Semana (Week) 56: Happy Halloween/Chasing down the Ice-cream Man...

Happy Halloween!!!! And Happy (almost) Day of the Dead! But let us all remember amidst all of this talk of death, ghosts, that we all have the hope of the resurrection, and that we can focus in this joyful part.  And not a resurrection like Zombies, thankfully with a perfect body.  How wonderful is the Lord to have given us this great gift :)

Well, this week we had divisions with our sisters in Zamora Centro.  I was with Hermana O. from Honduras. We went to their area and were walking around searching for a house, when Hermana O. started to take off running because she saw an ice-cream man with that annoying music down the road.  So we started chasing after the ice-cream man, but he made a turn in a street and we lost him, so we calculated another route that we could cut him off.  Later, I found out it was not because she had a craving for ice-cream, but it was actually a less active that she wanted to talk to.

Sad story from yesterday.  We went to work in an area that is a bit far from our house and we headed there on a bus, got off, and went to a lesson (that was veeeery interesting.....) and in the lesson I realized that I didnt have my nametag.  Pretty sure I lost it in the bus, so I had to work the whole day without my nametag, and it was sooooo weird.  Pretty sure it does have some kind of power, because I felt off the whole day.  Thankfully, I have another.

This week I was studing Galatas 6:2:

Sobrellevad los unos las cargas de los otros y cumplid asì la ley de Cristo

I was meditating what could be the law of Christ? Christ gave us the example of service.  To give everything we have without expecting anything in return. Like Christ, he takes on all of our burdens, so that we can feel happy and light from our burdens. And as he does that for us, he also desires that we can do the same for our brethren. When we comfort someone that is in need, to the Lord, it's as if we comforted him when he was in need. 

Sorry, I don't have pics this week, totally forgot my camera haha, next week!

Love you all!

Hermana Boice

Semana (Week) 55: Clean house, Happy house, Happy Hermana Boice!

The New Zone of Zamora!

This week we had divisions with the Sisters in Zacapu, which are a threesome.  They stayed the night on Monday to be able to be in the District Meeting on Tuesday morning (because they live 2 hours away).  Then after the meeting, we had our divisions with them.   One sister had to go to a medical appointment on Thursday, so we did divisions on Wednesday and then also on Thursday.  And THEN, we had interviews with Pres. Egginton, so they stayed the night on Thursday, so they could have there interviews in the morning.  Let me just say that it was veeeery interesting having 5 sisters in our tiny apartment for 4 days.........  We cleaned last Monday our apartment and it was sooo beautiful and clean. But it didn't even last for a day that way. Today we did a maaaajor clean and we feel super tired now, but really satisfied.  We will see how long it stays clean this time.

Not a whole lot new other than that crazy week.  Interviews were really good.  Our mission president is literally the best there can be.  I can't imagine anyone better.  He gave me permission to start learning another language! I am going to start learning Portuguese!

Been having a couple health issues for the past 6 months and just went to the doctor today.  She told me that I have Colon Syndrome or something like that.  I am not going to be able to get rid of it.... or so the doctor told me. I just need to start eating healthier.  It's not the easiest thing to do on a mission, but I am going to start on that.  Pretty much I can't eat anything that they give us to eat here haha. Just a quick scripture-thought, from Proverbs 16:20.  

20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso 

trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.

Trust in Him that everything that happens is for our good, and part of his plan to help us become like him. 

Love you all!

Hermana Boice

It's not what it looks like! I didn't kill someone I promise, I convinced my comp to dye her hair.

Semana (Week) 54: The Book of Hermana Boice

                                                                   CHAPTER 54

The missionaries are exhorted to walk uprightly and preach.  Salvation comes through Christ.  

God comforts and cares for his saints.  The saints are given assurance by the spirit in their hearts.

And it came to pass that I, Hermana Boice, having been born of goodly parents, and having received instruction from the Church, which is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is the true church, and having been called of God to serve as his servant in a mission, I write, therefore, the history of my time as a servant of the Lord.

  2 Yea, and I write in the language of my fathers and the language of my people.  Which is composed of English. But in some times, Spanglish.

  3 And behold, I write in few words for the lack I have of time.  

  4 And it came to pass that 2 years have passed away from the reign of Presidente Egginton in the Mexico Guadalajara East Mission.  And the people have hardened their hearts and have rejected the words of the missionaries.  But behold, The people of the church have strengthened their faith and their desire to bring these people to the truth.

  5 And it came to pass that my companion Hermana Cantarero, ended her time as a servant called of God, and returned to the land of Belize. And behold, having need for a companion, the Lord called Hermana Sagahon to be mine companion.  

  6 And behold, seven days have passed from this day.  And therefore, having need for new investigators to preach the gospel, we have been guided by the spirit to find those that have been chosen by the Lord to receive this glad message.  

  7 Wherefore it came to pass that as we listened to the guidance of the Spirit, we were lead to the people that have accepted to hear of this message.

  8 And it came to pass that one women, being named Esmerelda, listened to our message, and behold, she felt a feeling of hope in her heart.  For behold, she hath felt despair for many years because of her three children, who have not followed the ways of the Lord.

  9 And it came to pass that she assisted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and felt the Spirit of the Lord, and desired to have a mighty change of heart.

  10 And it came to pass that the third day of the week, we visited family of Mendoza.  Yea, we did talk and preach and did make ourselves merry.  And behold they did give us to eat and to drink until we were filled.  

  11 And it came to pass that after we were filled in the belly, they did giveth us a treat of strange form.  The name of this treat is Chungos, yea, what is known in Zamora. And we tasted of this treat, and behold it was sweet to the taste. 

  12 Wherefore, we did ask of how one maketh such a thing.  

  13 And it came to pass that they did begin to explain to us how one maketh such a thing. One putteth milk out until it stinketh, yea, until it beginneth to make clumps.  And behold, one mixeth the clumps with sugar and other things, until it maketh sweet to the taste.

  14 And behold, I write not all of the things that have come to pass, for behold, they are many.

  15 Behold, I delighteth in the words of the prophets, and in the scriptures.  And delighteth in the words of the prophet John when he sayeth: Hijitos mios, no amemos de palabra ni de lengua, sino de hecho y en verdad.(1 John 3:18)

  16 Yea, may that we always love with our actions, and not by our tongue. And these things I leave with you, Amen.

Leadership meeting

A new really weird fruit called Higo...doesn't taste bad.

Beautiful Zamora!

Semana (Week) 53: Cambios (Transfers) !!! And first time working in a threesome!

New companion

Well, this week I haven't worked at all in my area, and hardy the last week, because we were in Guadalajara a lot. Very very sadly, my comp finished her mission :( Our last day together was on Wednesday, and then I had to travel back to Zamora and she needed to stay until Monday.  Truly awful saying goodbye.  I traveled back to Zamora with my Zone Leaders, which was a bit weird at first.  First time in a year, I have been alone and with 2 men...but it was all good.  Then, I went to stay with our sisters in Nueva Luneta and we were a threesome until today when I received my new comp Hermana S.  She is super awesome and cute, and we are going to have a really great transfer together.  She is from my generation, we came in the mission at the same time. 

Missionaries that I am going to miss a lot!
Now they have returned home. 

It was certainly interesting being in a threesome, a bit hard, but we did it!  And I was able to survive with the money that I had during this time, since I didn't have anything else because we used everything on travel.  Finally, got home today with only 2 pesos left.  There is something that lots of people here like to eat called Chicharrón (literally, the fatty skin of a pig).  If its cooked right, it doesn't actually taste too bad.  We ate that with a member this week.  

We had a really awesome experience when I was in divisions with Hermana M.  We didn't have any more plans left, so we decided to tract a bit.  I remembered the talk of Elder Uchtdorf during the Women's Conference about the missionaries that knocked on every single door of a building.  Literally, the last one ended up accepting them and they were baptized.  So, we sat down and said a pray, to help us to know what street that we should knock on doors.  After, I felt the impression to knock on the doors in the street behind us.  We started at the end and no one accepted us inside. We got to the 2nd to last door, and opened up to a girl.  She recognized us, told us that she has gone to our church, and has a friend that is member.  And she lives in my area!  She was just visiting a friend.  So we taught her and are going to visit her some time this coming week.  Then, we knocked on the last door and the man also recognized us. About 10 years ago, he listened to the missionaries.  So, we also were able to teach him.  It makes me marvel every time when we have the amazing opportunity to have the influence of the Spirit.

Super ready to start this transfer and work super hard! Thank you all for your prayers, they really do help! :)

Love,

Hermana Boice

Our Leadership Counsel....we have our goofy side too.

Biggest zucchini I have ever seen!

Semana (Week) 52: 1 YEAR!!!

I still can't comprehend it yet, but I HAVE ONE YEAR IN THE MISSION! I really have no idea what happened, I think there had to be some type of time warp involved or something.  But now I only have 4 more transfers left.  Next Monday is transfers, so we will see what will be happening.  For sure I am going to have a different companion because Hermana C. is going to finish her mission next Monday.  It's hard for me to imagine that the day will eventually come, haha.  Better that I don't think of that....

Well, this week was a tiny bit CRAZY.  Really we were not able to work well this week.  We had to leave on Wednesday to head to Guadalajara so that I could go renew my visa on Thursday.  Got to see my sisters that came with me in the mission, and then we had to head with the Sister AP`s (Assistants to the President) because we had divisions with them in Morelia. I was so happy to return to my Aeropuerto Stake! On Friday, I was with Hermana S. which was special, because we both completed a year that day, and our comps threw us a little party.  One tradition here is that you need to take a huge bite out of the cake if its your birthday.  So we had to take a bite of our cake.  I went first, and Hermana S. didn't want to.  So I bent down and started smelling the cake, saying that it smelled weird.  Poor Hermana S. fell for it and bent down to smell it and I smashed her face into the cake.  It was soooooo funny.  We wanted to take a bus to return to our area before the Saturday sessions, but we found out that they were not sending any buses to Zamora until Sunday...something about safety.  So we stayed there for Saturday and returned on Sunday to our area to watch Conference.  

One of my favorite talks was given by Russell M. Nelson when he talked about joy.  That our afflictions and trials actually help us to feel real joy.  I love that joy does not depend of our difficult situations, but our own perspective of things. We choose to feel joy.  It was really interesting, because after the Women's Conference, I told my comp, "Why don't they ever put missionaries in the choir to sing during conference? It would be so awesome!" And then it happened during conference! It was a prophecy.  When they started to sing "I'll go Where you Want me to Go", my comp and I were crying so much, because she is ending her mission next week.  In this moment, I never wanted to end my mission.  It was all a beautiful experience.

Let you all know what happens next week! Love you!

Hermana Boice

I tried talking to the horse in giving us a ride because we don't have cars or bikes, but he wasn't up for it.

Our Zone Activity Today.