I live in a dream

Hi. Yes. I am living in a dream. Where all of your investigators want to be baptized because their hearts have CHANGED and their desire to follow Christ deepened.

We will start with Dan the man. Because that might be the only person we get to in this email.

DAN NEWHOUSE! The investigator every missionary hopes for and I didn't know really existed until we met him!! HE'S GOLDEN! He has been coming to sacrament the last three weeks and reading the Book of Mormon and decides to live in accordance with the laws of God BEFORE we even teach them. On Tuesday, Sister Christensen taught him with another Sister. And he asked about baptism!! So she said we would prayerfully pick a date. The next day, we just stopped by (because he loves daily contact!!!) and when he opened the door i was SHOCKED. Light has been a theme on my mission. And he had SO much light. I thought about the first time we met him. My eyes filled with tears because this change of heart is not just deep and internal, but has affected even his appearance. We set a date with him to be baptized on October 8th!! He just has to stop smoking (went from 20/day to 2 this week!!!) and he's good to go! He is even paying tithing even though he is not a member... because he knows that it is a law that was taught anciently and should still be practiced today. He loves the Savior. It is so evident every time we see him.

We also picked up a new investigator in YSA this week!! His name is Max and his girlfriend is at BYUI and his best friend is just about to leave on a mission!! He is great and loves learning. We also set a baptismal date with him for October 15th!!

Brother Wilkersen, the nonmember husband of Sister Wilkersen who has been less active, ALSO told us that he will be baptized this week!!

God is so good. He works mighty miracles. I am grateful to have this opportunity to be an instrument in His hands everyday.

happy days ahead!!!!!!
xoxo
Sister Boyce

 ^^Temple with the NORTH ZONE!! and Sister Bartlett. She's our favorite.

^^All three of us hit one year! My companion and District Leader, Elder Jensen!!

S'MORE BAPTISMS

Hi y'all!! Another great week here in the promised land!! I seriously don't ever want to leave this area or my companion!!

This week's weekly planning session was around a campfire... not a literal one though hahaa because missionaries can't do that. BUT WE ROASTED MARSHMALLOWS!! AND MADE SMORES!! Ahhh it was so fun! Sister Christensen LOVES s'mores so it was necessary hahaa

Eli Jensen's baptism was on Saturday!! NO BAPTISM EVER GOES FLAWLESSLY!! Gahhh Satan likes to play games on those days... But it's all good! Because he was still baptized! The Lord's work will always go forth! We were all there and ready to go and 15 minutes before it started, the people to open the closet to get his white clothes were still NO WHERE to be found!! We frantically called anyone we knew that had a key to the closet... no one answered. So instead, our Ward Mission Leader, Elders Quorum President, and the person to baptize him BROKE IN!! hahahaa they first tried with a card and that didn't work. So they tried taking off the hinges. That didn't work. Then they found some random tool in the church to push back the bolted door!! hahahaa I told Eli that this was one he definitely wouldn't forget! Sometimes I think those set backs and bumps just make the occasion all the more joyous! :) I have never seen Brother Jensen so happy!

LOVE YOU ALL!! Have a super bomb week!

Happy Days Ahead
XOXO
Sister Boyce

 ^^Our ward mission leader when we got the closet open hahahahahahaaa

HAPPIEST HOUR OF MY MISSION

This week we had the HAPPIEST hour of my mission so far!!! AHHHHHHHH I don't even know where to start!! So I'll just start at the beginning of the week:

Monday night we taught a lesson in SIGN LANGUAGE!! Sister Christensen is a rockstar. She took a year in high school and another in college. The deaf man's name is Polly and he is friends with one of our other investigators, Amoni, both from Africa!! He was so accepting of everything that we said and signed and already has a great foundation on Christ. He was also SO patient with us as we stubbled through our signs and fingerspelling. We are going back today to watch the Restoration video with him in ASL! :)

OKAY. ARE YOU READY NOW FOR THE HAPPIEST HOUR OF MY MISSION!?!?!

You may want to sit for this one.

 Nothing really happened between Monday and Thursday. Just kidding hahaha but this was the BEST I JUST CANT WAIT!! :)

On Thursday during lunch, Sister Christensen and I get a call from the Mission President... No matter who you are or what position you serve in, it's always a little nerve racking when you get a call from the President. But he called to tell us that he had gotten a letter from the First Presidency! IT WAS SHAWN FAHLSING'S LETTER!! President read the letter to us and explained that the First Presidency, but more importantly, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ had made the decision that Shawn was ready to be baptized!!!!!! WE FREAKED OUT!! It is incredible how perfectly timed it all was. Transfers this week so we weren't sure if we would both be here and they move on FRIDAY!! We called up Shawn and asked if he'd be home at 6 that night. We didn't tell him why. But I ALMOST COULDN'T CONTAIN MYSELF!

All day I thought about him until we went over at 6. Lori, his wife asked what was up. We couldn't stop smiling!!!! We said we couldn't say until Shawn came in from working on the car! When he finally came in and sat down it kinda just all fell out of my mouth! Their reactions were priceless. This is one day of my mission I will NEVER forget! Lori was baptized 3 months ago, and because of Shawn's parole wasn't able to be baptized with her. But they have been holding on so faithfully even amid that set back. BUT NOW HE HAD APPROVAL TO BE BAPTIZED!! Sitting in their home, telling them this great, long awaited news and then planning the baptism for SATURDAY, was the happiest hour of my mission! Once we told them the news, they just started calling people! Bishop Heider, the one to baptize him, didn't pick up and as Lori left a message, Shawn added from the background "It's super duper important!!" hahaa

Sister Christensen pulled off planning a baptism in under 48 hours. NAILED IT.

The baptism was amazing. The Spirit was so strong and Shawn and Lori couldn't stop smiling. I have never seen him so happy!! I don't know if I've ever seen anyone so happy!! His grin was from ear to ear! He's a pretty tall guy, so they had to baptize him twice hahaa but as he humbly and reverently bowed his head, tattooed arms and all, it was so evident that moments like these- being able to see a repentant sinner change his life around and follow Christ- is why I am here. I love this man! Brother Fahlsing has changed my life for the better!! I will be there when him and Lori are sealed! Even if that means 13 years down the road when his parole is up!!

Okay now, TRANSFERS!! SISTER CHRISTENSEN AND I ARE STAYING TOGETHER IN TWIN!!!!!!!!!! SO so So so SOOOOO happy!! We probably broke the Elder's ear drum that called us this morning as we screamed! Prayers, so many prayers have been answered this week!!

Love you all so much! Hope you have the best week ever!! (But I don't know if it could beat the one I just had... just sayin' :) )

xoxo
Sister Boyce

^^Elder Harmon, who first started teaching the Fahlsing family and Bishop Heider who baptized him!!

10 months, 2 baptisms, 1 day

Saturday, July 2nd, marked Sister Christensen and I's 10 months on the mission!! And I honestly can't think of a better way to celebrate 10 months than having 2 baptisms in 1 day!

First, let's back up a bit hahaa We had the some of the REALEST days on Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday we had exchanges with the TF Temple sisters and Sister Merrell came to our area. We met with one of the investigators from one of our new wards, Tom Smith, and he said that once he knows that the Book of Mormon is true, he will be baptized! He's an older man and has been meeting with missionaries FOREVER but we are going to try and set a baptismal date with him this week to put his faith to the test!! Later that night, we set a baptismal date with Eli Jensen, for August 27th! (AND HE CAME TO JACK'S BAPTISM ON SATURDAY!! :) ) His wife is a member and returning to activity!

Then on Thursday, we had some pretty cool experiences with people being placed in our path. We were finishing up some planning at the church before our last lesson with Kaleb. There was a lady down at the other side of the church field. We decided to go and talk to her. The first thing she asked us was if we could pray for her. Come to find out that she took lessons from missionaries in California before she moved here and hasn't seen missionaries since! She said, "You know, you start meeting with missionaries and praying and your life starts changing." She might have to be taught by the Hermanas, but still a super cool experience. Then we went to Little Ceasar's for dinner because the member that was feeding us was going to be out of town. There was a young man sitting outside the shop and we offered him some pizza. He gladly accepted. We asked if there was any way we could help him and he said no. We testified of how much the Savior has helped us in our lives and how He can help us in any of our situations. There are so many people all around that don't know who the Savior is. It is our responsibility to help and invite those people to make changes so that they can know and feel and ACT for themselves upon the enabling and freeing power of His infinite Atonement.

Jack's baptism was incredible. It was so Spirit-filled. He is one amazing young man and has been completely prepared for this time. Brother Pulliam, the Young Men's President, said that Jack was an answer to many prayers. I know he was definitely an answer to mine. As we sang the closing hymn, I was having a hard time leading the music. My heart was so full of gratitude to have been able to witness the miracle of seeing Jack baptized. As he made covenants with our Heavenly Father and left behind his old life, I just know that there are big things ahead of him. And I almost hugged him... hahahaa it took so much for me not to.

Kaleb's baptism was so great too. He is so pure and such a great example of living the gospel of Jesus Christ and finding JOY despite his family situation. He is one of a kind.

They were both confirmed on Sunday morning and Jack was ordained to the priesthood by his best friend. Our ward has a temple trip on Thursday and someone approached Jack to ask if they could get together to get a name for him to take to do proxy baptisms for. His response was, "ohh I already have two names!!" HE'S STRAIGHT GOLD. I'll be back here in a year for his farewell :)

Happy 4th of July!! This nation founded was founded "In God We Trust." I hope you are able to thank God for the many freedoms that you enjoy in this great country!

xoxo
Sister Boyce