Week 12: Feliz Navidad!!!!!!

I have officially made it through my second cambio (transfer).  Sisters only have 12 cambio I believe, so 10 more! Feliz Navidad everyone! Its a bit weird for me to think Christmas is this week, probably because of the weather.  Its like spring here.  Its absolutely perfect for me, but everyone else is dying of cold apparently, or so says my companion.  Id like to see her spend one day in Utah weather, haha.

Yezmin is getting baptized officially this Next Tuesday!! It was set for this Saturday, but this Saturday is also the ward temple trip, so we had to move it :P.  She is so excited and is so amazing! She keeps all of her commitments, does all of her assignments, and always says how she can see the blessings of the Gospel already in her life!!

This last Friday was the Ward Christmas Party which was fun, we had 3 investigators show up which was great.  Sadly we couldn't stay because we had to be back at the house at 9.  Also that night we were in an internet and were leaving and I became friends with a cactus plant when it got caught on my skirt on the stairs and fell on me.  Thankfully I only had to pull one needle out of my skin.

The Fernandez Family! Love them!

Then we had the Stake Christmas program, where the four of us hermana's sang in front of everyone.  We had about two days to practice and we couldn't even practice the day of, we just winged it.  But it was all good! I also had to speak in Sacrament Meeting, and I prepared my talk that morning...haha, but it was also good.  Although, I read my talk off a piece of paper.

This week we have meeting with our Zone and with Presidente, and Hermana L. is going to call home, and we get to return to casa at and I get to call home and also return to casa at.  I just cant believe this year is almost over!! I think that its cool I will be a 3 year missionary (2015, 2016, 2017).  

Cant wait to see what the new year will bring! Hopefully, lots of investigators and better Español!  I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and to really meditate the true meaning of this holiday.  A Savior has been born! It is only one time a year, so cherish it!!!

Love you all!! 

Hermana Boice

We are feasting on the words of Christ.

We had 2 members, Liz and Zelzin accompany us on our lessons!

My new friend that I ran into the night of the Christmas party, Thankfully, they moved it off the stairs so my skirt doesn't get caught anymore.  :)

Week 11: Parahgaricutirimicuaro

Hola!!

Okay, first off, the subject of my email.  It is a word here that is a sort of tongue twister, it took me a whole day of saying it over and over again, but I finally got it!!!

This week was super fast and not too much happened.  One day this week we didn't have a lunch appointment, and so a member paid for some food at one of the tiendas, which is pozole.  I like pozole, but I feel like its all I eat.  I had a nice little surprise in it.  Pig cheek! And you know how I know it was pig cheek? It had all the little hairs still.  Blah.  That same day Hermana L. wanted tacos in the street, and the meat was fried intestines.  It actually really wasn't that bad.  I love eating tacos!  And I really shouldn't be eating in the streets, but they are just so good! I haven't gotten sick.  I think in total I have eaten around 25, so I must be a true Mexican.

  

The weather right now is absolutely perfect!! Its cold for everyone else, but its like spring and I love it!  There is a certain food here called Churros, and they are kind of like Cheetos, but a lot more airy.  I feel like I am eating straight butter and air, but they are so delicious! Hermana L. and I bought 2 huge bags of them. One bag is about twice the size of my pillow...haha.  If I gain weight from anything, it will be this.

We are getting super excited for the 27th because Yezmin (Jazmin, we got her name wrong this whole time) is getting baptized!!!! She is just so amazing and we love her.  Tonight we are going to be teaching her and her daughters about baptism a bit more, and how her daughters also have the opportunity to be baptized.

Sorry if I didn't email you this week! I really didn't have much time to email today, hopefully next week!!!

I want to encourage everyone to visit the site www.mormon.org/christmas and watch the two short videos on why we celebrate Christmas.  And share them on social media, so that others that may not know why, can understand and feel the Spirit.

Love you all!

Hermana Boice

We just love our Chapalita! I had no idea that the guys in the background where totally photo bombing.  :)

So before my mission, I went to the Mexican consulate in Utah and met a missionary there that was leaving to Guadalajara East?? I found her again!! Hermana K.

Week 10: First month in Tlaquepaque!!!!

Hola Todos!!!

First month down in the mission!!!! I can't believe all of the progress that I have made since I left the CCM, although I am still not completely fluent in Spanish quite yet.  I can't believe that it is winter! It feels like summer here and I love it, my farmers tan is really starting to show now.  

Lets see, the highlights of this week.  Yesterday was AMAZING because our investigator J. came to church, and got up and bore her testimony!!! It was a really good meeting, although we went over 30 minutes.  But I just love our ward even more.

Package from Karatassos's and Activity Day girls.

A huge thank you to the Karatassos family and the girls in Activity Day's for their package.  It was a wonderful surprise! My companion has never had Taffy or No-Bake Cookies before so she really enjoyed it, too.  I don't remember what day it was this week, but we came home and found the biggest cockroach I have ever seen in my life.  I really dont know how to explain its size, probably the size of a pickle. But it didn't die the first time Hermana L. stepped on it (I don't have the courage yet) because it was so big. And it made a really nasty crunch. Bleh!

This week also we were on a bus, and there were sooooo many people!!! I think I counted around 87 people más o menos.  It was awful!  So this last Saturday I believe, we were at J.'s house and she had a nephew there that was around 10 years old.  We were saying hello to her daughters by kissing them on the cheek and then I reached my hand out and shook his hand and he went in for a kiss on the cheek faster than I had time to react.  Its a normal thing here, but as a missionary it doesn't matter the age.

And yesterday we went to the Christmas Devotional.  The MoTab was wonderful!!! I will be honest that I couldn't really get much out of the devotional because it was in Spanish.  I never thought much of the voices of the Apostles, but I really was missing President Uchtdorf's voice.  Hermana L. asked me if I understood the Devotional and I said yes, they talked about the birth of Jesus Christ.  My default answer. After the devotional, a member gave us a ride home and I wore a seat-belt for the first time in 2 months, it was weird...haha.

Activity with  zone and yes, I am red because I am hot!

On Friday we had splits in our zone and I went with Hermana A. in her area.  It was super fun.  She doesn't speak any English, so I really had to use all of my knowledge of Spanish.  Today we had an activity with our zone and played with water balloons.  And I got 5 buckets of water dumped on my at different times by the elders. My poor shoes are boats right now.

Tengan una buena semana!!!!

Con amor,

Hermana Boice

Our lunch for Thursday...we had a fiesta!

Tacos fritos and these are so good!  I had three of these.  :)

Week 9: Broken Hearts and Contrite Spirits

HOLA!

First and foremost, and I want to wish my little brother Ethan Feliz Cumpeaños!!!!!!!! I can't believe you are already 13!!!

The 2 month mark with 16 more to go.

Well, now I feel like the days are flying by! I feel like it was Monday two days ago, although that really isnt a bad thing haha. First things first!! Last Sunday one of our members Hermana T. brought a friend of hers to church.  We got her name and address and set an appointment with her.  You have heard of golden investigators, but she is pure gold! She so amazing and I just love her!!  She has two daughters.  We had a lesson with her on Friday on the Restoration.  At the end of the lesson, we asked her if she will pray to know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and she told us that she didn't need to, because she believes he was, and she believes that the Book of Mormon is true also! She came to church yesterday with her family, and the sacrament meeting talks were all about the temple and family history.  And now she is super excited to do her family history work! She is scheduled to be baptized in December.  We also had two other investigators at sacrament meeting.  It was really great that they came to church, even though they were a bit confused during the whole thing because we hadn't had our first lesson with them yet, haha.  But they are both great.  

So I talked a bit about the guy last week and how he only wants to learn English.  Well, we had a lesson with him on Wednesday, and decided to do the lesson in English.  We figured that it is better that he listens to the lessons than not at all.  This lesson was directed by me which was super weird.  And it seems now that I don't know two languages.  I kept stuttering the whole time because I kept saying Spanish words and couldn't remember how to say them in English. So we asked him what he aspires in these lessons, and the only thing he said was to learn more English........I will admit that that made me a tiny bit frustrated.  But we continued on.  I felt the spirit really strong in the lesson, and at the end was expressing the feelings of the Holy Ghost.  Then he asked us a question that I think was inspired.  He asked how he can feel the peace and the joy of the Holy Ghost.  We told him that he can feel it only when he is doing his part, when he is praying, or reading the scriptures, that the Spirit doesn't come to us out of our curiosity.  I really hope that maybe this will spark something in him.

Anyway, on to other short stories! We went to K.'s house to give her a lesson, and were standing outside her door.  She opened and started to let us in.  For some reason Hermana L. just stopped right in the doorway to talk to her and so I was left outside.  Then I heard someone calling to me, and I looked and there was this guy 2 doors down, that was calling at me, and not saying the nicest of stuff.  So I tried to get into the house but Hermana L. was blocking the way, so I started shoving at her in the back and tried to push her in the house. I got in eventually. K. lives with her two brothers and her baby, so we talked for a bit with them.  When they left, K. turned to me and said that her brother really likes me. Awkward........

Hermana L. told me that because I am American, pretty much 99% of the men here are going to like me, and then proceeded to tell me that I will be breaking a lot of hearts.  I told her that that is totally fine, now we just need to work on getting them to have contrite spirits! 

3 Nephi 9.20 ´' ......And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost.......´'

Boom, missionary purpose!

You could say that with some of our lessons with less actives, its like sitting on pins and needles. Thankfully with Y., she is super sweet and our conversations are really good.  But I never thought that 'sitting on pins and needles' would ever actually happen physically.  But as we sat down on her couch, Hermana L. jumped up immediately with a surprised look on her face.  Low and behold, there was an actual needle sticking up out of the couch.  I guess its just a thing that we can never avoid.

Thanksgiving Dinner

On Saturday, I was surprised to hear that we had a breakfast appointment with C., who feeds you a lot! And then we had lunch 2 hours later, and then we had dinner appointment.  That never happens! My stomach is sure stretching.

Last but not least, on Friday we got served tea in a lesson, which I hate tea, can't stand the stuff, don't worry, its just fruit juice heated up.  But I told Hermana L. that I hate hot chocolate too.  So later at our lunch appointment, guess what I got served??? Yup, hot chocolate.  Murphy's Law at its finest.

Well, that is all! Love you all and have a good week!

Hermana Boice

Found this is in one of the books of J.'s kids for school, look familiar? Nephi??? 

Week 8: I Never Thought I Wouldn't Want to Speak English.....

This week thankfully went by a lot faster than the last!  Lots a good stuff happened.  I don't have ants anymore! So that is super great! We have a lot of cockroaches though, mostly in our study room and the kitchen.  Better than spiders!

So, don't be surprised if you hear that I broke my ankle, because I feel like that is going to happen really soon.  All of the sidewalks are broken and lifted because of tree roots, I feel like I am hiking sometimes.  I have a nickname that people use in the streets a lot.  Its Gúerita which pretty much means white blonde girl.  Which honestly, there are whiter people here than me sometimes, and they are Mexican.  

So Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Its super cute because Hermana L. and G. are giving me and Hermana D. a little Thanksgiving.  All the Christmas decorations are going up already here.  We were able to go to the temple this last Thursday with Hermana O. who got her endowments out.  She has 5 kids and they swarmed me and Hermana D., asking us to teach them English words.  One little girl just stood in front of me and stared at my eyes for 10 minutes.  She also kept reaching up to touch my hair.  Its something that I am used to now.  The two little girls I talked about last week with the "My Little Pony's" would take their little combs for their dolls and comb though my hair.

So, about the title of my email this week.  I get very excited when I can speak English! Although most of the time, if I am talking to someone in Spanish and they say a something in English, it doesn't really process in my mind and so I just respond in Spanish. Just yesterday at church, a young man came to sacrament meeting that I didn't know.  Hermana L. told me that he has only ever listened to lessons when there is an american so that he can practice his English.  Hermana L. and her last companion Hermana C. are both Mexican, and when they ran into him, they talked about having another lesson with him, which he declined.  Saturday, apparently he was on the bus and saw me.  And now he is coming to church. He came up to us after sacrament meeting and immediately was asking if he can practice English with me.  Hermana L. was very direct with him, and asked him what he thought of the church and if he has received an answer.  He said that he felt the book of Mormon was true, but honestly he just seemed like he was making it up.

So we had a lesson with him after church to where I proceeded to teach in Spanish, to find out if he was really only interested in learning English.  I could tell from his facial expression that he was a bit upset when I taught in Spanish. After the lesson, we were very direct with him that I was only going to teach in Spanish for the lessons, we could talk maybe for 10 minutes before or after, but that's it.

This last week we were able to have 4 investigators commit to a baptism date! Its so awesome! One of them is the family that came to church last week and was an answer to Hermana L.'s fast.  I have seen so many blessings already from the mission, and it has only been two weeks!!

The other day we were eating at a members house and had pozole which is super good, its a kind of a soup with corn! Me and Hermana D. did something that even Mexicans don't dare do! Here, they have a reeeeeeeallly spicy salsa for the pozole, you only put 3 drops of it in the soup and it is spicy.  And we took a whole spoonful of it and ate it! I felt like I was going to die! I took a video of it, but I don't really know if I can send it.

But that is about it! I am already getting my farmers tan, its still pretty hot here. It will be interesting in the summer! Oh, and I have gotten used to kissing complete strangers on the cheek. Women of course!!! 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Boice

Chrissa and her sweet companion Hermana L. at the Temple.  She calls her "her little Mexican twin".

We went to the mall today to eat and I took a picture with the name of the mall.  The movie theater is right behind and it was torture.  I saw a poster for the new Star Wars movie :(

Week 7: I've Got Ants in my Pants!!

Chrissa's first bedroom outside MTC.

Well, I made it through my first real week in Mexico! I am safe and in one piece (for now haha) but I do have a couple battle scars. Mainly lots of bug bites.  I have 17 and counting just on my legs, and most are as big as a dime.  So, I literally have ants in my pants, or more like my skirts, and in my bed.....I have no idea what started it, but my second day here I came home to my bed filled with ants, and my clothes also.  That was fun! I have a piece of tape that I keep by my bedside and whenever I see an ant, I just kill it with the tape, it keeps things from getting messy.

So how was my week as a real missionary?? Well, its a work in progress. This whole week we pretty much taught lots of less actives and talked to a lot of people on the streets.  We haven't had many appointments this last week, but starting today, we have a bunch of citas for this whole week.  We have three main investigators, and Carmen committed to be baptized this week, but in January! Long time away.  

There was a really cool thing that happened this past week.  Hermana L. and I were trying to find a reference Rita.  We could not find her address at all.  We looked for almost an hour, asking people where the address was, and no one knew.  We were walking down the street and we passed by a man that called out 'Hermanas' to us, saying that the road ahead was blocked by the police.  We asked him if he was a member and he said he was.  Then we asked him if he knew the address, he said yes.  He asked us who we were looking for, and we said Rita.  We asked him if he knew her.  Apparently, she is his wife.  So he gave us directions and we went and taught their family.  It is truly amazing the way that Heavenly Father puts people in our path.  

Goodies they received on Sunday.

Yesterday was my first Sunday in an actual Spanish ward! I met a lot of people, and forgot a lot of names! It was super cute though because it was the Primary Program.  There was a super special experience that happened during Sacrament Meeting.  Hermana L. had been fasting for that past day, but I didn't know for what of course.  During Sacrament Meeting, we were called out to the hallway.  There was a family of three, a man and his wife and their little baby.  The man is a member of the church, but his wife is not.  But she wants to listen to the lessons! So we got there info and made an appointment this week with them.  We sat back down and Hermana L. started to tear up a bit.  And then she told me that she had been fasting that we could find a family that wanted and was ready to take discussions.  Heavenly Father is so loving! It was such a sweet experience.

So whenever we go to people's houses, everyone thinks that I can't understand anything....which is only a little true.  I understand a good amount, and sometimes it just depends on who it talking.  But I talk with Hermana. L. all day long in Spanish, there are a couple times though that we don't understand each other.  I've been kinda sick all week long with a cold and it is awful! I am sniffing through hymns, lessons, meals, everything! But I think it is getting better.  I am just grateful that I am not sick with anything else!

So far, the food is really good, and I eat everything that they give me. We eat with a member every day of the week besides Mondays at 2:30 and then for the rest of the time it is fend for yourselves.  Some people really don't even eat breakfast and dinner.  I live off of three things; peanutbutter and nutella sandwiches, bananas, and water.  

en la calle

So I am really grateful to my little sister Amberlee, so that i have had a knowledge of My Little Pony.  Last night, we visited a less active and her family.  She has two little granddaughters that sure can talk your ear off! But it was great, because I could understand them.  And I also became there best friend because they could use their knowlegde of English on me, and they could also talk to me all about My Little Pony.

Oh! Almost forgot, I am in the area Tlaquepaque and I love it! I've heard its probably one of the best areas in the mission. Also, I am starting to see a lot more americans, this a place where a lot of people visit, especially during Christmas.  So, today was funny.  We were walking on the street and this guy starts to video tape me as we walk by. Weird!  And when we were in the center of Tlaquepaque, a guy comes up to us and starts talking in English.  It's already a little hard for me to switch, the first couple times I responded to him in Spanish.  But he is a member from North Carolina and is here for work. Cool!

Well, I think that is about it! I have a lot of pictures!! I'm sorry if I didn't get to respond to everyone's emails! I will have more time next week, I think.

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Boice

Chrissa's new washer and dryer.  Don't we love Amercia!

Chrissa's apartment.

This is the best place in Tlaquepaque for ice cream! They make it all by hand.  Nutella!

Carne en su jugo con jamáica.

This was a very interesting thing to see, they started at the very top and slow descend to the
ground swinging like that.  It's a tradition here.

Lots of statues to take fun pictures with.

Week 6: Hola from Guadalajara!!!!!

Hola!

Okay, so last nights sleep was amazing because I before that I hadn't slept for 38 hours.  Quick recap of the last two days.  It was so sad leaving the CCM!!! On Sunday we were able to watch The Testiments which is an amazing movie!! Then after we had our little farewell and testimony meeting.  Super sad! I teared up a bit.  Then we went back to our casas at 10 pm and packed and waited.  Our flight was at 7am but we needed to be ready to leave the CCM at 3am, so none of us slept at all.  So we got to the airport and it was a bit crazy, but I know how to get around the Mexico City airport now!! We got on the plane at 6:45 and then for some reason, we didn't take off until 7:55! We just sat on the runway for an hour, don't ask me why.  It was only a 50 minute flight which was great! We got here and met President and Hermana Egginton, and I just looooooove them!!! I could't ask for anyone better! They took us out to eat breakfast,(it felt like a late lunch to me but it was only 9:30am) at an all you can eat buffet, super good and such a cool looking restuarant! After we went to the Mission Office and were there for the rest of the day getting orientation and stuff like that.  We had Little Ceaser's pizza for dinner! 

Best thing that has happened! So all of the missionaries that were getting assigned to us were at lunch with us eating.  I met Hermana L. and she was just the cutest and sweetest person ever! I told Hermana J. that I was pretty sure that she was going to be my companion. Everyone was also talking about the areas in the mission and I said that I wanted soooo bad to stay in Guadalajara!

So we get to our meeting finally, and guess whaaaaaaaat????? Hermana L. is my new companion aaaaaaaand we are staying in Guadalajara!!!!!!! Crazy right??? So anyway, we got back to our house and I unpacked and finally went to sleep at about 12...longest day of my life!!

So today was my first real day of missionary work!! We went to our District Meeting this morning and as an activity, we went out on the street to give a Book of Mormon to someone.  Ummmm, scary!!! But we went out and found this man waiting for the bus.  We started to talk to him and he regognized us as the Mormons.  But anyway, I shared my testimony with him and a scripture, and we got his contact info! At 2 we went over to Hermana C.'s  house and had lunch, she is a sweet lady.  Right after I am done typing this letter, we are going to Walmart so that I can buy some food.  Today is kinda like a P-day since I didn't get one yesterday.  Then later tonight we are having a Ward activity watching Meet the Mormons.  Haha, I just watched it yesterday and before that a couple weeks ago.  Good thing its a good movie.

So that is pretty much everything that is going on, my Spanish is más o menos, pero it is getting better. Good thing I have a companion that is Latina but knows English!!  I am still a bit overwhelmed but Im taking it every day at a time. Oh! before I forget, I had my first ever experiance on a Mexican bus! I had to actually stand up today because there were no seats available, and I felt like I was hanging from a roller coaster with one hand.  there were a couple times that my feet almost slid out from under me. But it is super fun! And it is super hot here! Mexico City was cold when I left it and now I am kinda missing it!

Well, I love you all and will talk to you next week, Im sure I will have some good storys.

Love Hermana Boice

Chrissa's Last Email in Mexico MTC

They are letting us email today because we are leaving on Monday! And also because there is a good chance that I wont call from the airport, so I wanted to let you know how everything is going.  Today was spent just getting everything packed up and weighing everything.  There is about 20 of us that are all flying together to Guadalajara so I wont be flying alone! Yesterday was a long day.  It was just like the first day, because we had classes all day long.  It was all about in-field things.  So I totally didn't realize this, but once we leave the CCM, we are officially responsible to be missionaries and contacting anyone we meet.  They told us that we need to set a goal for how many people that we are going to talk to in the airport. Ah! Its so real now!

I have some pictures from today because we said goodbye to our teachers!! Its so sad and I am going to miss them!!!

Love you all!! You might get an email from me on Monday too, or next Monday.  

Love,
Hermana Boice 

PS. Just a little story, so on Thursday, Im pretty sure someone died.  The elders are right next to the wall separating the CCM, and they heard like 7 gunshots in a row, and then another 10 seconds later.  Here I come Mexico! 

This is a picture with Hermano Aguiñiga.  He actually wasn't one of our direct teachers, but he is the best! He wanted to take a selfie with us.

This is our picture with Hermano Tlachi! He was our first investigator Ivan

Here she comes....ready to take on Mexico as an official hermana to teach of Christ and bring the light to those ready. 

Cool picture on the roof of the Thomas S. Monson building in CCM

Week 5: The Battle of Tentación and Pecado!

Ah!! my time in the CCM is gone! Next time, I will be on the other side.  I will officially be a missionary! Whoo! 

A couple exciting things happened this week.  Last Thursday, I was so focused on getting out of our casa on time for breakfast, I walked all the way to the Comedor in my bright blue flip flops and missionary clothes.  I had been really confused why people looked at my feet.  Haha I looked really out of place.  New fashion statement! That night the elders were teaching in another room and all of us hermana's say every song in Les Mis at the top of our lungs.  Apparently everyone in the whole building heard us and listened outside our door.  I really want to watch Les Mis now.



Saturday was Halloween! I took a couple pics.  We borrowed some knifes from the kitchen and carved some apples since we didn't have pumpkins. (Chrissa's apple is the one with a single tooth.) Sadly we couldn't eat them because we start our fast right after lunch.  I thought that there weren't going to be any costumes because its a bit hard to dress up as something other than a missionary, but some elder's managed to do something.  

Also last week, the elders found a huge spider and our now keeping it as a pet in their casa. Its name is Tentación.  Then they found another scary looking ant spider that was near our casa, and named it Pecado.  So now they put them in the same bottle and have 'family fight nights' in their casa.  Its kinda like a Hunger Games but with bugs.  Ya, that's our elders.

We also had TRC this last Saturday, which is where less actives or members come for us to teach.  The first lady we had the cutest little old lady ever!  Her name is G.  She talks our ear off and speaks 100 mph, but we loved her.  We had this guy Aarón after and he was going to open up his mission call that next day! It brought back memory's.

  

Hmo. O. really likes to do games with us in class. He also really likes competition and punishments.  the game was Hermana's against Elder's, and of course the Hermana's won.  So we got to pick a punishment for the elders.  they have to wear the same tie for a whole week.  Elder B. really took it hard.  He really likes his ties, he brought 23 of them here.  Since the Hermana's won, Hmo. O. is going to bring us some really spicy salsa.  

Our night classes are taught by Hmo. T.  He brought his new wife with him on Saturday and we got to know her.  They are so cute! They have only been married for about 2 weeks now. Hmo. T. understands a lot of English, but cant speak it very well. So every night we are teaching him things like ´'Holy cow´' ´'Hold your horses´' ´'Marshmallow´' Its really fun.  We like to say ´'Santo Vaca!´' (Holy cow) a lot!

UN GRAN FELIZ CUMPEAÑOS A MI HERMANITA! Amberlee just had her birthday on Monday!

So David Archuelta's sister is here, thats some news that is going around. 

That is about my week! We are all packing today and we got our flight plans yesterday.  We will be leaving here at 3am on Monday to the airport.

Love Hermana Boice

Picture with Hmo. O.