Week 69 (Is It Any Wonder?... Kean)

Heyy! Well, looks like transfer #2 up here in the Mountains! I will be with Elder Knaphus again which will be nice. We are excited to see the work continue fluidly as it already has. It will be weird with the weather the way it is now because this friday we will be driving down to the Valley for a meeting. I hear that it is in the ballpark of 75 degrees down there. I will be burning in comparison to the 25ish degrees that it is up here. Hehe. Oh well. We are not sure who we have in our Zone yet, but we are excited to find out. Transfer meeting is going on as I speak. There are some very special people that we are working with who are preparing for baptism. It is interesting to see the Lord's hand in all that we do if it be right and just. It is a great testimony to me to see it every day. I was listening to a conference talk by Elder Richard G. Scott from April, 2009 Conference about going to the Temple. I am excited for the day when I have a chance to visit more regularly and make the Temple a permanent part of my life. For those considering it, make it a goal to go the Temple; to be worthy of it and enjoy the Spirit that is felt there. It is real and it is there to help us progress. I love the many blessings that our Heavenly Father bestows upon us to bless us in this journey through life. Until next week!

-Elder LaPorte =)

Week 68 (This Is It! Make No Mistake About It... )

Hello!! Well, this is the last week of my first transfer here in Show Low. It is kinda strange to think about because I cannot remember where the days have gone. Time has flown by SO fast. Happy Birthday to all of you who have a birthday in February! I haven't had much time to write letters so I wish you well from here. We have a baptism planned for this weekend which we are looking forward to and I will now have a memory card with which I can take pictures. Haha. My Mom, at the end of one of her e-mails said, share with us your hopes and your dreams. I realized I have not done the best job of expressing some of those daily things that make this experience so important to me. From time to time my point of view changes as to what I see this experience as. Obviously, in all moments I recognize the reality of my purpose to bring others to Christ through Faith, Repentance, and Baptism by immersion and the Holy Ghost. However, from time to time, I have a little moment where I realize the gravity of how much more this affects. This time, as I have tried to constantly remember, is preparing me for everything else that I do in time and eternity. Thus, my hopes and dreams result in simple improvements in who I am because of what I know it will prepare me to be as a husband and father. Patience, love, communication, hope, faith, diligence, thoughtfulness, kindness and forgiveness take on a greater role in all I do. These things not only serve in how I deal with my companion, ward members, fellow missionaries and investigators, but they also help me see how I can develop these attributes to the benefit of my future relationships with my wife, my children, my friends and family, and those of my work and community. Keeping the importance of these habits and dispositions in mind, helps me step up to the plate and do things that I might not otherwise render important. I not only serve with a hope of how it will affect those in my immediate missionary life, but also those with whom I will assosciate with forever. Most importantly, all of these things serve as motivation because of my desire to be like the Lord. I want Him to recognize me because He is seen in my countenance. I want to recognize Him because I have come to know Him throught the life that I live. I want to be considered faithful and worthy when I see Him and my Heavenly Father once again. I want to please them. I know that it is possible and I know that it is real. I will see Them again and great will be the day. I love the hope that the Gospel brings and the way that it can affect all that we do and say. This life IS a time for me to prepare to meet God. Be ready. Thank you for all of your love. I feel it daily.

-Elder LaPorte =)

More Even!

More Pictures

Pictures

Week 67 (Irreplaceable...B)

Hey!

Not much time to write but a lot of great things have happened in the past week. This last weekend a very sweet girl named Chassadi was baptized. It was a beautiful ceremony that I am sure brought tender feelings to many of her family that aren't members and those that have been away from the Church for a while. She will be a great blessing to her family. Today I got to go to the Snowflake Temple which was nice. It is small but very pretty. On the way back from the Temple I got a call from Elder Shiffler who is still down in Tempe who gave me the news of a baptism of someone we put on date before I left. He also told me of 7 other baptisms of people that we were working with before I left. It filled my heart in a way that I cannot describe. The Lord blesses us with what we need. Always. I am grateful for this work and this opportunity to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. It is true. All of it. Until next week!

-Elder LaPorte =)

Week 66 (Around The Clock... T.R.S.)

Hello, hello! Well according to my Mother, snow will come again! Luckily we have a solid windshield this time. Last week we had the baptism of a sweet lady by the name of Monique Mora from France. She likes my last name :) hehe Anyways, she is loving the Church and the peace that it has brought to her life. She was able to quit smoking after 40 years! She has some other great challenges to deal with and is a great inspiration. This transfer is going SO fast, but great! Someone that I am really fond of in my last area of Tempe is getting baptized this Saturday as well. She is a wonderful and strong lady. I love her testimony. The harder and longer I serve, the more my heart is full. This work is truer than anything else I know and I love it. The time is dwindling down but I am grateful for every moment that the Lord affords me. Take care!

-Elder LaPorte =)