Ultima Carta!

Hola familia! How are you doing?? How is little Eve doing? I am praying for you, Liza and Anna, that everything goes well these next couple weeks. Wow, I am so excited for these babies! Ah, they are going to be so fun.

Well, I think this is my last email. I think I might be able to check my email next week, if you want to write me, but I don't think I'll be able to send a family email. I don't even know what to say, there's so much to say. Everyone keeps asking me how I feel and I just tell them 100% unreal haha. I think the best way to describe it is that feeling when you are eating your favorite dessert and you get to the last bite, and you are just so sad that you keep that bite in your mouth for so long and suck on the spoon, and you can't stand to see it end--that's pretty much how I feel haha. Mixed with that feeling when you're at the top of a roller coaster and you are just about to drop down the giant hill--when your stomach drops haha. Those two feelings mixed with a sweet peace from the many confirmations I have had from the Lord that my service has been enough and that He is pleased with me. I am so grateful for those confirmations.

Wow, well, this week has been insane! Seriously crazy. We were hardly in our area cause of interviews, and we went to General Conference in Valencia and all sorts of things. But wasn't conference so wonderful!? Ah, I just loved it so much. It gave me so much peace and made me so excited to be back in the center of the church again. It was so wonderful. Cristóbal went to the priesthood session, so that was really good :) We are really hoping it touched his heart. We had some other investigators watch it and they loved it. It was so wonderful!

This week we had so many miracles. Most of our citas fired on us, so we were in the street a lot talking to people, but we saw so many miracles. We have a goal to give out at least one Book of Mormon every day, so we are testifying about it to everyone, and we have found some amazingly prepared families! We are so excited to teach them. I am so grateful for these miracles! They are incredible families and I can't wait to start teaching them. All of our other investigators are doing really well, progressing slowly, but very surely :) We had a lot of really spiritual lessons this week and it was great!

Well, I don't even know what to say. Words can't describe how grateful I am for my mission. It is so sacred to me. It is the biggest blessing in my life besides you guys and the gospel. I seriously wouldn't trade a single detail of my mission how it has been, even though it's been hard. I love every second of it even more every day. I am a completely different person than when I stepped on the plane 18 months ago. I don't know if you will notice or not, but I feel like I am totally different. I am so grateful for how the Lord has refined me and made me better, even though it's been hard. I have felt His hand every moment of my mission. I am so grateful I set my baptism goal, even though I didn't make it. I still have faith that the Lord could help us see miracle baptisms this week; I am putting all my faith in that, but if not, I know that I have done everything I can and that the Lord is happy with my efforts. In my interview with President this week I told him that I am actually grateful I haven't reached my goal, even though it has hurt a lot; I have grown so much more than if I had reached it. The goal lifted my motivation and made me work and pray harder than I ever have before. I have never been closer to the Lord as I have worked and prayed over these people here. I have never felt the Lord's love so strongly for me, and I am so grateful for that. I have learned so much about faith--that literally our faith can move mountains. But also faith means having trust in the Lord´s plan for us. And that when things don't go our way, it's not because the Lord doesn't love us, it's because He loves us enough to let us hurt so that we learn and draw closer to Him. I have learned that just because our trials aren't lifted, it certainly doesn't mean there isn't a loving Father in Heaven listening to our prayers and weeping with us as we weep. I have learned that the Savior walks with us every hour of every day, and He wants so badly for us to feel close to Him, but it all depends on if we reach out for Him. I have learned that there is no sweeter knowledge than knowing and understanding that we are God´s children and that He loves us unconditionally, no matter what. That is the sweetest, most important thing we can know in this life. I am so grateful for the relationship I have with Him and how it has grown these 18 months.

Yesterday was such a wonderful day celebrating the Savior's resurrection. I was reading the accounts of the resurrection from the gospels, and I noticed that in all of the accounts the disciples ran from the tomb to tell the others. It gave me such a sense of joy knowing that we are running--quite literally walking so fast down the streets talking to everyone telling them that the Savior lives! He has risen! What a sweet opportunity to wear His name on my chest and declare this news. I also read in Alma 34 about how our joy is in Christ. That is something I have learned just recently, that no matter our circumstances, our joy is in Christ. Every pain we have is swallowed up in Him. No matter what is happening in our lives, our joy comes from knowing that the Savior lives and that He loves us and will be with us always. It comes from living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and applying it to our lives every day. I love this gospel with my whole heart. I know my Savior lives. I know He is so close to us. I am so, so incredibly grateful for this chance I have had to work so closely to Him and feel of His love in this wonderful, sacred work. I wouldn't trade these 18 months for anything in the whole world.

I couldn't have done this without you--thank you all a million times over for your prayers, love, support and testimonies. I literally couldn't have done it without you. I can't thank you enough for being the most wonderful family I could ever imagine. Thank you, thank you, thank you :) I can't wait to see all your beautiful faces! Wow, I am so excited to see you, even though it feels completely unreal haha!

But I love you all so much, more than you will ever know. Have the most wonderful two weeks until I see you!

Love, Hermana Boyer

Sunshine!

Hello, family--how are you???? Oh my goodness, I am so so so so excited about Eve Marie! Ah, she is so adorable, I can barely stand it! She looks so much like a Birk! Ah, I am so excited, I can't stop smiling! I can't wait to meet all these babies! Ah, that is the happiest news in the world, all week I was wondering if she was born yet! Ah, I am so excited!

How are you all doing? How has your week been? Is it super warm there? Cause it's gotten way warm and sunny here--it's gorgeous!

Things here have been really good! This week was absolutely crazy but really good. We did two intercambios, so we were all over the place. It was so fun though--I just love working with other hermanas and getting to know them and seeing how they work. It's so fun! 

This week was crazy cause we couldn't see a lot of people, so we were in the street a lot, but we had so many miracles! We were able to teach so many people in the street, and we found more new investigators than we've ever found before! So that was awesome. The Lord is blessing us so much. We are so excited to teach all these new people and get them progressing! 

Everyone else is doing well--Cristobal and Susana are progressing again! So that is a huge miracle. We are really trying to get Cristobal baptized on the 11th :) But the Lord knows His time and it will all work out. I know I have done everything in my power for them and now it's in the Lord's hands.
A miracle was that Vanessa and Enrique came to church this week! They never come, so that was awesome! They loved it too, and we were so happy! Also, a new member moved into the ward and he brought a friend with him that he wanted us to teach, so we are going to teach her this week too! So that was an awesome miracle.

Also, we have been working with a recent convert family who are less-active. Six months ago they were completely less-active and never came to church. But we've really been working with them and this last week they went to the temple! So that was such a miracle for us and for the ward. Also, they had never payed tithing before, but they paid it for the first time this week! That has always been really scary for them and they've never wanted to pay it. But get this: they went to the bank to pay tithing, and they were so scared cause they didn't have enough money for food for the month. Then that same day they were cleaning and found 250 euros under the TV! It was such a miracle. I am so excited for them; they are progressing SO much! Getting families to the temple is one of the best things we do as missionaries! I just love it so much.

Also yesterday was concilio in Barcelona and it was wonderful. I just love being with all the leaders so, so, so much! The spirit in those meetings is so special. It was so sad though, cause I had to say bye to so many people I loved--it was so hard! I had no idea ending the mission would be this hard. I feel like I'm splitting my heart into two--one in Spain and one at home haha. But it's okay, I'm just so grateful to have so many wonderful relationships here that it is hard for me.

That is something I have learned this week. I guess for the past few months I've been focusing on how many people I haven't baptized, how many people aren't progressing, all the things I don't have. But on Saturday I was praying and just had this epiphany--I have SO much to be grateful for ! I was all of the sudden overwhelmed with gratitude for the things I have! For the incredible miracles I have been able to see on the mission! I think the thing I am most grateful for is the person I have become and how I have grown in my relationship with my Heavenly Father and Savior. But also I have had the opportunity to teach so many people and help and meet and love so, so, so many people. The Lord has blessed me more than I can even imagine. Also, I got to see Tatiana´s family baptized, and I know that before this life I knew them and promised them I would teach them. I know it 100%. And the Lord helped me find them. That is such a miracle! The Lord has been so good to me. I have flipped my thinking completely (I've been trying) from focusing on what I don't have to focusing on all the things I do have and how good the Lord has been to me. It has made me so grateful and so happy rejoicing in the things the Lord has given me and the miracles I have seen. I know these next two weeks will go SO fast, and that scares me so much. But at the same time, I know I have given it my all, and I have had so many manifestations from the Lord that He is pleased with my efforts. I am going to SPRINT to the finish and give it all I have. I am savoring every minute because this time is so, so precious.

I love you all so much and can't believe how soon I will see you! Ah, it's so unreal. Thank you for being the most amazing family in the world! I love you with all my heart!

Love, Hermana Boyer

Email from Catarroja

Hola, familia!!!!!

How is my wonderful family doing????? Wow, I can't believe all that is happening in our family right now! It's so wild! Man, I am so excited for these babies, it's just unreal! I can't wait for them :) I hope you are all doing well and loving life!!!!!

This week was crazy, but so good! Like I told you last week, it was Fallas, where they build giant statues and then burn them! It's crazy! All week there were fireworks everywhere! Seriously, all day there were just fireworks. It was insane--people were throwing them under our feet, they were there during lessons, there were cannons going off--it was wild! I think it was the craziest cultural thing I've ever seen haha. It was so fun though! I loved it. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see them burn, because they do it at midnight :( But that's okay, we had fun seeing them and still being part of it! Gotta love Spain--they party so hard haha!

Well, things are really good--we were so blessed this week and were able to teach so many lessons! There were so many people in the street and we were able to talk to so many people, and they were all so much more open than usual! So that was a huge blessing! We are teaching SO many people right now, it's crazy! I have never taught this many people in my whole mission. It's so fun though. The only problem is that none of them are really progressing. They are all standing on the edge of the font looking in haha. We are just praying and fasting and working our hearts out so the Lord pushes one of them in :) But things are good--we taught Cristobal and Susana and they aren't progressing, but at least they let us come once a week. We are still really good friends with them, they are just running from the gospel a little bit. But I know they will get baptized someday. Carmen is the same way--she knows it's true but is too afraid to get baptized. We are teaching Maria Angeles and she's still trying to quit smoking. Ricardo had to move, but Juan is still here, and he is going to get baptized--he's so prepared. We are just trying to help him come to church cause he has to work a lot. Same with Marcia, the mom of a recent convert--she wants to be baptized but works every Sunday. See? All on the edge of the font haha. But it's so fun. We are just doing everything we can and praying for miracles like crazy. I know the Lord will bless us--we are in the fourth watch of the night, and miracles will come.

Remember Vanessa and Enrique? The young Spanish couple? So we are teaching them the lessons and they really like it. Enrique is a priest in the Catholic church and is super, super Catholic but likes listening to the lessons and comparing it with his church. Vanessa grew up totally Catholic but doesn't believe it. They are seriously our best friends--we have SO much fun with them--ah, I love them so much. So usually--well always, we invite people to be baptized in the first lesson. But with them it's been different, cause we started by teaching them English, then we've slowly broken the ice by sharing little things with them, and now we are actually teaching them. And we've wanted to invite them to be baptized for SO long, but every time something happens--the phone rings, or something. So finally this week we said we are inviting them to be baptized NO MATTER WHAT! So we taught them about the atonement and then talked about baptism. Then we asked them to be baptized. They were like, "Oh, but we're already baptized!" We were like, "No, but in our church with the right authority." When we said that they both freaked out, talking over each other about how they love us so much, and they love everything we taught them, but they are Catholic and aren't going to change. Vanessa even cried, because she was afraid we would stop coming if they didn't get baptized. I started laughing and just told them that we love them so, so, so much and we are just here to invite, and that doesn't change the relationship we have with them. It was so interesting, because the Spirit was SO strong there, because we were saying how much we love them and were testifying of the Savior. Even though they didn´t accept it, I KNOW they will accept it someday and there is a seed planted. I know they will think about it and that it will never leave them alone. They are reading the BOM, and I know they will accept the gospel someday. It was weird because they said no, but I left just as happy as if they had said yes. Just having the opoprtunity to teach the gospel to people that I love so dearly is the biggest blessing in the whole world. That is something I've learned this week--that teaching the gospel to people I love is the most wonderful opportunity in the world, even if they don't accept it now.

Well, we are expecting miracles :) This week I have just been savoring every moment. Just letting go and loving everything--even when we were in the pouring rain with no coats or anything and SOAKING! Loving every rejection, every lesson, every person with all I have, because these moments are so sacred and it will be over before I know it.

This week I learned an amazing lesson. The past few months I've been pretty sad because I felt like I hadn't had that much success on my mission. But this week I was reading when the Savior is suffering in Gethsamane and says, "Not what I wilt, but what thou wilt." And it occurred to me that it all comes down to letting go of our own will. The Savior had the strength to do the atonement because He let go of His own will and aligned it with that of His father. That's what gave Him the strength. When we let go of our will and align it with our Father's, it gives us strength. When our will is aligned with His, all the frustration, bitterness, anxiety, and struggle disappears, because we trust the Lord enough to know that He is in charge and knows what's best for us. It doesn't take away the pain completely, but it takes away the struggle. It's like that moment when a teenager realizes that fighting against their parents only brings trouble, but once they let go and humble themselves and put themselves on the page of their parents, they have more privileges, they are happier, and they have more confidence. It's exactly the same with us! We just have to let go of our will and align it with our Father's--that gives us strength, confidence, and true peace, because we know that He is our Father and will give us the blessings that will benefit us the most--in His time and His way.

Anyway, that was seriously a life-changing realization for me. I am so grateful for the struggles I've had the past few months--if I would've had lots of baptisms, I would never have learned the precious lessons I've learned. I have never been this close to my Father and my Savior and felt of their love more in my life. He knows us perfectly and knows what will benefit us the most.

I feel so much peace, and I know that I have done everything I can, and now it's in His hands. If He chooses to bless us with baptisms, I would be overjoyed, of course. But if not, I have so much joy in the lessons I have learned and the refining it has done for me. Either way I will have peace and joy :)
Wow, sorry to ramble on so much! Thank you so much for being the most wonderful family in the whole world! I can't wait to see your faces! I love you SO, so much!

Hermana Boyer

Fallas!!!!!

OH MY GOSH, I AM FREAKING OUT ABOUT MATT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ah, I am seriously dying! I have full-body chills and I am crying haha! Ah, that is the best thing I have ever heard! And we are totally neighbors!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, that is the happiest thing--I am so, so, so happy!!!!!! Wow, I can't believe it. Everything I've heard about Portugal over here is that it's absolutely gorgeous, the food is so good, and they have so much success cause the people are so open! Ah, I'm so excited for you, Matt! And I'm SO happy we will have time to play before you leave :)

Wow! How is everyone doing? I hope you are all doing well and happy! I can't believe how much is happening around there! So crazy! I am so excited for these babies I can barely stand it :) Huge shout-out to Dad for your birthday on Wednesday! I hope you have a wonderful day because you deserve it :) Also, thank you so much, Lindsay and Annie, for the letters--I loved them! Thank you!

Well, this week has been pretty crazy--we've been working so hard. I don't think I've ever had a week where literally everything we planned didn't happen haha. But it was really good!

Here is some of what happened this week:
- Remember Juan and Ricardo? The two men from Paraguay?? Well, this week we went and taught them the Restoration, and we were talking about baptism, right about to invite them to be baptized, and Juan interrupts and says, "So when is the soonest we can be baptized?" Haha! We were like, "Well, we were just about to invite you for the 28th!" They were so excited and accepted, and they are so excited to get baptized! It was incredible--we were like floating after :) The only thing is that they didn't come to church, so they can't get baptized on the 28th, but they will definitely get baptized the first part of April :) It was the best--such a miracle!!!!!!!!!!

- We had a mission tour and Elder and Sister Olsson from the Seventy came. They are from Sweden and are the sweetest people in the whole world. It was a wonderful conference. I had the opportunity to speak, so that was fun! Not every day you speak in front of a Seventy :) It was a wonderful opportunity, and I was really grateful. It was a really special day with them.

- We had an incredible miracle in the ward--a family of three that the elders have been teaching since JUNE got baptized on Saturday! The whole ward was so, so excited and so happy. We were so excited for them, and it was such a miracle. It's not very often you see a whole family--dad, mom. and child--get baptized. So that was awesome. I sang at the baptism, so that was fun too :) It was a really special day for our ward. And Cristobal and Susana came to the baptism, so that was really good! We are excited about that. We are going to see them tonight and talk to them about it more :)

- This week is Fallas in Valencia! It's a holiday here that is seriously bigger than Christmas. It's just in Valencia. They make huge giant sculptures and have them up for a week, then they burn them at midnight on Thursday. The whole month is about noise and fireworks, so all night there are cannons and fireworks and walking down the street kids throw fireworks under your feet haha. It's wild! But it's super fun. Today we went to Valencia and saw it and it was crazy! I loved it.

Things are good--this week we couldn't see many of our investigators, but this week we will and they are doing well. We are finding people and just plugging along, working harder than ever! This week and the last few months, I have been learning so much about peace. I have been realizing that the Lord wants us to feel peace--He never wants us to feel bad, stressed, anxious--none of those feelings are from Him. I've been noticing that the happiest people are those that have so much faith and trust in the Lord, that they always feel peace, even when things are hard. I have been striving for that my whole mission. And I've become different--I used to get stressed so easily, and now I don't. I am just realizing that the Lord does everything He can to make us feel peace, we just have to let that touch us--let the Spirit give us the peace we seek. This week I had a wonderful experience where I felt true, sweet peace from the Lord. I have been praying to keep it with me and it's been so wonderful. I think that really is a talent--something I'm trying to develop--to feel peace and feel the Lord's love, even when things are hard and not going how we want them to. But the Lord wants us so badly to feel His peace--that's why He sends us the Spirit, the Comforter, whose job is to give us peace. Anyway, that's what I've been learning this week :)

Thank you for being the most wonderful supportive family in the whole world! I love you SO, SO much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Love, Hermana Boyer :)

Email from Catarroja

Hello, my wonderful family!

How are you??? Wow, Dad was telling me all the crazy things happening these next two months! What the heck--so crazy! Okay, I am SO EXCITED FOR YOU, MATT!!!!!!! I'm going to be freaking out all week for you. Ah, I seriously can't wait--I'm dying! Please, please, please film it for me and send it to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ah, I'm so excited. And for these babies!!!!!!!! Ah, I'm so excited I can barely stand it. Huge shout-out to all the birthdays this week! Caleb, Lizzie, Dan, Joe!! And Dad next week! I hope you all have such good birthdays and know that I love you!

Wow, this week was super, super good. So I just have to say, saying good-bye to Hermana O'Neill was one of the hardest things I've done on my mission! It was crazy how hard it was! First of all because we are seriously best friends--like for reals this time, cause I know y'all make fun of me haha. But also cause we've been through SO much together, and also because she is my daughter! I felt like sending her off to college--without me to be with her and all by herself! And did I tell you she's training right now? So awesome. On Tuesday we were together the first half of the day and we literally--I literally mean that we cried all day. It was so crazy! Guys, I don't cry very much. But I think I've cried more in the past transfer than the rest of my life haha. Getting to the end of your mission brings out so many emotions! But it's good haha. But yeah, saying bye to her was so hard. And cause I won´t see her for so long. But we are going to be bffs when she gets home :)

But . . .Hermana Reid is amazing! She is from Pleasant Grove, and she is doing SO well. She is a gymnast and has 6 siblings. She is very, very shy, but she doesn't let that get in her way. Bless her heart, she is so brave. It scares her so much to talk to people, but she's been testifying to people in the street, inviting people to be baptized, and she even bore her testimony in front of the whole ward for the first time in her mission (she has 8 months in the mission). And she did it SO well! I was so happy for her. She is seriously doing awesome. She is teaching me so much about obedience and faith. I know we are going to see incredible miracles together.

This week was miracle-filled! I have never taught so many people my whole mission, but the past two weeks they've been in kind of a rut. But this week they all shot up! It's amazing.

- Maria Angeles has quit gambling for two weeks now and is working on smoking, and she's doing great! She came to the ward party this week and just loved it and was the life of the party!

- Cristobal and Susana are back! They are normal, brought their whole family to the ward party, and they are the best. We are going to invite them to be baptized tonight. 

- Carmen is back too! She is praying about baptism--she wants to be baptized but has opposition from her family. But she's doing awesome.

- We taught the Plan of Salvation to Vanessa and Enrique--that liberal Spanish couple--and they loved it! Vanessa said it made so much more sense than the Catholic church :) And she said she loves Mormons now and that she is proud to have Mormon friends, whereas before she thought we were polygamists and everything. Anyway, they are doing great.

- We went to see Juan, an awesome investigator, but we just can't see him much. We saw him, and his friend was there who has had all the lessons and wants to be part of the church! What? So awesome.

- We were walking to the ward party and talked to a girl who turns out is a member and was praying that the Lord would help her have the courage to come back to church--then she found us! So amazing. She came to the party with us, came to church, and now we are going to teach her husband.

Basically, the work here is going great. I know the Lord is pouring out blessings on us and will continue to do so. I'm so grateful for His mercy on us. This morning I was reading about the people of Alma and how they were doing all they could to be obeident, but the Lord says He saw fit to try their patience and faith. That brought me so much comfort knowing that even though they were doing all the right things, their faith was still tried. Just because we have trials and things don't go how we want, doesn't mean we aren't doing the right thing and the Lord isn't pleased with us. Then a few verses later it talks about how the Lamanites came and the people got so scared, and Alma tells them that if they put their trust in the Lord, they won't be afraid. So it says they stopped fearing and prayed. Wow. I am going to do that. Stop fearing and just pray. This morning something hit me that should have hit me like years ago: When we put our trust in the Lord, nothing can go wrong. How powerful is that?? So I decided I will put every ounce of faith and trust in the Lord and nothing will go wrong. He knows our needs perfectly, He sees the end from the beginning, and we can have full assurance that He will bless us according to His perfect justice and mercy.

Anyway, sorry I always ramble. But those are my thoughts. Things are really good. I'm just soaking up every moment and never passing up an opportunity to testify, invite, and love. I know every second of these next five weeks is so, so, so precious, and I'm trying to savor every part of it. I love my mission with my whole heart and soul.

I love you so much and am so incredibly grateful for your love and support. Thank you so, so, so much for your love and prayers--I can't thank you enough for being the most wonderful family in the world! I LOVE YOU!

Love, Hermana Boyer

Just Call Me a Grandma

Hello, wonderful family! How are you doing??? How has your week been? I hope you are all doing well and are super happy and healthy! I pray for these babies about to be born every day that you all will be healthy! Man, I'm so excited for those little babies :) I can't believe Matt's papers are in!!!!!!!!!!! Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am freaking out; I wish so much I could be there when he opens it! Okay, my guess is SPAIN!!!! of course :) That would be so magical! But ah, I'm so excited I can barely stand it!!!!!!!!!!!You have to write me as soon as you know! Ah, so fun!

Well, this week has been good and this weekend has been crazy! So Hermana O´Neill is leaving me! We are so sad, it's not even funny. She is actually going to train in a different city called Lleida! Isn't that crazy??? She is so so nervous, but I know she will be amazing. She's so ready. She is such an incredible missionary. We are so sad to leave each other, though. I don't think I've ever had this hard of a time separating from a companion, mostly because we are such close friends, but also because I've been there with her from the beginning and she really is like my daughter in a weird mission way haha. I'm so sad. We have both cried over it because we are so close and we have been through so much together. It's so sad cause I won't see her until after she comes home in over a year, so it's hard. But I´m so grateful to have been her companion. She is honestly one of the most amazing missionaries I've ever seen, and she only has two transfers in the mission. She is so obedient, works so hard, has so much faith, testifies so strongly with the Spirit, and is so fun! She and I just laugh all day every day, even when everything goes wrong. It's the best. I seriously just adore her. Ah, I'm so sad.

Wow, I seriously can't believe it's my last transfer. It makes me sick haha. It's just such a weird feeling knowing that you are about to switch lives completely and this is my last chance my whole life to give the Lord every minute of every day. But I am just ready to work harder than ever and give it every ounce I have. Now I am officially the oldest hermana (mission-wise, not age-wise) in the mission! Isn't that wild? That's why I say just call me the grandma of the mission haha. It's crazy.

Well, things are good here. It was a wild week! I was in Barc for concilio, then we had preparation day, then we had a zone meeting in Valencia, then I went an hour south to Gandia to be with an hermana there! It was wild! So we are teaching so many people and they are all right on the edge of progressing a ton, but they all have something holding them back haha. So we are just praying our hearts out for all of them that they can overcome these obstacles. It's so fun to have so many people, we are just trying so hard to get them all progressing. But we also found some awesome people that will progress fast. So things are good. Everyone's just going along slowly, and we are just praying our guts out that they all of the sudden shoot up and just start progressing a ton. But here's a huge miracle: we saw Cristobal and Susana yesterday! We went by so Hermana O´Neill could say bye to them. They were so sweet to us! They said they missed us so much and the house was so empty and sad without us (really the Spirit), and they showered us with food and gifts and things and even drove us home so Cristobal could get my boots and glue them together. They want us to teach them again! So that's a huge miracle!!! I am so excited. If they could get baptized before I leave, I don't think anything in the whole entire world would make me happier. Seriously, I would give anything to see them baptized.

Well, things are good. I don't feel like I have ever had my faith stretched so much haha. It's crazy. I feel like I'm just right at the water's edge like Moses leading the children of Israel and the whole army behind them. I just always imagine how Moses felt when he got almost to the edge of the water and had no clue where he would go. But President Pace always talks about that moment when the thought came to him, "You can part the Red Sea." And he did it! So amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just feel like right now I'm at the water's edge, on the verge of freaking out because my time is running out and we have no one super close to baptism. I have never wanted to reach my goal more. I feel like I've never worked or prayed for anything more in my whole life. It's everything to me. But I just know that the Lord is going to pour out miracles on us. I just know that all of the sudden all these people will progress and we will find people that will be baptized soon. I think the Lord is just stretching me so much so that I grow and appreciate the miracle even more. I'll be honest, it scares me so much--just the idea of coming home and feeling like I failed, but I know that if I give it all, the Lord will make it what He wants and that's all I can do. But I know the miracles will come. The Lord always pushes us the farthest before we see the greatest miracles. I just know with all my heart He is here with me; He walks by my side every moment of every day. I feel like I've never been so stretched with my faith, but I also have never been closer to the Lord. I know He is there, and I know He will bless our efforts. I know it with all my heart. I guess that's what I've been learning in my studies, that the Lord always, always blesses the efforts of the righteous. So I know that He will bless our efforts, because we are giving all we can :)

Sorry that wasn't a very spiritual insight or anything cool, but that's just what I'm learning right now. I'm so grateful for who the Lord is making me, because I'm realizing that this goes even farther than baptizing and seeing success here in the mission, it's about making me who I need to be for the rest of my life. The Lord sees it all and I just have to trust His vision :)

Thank you so much for all your support and love! I am so grateful to have the most amazing family in the world. Seriously, I can't thank you enough for all you do for me.

I love you so, so, so much and hope you have the most wonderful week ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Boyer :)

P.S. If anyone has advice about the last transfer, I would be very happy to hear it :) Even if you didn't serve a mission! :)


I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to send pictures! We have taken millions this week haha, so here are some!

This is Cristobal and Susana! Aren't they just the cutest? I adore them with all my heart.

This is Carmen who we are teaching, the one who knew she knew Hermana O´Neill before this life and let us in to teach her! She is so sweet and always calls us the daughters she never had :) The smaller one with dark hair is the member named Paqui who is her best friend :)

This is Maria Angeles! She is doing great, working on quitting smoking!

Email from Catarroja

Hello, my wonderful family!

How are you doing???? How is everyone there? Happy birthday to Lucy and Melba and Luke this week! I hope Lucy's birthday was good and that Melba and Luke, you have a wonderful day! I hope everyone is doing well and happy :)

Things here have been so crazy but so, so good! This week was so fun! We were just running from place to place cause we had so much to do, and we were just blessed so much! It was amazing. The Lord is seriously pouring out blessings on us and we have so many people to teach. It's so fun! I just love it. 

-We are teaching Maria Angeles and she is doing really well, loves everything about the Church, but she's not getting baptized this week cause she is still working on not smoking. But she's doing great!

-We are teaching Kelly, the girl from Brazil, and will teach her husband this week too. They are so nice and such a cute family!

-We were visiting a less-active woman and her daughter was there, and we got talking and became good friends, and she asked us to come teach her English! It was exciting because this woman is the only member in her family and is so excited that we are teaching her daughter! The girl's name is Naomi and is my age. We are super good friends and are going to teach her the lessons. Yay!

-We are teaching a less-active family and one of the sons' girlfriend isn't a member, so we are teaching them and they are coming along! It's so exciting! The best part about teaching all these people is that when we invite them to be baptized, they say yes! Almost all of them have a baptismal date! It's so fun. I am so excited about it. The Lord is just pouring out blessings on us.

-Yesterday was concilio! That´s the meeting with President and Hermana Pace and zone leaders and STLs. It's so fun cause we go up Sunday night since we are so far away, and we get to stay in the mission home. It's so fun! we just get to hang out with President and Hermana Pace that night and I love it so much. Also, Hermana Shake is there and I love it! It's so fun to see her. The meeting was so so good. Our mission is just on fire right now! It's so exciting. I love it! Everyone is so excited and the Lord is blessing us so much. It was such a good meeting and the Spirit is always so, so, so strong. It just gets me so, so pumped! I love it! I feel so privileged to be there, it's such an amazing opportunity to serve these hermanas. I just love it. I did an intercambio with an hermana from Valencia and we just had so much fun! It was so good.

-While I was gone at concilio, Hermana O´Neill and another hermana were here, and they taught a woman named Marcia we have been teaching for a long time but hasn't progressed a ton. She is the mother of a 16 year-old who got baptized the week before I got here. She is so, so cute. But Hermana O´Neill asked her to be baptized and set a date with her for the 14th, and Marcia said yes!!!!!!! It was such a miracle! Hermana O´Neill is a miracle worker, I'm telling you. That girl is amazing. I am so excited! It´s the biggest miracle and she is so excited to get baptized. The only problem is that she works every Sunday. But we are going to pray and fast with her so that she can come to church! It´s amazing. Such a huge miracle!

- Hermana O´Neill is the best. She is seriously one of my dearest friends. Transfers are on Tuesday and we are so sad about it. We are praying we stay together even though the odds are really against us haha. But she is so amazing. She's so strong and such an incredible missionary but also so funny, and we just laugh all day every day. She's been such a good friend and I just love her!

- Funny story this week. So we decided to take Cristobal and Susana brownies and just drop them off on their door with a note that says we love them and are thinking about them and stuff. Something all cutesy. So I was thinking we should put the scripture Moroni 8:3 on the card, which is really sweet and says that we are praying for them and stuff. But I got mixed up and thought the reference was Mormon 9:3. Before we dropped them off, Hermana O´Neill decided to check the scripture just in case. OH MY GOSH! If you have time, look up Mormon 9:3--you will seriously die. We laughed so hard we were crying. We were so close to accidentally putting that on their doorstep with a cute card and brownies haha! Oh my goodness. Look up the scripture, it's worth it haha. Oh man.

Well, basically the Lord is just pouring out blessings on us. I feel a lot of emotions, just cause my mission is ending and there's millions of emotions with it, but mostly I'm just happy and stoked. I have never been more motivated to give everything I have. President Pace shared some insights from 1 Nephi 18 in concilio with us, and one thing he said was that when Nephi and his family got to the promised land, they planted ALL their seeds in the earth. They weren't afraid there would be a drought or that the earth wouldn't be good, they just went for it. They put in ALL the seeds they had brought from home. Isn't that such an act of faith? I just loved that. They could have totally reserved some seeds out of fear or doubt, but they gave it all and trusted the Lord with all of them. I decided I am putting in ALL of my seeds, not holding back anything for fear or doubt. Just going to give it all to the Lord so He can make them grow and do what He wants with them. I trust Him and His timing and I know He blesses every single effort we make, no matter how small :) 

This work is so amazing! I read Jacob 5 this week, and it has never meant so much to me. How lucky are we to be the servants called to work in the vineyard for the last time! We are so lucky to be part of this incredible work and work alongside the Lord of the Vineyard as we bring souls to Him. There is no work more beautiful, more exciting, and more fulfilling. I love it with all my heart, and I feel so incredibly lucky to be part of it. Up close, on the front lines :)

I love you all so, so, so much! Thank you for being the most incredible family in the whole world! I couldn't do it without you! I love you so, so, so much and hope you have the most wonderful week!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Boyer :)

P.S. I will write on Tuesday next week cause of transfers :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

How are you all? I hope you are all doing well :) Huge Happy Birthday to Lucy and Sam! I hope you had and will have happy birthdays!!!!

Things here are really good! Wow, we have had an amazing week full of miracles!!!!!!!!! The Lord is blessing us with so many amazing people to teach. Okay, let me tell you about them :)

Maria Angeles--She is the funniest woman from the south of Spain, and she's hilarious! I just love her. We found her knocking her door. We have been teaching her for about a week and she's amazing! She loves the Book of Mormon and is so excited about the Church! While I was gone, Hermana O´Neill and another hermana taught her the Restoration, and she said when Hermana O'Neill was saying the First Vision, her body was full of chills and she felt the most amazing sensation. She said she knew that God was telling her it was true. Wow! She can't stop talking about it haha. So she´s getting baptized on the 28th! We are so excited! She is amazing and so funny, we just love her. She has a big smoking addiction, so we are working on that. But she has so much faith, I know it will be okay :)

Alfonso--He is the amazing guy we found last week! He is amazing! Seriously, we had the most incredible lesson with him this week. He had read a ton, then asked US about baptism, then WANTED to say the prayer and said it perfectly--the first prayer he´s ever said! We taught him the Plan of Salvation and he just loved it. He has hardly any religious background, but he just loved it. He said it was so perfect and he couldn't get over it. Wow! The Spirit was so strong, it was just thick. We invited him to be baptized for the 28th and he was all for it :) The only problem is that he couldn't come to church yesterday, so he lost his fecha for that day, but he will get baptized soon; he is amazing!!!!!! I think he is the most prepared person I have ever taught. He came to English class and the ward FHE and NOBODY CAME! For the first time in the history of ever. But both times he was soo chill and cut paper hearts with us four missionaries and had the time of his life haha. He is so cool.

Another miracle: We hadn't found many investigators this week, so on Saturday night we were super busy running from cita to cita, but we prayed and just begged the Lord He would put someone in our path. The next person we contacted was from Brazil (oh my, Brazilians are the BEST, Melba and Joe and Spence :)) And she was amazing! She was so excited and offered for us to come teach her right then, but we couldn't, but we are going tomorrow! She is amazing! The Lord hears prayers. That´s all. There´s no doubt about it.

So things are really good :) Here´s some sad news: Cristobal and Susana have asked us not to come over anymore. They said they are really overwhelmed and have too much going on and don´t have time for the Church right now. We had a cita with them the day after we fasted with Cristobal and he was really weird in it. I actually cried while we were with them haha; it was embarrassing. But yeah, they asked us not to come back or talk to them for a while. I can say it's been the biggest heartbreak of my mission. But I actually feel a lot of peace about it now, I think because I have done literally everything I can for them, and now it's in the Lord's hands. But I know there's a reason for it, because since we stopped visiting them we've had more time and the Lord has opened SO many doors (literally) for us, it's just amazing. I think we needed time to focus on other people, and I know they will come around sometime, it's just on the Lord´s timing. So anyway, it's heartbreaking, but I feel peace about it knowing I've done everything I can and the Lord will bless our efforts.

So things are good! Super, super busy--this week I went an hour down south to be with an hermana in Gandia, and it was so fun. It's on the beach and there are mountains everywhere--it´s gorgeous! It was really fun to be with her. Then I was in Valencia for a day with an hermana who is really homesick and was trying to go home. I spent the day with her and we had a lot of fun and she's doing a lot better, so that was a good opportunity to be with her :) So we are super busy, don't even have our feet on the ground, but we're super happy and loving life :)

This week I have been learning about patience still and mostly about God´s promises. God is a god of miracles, an unchanging god. If He could part the Red Sea for Moses, why can't he part our red seas? I´ve been noticing recently how most miracles came at the very last minute: it took Nephi a bunch of tries to get the plates, Joseph Smith lost the plates and went through an awful repentance time before he started translating and restored the Church, Moses got right to the edge of the water before the Lord parted it. Over and over again. The Lord's timing is perfect. Just because He doesn't do the miracle right when we want it or how we imagine, it certainly doesn't mean it's not going to happen. God is a god of miracles. Every day. Every hour. The only limit to His power and the miracles we see is our faith. So that's why I pray every day, every hour, for more faith :)

I love you all so much! Thank you for being the most supportive and loving family in the world. Seriously. I am so grateful for you; you are what keep me going when it gets rough. You are everything to me! I love you SO much!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Boyer :)

P.S. Next week is concilio so I won't write until Tuesday :)

Frozen :)

I think I´m so clever using that title even though I've never even seen the movie haha! How are you all??? How is everyone there? I hope everyone is happy and healthy!

Things here are super good and super COLD!!!!!!! I seriously truly can't remember a colder week in my entire life. So crazy! It's so cold that you just can't even stand it--and no matter how many layers you put on, you're still freezing, cause we´re right next to the ocean haha. It's wild! I feel like I will never thaw out after this haha! But it's good, we are having the best time in our little Catarroja :)

This was an amazing week! We saw so many miracles--it was amazing. We met so many amazing people in the street--so many people let us in their doors when we knocked--it was awesome.
On Tuesday and Wednesday we had a conference with President and Hermana Pace, and it was SO good! I learned so so much. It was so spiritual and made me want to be such a better missionary! I got the chance to speak about companionship unity, so that was fun :) It was such a good conference. I love, love, love, being with the Paces--they are absolutely incredible.

So on Monday night President and Hermana Pace came with us to see Cristobal and Susana again! Wow, two visits from President--that is really something. It was so good. We read 3 Nephi 11, and President just worked his magic of bringing the Spirit so, so strongly that you could just cut it. He´s amazing! Susana was so attentive and just loved it and said she feels so much more peace about it and her fears are just melting away. Cristobal said he knows he needs to get baptized, he just has to get the courage to do it. It was such an amazing cita--the Spirit was so strong.

Then we talked to them about fasting and Cristobal really wanted to fast with us, so we fasted with him yesterday. He loved it! He said it was such a good experience. We are going over in like an hour to see how it went and get him committed to a real date :) He is getting baptized this month, we just feel it 100%.

Another huge miracle this week was Alfonso! We really tried after lunch to be out exactly on time--to the minute--and the first person we contacted was Alfonso! We testified to him about the Restoration, and after he was like, "Wow, how do I sign up to know more about this? I really want to know more!" It was amazing--he was so excited about it. So last night we had a cita with him and it was so good. He has lots of doubts and questions but is so ready to learn and so sincere about it. We feel so good about him and we're so excited :) It's amazing how the Lord puts the prepared people in our path when we are being exactly obedient.

So we are doing well! We have lots of people progressing, we are finding amazing people, the members are so wonderful, and we are very happy. Hermana O´Neill is so wonderful. She is so funny but so dedicated and works so hard. We have so much fun together, while literally giving everything we have. We come home so exhausted, but happy and just loving life :)

This week I have been learning so much about patience. This week I started losing patience, because I feel like I've never worked so hard or been so obedient and tried to have so much faith, but I haven't been seeing the results and success I want. But as I was praying about it and reading my scriptures, the Lord gave me the strongest manifestation I think I have ever had from Him that He is aware of the work I'm doing, and He will fulfill all His promises to me--in His own time. It was such a strong feeling and ever since then I have felt total peace, knowing that He is there with me and He will bless my efforts. I am learning to put all my trust and faith in HIm and know that in His time, He will bless me, and I just have to do my part and have faith in Him. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have my faith and patience tried, even though it's hard and frustrating at times. But truly, right now in my life I can say I have never been closer to the Lord than in the past two months. It's amazing. He´s there at my side and at each one of yours. I know He blesses us in His time and in His way, we just have to give Him everything, then leave it in His hands and have faith in His promises.

Sorry that was a long schpill haha. But thank you so much for all you do! I love you all so, so, so much! Have the most wonderful week!

Love, Hermana Boyer :)

P.S. Another amazing miracle! Remember Ari and Ricardo that I was teaching in Zaragoza??? I worked with them my whole 6 months there. Well Ricardo was baptized this week, and guess who baptized him???? Alexander!!!!!!!!! The oldest of the 3 kids that got baptized while I was there : )SO AMAZING. Also. Diego, Alexander´s dad and Tatiana's husband who wasn't doing so well while I was there, is now active, with the priesthood, has a calling, and they´re working to the temple :) I am so happy, I cry every time I think about it :)

Happy Groundhog Day! :)

Hello my wonderful family! How are you doing???? It sounds like such a fun time with all the baptisms! I love seeing the pictures; they are just adorable!!! Man, we have the cutest family in the world :) How is everyone? I hope you are all doing well and happy! :) Happy birthday, Sam! Tell him I love him and hope he has the best day ever!!!!

This week was really, really crazy, but so good! Our feet didn´t even touch the ground, we were just running haha! It was really good though! We had a conference one morning in Valencia and it went really well. I got to speak about diligence, so that was fun! :) Then we had an intercambio in Valencia and I went with two hermanas there, and Hermana O´Neill hung out with some other hermanas and followed them around--she is such a trooper! It was fun--I was with two brand-new Hermanas. This mission did something crazy--they had an hermana who is halfway through her training TRAIN!!!!!!! So they are training each other! But they are doing amazing! So I went with them for a day and it was so fun! They are just awesome. It was so fun--we got to set a baptism date with a wonderful lady, and they are so excited about it! It´s been so fun to get to know all these amazing hermanas! I´ve loved it. :)

So we were out of our area a lot, but the Lord made up for it so much! We were praying so hard to have lots of lessons, and we worked hard and the Lord blessed us so, so much! We had so many miracles. One was a family we are working with--the mom and son are less-active and the girlfriend is not a member. We've been working a lot with them and they all came to church this week! It was the best. Also, we got a reference from a member of a family of 6!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so excited to teach them! They are so wonderful, and we can´t wait to teach them. Such a miracle!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, we had the most amazing lesson with Susana! A member came with us who is incredible. He had to leave early but he was like, "Susana, I just have to bear you my testimony before I leave." And BOOM!!!!!!! It was honestly one of the most powerful testimonies I have ever heard. He told about how he was really strong Catholic, but was always looking for the truth. The missionaries told him to read the BOM and pray, and he did. He said he got his answer so strongly, and ever since his baptism has been so strong and sharing the gospel with everyone. Susana finally got it! Something finally clicked! She was like, "This is what I´ve been missing! I haven´t really read and prayed sincerely about the answer!" We were like YES!!!!!!!! We´ve been telling you that for 3 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha We didn´t really say that but we were thinking it :) But finally it got to her! So she is so excited to read and pray and get her answer because she is Catholic. AND. . . . . President and Hermana Pace are coming to see them again in like 2 HOURS!!!!!!!!!! We are so excited. President asked me how they are at concilio and I told him everything and then he was like, "Okay, we´ll be down there on Monday the 2nd--they´re getting baptized." Woohoo! We are working so hard to get them baptized on Valentine´s Day! Wouldn't that be so magical!? So I will tell you how it goes :)

Everything else is really good! Just loving life, working hard, teaching lots of people, and having the time of my life with Hermana O´Neill! We are always laughing and it´s so fun. I realized that my emails have gotten pretty serious lately, but know that I am always laughing and we have the funniest stuff happen. Like the other day, we were walking really fast with the elders somewhere and I was walking fast, looking to my left at Hermana O´Neill. All of the sudden, BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hit a pole SO HARD!!!!!!!!! So hard that my arms and legs wrapped around it and my face was totally squished against the pole and it totally knocked the wind out of me and I made the loudest "OOF!" noise haha! Before I gathered my sense and realized what happened, Hermana O´Neill was just dying laughing. Oh man, it was so funny. The best part is that the elders didn´t even laugh haha. Oh gosh. So we have a lot of fun :)

Life is really good! I am so grateful for my mission. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, and seriously, my mission is one of the very biggest blessings I have in my life. I wouldn´t trade it for anything. I feel like I have changed so much and the Lord has just molded me into who He´s trying to get me to be. I still have so much to change and learn, but I´m so grateful for what He has already taught me. It´s amazing how He knows exactly how much we can stretch and He knows exactly how to push us but is always always at our side. A little child has to fall to learn how to walk--but just because we let them fall, it definitely doesn´t mean we don´t love them. We are right there at their side, loving them and experiencing every step with them. Our Savior does the same. He holds our hand and watches us stumble but is right there with us and will never let us fall if we trust Him. I have definitely felt that hand every day of my mission, and I know He is there at our side in every moment, no matter how happy or sad we are. He loves us so much. I love Him so much and am so grateful for the chance to wear His name and be His servant for this time.

I hope you all know how much I absolutely love you! Thank you a million times over for your love and support and all you do for me! I love you and always pray for you!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Boyer :)

P.S. To answer your questions--I am better!!!!!!!!!! Way better! We have worked 100% this week and I feel great! My lungs still hurt when I cough, but I feel really good and I am completely better. SO DON'T WORRY :) I am totally good and have energy and am healthy! I know it´s cause of all your prayers! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Email from Catarroja

My wonderful family! How are you doing?????? It sounds like there´s so much going on with all my pregnant sisters, Joe and Marianne´s new house and Titan, Melba getting sick (are you doing better by the way?????), and Mini and Katie´s baptism! Mini´s baptism sounds like it was just wonderful! I'm so sad I missed it and will miss the others, but I am so happy it was so good!!!!! And I can´t wait to hear about Katie´s--I´m sure it will be wonderful!!!!!!!!!

Wow, this week has been so crazy, but so good. The first part of the week was normal; we had some good lessons and it was good :) We had a really good chat with Cristobal--we went in not knowing what we were going to say, and just went completely by the Spirit. We talked about his doubts about baptism, his fears, and how if he gets baptized he will have the Spirit and the rest of his family will come along soon. It was so spiritual!!!!!!! He loved everything we said and agreed, then at the end he was like, "Okay, but I´m still going to wait for Susana." We were like, "Ahh!" haha. BUT it´s okay cause President is coming down next week and wants to come see him, so he´s getting baptized after that, no problem :) We are so excited. He´s amazing. We taught them both about the temple and had the anterior bishop come and testify about eternal marriage, and they both said how they want an eternal family. Cristobal was so excited about the temple that he was taking notes during our lesson! We are so excited for them :)

We couldn´t see Carmen all week cause she was really sick, but Hermana O´Neill saw her yesterday and said that she is reading the Book of Mormon like crazy and has been praying about baptism! Woohoo! We are so excited, she´s getting baptized in like 2 seconds for sure. I just have to clear something up though real fast--some people when they make baptism goals get super crazy and will do anything they can for it and forget about the people. But these people mean the world to me, and I want them to get baptized so badly, because they are some of my dearest friends and I want them to have the gospel! So I am so excited about baptism, but not because of my goal necessarily, because I love these people with my whole heart and I can´t stand them not having the blessings of the gospel :)

Anyway, okay so this week was concilio! That´s why I didn´t email yesterday! Sorry I thought it was next week so I didn´t say anything. It was SO amazing. So I left Sunday night at 6 with the zone leaders and Hermana Lamoreaux, the other STL in Valencia. We rode the 3-hour train to Barcelona, then stayed in the mission home that night. It was so fun cause the hermanas coming from far get to stay in the mission home, so we got there and Hermana Pace ordered us pizza and we all hung out with President and Hermana Pace the rest of the night. It was so fun! I loved it. And Hermana Shake is a STL so I got to see her! I was so happy--we freaked out when we saw each other :) Then the next morning we had a meeting with all 10 STLs, and it was really good. Then we had the actual meeting--so it´s all the STLs and zone leaders and assistants and President and Hermana PAce. It was one of the most spiritual meetings I have been to on my mission. It was incredible! We literally were counciling about what to do for the mission and how to reach our goals and be better. It was so amazing. We were talking about numbers and things, then it all came down to the fact that we all just needed more faith. So President got up right then and bore his testimony of the Savior. He invited the rest of us to do so, and the Spirit was so strong. Then that became the theme for this month--building our faith in the Savior. It was so inspired--I just loved being a part of it! It was amazing.

Hermana O´Neill was so amazing! She was with a brand-new missionary in our area while I was gone and she did so well! She taught lessons, invited to be baptized, and everything! I was so proud of her :)

So the mission is crazy now! 18 Hermanas went home this month, but 22 came in! 22 new hermanas!!!!!!! So every companionship in our zone of hermanas is training! So I am so excited to be with them on intercambios and just get to know them and be their mama! haha It's going to be wild and busy, but so fun :)

Okay, so one crazy thing--so all week last week I was working really hard, but I was so tired that I just wasn't myself. Finally Friday morning I woke up and just felt awful and had a bad pain in my lungs. I was planning on working, but then decided to pray if I should rest or not (I hate resting haha), but I realized that that day we didn't have anything planned, which is weird, cause we are always way busy. But I realized the Lord had protected that day so I could have the chance to rest. It was the biggest blessing. Hermana Pace sent me to the hospital (third time's the charm! :), and I was praying SO hard I didn't have pneumonia, cause my lungs really hurt, and I did NOT want to stay in piso for a week. So I got the tests and everything done, and the doctor said I have the closest thing to pneumonia that´s not actually pneumonia haha. My prayer was answered!!!!!!!!!!!! The actual diagnosis was "other pneumonial bacteria in the right lung," for all you doctor folks. Anyway, but DON¨T WORRY LOWLI!!!!!!!!!!!! I am on antibiotics, stayed in bed for 2 days, and now I´m as good as new except my lungs still hurt when I cough. But I am totally good--Hermana Pace got mad at me for not resting, so now I am working, but taking it easy. Anyway, so it´s wild.

So when I got a blessing for my health a month ago, the blessing said "you will have lots of trials at the end of your mission, but if you endure with faith, the Lord will bless you more than you can ever imagine." This week I was getting frustrated because I´m sick, not getting better, have so many things to do, so many goals to meet, so much work--and I can´t do it. but I've been praying and I've been realizing that the Lord´s hand is in every minute of our lives. He hears every single prayer. But he has to test our patience in order to test our faith. I know He is testing my patience, but I am so happy. I wouldn´t call anything that´s happening to me trials, because I am so incredibly happy and loving every single minute of my mission. But I think He is helping me have more patience :) I know there are giant miracles waiting for us, we just have to keep going, have faith, and trust that His timing is perfect. Maybe I should stop praying for more faith haha. No really though, He is there--in every single second, whether or not we realize it. But the Savior is at our side, it´s just a matter of looking up and letting Him be there with us. I know He´s there and He´s walking beside us in every minute. I am so grateful for His companionship and that He is always there for me, no matter what.
I love you, family!!!!!!!!! Know that I love you so much and that I am so so grateful to have the most wonderful family in the world!!!!!!

I love you so, so, so much!!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Boyer :)


P.S. One more miracle! I forgot--while we were in the ER, we were just sitting laughing and a lady came up to us and told us that seeing us filled her with so much joy and we had made her whole day. We told her we were missionaries and she started crying, telling us she was dying of a disease and didn´t know what would happen to her. We testified to her of the Plan of Salvation and gave her the pamphlet Hermana O´NEill had just been reading (inspired? yes!), and she was just crying telling us we were angels sent to her and we had brought her more joy than we knew. Wow! It was such a sweet opportunity to do missionary work even just from the ER :)


Sorry I haven´t sent pictures for so, so long!

This is Hermana O´Neil and me in front of a super old castle :)

This is us looking over an old city from the castle. Don´t mind that I hadn´t showered for a while haha :)

This was our district before transfers. Aren´t we a cute bunch? haha

Catarroja to Stay!!

Hello, my wonderful family!!!! How are you all doing???? Are you all staying warm??? How are all the birthdays and craziness going? I hope you are all very happy and healthy :) It sounds like so much is going on with Sammie getting ordained; that is so so awesome!!!!!!! And Joe and Marianne's house and dog! That is the best thing ever!!!!! Wow, so much is happening haha. And Happy birthday Liza today!!!! I hope you have the best day ever--you deserve it!!!!

Soooooooooo.................. I´M STAYING IN CATARROJA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Biggest miracle of my life. Seriously. So in interviews 2 weeks ago, when President called me to be Sister Training Leader, he told me because of this calling, he would most likely move me to Valencia (Catarroja is a little suburb town of Valencia, which is a huge city), so that I could help the hermanas better there and be more a part of things. So the past 2 weeks Hermana O´Neill and I were SO SAD!!!!!! I was praying so hard for a more obedient heart to be able to leave, but I was just heartbroken to leave her, and to leave all the people we are teaching and the members who I just adore. It was seriously agonizing--I couldn't sleep I was so sad about it haha. I know I´m crazy, I just get too attached to people! But then on Friday President called me to tell me I´m staying! e is seriously the best. Usually we get transfer calls Saturday night, so we were waiting until then. But he called and said he didn't want me to worry, so he called me early. YAY! It was the happiest thing of my life. I couldn't have been happier haha. He said that it will be different, but I will be doing all the STL stuff from Catarroja. But he said he knows I need to stay there and he felt it so strongly. WHEW! I was so happy I still haven´t stopped saying gratitude prayers about it :)

So this next transfer is going to be WILD! We are doing intercambios (exchanges in English?) every week, so we will go to Valencia every week, and Hermana O´Neill will hang out with the hermanas there while I travel around and visit people haha. I have to go to Barc too, so she will just hang out in Valencia! So it´s going to be crazy, but we are both so, so excited, and we are going to see so many miracles! It will be the biggest adventure, and I can´t wait :)

So we have so much going on! We are finding lots of new people and staying super busy! We are fasting and praying SO HARD for baptisms! Seriously, I have never worked this hard, tried to be so obedient, and tried to have so much faith than now. We are literally giving EVERYTHING so the Lord blesses us with these baptisms we want, and I want to reach my personal baptism goal more than I have ever wanted anything.

So Cristobal and Susana. This week we fasted for them that they would get baptized this month and that something would change for them. And that same day Cristobal lost his job (oops!). But it was kind of good, actually haha, cause now we can see them more :) Every time we've gone over there lately, Susana just doesn't have time for us, and Cristobal gets so sad that she won´t listen to us. After praying and fasting, we feel that Cristobal getting baptized might be the only thing that makes Susana take it seriously. So we are going to go over tonight and talk to Cristobal and explain how he will need to set the example and when he gets baptized (on the 31st) he will receive so many blessings, including for his family and his work. It´s starting to cause problems between them, because Cristobal wants so badly to get baptized, but Susana is just too busy to listen to us. It´s heart-wrenching because Cristobal is there, so ready, and the only thing holding him back is that he wants Susana to be ready too. She is so wonderful, but she just never ever settles down, she´s always running around and never has her mind focused on what we say, so she never really listens. She also doesn´t really read and pray just because she doesn´t have time. So we are just fasting and praying, trying to see them everyday, seriously doing everything we can for them.

Carmen has been sick this week, so we haven´t seen her as much, but we had a really good lesson with her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it clicked for her why baptism is important. She said she would pray about getting baptized. She is progressing and we love her so much :)

Hermana O´Neill is incredible! I am learning so much from her, it´s just crazy. I think it´s amazing how much she understands how obedience brings blessings and brings the Spirit. When we accidentally do something a little disobedient like leave a minute late or things like that, she understands that it will affect the Spirit we have the whole day, and she immediately repents. It´s amazing! I wish I had understood that at the beginning of my mission. She has the Spirit so strongly! We taught a new investigator this week and Hermana O´Neill shared the sweetest, most powerful testimony I had ever heard her say, and it was directly through the Spirit. It´s just amazing. She seriously is already one of the best missionaries I´ve ever met. I am so grateful for her and to learn from her! We have so much fun, and I just adore her.

Things are so good! Just crazy and wonderful and praying like we´ve never prayed before. I think the Lord is testing my patience, and I think that´s cause I´ve been praying so hard to have more faith :) So of course he has to stretch it to make it grow haha. But I know these people will get baptized and the Lord will bless our efforts, we just have to trust in Him and do everything we can. Something I´ve been learning so much recently is that the Lord hears our prayers in the moment we say them. Sometimes we feel like He doesn´t hear them unless we say them a bunch of times. But it´s like a child asking their parents for somethihg--the parents are aware of the need even if they don´t give it to them right then. I have been praying out loud every night and picturing myself at the feet of Heavenly Father as I pray. As I do, I literally feel like I am talking to Him face to face. It is such a special experience every time. Now I look forward to it every night--I can hardly wait to pray and just talk with the Lord. There is a difference between praying and talking to the Lord. We should tell Him everything that´s happening, exactly how we feel, ask for specific things and that´s when He can best answer us and work with us. It´s amazing!!! Prayer is literally, literally talking to God, who is our Heavenly Father. Recently I feel like I´ve had to make decisions and had to have so much direction from the Lord, so I´ve gotten to my knees so many times, because I know the Lord knows better than I do--so why not ask him for help when I don´t know? I am just so grateful for the opportunity we have every night, every day, whenever we want to talk to God--the Creator of the earth. It´s so sacred and so wonderful. I just love it.

Wow I ramble so much! I´m so sorry! But know that I love you all so, so, so much and pray for you every day! I am so grateful to have the most amazing family in the world! Seriously, I couldn´t do it without you! I can´t tell you how grateful I am for you! I love you so madly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Boyer :)

P.S. I went one day being healthy again, and then the next day got a super bad cold cause we were walking around in the humid cold that night haha! So I am just super congested and coughing, but I think the bronchitis is gone :) Just blowing my nose and sneezing all over the place, but everyone goes through that every winter, so it´s not a big deal :) haha so crazy.

SPRINT

Hello Fam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How are you all???? I hope you are all doing well and staying warm! Please tell me you are all skiing it up for me? ;) Huge shout out to all the birthdays this week and next week! Liza, Ben, Mini, Katie, and Beth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a party! You gotta send me pictures of all the festivities that sounds like a party!! I hope you are all doing well and happy :) I heard about Matt's wisdom teeth and man, that is so funny. Save that video so I can see it!
Wow. I don´t even know where to start! Pretty much this was a crazy week. Mom, so you don´t worry anymore, I am better!!!!! This week my fever and flu and everything were gone, the only problem was that I kept coughing so hard that I would throw up haha. But other than that I was good! So it was weird. Tuesday night I threw up 3 times, so we went to the hospital again Wednesday and they told me I have laryngitis haha. But I never lost my voice or anything, so who knows. But they gave me lots of medicine, so I've been taking it and I'm better now! This week Hermana Pace told me I had to stay inside unless we had a planned cita--but I couldn't just be walking around in the cold. So Hermana O´Neill was really good and made me come in when we didn't have stuff, even though I argued with her every time haha! But I´m glad she made me come in because I was able to sleep off this crazy stuff and now I feel so much better! So this weekend we worked full time and I was tired, but better :) Now I just have a cough, but that's it :) So thank you for all your prayers! And Lowli, no more worrying cause I am totally good :)

Well, this week was Dia de los Reyes! Here in Spain, January 6 is bigger than Christmas--it´s when the three kings (reyes) come and give the kids all their gifts! So Monday night we watched a huge parade and it was so cool. Then we were in the street (I know I shouldn't have, but hey) and Cristobal and Susana called us and came and found us and brought us to eat dinner at their house, and they bought us all these gifts! We were so touched--they are the most wonderful people ever. Then Tuesday it was the holiday, and we ate with couple that are just the best, Pepe and Pepita :) Pepita has been a member for a long time, but her husband has never wanted anything. Just this last summer the hermanas made him pinky promise to take the lessons, and he got baptized at age 75 :) Most amazing couple ever. So we ate with them and it was so fun.

So updates! Cristobal and Susana. Man. I feel like I have never agonized over anything so much in my life haha. I think about them so much I can´t even sleep sometimes. This week we had a lesson with them and wanted them to get baptized on the 17th. When we invited them, Susana talked about how she has so many problems with her family that she doesn't have time to really figure out if this is true, but she likes it. Then Cristobal said he knows it´s true and loves it, but he doesn't want to get baptized without Susana. We talked to Susana about just praying and about how baptism gives you the power to face your problems, and it was good. The only problem is they've been sick and we pass by them every day but haven´t had a good lesson with them. So we are just praying our guts out for them. But I know they will get baptized soon, because we have never prayed so hard and worked so hard in our lives.

Carmen! Is amazing! She is reading the Book of Mormon like crazy and loves it! And she was so nervous about coming to church, and we kept trying to get her to come, but she was so nervous and didn't want to. Sunday morning we were waiting outside the church and she didn't come, and we were just so sad, so we went and said a prayer. Then as we are singing the first hymn, she walks in!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost screamed haha. Ahh!!!!!!!!!!!! And the best part was that the ward just ate her up and loved her, and she loved it!!!!!!!! This week we invited her to baptized again for the 24th and she said she´s not ready. We kept pushing it, but she just said no. But she said she would pray about it and really, sincerely ask if the BOM is true. She is so sincere and so prepared, so we have no doubts at all she´ll get her answer in no time and she´ll get baptized way soon. We are so stoked! And I´ve always wanted to baptize a Spaniard! She is seriously one of the biggest miracles of my mission. It´s amazing.

Hermana O´Neill is just incredible! Basically, she is the best missionary I have ever seen--she blows everyone away with her faith, obedience, and testimony. Now she is learning to express herself more in Spanish, and everyone is just adoring her fun personality. We are best friends and I am just LOVING training her. It´s been one of the best experiences I've had on my mission training her. I just adore her, and we are just seeing so many miracles because of her faith and testimony :)
So this week we had interviews with President and it was so good. So I sit down and he looks at me and told me he is so proud of me. Then he said, "Okay, so you´re okay to be a Sister Training Leader, right?" My jaw literally dropped and I was so shocked!!!!!!!! So I got called to be a Sister Training Leader! That is like a zone leader for the hermanas. So my job is to do an exchange every week and take care of all the hermanas in my zone. Also, I go with the zone leaders to the mission council of STLs and zone leaders and President every month. Scary! Haha. I am so grateful for the chance to serve, but I hardly feel qualified at all haha. But I am so grateful, and I know the Lord will help me. But it´s an amazing opportunity to learn from the hermanas, and I am really grateful and excited. We'll see how it goes!!!

Also in my interview, I showed President a plan I made. It´s becoming real to me that my mission isn't going to last forever, and I´m going to run with it--I´m sprinting. So I made a plan to be the missionary I have always wanted to be. I wrote down a bunch of goals and things I've always wanted to be and do. Then I made a baptism goal. During the training meeting, President challenged all the new missionaries to make their own personal mission baptism goal. I had never thought about that, but as soon as he said it, the number came to my mind. I know it´s inspired and I know the Lord has prepared these people for me to help get baptized in the next three months. I won´t share the number, but just know that I have a goal for the baptisms I will have in the next three months, and it´s happening!!!!!!!!! It is happening. I know it and feel it with my whole heart, it´s running through my veins. :) I just want you all to know that I am sprinting 100%. I am giving it my all--my whole heart, mind, and everything. I am sprinting and I know the Lord will help me reach my goals. Something I have been learning over and over the past few months is that when we set a goal and do everything in our power to reach it, we can pray and call down the powers of heaven and He will make it happen. The Lord wants to bless us and help us reach our goals, we just have to do everything for it and want it with all our hearts. Then He makes up the difference. Anyone want to sprint with me? Let´s all make goals, want it with all our hearts, do everything we can, and pray with all our hearts for the Lord to make up the difference. Anyone in with me? :) 

I know y'all are praying for me, and I appreciate it and feel it more than you even know. Maybe for the next few months you can pray for me to reach this goal, because it means everything in the world to me. Thank you so much for all you do for me, I can´t thank you enough. I love you all more than you can ever know and I could never be here if it wasn't for your love and support. You mean the world to me, I hope you know that.

I love you so, so, so, so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love, Hermana Boyer :)

Chicken Soup for the Soul :)

Hola, familia!!!!!!!!! 

Feliz 2015!!!!!!!!!! Happy New Year! I hope it was so fun for you all! With y'all it´s always a party, so I´m sure it was good :) I seriously can´t believe it´s 2015. I keep finding myself wishing it was the beginning of 2014 haha. But this year will be very good too :) I´m so glad you all had so much fun together on Butternut! I love that retreat idea! That sounded so fun! Yes please, it´s gotta become a tradition. I hope you are all doing really well! Dang, Matt--wisdom teeth, huh? It´s too bad cause you really are a smart kid! (eh eh eh). No, but really, good luck, I hope it´s not too bad!

This week. I don´t even know. There´s so much to say haha. Pretty much this is one of the most miracle-filled weeks of my entire mission. On Monday night and Tuesday here are the miracles we saw:
- We had a really good lesson with Cristobal and Susana about the Great Apostasy, and we were able to help them figure out a lot of their doubts, They both said they know for sure Joseph Smith is a prophet. Yay!!!!!!! We were just about to set a fecha with them, but the lesson got cut off. But it´s okay, it was really good!
- Vanessa and Enrique invited us to dinner and it was so fun! They made us all this food and we had so much fun with them. Then Vanessa said the prayer at the end and after, Enrique just stared at her and was so shocked. He looked at us and told us he had never heard her pray cause usually she´s too shy. He said our visits have helped them so much. Yay!!!!!
- Tuesday morning we were able to find a missing recent convert that no one has found in a long time, and we had a lesson with him! He was actually standing outside just talking to the YM President!
-We were about to cross a red light, then Hermana O´Neill said, "I think we should be perfectly obedient cause we need all the miracles we can get." So we waited and then as we´re walking on the other side, a man comes up to us and says, "Hey, I was wondering if you could teach me about the Book of Mormon, I´ve always wanted to know--when can you teach me about it?" Dang! Hermana O'Neill is amazing. I´m telling ya, she´s bringing us all these amazing miracles with her obedience.

Okay, let´s talk about Carmen. She is the most incredible miracle. So Carmen is a middle-aged Spanish lady who has lots of problems and heartache in her life. We contacted her on the street a little while ago and she said she wants us to come over. It turns out she´s really good friends with a member, Paqui, because she used to come to the RS aerobics class that Paqui teaches. So Paqui went with us to visit her and last week we had a really sweet lesson with her about the BOM. So we went back this week and taught her about the plan of salvation, because she has had a lot of death in the family. She just loved it! Afterwards, she looked at us and said, "So what do I need to do to become a Mormon?" Dang!!!!!!!!! We were floored haha. We invited her to be baptized this month and she accepted!!!!!!!! We were so excited, it was just crazy. It was amazing she told us that she has never wanted to know anything about the church or the missionaries, but when she saw us in the street, she said something in her heart changed. She said when she saw Hermana O´Neill, she said she just knew they had known each other before and she had to let her come over. Ah, it was incredible. It was so so special for Hermana O'Neill too, because she felt such a part of it, even though she can´t speak or understand very much. It was so, so, so special. Seriously, the Lord has prepared her heart so much. It's just amazing. So we are so excited! Biggest miracle ever!

The only reason Cristobal and Susana don´t have fechas is because they've been sick and had family for the holidays, and we just haven´t been able to have a real cita with them for a long time. It´s frustrating, but they are still progressing and we are going to set a fecha for this month. It´s HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Okay, so now for the not-so-fun stuff, but it´s fun cause we have seen so many miracles!!!!!!!!! On Monday and Tuesday I got a bad cold, and then Tuesday was one of the coldest, most humid days they've had here and we were out all day. I literally don´t ever remember being that cold. So Wednesday morning I woke up with a fever (102)--I don´t know if that´s really high, but yeah haha. So I was in bed all day and the fever was just high still, and I had a super deep cough. Then Thursday it was the same, so Hermana Pace sent us to the hospital, and they filled me with an IV, and that got rid of the fever but totally drugged me up. Then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I was in and out of fever, and this cough is just way intense. But it´s all good :) I got to go out for a little bit Saturday and we went to church yesterday :) But today my fever is gone, so that´s good. But my cough is still bad, so Hermana Pace is going to call me today to tell me if I have to go to the hospital or not. But I´m on all these drugs that make me loopy, so I've just been a complete zombie--I feel so bad for Hermana O'Neill. She´s been so wonderful taking care of me. She´s had the best attitude. Anyway, so if this email makes no sense, it´s cause I´m totally drugged.

It was so funny though! So when I woke up with the fever on Wednesday, I called ONE member to tell them we couldn´t come to lunch. I´m not kidding--not 5 minutes later, literally--a member called to bring us lunch, one to bring us dinner, someone brought us oranges, someone brought us soup, and the elders were there with a member to give me a blessing. It was so wild!!!!!!!!!! I cannot tell you how wonderful the members have been! They have just been so, so sweet! They keep bringing us soup and food and juice and oranges and medicine and just everything! Seriously, every 10 minutes someone comes to our door with something, I'm not kidding. It´s so sweet. So I´m well taken care of :)

Sorry, I don´t know how profound I can be while I´m on 3 drowsy medications--but here I go. So today I finished the Book of Mormon for my 3rd time on the mission and the first time reading it in Spanish :) This past time reading it since August with the entire mission has been the most powerful experience I've ever had reading the Book of Mormon. I always knew it was powerful before the mission, but I didn't realize how pure it is. It is one of the purest things we have, and because of that it brings the Spirit so strongly. I don´t think there´s been a single time this time reading it when I haven't plead with the Lord first to teach me something and He hasn't taught me just the perfect thing for that day. Then when you read that, the Spirit fills you and it purifies you cause the BOM is pure. I love that purifying--it is what changes our lives. That is why people choose to accept the gospel, not because of the lessons or anything else. It´s the purifying, pure sweet knowledge and spirit that come from the Book of Mormon. It has changed my life, and I´ve seen it change so many other lives too. I love it with my whole entire heart, and I know with my whole being--everything I am--that it is absolutely 100% true. We are so lucky to read it every day! I just love it.

Anyway, thank you so much, fam, for being so wonderful. I love you all so much and am so grateful for all you do for me!!!! I love you so, so, so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Hermana Boyer :)