July 31, 2012
So.. The Transfer call came yesterday morning and whelp.. for some odd reason i just can´t finish the work in the areas i have already served in and the Lord keeps sending me back to take care of unfinished business... I have been transferred back to ODIVELAS.. the land where i was born in the mish. It feels good to be back. I am serving with Irmã Baer. She is from Alpine and the sweetest person in the world.. I am so grateful to be with her right now. She is gonna get me back in line, not that i was ever out of line, but we can always be better at being on the line, whatever. anyway.. She is sharp and on the ball. We are so ready to do work here.
It´s hard to know why Heavenly Father makes the decisions he does, but i just have to trust in him and know he knows what is best for me. So right now, at this time in my life, Odivelas is where i need to be. The answers to my prayers will come later i am sure..
It was EXTREMELY difficult to leave Porto and Vila Real.. I Love the North. I loved our branch.. I loved Teresa our sweet and only investigator.. During the week she told irmã Palmer and i that she has been diagnosed with cancer in her uterus.. She has basically given up on life and lost her faith.. She is just expecting to die soon and she is not fighting to overcome this.. We would go to her house almost everyday to make her lunch but she would end up making us lunch. It was so backwards. We were able to get her out of the house and come to a members house with us for a birthday party. Teresa loved it. She kept thanking us for getting her out of the house. She said it is no fun to be home alone, sick and no one to talk to. Her family lives in Cape Verde and she doesn´t have many reliable friends that will sit with her during the day. My heart breaks for her..
We´ve made progress with her in understand the doctrine of Christ and she has gained a testimony of it all.. especially the law of chastity. We had the best lesson with her and 2 other girls about the law of chastity. Teresa accepted everything! But her friend was rough to teach.. The friend said, that it is a great commandment but it´s too hard to keep living in this world.. Irmã Palmer went all Chuck Norris on her and said.. are you kidding me.. you´d rather just follow the world and settle than have self worth and keep the commandments of god?? The friends then said, i think you need to get out and travel more. I said, Oi.. i have already seen enough of the world and i hate it. I have traveled and i am in Portugal and from what i have seen and what i know.. I am that much more grateful for my standards and guidance from Heavenly Father. He won´t give us a commandment that we can´t keep.. The conversation got a little heated and intense because Irmã Palmer and i were so frustrated that this girl would rather be lazy and listen to the world than actually get a testimony herself. We left her with an invite to come to church, but other than that we knew she just wanted to attack us and didn´t want anything to do with our message. One day she will understand and accept but right now, she´s not willing to change or accept Christ. It is so sad.. I can only continue onward and search for those that will accept what we are teaching. Like Teresa.. She just needs to accept the fact that her baptism in the Evangelical church isn´t valid and she´ll be baptized in a heartbeat. I wish i could be there to continue to teach her but i know Irmã Palmer and Irmã Young will help her. I get so attached to these people and i hate leaving them.. I only got 6 short weeks up there.. Since i am on a pattern of returning to every area that i serve in.. maybe i will get to go back one more time!
I want all of you to know that I know without a doubt the commandments protect us from harm. I know we live these standards for a reason. I can only do my best to continue to testify of what i know is true. Don´t doubt the revelation that Heavenly Father gives to us and his prophets. He lives and loves us and knows what is best for us.
I love you all. Take care.
BEIJOS XOXO
Com amor,
Irmã Boshard
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Oiiii -
24 July, 2012
Soooo, i don´t know if any of you have noticed, but my emotions are a roller coaster out here! ha ha i´m sorry. Heavenly Father has blessed me to be here in Vila Real because i need to make a difference. Although i feel very small and insignificant, Heavenly Father is trying so hard to build his kingdom here. The progression isn´t coming like i am use to and like it should. I guess at times it is my lack of faith or lack on my part, but i feel like we really are trying our best. i have never felt so much rejection in an area than i have here. Satan knows the elect are all over the place but a lot of hearts are closed off. I am learning patience. A LOT of patience, with myself and everyone else around me. Except my companion because i love her and we work well together. Irmã Palmer is great and teaches me so much. She always acts on the promptings of the spirit. It´s amazing how we plan lessons for our investigators and right before we knock on the door we feel like we need to change the lesson plans. For example, We had planned to teach Shirley and Teresa about the holy ghost the other night. We were really excited to tell them what they will receive after baptism. (we´re still working on the baptism part but we want them to know of the blessings afterwards) Well- right before we left the house to teach them, Irmã and i decided that we needed to change the lesson. We felt like the second lesson would be better at this time and that we needed to show them the film together for ever, but we didn´t know why.. We arrived at the house and during the lesson Teresa cried and cried because she has a 6 year old daughter in Cape Verde and she hasn´t seen her for 6 years.. basically since she was born.. We talk about the challenges we go through and how they lord will take the burden away from us.. we explained that she will live with her daughter again and in the lords plan he will take care of the both of them.. She was very grateful for the lesson and asked that we come back the next day. The next day we returned and Teresa said the opening prayer. She thanked heavenly father for the lesson we brought to her the night before and that the lesson was very special to her. What a huge blessing! I am speechless when i see the lords hands moving like that right in front of my eyes.. I don´t how to explain it, but it is just one more confirmation that the lord is aware of the work we are doing and he will guide us and direct us. I just need to stay that much more patient.
The last 5 weeks have been a challenge because Shirley and Teresa have been about the only 2 progressing investigators this whole transfer and for me, this is the lowest number of progressing investigators in my whole mission. Let´s just say that the Lord is humbling me.. big time! I´ve decided if they are the only reason why i have come here, all the hardships are worth it. I can´t grow if i don´t hit a bump in the road. I can´t appreciate the small and simple things if i have everything.. I have to go through what i have gone through and what is yet to come so Heavenly Father can continue to mold me help me become what he wants me to become. It´s hard to learn in the moment, but afterwards it is all worth it.
I love you.. Boa semana :)
Happy 24th of July!
1 Nephi 13 :37
We´re all building Zion.. Your reward will be great.
BEIJOS XOXO
Com amor,
Irmã Boshard
Soooo, i don´t know if any of you have noticed, but my emotions are a roller coaster out here! ha ha i´m sorry. Heavenly Father has blessed me to be here in Vila Real because i need to make a difference. Although i feel very small and insignificant, Heavenly Father is trying so hard to build his kingdom here. The progression isn´t coming like i am use to and like it should. I guess at times it is my lack of faith or lack on my part, but i feel like we really are trying our best. i have never felt so much rejection in an area than i have here. Satan knows the elect are all over the place but a lot of hearts are closed off. I am learning patience. A LOT of patience, with myself and everyone else around me. Except my companion because i love her and we work well together. Irmã Palmer is great and teaches me so much. She always acts on the promptings of the spirit. It´s amazing how we plan lessons for our investigators and right before we knock on the door we feel like we need to change the lesson plans. For example, We had planned to teach Shirley and Teresa about the holy ghost the other night. We were really excited to tell them what they will receive after baptism. (we´re still working on the baptism part but we want them to know of the blessings afterwards) Well- right before we left the house to teach them, Irmã and i decided that we needed to change the lesson. We felt like the second lesson would be better at this time and that we needed to show them the film together for ever, but we didn´t know why.. We arrived at the house and during the lesson Teresa cried and cried because she has a 6 year old daughter in Cape Verde and she hasn´t seen her for 6 years.. basically since she was born.. We talk about the challenges we go through and how they lord will take the burden away from us.. we explained that she will live with her daughter again and in the lords plan he will take care of the both of them.. She was very grateful for the lesson and asked that we come back the next day. The next day we returned and Teresa said the opening prayer. She thanked heavenly father for the lesson we brought to her the night before and that the lesson was very special to her. What a huge blessing! I am speechless when i see the lords hands moving like that right in front of my eyes.. I don´t how to explain it, but it is just one more confirmation that the lord is aware of the work we are doing and he will guide us and direct us. I just need to stay that much more patient.
The last 5 weeks have been a challenge because Shirley and Teresa have been about the only 2 progressing investigators this whole transfer and for me, this is the lowest number of progressing investigators in my whole mission. Let´s just say that the Lord is humbling me.. big time! I´ve decided if they are the only reason why i have come here, all the hardships are worth it. I can´t grow if i don´t hit a bump in the road. I can´t appreciate the small and simple things if i have everything.. I have to go through what i have gone through and what is yet to come so Heavenly Father can continue to mold me help me become what he wants me to become. It´s hard to learn in the moment, but afterwards it is all worth it.
I love you.. Boa semana :)
Happy 24th of July!
1 Nephi 13 :37
We´re all building Zion.. Your reward will be great.
BEIJOS XOXO
Com amor,
Irmã Boshard
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
President & Irma Fluckiger arrived July 2012
Monday July 16, 2012 at 11:44 AM
The Fluckigers have arrived and I LOVE THEM!!!!! Our conference was in Porto this week and let me just tell you that President Fluckiger was HAND PICKED by the lord to guide this mission. He is tender and loving. I am so grateful to be here and know them.
This week was really weird and out of wack.. for pday Irmã Palmer and i went to Porto to catch a bus to Lisboa because we had to take care of somethings with our residency card.. So Tuesday we spent the day in Lisboa and it was awesome.. then we returned to Porto and slept with the irmãs there.. I got to see irmã Young which was so fun.. then we did some splits with Irmã Fluckiger because she wanted to work with us. She is a hoot! On Wednesday was our conference with President and Irmã Fluckiger.. They speak purely with love and they speak portuguese well.. they remember a lot from their missions.
We had a bunch of appointments fall through.. and well.. Satan is working over time on our area.. PRAY FOR US! Pray for the members, our investigators and Irmã Palmer and i. Thanks :)
Actually we had a really cool contact at the bus stop two days ago. We met a sweet woman on her way to the hospital to visit her husband and began to talk about families and the gospel and she saw a book of mormon in our hands and said.. is that a book of mormon? We said yes.. She said i read that 40 years ago and i loved it and i wanted to buy it but my friend told me that they don´t sell it. You could get it through someone else.. She said she has dreamed of reading it again and well.. I filled out a book with our information on it and gave it to her.. Her eyes were WIDE open and she was so grateful that she had found the book once again. Hi, can I just say that LITERALLY heavenly father puts his children in our path so we can teach them and help them accept the gospel. We did nothing. It was the spirit and the Lord.
The gospel is true. I can never deny that! I love this work. sorry this is short. I´ve gotta go.. i hope you like the pics.. i have many more to send but no time. yikes. Have a great week my loved ones!
Beijos XOXO
Com amor,
Irmã Boshard
The Fluckigers have arrived and I LOVE THEM!!!!! Our conference was in Porto this week and let me just tell you that President Fluckiger was HAND PICKED by the lord to guide this mission. He is tender and loving. I am so grateful to be here and know them.
This week was really weird and out of wack.. for pday Irmã Palmer and i went to Porto to catch a bus to Lisboa because we had to take care of somethings with our residency card.. So Tuesday we spent the day in Lisboa and it was awesome.. then we returned to Porto and slept with the irmãs there.. I got to see irmã Young which was so fun.. then we did some splits with Irmã Fluckiger because she wanted to work with us. She is a hoot! On Wednesday was our conference with President and Irmã Fluckiger.. They speak purely with love and they speak portuguese well.. they remember a lot from their missions.
We had a bunch of appointments fall through.. and well.. Satan is working over time on our area.. PRAY FOR US! Pray for the members, our investigators and Irmã Palmer and i. Thanks :)
Actually we had a really cool contact at the bus stop two days ago. We met a sweet woman on her way to the hospital to visit her husband and began to talk about families and the gospel and she saw a book of mormon in our hands and said.. is that a book of mormon? We said yes.. She said i read that 40 years ago and i loved it and i wanted to buy it but my friend told me that they don´t sell it. You could get it through someone else.. She said she has dreamed of reading it again and well.. I filled out a book with our information on it and gave it to her.. Her eyes were WIDE open and she was so grateful that she had found the book once again. Hi, can I just say that LITERALLY heavenly father puts his children in our path so we can teach them and help them accept the gospel. We did nothing. It was the spirit and the Lord.
The gospel is true. I can never deny that! I love this work. sorry this is short. I´ve gotta go.. i hope you like the pics.. i have many more to send but no time. yikes. Have a great week my loved ones!
Beijos XOXO
Com amor,
Irmã Boshard
Monday, July 9, 2012
The Atonement is for everyone....EVERYONE
Date: Mon, Jul 9, 2012 at 1:36 AM
Subject: The Atonement is for everyone.. EVERYONE
Heeellooo...
Last week.. Irmã Palmer and straight up saw miracles.. and i used to always think that miracles are baptisms.. they are, don´t get me wrong.. but baptism doesn´t come without the other little steps and every single step counts. We went to the city of Chaves (sounds like shhhhaves mkay). We are trying to open a branch out there. There are 4 active members that live out there. Mom, dad, daughter and son. Chaves is about and hour or so from vila real by car.. but by bus it is about 2 and a half hours. This sweet family so badly wants to have their own branch in their home or a small chapel.. whatever it may be.. they need it. When Irmã and i arrived in Chaves we got right to work.. obviously.. and we started knocking on a apartment building. We kept praying after every button we pushed and i said i am not leaving this building until we have found the elect. There was one man named José who was busy at the moment we passed by but he asked that we pass by at 3pm after lunch.. so we left.. did more work.. at lunch at our members house and returned to his apartment. José said, i am sorry but i am working. This is not my apartment so i can´t talk for long. We explained our message quickly, he said he didn´t believe in god. He is catholic but not practicing.. so basically he is looking for the gospel and doesn´t even know it. We gave him the restoration pamphlet and we told him that he needed to read it that night.. He said, well can i have your number. I can meet with you another time?? ELECT!!! He recognizes the lords voice.. seriously. it gives me chills. We exchanged information and marked to meet with him hopefully in the week that comes. We met other on the street that said they would love to attend church but vila real is too far.. ugh, just pray that we can get this branch open in Chaves and the lords work will continue to grow out there. Oh wait, my story isn´t done about José. when we came back from Chaves we received a message on our phone. It said hi irmãs.. I want you to know that i read the pamphlet you gave me and i hope you´re doing well. Okay. I know is sounds dumb, but we kicked, jumped and screamed for joy because he read the pamphlet. It is great when the work doesn´t go unnoticed and a small thing such as that pamphlet is going to change his life for the eternities. I love chaves. Pray for the city of Chaves and José. The Lords work is continually moving forward!!! Don´t ever doubt it.
Last night Irmã Palmer and i passed a less active. She is rounding up all her friends to come listen to us and it is AMAZING. Paula was baptized years and years ago but fell away with her brother. The last two weeks she has started to come back to the sacrament meeting with us and she is loving it. Anyway. last night we taught Paula, her brother Maro, his girlfriend Teresa, and two of her friends Shirley and Silvia. We taught them about temples. We showed them the temple magazine and taught them about the house of the lord. Paula said during the lesson, I can´t enter because i am a sinner. I had a baby outside the bonds of marriage. We told her that WE ARE ALL sinners and no is perfect and that she can take care of that and go to the house of the lord.. It made me so sad to see the sadness in her face when she said that to us. We explained the atonement and how she will overcome this. It was in the past, the lord will forgive her she just needs to continue to make good decisions. I can´t express to you what a privilege it is to help someone see their worth. to help them know that no matter what we do, the lord loves us and we can always change. Ahh i wish i had more time to explain. i´ve gotta go, but i love you. you are worth more than a million bucks in the eyes of heavenly father. Take care my loved ones.
Beijos XOXO
Com amor,
Irmã Boshard
Subject: The Atonement is for everyone.. EVERYONE
Heeellooo...
Last week.. Irmã Palmer and straight up saw miracles.. and i used to always think that miracles are baptisms.. they are, don´t get me wrong.. but baptism doesn´t come without the other little steps and every single step counts. We went to the city of Chaves (sounds like shhhhaves mkay). We are trying to open a branch out there. There are 4 active members that live out there. Mom, dad, daughter and son. Chaves is about and hour or so from vila real by car.. but by bus it is about 2 and a half hours. This sweet family so badly wants to have their own branch in their home or a small chapel.. whatever it may be.. they need it. When Irmã and i arrived in Chaves we got right to work.. obviously.. and we started knocking on a apartment building. We kept praying after every button we pushed and i said i am not leaving this building until we have found the elect. There was one man named José who was busy at the moment we passed by but he asked that we pass by at 3pm after lunch.. so we left.. did more work.. at lunch at our members house and returned to his apartment. José said, i am sorry but i am working. This is not my apartment so i can´t talk for long. We explained our message quickly, he said he didn´t believe in god. He is catholic but not practicing.. so basically he is looking for the gospel and doesn´t even know it. We gave him the restoration pamphlet and we told him that he needed to read it that night.. He said, well can i have your number. I can meet with you another time?? ELECT!!! He recognizes the lords voice.. seriously. it gives me chills. We exchanged information and marked to meet with him hopefully in the week that comes. We met other on the street that said they would love to attend church but vila real is too far.. ugh, just pray that we can get this branch open in Chaves and the lords work will continue to grow out there. Oh wait, my story isn´t done about José. when we came back from Chaves we received a message on our phone. It said hi irmãs.. I want you to know that i read the pamphlet you gave me and i hope you´re doing well. Okay. I know is sounds dumb, but we kicked, jumped and screamed for joy because he read the pamphlet. It is great when the work doesn´t go unnoticed and a small thing such as that pamphlet is going to change his life for the eternities. I love chaves. Pray for the city of Chaves and José. The Lords work is continually moving forward!!! Don´t ever doubt it.
Last night Irmã Palmer and i passed a less active. She is rounding up all her friends to come listen to us and it is AMAZING. Paula was baptized years and years ago but fell away with her brother. The last two weeks she has started to come back to the sacrament meeting with us and she is loving it. Anyway. last night we taught Paula, her brother Maro, his girlfriend Teresa, and two of her friends Shirley and Silvia. We taught them about temples. We showed them the temple magazine and taught them about the house of the lord. Paula said during the lesson, I can´t enter because i am a sinner. I had a baby outside the bonds of marriage. We told her that WE ARE ALL sinners and no is perfect and that she can take care of that and go to the house of the lord.. It made me so sad to see the sadness in her face when she said that to us. We explained the atonement and how she will overcome this. It was in the past, the lord will forgive her she just needs to continue to make good decisions. I can´t express to you what a privilege it is to help someone see their worth. to help them know that no matter what we do, the lord loves us and we can always change. Ahh i wish i had more time to explain. i´ve gotta go, but i love you. you are worth more than a million bucks in the eyes of heavenly father. Take care my loved ones.
Beijos XOXO
Com amor,
Irmã Boshard
Monday, July 2, 2012
Vila Real Branch is SOLID !
President Fluckinger has arrived!!.. Wanna know how we know? We called
President Torgans phone last week and President Fluckinger answered.
Irmã Palmer said, hi president, this is Irmã Baer.. and i laughed and
said, you´re not irmã Baer.. That was your
companion last transfer.. she then laughed and said, i am sorry
president i forgot my name.. ha ha ha ha He laughed because he thought
she was calling him Irmã Baer and he said, this is President
Fluckinger.. First encounter with the new prez was memorable.
ha ha
It is a huge blessing to be able to serve in a branch. I love
branches and the branch in Vila Real rocks! I would come back here just
to live in this branch. The members here are solid. Yesterday we got a
reference from Família Campos. They are a family
who has not trusted the missionaries for over a year and a half.. They
finally gave two irmã a reference a few months ago but they ruined it
and this family has just struggled to do work with the missionaries.. so
yesterday was a BIG FAT miracle. It feels
so good to know the members are entrusting us with their friends. This
is really how the work is done. Through the members!!
Maria is a member of our branch and she was baptized 2 years ago
and i can promise you that i have never met anyone as incredible as
her.. When she began to take the missionary discussions her neighbors
were disgusted with her and would throw rocks at
as she was going to and from her house. (this is real Joseph Smith
times people) She said sometimes she would come home from work and her
windows would be shattered and people were messing with the outside of
her house. She told us this week when we passed
by her house that she doesn´t care that all of this is happening to her
because she knows the church is true. Maria knows that this difficult
time will pass and one day she´ll rest from all this nonsense.. How many
of you would endure this kind of pain for
what you believe?? There are so many who leave the church because of
words.. just words.. but this woman won´t leave the church for
anything.. I know Maria strengthened my testimony this week and i want
to do everything i can to continue to strengthen her
and help her stay strong in the church forever. Pray for her.
As Irmã and i had time to do contacting this week, we prayed so
hard to know where we needed to go.. We thought of this hidden city.. we
don´t know the name of it so we just call it the secret garden.. We
felt like that was where we needed to go looking
for the elect.. We arrived in the city Thursday morning and came to a
fork in the road. We said another pray to know which path to take. So
after we felt good about it we walked on the path to our left.
Afterwards we came to an apartment complex and felt,
whoa.. which one do we start with.. So we prayed again and started with
the first apartment to our left.. We started knocking.. we weren´t
getting anywhere.. no one wanted to talk to us.. But then finally
someone answered and said, we could come back another
time because she was getting ready to leave for work. I said, can we a
quick prayer with you i your door. I promise you will feel a difference
in your day. She was really hesitant and i kept pushing for it and she
finally let us up to her door. She opened
the door, we introduced ourselves and she was really kind and didn´t
seem like she was happy. Irmã and i began to testify of her worth in
this life. She said i have never been happy and i don´t think i can ever
be happy. Sad huh? Afterwards we talked about
Heavenly Father and how he wants to help her and through prayer she
will know of her worth and feel his love. We prayed with her and she
loved it and said we could come back to share our message with her. So
we returned to her house on Saturday and taught
her the Plan of Salvation. I know without any doubts that Heavenly
Father guided Irmã Palmer and i to her. She needs hope. She needs love.
She needs the gospel like right now! We left her with a bunch of reading
material and a Book of Mormon and we are going
back to visit her this week. Pray for her. Her name is Aurora. Sorry i
forgot to mention that earlier.
I know Heavenly Father is preparing us for big things to come in
the future. We can know what he expects of us through prayer, Scripture
study and through his servants.. When you are having a bad day, don´t
forget that fire you once felt when you received
an answer from god or when you felt his love. You are all of worth and
mean so much to him. Don´t doubt that! EVER! Continue with faith and
diligence. I love you all.
XOXO
Irmã Boshard
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