Nov. 29, 2010
Hola a todos mis queridos familiares!
This week was full of mixed feelings because I had a feeling I was going to leave Quimey this coming transfer but I didn't know where or what would happen....then the assistants to President MacArthur called me on Thursday: answer to my doubt. They told me there is a missionary who recently started his mission and needs help. They said he is not very focused on the work and is a bit to prideful. He has had a tough time with his trainer and they wanted me to help him focus more in his mission. Therefore, from Thursday until today, I've been thinking what will come of this coming transfer and how I will work this troubled missionary. A lot of those worries went away today when I met this missionary, Elder Moore. He greeted me friendly when getting off the train, but I was still skeptical so I was a little cold and short with him at first. But as we started chatting in the bus on the way to our sector, I found out that he is a good guy but needs to realize that everything that happens is the companionship's responsability and both missionaries work together to make things better and no one gets the blame alone. The way he thinks about how certain things work in the mission give me the impression the he hasn't had the greatest example. He may need guidance and some correction but I am excited to work with him because he is ready to work. I am in the sector of "Nancagua" IN THE SAME ZONE OF SANTA CRUZ WHERE I WAS BRANCH PRESIDENT IN PERALILLO. Haha! It isn't too commune that a missionary returns to a zone that he was in before so this is going to be interesting. Lol! I may have the opportunity to visit Peralillo where I once served before. Haha! I am happy to be back in the south of the mission. I love it here and have had more success here than in my other sectors so I am confident. Plus, I will be here in SUMMER this time, so there will be many produce, green vineyards, and gorgeous countryside!!!
All of this information DOES NOT mean that I will not miss Quimey AT ALL. I think that the Ward of Quimey is the sector that has taught me the most about leadership, dedication, support, and member-missionary work for after the mission. It is a very special place and the members love and take care of the missionaries so well. Ruben and Silvana, some recent converts from before I came, gave me a China glass incense piece that burns oil. The second counselor in the Bishopric, Hermano Soto, gave me a glass cup that I used every time that I ate linch intheir house because it has the Chilean flag and an awesome soccer team logo on it. One youth that helps us teach gave me a Chilean flag and another youth, Jorge. gave me a nice pen and tie. I first met Jorge in Progreso (my second sector) when I found and started teaching his Uncle's family. In fact, Jorge's cousin (Sasha) from this same family was baptized yesterday and they wanted me to go to the baptismal service but I couldn't go. :( But him and his family are incredible.
My last week in Quimey was a bit difficult because we didn't find many new people to teach and those who are progressing weren't in their houses much because of semester finals in the schools (their school year goes along with the calender year). But it was a blessing to see how many investigators we got to church yesterday. Maria (a lady that the zone did a service project for) came to church for the 3rd time and has a baptismal date for December 26th. She is so happy and has a little girl's personality. We love her. Haha! Also, after four long weeks, Catalina and Javiera came to church again with their mom, Magali. They will be baptized on December 18th. Woo hoo! The work is going forth and this is the Lord's Church. I am going miss Elder Urra. He is a great example and has a great humor and love for others. We had a fun and spiritual time together. We will keep in touch for the future. Well that's all for this week. I love you and thank you for your continuing support. Take Care!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Joshy Boaz
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Forces of Nature Tried to Bring Us Down!
Nov. 8, 2010
Hola Familia y Queridos,
This past week has flown by but we have encountered various trials that really made me appreciate being persistent in the missionary work. The sun pounded down on us SO HARD for the WHOLE week and we were thoroughly burned through and through. I tried to protect myself as best as possible but my WHITE SKIN (thanks a lot mom, haha!) only held up for a couple days. It is ok, I got more tan than burned so I am happy about that, but it was a missionary tan (only the face, neck and forearms) Hahaha! I love being a missionary. I shared my testimony yesterday in Sacrament meeting on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the importance of it in our life here on earth. We taught a Buddhist named Mauricio these past two weeks and it has been a blessing to explain and express the importance the Savior in our life and the plan that God has for us to someone who has never believed in Him or understood fully who he is. I was able to focus even more on the simplicity of Christ's suffering in Getsemane, death on the cross, and resurrection. It just all fits in perfectly to the Plan of Salvation and is fully based of FAITH that it will have power to bless us. That was the main doubt of Mauricio, he felt that the plan was too perfect and not fully realistic, but I bore my testimony that GOD IS PEFECT and will not make mistakes. We will be blessed for having faith and believing without seeing that we can be forgiven, cleansed and exalted by Christ. We are virtually lost and don't have much of a purpose if there is no Christ.
I also bore my testimony on the importance of member-missionary work. We have an event called "Domingo de Blanco" (White Sunday) coming up on November 21 in the Stake Center. Elder Urra and I planned it. It will be a baptismal service that will take place in the Stake Center for the baptisms of all people in every ward planned for this day. So instead of being baptized in their separate wards, they will all be baptized together in white (14 people so far). It has motivated the missionaries to work together as a zone and with the members of their wards to prepare these people for their special baptism day. The members need to have a larger part in the conversion of someone or this Child of God will fall away.
I also learned a little better about the mindeset that we should have during the sacrament. What are we doing when the Sacrament is being blessed and passed? Are we reading, writing something, or actually pondering on the Atonement of Christ and our baptismal covenant? The last option should always be our action.
I love this thought!
I have a testimony that there aren't coincidences in life. The Lord guides us to HIs chosen ones! We had a FHE planned for Saturday night but the families who we invited weren't at their houses when we got there. Disappointed and a little saddened (because these people are supposedly going to be baptized on the 21st and still need help) we didn't know what to do. SO we started knocking a couple doors around the corner. The first people we talked to were a young married couple who were playing with their dogs in their patio. After a few minutes, we found out that they had talked to Elders about 4 months ago (right before I got to the area) and that now the wife (Evelyn) was 3 months pregnant. The husband (Eduardo) didn't believe much in God before but after the MIRACLE of their pregnancy, he believes but has trouble with having faith. We taught a bit of the Plan of Salvation and they are very interested in learning about the Gospel and the church. We never would have found them had the other families been in their houses for the FHE. The are no coincidences, only miracles!
I thank you all for you love and support. I am reading all of your emails and fully aware of what happens in your lives. Sorry for not responding to you personally, but I type slow and the time doesn't permit me. I will pray A TON for Rachel's recovery and Mom's and Dad's well-being.
Con todo mi AMOR,
Elder Josh Boaz
Hola Familia y Queridos,
This past week has flown by but we have encountered various trials that really made me appreciate being persistent in the missionary work. The sun pounded down on us SO HARD for the WHOLE week and we were thoroughly burned through and through. I tried to protect myself as best as possible but my WHITE SKIN (thanks a lot mom, haha!) only held up for a couple days. It is ok, I got more tan than burned so I am happy about that, but it was a missionary tan (only the face, neck and forearms) Hahaha! I love being a missionary. I shared my testimony yesterday in Sacrament meeting on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the importance of it in our life here on earth. We taught a Buddhist named Mauricio these past two weeks and it has been a blessing to explain and express the importance the Savior in our life and the plan that God has for us to someone who has never believed in Him or understood fully who he is. I was able to focus even more on the simplicity of Christ's suffering in Getsemane, death on the cross, and resurrection. It just all fits in perfectly to the Plan of Salvation and is fully based of FAITH that it will have power to bless us. That was the main doubt of Mauricio, he felt that the plan was too perfect and not fully realistic, but I bore my testimony that GOD IS PEFECT and will not make mistakes. We will be blessed for having faith and believing without seeing that we can be forgiven, cleansed and exalted by Christ. We are virtually lost and don't have much of a purpose if there is no Christ.
I also bore my testimony on the importance of member-missionary work. We have an event called "Domingo de Blanco" (White Sunday) coming up on November 21 in the Stake Center. Elder Urra and I planned it. It will be a baptismal service that will take place in the Stake Center for the baptisms of all people in every ward planned for this day. So instead of being baptized in their separate wards, they will all be baptized together in white (14 people so far). It has motivated the missionaries to work together as a zone and with the members of their wards to prepare these people for their special baptism day. The members need to have a larger part in the conversion of someone or this Child of God will fall away.
I also learned a little better about the mindeset that we should have during the sacrament. What are we doing when the Sacrament is being blessed and passed? Are we reading, writing something, or actually pondering on the Atonement of Christ and our baptismal covenant? The last option should always be our action.
I love this thought!
I have a testimony that there aren't coincidences in life. The Lord guides us to HIs chosen ones! We had a FHE planned for Saturday night but the families who we invited weren't at their houses when we got there. Disappointed and a little saddened (because these people are supposedly going to be baptized on the 21st and still need help) we didn't know what to do. SO we started knocking a couple doors around the corner. The first people we talked to were a young married couple who were playing with their dogs in their patio. After a few minutes, we found out that they had talked to Elders about 4 months ago (right before I got to the area) and that now the wife (Evelyn) was 3 months pregnant. The husband (Eduardo) didn't believe much in God before but after the MIRACLE of their pregnancy, he believes but has trouble with having faith. We taught a bit of the Plan of Salvation and they are very interested in learning about the Gospel and the church. We never would have found them had the other families been in their houses for the FHE. The are no coincidences, only miracles!
I thank you all for you love and support. I am reading all of your emails and fully aware of what happens in your lives. Sorry for not responding to you personally, but I type slow and the time doesn't permit me. I will pray A TON for Rachel's recovery and Mom's and Dad's well-being.
Con todo mi AMOR,
Elder Josh Boaz
Monday, September 6, 2010
What a Blessing I'm Living!
¡¡¡Hola Bendita Familia!!! Sept. 6, 2010
I hope all is well on the home front! This past week has been a great blessing for us in the missionary work and I feel truly blessed for being in the Lord’s work in this area. My time with Elder Coloma was a sweet and edifying time, but sadly ended very soon. When we had a Zone Leader Counsel meeting this last Friday, the assistants to the President were working with us to ways to better the mission and how to better the weaknesses we have been confronting lately. We were asked to part into our companionships to make goals to resolve the issues when, all of the sudden, Elder Guañuna (an assistant) starts naming us off in companionships completely different and says, “Now work out these goals with your new companions for the next change.” WHAT!!!!!!??? We were all taken by surprise. Hahaha! Only three Zone Leader Companionships weren’t changed. I was matched with another Chilean missionary named Elder Urra. He was serving as Zone Leader in Rancagua (my first zone) and I heard he is a great worker and leader. He is from Concepción, Chile (south) and his dad was recently released as the Mission President for the Chile Antofagasta Mission the same time that President Resek was released from our mission. I am super excited to start working with him. I don’t know him very well but I have heard good things about him. We’ll see how it goes.
Our ward truly has the vision of missionary work and many of the leaders are working to spread this excitement with the rest of the members. For example, we have a Missionary Work Commitee and every Auxiliary Organization has a missionary minute assignment to commit a member on Sunday to give out a Book of Mormon to someone during the week. Also, we have set up list with every organization in the church to write the days and times that they can come with us to visit investigators. What is special feeling it is to feel the love, support, and energy from the members for us. It is a feeling I can’t express but this is how Zion should be functioning on the earth today. We have many plans for the near future and I can’t explain them all but it is overwhelming to see how the Lord’s hand is functioning in this area. I encourage you to do the same with the missionaries in Murrieta Hills and wherever you go. That will be a measure of your testimony: how much you want to share it with others around you without embarrasement. Tonight, we have a lesson with our High Priest Leader’s cousin and her family. Brother Patricio Henriquez has been preparing her for some time now and we met her yesterday. I am so excited to teach them because it is a complete family!!!! Pray for us. Naiza and her kids are doing great. She comes to church every week about 35 minutes early and is ready to learn. I know she will get baptized soon as well as her kids. Patricio passed the sacrament yesterday after having received the Priesthood last week. He definitely will serve a mission and actually accompanied us to a few lessons last week. He is one of the Lord’s “chosen”. I love him like a brother.
I am aware of your difficulties at home and hope you know that my prayers are with you every day of my life. I thank God for my parents every day and fasted for you yesterday. My family is my life and I encourage you to see the recent Mormon Messages on lds.org. There is one on Forgiveness that will blow your mind away. Also, you’ll love one on parenting as well. I feel like I have had these messages in my life as a child and that means a lot to me. Thanks for providing that for me. We had a service project on Saturday where we built an extention on the house of a Sister in the Ward who has terminal cancer and was living in extremely small conditions. She was happy and her only question to us was to whom should she pay her tithing and fast offerings to. That is such a strong testimony to you and I that we should always put our trust in the Lord first and everything else will work out. She wants your prayers and is looking for a miracle. Please help. I hope this next week finds you all in better states than last week. Take care and know I think of you!
Con Amor,
Elder Josh Boaz
I hope all is well on the home front! This past week has been a great blessing for us in the missionary work and I feel truly blessed for being in the Lord’s work in this area. My time with Elder Coloma was a sweet and edifying time, but sadly ended very soon. When we had a Zone Leader Counsel meeting this last Friday, the assistants to the President were working with us to ways to better the mission and how to better the weaknesses we have been confronting lately. We were asked to part into our companionships to make goals to resolve the issues when, all of the sudden, Elder Guañuna (an assistant) starts naming us off in companionships completely different and says, “Now work out these goals with your new companions for the next change.” WHAT!!!!!!??? We were all taken by surprise. Hahaha! Only three Zone Leader Companionships weren’t changed. I was matched with another Chilean missionary named Elder Urra. He was serving as Zone Leader in Rancagua (my first zone) and I heard he is a great worker and leader. He is from Concepción, Chile (south) and his dad was recently released as the Mission President for the Chile Antofagasta Mission the same time that President Resek was released from our mission. I am super excited to start working with him. I don’t know him very well but I have heard good things about him. We’ll see how it goes.
Our ward truly has the vision of missionary work and many of the leaders are working to spread this excitement with the rest of the members. For example, we have a Missionary Work Commitee and every Auxiliary Organization has a missionary minute assignment to commit a member on Sunday to give out a Book of Mormon to someone during the week. Also, we have set up list with every organization in the church to write the days and times that they can come with us to visit investigators. What is special feeling it is to feel the love, support, and energy from the members for us. It is a feeling I can’t express but this is how Zion should be functioning on the earth today. We have many plans for the near future and I can’t explain them all but it is overwhelming to see how the Lord’s hand is functioning in this area. I encourage you to do the same with the missionaries in Murrieta Hills and wherever you go. That will be a measure of your testimony: how much you want to share it with others around you without embarrasement. Tonight, we have a lesson with our High Priest Leader’s cousin and her family. Brother Patricio Henriquez has been preparing her for some time now and we met her yesterday. I am so excited to teach them because it is a complete family!!!! Pray for us. Naiza and her kids are doing great. She comes to church every week about 35 minutes early and is ready to learn. I know she will get baptized soon as well as her kids. Patricio passed the sacrament yesterday after having received the Priesthood last week. He definitely will serve a mission and actually accompanied us to a few lessons last week. He is one of the Lord’s “chosen”. I love him like a brother.
I am aware of your difficulties at home and hope you know that my prayers are with you every day of my life. I thank God for my parents every day and fasted for you yesterday. My family is my life and I encourage you to see the recent Mormon Messages on lds.org. There is one on Forgiveness that will blow your mind away. Also, you’ll love one on parenting as well. I feel like I have had these messages in my life as a child and that means a lot to me. Thanks for providing that for me. We had a service project on Saturday where we built an extention on the house of a Sister in the Ward who has terminal cancer and was living in extremely small conditions. She was happy and her only question to us was to whom should she pay her tithing and fast offerings to. That is such a strong testimony to you and I that we should always put our trust in the Lord first and everything else will work out. She wants your prayers and is looking for a miracle. Please help. I hope this next week finds you all in better states than last week. Take care and know I think of you!
Con Amor,
Elder Josh Boaz
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