ELDER BOYER IN BRAZIL

Well the most affecting news this year was the mission
call of Brian to the Brazil, Belo Horizante East mission. He turned
nineteen in October, and this past summer submitted the paperwork to
prepare for a calling. We didn’t have to wait long (about 2 weeks) to find out that
he would be leaving us on November 19, and flying straight to Sao Paulo, Brazil to a
language training center there. He will be there for another 4 more weeks with intensive
study in Portuguese, and then he will be off to the state of Minas Gerais, and
Belo Horizante. His letters home are filled with how beautiful the country is and how
Green! He already loves the people and their patience in trying to understand him, as he
muddles through. His humor is still evident, and just today one of his instructors called our
Family to let us know how much he enjoys Elder Boyer. It was a fantastic phone call, one
NOT expected, in which we got to glimpse a little bit of how Brian is doing. It reassured us to
know, that life was going well for him. He will be in the training center through the middle of
January. Remember him in your prayers.

AS FOR THE REST OF US…

Other than all the preparations for Brian’s mission; we enjoyed a family cruise to the Mexican Riviera with our partners the Bladh’s and their extended family. We surfed, we swam, we shopped and we went horseback riding. It was a wonderful mid-winter get away! In July we (again with the Bladh’s) went to Maui and Kauai for two weeks. It was wonderful. We biked down from Haleakala Volcano, we surfed (some more), we relaxed and sunned ourselves to a crisp, and bought property there together (making it easier to be able to go to our favorite vacation spot regularly)!

Laura (13) is enjoying life as a young woman. She is in seventh grade in our homeschool and is progressing very well. She serves as an adviser in her age group at church, and got to go to girl’s camp with her older sister. We took a break from sports this fall and concentrated more effort on her piano. She is bright and active, keeps her “old” parents on their toes, and likes to keep up with her older siblings.

Karen (16) is really maturing. She got to date for the first time this year and is driving the family car! She also serves as an advisor in her Young Woman’s age group, takes time out of her busy schedule to be a straight “A” student, and to work as a technician in her dad’s office part-time.

Amy and Joe are still the happy “newlywed’s”. Both are busy with school and work, and serve as ward missionaries together. Amy now manages the LaVerne office and keeps up with that challenge real well. Already there is a marked improvement of the morale and efficiency of the office. We hope we can have her work there a while longer, before Joe starts applications for graduate schools. Having them just 10 minutes away to share all the holidays and Sundays will be hard to part with!

Ken is kept busy with two very active offices. This year the Diamond Bar office flooded...not once! But twice! The new remodel is just beautiful and actually much needed. Aside from the fact that we were constantly under a deadline schedule and put in some back-breaking hours, the results are great. Ken’s leisure is enjoying the fact that all of his children, and son-in-law, love surfing as much as he does. They go down to San Onofre almost every weekend when the weather is mild enough. And he gets quite a workout paddling out! When he is not at work and surfing, he is busy as Elder’s Quorum President.

Linda still presides as “teacher” over our home school—Liberty Homestead Academy. It is now a nice routine and not as stressful as those early years. Before Elder Boyer’s mission, we had our eldest two children in college getting straight “A’s”. It made us feel a little validated! And along with that she has enjoyed the last year doing activities with the 10-12 year old girls. But that was short-lived. This past November she got called to the Stake Young Women’s Organization and all the responsibility, time and planning that involves. She won’t have much time to cry over Brian being gone for the next two years!

Along with receiving Brian’s call and leaving, our nephew also got a mission assignment to report the same day, and left for training in preparation for a mission to Mongolia! Shortly before their departures, Ken’s mom suffered a stroke. Luckily a family member was there when it happened and got her to a hospital quickly. It has helped her in her recovery, and she is doing real well. She lived with us only a few short weeks before returning to her home. Her progress is remarkable. She is eighty-three!

So amidst the everyday trials and setbacks, there has been utter joy and profound peace. Life is uncertain, yet we are steadfast in our knowledge that God’s plan goes forward and that he is in command. Families are eternal, and good will win over evil; wars may rage about us, but peace prevails in those who look to Christ. As our loved ones serve the Lord throughout the far reaches of the world, hope brightens. May this year be a year of solemnity. May utter reverence dwell in your heart. May you not fear the calamities of men...but look to God, and live!


Love, The Boyer’s
lynboyer@aol.com

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