I’m Glad They Called Me on a Mission!!!! July 26, 2010
Hola Mamita y Papita,
This week has flown by just like the week before it....and just like that, I HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO SANTIAGO AGAIN!!!! But I will get back to that at the end of the email. I haven’t really told you about the weather that we’ve been having lately, but it’s been very wet and cold lately.....NOT my favorite. There has been heavy rain about 3 days in the week for the past for two weeks and we have been keeping warm but VERY wet. We even had the wonderful opportunity of covering two “mediaguas” with nylon in the rain so theyS wouldn’t get wet and ruined. Mediaguas are mini-emergency homes made for the people who lost their houses in the earthquake. They were made for Eliana, our recent convert of 62 years old. She is so alive and active and reminds me of a female version of dad because of her energy. I love eating lunch with her every Tuesday. She is progressing really slowly but well. The majority people of older ages generally don’t have too much education and need more time to understand the Gospel, but it definitely is a blessing to see them grow. The Lord surely blesses the humble and willing of heart. I can stand extreme cold, snow, or heat...but rain? Never a favorite of mine. It is sort of fun working with an umbrella and Elder Osorio and I have a blast while we are knocking doors. We get along great but he has a few habits that bug the crap out of me. I guess we all have something a little annoying. He has a very strong character and is very direct with the people. That is what the members here need to change and become better. He comes from rough high school years where he was a VERY rebellious member but his change to follow the Gospel has allowed him to not tolerate iniquity now and really teach by the spirit. I am putting a little bit more love into his heart as well. Hahaha!!!! I have a little softer heart and perhaps didn’t use enough courage to tell the people straight forward what they need to be worthier but I feel that my love towards them helped them become more united and help out a little more.
The time in Peralillo has passed by much faster than I wanted it to, and I can’t help thinking that I didn’t do ALL that was in my power to help the Branch grow like it could have, but we worked earnestly. The country areas of Chile are my favorite and I have enjoyed being surrounded by small-town people, vineyards, little corner-stores out of houses, and animals (horses, cows, goats, etc.). Our area of Peralillo is pure country-side with many little towns. The plaza/park in the middle of the town of Peralillo is incredible!!! It has many humongous trees in it with park benches and a big water fountain in the middle of it. Our new house was a miracle because the house we were living in was a shipwreck and we had to move out fast. The electric sockets burned out, we didn’t have light or water in our kitchen, there wasn’t very much room, and the floor was never clean no matter how much we swept (trust me, we tried to keep it clean!!!!) The new house is two stories but we don’t use the second floor because there is enough room downstairs. The only thing is that it’s really cold at night. Surprisingly, I haven’t gotten sick this winter yet and (knock on wood) I don’t think I will either.
On Saturdays, we usually had Mutual with the youth and cleaned the church. Every Thursday recently, we traveled to Marchigue (another town in the sector) to look for less-active priesthood holders. We found Brother Beas (Elder) and Brother Yañez (Ex-Bishop) and their sons as well. Now, in two weeks we planned for a BBQ and soccer in the chapel with them and the other men who are coming to church. It will be good to reactivate the men and get some leadership into the Branch again. I realize I won’t see MANY of the fruits of my labors in Peralillo but I realize more and more eveyday that I am “laying the foundation of a great work;” and that gives me sufficient pleasure in what I’m doing. I love these people so much and only want that they can receive eternal blessings. I never thought I would get to that mentality before, but WOW...what a blessing to “see the people through God’s eyes.” That was one of my original goals from the MTC.
Alejandro, our first counselor’s son, was preparing himself to go into the army as a career instead of serve a mission for sometime. But I interviewed him the other week and we had a very spiritual time together in which I was able to help him see the need to “serve the Lord with all his heart, might, mind, and strength.” We prayed and he felt the need to pray personally about his mission. It was an amazing moment and I felt so happy to help him to see his life a little more through the Lord’s eyes. All of my converts are doing well. Yanett, Barbara, Javiera, Jocelyn, Giselle, Alexandra, Eliana. Sebastian still hasn’t been confirmed as a member with the Holy Ghost now for 3 Sundays. I am nervous for him. He has been passing trials lately. Pray for this humble 20 year old. He is incredible. I have learned how IMPORTANT it is to receive the Holy Ghost RIGHT AFTER being baptized in the water. If not, a person does not have a complete baptism. It is invalid until we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. I have a gained a large added importance in the influence of this gift after baptism so Satan doesn't have added power over us. It is necessary.
I know, leaving Peralillo was sort of a big bummer but I am excited to work with my new companion, Elder Coloma. He has the same time in the mission as me and is from Talcahuano, Chile (WOOHOO, my third latin companion in-a-row. 4th overall!!!). In fact, he was my Zone Leader in Santa Cruz one change ago (6 weeks back). Now we are Zone Leaders together in the most southern part Santiago called “San Bernardo”. Our ward is called Quimey. It is the biggest zone out of the Santiago Zones (16 missionaries) and we have our hands full with many baptismal dates in the Zone but I am stoked to work with this Loco (“Crazy”). He is a great guy and we got along great in Santa Cruz. Like I said before, I am going to miss SOOOOO MUCH being in Peralillo because it was an experience that I will never have again in my life. Welp, I explained some of the things that mom wanted and I hope that helped you get a better idea about how things and the work are here. ;-P
One last thing, I might need money for new shoes soon. I have only used one pair of the Ecco shoes this whole time and they have helped up incredibly!!!! I took them to a shoe workshop to get re-stitched and they are impecable now but underneath is wearing out a bit much. The other shoes have NO support and don’t help me with all the walking we do. Don’t send anything yet, but I will keep you posted. I love you all! Take care of yourselves too much. Lol!
Con amor,
Elder Boaz
Monday, July 26, 2010
"In the Shoes of My Savior" 7-19-10 letter
July 19th, 2010
Hey all my loved ones!!!
I hope this email finds you alll in great conditions and high spirits. I have consistently been looking for comfort and understanding from my Savior for the experiences that we are passing here. I won't go into too much detail but there are events that the Lord puts us in everyday to strengthen our testimony and to test it to see where it stands now. I love that because I am becoming more aware of my strengths, weaknesses, and points to improve so that the adversary doesn't squirm his way into mine or my family's life.
First off, I forgot to let you all know that the Zone Conference we had with our new Mission President, President James McArthur, and his wife, Sister McArthur, was incredible. If there was ever a moment in that the Holy Spirit bore witness that a leader was called of God, like our beloved Prophet, it was present in that Zone Conference two weeks ago. Our new president is so humble and really showed his desire to put all of himself in the Lord's hands. He trusted us as missionaries enough to make himself transparent. He told us ALL about his life aand family and expressed himself the best possible with his Spanish (even though he hasn't spoken the language for more than 40 years!!!). President McArthur was a profesor at BYU and a psycologist with 10 kids and 31 grand-kids. He is 62 and has tons of energy and love. A little quirky but I LOVE his personality and approach to leading. He says we are his friends, not servants; and is ready to work with us to grow the mission. The 12 apostles and the CES have introduced a new system of training in the mission-field worldwide into 8 catagories that will better prepare the missionaries to teach better. I don't remember them all now, but to help us learn and apply them better in how we teach the people, we will have less large Zone Conferences and MORE mini-capacitations and trainings by the assistants and our zone and district leaders. They will start to apply these 8 catagories of training in the MTC in May of 2011 (when I can teach it to the newbies as a teacher there!!!!!!!!!!! Wooohoooo!) Our Heavenly Father is definitely showing us His LOVE for us how he is uping the preparation of HIS servants to save souls. I feel blessed to be in this wonderful work.
We are more focused recently on the importance of attending church to feel the Spirit of conversion with our investigators because that is a vital key to their progression. It is the same with the less-active members as well. This first half of the month, we had been announcing a temple trip that we were going to do with the Branch on July 31st and planned Temple Prep classes on the Saturdays but it hasn't progressed how we have liked. The members aren't showing the desires yet and need more one-on-one teaching. We've post-poned the date until further notice but I am committed to helping these Saints receive eternal blessings. It gives me an unexplainable joy to help others enter into the Heavenly Covenants that I enjoy today by living worhty and keeping the commandments. The missionary work has been somewhat slow this past week to focus a little more on the needs of the members and recent converts. Many of our recent converts didn't come to church yesterday and almost all of them are facing grand opposition from Satan. It is painful to me to see that, by degrees, the devil will try to bring us down when we BEGIN to change and better ourselves in the path of our Savior. Elder Osorio and I have pondered about what is to be done and we realized we have to fix the root of the trial: PREPARE LEADERS. I have interviewed various of the members that SHOULD BE leaders this past week to help them overcome their "stumbling blocks" and serve the rest. I hope that it takes an effect. We are injecting a change of heart into their souls and hoping that they nurture it by themselves. Despite many who are willing to be better, there is one brother who has slowly hardened his heart in the past three months and refused to meet with me to repent. Yesterday, I offered to help in the most loving way possible and he pushed away more. I know the Lord has called me to be a Pastor over a lock of His sheep and He is strengthening me in the most difficult moments. We cannot alter the agency of one but we can be an anchor or helping hand in their decisions. I invite you to apply the following scripture to your lives and ALWAYS seek the Lord's help through HIM AND his CHOSEN SERVANTS. God Bless You!!!
Mosiah 3:19-21 "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent"
I love you and wish that you are doing what the LORD would have you do. :)
Con mucho amor,
Elder Josh Boaz
Hey all my loved ones!!!
I hope this email finds you alll in great conditions and high spirits. I have consistently been looking for comfort and understanding from my Savior for the experiences that we are passing here. I won't go into too much detail but there are events that the Lord puts us in everyday to strengthen our testimony and to test it to see where it stands now. I love that because I am becoming more aware of my strengths, weaknesses, and points to improve so that the adversary doesn't squirm his way into mine or my family's life.
First off, I forgot to let you all know that the Zone Conference we had with our new Mission President, President James McArthur, and his wife, Sister McArthur, was incredible. If there was ever a moment in that the Holy Spirit bore witness that a leader was called of God, like our beloved Prophet, it was present in that Zone Conference two weeks ago. Our new president is so humble and really showed his desire to put all of himself in the Lord's hands. He trusted us as missionaries enough to make himself transparent. He told us ALL about his life aand family and expressed himself the best possible with his Spanish (even though he hasn't spoken the language for more than 40 years!!!). President McArthur was a profesor at BYU and a psycologist with 10 kids and 31 grand-kids. He is 62 and has tons of energy and love. A little quirky but I LOVE his personality and approach to leading. He says we are his friends, not servants; and is ready to work with us to grow the mission. The 12 apostles and the CES have introduced a new system of training in the mission-field worldwide into 8 catagories that will better prepare the missionaries to teach better. I don't remember them all now, but to help us learn and apply them better in how we teach the people, we will have less large Zone Conferences and MORE mini-capacitations and trainings by the assistants and our zone and district leaders. They will start to apply these 8 catagories of training in the MTC in May of 2011 (when I can teach it to the newbies as a teacher there!!!!!!!!!!! Wooohoooo!) Our Heavenly Father is definitely showing us His LOVE for us how he is uping the preparation of HIS servants to save souls. I feel blessed to be in this wonderful work.
We are more focused recently on the importance of attending church to feel the Spirit of conversion with our investigators because that is a vital key to their progression. It is the same with the less-active members as well. This first half of the month, we had been announcing a temple trip that we were going to do with the Branch on July 31st and planned Temple Prep classes on the Saturdays but it hasn't progressed how we have liked. The members aren't showing the desires yet and need more one-on-one teaching. We've post-poned the date until further notice but I am committed to helping these Saints receive eternal blessings. It gives me an unexplainable joy to help others enter into the Heavenly Covenants that I enjoy today by living worhty and keeping the commandments. The missionary work has been somewhat slow this past week to focus a little more on the needs of the members and recent converts. Many of our recent converts didn't come to church yesterday and almost all of them are facing grand opposition from Satan. It is painful to me to see that, by degrees, the devil will try to bring us down when we BEGIN to change and better ourselves in the path of our Savior. Elder Osorio and I have pondered about what is to be done and we realized we have to fix the root of the trial: PREPARE LEADERS. I have interviewed various of the members that SHOULD BE leaders this past week to help them overcome their "stumbling blocks" and serve the rest. I hope that it takes an effect. We are injecting a change of heart into their souls and hoping that they nurture it by themselves. Despite many who are willing to be better, there is one brother who has slowly hardened his heart in the past three months and refused to meet with me to repent. Yesterday, I offered to help in the most loving way possible and he pushed away more. I know the Lord has called me to be a Pastor over a lock of His sheep and He is strengthening me in the most difficult moments. We cannot alter the agency of one but we can be an anchor or helping hand in their decisions. I invite you to apply the following scripture to your lives and ALWAYS seek the Lord's help through HIM AND his CHOSEN SERVANTS. God Bless You!!!
Mosiah 3:19-21 "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent"
I love you and wish that you are doing what the LORD would have you do. :)
Con mucho amor,
Elder Josh Boaz
A huge let down but a bigger uplift 7-12-10 letter
July 12, 2010
Hi My loved ones,
This week has been one of the most interesting weeks I have probably had in the mission. We only had 11 people (two were my comp. and I) in sacrament meeting yesterday and it was really tough to experience. It rained a bit yesterday and the rain, which was very little, is a sure excuse for Chileans to not come to church. After a little sadness, I remembered my Change of Heart and I'm so devoted to the work now. This disappointment in the church yesterday encouraged me to improve my service and know different ways of balancing the improvement of the branch with the missionary work. I'm glad that all is well with the family and friends. I am SOOOO JEALOUS that you were all together last week for the Annual Family Reunion. I bet it was AWESOME. You NEED TO send me pictures of the extended family. Haha!
Recently, I've been thinking about the influence that the Atonement has had on my life. It is a healing power that is unexplainable. As I kneel in my own garden of Gethsemane, I try to feel the feelings that Christ has for me and my investigators when He suffered for us. It is a great pain that is then drowned in the love that He has for us when we accept Him as our Savior. I am studying the meaning of "born of God" and a "Change of Heart" recently and that has helped me be more dedicated to his work and love people more.
Alma asks the question, " I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?" (Alma 5:14)
In Mosiah, it is explained as follows: "Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God." (Mosiah 27:25-26)
What needs to happen to us is the following: "And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. [...] And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God. [...] And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters." (Mosiah 5:2, 5, 7)
I KNOW WITHOUT DOUBT that my mission is true and I am witnessing the complete veracity of the Savior. Need not serve more to have this .... I'm sure lead only to the love I have for Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father.
I love you all so much!!!! Take care! (Marcos 10)
Con mucho amor,
Elder Boaz
Hi My loved ones,
This week has been one of the most interesting weeks I have probably had in the mission. We only had 11 people (two were my comp. and I) in sacrament meeting yesterday and it was really tough to experience. It rained a bit yesterday and the rain, which was very little, is a sure excuse for Chileans to not come to church. After a little sadness, I remembered my Change of Heart and I'm so devoted to the work now. This disappointment in the church yesterday encouraged me to improve my service and know different ways of balancing the improvement of the branch with the missionary work. I'm glad that all is well with the family and friends. I am SOOOO JEALOUS that you were all together last week for the Annual Family Reunion. I bet it was AWESOME. You NEED TO send me pictures of the extended family. Haha!
Recently, I've been thinking about the influence that the Atonement has had on my life. It is a healing power that is unexplainable. As I kneel in my own garden of Gethsemane, I try to feel the feelings that Christ has for me and my investigators when He suffered for us. It is a great pain that is then drowned in the love that He has for us when we accept Him as our Savior. I am studying the meaning of "born of God" and a "Change of Heart" recently and that has helped me be more dedicated to his work and love people more.
Alma asks the question, " I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?" (Alma 5:14)
In Mosiah, it is explained as follows: "Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God." (Mosiah 27:25-26)
What needs to happen to us is the following: "And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. [...] And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God. [...] And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters." (Mosiah 5:2, 5, 7)
I KNOW WITHOUT DOUBT that my mission is true and I am witnessing the complete veracity of the Savior. Need not serve more to have this .... I'm sure lead only to the love I have for Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father.
I love you all so much!!!! Take care! (Marcos 10)
Con mucho amor,
Elder Boaz
July 5th letter
July 5th, 2010
Hey Everyone,
This week's message will be a little short because we have had to do a ton in the internet today. The week was incredible and we prepared Sebastian really well to be baptized yesterday. Everything went great and I had the blessing of baptizing him. Sebastian has a different spirit about him. Ernesto didn't get baptized because his mother still doesn't feel he is prepared buit we'll be diligent with him. I love helping this Branch grow and teaching the members to be better in their commitments. That has been the challenge here and will continue being the challenge until they have a change of heart. So, to help them, we planned a trip to the temple at the end of the month on July 31st!!!!! I am going to do all in my power with the help of the Lord to help them get there. We are really excited and will be doing preparation classes every Saturday until then. I don't any more time now so I´ll just paste to you what I wrote to our NEW MISSION PRESIDENT today. That's right, President Resek finished on June 30th and now President McArthur is our mission President. We have a conference with him tomorrow and I'll let you know how he is. But take care everyone!!! Gotta run!!!
Hey Everyone,
This week's message will be a little short because we have had to do a ton in the internet today. The week was incredible and we prepared Sebastian really well to be baptized yesterday. Everything went great and I had the blessing of baptizing him. Sebastian has a different spirit about him. Ernesto didn't get baptized because his mother still doesn't feel he is prepared buit we'll be diligent with him. I love helping this Branch grow and teaching the members to be better in their commitments. That has been the challenge here and will continue being the challenge until they have a change of heart. So, to help them, we planned a trip to the temple at the end of the month on July 31st!!!!! I am going to do all in my power with the help of the Lord to help them get there. We are really excited and will be doing preparation classes every Saturday until then. I don't any more time now so I´ll just paste to you what I wrote to our NEW MISSION PRESIDENT today. That's right, President Resek finished on June 30th and now President McArthur is our mission President. We have a conference with him tomorrow and I'll let you know how he is. But take care everyone!!! Gotta run!!!
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