investigator since my comp came from outbound and I am new but.....yesterday we were on chat and I was talking to a guy named, John and once I got him over our feelings about drugs (Word of Wisdom)...I invited him to know more and that I could teach him...after a pause he said, "YES!!!" There is more to the story than that, but know it was amazing and I was freaking out with excitement as you could image!!! Haha...Oooo one more quick story and then I have to go sooo we have to do something called an explorer day when get here and I did mine yesterday...we visit all the buildings in and around Temple Square..I wanted to just stay on the square and work...haha...but it ended up being really neat. My favorite place we went was the Relief Society Building were they took us around told us about how all the ladies donated five dollars back in the day to build the building. Anyways, they showed us the book were they had the names of all the ladies that donated...and all I knew was Grandma's mom's name, so I looked it up and there it was....I started to cry it was SOOO touching to me!!!   (I cry more now then I used too...all these sisters are teaching me to cry haha)   The whole building was neat and I had just the most amazing feeling in that building that I cannot explain!!! Well, I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOO much!!!!! Till next week!!! :) 

LOVE, Sister LaPorte

ps. Trent i love the essay you sent me using those script references and Wes do you know a Sister (Nat) Savage? LOVE YOU!!!! 

Week Four

From: Elise LaPorte
Date: Thu, Jul 19, 2012 at 12:30 PM
Subject: TEMPLE SQUARE!!!!! :)

Hello Family!!!!

I have arrived at last!!! :) I left the MTC yesterday at 6:30 and traveled the "long" distance that took about 45 mins and now I am here!!! Haha...I will just tell you now because I am sure you guys are dying...so my trainer/companion is Sister Mauga from Samoa! She is about half my size. Haha...when we first stood next to each other and hugged everyone was roaring with laughter. She just got back from her outbound so she is getting over the excitement of seeing everyone again and saying "hi"!!! Yesterday, I would lose her a lot, but I am getting better at spotting her.  Haha...it's making me have to stand up straight.  Haha...I love her and I know she was meant to be my trainer!! Before my mission, at the garden center I would always picture a poly being my trainer and I told Sister George this a few days ago AND yesterday morning...when we found out who we had Sister George freaked out and ran up to tell Sister Mauga I called it! Haha...I am not going to write a lot, because mom...I want to send you an email! I got your sweet letter Tuesday night...I am sorry you have SO many kidney stones...you're a trooper!!! Seriously, such an example of courage!! Ahhh...I will get to that later...haha...O and what is this? Everyone moving home in the Fall? I see wait till I leave and then everyone have a 6-month reunion!!! Haha...I am just kidding I am SOOO happy about...it actually has brought me such peace thinking of everyone at home!!! :) You guys are going to have a blast!!! :) Sooooo story time...one yesterday was my first official day on the square and guess were I got my first referral to....MORGAN HILL!!!! Haha...I have gotten ones before when we visited but this is my first one here to stay as a missionary!!!! I have a lot more to share but I want to write you a letter mom!!! :) I love you ALL SOOOO much!!!!! :) Trenton, I  know you gave it you all and I hope that your finals went smoothly....Wes, I do know Sister Vach..which brother do you know? Also, I love you!!! :) Dad, I hope your walks are going good :)....thank you for your quotes and spiritual uplift!!!! Till next Thursday!!! :)

Love, Sister LaPorte

ps. I saw Emily!!! I got up to the desk and they said that someone knew me and then I saw her walk by later but I could not say anything because i was helping a lady....I guess I am on a mission!!! hahaha 

Week Three

From: Elise LaPorte
Date: Fri, Jul 13, 2012 at 9:55 AM
Subject: This is it!!!

HELLO FAMILY!!!!!

I am sorry it took till Friday I did start Visitors' Center training this week, so my p-day got moved to today!!! I LOVE Visitor Center everything!!! haha I don't know a lot about what is going to happen in life but I know one thing is for sure i was born to do this!!! :) On Wednesday we went to TEMPLE SQUARE!!!! I haven't been there for long that I didn't even realize what being there would mean!!! SO blessed...the spirit is so strong there!!! The neat thing was as we got on the bus and walked around I just had this feeling like I was coming home!!! I just felt like I was walking around on a cloud!!! When we went to the bathroom before we got back on the bus, I was just like I don't want to leave this place...haha! I still love the MTC, though...haha! Soooo...I know more of what I will be doing. Haha...yesterday, I started REAL teaching!!! When you go on to mormon.org and it says "chat with us!" Well, the sisters missionaries at Visitors are US!!! We get to teach lessons, set up appointments and follow them to baptism.. SOOO neat!!! A lot of people don't want people coming to their homes so the program is taking off!!! They trained us on Wednesday night and BAM the next day we started! Sister Creal has a new comp till Monday because...well I am with all Sisters from here on out...haha! Sister George and I are comps and we are having a BLAST with LOTS of work...hahaha! So yesterday, we taught out first person online! His name was Mark and he taught and discussed a lot! It was SO neat to be really teaching as a missionary. After we got off, Sister George and I were saying a prayer for this son of God...it was really moving. I even teared up...haha...I am just SO happy that I get to have the blessing of teaching and sharing the joy and hope I have from Jesus Christ! To being able to seriously teach the whole world SO neat!!! haha I still can't comprehend it!!! Haha!

Okay, second neat thing was also yesterday night! During the day, we were taught on how to prepare, plan and teach...since its different in a Visitors' Center, because you never know who is going to come.  Our teacher said, "Make a plan in your head.  Pray and then visualize the person, what they look like,age, what they are wearing..etc. Then after you physically picture them spiritually picture them and what you think they are like, struggles, what they need.  Then you make a goal of who you see them becoming with the gospel in their lives and the goals you have for them."  So last night, we gave tours in the MTC to visitors that were coming but we didn't know anything about them so they asked us to practice this method.  I had an idea of an old lady before we prayed because that is what we got a lot of the night before but then we prayed. Sister George and I said a prayer. She turned to me after said what are you thinking and I told her what my thoughts were before the prayer and she said what are your thoughts now after the prayer. I thought about it and said I am not thinking about a old lady anymore...I am see a guy. She got really excited and said me too!!! We both went on to explain exactly what we thought he looked like and to both of us it was the same.  A man in his late 20's to early 30's, tall, kind of crazy hair, dress casual and then we talked about what his needs were and what we thought about him on the inside.  We planned a concept to teach based on what we thought his needs were. Well, prayers are real and the spirit is real.  That night, as we were standing in the "visitor center" room we were waiting for our teacher to sent a visitor our way! We looked over waiting seeing our teaching in the doorway and then around the corner came the the man that we had seen and pictured.  Our teacher could have sent him to anyone but pointed to us.  As he walked up to us my heart was beating SOO fast and I was just SOOO overcome with emotion. Man, I am crying just typing it...haha! We taught him and the spirit was SO strong!!! Hands down one of the neatest experiences of my life!!! Sister George and I were just SO moved! I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that watches over all of his children.  That he knows them by name, what they need and who they are!!! It will be a moment I will never forget!!!  I have to go!!! I know I am leaving a lot out but in the words of you mom!! I may forget all my stories to tell but I will never forget how much I really love all of you!!!

Love, Sister LaPorte

Week Two

From: Elise LaPorte
Date: Wed, Jul 4, 2012 at 8:16 AM
Subject: HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!!

O hey there family!!!!

 

HAPPY 4th of July!!! I had trouble login on haha still computer challenged so I will try to use the time I have left to write you all that I can!!! Well, I love the MTC haha...and yes, Dad, just like you thought I would!!! My feelings on it are honestly everything is a blurr everyday! Half the time I forget what meal I am about to eat everyday. Haha, my stomach usually start to have its "lions den" growl an hour before a meal and then I have to look to my planner on what meal I am on during the day!!! I love the work...and it is work, haha! It's funny, because I feel like what Elder Keller once wrote me when he said that he thought he always knew the gospel, but he just knew the the surface and that is how I feel sometimes. I am learning more then I ever thought. I LOVE IT!! Haha, I love teaching and I LOVE "Preach My Gospel"!!! Haha, kind of a neat moment was...last Thursday when I was going to bed...I didn't want to sleep.  I just wanted to skip it and start the next day working....the next morning, though, my eyes didn't feel the same way...but I got up anyways!! Haha...ahhh...I just love it!! I love that I can not think of myself.  One of the neatest things...which gets me choked up just writing it...is the fact that I don't feel afraid to read. I read with confidence now.  Haha...I realized it a few days in that when I read, I don't even have fear anymore. I know that I don't have problems anymore with reading, but I have always kept that fear when I reading which has always held me back and made me nervous reading out loud.  I realized that since I am not thinking of myself and just trying to read for more than just myself that I don't have fear. It has made it so that I have gotten over that something that I never thought that I would get over after all these years of fear built up!! O how I love grace!!! Okay, so I LOVE my companions...haha Sister George and Sister Creal are opposites. Haha...Sister George is from Lincoln, NC and she is straight up Mallory mixed with a little Katie...haha obviously no one can match Mallory but Sister George is A LOT like her. She is very sweet and a tendered-hearted person.  Sister Creal is from Indianapolis, Indiana.  It's funny because since she is black everyone thinks she is from Africa since she is going to Temple Square...even the the MTC President came up to her and asked her in the "o where are you from voice?" It gets us every time...haha! She is not like anyone I can compare too but she has a very good heart and great desires!!! I don't know why my original MTC comp didn't come, but I love being in this trio...I have grow so much from it!!! The blessing Wes gave me before I entered the MTC made SO much sense...haha!!! I love this work!! I love that I get to teach of testify of Christ every single day and think about him every hour!!! I LOVE my name tag...haha! I squealed the first few days every time I put it on or saw it!!! When I put it on and look in the mirror..I feel beautiful!!! It just makes me so happy with a joy I can't describe!!!! Haha...I love you guys!!! Have a happy fourth!!! Trent have fun with out me on the river in IF, Mom and Dad have fun at the duck pond tonight and Wes have fun with all those crazy EFY kids...haha...I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!

 

Love, Sister LaPorte

 

ps. Trent I play four square...legacy live on!!! :)

Week One

From: Elise LaPorte
Date: Wed, Jun 27, 2012 at 3:31 PM
Subject: MTC...apostles what?

HELLO FAMILY!!!

I LOVE the MTC!!!!! :) It's has one of the greatest feelings ever outside the Temple. Ahhhh, I just love it!!! The second day I started calling it "Mormon Disneyland" because that is really what it feels like. Okay I have 8 mintues to write because of all of your long emails which I LOVED...hahaha! Wes, I haven't met her and Trent, that might be the greatest date poem I have ever heard...if I have ever heard one...hahaha! Dad, tender words...thank you and Mom...haha...thank you for sharing your personal experiences of the MTC!!! Okay, well I love it here!!!! I believe in honoring my mother and father...so mom, I will try to give you as many details as I can in the next five mintues. Haha! When I got here those Elders took me away where I met my host sister who would show me my room and take me to get my name tag it was none other then Sister Sutton from my Meso-American tour I was SOOO happy. Forget the details, my comp never showed up, so I am in a trio with two other sisters going to Temple Square. Sister George and Sister Creal...LOVE them!!!! Ahhhh...I got to go!!! Sorry...more next week I read for too long!!! Use "dearelder.com" while I am here, so I can just use my half-hour to write!!! Plus, I am the only one who has not gotten mail so they are giving me a pitty party so at least send one so they will stop!!! Haha...ahhh time!! I LOVE you guys!!! I love this work SOOO much!!!

Love, Sister LaPorte

ps. 10 apostles came for the devotional and Elder Perry talked!!!! AMAZING, okay more on that next time bye!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!