MALTSESERS IN THE VENDING MACHINE!!!!!

This is what i had for lunch today.. So good! Don´t be jealous. Enjoy the pics!

XOXO Irma Boshard

Pia Celestial Will Never Give Me Something I Can't Handle

Olá, what a transfer i have had. I only have two more weeks in this transfer and i feel like it just started last week. freak man.. I just have to tell you how amazing it is to serve on an island.. For pday today Irmã and i went to the other side of the island to a little city called Santana.. As we were walking down the streets a lady was standing out side her house and said, come here.. i want to show you my house.. so we walking into her house and she showed us everything.. It was hilarious.. People here are very proud of their homes.. I love it!

So i have come to truly realize here on the mish, that pai celestial (heavenly father) will never give me something i can´t handle.. He only sends me things that i can grow from and use to help other people.. I have really been stressed out of my mind because the work has slowed down and i don´t know what to do with myself.. The last few weeks we haven´t had that many progressing investigators, therefore we haven´t been baptizing.. My favorite thing to see in the mish is when someone is willing to fully come unto Christ, accept his gospel and all his teaching and be baptized the same way he was.. I know i have been able to make a difference here and there in lessons, but ii have just been going crazy.. However.. I got over the stress and met this wonderful family at the end of last week. Remember when we baptized Maria a few weeks ago?? Well, we are now teaching her husband and two sons.. They all need to stop smoking and drinking and they will be ready for baptism.. They are an elect family.. I am so excited for them.. We hike a mountain to get to their house everyday but it is worth the 45 minute walk..

funny story about Maria.. you know how weird i am and how i always said weird things in weird voices.. if you don´t we are obviously not close enough friends.. jk but.. I have started to say things with my voices.. of course in Portuguese and it is hilarious.. but Maria mocks everything i do.. she said Irmã and i are her best friends.. she is 76 years old.. I love her.. She said we have to pray for her for the rest of our lives.. She is the cutest lady..

Our branch is doing so much better. Timóteo is a great branch mission leader and has helped us a lot with the work.. We can really see a change in attitude and they seem more welcoming to our investigators..

Do you remember that investigator that made me cry when i first arrived to Madeira?? He said our church was mask and had signs of the devil on our temples?? Yeah i said i would never go back, but Irmã Thayer made me go with her.. It is amazing how the spirit works.. We have been teaching him almost everyday this last week and he said he will be baptized if we can explain the symbols on the temple.. He has done so much research on anti mormon websites.. it is ridiculous.. He has been praying to sincerely know if the book of Mormon is true and if Joseph was a prophet.. oh and when the lord wants him to be baptized.. He´s been a tough cookie and we keep asking why heavenly father is sending us there, but there is a reason. He will be a huge asset to our branch.. We just need to keep praying that he will accept the gospel... like today.

I hope you all have a great week. Love you!!! XOXO

Com Amor,

Irmã Boshard

*Posted By The Boshard Family

Life Is Beautiful & Eternal!

Bom Dia!!!

Olá.. Minha querida família! Mom- Thank you for sending me the church news and thank you Boomer and Hannah for sending me your letters. Your lives sounds so busy.. I hope you enjoy this time as teenagers because it goes by so fast..

Boomer- Use this time right now to prepare for your mission. I am not even lying when i say i regret all the time i wasted to prepare to be a missionary. When i say prepare.. I mean, Tell yourself you want to go on a mission because it is what the lords wants and you obviously love the lord and want to obey him.. Don´t do it for anyone else.. but have the desire to serve. It is a privilege. Read your scriptures, attend seminary, be faithful to the teachings and commandments of God.

Hannah- Be good to mom and dad.. This goes for you too Boomer. Be a happy teenager. Respect what mom and dad say. They know best because they have learned from experience. Be an example to all your friends. Speak kinds words and be a good student. Hannah, read your scriptures daily. Love the word of god and soak it all in.

I am telling you this because last night I wasn´t expecting to get the response we did from a man as we were knocking doors. I wish i would´ve been more prepared with words but i know the spirit was guiding me. As Irmã Thayer and i were knocking doors a man walked out and said, no no no.. You are wrong! (he was speaking English by they way) He said, you´re wrong, your religion is wrong.. your book is wrong.. If you are preaching of Christ why is your book called Mormon?? He whipped out his bible and started reading all these scriptures.. and we just sat and listened to him blab.. I was praying my heart out because i felt like this was probably going to be my first experience with someone trying to prove us wrong with just the bible. Thankfully i have the spirit of the lord and thankfully Heavenly Father has forgiven me for not going to institute (because he knows i will go after the mish) however, all i could do was bear testimony of the book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. We showed him a few scriptures but he wasn´t listening too carefully.. It was our testimony that was going to touch his heart.. After we stayed in his front door for an hour we knew we had to leave and he wasn´t budging so we said see ya.. and he said when you find out your are wrong come back and see me.. oookay.. not. Some people just aren´t quite prepared for our message yet. But Heavenly Father continues to guide us to those that are ready for our message.

Oh mom- I talked to the office about why i had to pay 30€ for my package and it was because you wrote RX on the outside of the box.. Portugal doesn´t like when people use medications and medical stuff from other countries.. they want us to buy products here, so if they see that prescriptions are written on the box they will search it and charge you. It´s ridiculous.. so I was told that if you send me my pills, just write nutritional supplement on the outside of the box.. It´s been fine for other missionaries.

Last week was a little bumpy and rough.. I have been extremely blessed to see success every week thus far in my mission. This last week was my first week with hardly any success. I feel like the work has really slowed down. We don´t have any progressing investigators and one of our recent converts said he is not coming back to church. I was dumbfounded sitting in his house. I was not expecting to hear that come out of his mouth. He said I have faith in God, I am a good person, I know i am breaking some of the commandments but God still loves me. First of all, he was baptized, he knows the covenants he made with god, he knows keeping the sabbath day is a commandment but yet he is still not willing to go to church. I don´t understand the mind of some of these people. He said we can still be Friends and chat on the phone.. I said no. We are representatives of Christ. He said, we are all children of god. I said yes but that is not what i mean. We are hear to help you repent and you are not willing to repent. He laughed and we left his house so sad. How do you help someone repent if they know what they are doing is wrong and aren´t willing to continue to make changes?? It doesn´t make any sense to me. Blahhhh so I am just grateful to have a new week to go find new investigators and bring the gospel into their lives.

I love this gospel. I know the book of Mormon is proof that god and his son Jesus Christ lives. I know that the book of Mormon is proof that Joseph Smith was a prophet of god. I know that we have the commandments to protect us from the temptations of evil. I love you all!!! XOXO

Com Amor,

Irmã Boshard

*Posted By The Boshard Family

A Green Hill Far Away....

sorry i don´t have many pics to send.. One is me by the beach last pday.. It´s is super rocky as you can clearly see.. and the other is a view of my sweet area.. Love the green fields!

CHEEEESSSSE!

So these are some random pics of course.. One we went to lunch as a district after district meetingin Caniço. Another, was the day Irmã Thayer arrived in Madeira and Irmã Dias was leaving.. and the rest.. i bet you can figure it out.. Love you all XOXO

Kenz

Miracle at 10PM

Hi There fam..

Dad.. Thank you for your email this week! It was great to get an update on the fam and to hear how you are doing since i didn´t hear from annny offf youuuu.. not that i am bitter or anything you know.. i kid. I hope Hannah had a great Birthday.

Let´s just jump right into what happened to Irmã Thayer and i yesterday.. Craziest day. oh my.. So we have our investigator marked to be baptized yesterday.. maria, and she didn´t come to church.. We couldn´t get a hold of her and we couldn´t leave Church to go get her because we were teaching the classes.. So.. we just kinda left it and we were so sad.. Well, president torgan always tells us that repentance brings forgiveness... so we repented of everything thing we had done wrong this week. Church was over and we went home to eat lunch and pray some more.. We felt that we should visit Maria in her house.. but it was kinda sketchy because she has asked us not to pass by her house because of her neighbors.. it´s a long story.. so felt that the spirit told us to go see her so we did.. obviously we are missionaries.. Well we got to her house we talked to her about the importance of attending church and that she could still be baptized because she had attended church a few times.. she said i can´t be baptized today.. That is impossible, i am tired i have things to do.. we need to do this another day.. after of talking for an hour we finally were able to pray with her and ask the lord when he wanted her to be baptized. This is the lords work and all, and we felt that she should be baptized yesterday so we wanted to confirm with the lord.. In the middle of the prayer she gasped and said, i need to be baptized.. she ended her prayer, got up and left the room.. Irmã and i looked at each other and i said what is going on?? We were so confused.. Maria came back into the room and said lets go.. We said, WHAT? where?? She said i am going to be baptized! It was about 6:30 last night we need to catch an hour long bus ride to Funchal, we called the elders they filled up the font, call our members and no one would come.. so we called another set of elders to be witnesses and help us baptize, and we had a baptism last night at 10pm with 4 elders, 2 Irmãs and our sweet little investigator.. When Maria entered the font she tried to go swimming and dunk her head under the water ha ha, i wish we could have recorded it.. It was hilarious. She was acting like she was taking a bath.. However, the spirit was incredible. Maria is someone with some much faith and confidence in the lord. I love her! She can´t wait to receive the holy ghost next week. There is always opposition when we are preparing someone to be baptized and.. you know who.. satan.. did not want her to be baptized.. It always blows my mind the way he works.. I should never be surprised but yet i always am.. He will even work through members.. yeah.. i know.. So the pictures i attached are of her cute little baptism last night. i have never had a baptism so late and without members.. but this is truly the work of the lord and she needed to be baptized last night.. and she was.. Don´t ever doubt the lord or his will.. just do.. There is a reason and in no time we will see the long term effects.

I think i have the greatest family in the world.. I love you.. and don´t be afraid to invite someone to church or to read the book of mormon. Be firm in your testimony and what you know is true.. We are here to bless the lives of our brothers and sisters.. We told them in the pre-existence we would come to earth and find them! We have been blessed with the truth and it is our responsibility to share it. So just do it. XOXO

Com Amor,

Irmã Boshard

*Posted By The Boshard Family

One more Picture

PICTURES!

Me and a seal at the airport waiting for my new comp..

Irmã Dias and i loved our mormon channel shirts! Thanks so much! Our zone here on Madeira.. We are so cute and small..

Me and Irmã Thayer.. We hit a really cold day here in Machico this week.. We pulled out the winter stuff.. ha ha

The Late Christmas Package That Mom Cried About For Days!

Time For The Old Winter Coat!

Heeelllllo,

Soo, Madeira has hit cold season.. I pulled out the winter coat and i look like a freak because no one else has a coat as big as mine ha ha.. Irmã Thayer arrived on Tuesday and Irmã Dias left that night.. It blows my mind how fast transfers fly by.. I feel like i just arrived here in Portugal but i am almost half way through my mission.. NOOOOO...

So it has been a rough few weeks with out baptisms.. I was complaining to Irmã Thayer about this yesterday.. Poor thing.. she has to sit and listen to me 24-7.. ha ha I was talking about how i just want to baptize to fulfil my purpose on the mission.. Irmã Thayer is so wise and has had wise companions. One of them was going through the same motions as me and her dad sent her an email saying.. Christs apostles rejected him.. was he a failure? Wicked people crucified Christ.. was he a failure? Joseph Smith was tared and feathered.. was he a failure? and then she went off on a rant about this topic about wonderful people in the gospel who haven´t always seen the success right away but later on we see the blessings of our work.. (my mind is flooding with words but i can seem to type them.. sorry if this doesn´t make any sense) So yesterday we had a chat about how wonderful the mission is, and how this mission is to teach, help others come unto Christ, yes- baptize them but to enjoy the process of the work.. sometimes i get really caught up in baptizing.. with good intentions duh.. it is my purpose, but sometimes i forget to be happy and patient.. So in the end of this rant, i am so grateful to have this opportunity to learn and grow and teach about Christ in this amazing process, i am grateful for every companion i have had thus far.. They have each taught me so much about the gospel and missionary work, with every transfer i change and learn how to be a better instrument in the lords hands.

It is Hannah´s Birthday this week!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I love you so much and i hope you have a great birthday darling! I got the video of Isla and i looove it.. She is a riot..

I am sorry this email is short.. I am out of time but i love you all and enjoy the pictures! Have a great week! XOXO

Com Amor,

Irmã Boshard

*Posted By The Boshard Family

HAPPY NEW YEAR.. Is it already 2012?? What happened to 2011.. There is no keeping track of time in the mission field.. It just flies right by.. This week was great, slow, but great.. For new years President Torgan gave Irmã Dias and i to go to Funchal with some recent converts to watch the firework show.. It was amazing and one of a kind.. you should youtube videos of this show..

On Thursday my Christmas Package came!!!!!!!!!!! Irmã and i were doing our morning studies and i saw the mail van.. I saw the mail man get out of his car with a USPS box in his hands.. I screamed.. i was jumping up and down.. i couldn´t believe how big the box was.. Then our buzzer rang.. I screamed even louder.. We ran downstairs and I got my package... but it came with a price.. I had to pay 30€ for this puppy.. So i guess when packages come to the European Union or something like that, every shipment is scanned.. well my box needed a search (that is why it took so long to get to me) and well, because of the search i had to pay 30€.. It think it might be because of the liquids but i am going to call the mission office and ask about this so for a future reference this doesn´t happen again.. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for everything you sent me.. I fell to my knees crying because i was so happy my box came.. I have many pictures to send you.
Also, Grandma Jacobs sent me a Christmas box.. but she sent it to Odivelas.. and the Irmãs there forwarded the shipment to me.. Tell her thank you and give her the mission office address please.. Thank you! Oh and thank Spencer for his gift in your box too, that was really nice of him to send me something. I will make sure to get out thank you cards but i don´t know when that will be.. so to everyone this is a thank you in advance :)

This week Irmã Dias and i were walking in Machico and this man yelled at me and said, your religion is nothing.. nothing.. He scowled at me and i said good afternoon and kept walking... he continued to yell at me as we walked away.. I don´t understand why people are so bitter sometimes.. It makes me sad they don´t know any better and they don´t care to know.. BUT, I love when we find the elect. elect investigators that is.. We met Duarte on a bench the other night and he just looked like he is supposed to be a member ya know.. so we talked to him, prayed with him and marked another appointment.. So our first lesson with him was great.. He is catholic but not practising.. He is not super super elect but he has potential. We invited him to be baptized and he said he needed to pray about it.. Bahhh we are still waiting on his response.. he is reading the book of mormon... good boy.. and we have an appointment with him tonight.. we are so excited.. We are hoping he will be baptized in two weeks.. I have finally come to realize the meaning of baptism.. What a blessing to make a convent with God and in return he will bless us without end if we follow his commandments.. Hiii.. all of you should want that.. right??

Oh duh.. today is transfer day.. I am staying here in Machico.. Irmã Dias is leaving.. to the Azores!!!! She is really excited.. I will miss her.. My new companion is Irmã Thayer and she will arrive tomorrow morning.. I am excited to meet her and i am excited for this new transfer.. It´s a fresh start to make goals and make changes in the work.. I hope it goes well.

Mom.. i have the address for the Dantas Family.. You can write them in English and their kids will translate.. they all speak English.. So please do write them a thank you card.. they will love it.. such a sweet family.. I love them!

Okay.. my time is running out.. I love you all.. I hope you all know how much i love this gospel and how much i love my Savior Jesus Christ.. I know with out any doubts he established this church.. It is the only true church on the earth and it is a blessing to teach about the restoration of his gospel. I love the Book of Mormon and i know it is the word of God.. If your looking for answers.. say a prayer and open the book. Be patient and kind to one another.. I love you!!!!! XOXO

Irmã Boshard