Semana (Week) 45: Daily Miracles!!

The best zone in the world!

Wow, lots and lots of things have happened this week! We had to go to Guadalajara on Wednesday, because I had to sign for my visa.....which means I almost have a year in the misson .  We got a little lost heading to the office and we started to hed back to our area a little late.  So we had to stay in Morelia, which was a good thing, because little did we know that I was invited to a Conference for District Leaders and Future Sister Training Leaders in the morning in Morelia, plus we had another meeting with the AP´s after.  Remember when I was in divisions about a month ago?  While I worked in this area, I felt like I was going to be going there the next transfer.  Well, its an area for only Sister Training Leaders and I just got invited to a meeting for the Future STL´s.......hmmmmm, interesting.....

This week I was studing Alma 13:3. 

"Y ésta es la manera conforme a la cual fueron ordenados, habiendo sido llamados y preparados desde la fundacion del mundo de acuerdo con la presciencia de Dios, por causa de su fe excepcional y buenas obras, habiéndoseles concedido primeramente escoger el bien o el mal, por lo que habiendo escogido el bien y ejecido una fe sumamente grande, son llamados con un santo llamaminto si con ese sandto llamamiento que con una redencion preparatoria y de conformidad con ella, se dispuso para tales seres. "

It's talking about the plan of salvation, but I have been also able to apply it to me as a missionary.  I know that my decision to serve a mission wasn't just a random decision that I made here.  I know that since before the world was, we chose our lives and what we would do, what we would endure.  I know that I had made the decision to serve a mission beforehand and I was prepared to serve one, with things that I have experienced thus far in my life.

I have begun to see some really awesome changes in my mission.  I feel like I am starting to see little miracles every day.  Like in lessons when the spirit prompts me or my companion to say or ask something, and the other receives the same revelation.  I feel the spirit so much stronger in the lessons and I really do feel guided by the spirit in what to say and do.  I have felt my testimony grow so much more through the lessons we teach and feel greater charity for all of the people.  I have also seen so many changes in myself.  I feel so much more motivated to work as hard as we can.  I feel the desire to be strictly obedient in all things.  I really love what the mission is doing to me! :)

I am so so so happy, because I am starting to see the fruit of my labors.  In the past 3 weeks, there have been 3 baptisms in Tlaquepaque, my old area, and all of them were people that I found with my companions, like Keyla!! She just got baptized this last week.  I really can't describe the joy that I feel for them.  To me, it doesn't even matter that they are not ¨my converts¨, but I am so grateful the other missionary´s were about to help them take this step. SO HAPPY!!!!

I don't even have any more words to say, because I'm so happy! :D

Love you all!
Hermana Boice

A little craft that I have been working on for a while for my District. 
Bookmarkers!

Semana (Week) 44: The Miracles of Hard Work!

For the week I was studying Mosiah 24:15:

"Y aconteció que las cargas que se imponían sobre Alma y sus hermanos fueron aliviados, si , el Señor los fortaleció de modo que pudieron soportar sus cargas con facilidad y se sometieron alegre y pacientemente a toda la voluntad del Señor".

I love this scripture because we can apply it a lot to ourselves.  When we have our burdens, the Lord can strengthen us so that they are light and we don't feel them.  He will never take them away, like sometimes we want him to do, but he will give us the strength

we need to overcome them if we ask.  

This week was probably one of the best weeks I have ever had on my mission.  We made the goal as a companionship to work with everything that we had and as hard as we could to complete the Stakes' goals of 50 lessons every week.  Even though we tried as hard as we could, a lot of the members canceled the divisions we planned or we didn't even have members present in our lessons.  We were literally calling everyone that we could. But, at the end of the week, we achieved 30 lessons in the week with only 5 hours that we did divisions on one day.  The other two weeks we were having around 17 or 19.  Even though its not 50, we know that we can improve and eventually achieve it, or if not, the highest that we can.  And the Lord has really helped us!  When we put in our part and our effort, he takes care of everything else that we cant. Something that I have begun to comprehend more and more in the mission.

Yesterday, was probably the most spiritual day that I have had in all of my mission.  I felt the spirit so much during church that I was dead tired crawling into my bed last night.  We went to pick up two investigators to go to church in the morning.  Maria is Catholic, knows that the church is true, but doesn't want to leave her habits.  Yesterday was the first time she has gone to church and went up and bore her testimony in front of everyone that she knows that its true, that she feels such a peace and love in her heart!  Areli told us the day before that she also prayed to know if the church is true.  She had such a beautiful special experience and felt such a great love and peace in her heart.  While she was listening to the testimony's, she began to cry, feeling the spirit so strong.  I also cried myself, which really hasn't happened much on the mission.  I felt the spirit so so strong and I couldn't hold back my tears.  I am so grateful for my God, and for the priceless opportunity that I have here.  

With lots of love,

Hermana Boice

Semana (Week) 43: Pants......THEY ARE AWESOME! 10 Months in the Miss!

Finally wearing pants...

This last week was the first week that we started using our pants.  It was weird for the first 5 minutes and after, sooooo comfortable! Now we can run, and jump, and sit wherever we want, life it just easier.  But, now I look at my companion and have to do a double take, and ask," We are still missionaries, right?"  Ya, that is new.  Now all of the members think that we are being disobedient.... haha.  This last Tuesday and Wednesday, we had divisions with our sister training leaders in Tarimbaro for 2 days. I really enjoyed being in their area. I felt such a great love for the people that we taught and that I didn't know.  I kinda felt like my next transfer I will be going there. But we will see what happens.

Couple funny stories.  We were walking back to our house at night, and an investigator gave us a corn on the cob.  I was so hungry that I starting unraping it in the street while walking home.  I was about to take a big bite out of it when 2 kids stopped us to sell candy.  One kid said ¨Can you give me a bite out of your corn?¨  So I just handed it to him.  So close.......  Other day we were knocking on doors.  One opened his door and as soon as he saw us he slammed it.  Another, wewere about a centimeter away from getting eaten by a huge dog that was hidden.  And yet another,  we asked if he believed in Christ, and he said.¨Ummm......it's that I am Satanic....¨ And we just left as soon as we could.

Also, we have had to leave some investigators that just were not progressing. Its really sad to do it, but its obvious that Satan is working really hard.  So we have to double our fuerzas tambien. 

Love you all!!!!!

Hermana Boice

10 months and counting....but loving it!

Semana (Week) 42: One Year Older and Hopefully Wiser Too! :-)

Wow! Just completed 20 years with this birthday! Feels weird to be 2 decades old...haha. I spent pretty much all of my birthday traveling to Guadalajara for a meeting for all of the new missionaries and their trainers, which is about 5 hours.  We got there early, so we went to visit my old area in Tlaquepaque and we ate Chapalita!! I was soooo happy.  Then, in the morning the Sisters all sang to me in the house and gave me a little treat.  We headed to our meeting, which was really awesome and spiritual for about 5 hours.  After that, Everyone sang to me Happy Birthday, and President Egginton gave me a little cake (which was delicious by the way).  We traveled back to Acambaro and got back about 12 in the morning.

A funny experience that happened this week.  We received money to eat lunch one day and we felt like eating pizza.  We called Dominos and told them what we wanted and gave them our number if they needed to call us for some reason.  Before we told them the address, they said, ¨Oh, you guys live in front of the store Tio Sams (Yes we live in front of Tio Sams) and your house is white and is 2 story¨...........  How does this guy that works in Dominos know this???? That's because they practically memorized our number since the sisters before us called in pizza a looooooot... hahaha.

An awesome experiance that happend this week. We were walking in the street and passed by a little store with two women sitting out front.  I had the impression to talk to them, but I just kept on walking, because we were running a bit late.  For the next 30 seconds my mind was full of ¨Why didn't you talk to them??? You need to talk to them¨ Until I had to tell my comp,¨We need to go back¨ and I turned around and headed back to talk to them.

 They both surprisingly accepted our invitation to visit them.  Its so important to listen to the spirit!

Love you all!!!!! Thanks for all of the birthday email!!! I am sorry if I didnt get the change to email back, but I will next week!!!

Hermana Boice

Semana (Week)41: Cambios (Transfers)!!!

Fortunately, we didn't have cambios.  I am still in Acambaro with Hermana C. and we are just loving it here! I don't think I have ever felt the spirit more than in this last cambio.  Truly, I have had some amazing experiences and Acambaro will always be in my heart.  I am super glad that I will be here for another 6 weeks!

First, some sad news.  We had a lesson with Jesus and found out that he really doesn't want to change his religion, even though he KNOWS that it is all true.  He likes to listen to us to have more knowledge.  It was super sad, because we really put so much effort into teaching his lessons, fasting, praying, and the whole caboodle. But every person has their agency and we did all that we could.  We hope that in the future, he will make the right decision.

Haha... we ran into a funny situation the other day. We were teaching a less active and she invited her 2 teenage grandson's to listen to us.  We found out that they were from the US, and that they really didn't know much Spanish.  BUUUT, I didn't use any of my English, because I felt way to weird.  I just spoke super slow in Spanish, so that they could understand me....really, who knows.  

The other day, someone stopped us in the street to ask if I was from another country and thought I was from Germany.  Now we have an appointment with her to teach her and she seemed really interested.  Then later that day, we were waiting outside a house, and this guy started yelling at me from across the street, ¨Rusa! Rusa!¨ (Russian).   He thought I was from Russian... haha.

Have a wonderful week!  Don't forget daily prayers and scripture study, as this is how you will have a wonderful week.  ;)

Love, 

Hermana Boice

Playing with bananas on our bus ride.  We have baby bananas here!!!

Semana (Week) 40: The Golden Week

9 months in the mission (last week)!!!!

Wow! This week, I think, has been one of the best weeks I have had in all of my mission! We found 9 new investigators and we feel like every lesson that we come out of, was filled with the spirit.

My testimony really has grown so much being here, especially in prayer. Heavenly Father has really been so sweet to me by always answering my prayers, even if they are small.  I want to share two experiences from this week.   I fasted this last Sunday that one of our investigators would go to church, even if he was the only one that would go.  When we got to church, only he ended up coming.  And yesterday we were praying a lot that the ward would remember to come on time to church and not really late.  When it is 10:00, there are usually only 30 people. We got there and there was around 70 people before 10:00!!!!  We ended up having 97 people in total, when every week its 70. The Lord really truly does bless us, when it is a true and righteous desire of our hearts.  I truly feel so grateful for my mission and all the things that I have learned and experienced.  I feel such a change in myself, and that is one of the greatest mercies that the Lord could give me. 

Next week is cambios!! But I am sure that I will be staying in Acambaro with Hermana C. for one more cambio.  Today is like a holiday in Acambaro. There is a parade, and all of the bakery's are in it and throw bread to the people.  The people fight for it like its Black Friday, but I will find out today!

Love you all! Trust in God, and Choose the Right!!

Hermana Boice

The best District in the World!!!! With the best shirts in the world!

I had the opportunity to have divisions with my trainer before she ends her mission (she ends next week).

Semana (Week) 39: Happy Independence Day/Virgin Refugio Day/9 months!!!

Today is also a really big day here in Acambaro.  I heard everyone talk about the 4th of July and all of the parties and food and bread there will be in the street.  Also, the fireworks that have been going off every 5 minutes for a week and I thought, "That's awesome that they also celebrate America's Independence Day here!"  But then I found out that it is actually the day that they celebrate The Virgin Refugio(Refuge).  I don't know what is the difference between her, the Virgin Guadalupe, the Virgin Mary (they have about a billion) but anyway, ya they are celebrating her.  It's awesome because they have a day that all of the bread bakery's will be giving bread away for FREEE!!  Its like Black Friday, but bread....people actually punch.

Really, this has probably been the craziest week of my whole mission, So many things happened one after another.  There was some really good things, and also some really NOT so good things. Definitely a week that is going into my journal!  Wednesday was probably the day that was the craziest, but can't really explain everything that happened.  We finally got back to the house at night, thinking that the day was going to end, when at 11pm, I heard ¨Hermana Boice!¨ Outside the house.  Turns out it was 2 members that came by to see if we were home, because we forgot to call our District Leader to tell him that we got home safely. I checked our phone and saw that it was on silent with 15 missed calls from Him, the Zone Leaders, and the Bishop.  They thought that we had gotten kidnapped or something....and that was the end of that day, haha.

This last Sunday was fast Sunday and I decided to fast for our progressing investigators.  For the last 3 weeks, we haven't had any of our investigators in church, and I was starting to feel a little bit distressed.  One of our investigators, Jesus, told us in our last lesson that he is scared to come.  We finally were able to convince him to come.  Then on Sunday morning, he sent us a text that he wasn't going to go because he didn't feel ready.  At this point I was begging the Lord for a tender mercy and that he could help me to know what to say to him so that he will go.  I prayed that if at the very least, Jesus went to church and I would be content.  We got to church, and guess who showed up?? Jesus was the only investigator that came, but I am so very grateful that God answer our prayers being a real, true desire from our heart!

I totally forgot my camera, but I wil be sure to send you all my pics next week!! I can't believe that I am half way through the mission.  It is really going by so fast.  I am so very grateful to be here!  It has, and is changing my life, and always for the better :) Love you all and always stay strong!!!

Love, 

Hermana Boice