Another week down here in Boise Central!! I've been thinking a lot this week about the power of God's word. With The Book of Mormon reading challenge we are doing as a mission, I have been able to feel the power that flows from this book. I had the opportunity to share my testimony yesterday on this subject because one of the speakers was sick. I know that God loves us so much that He has provided His word and has made it possible for both the Bible and Book of Mormon to be translated and distributed in so many languages. We were able to witness a baptism of the Elders who taught a lady that speaks Karen and is from Burma. The Gospel is being spread to all the world!!
This week we truly saw a miracle. Ever since I got into the area, we've been praying to find a family of five. This was something the sisters before me had felt prompted to find. Because of our faith and the faith of the EQP who visited the Bowens this week, we found our family. The Bowens may be a split family, the mom and dad are divorced, but two of their three kids are old enough to be taught and baptized! We are excited to be teaching them!!
Love you!!
xoxo
Sister Boyce
Monday, September 26, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
WELCOME TO BOISE CENTRAL EVERYBODY!!
Transferred to BOISE CENTRAL!! I am serving in two wards in the Boise West Zone: Colehaven and Bitteroot wards in the Boise Central Stake. My companion is Sister Ludrick, who came out my transfer in Twin! She is from Pohnpei Island in Micronesia! People were shocked when I was with Sister Christensen because Boston seems a whole lot farther than Herriman, Utah hahaha but there's no comparison now!! hahahaa She is awesome and we are so ready and excited to build up this area! One of my Zone Leaders, Elder Udall, was actually my district leader in the MTC!! I'm super excited to be serving with these great missionaries and many from the original Boise Mission!
As promised, I will finish the story of Sister Knight and her motorized wheelchair... We decided to walk with her to her friends house on Jackson (which was forever far away) to make sure she got there safely because she can't walk. So if her chair died, I don't know what she would have done!! We get down to Jackson and we couldn't find her friends house... haha the only person we know on Jackson is BROTHER NEWHOUSE!! hahaha so we decided to stop there and see if he could give us a hand. He is always so willing to help and can fix just about anything. Sister Knight was like "Is he a nice man or a scary man?" This basically just describes Sister Knight hahaha While her wheelchair was plugged in and charging, we read from the Book of Mormon out of 1 Nephi 3 where Brother Newhouse is. Because of his past drug abuse, it makes it really hard for him to read and stay focused and even harder to remember things. But he LOVES to read because he says it makes him feel so much better. And because of his reading, he has experienced this "paradigm shift." The way he thinks about everything is so different now. Man, I miss him. But I am excited to meet more prepared people like Dan here in Boise!
Love you all!!
xoxo
Sister Boyce
As promised, I will finish the story of Sister Knight and her motorized wheelchair... We decided to walk with her to her friends house on Jackson (which was forever far away) to make sure she got there safely because she can't walk. So if her chair died, I don't know what she would have done!! We get down to Jackson and we couldn't find her friends house... haha the only person we know on Jackson is BROTHER NEWHOUSE!! hahaha so we decided to stop there and see if he could give us a hand. He is always so willing to help and can fix just about anything. Sister Knight was like "Is he a nice man or a scary man?" This basically just describes Sister Knight hahaha While her wheelchair was plugged in and charging, we read from the Book of Mormon out of 1 Nephi 3 where Brother Newhouse is. Because of his past drug abuse, it makes it really hard for him to read and stay focused and even harder to remember things. But he LOVES to read because he says it makes him feel so much better. And because of his reading, he has experienced this "paradigm shift." The way he thinks about everything is so different now. Man, I miss him. But I am excited to meet more prepared people like Dan here in Boise!
Love you all!!
xoxo
Sister Boyce
Monday, September 12, 2016
never want to ever leave...
I seriously feel so blessed to be serving in this area with Sister Christensen. Today we were supposed to get transfer emails, but it hasn't come out yet... AND ITS KILLING ME!! Our area is literally on fire and probably the best area to be serving in for sisters. And for that I feel so honored to have been able to serve here for as long as I have. Our hope and prayer as a companionship is that we will stay another transfer, but we were really lucky last time.
We had a super blessed week. Four investigators have a baptismal date and are really progressing!! Dan is still and WILL ALWAYS be the highlight of my week!! :) His very nature is changing. They way that he sees himself and others. It's incredible to be a part of. He has super bad anxiety, so he has had a hard time staying for the second or third hours of church, BUT THIS WEEK HE STAYED FOR THE FIRST TIME!! He loved Gospel Principles class. After he said "Hey! You got me into this mess, now you gotta get me out of it!!" Apparently, he had come to the church building over an hour before our ward met so that he could turn in his tithing to the Bishop. But he was unable to find him hhahaaa so we walked down to priesthood so he could hand it in. NOT EVEN A MEMBER YET AND PAYING HIS TITHING. He has a valiant spirit. and is one of the elect.
We were able to set a baptismal date with Brother Wilkersen this week for October 22nd!! His wife is a less active member. We love teaching them. When we extended the date, he got SO EXCITED!! I've never seen him so animated! "Yes!! Alright!! Let's put it on the calendar!!" It was such an exciting moment for all of us!
We also chased a lady in her motorized wheelchair down the road... A Recent Convert/less active Sister Christensen worked with in her first area in Twin!! She was bumbling along and crossed our path as we were driving. We ran down the street and she wouldn't stop!! She explained that she couldn't stop and that her chair was just about to die and she was ALL the way on the OPPOSITE side of town... story to be continued!
We were blessed by the presence of Elder & Sister Lawrence and Elder & Sister DeFeo of the 70 for two days straight. It was our mission tour week and missionary leadership council! I am so grateful for inspired men. That we believe they are called of God and set apart. There will be a lot of changes in our mission because of his visit I am sure. And it came perfectly for the last 6 months!!
Love you all!! So many happy days ahead! :)
xoxo
Sister Boyce
We had a super blessed week. Four investigators have a baptismal date and are really progressing!! Dan is still and WILL ALWAYS be the highlight of my week!! :) His very nature is changing. They way that he sees himself and others. It's incredible to be a part of. He has super bad anxiety, so he has had a hard time staying for the second or third hours of church, BUT THIS WEEK HE STAYED FOR THE FIRST TIME!! He loved Gospel Principles class. After he said "Hey! You got me into this mess, now you gotta get me out of it!!" Apparently, he had come to the church building over an hour before our ward met so that he could turn in his tithing to the Bishop. But he was unable to find him hhahaaa so we walked down to priesthood so he could hand it in. NOT EVEN A MEMBER YET AND PAYING HIS TITHING. He has a valiant spirit. and is one of the elect.
We were able to set a baptismal date with Brother Wilkersen this week for October 22nd!! His wife is a less active member. We love teaching them. When we extended the date, he got SO EXCITED!! I've never seen him so animated! "Yes!! Alright!! Let's put it on the calendar!!" It was such an exciting moment for all of us!
We also chased a lady in her motorized wheelchair down the road... A Recent Convert/less active Sister Christensen worked with in her first area in Twin!! She was bumbling along and crossed our path as we were driving. We ran down the street and she wouldn't stop!! She explained that she couldn't stop and that her chair was just about to die and she was ALL the way on the OPPOSITE side of town... story to be continued!
We were blessed by the presence of Elder & Sister Lawrence and Elder & Sister DeFeo of the 70 for two days straight. It was our mission tour week and missionary leadership council! I am so grateful for inspired men. That we believe they are called of God and set apart. There will be a lot of changes in our mission because of his visit I am sure. And it came perfectly for the last 6 months!!
Love you all!! So many happy days ahead! :)
xoxo
Sister Boyce
Monday, September 5, 2016
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
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!!
Monday, August 29, 2016
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
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
Monday, August 22, 2016
Crazy Wonderful Week
We've been so super blessed this week. I can't get over how many miracles we've been able to see, even amid a CRAZY hectic week. Exchanges with Hagerman on Wednesday, Zone Conference ALL DAY on Thursday, and then emergency exchanges on Saturday night... EVEN with all of that, we saw so many miracles.
Brother Jensen is still preparing to be baptized this week!! His work schedule just changed, however, and will be working every Sunday. We had a super great lesson about continuing to learn and serve in the church at the Bishop's home and the Bishop talked with him about priorities in life. The things of eternal significance should be at the VERY top of the list.
We had another lesson with Dan and taught the Restoration!! His friend Devan came and he is a recently returned missionary. He totally stole Sister Christensen's thunder when we got to the part about the first vision hahaha it was great! We also had a church tour with him on Saturday and he came to church on Sunday!! Love this man! He is truly seeking!!
Our miracle last night to be emailed next week!!
so many more happy days ahead,
LOVE YOU ALL!!
xoxo Sister Boyce
Brother Jensen is still preparing to be baptized this week!! His work schedule just changed, however, and will be working every Sunday. We had a super great lesson about continuing to learn and serve in the church at the Bishop's home and the Bishop talked with him about priorities in life. The things of eternal significance should be at the VERY top of the list.
We had another lesson with Dan and taught the Restoration!! His friend Devan came and he is a recently returned missionary. He totally stole Sister Christensen's thunder when we got to the part about the first vision hahaha it was great! We also had a church tour with him on Saturday and he came to church on Sunday!! Love this man! He is truly seeking!!
Our miracle last night to be emailed next week!!
so many more happy days ahead,
LOVE YOU ALL!!
xoxo Sister Boyce
Monday, August 15, 2016
Miracle Monday
Last Monday two of the districts got together and went out to Shoshone Falls!! Man, it's beautiful!! Rumor has it's taller than Niagara Falls! (Pictures on their way!!) We then went over to Dierke's Lake and since we cant swim, played games on the field. I love these missionaries. They all just make me want to be a better person :) SO MUCH FUN!
We had a super blessed Monday night. Our lesson with Polly went really well and I'm still picking up all the gospel signs! We bought whiteboards too so that any words we don't know how to sign, he can teach us. Even though my signing is less than inadequate, Polly was so patient with me. As I bore my testimony of Joseph Smith and the restoration, I talked about how much I loved this church because it brings me closer to Christ. I bore my testimony about how it is the church that has all of the truth. He truly wants to know. And the only way we can know for sure is through study and sincere prayer.
Our next lesson was with the Brown family, who are less active. Their daughter Lillian is 8 and wants to be baptized! They've been inactive for so many years though, that we are teaching her the basics so she can be baptized. We walked into their house and there was just something different... We asked them how their reading was. AND THEY READ THE TWO CHAPTERS WE GAVE THEM!!! Oh man, THAT made all the difference. The Spirit in their home was in greater abundance and their 14 year old daughter who is a typical teenage girl and always super resistant and defiant when we come, VOLUNTEERED TO READ!! I love this family! Sister Brown thanked us for coming. She can see the difference it is making in their family. They are happier. And they are happier because the Spirit is in their home.
Love you all!!
Happy Days Ahead,
Sister Boyce
We had a super blessed Monday night. Our lesson with Polly went really well and I'm still picking up all the gospel signs! We bought whiteboards too so that any words we don't know how to sign, he can teach us. Even though my signing is less than inadequate, Polly was so patient with me. As I bore my testimony of Joseph Smith and the restoration, I talked about how much I loved this church because it brings me closer to Christ. I bore my testimony about how it is the church that has all of the truth. He truly wants to know. And the only way we can know for sure is through study and sincere prayer.
Our next lesson was with the Brown family, who are less active. Their daughter Lillian is 8 and wants to be baptized! They've been inactive for so many years though, that we are teaching her the basics so she can be baptized. We walked into their house and there was just something different... We asked them how their reading was. AND THEY READ THE TWO CHAPTERS WE GAVE THEM!!! Oh man, THAT made all the difference. The Spirit in their home was in greater abundance and their 14 year old daughter who is a typical teenage girl and always super resistant and defiant when we come, VOLUNTEERED TO READ!! I love this family! Sister Brown thanked us for coming. She can see the difference it is making in their family. They are happier. And they are happier because the Spirit is in their home.
Love you all!!
Happy Days Ahead,
Sister Boyce
^^The Sisters <3
Sister Christensen and I :)
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