I'm working and happy!

Hola a mi amada familia, Feb. 8th, 2010


So changes came and......I am staying in Progreso in Santiago. Big surprise! Haha, Just kidding. The Zone Leaders had me convinced the whole night of change calls that I was going to another zone as a District Leader. Then, at bed time they called me at the end of the night to tell me that I am staying with Elder Roundy and that I will be District Leader now. We got a good laugh out of the whole situation because they got me REALLY good. Haha! I am excited to be able to help and support another companionship in the Zone. I know it isn't anything to extraordinary in the mission, just another responsibility that the Lord is having me fulfill in my calling to serve him. I don't feel very prepared for it but I suppose that the mission gives a TONS of experiences that we aren't ready for. I ask for your prayers that I might be able to fulfill what the Lord needs me to do and feel comforted in the process.
This past week has been yet another tough but satisfying week of work. I feel a big responsibility to raise my personal standards of excellence in the mission work. I know that I can show Elder Roundy how to work much more effectively in the missionary work. He is so supportive, outgoing, and driven. I know we will see baptisms and souls changed this next change. This past week had some pretty memorable mission experiences. First off, we had a lesson this week with a lady named Mareli. Her 45 year old son has been a drug-addict for some time and it is affecting her badly. She had been praying recently for a church to join and to strengthen her when we knocked on her door. She let us in and asked why God doesn't answer prayers when we know He exists. I felt bad for her question but reassured her that God ALWAYS listens and blesses us in His time. We taught her the Restoration and she said she would be baptized if she received and answer in the prayer. I knew that our message was an answer to her prayers. She didn't come to church yesterday but we will be visiting her this week to see how she is doing. It is moments like that that rejuvenate me in this work. I know that there is ALWAYS someone out there who is looking for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to bless them. We just have to keep plugging along and eventually will find them. Nevertheless, contacting on the streets and at doors is such a difficult part of the work for me and it's the majority of what we do here. I feel bad for European missionaries that have to deal with all the cold, closed people. South America is a little bit more open and receptive but even then, there are days when NO ONE wants to talk to you and everyone is rude. It is somewhat discouraging but we must just press on.
Alma 17:11 says, "And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls."
I have applied that much to this work when times are difficult because Christ always finds a way to show us that we are helping and serving Him. We just need to be in the right mindset.
Ok, so on Friday, we were suppose to have lunch with a member in our ward that is a decent chef but he got really sick at the last second. He called us and told us to go buy some food for ourselves and that he would pay us back afterwards. We knew that there are four Chinese restaurants at the top of our area so we hit one of them up. The Mongolian beef and springs with rice were INCREDIBLE. And on top of it, the restaurant was legit, not ghetto! But the best part of it all was that they were playing pure Coldplay songs during the whole time that we were eating. So here is the situation, if you can picture this glorious setting: Eating Chinese Food while listening to Coldplay songs and being in Chile at the same time. There is not a better triple-C combination that I can think of at this moment. That should wrap up the things that will interest you all this week in my mission and if they didn't, my bad. Haha!
I love you all and thank you for your support. I know this work is true with all my heart and know that the Lord guides and edifies us when we come to Him. May you all turn to the Lord more this week.


Con afecto,
Elder Josh Boaz