#42

Hi Sister Rust!
This is Hermana Boggess, the trainee of Hermana Rust:) She has told me a lot about you, and how you are an amazing mom. I just wanted to write you a quick letter about how amazing your daughter is. She is really the best trainer in the whole world and has taught me so much. She is an amazing missionary, and is really obedient. She has helped me adjust to the mission life and really has taken so much of the stress away. You would be so proud of her and how hard of a worker she is. When Antonio was getting  baptized. She had to plan and do everything because I didn't know Spanish, and she took it upon herself to be on top of it, and do it calmly, even though it was a crazy situation. Her spanish is so good, and she always tries to talk to people when we are contacting. She cares for all of our investigators, and the members, and tries to think of different ways to serve them, and help me. Hermana Rust is someone that works hard, but also makes the work fun., and I look up to her in so many ways. She really is an exceptional missionary and I'm sure you are so proud of her.

Sorry this is kind of random, but I just wanted to write and tell you:)
sincerely,
Hermana Boggess

#41

This week was a busy one it as so great. I love when the days as busy. I love Almería so much! The members here make my life they're my best friends. We got to eat with a lot of them and it was so fun.

There was one Thursday bright and early to go teach some seventh day Adventists who know the bible by memory. They are lovely nice people but man they just have some crazy questions that I cannot answer but I think that's okay.

 We went and ate with Paco!!💓 Maria del Mar gave me about 6 hugs she just loves me so much and I love her. That woman. Also we got to teach his friend Gregorio and Paco helped. It was a proud missionary moment.also We helped Antonio get his nasty finger bandaged at a pharmacy.

We went our to one of our pueblos to visit an old investigator. She is from Peru and her whole family are members but she is the only one who is not! Her and her daughter literally have every missionary lesson memorized. They housed the missionaries for a long time and just loves missionaries. So she invited her friend and her nephew to come listen to us. It was crazy cool! The message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone.

I love Sundays. Going to pick up old Antonio, greeting everyone with two kisses when they come in, sitting next to Paco and Beatriz, teaching Gospel Principles, sitting next to Hellen in Relief Society and the socializing with the whole ward after.

Also our cute little investigator family made us cheesecake and it was super cute of them.
I love my companion and Almeria and I don't want to leave but I'm also okay with leaving!!! This could potentially be my last week so no more letters to Avenida Blas Infante.

1&2. We were hiking a mountain and I thought for a minute I was in Moapa Valley, but then I turned around and there was the ocean.

 3. Whoops everyone else is blurry

 4.taaapppaaasss.

5. The best little meal I've had.

#40

 So I had interviews with President yesterday and he was telling me what was going down with the mission. It was really sad when they announced it actually, we found out about 2 weeks ago but were told to keep it quiet. There will only be the Madrid and Barcelona missions in Spain now. So about 3 zones in the east side will become Barcelona and 4 zones in the West side will become Madrid. So the change takes place at the beginning of July when I will have two transfers left so wherever you are when the change happens that's what mission you will be apart of. Since I will only have a little bit left I will probably just stay in the area I will be in. The reason is because there used to be 88,000 missionaries and now there are only 68,000.  So right now there are 600 missionaries in Spain and they need to consolidate it until there are only 400. So in July like 27 elders go home and only 6 come in. This is why people need to go on missions!! But yeah. So when you come to pick me up you will either pick me up in Barcelona or Madrid. Haha and then we will have to travel South to visit my areas. By the way, I'm not sure what you have to do for picking me up but I know that everything has to be finalized about the entire trip in like may. When i finish one year in the mission I think they will tell me more. Just a heads up.

 So I still have about 2 weeks of training left and then I am probably off to get transferred! Not too sure yet. It is very normal for me to leave after this transfer. I got a huge Christmas package from the ward!! It was so nice I loved it! I also got the makeup package! That was the best present hahah I loved it so much thank you so much for the goodies. New makeup makes me so happy. And I loved the card as well. . I'm glad the fam has so much fun together. We better still do that when I get back to the states!

This week was a great one! Paco and Maria del Mar made us tortilla de patata. We had an awesome 2 lessons with Lourdes. The first lesson she was caught up with a lot of questions and it was just not a very productive lesson but then the next one all of her doubts just went away and she felt a lot calmer which was so good! We taught her the law of chastity and it actually was such a beautiful lesson. God's commandments make so much sense. 

Viviana and her daughter's finally read the Book of Mormon!! They want to be baptized! She just has to find a different job and she is working on it. Miracles

We taught a couple this week who are very very educated about the bible and they could not believe that Jesus went to the Americas. It came to the point where we couldn't try to give them anymore "proof" because really the Book of Mormon is the greatest evidence we have.  I am so grateful for the testimony I already have. Nothing, even as logical as it may seem, can shake my testimony of that book because I have read it and felt it change me.

We ate lunch with some lovely members this week. I love and love those members even more everyday. I adore them. Yesterday at church was one of the loveliest Sabbath days I have ever had. If you thought fast and testimony meetings were good in America, they are SO GOOD in Spain. I don't know if they do this in the states but here, the entire family will go up at the same time and they all stand there at the pulpit and gather there as each family member bears their testimony. And the same with the couples. I think it is the most tender thing in the world it's adorable. A lot of members bore testimonies about the mission work which is always music to my ears, it was such a power packed meeting and so calm and lovely. Yesterday morning was a bit stressful but as soon as I took the sacrament Matthew 11:28 ran through my mind. It's so real the rest He offers. I felt so much the rest I so desperately needed to feel. 

HAVE A GOOD WEEK LOVE YOU  THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME

#39 Originally sent Jan 29, 2018

Welp this week: 

We went to visit a cute recent convert Valentina!! She is adorable. She is 14 and her mom is away for work so we aren't allowed to meet with her in her house because shes too young so we decided to take her out to get a chocolate milk with her and give her a sweet lesson about how much Jesus loves her. It was so fun! 

We have been using whatsapp to connect with everyone and it has been so handy! We have been able to talk to so many more people just by shooting a text because nobody likes to answer their phones... ever. 

We had such a good lesson reading the Book of Mormon with Pilar. She understood it all! She is so ready to be baptized but just cant get work off on Sundays.. sigh. one day!

Our ward mission leader and His wife are literally the coolest people. I always look forward to Correlation. He just gets work done. It's so nice to have a good ward mission leader especially being in a country where you don't know the language or the culture. we seriously can call on him for anything and he helps us and it is soooo nice! It makes life so much less stressful. Also they live in our area so they invited us to pass by to eat some crepes and non alcoholic fancy drink things and it was lovely. And then we did a role play with them and they critiqued us and it was pure gold! I really appreciate those humans. 

We have been so busy this week and it has been so fun just running around from place to place. We went to see Lourdes!!! She is progressing sooo wellll!!! IT'S SO EXCITING. We have begun to teach her the commandments and she is accepting all of them. She has so much faith... ah she's just a little miracle girl! 

Our investigator gave us 8 Zucchinis... so we made zucchini bread... and then we ate it all... whoops.

Saturday we got 3 new investigators in a matter of hours. One guy just came up too us and asked us to teach him about the Book of Mormon; so we did. We invited him to church. He came... and then ran out after 10 minutes exclaiming that he was evangelist and got out of there. we awkwardly ran after him but it was to no avail. Just then we decided to call 77 year old Antonio because he wasn't in Sacrament. Turns out the poor guy was lost and had been lost for 2 hours wandering around in the cold. Ward mission leader came to the rescue and picked the poor old man up hahaha Antonio was so grateful.

We met in a cafeteria with two girls and taught them the first lesson and they ended buying us hot chocolate. That was cool.

We went and ate lunch with a wonderful woman! She has the cutest little house on a cliff over looking the ocean. Pics to come of that. We had the most interesting gospel discussion with her. Sometimes the people I meet really just amaze me, I'm telling ya. When I was with her at her house Ijust got the overwhelming thought of " wow I'm really in Spain right now. This is the coolest." I love when I get feelings like that  cause it's so true! I am thriving!!!!

Oh also something that was so wonderful is that thanks to Facebook I was able to connect with a young woman from my first area that was baptized just a week or two after I left the area and it was sooo happy for me!!!I was able to see that she and another young woman who I did personal progress with every Sunday got their medallions and holy cow I just love them so much and am sooo proud to see them doing good things. It was just one of the moments where I kinda saw the fruits of my labor!  It was so sweet :)

This week we have a pretty busy week scheduled already and its exiting!!!

 1. a gorgeous panaderia

 

 THE ALCAZABA

 i got myself a cat for my birthday... and maybe ringworm as well

  an awk foto of me looking into the sun @ the alcazaba

Views

 Cliff house over looking sea 

 old squad

the young woman i connected with on facebook :)))

#38 originally sent Jan.23, 2018

So this week was definitely one full of miracles. 

Sooo number 1. We had a bombing lesson with Lourdes. We went in wanting to teach the plan of salvation and left the cita having taught completely one hundred percent by the spirit. What a thrill. She accepted the fecha to be baptized and her only question was "can I bring my whole family?" Ah what a gem.

2. We ran into 6 important people at the bus station this week. People we hadn't been able to contact for a while or people who we have talked to before and weren't able to get there numbers. We were able to talk with all of them and get their numbers and set citas and it was a straight miracle. 

3. We tend to have trouble with the dang mailing systems here in Spain and we had Antonio's baptism record swimming around in the mail somewhere on the way to the Zone Leaders and after 2 weeks it got there! Miracles. 

4. We met with all of our investigators this week and had gold lessons. 

5. We had ZONE CONFERENCE yesterday and it was also gold. We got our smartphones so that we could do online pros. We also have access to WHATSAPP which is a miracle in itself because now people will answer their phones! Nobody just uses regular messaging systems here they use WHATSAPP. God is hastening His work in the best way. I'm so ready to see some miracles here. 

My mission has helped me be humbled and ready and willing to have my heart changed by Jesus Christ. Missions are something that everyone should hab e the opportunity to experience. Go on a mission! The Lord needs you! 

#37 originally sent Jan15

Hi ! I am reading right now all about Alma and Amulek and Ammon and all that good stuff. It is always so fun. I love yours and dads goals so much! that sounds like the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I do remember Brother Haderlie and Sister Canfield. I'm sure you did so much good . Keep doing good!! I actually did get your reference because President gave us permission to watch the funeral live. I loved the sweet talks. I loved hearing our soon to be prophet speak! ah such wonderful men. I loved Elder Hollands prayer. You could tell it was definitely guided by the spirit.

Yesterday we had 5 investigators at church!! It was beautiful and glorious! It was so stressful but our new mission leader and his wife are literally angels and helped so much. Go Hellen and Miguel. We also ate lunch with bishop and his fam this week they are just adorable. I adore them. Also Paco and Beatriz are just answered to prayers always. 

We have been seeing so much support from the members and it just makes me love them so much! 

We are teaching families! THAT IS SO HAPPY. 

Antonio is doing well. He still cries tears of happiness everytime he sees us. 

AH I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY! 

Hey maybe for my birthday you could send me some mascara? Its loreal  I bought mascara here and it makes my eyelashes fall out! And some eyebrow pomade from colourpop would be awesome! I sent some pictures of them. But if it's too expensive don't worry about it! 

LOVE YOU 

#36 A quick note of something I've learned.

Hi mom! I've had a lovely week this week. On Friday I came down with a bad cold but I think I'm getting better praise. I'll just share some things I've been thinking this week. Before my mission I don't think I took advantage of repentance. I think the number one thing I have learned on my mission is how to repent. It has been the most humbling experience to realize that I make so many mistakes and I need to get on my knees every night and plead forgiveness from my heavenly Father. And I might add that it is the most loving feeling I could ever experience. When I repent I feel so loved of my God because of the patience He has with me. Repentence is always a good thing because our Savior wants to give us the power to change the desires of our hearts it never has to be some thing we are embarrassed or scared to do.

Sorry I'm late and don't have much time But I love you! Also I became famous this week. Check the photos.  These posters are ALL OVER Almeria. All over. We are famous!