OTHERS December 2013

Daily Duran

Amy has all of the Christmas decorations up. She put the lights up on the house before thanksgiving.

Bella and Clare have been talking about Tansa Clause and know that he is watching them. It still hasn’t kept Clare from writing on the doors with marker and crayons, coloring the grout on the floor with a black sharpie, or pumping out all of the peppermint hand soap. Bella has been doing her tap dance to Christmas music for a while so the girls are very familiar with the concept. Bella had a stone soup feast at preschool before Thanksgiving and then had the whole week off for Thanksgiving.

Thomas made a nice turkey in the smoker for Thanksgiving with some new flavors like lemon bay leaf.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

OTHERS November 2013

Daily Duran
 
The last few days of October were packed and tons of fun. Clare
goes twice a week with a friend for preschool. One outing they went to Target
and bought nail polish. Now Clare walks around the house sometimes saying, “I
got my nail polish.” Thank goodness the glass is thick and the lid is practically
glued on. She was a kitty for Halloween.
 
Bella loves going to preschool everyday. Her teacher said
she is already at the desired level of the students for the end of the year. She
comes home and sings her songs she learns in class and teaches them to Clare. Bella
was also a kitty for Halloween.
 
Amy teaches preschool to a handful of three and four year
olds in our house twice a week. She had a fun birthday party with a better than
Blackbeard’s Treasure Hunt. She was very disappointed she did not find the
Blackbeard’s Treasure (see here)
so we made one up for her. She helped with the trunk or treating at our ward
Halloween party and it didn’t really go as she had planned, but the signs
looked incredible nice.
 
Thomas had a grand opening at work. He was assigned to give
tours as people came to his work. He spends a lot of time working on the
bathroom that is never going to be finished. Right now he is looking for a
three way bullnose cap for drywall that is no longer carried at Lowes and Home
Depot only sells in a 50 pack.

OTHERS October 2013

Mott Quad (formally known as Motschiedler Madness)

We had a fun month! 

Harry started army crawling all around the house. He has 2 teeth and is sleeping all night long. He's a happy little guy and loves to follow his big brother around. He thinks his big brother is the funniest thing ever and will laugh and laugh at anything Deshy does. Harry joined me on a trip to Oregon to meet his newest cousin Rose, and her big sister Macy. The Garzas, Ryan and my parents all came too, so we had a fun time hanging out and chatting for a weekend. Harry did great, most of the time. 

Desh is loving school and his teachers. He goes 2 mornings a week. He is completely potty trained now- woo hoo!! He got to stay home with Ken when I went to Oregon. They had a fun 3 days by going to McDonalds for milkshakes, the zoo and the Cat Haven to visit lions, tigers, jaguars and cheetahs. 

Allyson had fun in Oregon visiting with the Original Six and their spouses and kids. It was a whirlwind of a trip but totally worth it. I'm working 2 days at the school as an administrator while Deshy attends. We're working on some fun projects with PBS (look for our TV spot in November & December) and getting ready for all the upcoming holiday parties, charity events and school-wide activities. 

Ken is busy, busy. He is still working with our broker on selling our apartment complex and we feel hopeful that it will sell soon. We are preparing for construction of our Clovis complex, located on Ashlan & Temperance. We've had several meetings with the architect to come up with the perfect floor plan and site plan. We hope to start construction soon after Christmas. We are scheduled to demo the house and barn, that are on the property, Monday the 7th, so if anyone wants to join me and the boys for a Demo party, we'll be there. We're very excited for what the future holds for our little business!

NOTE FROM ELDER MATHIAS BOGGS:

Making sure that we account to ourselves at the end of each week and at the end of most days.  It has been good.  I feel like
we are moving in the right direction.  ...Even if those we are
teaching are struggling.  But we are doing our best and so even though
the outcomes of our work are not super positive, I feel great still.
:)

I know we are not perfect and I know there are lots of things westill need to improve on.  But at the same time I at least know we are
working hard to do our best and help this area progress.  :)  It is a

pretty great work.  I love being a missionary.  People always ask us
if we miss our families and why we are here and such.  I tell them I
don't miss you at all!!  ......hehe.  Just kidding!  :)  I say of
course I miss you all.  But two years really isn't that long.  And I
know why I am here.  I know that this work is super important.  And I
find tons of joy helping people learn.  And..... like I noticed
yesterday, when you learn to love the people here that you are
teaching, that is the time when you feel the best.  That is when you
know you are doing what you are supposed to be doing.

--Elder Boggs


NOTE FROM SISTER DEEANN LOVELAND

I am here in the Los Angeles Family History Library. I am enjoying the people I work with and the people that come in to do family history work.

I am learning about the many resources on line now and some of the ways to research.  I am working to keep learning--there is so much to learn.  Today
I worked with our supervisor today, and we were helping a patron, find their ancestor in Peru.  She used google maps, to check where we were and what 
other little towns were around.  We did find one of the people's death certificate.  It was neat.
Hope you are all doing well and watching out for each other--maybe I can come there for Thanksgiving?  

---Sister Loveland




WARD WIDE WEB

Water polo season is in full swing. Logan is a starter on his 7th grade team. You can find us at Logan's games on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

The Bulldogs had a great victory this month - they beat Boise! Jeremy was so happy! We went to the game to sell programs as a fundraiser for the boy scout troop, got to stay and watch the game, and went home happy with a great win!

Trevor turned the big 1-4 last month. Yes, folks. He is officially old enough to attend those amazing church dances. He is thrilled! And, bonus, he is also officially taller than his mother. Wow. He is definitely growing up.

Jennifer, Lizzie, and Grandma Elizabeth got to attend the Selma Sound of Music production - starring our very own Michael Scott at Captain Von Trapp!! It was a great show in a brand new beautiful state of the art theater. We decided that we need to have Michael lead us in some campfire songs at Pismo from now on... and throw in a few solos for him as well! :)

  

OTHERS August 2013

MISSIONARY EMAIL FROM SISTER CHELSY BOGGS

Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2013 9:57 PM

So this has been a very good week...WE HAD A BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Marcy was baptized on Sat! and there was a huge turn out from the ward. The Bishop was pleasantly surprised, he had never seen that many people at the baptism. My response to that was that i dont do sparsely attended baptisms. Marcy not only invited her dad and sister but like 10 of her friends and they all came. Her sister now wants to take the lessons! and Marcy wants to serve a mission!!!!!! she said that her baptism was the first time in years that her dad came to a church function.

We got to witness a miracle Sat as well. Austin (the elders investigator) was also baptized that day too. When his ride went to go get him he wasnt home and was not at the library where the note he left said he would be and his phone is broke. The baptism was about to start in like 2 min and the elders were starting to get ansy cause there was no sign of austin . So we got all of missionaries together with bro paul (a member in the ward) and prayed for a miracle. Not 10 min later Austin walks in during the opening song!

the spirit was soooo strong at the baptism. it was truely a wonder to see and feel.

Emmy is an investigator we got 2 sundays ago. she is the girlfriend of one of the guys in our ward (although he is at BYU right now). she is atheist but wants to know why Andrew (her bf) is so happy as well as his family. She was persecuted growing up here in south for being atheist so there is a slight bitterness towards any "christian". She has come to church twice now and is praying and reading everyday. We are going slow with her. We get the feeling that we will not be her only missionaries but we are fine with that. She is a very sweet girl and asks really good questions.

I got to try indian food this week....and lamb, at the same time. I loved it. Does anyone know if there are indian restaurants back home? cause i really think ya'll should try it. I also got to play with alpaca this week....lots of them.

Fun story. We have this gentleman in the ward who worked for the CIA and is now retired. He took us out for lunch this week and gave us a copy signed copy of his book...."Confessions of a CIA Interrogator" It looks like it will be a fun book to listen too (he gave me the ebook version)...i just have to wait 6 months to do so. Its cool, the actual book has a copy of his license to kill in it. He is not someone who i want to get on the bad side of. but he is a giant softy.

Sorry for not writting last week. But transfer info: i stayed here in Johnson City with sister hollon. we had 22 new missionaries come in...aside from the ashville stake missionaries we got at the beginning of the month. we are now up to 66 sisters in the mission. We do know that only of us (either sis hollon or i) will be staying here at the end of this transfer. and whoever stays here will be trainning and staying another two transfers...we think it will be me....

i hope ya'll are ok. I look forward to hearing from you all.

moochaco the alpaca

marcy's baptism

MISSIONARY EMAIL FROM ELDER MATHIAS BOGGS

Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 8:31 PM

Dear Wonderful People,

Well, it has been quite a crazy week and another crazy week is yet to follow. Last Monday we obviously had P-Day. Tuesday we had our District meeting in the next town over. Wednesday we got to have interviews with our new mission President, President Aquino. He is very nice and friendly and seems like he will be a great addition to the mission. So those were in LaPaz which is about 2 hours from our house. After that, we stopped at Janiuay which is right in the middle. 1 hour away from both. 

That was the first time we have gone there.

It was really cool though. We just were going around tracting houses and trying to see if there is any potential there for them to put missionaries there. (There is gonna be a huge influx of missionaries...) So we decided we would focus on the wealthier looking houses so that if they were interested, they also had potential of going to church an hour away. :P Anyways, it was awesome. We tracted up and down a couple streets and about half of the people knew who we were and knew other Mormons. One of the first ladies we talked to said her aunt and brother were Mormons. One of the next houses we went to, we...... called at the gate (equivilent of knocking) and the lady inside saw us and immediately jumped up and told us to come in. The first question she asked was "Are you the ones that always used to come here??" We were kinda confused but after some discussion we learned that her aunt was a member and that the missionaries used to go teach her a bunch. Her aunt is in Chicago right now. Anyways, we visited about 12 houses there and about 6 had relatives that were members already! Super cool. Because we know that not that many people know members. So I feel like we were really directed to the right area and the right houses. Because Janiuay is a pretty big area and we had no clue about where we were going. We just kinda went. And it turned out being a really cool experience.

Then on Thursday, we went out to another small neighborhood that we had heard about but never been to. We started walking down the road that leads out to it. As we were walking people would ask us where we were going. We told them "Badu." They would always respond, "Wow! That's really far! You're just walking??" We told them yes and that we liked to walk. And in our minds we figured they were just being Filipinos and that it really wasn't that far. ....well after about an hour of walking the same thing kept happening. "Wow. That's a long ways away still. You're just walking??" And we told them yes and continued. Anyways, after 2 and a half hours of walking, we arrived to the neighborhood of Badu. And it was pretty small. By that time, it was about time for us to go to our next appointment. So.... we called the first Motorcycle we saw and got a ride back. :P Haha. Yeah... didn't teach anyone or go to any houses. We were going to but then we just decided it was time to go back. So we did. :P haha. So that was another fun adventure. And has also been fun to tell people around here that we walked to Badu. Haha. Good times.

Saturday Sis. Jo and her daughters had their baptismal interviews! So this upcoming saturday is their baptism! Woo! We will see if I am still here. But most likely I won't be. Transfers are this week and I have been here for 3 transfers while this is Elder Sefeti's first. .....so chances are I will leave. But who knows. Especially with a new mission president. 

So one thing to let you know about the Philippines and religion here. It blew my mind for a long time but now I am used to it. People ask us what our religion is. We tell them LDS and our nick-name being Mormons. They say, "oh ok. ....so are you Baptist??" We say no, We're Mormons. "7th day adventist?" No. Mormons. "Iglesia Ni Cristo?" No. We are our own independent church. "Oh..... so.... Roman Catholic!" No!!! We are different. We are the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. At that point they realize that we are our own seperate religion. Following which they say, "Oh. But you Believe in Jesus Christ. Well as long as you have faith in Christ, that is all that matters. All religions are good." Haha. It has been so hard for me to adjust to! The reason behind all the questions is that there are a lot of break-offs from the Catholic Church. And they have their own different names. So then when people are a different religion, the people here just think it is a break-off from the Catholic church. It has been a weird adjustment for me to make. But it has been interesting. It is kinda sad. But I read verses like Jacob 3:9 and it reminds me that I can't really judge them because of it. It is what they have been taught their whole life. And If I was in their situation, I would probably be the exact same. :P So, we just try to show people why it is so important and try to help people be less confused. :) The gospel is a wonderful thing. ...Especially when we follow it. :) Anyways, that is my week. Love you all. Now to personals.

Mom- I love you. Yeah, seems like love really is the key. After all, the scriptures say if we have not charity we are nothing and can do nothing. And it is true. If we don't love the people we can never know what they need and how to help them. And they will never accept what we have unless they feel our love. So that is something I need to work on. It is not really part of my personality. But definitely something I need to change. :) Thanks for the love and support.

Dad- Sounds like things were busy. But hopefully everything went alright. That is cool that Luz gets to go to Mexico. Seems like you are just vacationing all over the place right now! Crazy. :) And nice story about the Contenedor. Haha. Poor kid.  Love ya.

Grandma Boggs- Being a missionary is definitely exciting and keeps you on your toes. It is definitely a big responsibility. :) But it is fun. Wow.... Cow Gut Soup huh? You ate that every day for lunch? That sounds delicious... I bet you don't miss that. :) Thanks for the updates and the letters and the love. Love you lots.

Mike and Rabilin- Sorry I didn't respond last week. But that is awesome that I am famous and that you got to watch me in the video clip of the Payson Temple. :) Sounds like things are going good with you all and that you are staying busy as always. Crazy to me that Charly is already 6! I swear that Quinten is only 6. :P Crazy. Love you. Thanks for the prayers. :) I need them! 

Brandon and Julie- Thanks for the letter last week. You were up really late writing it. And then I didn't even respond. :P That is nice that you don't have to commute so far anymore and that you can kinda get settled down in the office. I bet that is a lot nicer. Hopefully things are going good in the neighborhood and that the kids are still healthy and having fun. :) Love ya lots. 

John and Tiana- Wow. Still waiting. ....ok. by now you could not be. Who knows. :P Not me! haha. But glad everything is still going well. That is sweet that you got to have Pancit! That is the second most popular food here. ...most popular is rice. haha. But Pancit is one of my favorites. :) I could eat it all day. :) Haha. Good work in school John. I bet those grades were great to see! That is impressive! And having a religion class again should be fun. Even if it is crazy. :) Thanks for the e-mails and support. Love ya.

Alright. That be all. I am out. Halong Kamo. Andam sa Ayam. (Watch out for the dogs.)

MISSIONARY EMAIL FROM DEEANN

Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 9:26 PM

Hi--it has been so very fun to hear from so many of you this week.  I have had a nice week, busy, but not crazy, and weather I am getting used to, cloudy n humid n hot with an ocean breeze sometimes...guess I can handle it.

I am still learning at the Library.  This week one lady talked about how we could find postcards, old ones that would show what cities were like when our ancestors lived there, or when events occurred, like earthquakes, or floods....in different places.  She said since there were no televisions, postcards carried photos of the news.  Anyway it was interesting.

I am learning how to find birth, marriage, and death certificates...at least some ways to find them--as I try to "prove" that the information in Family Search is correct.  I am working on my own ancestors, and sometimes helping my companion.  It takes me lots of concentration, and sometimes I get confused and need to start over, but I am making progress.

I was able to go to the Temple, and once the session was in Tongan and we had earphones to use for English and then another time things were in Spanish and I understood most of it, so that was fun.  I enjoy the flowers and I still walk by the Temple for exercise in the early am and 'freeze in place' sometimes to watch the hummingbirds.  There a lot of them.

Tomorrow the Senior Missionaries will be having a potluck dinner with our Mission President and his wife. It will be nice to meet them for a few minutes.

I love you all, and pray for you and hope you are feeling blessed.  Keep smiling, DeeAnn, mom, friend, etc.

ps. some of you ought to ask Brandon Boggs why he practiced putting his finger in his eye?

MISSIONARY EMAIL FROM IRMA MICAELA DURAN

Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 8:44 AM

hey family and friends!

things are going well here. We're working with a woman named Paula. She's absolutely amazing! she's been marked for baptism 2, due to her 23 year habit of smoking, but she's really trying to quit and I KNOW she will. She's accepted the gospel 100% and she's ready to be interviewed, but she just needs to stop smoking. we're doing everything we can to help her and i hope it all works out for the better. 

two weeks ago i lost my comp. haha it's kind of funny  =). we were separated for a whole hour. We were on the bus and we came to our stop and i got off and my comp walks over to get out and then the doors close right in her face! it was SOOOO funny. i smiled and waved goodbye to her and then i started following on foot thinking i'd see her at the next stop. she wasn't there. i ended up calling my district and zone leaders and of course they didn't answer. i called my sister training leaders and they told me to go back to the original stop and to call President. I just about messed my skirt. President didn't answer the first two times i called him, but he did call me back. Seeing Presidents name on the phone screen stresses me out, sabes? but i'm getting ahead of myself. i decided to go back to terminal and wait for her there, but in order to get there i needed to take another bus. so i waited at a different bus stop and just as i was about to get on the bus i see sister ornano getting off! it was a christmas miracle! God knows best. wow it was SO funny! we were having a laughing fit for like 10 min and President called. I told him what happened and then he laughed and said, "Sister Duran, you know it's not a good idea to lose your companion, right?" haha he's a funny guy. Well everything worked out fine and nothing horrible happened.

I have to go. I love you all. Have a good week. You're in my prayers.

Com Amor,

-Sister Duran

MISSIONARY EMAIL FROM ELDER DAVID BOGGS

Sent: Monday, July 22, 2013 9:29 AM

this week has been full of surprises. to start out, at transfers, i found out that my companion has only been out for 6 weeks and that i would be finishing his training! then at the end of transfer meeting, elder pettersson (pronounced peddersen) and i found out that we would be in a trio covering two areas until the other missionary's companion gets back. (he had to go home for a surgery of some sorts on his nose). and missionary that is with us is none other than my very own mtc companion, elder Hitchcock! since we are covering two different areas, we are also sleeping in two different appartment depending on where we end up at the end of the night and where we have to be the next morning. its quite fun :) i have yet to unpack fully. our appartment is up in hagerstown and the other is down in martinsburg west virginia . the one in martinsburg has a washer and drier so we do our laundry there.

The branch i'm serving in is the Falling Waters Branch. it is about twice as big as spa creek with 30 to 40 members at church each sunday compared to the 10 to 20 on a good sunday. i had to go up and share my testimony in sacrament meeting. surprisingly, i wasnt nervous. and i didnt really have to figure out how to say what i wanted to say. it just came out! i think i left the majority of my fear of talking to people in annapolis . and spanish is coming easier as well because my companions know about the same amount as i do so it isnt unconciously intimidating. the members here are pretty cool from what i have seen. we have been helping a family make a patio. its hard work. we have been shoveling dirt, shoveling gravel, raking the gravel, pounding it down, and getting fed while we work. the patio i have to say is going to look awesome!

i'm doing great and hope y'all are doing the same! love y'all!

lots-o-love,

~ elder boggs

WARD WIDE WEB

Our whirlwind of a summer is almost ready to come to a close. July was our month of many vacations:

We began our marathon vacation adventure on the east coast. Jeremy, Jennifer, Trevor and Logan got to go tour Washington DC,

New York, (Here we are about to watch Wicked, on broadway, at Times Square.)

and here we are on Times Square at about midnight. 

We came home from the east coast and went up to Shaver Lake the next day. We spent a week there with friends and family having fun, riding the raft, and enjoying campfire treats. Here is one of the 2 photos we took the entire week we were there - glow in the dark night :)

We came home from Family Camp and went to scout camp the next day! Jeremy, Trevor, and Logan spent a week with this crew at San Clemente. It was a full week of cooking, surfing, merit bagdes, and capture the flag.

The week after scout camp was the famous Pismo trip. We had a relaxing week enjoying family company, card games, Splash Cafe, and the beach. We were a smaller group this year, but it was nice to visit with those that were there. 

OTHERS July 2013

MISSIONARY EMAIL FROM ELDER DAVID BOGGS

Sent: Monday, July 15, 2013 9:15 AM

Transfers are this wednesday (elder santiago 's bday as well). and it's my turn to say good bye to  Annapolis . I'm headin out west to the Falling Waters Spanish 2 area, on the complete opposite end of the state, fairly close to west virginia . my new companion is gonna be Elder Pettersson. I can honestly say that i'm not liking the idea of leaving Annapolis . The people here are awesome. i'm gonna miss everybody but i get to meet new people :)

as for the fourth of july, our celebration included not having a meeting, getting home on time, planning for the 5th, and getting ready for bed. no fireworks, no party. just me and my pillow :) slept like a rock :)

we have been able to do a bit more service lately. the odeh family are painting downstairs and i've been painting the walls and ceiling with a high tech roller. i personally preffer to have a paint tray and a regular roller but i finally figured out how to work the stinkin thing :P took forever though :)

i have officially driven across the bay bridge about three times now (it technically should be bridges cuz there are two different bridges. both 3.9 miles long. super long) . we have an investigator up in chester town (about 50 miles away from our house and an hour drive). she is super cool. she went to church in mexico and she has family that are lds. she was super excited when elder santiago and elder hullinger knocked on her door. ( we were on exchanges and i was in the zl's area for the day) she has a super strong testimony, but she can't decide whether to be mormon or catholic. her mom is fine with either one and her dad basically asked her which she was. she hasnt decided yet but she is praying about it. oh. i forgot to mention the fact that she is 11. :)

Guillermo got the priesthood yesterday :) he is doing really great and his example is helping his daughter-in-law a lot. she has a lot more interest and is asking a bunch of questions!

Sister Otilia has officially won the award for best tamales. i could eat them for years :) the ones with green sauce are the best in my opinion :)

Wish ya luck in the Mexico mtc Curt! take pictures for me!! :)

love y'all :)

Lots-o-love

~Elder Boggs

MISSIONARY EMAIL FROM SISTER DEEANN LOVELAND

Sent: Sunday, July 7, 2013 6:28 PM

My companion is fixing dinner, it smells really good, I am not looking, so it will be a surprise.  We had been invited out, but were uninvited because something came up for the other people.  My comp, Sis. Bertha Cook,  gets home before I do, because she attends a ward close by and I go to the branch about 45 minutes away.

I can't quite believe it but I have to keep reminding myself I am in the United States, because my brain thinks because I am on a mission, I am "foreign."  I catch myself being surprised when we drive around and see familiar things, like Sizzler.  And once and a while I get to try to help someone in Spanish and then because of the branch, it just feels foreign I guess.  Oh well, I will figure it out. It makes me laugh though, it seems so silly.  :)     

My desktop tells me it is 75 degrees in LA, (but my thermometer says, 79), 78 in Payson with chance of rain, and 78 in the Philippines with clouds. I need to add Washington, (where Brandon moved) and then I will have to look at temps for the rest of you,   BUT it is fun because at least we seem similar.  

One day the branch had an activity, oh yes, it was Father's day and they prepared a meal for the Fathers and we all got to eat.  I really liked it, tasted so good.  Our branch is almost all; Black, Polynesian, or Hispanic--anyway the food was really, really good.  It is fun getting to know them--the branch, so many of them are working hard and doing wonderful.  It is different and it is very nice.

I was just thinking, Sis Cook and I need to invite Mary, who works in the Family History Center and has for 30 years, to come eat dinner with us.  I wonder if she would come, I think she might.  She is a busy person, serving in the library, just came back from a trip where she photographed 200 gravestones and will enter them into the computer so they can be found with their information at findagrave.com and Fridays, she makes rounds to several (old folks) care centers and picks up packages they want mailed and takes them to the post office.  She collects and recycles plastic bottles and cans, and calls me, mi hija (and I think everyone else?).  She is just a sweetie.  I am sure she would give you the shirt off her back and does not want to take any charity.!!!!  She is also a fighter.  

Well to end with, I have been thinking about how I would be 'devastated' if someone did not read or pray about the things we were teaching and the Book of Mormon, and I decided I would want to ask a question like --- what if this is the only way you can be really happy?, and live with your family even after you die?  It would be worth the effort to find out wouldn't it?                        

Anyhow, it just seems like PMG is trying to have us get the point across that this is SO IMPORTANT, we don't want you to miss out on the blessings---The gospel is just amazing isn't it.        

I was watching some baby birds, and just had to stand there and be amazed at the wonder of them, they are an amazing creation and God loves us even more -- wow.

MISSIONARY EMAIL FROM ELDER MATHIAS BOGGS

Sent: Monday, July 8, 2013 7:03 AM

Hello hello hello.

 First off, thank you all for the letters and the love and support and advice. I really am one of the luckiest people in the world cuz I have the best family and friends in the world. Really. So thank you.

 This week was pretty decent. We got to have some good lessons and got to meet some new people. We have one investigator-- Marilyn-- who is super cool and solid. The first time we met her we just kinda chatted and then left her the pamphlet. When we came back, she had read part of the pamphlet and had questions for us. Wow. That is actually way amazing here. Then we tried to go back about 5 times and she was always there. But either there weren't other people there so she wouldn't let us teach her or she was busy right then or whatever. Well this week we finally got another lesson with her and talked a lot about prophets and priesthood and authority and it was cool cuz we could see that she was grasping those concepts. Understanding and thinking about them. Not just hearing it. But it was actually kinda hitting home. She is way cool like that. Very good at listening and thinking and studying on her own as well. I hope we can continue to visit her and that the spirit will continue to enlighten her mind as we teach.

 We also taught the Castor family a couple times. Like always. :) They are easily my favorite family I have met on my mission. I love teaching them and I love seeing them grow. The second youngest kid of their's gave the prayer this last time which was sweet. His name is Julius. Jonathan (his older brother and the one that got baptized) always prays and is super good. So we decided it was time to get Julius praying. He is 7 and turns 8 in October. So with the help of his mom, he prayed. And that was kinda a cool spiritual experience for me and I think for them too. Cuz I think it helped the mom see that she can help practice with the kids and help them grow and learn. So hopefully we can keep continuing there.

 That same lesson we also talked about Temples and Eternal families and stuff. AH! You all have no clue how much I hope they can go to the temple one day. I told them that when they go I will attend. And I mean it. I would do anything I can to see that happen. :) They are such a cool family. I hope we can keep helping them and that they will keep progressing. ...Oh! And one of their daughters just decided she is going to go on a mission. She is only 18 right now. But she has started to prepare.

 Same with another girl in our area. Cute. Yes, that is her name. ...ok. well her nickname but that is what she goes by. Anyways, she is also getting ready to go on a mission. She is 19 now and is really wanting to go as soon as she can. :) Today she is gonna be working on her application so that is sweet. I am excited for her. She will be a way good missionary. :)

 So yeah....Idk. It was a good week. We got to work with less-actives in our area a little. There are of course many problems. But hey, that is alright. We are here to help people and we know that the gospel is the way. :) I know that is true. If we get as close to God as we can then I know he will help us in all of our trials. :)

 Alright. That is all. Love you all. Now to personals:

Mom- Stop worrying. :) haha. That is funny that you feel like you are foreign even though you are still in the states. Haha. There are a ton of flowers here yes. And yes, we eat a TON of Mangos. :) Yummy. And there are tons of fruits as well. I don't eat as many as I want or should. But there are lots. We have a few fruit trees in our yard and eat the fruit off of it all the time. The main one is an atis tree. But we don't have that fruit in the states. There is also Eba. Again, not ins the states. Also, we eat lots of coconut. That is everywhere and lots of members give that to you or let you drink the juice and what not. :) Yeah. Good stuff. Love the food here. Members rarely feed us. Especially cuz all of the members in my area are way poor. But one of them will give us a mango or so if we visit. But yeah. Usually here in Calinog we eat Lunch out of the apartment. There is a small Calenderia next door. (Calenderias just have a bunch of different types of food to put on rice.) But it is WAY cheap. So we eat there a bit. But yeah. :) Anyways, Love ya.

Dad- Glad you lived. Even through that rough landing and such. :) Sounds like the fireworks were fun as always. And visiting family is always good. ...especially when you get a huge party and meal out of it. haha. Sounds fun. I am glad that you are able to see some of the tender mercies of the Lord. :) That is good. And thanks for your sharing about our agency and following the Lord. It helped me see a couple areas I can definitely improve on. ....it is kinda hard to do. Haha. But I guess that is part of life. One of the main points of it. :) Love ya. Thank you.

Brandon and Julia- Wow. Look at you. Tons of family time all the time! haha. That is good. I bet it is a welcome change. :) Seems like that is definitely one of the benefits of that job. :) Wow....Kamrie is walking now eh? Crazy..... weird to think about for sure. :P Despicable Me 2 was way good huh? That is good. Cuz I was afraid it would ruin the first one. But sounds like they did a decent job following it up...? Sweet. :) Howard to Rockets..... Should be interesting. Probably will just be kinda like when Yao MIng was there. :P Thanks for the reminder about people's agency and choices and such. It is definitely one of the struggles of missionary work. So it is good to remember that we just have to do our part and make sure we just do what the Lord would do. And if we do that, even if they reject it, we are not in bad company. :) Thanks. Love ya lots.

Tiana and John- Thanks for the pics. Yellowstone is way beautiful. :) And so is your new baby. ...tho kinda hairy. :P Hehe. jk jk. But it is cute. :) It is definitely amazing how America was prepared for the restoration. It really wasn't a coincidence. Amazing to see God's plan. Sorry you are getting kinda uncomfortable sometimes sis. But......who knows. Haha. Sometime she will come. :) Haha. Love you. Thanks for the emails.

Alright. That is all. I am out. Love ya all.

-Elder Boggs

MISSIONARY EMAIL FROM SISTER CHELSY BOGGSSent: Monday, July 08, 2013 8:53 AM

So its been a good week. We were able to have another lesson with Marcy and Kristen (her friend that came to church with her last week). We offically picked Kristen up as a new investigator. We taught them the plan of salvation. Kristen is reading the book of mormon and we committed her to pray about it. Marcy believes everything she has been taught and believes that the Book of Mormon is true. She wants to be baptized and is praying about a baptismal date. She told Cory she wants to be baptized when he gets home but thats not until like late aug. He told her to really pray about it and we will talk about it when we see her on Wed.

Rhonda is still out of town, but we are still sending her scriptures from the book of mormon. Jeremy is working like crazy, like 8am to 1am. apparently everyone is quitting so they are working him mega overtime. We are still sending him scriptures and he is enjoying them. We are going to try and see him this week.

We had family home evening with the Alaverz family. They are a less active family that speaks spanish and like no english. They do understand more than they let on. We were able to have it at Laura's house. (Laura is one of our YSAs who speaks spanish and has her call, just hasnt opened it yet and she has had it for a week :/ ) It was really good. They definitly know they need to come to church but cant get the time off work and they are to prideful to have someone pick up their son to come to church. We went over the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are a wonderful family and we are looking forward to keep working with them.

The ward has dubbed us the miracle workers. Apparently we are doing the impossible, getting people to come to church and finding people the ward didnt even know were there and getting in contact with people the ward or elders havent been able to get in contact with. Unfortunatley the ward needs a little help. The meal calender and team up calender gets passed around and no one signs up on them or it just doesnt move...we are trying to figure out a way with Sis Arnall and Bro Windham on how to get the ward more involved.

I dont think I have ever seen so much rain in my life. Aside from a few wonder sunny hours on Sat (in which i got a nice sunburn, soon to be tan) it has been raining almost non stop. This weekend was really fun. We got to OYM at Jonsborough days. Its kinda like heritage days in Rogersville only slightly smaller. We got to meet and talk to alot of fun and interesting people and learn a lot of the history here. I even got to sit in a humvee and one other military vehicle (cant remember its name, just that it was a big truck.) Got to learn lots about them.

The 4th was awesome. curfew was extended so we could watch the fireworks. They were shot off from the local high school...which looks like a college. The Fireworks were amazing. I think my favorites were the smiley faces, hearts and willows. And of course it was also raining....but hey who knew watching fireworks in the rain would be that awesome and fun.

anywho i gots to get goin...love all ya'll crazy folks off yonder! hope to hear from ya soon!

~Sister boggs

MISSIONARY EMAIL FROM IRMA MICAELA DURAN

Sent: Monday, July 1, 2013 6:39 AM

so i'm in cascais. it's pretty cool. =) i can't explain to you the kind of spirit i felt when i first got here. all last transfer i fought my HARDEST to have the spirit with me and i got here and spirit HIT me! it's been such a blessing working with sister ornano. it's her 2nd transfer and she's already a 10 PMG missionay. she's such an example to me. she's really helping me get out of my funk that i've been in. she just wants to work and work and work. And that's exactly what i need right now. it's been a long time since i've really put my shoulder to the wheel and gave it my all. i still haven't yet and i hope that changes this transfer. we've already met so many elect people. and tons of BLACK people. i can't tell you how much i've missed them. i need to visit africa one of these days. but anyway. things are REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD. i'm so grateful to be here and i'm sorry this email to super short, but i need to go. i love you. have good week. i'll try my best to send a letter home this week. The church is true! READ THE BOOK OF MORMON! pray and GO TO CHURCH! ALWAYS! i love you have a good week. thank you for everything.

Com amor,

-Irmã Durán

Sent: Monday, July 8, 2013 8:15 AM

welp. it's been a really good week. it was the 4th of july and we had a late night celebration in our apartment. we lit a candle, because it was America's bday, and then we sang patriotic songs. it was fun and absolutely pathetic. i love the mission  =). we helped one of our recent converts here sober up and be worthy to pass the sacrament yesterday. it was really quite special to see him serving others in such a sacred manner. i know the atonement is real and that through true repentance anyone can be forgiven and change for the better. sister ornano and i have been doing some really good work here. i feel like i'm finally getting my feet under me again after being away from the city for good while. there's TONS on tourists here. seriously. we had 3 or 4 families visiting yesterday and we had to translate for them. it's really cool to meet people from ALL over the world. Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Germany, France. basically every where. i really love it here. it's super easy now to tell which ones are tourists and which ones actually live here. tourists are white with blond hair and wear shorts, sunglasses, hats, and carry cameras around. it's really kind of funny. it's SO hot here. the other day it was like 103º. we were dumb and went outside and tried to proselyte. it didn't work. we got heat exhaustion and went home and drank water and napped in our chonies. seriously we were OUT of it. loopy demais! never again. we have to work close to the house to fill up our water and rest for a little bit or we'll die, sabes. all the leaders here are telling all the missionaries to be careful. we're buying a fan today. we meant to buy one a few days ago, but we ran out of time. but God is wonderful! we received a tender mercy. there's an American family in our branch and we had dinner with them yesterday evening and we told them about our situation and they let us borrow one of there many fans! we're SOOOO grateful. you've NO idea. no air conditioning. no way to stop being hot. no way to stop sweating. it'll be like this until October and we just keep taking it one day at a time. Heavenly Father will bless us with strength enough to overcome this horrible heat. i'm grateful i only have ONE summer here, sabes? i love the cold =). anyway, about that dinner yesterday....it was AMAZING! they get food from the American embassy so we ate mac and cheese, AMERICAN hotdogs, and CORNDOGS, crystal light, with AMERICAN MUSTARD!! it was wonderful. truly. the Binn's family said it was the most white trash dinner they've ever done for the missionaries and it's one that they'll not forget. we were so happy =). I love that family. it just seems like every day food in the states, but i can't explain to you how incredibly satisfying it was to taste American mustard. well anyway. this is email appears not to make much sense, but tudo bem.  =)  i love you. have a good week. thank you for all your love and prayers. 

com amor,

-Irmã Durán