December 19, 2011

Christmas is this week?? No seriously.. How?? It was just summer.. oh wait.. it still is summer here on Madeira.. kinda.. Jelous? You should be. I am a missionary and i love my calling.
I am so glad to hear all of you are doing well, and your Christmas plans sound great because we GET TO SKYPE!!!! Yeah... i know. I am really excited to see all your faces because i thought i would just hear voices, but noooo. Okay. so Christmas day we have Sacrament meeting at 10am.. then afterwards a member is bringing a computer to the chapel for Irmã and i to skype. We don´t have Christmas plans with anyone in our ward so it might just be irmã and i chillin on Christmas.. Time for our chat, probably 45 minutes.. I will most likely be calling you before your sacrament meeting because when i call from here it will be about 5 or 6 am your time. most likely 6am.. I am sorry this is not set in stone, but you can all just roll out of bed.. OR is it better if i call after church.. aww man, i don´t know.

Last week i went to Lisboa for my residency card and i got to hang out with my MTC buds.. it was such a fun surprise.. I had no idea we would be doing our cards together.. While i was there i got my Christmas package from Grandma Boshard, cards and treats from all my wonderful friends and family.. The Nylunds sent me amazing chocolate from Sweden. Thank you.. I will make sure to get thank you cards out.. don´t worry, but I wanted to make sure they know i got their packages.. Mom.. I am still waiting on the Christmas package, but i hope it will come sometime this week.

The work this last week was full of opposition and our two baptisms fell. It was the mom and daughter we found last week or the week before. Anyway, I am kinda impatient with Satan.. He really works hard on the people out here.. The mom returned to smoking, the daughter didn´t really want to talk to us and they said it is too soon, we can´t do this, it hasn´t been enough time, yadda yadda.. Satan Satan Satan.. The moment we start teaching people about the gospel or we mark someone to be baptized, Satan is ticked and puts doubts in their mind and well, we just have to work a little harder.. We always warn our investigators about opposition and Satan and the doubts and all the rest.. but we are really in the last days and need to more firm in all that we do. We need to pray for all the people in the world to have an open heart and mind. To recognize the voice of the lord when we show up on the door step. We need to pray to help these sweet investigators fight off the temptation of Satan. My heart breaks when baptisms fall. Obviously, you all know i am a cry baby and so sensitive to the spirit, i had a difficult week with the opposition. I love seeing the change in peoples life, the light of Christ and the desire to follow the teachings of our savior. I should have no need to worry because we are going to try and get them baptized again this week.

Never be afraid to open your mouth and share the gospel. Internalize the basics of the doctrine and the spirit will guide you to the rest. I cannot express my gratitude enough to Heavenly Father for the knowledge of the gospel and the have the opportunity to leave you all and share the gospel with the Portuguese people. I never took thought to be diligent in studying the Scriptures before my mission. I read them because everyone said, read your scriptures.. Well now that i am here in the mission i know why we read the scriptures. I know why we pray before and after studies, i know why it is a commandment to read, pray and go to church.. We are learning of eternal principals, we will only take our knowledge with us after this life. Start now, don´t wait until tomorrow when you have an extra 5 minutes. Act today. You will see the blessings pour out in your life. I see them everyday in mine. I say this all the time, i need this mission more than this mission needs me. I have gained some much more than i feel like i can offer someone else.. but yet i have been blessed to bless the lives of others.

I love you all so very much.. I hope you all have a great week and i will see you on Sunday.. It´s a date :) LOVE YOU XOXO

Irmã Boshard