CHRISTMAS MIRACLES

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Man, this week has been one of the greatest. This whole month has been absolutely amazing to reflect on and see all of the little Christmas miracles. Listed below are just a couple:

-Christmas Eve we didn't have a whole lot of plans. We were driving to see a less active family, but on our way we saw Sister Rodney, an older investigator, out shoveling her driveway from the five or so inches of snow we got. We turned around and got out to help her. She was so grateful. We had come at the perfect time.

-We have been praying with all our might to find new families to teach. Two weeks ago our prayer was answered. We got three new investigators, two of them being a family. The other we have a baptismal date set for January 9th. God hears and answers our prayers!!

-We were also praying to know who to see for referrals. The day we were discussing that we went to a new member that had just moved across town and into our ward. That night we got two new referrals of people we could go visit.

-The Spirit of Christ is real. We have seen it so many times during this season. It makes us all want to be better. It drives us to do good and give. It brings true joy and peace into our lives because Christ is the author of that peace. Because of His birth, we can have a portion of His peace. "All things which are good cometh of Christ." (Moroni 7:22-26).

I love being a missionary at Christmas time. There is no other place I would rather spend it at this time. Remember Him as you reflect on your year and plan to center your lives more fully on Him this coming year. That is when we will receive the most joy.

I love you all!! and I love our Savior!

XOXO Sister Boyce

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

HEYO FRIENDS:)

Oh how I wish you could have all been there when 120 or so missionaries sang Christmas carols on Friday. Singing hymns is a way we praise God. Our Christmas devotional was so filled with the Spirit. We were uplifted and edified, especially as we sang.

I love the quote from President Eyring: "As we sing in choirs, families, and classes, and as we listen together, the carols of Christmas remind us of our shouts of joy when we learned that we could come to this world and be given a Savior to redeem us. Someday we will sing those songs with the hosts of heaven." I hope you are all singing and praising God this Christmas season to show gratitude to our Father in Heaven for sending His Son. He is the greatest gift we have been given.

Merry Christmas!! I hope you all can think about what it means to have a Savior this week! Look for the many blessings He has given each of us. They are there. You just have to look for His hand.

LOVE YOU ALL!!

xoxo
Sister Boyce

Lights at Christmas

Hi YALL:)

I love December and all it brings. It is a time of giving and sharing. I'm stoked out of my mind because I get to spend not only Christmas time, but every day as a missionary like Christ would- serving, uplifting, loving, and sharing the greatest knowledge I have: That Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. That each of us need Him. That because of Him we can all change and become new, that we can live together as families, and receive the deepest joy unimaginable. And what better gift to give than the hope that comes from the knowledge that we have a Savior. I am so thankful for Him- His miraculous birth, perfect life, and loving sacrifice for each of us. If you haven't seen it yet, (today was the first time I saw it...) watch this video-https://www.mormon.org/christmas/purpose-of-a-savior

The devotional, given by the leaders of our church, was amazing. I loved Bednar's talk. All of the lights we see at Christmas time are to remind of us the source of all light- Christ. He said that He was the "light and the life of the world" (3 Nephi 11:11). So when you pass all of the lights during this time, think of Him.

I have realized, this year more than ever, that this is a season based on families and gratitude.
I have chosen to be away from my family at this time so that I can help other families find the peace and joy that comes from building their homes on the foundation that is Jesus Christ. And sorry, yall- I've got the best family out there. Not even a question.

I love this quote put up in the lady's house we stay with while down in Grand View...

"Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God."

May we all live in an attitude of gratitude this season because of the great blessings we've been given by God. The ultimate expression of His love for us was sending the Savior to the earth.

XOXO Sister Boyce

The Spirit of Christ

MALO!!

Transfers are this week and Sister Merrell and I will be staying in MOUNTAIN HOME!! Hallelujah!! We are so excited to continue working hard!

This morning I was studying the story of Samuel the Lamanite in Helaman 14 when he prophesies of the coming of the Savior. I love this story. He testifies that in five years, a Savior would be born (discover why at Christmas.mormon.org). At the end of the chapter (verses 30-31), Samuel tells the people that because they have been given the gift of agency, central to God's plan, that we can choose for ourselves freely what we may, they can choose eternal life (living with God forever) or damnation (being separated from God and His influence forever). Each of us have that choice. What a great gift and blessing it is. And if we choose eternal life, it is made possible through Jesus Christ. None of us are perfect and we all need Him to be able to receive eternal life.

This one is going to be super short, but I want to share a quote I heard this week.

"Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable and it becomes the Spirit of Christ." -President Monson

I hope that we can all live in the Spirit of Christ this season. It is a time of giving, a time of hope, and a time of peace and joy! What a great opportunity it is to know we have a Savior and know that we can have peace and joy through Him our entire lives and into the next life. Conditional upon whether or not we choose to follow Him.

I love the Savior. I know He lives! I am so grateful for His birth and this time we get each year to focus on Him. Attached is a picture of one of my favorite Creches from the event last week!

I love you all!!

xoxo
Sister Boyce

Reason for the Season

Heyo family!!

The Missionary Training Center is now reverting to 3 weeks of training rather than 2 due to the influx of missionaries when the age change happened in 2012! My release date has been pushed back to March 23, 2017!! WOOOO sounds like forever far away, but based on how the first three months have been, it's gonna flyyyyyy.

As it is Christmas time, I've been thinking a lot about the Savior and all He has done for each one of us. It is imaginable. Keep Him in every thought, word, and action. HE IS the foundation of everything we have in this gospel and should be our foundation too. The gospel is perfect because EVERY portion of it is centered on the Savior Himself.

My ponderize scripture is Mosiah 7:33!! I will be more diligent in keeping Him in every part of this work because I know this is God's work!!

Sorry today is another short one! Check out Mormon.org/Christmas to see what we will be focusing on this season! Discover why we needed a Savior, as an individual and as an entire society.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

XOXO
Sister Boyce

Cassandra's Zone

Temples and Discipleship

HI FAMILY AND FRIENDS:)

It has been a really tough week teaching. But we continue to work diligently. Yes, we face trying times on our mission. Everyone does. That's just part of life. I've never before doubted so much or felt so much pain for these people that I barely know. But the pure joy outweighs it all. I love being able to bear Christ's name every single day. I work on becoming consecrated and more Christ like every day through repentance. I've got a long way to go, but I am trying and learning all along the way.

I think something that has been really hard for everyone recently is the Handbook policy change. It has been everywhere. The doctrine is the same; always has been, always will be. If you are still confused, look up the interview with D. Todd Christoffersen. He explains it simply and beautifully. The change is for the benefit and protection of the children.

Attending the Temple was the highlight of the week. While inside, I read Proverbs 3.Proverbs 3:27 states, "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it." I cannot hold back the good word of God! I cannot withhold any of the truths that I know from everyone I meet. It is everyone's great privilege to choose for themselves, but I cannot keep them from the opportunity to hear it! I am and forever will be a disciple of the Savior. What a great calling! There is more love and joy in this work than I ever thought possible.

(Be ready: Pictures to come next week:))

XOXO
Sister Boyce

God has a Plan

HEYOO!!

Sorry I couldn't write yesterday, and I have about 20 minutes this week because we are in Twin Falls! We had to switch our Pday to Tuesday this week so that we could attend the temple here in Twin!! We will be there in about two hours! I am so excited to be in the House of The Lord and feel of the peace that are within those walls! I have missed attending the temple!!

This week has been a whirlwind. Every week is. We had Zone Conference on Friday in Jerome and it was absolutely amazing. We talked about the Plan of Salvation and how every person fits into that Plan, created by God our Father, for the sole purpose of being happy. I realized as we were there that even though we all fit into the same general plan consisting of where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going, God also has a specific plan for each one of us. We still have our agency, the privilege to choose for ourselves right from wrong, but God knows us perfectly. He wants us to use our agency to learn and grow so that we can understand how to return back to His presence. As a missionary, I have to respect other people's agency, and trust that God will take care of them. He can see the whole picture, even when we can't.

Tough week teaching. All of our investigators (those that aren't already members, but want to learn) cancelled our appointments but one. We had a lesson with him and his family (who are members) and the Spirit was strong as we talked about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith. I know that God and Jesus appeared to Joseph. Every time I tell someone the story, I feel the Holy Ghost testify to me that it is true!! I love that feeling and would do anything for someone so that they can feel it too because it brings so much peace and joy. Sadly, it doesn't work like that. They have to have an open heart- humble enough to receive it.

Through all of those cancellations, Sister Merrell and I continue to work hard. So we find people to teach. We taught a lot of less actives and contacted former investigators. Through our persistence and faith that God will help us, He put two new investigators in our path. We also had two of our investigators call us out of the blue and tell us to come over right after an appointment cancelled, otherwise we would have not been able to. I feel so blessed because I know God cares and blessed us for our diligent efforts. Even though it can be frustrating having all of your appointments cancel, with an attitude of gratitude, we can truly see how blessed we really are. Gratitude helps us stay focused on why we are really here- to do God's work. So we have to respect His timing.

I love you all so much and pray for you everyday!! Sorry it was short today! I promise pictures next week!!

XOXO
Sister Boyce

God's Love is Infinite

Hi FamJam and friends:)

What a wonderful week. My new companion, Sister Merrell, is so cool. We are so similar in so many ways. I swear if we were any more alike we'd be the same person hahaa :)

I have SO MUCH I want to talk about this week so I'll give you a run down on the people here we are teaching and the highlights:

Buck is still old and still having a hard time praying. But he's getting it. We taught him ALL about prayer on Thursday and even wrote a little outline of things he could say. He struggles because he just says that the words don't come to him so he resorts to his memorized prayers. We asked what he was thankful for and what concerns he had. Hopefully he uses that paper to really pray from his HEART and not his MIND.

Rebecca was baptized on October 24th and she's already helping out in missionary work!! She's so golden. She came to a lesson with Kyleigh and it was awesome because they have a lot of similar anxiety issues.

Kyleigh's Baptismal date is set for the 21st!! We just finished all of the discussions with her and she is READY!! Best moment came with her this week (keep reading:))

FUNNEST moment: there was a lady walking down the street with her ALPACA. I REPEAT. SHE WAS WALKING AN ALPACA!! hahahahhahahahahahaaa

MOST AWKWARD moment: we tried to help these two old guys that were moving wood into a truck by offering service. when we asked them how they were doing one of them just looked at us and then kept working. it was the worst. missionary life is just awkward sometimes. but you get over it this week...

HAPPIEST moment: WE GOT A NEW INVESTIGATOR!! He had the most brilliant blue eyes and one of the kindest people we've ever met.

BEST moment: Kyleigh told us in one of our lessons that while she thought she knew what it was, she had never really felt of God's love for her before she met us. THIS is why I am a missionary!! There were tears in my eyes because I KNOW that God loves all of His children. THAT is why I AM HERE! I love God and want everyone to feel His love!! And I know she was able to feel that love because she sincerely prays and reads the Book of Mormon. In Preach My Gospel (PMG), our missionary teaching manual, it states that, "The Book of Mormon is evidence of the love of God for His children." It is so cool to see how God's love is manifest among these people! He loves all of us as His children, but we won't be able to feel or recognize it until we understand that we are His children. I don't understand all things, but I do know that one truth. (1 Nephi 11:17, 22-23 go read it:) )

I love you all so much!! Hope your week is absolutely ahhhhmazing :) rock on, friends.

God Speed!
Sister Boyce

Pictures from the MTC

**NOTE from Cassandra's sister, Carly: There was no letter this week :(. BUT she did email a few pictures from her time at the MTC! We love seeing pictures of her!! Hopefully more next week!

^^"IDAHO TWIN FALLS MISSION HOMIES:
Elder Crosby, Elder Udall, me, Sister Miller!!

^^This Sisters in Cassandra's MTC district

^^Cassandra's MTC district

^^Cassandra's MTC district

Miracles and Transfers

HEYO EVERYONE!!

I first just wanted to thank you all for sending your love and birthday wishes to Idaho:) I have been so blessed to have THE BEST friends and family!! Thank you for all your support!

Mission life is a rollercoaster. You have so many ups and downs and nothing is ever steady hahaaa This week we probably had the lowest of lows but also the highest point of my time out here so far. And it all happened in the same day. Sister Anderson and I were so discouraged. Like we weren't matching up to everything we needed to be. Teaching appointments were cancelling and no one was home because its harvest season. We were having such a rough time.

And when we had enough of it all, we pulled over to the side of the road and called some of the members for some information we needed. We hung up the phone with one member, and the phone rang with an unknown number. Sister Anderson picked it up and introduced us as the Sister Missionaries. The lady said she had been trying out different faiths, and she wanted to come to church. She was looking for someone to help her know what to expect. She said she thought she would never make this call because she had been fed anti-Mormon material her whole life. She has been searching for the truth and hasn't been able to find it. She read part of the Book of Mormon and sincerely prayed to know if it was true because she said she previously had just been praying for a confirmation that the Mormon faith was false. She received her answer from God and had enough faith and courage to call us. SHE IS SO COOL!! In less than a week, we taught her three lessons, she attended our baptism for another lady we've been teaching, came to the ward Halloween party, and to church! She's so golden. :)

We ask people all day to pray so they can know for themselves if what we teach is true. We don't want people to believe us because that won't strengthen their own faith. They have to find out for themselves! And she did that without even being asked! I know that if you read and sincerely pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true, you will receive an answer by the Spirit.

Every six weeks we have transfers, which is when the missionaries in the mission can be reassigned to work in a different area within our mission boundaries. Transfers are on Wednesday. My companion will serve in Jerome and I will stay in MoHo to train a new missionary! I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing!!! But that's okay because I know God does and this is His work! Everything happens for a reason. We just have to trust God and know that He can see the whole picture even when we can't. He is the artist, and He has a plan for each of us!

You are all amazing!! Thank you for your support and prayers and letters:)
Have another amazing week!

LOVE YOU!
Sister Boyce

What a week.

HI FAMILY!!

What a week it has been here in MoHo. Two days of training, one day in Grand View, and one crazy district. We are all burnt because the weather is still so warm here and we spent our Pday outside playing soccer and sand volleyball! Sorry we couldn't write yesterday, the library was closed!

We have a platinum investigator. People that are ready to hear the gospel and accept it readily are called "golden investigators" but ours is platinum. The Sisters that were here before me were teaching her but she is going to be baptized on the 24th of this month!! She would have already been baptized, but she is waiting for her husband to get back from deployment. One of our wards covers the Air Force Base here in Mountain Home. BUT SHE ROCKS! Her name is Rebecca and I swear she probably knows more about the church than I do at this point. Everything we challenge her to do that week to come closer to the Savior, she already does. She reads the Gospel Principles book and Preach My Gospel (the manual for missionaries) before we come over to teach the lesson. Honestly that is what we want for everyone. We don't ask people to believe us or to be baptized for us. They have to have the desire and have to be the ones to learn for themselves what we are teaching is true. And that comes through living the gospel- faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

AND WE GOT A NEW INVESTIGATOR THIS WEEK!!! His name is Buck and he is the husband of a lady we've been teaching. He has always been in the same room while we give the lesson, but pretends he's not listening. Buck and Jean are SO old. Like ancient. When we give the lessons to Jean, he will pitch in his two cents but hasn't wanted anything to do with what we believe because he wants to follow the Bible and nothing else. UNTIL THIS WEEK!! We were talking about faith and prayer and he got really interested. He said he didn't like the way he prayed because they were all set prayers that he just recited. That isn't the way that we pray, so he said he would like to learn how. We gave him a pamphlet and asked him if he would try to pray from his heart this week. I cant wait to hear how it went!!

Between the lesson with Buck and so many other things that have happened this week, I have developed a stronger testimony of the power of prayer. I know that God lives and that He is our Father in Heaven. He wants to hear from us and He has given us a way to communicate with Him through prayer. What a great blessing and opportunity! We can actually talk to God! Just imagine how your own father would feel if you decided to never talk to him again. Heavenly Father feels the same way because he created our spirits. He loves us and knows us perfectly, so we don't have to tell Him through prayer. But when we pray, we are showing Him that we need Him, that we are taking that step of faith into the dark and allowing Him to work in our lives. When we pray with all energy of our hearts, I know He will hear us and he will answer our prayers. I love the power of prayer and know it is real!

Have a great week!! Don't forget to pray!

xoxo
Sister Boyce

Week 3 in Mountain Home

HI FRIENDS!

Conference weekend was AMAZING!! I have such a great love for the Prophet and for all of the Apostles. One of my favorites talks was President Uchtdorf. Just remember to start where you are and offer a willing heart to God. He will direct your paths and make so much more out of your life than you could possibly imagine. Because we are His. We are all children of God.

I LOVE YOU ALL!! Thanks for your letters:)

xoxo

Week 2 in Mountain Home

HEY YALL!! (yes, that is something everyone says out here...hahaa)

I'll keep this week short and sweet with lots of pictures:)

I LOVE IDAHO! AND I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! Seriously, there is nothing like it. I've come to know that when you are focused 100 percent outward, you are the happiest. That's how the Savior lived, and I am striving every day to be more like Him.

I read an article in The Ensign this week, which is the church magazine. It was about living with real intent, meaning that every decision you make is for the right reasons. It's a concept that I've been trying to better understand. When you live purposefully for the right reasons, your life is blessed because you see real results and real changes happening in your life. This week, ask yourself why you are doing what you do and strive to live with real intent. It's a game changer.

Love, Sister Boyce


**Edit from Cassandra's sister, Carly. For some reason, she could only get one picture to load. Hopefully there is more next week :)

Here is my MTC district!! After two weeks together, we were family:)

IDAHO IS FOREIGN

HEY HOMIES!!

So you all know how I said I wasn't going to a foreign mission? Plot twist for yall... IDAHO IS FOREIGN.

Everyone here is about 30 years behind the times. It's so hard to even begin to explain. I haven't even been here a full week, but I am still amazed everyday how people live. BUT I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!! They are some of the most hard working and genuine people I've ever met. They have so much gratitude for the humble lives they've been blessed with. They don't worry about the trivial things of the world like their clothes, or their cars, and a lot of them don't have cell phones or internet. They only worry about things that truly matter. They work hard and serve other people and many of them want to know Jesus Christ. That's what matters most.

My first area is in Mountain Home!! Population size 10,000... and the next biggest town, Grand View, is about half an hour away... population size 400. I kid you not, we drove for half an hour and probably passed two cars and about 500 cows. Just picture flat ground and mountains in the distance with a bunch of sage brush and wild sunflowers. And the sky is HUGE!! You can see for miles and miles. Throw in some green farm land and tons of cows and you get Idaho. SO different from Boston, but so beautiful.

My current address in MoHo (short for mountain home). Send letters to the mission office and they will forward them to me. That address is:

421 Maurice St. North
Twin Falls, ID 83301

I'll be here for at least the next 12 weeks, so feel free to write me! I also don't have anything on my walls in my room, so if you want to send some pictures or quotes, then my room won't look so lonely!!

Every day since I've been here has been packed with teaching appointments and service activities. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!! Here's what a typical day in the life of Sister Boyce would look like:

6:00 AM RISE AND SHINE
Pick up the other sister missionaries in our stake and head to work out at the track.

6:30 to 7: We work out under the stars and watch the sunrise. Y'all know I hate the mornings, but this aint so bad when you get to see the stars like you've never seen them in Boston. You can see so many more and they're so bright!

7 to 8: Shower, get ready, and eat breakfast.

8 to 9: Personal study. We study the scriptures and our teaching tools with the people that we will be teaching that day in mind. It is so cool because when we study for them, we better know what they need to hear when we teach.

9 to 10: Companion study. Sister Anderson from Las Vegas ROCKS!! She is so cool! I absolutely love her and am so grateful for her. During our study together, we talk about what we learned and plan what we will be teaching based on what we studied in personal study.

10 to 11: Some days we have training for an hour. that's just something we do when we are new missionaries so we can better understand what we are teaching and how to teach.

5:00 PM: Dinner at someone's house from our congregation!

9:30 PM: Daily planning- as a companionship we talk about our goals and the needs of the people we will be teaching the next day.

10: Get ready for bed.

10:30: LIGHTS OUT!

Between 11 AM and 9:30 PM, we have appointments with people that want to learn more about our church. We have different lessons to teach but they are always centered on Jesus Christ and His Atoning sacrifice.

Christ's Atonement was when He suffered for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and then was hung on the cross. He took upon Himself all of our sins, weaknesses, pains, sicknesses, and imperfections.  He knows us personally and perfectly because He has felt everything we are going through. It is so hard to comprehend- one person taking upon all that we individually suffer. But Christ did. I know He did. And He did it because He loves us and knew that it wouldn't be possible for us to live again with our Heavenly Father if there wasn't a way for us to repent and come closer to Him each and every day.

That is why I am out here on a mission. The Atonement is REAL and it has the power to change you and can bring you more happiness and peace in your life than you ever thought possible. That is the message I share with people everyday and I have seen it change lives.

I love 1 Nephi 21:16 in the Book of Mormon. It's actually my favorite verse about the Atonement. It says, "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." This verse reminds us that Christ will always be with us and will help us with any trial we may face because He suffered for each one of us individually.

I know that Christ lives! His Atonement blesses my life every single day as long as I turn to Him and acknowledge that everything I am and can become is due to His grace and mercy. I come closer to Christ through prayer and studying the Book of Mormon. If you do those things with sincerity of heart and a desire to know, you will come to know that Jesus is the Christ and that the Book of Mormon truly testifies of Him.

I love being a missionary. But more importantly, I love being a representative of Jesus Christ. That is what I've been set apart to do for the next 18 months. I will dedicate everything I have to offer to helping others because that's what Christ did. That calling to represent the Savior is often something I don't feel like I could ever live up to. But I know that it is because of Him that my weaknesses can be turned into strengths. Only He can make me qualified for this work.

KAY, LOVE YOU ALL!!

Don't forget to smile today, life is so so good. Everyone has a reason to smile and everyone could use an extra smile today!

XOXO
Sister Boyce

I MADE IT!

Hi Fam!

I MADE IT TO TWIN!! My bags were 49 and 51 pounds... miracles happen people. I love the area already and my companion, Sister Anderson from Las Vegas! My first area is in Mountain Home!

My Preparation Day is on Monday! I'll write more then but I love you all and I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
God Speed,
Sister Boyce

Week 2 Letter and Pictures

HI EVERYONE!!

Kay so time is short today but I'll give you the quick low down on my second week here in the MTC!!

The two people we are teaching right now in the MTC are AWESOME!! Mark (one of our teachers but keeps character) is so cool. He has accepted to be baptized and has so much faith! Sister Miller and I have taught him four times and. This was kind of our trial run before we taught Lisa Chamberlain in TRC! dont really know what that stands for but its where we teach people we've never met haha. She's amazing. Her first lesson was really hard because she didn't believe in God. But our third lesson with her that we had last night went really well. I LOVE THIS WORK! Every lesson, and study time, and prayer is for the people we are teaching. I love giving 100 percent of myself to this work because it is amazing how happy you can be when your life is focused on other people.

This MTC experience has been really good. But don't be fooled. It's also been hard. I just want the best for all of these people we teach and am sad when they aren't receptive to it. But all of those hard things are just making me a better missionary, bit by bit and pretty slowly because I'm kind of stubborn. But I've also learned that those hard things have helped me better know that this is God's work. Not mine. I will do my very best and rely on Him to make up the difference.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK- Character of Christ. Christ exudes everything I want to become. He is our greatest example because every time the natural man would turn inward, Christ turns out. I am so thankful for Him and my knowledge of the Atonement! (more on that next week)

Today we went to the Provo temple. SO COOL! And then Sister Miller and I played basketball with the boys in our district. The Elders all call me Sister Moist... one kid actually thought that was my name... hahaha I love my comp and district so much. It will be hard to leave them on Tuesday when we leave for Idaho!!

LOVE YOU ALL!! Keep being the rock stars I know you are:)

XOXO
Sister Boyce


OH AND PS- DearElder.com is golden. It's free and you can write a letter that will get to me the same day! you can also send snacks.... :)

Sister Miller - Cassandra's companion!

Sister Miller - Cassandra's companion!

"BEST DISTRIC SISTERS EVER"

Trip to the temple with her district!

Trip to the temple with her district!

Sister Mower - Cassandra's freshman roommate at BYU!

Sister Williams - Cassandra's friend from Boston

Sister Williams - Cassandra's friend from Boston

THE MTC Rocks my Socks

HI FAM JAM!!

Surprise, surprise!! I've only been here for about 48 hours, but Friday is our Preparation day so we got to email home!! And I've been waiting for this since I got here because I've so desperately wanted to tell you all how much I LOVE THE MTC (Missionary Training Center)!! It is everything good about BYU and I know this is the place I should be! Since I said goodbye at the curb, this experience has been nothing short of amazing!!

My companion, Sister Miller, was a bit lost for the first half of the day. She arrived late, so our district (or our group of missionaries that work and learn together) had already left for orientation. But once she finally found the other sisters and I, we immediately fell in love with her! She is from Houston, TX and she is so funny!! She's also going to the Idaho Twin Falls Mission so I'll have someone up there that I know!

On Wednesday, I was one of the very first people here at the MTC because my last name is at the beginning of the alphabet which was a bit nerve racking. But the spirit here is so strong, so I felt at peace. From the moment I walked through those doors, I've known that I am not alone. I feel the Spirit working through me and making me want to be a better missionary every single day. It brings things to my remembrance, it lifts me when I feel discouraged, it comforts me when sad, and teaches me things that I need to hear in that very moment. I am so grateful that I can have the blessing of the Holy Ghost as my constant companion because I was baptised. That is the knowledge I want to share with so many others! When they are baptized, they can receive that gift, which is one of the greatest gifts of God.

Wednesday really just took care of housekeeping and logistics. But yesterday was truly life changing. One thing that was really drilled into my head in the short time I've been here is our Missionary Purpose. Our purpose as representatives of Jesus Christ is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. We are here to invite and help strengthen the relationship between those we meet and God. What a wonderful purpose to have in life!! I am so excited for this opportunity and can't wait to invite others to come unto Christ so that they can feel of His love and grace every day of their life.

Another thing that we've talked a lot about since I've been here is how much God, our Heavenly Father loves all of His children. We were asked yesterday to write down some things that we wanted out of our mission. And I certainly had to repent after that exercise. This mission is not about me one bit. There will be plenty of blessings that will come with my service, but I realized that ultimately, I wanted to help all those I meet feel of God's love for them because of who I am and the spirit which I strive to keep always. If you haven't read it already, First John 4:16-19 is a passage in the Bible that changed my life yesterday. One of my teachers shared it, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.

Family and friends, I just want you to know how much I love you all! I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that they live and love us more deeply than we can comprehend. They know me better than I know myself and want more than anything to help us to return home so we can live with them again! I've learned so much in the past two days and have a deep desire to change and become better. That change is only possible because of the Atonement, performed by Jesus Christ as he took upon himself every sin, every weakness, every pain, and every imperfection of God's children. The Atonement is what allows us to repent, and change, and become the people that God would have us become- to reach our full potential!! He died for me and He died for you. Is there any greater love than that? Because He took upon Himself the Atonement, He can bear whatever burden we feel we cannot carry. He will be on our right and and on our left to bear us up. We are never alone. He will always be there for us because He is the only one that knows exactly what we are going through! And I know that is true!

MUCH LOVE FOR YOU ALL!! Until next Friday!

XOXO
Sister Boyce

SEE YOU IN 18!!

Looks like my four month wait is over. 

I can't believe how quickly four months turned into four short days!! 

On Wednesday, I'll walk into the Missionary Training Center in Utah and will finally get my name tag! I'll spend less than two weeks there learning and practicing my teaching skills before being shipped to Idaho for the next 18 months. If you don't believe me when I say that I'm stoked out of my mind, maybe these pictures will convince you-

You bet I'll be seeing a lot of tractors in Idaho!!

Much thanks to my momma.

Without her, I wouldn't be the person I am today and definitely wouldn't be going on a mission.

If you can't tell, I love this book. 

It's changed my life in so many ways and has brought me so much closer to my Savior. I can't wait to teach from it everyday so that others can experience the same change in their own life and feel the happiness that comes from having a personal relationship with Christ.

Bring it on Idaho. Give me everything you got.

Stay tuned for more stories and crazy adventures once I get to Idaho! 

LOVE YOU ALL!!

How It All Started...

Hey homies, it's Cassandra!

And I will soon be known to many strangers only as Sister Boyce!!

In just 30 days, I will be leaving Boston, where I've lived for the past 15 years, to serve an 18 month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have been called to serve in the Idaho Twin Falls Mission, which is 2,518 miles away from my current home. I will be representing Jesus Christ for a year and a half, and honestly couldn't be more excited for this new chapter of my life!

Just 30 days

18 months

2,518 miles

Now, you might be asking yourself why on earth a 19 year old would leave her family and friends, sever all communication with them (besides the ancient practice of writing letters and weekly emails), put off schooling at a university she enjoyed maybe a little too much her first year, and live somewhere she's never even been, with people she's never met? Yeah I know. Sounds kind of crazy. But before you call me crazy, let me explain why I chose to serve a mission.

I always thought that I might serve a mission, but I became set on the idea about two years ago when attending a three week church history tour from Utah to Boston and back. We visited the church history sites, including the sacred sites in Palmyra, New York where the Restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began. The tour was also very missionary focused. Whenever we got off the bus (all 60 of the juniors and seniors on the tour), people would often ask us what we were doing and sometimes why we were out in the middle of nowhere. We had some amazing experiences where we were able to teach our beliefs to complete strangers that were looking for God but didn’t know where to find Him, some weren't even sure if God existed, but they had a desire to know.

I have never been happier than I was when on that tour. And almost everyone that knows me would say that I'm already a pretty happy person. Teaching those people and sharing what I believed with them filled me with pure joy. And not the kind of happiness that comes when you're hanging out with friends at a party or the happiness you feel opening presents on your birthday.  I'm talking pure joy; joy that doesn't come from the happiness of the world. The joy that I felt came from knowing that Jesus Christ lives and knows me personally. It came from living the way I know God wants me to live. And because I was living as God would have me live, I was given the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in meeting and teaching those people. I realized on that tour that I wanted to be able to help others come to know Christ personally as I do so that they can feel the same joy I felt.

After those three weeks, the thought of serving a mission turned to desire; a desire to serve and teach others so they can be as happy as I am. And I haven’t looked back since.