Spring breaking it.....

but really, this past week was SO BORING AND SO AWFUL. so I'll tell ya
what happened. After emailng y'all last week, went to the church and
passed out infront of all the missionaries, how embarrassing..... and
so this whole week I was on bed rest, and had to go to San Jose,
freaking 5 hour bus ride, to go get my blood taken, cause I didn't have
an appetite and when I did eat, when people would shove it down my
throat, I would just wanna throw it up, and I'm pretty sure I would
only be awake everyday for 4 hours, yeah I slept the whole week away
as well. Come to find out, that I've got a developing kidney stone, and
a developing UTI. So that's gross right? uhh yeah.... anyways so they
put me on antibiotics, and a whole bunch of other crap to get my
appetite back, but now I'm good as new. After a WHOLE WEEK. I WANTED TO
DIEEEE... seriously, I was so bummed, and all I wanted to do was go
out and work, but nobody would let me, and when I did try to leave, I
would just get really tired just after lunch and would sleep the whole
day... I felt so bad and just sooooo frusterated, cause honestly the
only thing I want to do is work, and when I couldn't I was just really
sad.... but I learned a lot.... so lemme tell ya what I learned...
In the hospital, we were there for 5 hours, because my comp decided
that her feet don't feel right so she had to get an x ray... she needs
surgery on her feet, but she has to go to the states to get it. She
goes home in 4 months. but since she's sick of people telling her what
to do, and how to be a missionary and she doesn't like how the leaders
we have are telling her what she needs to do better, she called
president to go home. She said she didn't feel like a good missionary
and her heart isn't in it. and ya know what, I didnt stop her... I was
like yeah you should go..... but about an hour later, she was like, I
don't feel peace about this, so she called president again, and he was
like well put your heart into then. So she was like ok.
I told her the same thing, I said, if we want this companionship to
work, you have to put your heart into it, you aren't in Guanacaste for
vacations, we are here to work. and the whole week that I was on bed
rest, she didn't even wanna go work....
I FELT BAD. I honestly thought I wouldn't feel bad about this whole
situation, but the day after that, I just broke down, I was like,
CRAP. I'M AN IDIOT. I'M her companion, I'M the only one that can help
her. I'M with her 24/7, I KNOW her more than anyone right now. and I'M
supporting her in her bad decision... HOW SELFISH AM I?? really
selfish I realized, because I only want to see success in the area,
yeah that's great, but how are we going to have success if we don't work
well together? we won't.... yeah, sooo I studied A LOT about Christlike
attributes and stuff, and decided that I'm gonna say sorry. It was a
little tough, but not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm definitely
learning to humble myself and forget about myself and help others....
but I still told her straight up what needed to happen so that we can
see miracles here in Liberia. She's changed a ton in the past 2 days...
haha we will see what the next 3 weeks, or more, bring.
The elders wanted to talk to us to see how we are doing... hahah
it was crazy... they were all like, how can we help. blah blah blah,
yeah we get it! its frusterating to hear what they wanna say and it
all ends up being, you have to fix it... yeah I know, so why are you
asking me how you can help, if you cant?? Elders don't think
sometimes....but whatever, I'm over it. They're really great actually...

Yesterday, we were waiting for 5 investigators that said they would
show up... they never showed up, but thanks to the sisters in the
other branch, they gave us one of theirs because they think she's a
little crazy, but hey, we can still convert her, so she showed up, she
was a little crazy, but she was really sweet and innocent, but that's
what all the new people are like, they don't understand anything so we
just have to walk with them, step by step. like a baby learning how to
walk :) AND since its spring break, we had an over load of Gringos at
church, and I got to translate for them. I felt pretty good about
myself. :)

We also visited some less actives that I didn't know existed, which
is embarrassing because I would really like to get to know them all,
but we were talking with them, and I felt that I should bring up
temples, cause they were talking about how amazing it is to know that
we have a heavenly Mother as well, and so I was like we wanna help you
prepare to be sealed as a family, and they were like, that would be
great buttttt this guy isn't a member still.... (the dad, and husband)
WHAAAA. Ok after 5 years of them being members, he's still got doubts
about somethings in the church, so we were like, welp, we will work on
that with ya. They call him a dry mormon. haha yeah so I'm pretty
excited to work with him and help him, because this family is SO ready
to be together forever.

Today, we were eating with our district on one street corner, where a
member sells empanada things, and as you all know, or don't know, that
the Womens World Cup is here in Costa Rica, part of it is in Liberia
and the other in San Jose. so one of the vans for the teams that they
all have, drive up while we are just chillin. Yeah its the Barcelona
Spain van... we met a player called Andrea.... it's not cool AT ALL,
like it would have been if it were the Mens team, but it was still
cool, she's playing in the World Cup so she's gotta be good. and then I
remembered that I have seen the Mens Barcelona team in Seattle, so I
wasn't worried anymore... hahahaha yeah jealous anyone?;)

I'm praying and am very determined that this week will be a great one,
I can already see it from our work yesterday. thank you for your
prayers for me and also my companion, things are looking up. Gracias a
Dios :)
and a lil somethin somethin from Elder Holland "if the bitter cup
doesn't pass, DRINK IT AND BE STRONG, trusting in happier days ahead"
:)

St Paddy's Day in the Rica......doesn't exist!!

Yeah, I even wore green today... still doesn't matter. But those ticos
don't enjoy life sometimes with all these pointless holidays, am I
right?


Well let's just say that this week was either really freakin good, or
just really horrible. Let me tell ya bout it. It's pretty juicy stuff.
so on monday we had 2 FHE planned with the president of the branch and
the 1st councilor. we went to the counselors house first and he didn't
show up until 720 when he told us at 7. And the next FHE was at 745...
ok do you think we made it? yes. we did. Even when this man TALKS A
TON. I was like, ok byeeeee, "wait you don't want refreshments" nope
don't have time... chaaoooo. They actually gave us a ride to the
presidents house, but we had to pick up a less active on the way, and
he wasn't home yet!! I was so embarrassed when we got to the
presidents house late. Then the less active left like 10 mins
after we got there. hahaa whoops... he was feeling sick, but it turned
out well after that. and I stopped apologizing. Haha maybe I should
not do that, cause then if you apologize they just keep remembering
what happened..

We visited a less active family, which that's what we did the whole
week cause we had to get them to this district conference we had this
weekend. We visited them and we shared a neat little scripture and
then I asked for references, and they were like, YA this neighbor is
passing through a rough time right now, come tomorrow and we will take
you to visit her... but she's been in San Jose last week, but we will
get her this week, I love member references cause they usually join
the church. MEMBERS ROCK. (remember that)

We had a sick zone conference with president, and our zone is lucky
that we had him all to ourselves! 3 cheers for Guanacaste! anyways, we
got a good talkin to and how we can help our investigators out but
what really has to happen, is that they need to open their hearts, and
if they aren't opening their hearts, there's nothing that we can do, so
we can't damn them more, we gotta let them go and pray that one day
down the road they will open their hearts. It's hard, cause we have
probably 3 people that are actually opening their hearts, and the rest
we've gotta drop them, I love them, but we gotta do it, so we aren't
wasting our time, when we need that time for people who are REALLY
ready. At times we need to realize that we can't just depend on the
members for references, if we aren't receiving any, we gotta work
harder ourselves, and then they will come around one day to help us.
What I really like, is going visiting with members, because they
let ya know where members live, that ya didn't even know were members,
and we actually visited one of those and come to find out they have a
12 year old who isn't a member and wants to learn more :) WOOSHHH.


Part of the district conference, President Wilkinson talked to us
about Ephraim and Manasseh and that we are the ones to GATHER Israel.
We are only waiting for the gathering of israel and the 2nd coming of
Christ. WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRST. WE NEED TO BE PREPARED. NOW
IS THE TIME. President was slamming on the podium. HE IS AMAZING. The
spirit was soooo strong. and he had all of us, the missionaries in
Guanacaste, which are 31, come up and stand in front of him to see what
kind of army they have here. EVERYBODY WAS CRYING. It was soooo
spiritual. also we had Elder Scott and Oaks talk to us, as well as
Bonnie and Elder Marino. It was really inspiring, and they helped us
really understand that we need to help the inactives get a testimony
again, with the basics, and we need to understand the atonement in our
lives. It was really in and out cause I've been sick. again. but I felt
the spirit so that's good.

So getting to the whole "I've been a little sick" thing, I was just
fading in and out all day yesterday, it started with a head cold, so
I went home after church and rested for a while, and then we went out
and worked, and when we got home the other Hermanas got there too, and
one of them fell and needed help cleaning out her toe, like it was bad
stuff, the nail was gone and everything, haha and so I was doing it,
and the next thing ya know, I wake up crying.. I'm like why am I on the
floor crying? haha then when I was drinking water to help me a little
bit, I went again, and woke up crying again to everybody saying my
name.. haha it was weird stuff. but yeah I woke up today, cleaned a
little and then just slept until now.. I feel like I could sleep
forever... but the stress is just gettin to me, with the comp and
everything not being obedient, but I can do this, I know it...
thanks for all your prayers.

Read, "You can do it now" by Pres.Utchdorf. I love it.. I know you will
too. and I know you've read it a ton. I have too and I love it
every time. :)
HUGS AND KISSES
HERMANA BOER

Monday Funday!! March 10, 2014

Ok, I know I've said "longest week of my life" a few times, but
honestly, this was a really long week, it just DRAGGED ON. and I was
like what the heck.. I'll just say, I got a new comp and I'm learning to
love her and develop patience. I thought I was doing real good on the
patience thing, but I guess God was like, haha Joce you thought wrong!
Take that. Really she's good, she just doesn't really get that we
are doing HARD WORK here and even though its hot, we are ALWAYS
working hard. Hopefully she realizes it this week, because I was
honestly devestated. we didn't even reach the mission goals and again,
nobody came to church and I don't know what happened, and she was only
sad because her freakin jar of sand broke and I'm like fuming because
she doesn't even care! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! like, wake up and be a
missionary, be devestated think about what we need to do better so
that they will progress for baptism. but no. So I'm just praying a
whole lot on how I can learn to love and serve her... she went through
a rough spot about 6 months through her mission so that sometimes gets
her down, and she tells me that maybe she should just go home or
something, and I want to tell her yeah maybe, but then I'm like, NO
DON'T SAY THAT JOCE. so then I'm like, no, you are suppose to be here,
and you are my comp for a reason, so lets get through this together.
I'm breathingggggggggggg. but she's great, don't worry about me.

Soooo we have the best senior couple in our area, THEY MADE FRENCH
TOAST for the whole  district before our district meetings. how lucky
are we? or me, because I brought up the idea. Hahahah honestly they
are like our grandparents away from home, they just spoil us!!! and we
also got to have a FHE at their house with the lady that irons their
clothes, and it was really cool. They just taught us about how we are
children of God, and actually, Elder Clark, his primary teacher was
the one that wrote I am a child of God. Isn't that cool? So we watched
a sweet video of all the places they've been to in the world with all
the children, and that song playing in the background.

We had a birthday in the district this week and we went to this
mexican restaurtant, it was really good, and we met all the newbs and
stuff, and I felt so bad for them, they're just deer in headlights, and
I'm like hey I remember that. 

hahaha I don't think I will ever learn to
not eat chilis, I almost died, but of course I have to one up the
elders so we had a chili eating contest, hahaha I had cankers for
dayyyssss...

We FINALLY got to visit a reference that we have been searching for
for like 3 weeks, and her and her sister and 2 girls were listening,
and are really interested, she's attending a different church but her
children really wanna come to church so she's like, ok thats fine, and
the spirit was so strong, so we invited them to be baptized, and they
all accepted, butttt the next time we visited them, her sister left
for Nicaragua, but whatever, we still got 3 of them, and they are
really sweet, and just love to listen, I'm hoping for progress from
them.

We ran into somebody on our way to this mexican restaurant and I was
like, Buenas noches, and he was like buenas noches hermanas. and I was
like wait your a member and he's like yeah I guess a little bit, and I
was like welp, we will talk about why its "a little bit" tomorrow ok?
so we did, he was just really honest and comfortable to talk to us and
he told us a bunch of stuff that happened, he's an ex missionary, but
is still looking back, and we were like, DON'T DO THAT, you made your
mistakes, but look ahead and look for help in the atonement. It was a
really spiritual moment, and he only comes to church like 1 time a
year, which was the past week, and we invited him to come to church
and he was like, uhhh probably not, last week was good enough for me
to feel uncomfortable, BUT HE CAME YESTERDAY!!! it was such a miracle,
and he's looking a lot happier and ready to face what he needs to
change.

Yesterday during study time when I was really frusterated and stuff
because we got a talking to by our zone leaders because president wanted
him to, and it just wasn't us but the other hermanas too, and he was
telling us how we can improve, but also said some really inappropriate
things that won't EVER help us, but anyways, when I was studying, I
prayed and was like PLEASE help me to find what I need to work on. And
I opened up my BOM and started reading, in ALMA 38. and I was like,
AHHHH SHOOOOT. Thank you Father. So read it and you will understand
what happened. hahah

Today we had a zone activity and they told us to wear pants, and I
was like, well I'll see if I lost weight, but I doubt it, but I'm gonna
try on my pants anyways, and the other sisters thought they would try
my pants on too. MY CALVES ARE HUGE. hahaha I'm like gosh danggit they
don't fit!! The other sister were like "are these tight on me" nooooo
because your skinnier than me! I had a little " I'm fat cause my jeans
don't fit" moment. hahaha I'm such a girl... but it was good to know
that I need to do something so I can fit into my jeans again. hahah

But yeah we pretty much went on a safari today in "africa mia" it was
lame, but we got to feed giraffes carrots, from our mouths. we got to
kiss somethin. hahah and we did some slacklining, and I totally fell
on my face, and once again I embarrass myself just to one up the
elders. haha nahh I don't get embarressed, it was fun we had a good
time bonding with the other missionaries of our zone.
We are having a zone meeting, just our zone with President Wilkinson,
so we are pretty spoiled. When I told Preston that he got pretty
jealous :) I'm so excited he got a new comp, my comp says that he's
pretty cool sooooo I was happy that my lil cuzzy is doin good :)
hahaha anyways, I think that is for the week, hopefully this week is a
lot better :)

LOVE YOU!!! thank you for your emails and letters!


PS I got the letters from the fam and as well from the ward for
valentines day! I feel so loved, I HAVE THE BEST WARD EVER!!! LOVE YOU
ALLL!

11 MONTHS DOWN March 3, 2014

Yeah, that's right, ANOTHER month has FLOWNNNN by. Like crazy fast. and
transfers already happened. this morning... the Elders called us at
1030 last night telling my comp had changes and had to be in the bus
terminal at 10 in the morning.. we were up packing until like 12 and
then I was like yup, chao goin to bed... I CRIED LIKE A BABY. I'm
serious. She was THE best comp I've EVER had..I'm serious. The best
 out there. Be jealous. I also cried cause I was like, crap I
only have 6 weeks here, I still don't know the area like I should, I
don't have the confidence of the members like I should either, so I was
pretty much just thinkin awful thoughts, gettin down on myself, and
Hna Pease was like, dude, you can do this, the Lord and President
trust you SO MUCH, that's why they have put you here. You are here in
this area to learn and grow, so that you can be an Hermana training
especialist the next transfer. I swear, if that happens I'll kick
somebody. I never wanna do that. I'm just fine being a Sr comp. hahaha
but everybody was crying, it was a house full of hormones fest. hahaha
but now that my comp is gone, I'm just with the sister in my house in a
trio until my other one shows up, which I think will be tomorrow. haha
solo I'm a loner for a while. So weird.

Buenoo, so my comps birthday was on Wednesday, it was great, here for
birthdays they just crack eggs over your head, like for reals. It's
soooo funny. I got a couple just for being her comp and she got like a
million and washed her hair like 10 times throughout the day! And the
missionaries threw a little party, we had ice cream, and then the
sister bought some hamburgers. the best I've ever tasted here. So that
was great. There were a ton of Italians here for the fiestas and they
were all tryin to speak english, and it was really wierd, cause they
were speaking Italian as well, and I understood them! and they were
like ahhhhh jehovas witnesses right? no, mormons. AHHHHH
MORMONESSSS!!!! hahahahah crazy people. I love them.
So one night we were doing our daily planning and we were deciding who
to visit for plan b´s and a´s. and my comp goes, okkk who for plan
ass. hahahahah WHAT DID YOU SAY? uhhhh... hna dont say that, that's a
mean word. I told her what it meant. and she was like, well now I'm
gonna tell the elders their faces look like an A. hahahahahahahhaha I
DIED. and then she tells everbody that I teach her bad words in
english. gosh dang it. 

We are teaching the dad of a recent convert, and we were inviting
him to be baptized and he was like, welllll I dunno. And just had a
ton of excuses of why he shouldn't. And then he says, well I need to
see the miracles of God in my life before I'm really gonna do anything
about this. OK THATS JUST ABOUT DUMB. faith without works is dead. you
won't see ANY of those miracles you want, UNLESS you do something about
it. You better go to church and read and pray, or you are just trying
God. and shouldn't do that. Good luck buddy. There are some difficult
people here. lemme tell ya.

So we did divisions this week. which is really funny cause we live in
the same house. But it was SO FUN. Hna Watkins will be my bestfriend
for lyfe! We got to know each other so much and honestly she is such a
fantastic missionary... she also told me that she can see the love I
have for the people here and the love for the work and how great of a
teacher I am and how she can feel the spirit with me during the
lessons. OK WOW. Thank you very much. Haha I was thinking the same
about you.

 studied a lot about forgiveness this week for a couple of our
inactives that we want to visit. FREAK. When I was studying that it
was like a knife to the heart, I either need to ask for forgivness or
be forgiven, I don't know which one but I am sure I will find out... I
did. There is an elder here who is just a piece of work. honestly
everybody has a lot of problems with him because  he is veryyyyy
prideful. Anyways, this week, I just had the STRONGEST impression that
I should talk to him about some things as ASK for forgiveness, not
give it. and I was like are you serious, ASK FOR FORGIVENESS? what did
I do?? but I did it anyways, and the weight was just lifted off my
shoulders. I still dont understand why, but he is acting a lot better
and actually caring about us more... its incredible.

I also read the conference talk from Jeffery R Holland I believe. READ
IT AND WEEP. seriously, SO GOOD. I didn't realize how good it really
is.

ALMA 24:30-dont stop believinggggggg
Alma 29:1-10
Alma 24.
I LOVE ALMA.
And Preston wrote me a letter. He's really sweet. I know it was
straight from the heart... or its from a conference talk but either
way this quote really hit home for me. THANK YOU ELDER SHARP.
"exaltation is what we strive for, its not about what happens to us
that qualifies us for heaven, but what we do with what happens to us
that prepares us for the exaltation that we seek."
3 cheers for missionaries.
PURA VIDA MAIIII

yoooo yoooo February 24, 2014

Ok, funny story, and it makes me forget my paper of my thoughts
through out the week to write today. So here it is.... one of our Zone
leaders, Elder Rubio sends us a text and tells us to write a
thoughtful letter to our other zone leader, Elder Dortch. And we are
like ok what happened? Because it was Monday and we get all the big news
right? Anyways, so we all write him a note, and then when he reads
them, errybody is like, WHAT HAPPENED DUDE, gotta tell us! and he's
like one day, one day. and I'm like, "you got dear john'ed right?" "no
hermana I don't have a girlfriend." he said it really bitterly so obvio
I was like, HE GOT DUMPED. and then he sends a message like 10 mins
after saying, thanks for the notes and now for the big news so
everybody will stop bugging me. I got a dear john and she's with my
best friend who got sent home from the mish. YUP I CALLED IT.
hahahahahha poor guy, but this WHOLE week he has been depressed and
just no fun, so we were like Monday, we have to do something fun to
cheer you up, so we got text this morning saying he is ready to take
on the world, so we had to leave fast. and that, is how I'm going to
write an awful email this week. because he made me forget my paper
because we left running. 

I'll tell ya what I can remember...
For the next 13 days Liberia has "fiestas" all day, all night long,
of just partying. It's like a neverending parade and rodeo fair time
kinda thing. IT'S AWESOME. Just walking down in Central Liberia there's
crowds of people selling stuff and horses in the streets, and you can't
even walk becasue of all the animals, and drunk people in the roads
and sidewalks. And that's what we are going to do today, we are gonna
go run with the bulls or something like that. :)

Ahhh freak, ok so I have a really bad phobia of clowns right? Sooo our
investigator thinks that FHE is like a party. She gave the lesson,
dressed as a FREAKIN CLOWN. I almost wet my pants. I was like freak
dude, get me outta here. and she had this weird music playing and I
just wanted to cry....she doesn't understand anything. She's just so
unwilling to accept the gospel, and its sad cause her husband really
wants to be part of it, but she's just a crazy cougar, so he has to do
what she says. But she will come around, I know it. Because she already
stopped drinking coffee.... :)

It's really hot here right, but we have wind, so it makes things a
little better, but starting in March, there is absolutely no wind,
whatsoever. yup, I'm gonna die. Just imagine an oven at 400 degrees,
10 times hotter... thats what its like here. :) coooooolllll

It was a rough week again this week, none of our investigators came to
church, and nobody is in their houses because of these dumb fiestas
and everybodies pastors are calling them because they found out we are
visiting. Satan works hard, and its discouraging.... which is from the
devil, I gotta work on that. Because I gotta think more positive. My
comp is really stressed out, and her space outs happen more frequently
and so she's stressed about that, and she wants to change everything at
once, and I'm like, ok look woman, we can't change everything at once.
It's impossible, we can  change things one at a time so that we can
actually recognize what we need to fix about certain things.

I was honestly really discouraged this week, because I know that we
could have done a lot better with our goals, and I was a little sick,
along with everybody else in the zone. and I thought, why am I here in
Guanacaste, when there are a lot of other missionaries who are better
than me, when I feel like I'm not helping the zone. But then the spirit
let me know that the Lord sent me here for a reason, and knows my
potencial and that I need to recognize it as well. Because I am His
representative, and if he needs me in Guanacaste, I need to show Him
that I want to be here, and that I will do His work with all my
energy, and I also recieved a blessing, telling me that I was sent
here to be His messenger, and that people are waiting for me to help
them come unto Christ. I cried. because the Lord is pretty much
telling me to suck it up and have faith. All I felt was, WOW. It's
true. I definitely need to change a lot of things, and remember that
its not about me AT ALL.
So I'm doing a lot better now :)

Yesterday we had some investigators and inactives and our district
come to the chapel to watch the Joseph Smith movie, the one that is
like an hour long. HOLY CRAP IT WAS GOOD. honestly, I have SUCH a
testimony of that man. and to make it better, we went and visited the
family that cooks for us, and decided to share experiences of the BOM.
The spirit was SO strong. People were crying and sharing really
personal experiences, and it definitely strengthened my testimony of
the BOM as well. It was a testimony and faith builder week for me.
haha

When we were leaving the chapel from the movie, a lady walked in and
was like, who visits Bagases, and I was like I do, and she was like,
The Lord told me to come here, and I want you to visit me. WOWWWW. the
Lord is preparing people :) I love it!
ohhhh Bernabe, the husband of Carolina, from the wedding and stuff
that we planned, he got baptized!!! It was soooo great! He was crying
and he was like, I'm so excited to enter the temple in a year as well.
and I actually had a dream that I saw them all in white looking into
the eternal mirrors in the sealing rooms. I know it will happen :)

I just wanna say, thank you to all those that write me and pray for
me. I honestly enjoy reading the emails I receive, and the blessings
from your prayers as well.
I love you all, and pray for you all as well.
read the BOM. it will definitely help you throughout your week. :)
chhhhaaaaoooooo :)