The Extra Week

We were determined to find people this week and we did! We found two new people... Then they dropped us. Haha so that was a fail. This week was full of "lasts" but also a lot of things I was able to learn. I learned the importance of talking with everyone. We never know who is prepared for the restored gospel. Obviously not everyone will be nice or want to talk to us, but we can still invite. That is the key. If we don't invite then we will never know if they are interested or not. I am grateful for the gospel. We have such a great gift to give to everyone. It is up to us as members to find!

A lesson I learned this morning is to not be so hard on ourselves. A sister in the YSA ward heard I was going home yesterday while we were in the car park and she came and hugged me cause she knew I needed it haha. She told me to reflect on my mission and see what Heavenly Father thought of it. I was like oh no I am way too harsh on myself I didn't want to fake revelation. President was able to offer me some really great insights. That its like a bunch of knots. Through out our lives we start tying knots. We think of ourselves as something we really aren't either we are too hard or we are not hard enough. It is hard to find out exactly what Heavenly Father sees. Him knowing me very well knows that I have many knots. But he said it is our job to start untying it. That we have to see ourselves in the right lens and know that we are trying. The spirit taught me to just keep relying on the Lord and apply all that I have learned. It applies to all of us. We know the basics we just need to do them. We need to ask for Heavenly Fathers help in all things and he can help us untie those knots. He can help us become the best person we ever imagined. I know it and I have seen it happen. I know Heavenly Father loves each one of us. I know that we all have knots for whatever reason and we need to undo them and we need to see ourselves accurately. 

I hope you all enjoyed your Sabbath day and were able to learn some things from church and are going to apply them into your life. I am grateful for my mission and the things it taught me. The gospel is so simple. I know that as we live the basics then we will strengthen our testimony and work wonders. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church on earth today, and I know that because I have read and prayed about the Book of Mormon, the prophet Joseph Smith, our current prophet President Thomas S. Monson and all the things I have been taught since primary. I know it is true, and I love it. I know that the Saviour Jesus Christ will come again, and he will come soon. I know how important missionary work is and I hope you all do too. 

I will see you all in a couple of days!

Ofa Atu,

Sister Boiteux

pictures!

 Zone Conference. Sister Balli hands me the box and says "here you go Sister Boiteux it is all yours" and they expected me to eat it all hahahaha

Dinner with some wonderful Brazilians. Did she make Brazilian limeade? yes yes she did!

Saying good bye to some of my faves!

Comp Study with the assistants. I will miss getting food out of these elders :)

These crazies stopped by to say good bye and scared the day light out of us. Hooligans

Our Sunset sisters :)

18 Months Later...

Kia Ora,

Our week involved many changes. We received training earlier this week from the missionary department involving the schedule and key indicators. So everything I have learned for exactly 18 months is now changed. Obviously missionary work is the same but the way we approach things will be a bit different. We no longer have as many key indicators. For those of you who have not served missions or forgot what they are its goals that we set everyday of what we want to accomplish. They help us focus on our purpose and know what we need to do when we go out to work. It is what was inspired by Heavenly Father and also our mission president of what we need to do. Now we have a few less and lets just say I was stressing hard out this week. I realized I will probably struggle a lot more at home than I expect haha so this week will be good for me to get use to change. 

My poor companion had to suffer through the stages. I was happy then angry then sad then confused and all that jazz. The lesson I learned this week was God's ways aren't always our ways. It's funny because we go and teach that to people, but then something comes our way and it really puts us to the test. We have to exercise all the principles that we teach people everyday. I realized areas in which I lack a lot and I need to strengthen them. I know that the changes made were inspired by our Heavenly Father. That the apostles and other leaders counseled and pondered on the decisions made. 

I learned how important it is to be humble and to trust in our Father's plan even when we really dont understand certain things. In the eternal scheme of things what he wants us to do is far more important than what we want to do. Change is hard and can be uncomfortable and that is the beauty of it. If we never try new things we never learn. We can never taste of the goodness that may come from it. 

I am grateful for the inspired leaders of our church. For the time that they take to ponder on the issues and concerns that they have for all of us. I know that God answered their prayers and even when we don't understand he is still here to help us and to guide us.

I hope and pray that all of us are being willing to act on God's will. That we can align ourselves with him. I know that that is the only way for us to find peace and happiness. His way is the only way. I hope you all enjoy your Sabbath day. Have a great week! 

Love you heaps,

Sister Boiteux

pictures!

Had zone pday. I was dying while everyone else was enjoying the fun game of capture the flag.

 How tongans cut their fruit.

We received chop suey. They know the way to my heart.

Trade off in Whangarei!! Love this sister with all my heart

18 months today!!!!! (my companion made a label)

Party with our faves.

Made cupcakes for a birthday party

Rangitoetoe

When Life Gets Dark and Dreary..

This week was great. This was our only full week of being able to focus completely on our area. This transfer has been crazy busy. We had interviews this week. Weird thinking that it was my last one until my exit interview of course. I am so grateful for President and Sister Balli and all that they have done for me while I have been out serving. Nothing more true than knowing that I was assigned the them and not the mission. 

One of the greatest lessons i learned this week took place yesterday in church. We were able to have a lesson on prayer. Everyone in gospel principles was discussing how their answers to their prayers didnt come at once or in the way they expected but they still came. They also were able to recognize it when it did come. The whole class was full of recent converts rather than us missionaries and Elder and Sister Nielson. At the end of class Elder Nielson shared some thoughts. He was amazed at what was shared in the class and wanted to share an experience that he had when he was meeting with the first presidency and the quorum of the twelve. He talked about revelation that was received by President Eyring. Not something I can share but the jist of it was that we need to turn to God and always pray to him. He explained to us how prayer is a miracle. That we literally talk to the father through the son. Prayer is able to help us through everything that we are facing in life. Any choice that we have to make or any trial that we are in he is here to help us. It was a cool experience to have and I am so grateful for the guidance that we are able to have such wonderful leaders in this church. I know it is true. I know God loves us and is ready to help us. All we need to do is turn to him.

Hope you all have a great week!!

Love you heaps,

Sister Boiteux

The Bay of Islands

This week was pretty great. Because we headed up to KAIKOHE!!!!!! We were able to go on trade offs with our sisters up there and it was great. I am so grateful we were able to have that opportunity. We saw quite a few members and people I worked with when I was serving up there 15 months ago. Some things have changed and a lot of things have stayed the same. We definitely didn't want to come back down.

We didn't have much time working in our own area this week, but when we did we were out there knocking on doors not having much success. We had a dinner with some members last night and a question he asked us was "how is tracting going in this area?" We were like uhh not as successful as we wish it could be. People just say "no thanks" or "we aren't interested" or something along those lines then shut the door in our face. At least it is nice rejection. Him and his wife shared miracles with us that come from tracting and we shared 3 Nephi 27:27 about becoming more like Christ and serving as he would. They just encouraged us to use questions of the soul when we knock on doors. It was an answer to our prayers. Tracting hasn't been the best thing in this area but is really our best option at times. We have been pondering on what we needed to do to find. So when he asked that it clicked for both of us that God wants us to keep going, that we will find someone behind a door we just need to exercise our faith, that I personally need to get better at having more effective talks with people and really applying the gospel into their lives. 

I know that every encounter we have with people will help them grow closer or farther away form the church, but if we are doing as Christ would do then it should always be drawing them to it. I know that the questions of the soul are real and that the gospel we have will be able to answer all of them. 

I hope you all have a great week and continue to work on your Christ like attributes and search for ways of inviting others to come unto him! Love you heaps!

pictures! (overload cause it was a good week)

Our travels up to Kaikohe. The first time for Sister Tuaana.

 The view from the Goings house. It was nicer when we were higher up. Cameras just dont do justice.

Our wonderful Paihia sisters!

Picture that sums up our companionship 

Waihou sisters! Love all these sisters too much!

Saw a few of the favs! Lol cause everyone was looking at me like they saw a ghost and then realized I haven't gone home yet! It was a good little reunion.

 Enjoying our last morning of the view and casually eating chicken for breakfast :)

The last moments up north!

Only 16 months ago to now!!

Plan of Happiness

Our week was pretty eventful. We took Sister Smith to the airport and made me freak out just a bit that I come home in just a few weeks! Time has just flown by. President also talked about in MLC about how time goes by way to fast and it will come to an end. Feel so bipolar at the moment. Some days I am excited and some days I am real sad but I know that much is still to be done. Sister Tuaana and I are currently in the finding process. Which means heaps of tracting. Good thing tracting can be entertaining and we meet awesome people so that's what keeps me going. 

A lot of our lessons from this week have been with the members. Something we noticed as we were going over our numbers yesterday was that almost every member we saw experessed how they needed us. Whether it be because they had a bad day, experienced something scary, or just needed to feel of the spirit. For that i was grateful. Even though we dont have a lot of other lessons or member presents we are still strengthening the ward we serve in. It is a humbling experience to hear people express to you their gratitude for just stopping by. Makes me grateful to know that the spirit truly is guiding my companion and I to Gods children who really need us. 

We were contacting potential investigators the other day and met a man who was working in his garden. He told us that he has met missionaries many many times and isn't interested. He doesn't believe in God. He told us how the past few years have been really hard it started with when his wife died, then his dad, then his brother, and close friends. He obviously wasn't interested in what we had to say about religion. but was happy to chat with us. He believes that once we die that's it. We just come to earth to experience trials and then die. It was depressing. We meet tons of people like this but when he was expressing to us his feelings and when we saw how sad he truly was it was heartbreaking. After we left him we talked about how grateful we are for the plan of salvation. That we know that this life isn't the end. That we truly will be able to return with our Father in Heaven and Saviour Jesus Christ. We know that families can be together forever. I wish people would be more willing to listen so that we can share this great gift with them. I know that Gods plan is perfect. I know that we experience trials to help us become better and stronger. I know that as we keep the commandments and become more like Christ we will be able to make it to the celestial kingdom. I am grateful to be a representative of Christ and to be able to share this message with others. I hope you all enjoyed your sabbath day and were able to learn from the testimonies that were shared. I love you all heaps!!

Sister Boiteux

pictures!

 Adventures at the airport. Sister Tuaana is having a harder time about us leaving than we are.

First round of breakfast at MLC since i couldn't eat the waffles. Luckily Elder Hixon is gluten free so Sister Balli made me some gluten free french toast :) We are her special children haha

Comp study with the zone leaders. Some how we always manage to have them make us food :)

Takapuna Sisters

Not much time this week, but transfer news.... I am now in Harbour with Sister Tuaana! We are privileged to be in the area presidencys, President and Sister Balli, and the assitants ward! Go us! It is pretty fun though. North Shore is a lot different than I expected in a good way. I am excited for my last transfer. Hopefully we will be able to accomplish wonders or at least just one thing so we can say we did something :) 

Sister Tuaana is great she is from Perth and has been out for 9 months. We are also in a trio for a few more hours with Sister Smith. She is heading to the temple square mission so look out for her!

A quick message I wanted to share is from our relief society lesson that we had yesterday which was on comparing ourselves. Something I have always struggled with and I am sure something a lot of us struggle with. If there is one thing my mission taught me is that God created me. He loves us just the way we are and he didn't intend for us to beat ourselves up for not being someone else. Sometimes we ask are we good enough? but are really implying am i perfect enough? None of us are perfect. Hence why we need the atonement so it can make us perfect one day. I know for a fact that everyone has something special to offer. That we were placed on this earth at this time for a specific reason. I know God created us to succeed not to fail. I hope you all have a fantastic new year and that you really learn how to become better, but don't beat yourself up over it. I know that Heavenly Father and our Saviour Jesus Christ are cheering us on and that they are so proud of us! I love you all heaps!!

Love,

Sister Boiteux

pictures:

A few good byes to some of my favs!!

Stopped by the mission office and saw the Clements! Love them way too much. Also this is my companion Sister Tuaana.

First Sunday in Takapuna :)

 I fit in Sister Smith's suitcase!! Not trunky or anything, just miss Salt Lake. President told her to watch out for those missionaries going home hahahahaa