Drive For Show, Putt For Dough

how's my form?

That's what my dad always says. In golf, it's easy to show off your skills by hitting the ball far. But when it comes down to it, crunch time is on the putting green. We went golfing today- which was totally awesome, and my companion enjoyed herself as well! But I was thinking of that saying- drive for show, putt for dough. It's really true for missionary work. Often missionaries get caught up in how many baptisms they get- this is where they "drive for show". The "putting" comes in when we take the time to really help people develop a testimony, when we help members to realize that they can share the gospel with the people they love. So much of the mission consists of those shorter strokes. They may not seem like much, but they add up! And the reward is eternal salvation! Does it get any better than that??

such a fun p-day!

Daisy!

There is a house that we always pass on our way home, and the sweetest little cat named Daisy comes and greets us at the fence. Last week we spoke to the lady who lives there. She had once been a member of the church, but she started reading some anti-mormon literature and asked to have her records removed from the church (basically she didn't want anything to do with the church anymore). We have run into this before. It is so sad, because while we were talking to her, she said she was still searching for the truth. How sad that she had the truth, but the adversary has persuaded her otherwise- making her doubt what she knew and believed. She was a really sweet lady, and told us that we better read these things to know the truth about the church, but I bore my testimony to her. I told her that I don't know everything. There are things that have happened in the church that I don't know everything about and some things that I don't understand. But I have felt the Spirit of God burning in my heart- and it has testified to me that this gospel is true- that this is Jesus Christ's church. I have prayed to know for myself, and through prayer and study, I can never deny the truth that I know. And I am so grateful for that confirmation! Anyways, she is now Baptist. She told us that her church does a food bank every Friday, and she invited us to come and help. We went and took the Nelsons (our favorite older couple/adopted grandparents) with us. They had shopping carts and we would take people around and fill up a shopping cart for them, and help them load the food into their car. They were so grateful that we had come to help, especially because they were short handed. It was so wonderful to help and serve people who were in need. And how great to work with people of different faiths- all with the same purpose of loving others and following the example of Jesus Christ!

We had dinner the other night with a young family, and when we were getting ready to leave, the little boy grabbed Sister Bartnik and I by the arm, pulled us close, and said, "I'm gonna keep you!" It was the sweetest thing! It really made me miss working with kids. And that makes me happy, because I know that I will love my job for the rest of my life!

We are still working with the young less active couple, and they are doing awesome! He downloaded the scriptures onto his phone, and is already well into the Book of Mormon! And all of that was his idea! We met with them the other night and he is already seeing parallels between his life and the teachings in the scriptures. It is so incredible to see the growth and change in people- and so exciting to see their understanding and happiness increase!

I love you all so much. I hope you are happy. And I hope that you know that there is so much happiness that we can find through faith in our Heavenly Father, and in His Son's atoning sacrifice.

Keep smiling!

xoxo

Sister Boman

Because of Him

I guess y'all liked the stories from last week, so i'll try to include more things like that!

our beautiful mountains!

We are teaching an 11 year old boy with aspergers and he is SO SMART. It is amazing. His dad was baptized about a year ago, and that was an incredible journey. He is divorced, and so before his son can be baptized they need his mother's consent. They want to make sure that he really knows why he wants to be baptized before it happens. Last time we met with them we asked him to pray about his testimony so that he would be able to talk to his mom about why he wants to be baptized. We went into our lesson this week ready to teach about the word of wisdom, but after talking with him, he said that he had prayed but hadn't received an answer about his testimony. We talked about how the Lord speaks to us in different ways. His dad needed a direct and straightforward answer to help him overcome his addictions and change his life to follow Jesus Christ. But we explained that he might not receive his answer in the same way. The Lord trusts us to make decisions for ourselves. Elder Boyd K. Packer said "A testimony is to be found in the bearing of it!" We asked him why he reads the scriptures, and he said "They make me feel joyful." We asked him why he comes to church, and how it is different that the Lutheran church he used to go to, and he said "because it actually makes me happy." Then we asked him why he wanted to be baptized, and he said "Well, it's not really even about me, it's about Jesus." At that point he started to cry, and said "I don't even know why i'm crying!" It was so sweet. When he said the closing prayer, he thanked Heavenly Father for helping him to find his testimony. It is amazing to see these young children learn and grow in the gospel.

We are also teaching a young couple who have not beet to church since they were young teenagers. They saw the elders walking home one night, and he contemplated picking them up the whole way home. Finally when they arrived home, he turned around and went back to get them and give them a ride home. They met and taught them a lesson, but soon realized that they live in our area! They had to give them to us, and boy are we grateful because they are an awesome couple! He grew up being forced to go to church, but when his parents divorced, he stopped going. He served in the Navy, and never really thought about coming back to church. They moved into the area a few years ago, and never really felt welcomed into the area. It is so hard because so many member assume that everyone is a member, and so there is no need to be kind and extend a hand to their neighbors. It is so FALSE! We all need help and love and support, no matter who we are or where we come from! But now they feel the desire to learn more about the gospel and develop a testimony for themselves. Some of his hesitation is that he feels that it is too late to change. The beautiful part of this gospel is that it is never too late to change. The Savior died for each of us, and He will never abandon us. In Moroni chapter 7 verse 33 it says "And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." It is so hard for us to take that leap of faith, but when we trust in the Lord, He promises that we can do anything! I am so grateful for that promise.

We have been sharing this video recently and I just LOVE IT!

Because of Him

I love that they show so many different people, because the Savior died for each and every one of us! I love that personal connection that I have with Him. He knows exactly how I feel, what I am going through. And of all of the incredible advances that have happened here on Earth- flight, travel to space, technology- there is nothing greater than the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us, and because He died, we will all live again! And if we follow His commandments, then we can live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for eternity! What amazing hope that gives me.

We had a musical fireside last night with the missionaries in our zone. It was awesome! There were quartets, duets, ukulele and guitar, testimonies, and I sang in a trio and also sang a solo. I sang the hymn "Lord, I Would Follow Thee" acapella. It was so fun! But my lung capacity isn't the same up here in the Utah air!

It was so funny, we had dinner with a family on Sunday and when we came home, we realized that the 15 year old boy had slipped his email address into Sister Bartnik's purse!!!! We were dying laughing!!!!

It is so important to laugh, smile, and sing! It keeps us sane and stress free! It has been warming up and the sunshine is so nice, but in typical Utah fashion, it will rain tomorrow.

I love you all so much and I hope you are well!

xoxo

Sister Boman

There Can Be Miracles, When You Believe!

Hey hey hello my loved ones! I hope you are all smiling! I thought I would share a few experiences with y'all.

sometimes we leave little notes to passers by :)

Last week we saw our next door neighbor out in his yard. We stopped to chat with him. Turns out that he grew up in the church, but left after he divorced his first wife because of the way people treated him and things that they said. His second wife was against the church, with a similar story- she also left because of things that people said and did. So they never went back to church. She passed away a year ago and he has really been struggling without her. He is an older man, and is just fine taking care of himself, but he really misses her terribly. The next day, we came by and sat in his driveway on some camping chairs and just talked. We learned all about is life, his family, and he told us that he still believes in the church. He believes everything it teaches, and he still prays, but he has never gone back to church. We talked to him about the importance of the sacrament, and that the only way that we can partake of that blessing, which renews our promises that we have made with God, and makes us clean from the mistakes that we have asked forgiveness for, the only way that we can do that is to come to church. We invited him to come to church, and he said maybe. When Sunday came, we scanned the room, and sure enough, he was there!!!! We were so excited!!!! So many people were greeting him, saying how nice it was to see him there. It had been thirty years since he had been at a sacrament meeting. My heart was so full when I saw him take the sacrament. He cried the whole hour. It was awesome. So often we are too afraid, or too comfortable in the place we are. All we had to do was give him the opportunity to make a change, and he came! Miracles can happen if you act!

We are also teaching an investigator who's wife is a member. They have a crazy story. They were married, divorced, and then married again. He went to jail, and was there for 12 years, and half way through, his wife and oldest son met the missionaries. They decided to be baptized, and when his son called him in jail to ask for his permission, that was the moment that the spirit touched his heart. His wife had even had a dream of them together, wearing white, in the temple! She knew that they had a future together, and that it was bright! When he was released from jail, he started meeting with missionaries. Meeting him today, aside from the tattoos, you would never believe that he had done time. He is so kind, so loving, and it is incredible to see the change that the gospel of Jesus Christ has made in his life! We had nachos with them on Sunday, and his wife's mom and grandparents were over as well. We taught a lesson on the word of wisdom, which is God's law for our health. He was addicted to many things, but he can see the change in his life since he has been clean. He says that he is a real man now. He is dependable, not only to his family, but to himself! While he was talking, his grandmother-in-law reached over and held his hand. To see this woman show love to a man that has caused her granddaughter so much pain and sorrow, that was true Christlike love. She knew that he had changed. She knows of the truth of this gospel, and she wants it for him just as much as she wants it for her own family. We are so excited for him to be baptized, and to start on his journey to follow Jesus Christ!

M&M, Candy's sweet cat!

Last week was Sister Bartnik's, as well as Candy, one of our recent convert's birthdays. We celebrated on Saturday night by making a cake and watching a movie together. We watched Ephraim's Rescue, about the Martin and Willy handcart companies. It is such a great movie, all about having an open heart, having faith in the power of God, and the miracles that still happen in our day. Candy is so wonderful, she is so much fun to be around. She is mentally handicapped, but she has the most hilarious sense of humor and love of life. We said a closing prayer, and when I finished, she said "Oh I just got one more thing to say, Jesus Christ, bless my missionary sisters that they will have everything they'll ever want and that they'll be safe. Amen!" Her love is so sweet! We never stop laughing when we are with her.

The weather has been warming up and spring is bringing out it's blooms! We were having too much fun taking pictures with the flowers.

We shared them with the Elders, and this was their response:

Elder Alsterberg

Elder Henderson

I love you all and I hope you are doing well! Remember that miracles can happen, if you have faith in the Lord! 

xoxo

Sister Boman

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice

This week was awesome! We had the privilege to listen to our living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, as well as the apostles and other general authorities of the church during General Conference. Before now, conference was always an uplifting weekend where I heard a lot of good messages. But now, conference is a whole different experience! We have a cool visual when we teach people about prophets. Your hand is the earth, and my hand is God. You follow my hand where it moves with yours. But wait, we can't see God! So you shut your eyes. This time, it's much harder to follow my hand! Then we bring in a pen, which represents a prophet. With each of us holding on to one end of the pen, and your eyes shut, you are now able to follow my hand. This shows us how much we need prophets on the earth today! They speak with God, and are his voice on the earth. We need that connection to God to guide and direct our church. With this understanding, I listened to every speaker as if it was God speaking through them, which it is! Everything was so powerful. They spoke of so much truth, and taught how we can better live our lives to be closer to our Heavenly Father.

Here are a few things that I learned (click on the names to watch their talk!)

Jeffrey R. Holland
There is a difference between forgiving sin and condoning it! We need to stand up for our beliefs! Act with love and kindness.

Henry B. Eyring
Put the covenants you have made with God in the center of your life. It is not one big choice, but many small choices that will change our lives.

Russell M. Nelson
Faith is the antidote of fear! We must have faith in Jesus Christ, for He is the only one in whom our faith is always safe.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Be grateful! Gratitude should be your disposition, a way of life. Gratitude is a catalyst to all Christlike attributes.

David A. Bednar
Our burdens are made light not because the Lord takes them away, but because He helps strengthen us. We must become agents that act, rather than objects that are acted upon.

President Thomas S. Monson
Love is the essence of the gospel. We are given opportunities to love every day! Blame keeps wounds open- only forgiveness heals.

Sister Bartnik and I at Conference in Salt Lake!

We had the opportunity to attend one of the sessions of conference with an investigator and his wife who is a member. It was such a wonderful experience! It is amazing how the Holy Ghost touches our hearts and testifies that things are true. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this miraculous change in so many people's lives!

The Christus at the visitor's center

We had family home evening at our mission president's home last night. We played a fun game and then we had an awesome lesson. We chose one Elder to represent all of us. They passed out cupcakes, but for each person, he had to do five push-ups. Even if someone didn't want a cupcake, he still did five push-ups for them. All of this represented the Savior's atonement. He suffered, bled, and died for every one of us. He took upon himself all of our pains, struggles, afflictions, sins, and sadness. It wasn't a blanket thing, He did it for each of us individually, and He did it for us, whether we accept His sacrifice or not. It was such a powerful visual, especially seeing the Elder struggle after 75 push-ups. I am so grateful for the love that Jesus Christ has for me, that He cares enough for me to suffer and die for me. It makes me want to serve Him even more!

I love all of you so much, and I'm so grateful for your love and support! Also, if there is anything specific you want to know, or questions you have, please email me!

xoxo

Sister Boman

YOSO!

That is our new phrase, YOSO! Instead of YOLO for  "you only live once" I thought of "you only serve once". We talk to everyone we see, but it's scary sometimes! But when you thing YOSO then you just go and talk to them! This weekend our Sister Training Leader Hermana Egan (Olivia's friend from BYU that I had met before!) stayed with us for a day. She is so fun and she taught us another phrase- TOAST! It stands for "thrive on awkward situations today"! So no matter what, we talk to people, even if it's awkward! Sometimes people will try to walk away but you just ask them their name and put out your hand for a handshake! It's so funny. But the reason why we are so bold is because it's our job! When we are baptized, we promise to stand as a witness of God. Many people here used to be members of the church, others have had bad experiences with people in the church, and some have misunderstood teachings. So we always try to talk to people to find out what their concerns are. Then we can help them to work through things! But none of this happens if we don't talk to people! So we YOSO and TOAST :)

Hermana Egan! So fun to see her!

A typical day starts early, with:
a workout (not lately because i'm sick)
personal study of the scriptures
companionship study
the 12 week training program because i'm a greenie
then we go out and visit people in the area
have lunch
do some more visits
lessons
dinner at a member's home
lessons
lessons
lessons
planning
sleep!

We play speedball (a mix of basketball, soccer, and ultimate frisbee) on Saturday morning with our zone (a group of missionaries in the area) and volleyball when we can. They are a goofy group of missionaries! But it's so much fun to be silly.

The Nelsons! They are the sweetest couple! They are wonderful members and they take great care of us!

We cover a whole stake (members of the church in a geographical area) and there are 6 wards (a smaller geographical area) in that stake. So what that means is that there are a lot of members of the church in a small area! We have dinners each week with the different wards. It is so many people to keep track of, it's practically impossible! But everyone is so kind and helpful. We had a car the first week I was here but some other missionaries needed it more than we do, so we walk everywhere! Unless we are in a rush or the weather is awful. Speaking of which, the weather here is nuts! It will be sunny one day and snowing the next! Last week Sister Bartnik and I were leaving lunch and we were walking home. We saw some really dark clouds coming in. It started to rain, and then snow, and Sister Bartnik said sarcastically, "Thank you, Heavenly Father!" and right at that moment the sky went BOOOOOOOOOOM and it started snowing like crazy! I've never seen snowfall that intense! We could barely walk and we had our umbrellas in front of our faces and we were laughing so hard we could barely move. It was hilarious. So don't be blasphemous! The Lord is always listening! Haha but luckily He is merciful and a young couple took pity on us and gave us a ride home.

My companion, Sister Bartnik! I love her!

We continue to teach anyone who wants to learn more about the church and how to come closer to Jesus Christ. It is amazing to see that when people act on the faith that they have, miracles happen! I love studying the book of mormon every day. It holds so much truth! Every time I read it I feel closer to my Heavenly Father.

This weekend is General Conference, when we get to hear the living prophet Thomas S. Monson and his apostles speak! I am so excited! I invite all of you to watch it and listen to the words that God wants us to hear!

I love you all! Keep the letters coming! I truly appreciate all of the love and prayers that you send, they keep me strong!

xoxo

Sister Boman