Semana (Final Week) 75: A Part of Me Will Always Stay Here in Mexico......That's My Appendix

Still smiling even when scared or in pain!  What SUNSHINE!

Would have never imagined this is how I am going to end my last weeks here in the mission....

First Friday-Monday-- Starting to feel a bit of pain in my lower right abdomen.

Tuesday--Well, hey! lets go to the doctor to just see whats going on there! Doctor said to go to other place to get a ultrasound.  

Wednesday--Ate at 8:00am then we went to get the ultrasound.  At 3, we went to the hospital again to the Doc. Doc says, "Looks like it might be your appendix, We are going to hospitalize you!" So I'm hospitalized, needles being poked, a CAT scan, dying of hunger, because we didn't eat since the morning.  The Surgeon comes and says, "We are going to Operate in 30 min!" And I said, " okay"....30 minutes later, they rolled me to the surgery room, injected me, and I remember the last thing I asked was, "Did you inject chili in my arm? That hurts!"  Then I woke up at 11:30 as they finished everything, rolled me to my room, and from 12am-8am I was awake EVERY SINGLE SECOND with pain, and not being able to move myself at all.

Visit with President Egginton and Bro Anderson.

Thursday--President Egginton came to visit me in the hospital to see how I was, he took a couple pics. The Doc came to tell me that they were going to feed me at 4:00. I was sooo excited by 4:00, and all I ate was a small jello and a cup of herbal tea in 32 hours.  All day we just sat in the room, and my comp talked about her life story.

Friday-- Waiting, waiting, and waiting until 3:00 that we were able to leave.

And since then we've been in the house, me laying in my bed, sitting in my bed, then walking Veeeeerrryyyyy sllllloooooowwwwlllly to my desk, eating, then repeating the process like 3 times every day. The Doctor told me that I had to have at least one full week of rest, without doing anything.  Very interesting that they day that I complete one week is the day that I need to travel with all my luggage to Guadalajara.  

It's a bit disappointing, because I am not able to leave the house, or work at all. And that is how my mission ends! Not ideal, but I know that the Lord truly prepared everything so that this day I would need surgery, but everything has worked out around it. When we didn't have money to pay, magically we found what we needed, and I know that the Lord's hand has been in everything.  Maybe not how I wanted to end my last two weeks as a missionary, but I am glad that I was able to work hard before, so that I wouldn't have any regrets now that I am not able to do anything.

I can't explain how I feel.  The time just hasn't been enough, but I am So Very Grateful for this time that I have had to serve as a missionary.  I can never say that serving this mission was a sacrifice for me, because I have received so much from my Heavenly Father. I Know that this is the only true Church in all the face of the earth.  I have received testimony after testimony of it, and the Spirit has been at my side every moment for 18 months. I Love this Gospel, and I Know that only the True Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us True Joy.  I am a Witness that Heavenly Father Lives, and Jesus Christ Lives, and that they Walk with us, and Their Hands our in every aspect of our lives. I share these things, with all of your, In the Sacred Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,

Hermana Boice

Semana (Week) 74: Pianist and Chopped Fingers...

This week was very eventful! About a week ago, we received a talk given about how people from ages 15-25 are the ones that are more likely to accept the gospel.  We decided to see if it was true or not, and talked with about 13 young people and EVERY SINGLE ONE gave us their directions to go visit them, IT WORKS!! 

We also had divisions on Tuesday and then on Friday.  There was the anniversary of the Relief Society on Saturday, and I was the pianist for the choir on Sunday. That was a lot of stress for me, because I have never been good to play in public.  The Lord also has helped me a lot on that, because I had to be the pianist ever Sunday for about 7 months of my mission.  So I've had to get over my fear.  

Refuge from the rain in the church.

Since Thursday its been raining tacos, haha.  Its been raining a bunch, thankfully we've only gotten caught one time in it.

Yesterday (Sunday) was probably the most eventful.  A sister in the ward had gotten her hand slammed in a car about 2 days ago (and cut about 1cm of her finger), and after the services (in the bathroom), my comp attended to her to clean it (shes a certified nurse thank goodness).  And I learned that I don't faint at the sight of a lot of blood! yay! The sister had covered it in cotton, and after two days, the cotton got stuck in her finger and dried up with the blood.  Yup, it was a very bloody task. Blood started gushing out as she was ripping away the cotton.  But anyway, I took it very well. The only reason I'm not a nurse is that I can't stand the smell. 

Last night we had a very, very good lesson with Lizethe, and she said that she has so many desires to get baptized and go to church!  After the lesson, she gave us hot chocolate (suuuuper hot) but we had to gulp it down super fast because we had 10 minutes to get to our house.  We went running from there to the house and made it in 15 minutes.  I'm in better shape than I thought, although my comp almost threw up her hot chocolate.

Other side note, about 3 weeks ago the Brother that is in charge of all the missionaries health in Mexico came to teach us some things, and he is the dad of Napolian dynamite! Well, the actor haha. That was interesting.

Can't really believe it, but this is my second to last email that I am going to be sending as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and what a privilege it is to hold that name still, for as long as I can.  I love this gospel so much, and I know without a doubt that it is true and pure.

Love,Hermana Boice

The first time I have drank a root beer in 18 months!

Our mission funeral for me and Elder Toledo

Our Zone activity today!

Picnic in the house!

Semana (Week) 73: 17 months in the Mission!/ I am addicted to eating!

Me and my companion Hermana M.

This week, I think, was a week of trying our faith. Pretty much all of our numbers were zero, even when we really felt we were giving it all we had. We walked and walked and waaaaaaalked like the pioneers all day long. But even though we might not have had a very successful week in numbers, we had a successful week in trying. But we do have a good number of future investigators that we are going to be visiting this week.

I think this is the week that I have gotten lost the most than any other week haha, my poor comp.  But we always arrive where we need to go :)  We actually had a wonderful blessing happen to us on such an occasion that we got a bit lost.  We had divisions with our Sister Training Leaders and we ended them with 14 pesos to my name and 2 pesos to my comp, which is exactly the amount to take a bus for the two of us.  So we took a bus to go to the bank to take out some money, without really knowing where it was going to go, or when we needed to get off.  After a while, we started to recognize where we were, but about 5 minutes after, we had no idea at all, and we kept going farther and farther, until we asked the driver if he was going to pass by the Center.  I said a little prayer that the Lord would help us get to where we needed to go. He said, We already passed it! You are going to have to pay again to head back! 

......And we had ZERO money left.  But before we said anything else, he said, But its okay! I'll take you without charging.  Honestly, sometimes I wonder how is it that He loves us so much and blesses us always!  So he took us back to where we needed to go to take out money, and we gave him a card with our number on it.  After we took without money, we headed back to our house and received a call from a man that was interested in what we believe, and said that his friend that drives a bus gave our card to him. I just love the Lord so much.

Sometimes I try to count my many blessings, but I just cant, because there are so many!

Love,
Hermana Boice

My face is ugly, but vasolotes are so beautiful! Corn+Mayonesa+cheese

Crepes from the Crepe Man!!!!!

Semana (Week) 72: Cambios...Otra Vez!

I really enjoyed getting to know my new companion this week Hermana D.  She's got about the biggest heart that I know.  We had some really spiritual lessons together and we were really able to enjoy this week.  

Sadly, it didn't last.  Yesterday, President Egginton called us to tell us that we are having special transfers, and that Hermana D. needed to go to Guadalajara to be comps with a sister that is struggling a lot. Her comp, Hermana R. is going to be comps with Hermana U., a sister in this zone, and my new comp is Hermana M. (haha, another Hermana M.) that was comps with Hermana U. Ya, it kinda seems like a big puzzle...haha.  This morning we both headed to Guadalajara (4 hours),  I dropped Hermana D. off and picked up Hermana R., and again we headed back to Morelia (4 hours).  Was a fun morning...haha, but here we are and tomorrow in our Zone Meeting we are going to do the switch and I will be with my new comp! 

I have made the decision to focus on one attribute of a consecrated missionary every week, this week I was focusing on the part of strict obedience:

D&C 130:21

"y cuando recibimos una bendicion de Dios, es porque se obedece aquella ley sobre la cual se basa"

I have learned that in every act of obedience that we do, there is always a blessing although sometimes its difficult to see.  And sometimes, he gives us these blessings later, but we should always trust that every act we do, to do what is right, will have its reward :)

Les amo a todos!

Hermana Boice

Semana (Week) 71: Cambios!!

Hola!!!! 

Soooo, today was transfers!! I am staying here in Estadio 6 more weeks and then I am ending my mission. AHH! My new companion is Hna Diaz, shes a sweatheart!  I am going to be training her to be a sister training leader :)

Baptism of Salvador!!

Salvador got baptized this week!!! AHHHH!!! It was probably the most beautiful baptism that I have ever had.  We started out with not a whole lot of people present, maybe 8 people, and at the very end, he turned around in his seat to see about 30 people that came to see him get baptized, including his family to support him!! He told us that he felt so at peace and so happy this day.

This last week, Hermana M. and I had a goal that we would talk with 100 people in streets, in buses, everywhere. We made a promise to each other to do it, and we were really happy to see that we were able to do it, and everything else we needed to do. Something that I have really been able to learn in the misión, is that if you really desire to reach a goal, you will reach it. Many times maybe we will try hard, but we don't always achieve the goals because we don't really have 100% faith that we are going to be able to reach it. But with faith and confidence in also ourselves, we can start to see the potential that we have.

Love you all so much!!!

Hermana Boice

My new addiction!! Salchitaquesos!

Semana (Week) 70: Baby Jesus Dolls........

Hola!!!

This week has been a bit busy (I feel like I say that every week), but we have been able visit very consistently with our investigator Salvador who is going to be baptized this week on Friday. We have really tried focusing on repentance with him, and I can see that he really has had a conversion to the gospel.  He is so excited and can't wait to be baptized. Yesterday, we taught him about Family History and we started on his tree.  He was like a little kid in a candy store. It been an amazing and beautiful experience to see his progress and his testimony grow.

We were teaching a lesson and she feel asleep on me.  ;)

On Wednesday, we had a Capacitacion with Elder Valensuela (70 de area).  It was really good and I always learn lots of things. After, all of our zone went to the house of a awesome sister of the ward and we all ate.  Haha, something really interesting that happened on Thursday. We were going to appointments in the afternoon, and all at once, we started to see everyone we were passing carrying baby Gods, as they call them here.  But they are Jesus dolls, like a regular sized doll. And people of all ages were carrying, kids, adults, and old people, with their dolls in there arms with expensive looking dresses and clothes.....It's really easy to pick out those who are Catholic. Honestly, I thought this nigh was going to turn into one of these Doll Horror Movies...

Friday, we traveled to Guadalajara and Saturday we had our Leadership Counsel, but with Elder Valensuela.  We are going to be going to Guadalajara next Wednesday again for another one.......and its going to be my last one in the mission.  

This week is the last week of this transfer, so next week we will know where and with who I am going to be ending the rest of my mission! Ahhhh! Where is the time going??

Love,

Hermana Boice

The Baby Jesus`s

My face when I wake up in the mornin`

Semana (Week) 69: Semana Loca! 16 Meses! (Crazy week 16 months!)

So we started out this week with Divisions on Tuesday with our sisters of Acueducto.  I got to go to their area and oh boy! I got a good workout there with all of their hills.  Next day, we went to the Stake, because it was our Worldwide Capasitation from the 12 apostles about missionary work.  Some interesting changes in our schedule for the day.  Then, we went straight to do divisions with the Sister Assistants.  I was with Hermana U. and we were in the MTC together.  We got to talk a lot about the mission, and our progress and everything :)

On Friday, we had our Interviews with President in the Stake.  My next interview with him will be my last.  Neither of us liked the sound of that. In the evening, we had to go back to the Stake for the choir for Stake Conference on Saturday and Sunday.  That all went very well.  Elder Belus (70), was invited to our conference, and it was very very special.  He brought the spirit so strong with all of his experiences of sharing the gospel.  On Sunday at 9, was a little meeting for all of the Ex Missionaries.  We thought ¨Hey, in like 2 months ill be one, lets go!¨  So we went and they talked about what are the most important things we need to do when we end the mission. One thing that stayed in my mind, was when they said, if we look back in the past, we are not worthy of God (scripture somewhere in the Bible).  So when we end the mission, we don't need to always think back on it and miss it, we need to continue moving forward. And that can be with any thing that we think ¨If only I could have done this¨ ¨what would have happened if I...¨  We can't stay in the past, we have to look to the future, because the past doesn't bring us happiness, but the future does.  :)

Love,

Hermana Boice

Zone Activity!!!

All the hills we walked.

Semana (Week) 68: Probably should eat an apple a day, to keep the doc away!

Field trip to the doctors.

Sooooo, this week has been a bit slow.  Got pretty sick on Monday, and have been sick ever since (more stomach probs...yay!)  Went to the doc on Thursday and he gave me a pharmacy to take home with me.  We traveled about 30 min to get to the hospital and then I found out that I didn't have my health insurance card, so we had to go all the way back to the house and return to the hospital again.  Wednesday, I could at least leave the house to work as much as we could and we had divisions on Friday with the sisters in Manantiales.  It was a very sweet blessing that I felt very good physically this day, because I was praying so much to be able to feel good to do divisions.  

We have 2 new investigators, one of them is a police man.  We met him on the street one night, and we gave our number to him.  He CALLED us, which NEVER happens.  We taught him in the church and it seems like he is looking for lots of answers.

BEST NEWS EVER! They finally called a bishop in our ward! There hasn't been a bishop for more than 2 years, so everyone was really happy about it.  We are also in the Choir for Stake Conference, so we have been dedicating time for that.

Now the WORST NEWS EVER! I got my flight intinerary :.( Ok, its not the worst news ever, haha, but certainly surprised me a lot, the time is going by really fast.

Love you all!! Tengan una semana feliz!

Hermana Boice

Un Alambre!! (Heart Attack on a Plate)

Tacos de Pastor for 3 pesos! This is prob the reason I have health problems....

Semana (Week) 67: Learning Life Lessons

Well, I have got to say that it's been a bit of a hard week.  We have been walking all day and every day to find new investigators, and thankfully we have been able to find some.

We did have a good experience finding one of our new investigator, Guadalupe.  She was an old investigator, and we prayerfully went through all of the old investigators, found her name,and we felt that we needed to visit her.  Sure enough, we went to her house, and she accepted us immediately.  She told us about the death of her father, and how she has felt so alone and needed someones support.  She knows that God sent us to her to help her.

This week I was meditating on 2 Nefi 31:20. A scripture that everyone knows, but I was able to find something profound for me personally. I have been praying for a while asking God to tell me what I can do to improve and be a better missionary. I have lots of faults, and I know there are many things that I need to improve. He directed me to this chapter where I read verse 20:

"Por tanto, debeis seguir adelante con firmeza en Cristo, teniendo un fulgor PERFECTO de ESPERANZA y AMOR por DIOS y por TODOS los hombres. Por tanto, si marchais adelante deletandoos en la palabra de Cristo y perseveráis hasta el fin, he aquí asi dice el Padre, Tendréis la vida eterna."

When I read those parts, I know that they were what He wants me to improve on. Hope, have the trust that he will complete His promises, and wait for them patiently with enthusiasm. And have charity for all people. I will be honest that this part can be very difficult for me. Its all good with people that are nice to you, but its the difficult people that are sometimes hard to love. These last 2 days have been a trial for me, and I wont get too much into detail, but its suffice to say that I felt humbled almost to the dust. But I can see that The Lord is trying to teach my something very important, that I need to see everyone through his eyes, without judgement, and to be more humble. We don't know the lives of others, and we don't need too.  We just need to focus on ourselves, and what we need to do better :)

Love,

Hermana Boice

This is tejocote, its a fruit....its weird!

Foooooood.....

More Foooood! My favorite food of all!

Semana (Week) 66: Murphy´s Law....

T´was a very eventful week this week.  First, we are back with the skirts, no more pants (sad day).  On Tuesday we left for Guadalajara for the Leadership Counsel on Wednesday, and were able to make it to the temple.  The temple is in the other mission of Guadalajara.  We got there 2 hours early and were waiting in the church next door.  Little did we know that inside they were having their own Leadership Counsel with their Mission President. They ended and everyone started coming out and staring at us like we were foreigners (technically, ya we are).  It was actually kinda funny. Wednesday was our Leadership Counsel (for 8 hours) lots of stuff we went over and my head was killing me after... haha.

Fast forward to our trip back to Morelia in the bus, my comp and I were talking about cameras, and how she has lost hers a couple times.  I did the worst things I could have done and said ¨I have NEVER lost my camera¨................. Well wouldn't you know that we got home went to sleep, next day, looked for my camera. But it was No Where To Be Found...................Irony of Murphy´s Law.  So ya, lost 15 months of my life, no biggy... 

This week has been a mission changing week for me. I have begun to do things a bit differently. I remember from the General Conference talk of Pres. Uchtdorf when he talked about a little girl with her grandmother. The grandma couldn't hear very well and the child told her to HEAR HARDER! Maybe that is not the best way we are going to progress, but we can learn to listen differently. So this week I have been ¨listening differently¨. In my personal studies, I have received more revelation in this week than probably in all my mission. I have learned to wait and listen to the spirit in what and where I should study. By doing this, I have been able to find lots of answers. One of them being, If I want to be a consecrated missionary, I need to talk with more people wherever I am. This has been one of my weaknesses in the mission, having the valor to stop people in the street, talk in buses, talk in any situation. But I learned that it is a commandment from the Lord to me as a missionary. So we made this change in ourselves and we focused on talking with people wherever we found them. In the first day that we made that decision together, we talked with 63 people that day. I could feel more energy, and I felt really good. I felt happy. In 5 days, we talked with 124 people.  I feel like we are doing our part, and know that the Lord will bless us with His Miracles.

This week I was meditating D&C 50:24

"Lo que es Dios es LUZ, y el que recibe LUZ y persevera en Dios, recibe mas LUZ, y esa LUZ se hace mas y mas resplandeciente hasta el dia perfecto"

The Light has caught my attention the most. From meditating in this scripture, I tried identifying what really it's referring to as Light. It could mean many things, but I came to the conclusion that its talking about Knowledge. God has a perfect knowledge in all things, and as we receive it and we apply it, He will give us more and more. Knowledge really is a Light because with more of it, we can always see more and more clear. 

Thanks so much for the packages!!!! You are all the best and I am very grateful for your love!

Love,

Hermana Boice

 

 

Semana (Week) 65: Transfers!!! 15 Months in the Mission!!!

Today was transfers! And I am honestly super duper happy! I was transferred to Morelia! To the Estadio Ward (We share the building and our services are at 3pm :P) Now I have been in Guadalajara, Zamora, the State of Guanajuato, I just was missing Morelia.  I have been very blessed to be in the majority of the mission.  And I am pretty sure that this will be my last area because I only with have 3 months left.  And I am with Hermana M!! We also came into the mission together :)

Now, bittersweet news. Esmerelda is going to be baptized this Saturday!! But I am not going to be able to be there to see it :( I got to see them for the last time on Sunday and got to say goodbye to some of the members.  We got invited to eat lunch and they were Steak Tacos (My fav) and so I felt really happy that day. After we got all the missionaries together and we went to sing at a retirement home.  After we went to shake all their hands and so many started to cry, asking us to come and sing to the more often.  It was really sweet.  We went to a members house to say goodbye and she told me that she was super sad that I was leaving, because I never cut her hair.  So, it became 3 hours of service and I cut her hair, her two daughter, and her sister ( I chopped off about 1 ft of hair from every one) and dyed hair of another.  Its helping me get back into the swing of it.

Oh ya, and I also completed 15 months in the mission..........dont want to say much more about that :(

This week I have been ponderizing Mosiah 23:21-

21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

I have become to really love this scripture.  I first looked up what it really means to chasen, because I think that we take it more strongly than what its trying to say.  Chasen means correction or discipline that has the objective of help people to improve and be strengthened. Is that not what our Heavenly Father wants for us? To help us become stronger and help us progress? And he helps us do this by trying our patience and faith. Why the two? Our patience to see if with submit ourselves to his will in all things, but the faith to see us submit ourselves cheerfully and with hope. he wants us to endure in our afflictions, but with joy :)

Love you all!!!

Hermana Boice