June 9, 2014

Hi Everyone,

So this week was full of good things. We got permission to get bikes from Pres. Thomas and some members gave us one and Elder Hindes bought one. So we’ve been biking around. So yesterday after church we went out to the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation reserve and went around locating less actives. We had a family come to church from out there and it turns out I was teaching her brother in Winnipeg. Anyways so we went out there and we talked to a bunch of people and just knocked on random doors trying to find people. The reserve out there was so spread out. We found a family out there and I got to know the sons super well. Both sons each had 8 guitars and since they lived far from any of their friends they were pretty starved for attention cause they have no friends on the reserve. So anyways I was talking to them and they were demonstrating all of their guitars for me and they were super good at playing. We were out there with our ward mission leader and they were locating people while I was just building the relationship. They want us to come out in a few months for a pow wow, and on june 20th we’re going out there for this giant walk to end violence against Aboriginal women and the kids from the family are going to walk with us. It will look so funny with two white kids in goofy clothes walking around but it should be super fun. It was a great experience and since its only 26 miles away were going to bike out there every other week or so to teach, and were trying to get a sacrament meeting started out there for all the less active members. It should be super great. oh and President said if we can find a reliable member to stay with out on the reserve that we can stay there overnight. It will be way fun. I love these people!

I called a friend up on the Waywayseecapo reserve about 2 hours from here and I talked to her about us coming up and visiting on the 21st of June and she freaked out and wanted us to come up so bad and said that she wants her 12 year old to be baptized. So were going to teach him hopefully over skype after we meet him and visit, and we would go up each month. I’m super excited about the whole thing. 

I got to box with this less active member named Brad Peters. Brad is a super good guy. He’s gone through a lot and he was a good fighter. We will teach him every week. We’ve been talking to everyone everywhere and it’s been great. I saw a less active member unloading drums on his yard and asked him some stuff and he said he was getting rid of boxing equipment and he had me go into his house with him and he just gave me this really nice speed bag. It was nice. We even talked to his twin sister and his mom. They want us to come back on Wednesday and they even gave us another less active lady to stop by, who we did, and she talked to us for an hour without taking a breath. 

Well it was a super good week and I’m loving it here in Brandon. I miss all the close friends I made in Winnipeg but I know ill see you all again. I love you all and thanks for all the support. I know this church is true. 

Elder Porter

Elder Hindes and I on the Reserve