I Love To See The Temple

Sister Miller!

I'm starting to get used to the new area, lots of open spaces, farmland, horses, and then random giant houses in newly developed suburbs. The people are so sweet and willing to help us. One of my favorite parts of the day is right before we go home, when the sun is setting and turns the sky pastel pink and purple, the world is peaceful, and I am tired from a long day of work. I love my new companion, Sister Miller. She is from Tuscon, AZ and she is the sweetest thing. We make a great team. 

We have jumped right in to the Ogden Temple open house! Sunday night we met in the tabernacle next door, and received our instruction. Then we were able to tour the temple! What a beautiful building. So much time and effort has been put into making everything perfect. I am so grateful to have a place to learn more about my Savior, and to do work for those who have passed on. As drove home, one of the sisters commented, "Didn't it feel like... not finished? Like God hasn't approved it yet?" She was right, it did feel different. The temple is a sacred place, the closest place to Heaven we have on earth. But right now, it is just a pretty, shiny building. But soon, on September 21, it will be dedicated a house of the Lord. What a privilege to have a piece of Heaven on earth!

Welcome to the Temple!

Yesterday was our first shift at the temple. Basically we just stand and smile and look pretty. I was with Hermana Maldonado, who is from Spain. They split up the spanish sisters so that they were more spread out. We had a lot of fun smiling at people. Whenever people would ask where we were from, I always responded first, because compared to Spain, California is a little lackluster! This week is VIP tours, but on Friday it will open to the public, and they are expecting 2,000 people per hour. WOW. That is so many people, so many opportunities to feel the spirit in the house of the Lord! And we will be there to witness it! What a blessing!

I love you all, and hope you are well! Keep smiling!

xoxo

Sister Boman

Good Friends

Well, another transfer is over, and this time...... I'M LEAVING! We can hardly believe it. I'm going out to the farmland by the mountains, so it will be a change of pace. But this transfer we are also working in the Ogden Temple open house, so it is going to be crazy! So many changes. My head is still spinning.

"Transferred?? What do you mean you're getting transferred?!?"

It is unbelievable what a roller coaster ride the mission is. The minute you get into the groove of things, you're spinning around another loop. My time with Sister Gietz has been amazing. We have incredible companionship unity, we make delicious breakfasts together, and we harmonize like nobody's business. I will miss sharing clothes and inside jokes with her. We went to the mission office today, and when we told President how bummed we were, he asked how long we'd been together. "Only ONE transfer!!!" we replied. He said "What?? Really?" Then he told us that there might be a possibility of us being together again, so we'll just have to remind him every transfer so that he doesn't forget!

There were two new sister missionaries arriving today, and the assistants to the president asked us if we would take them out tracting for an hour. We drove out to a neighborhood nearby and knocked on people's doors. I remember my first day when I went out tracting. I was so nervous! We met all different kinds of people, and back then I hardly knew what to say to them. It is incredible to think of how much I have grown. What I think has helped me the most is understanding that my love must be sincere. If I look at people as potential members, or some sort of "target", then I will never build a relationship with them. But when I look at someone as my brother or sister, and truly care for them, regardless of their interest in learning more about the gospel of Jesus Christ, then I will be able to invite the spirit. That is when they will feel my love for them, and through me, they will feel our Savior's love. It was so fun to take the new sisters out for that experience! Then we took them to Farr's Ice Cream, because we all deserved it in this stinking hot weather!

Tonight we are having a movie night with the investigator who we have been taking to our service projects for her community service hours. We are basically best friends now, and she's going to be so mad that i'm leaving! She told us last night that if we leave, she won't talk to anyone else. Hopefully she isn't serious. She has been praying and talking more openly with us. It is so exciting! We're going to watch Ephraim's Rescue, in honor of Pioneer Day. 

There are so many people i'm going to miss, but I am so grateful for the time that i've been able to spend here. I have learned a lot, and I am anxious to see what new adventures await me!

Love you all! Keep smiling!

xoxo

Sister Boman

My Jesus Loves Me

This week was crazy. Weeks go by and you don't even remember what happened. Pretty much every week is like that. Plus, it's hot so I think my brain melted a little. 

The best news of this week was that WE HAD A BAPTISM!!! The wife of the couple that met at the dump, she was baptized this last Saturday! She quit smoking, drinking coffee, and has felt the spirit testify that these things are true. She made the covenant with our Heavenly Father to follow the example of His son and be baptized. Her testimony is so sweet, and it has been so beautiful to see the miracle of the atonement work in her life. She is a new person now. We are so proud of her! Her baptism was such a spiritual experience. We prayed with her before it began so that she would feel peace in her heart. Her mother-in-law who used to be in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus, and my companion and I sang I Know That My Redeemer Lives.  We shared the message of the restoration of the gospel and talked about her journey to become baptized. She had so much support from the members of her ward, as well as her husband's family. She bore her testimony and said "I bear my testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints is true. In Jesus' name, amen." Then she walked back to her seat and said "I like to keep things simple!"  There wasn't a dry eye in the room when it was over. On Sunday during sacrament meeting she was confirmed a member of the church and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Her brother-in-law gave a wonderful blessing. I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood to bestow blessings to us from God. After the baptism they had a backyard party and boy does she know how to cook! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It is so fun to get to know a family and love them like they are your own. 

backyard BBQ feast!

We also had the chance to hear President Uchtdorf speak at a devotional for Pioneer Day. It was so exciting to be in his presence. He spoke about the pioneers and their journey across the plains. He asked, "What have we done as a result of the sacrifice of the pioneers? Will their sacrifice and endurance have made a difference in our lives?" We should be so grateful for the sacrifice of our ancestors. They have made our lives possible. He encouraged us to be filled with passion, industry, and faith. It reminded me of a talk I read recently called Mountains to Climb by President Henry B. Eyring, and he said "If the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts, the power to endure will crumble." We must trust in our Savior to make things possible. We must believe in our Father in Heaven to have hope for the future. 

I know that Jesus loves me, I know that He lives. I know that He wants to forgive, that He wants to help me. And He wants all of those things for each of you as well!

I love you all! Keep smiling!

xoxo

Sister Boman

You Gotta Look Up

Last week was a bit frustrating, but things don't often stay the same for very long here on the mission. The only constant is change! This week was a lot of fun. 

Happy 4th of July!

We met again with the 10 year old girl who's dad is less active, and her 12 year old brother has been sitting in as well. We weren't sure if she was really retaining anything that we had taught her because she was always so quiet, but when we came back the next time we found out that she had been reading the Book of Mormon, and had even taught her brother what she learned in the last lesson! Her and her brother now actively participate in the lessons. We invited them to come to church, and the little girl said "I don't have any dresses..." to which her dad responded, "Don't worry girl, I got you covered. We're going dress shopping!" Then her brother said "What about me??" Haha it sounds like they're going shopping this weekend. It is often difficult to teach children who have less active parents, because although they want to be baptized, they don't have the support at home to help them keep the commitment. But this family is different. Their dad is excited to see his children learn, to see them embrace the gospel, and he has been praying often, and has even decided to quit smoking! 

Also, we had an experience with a member this week. Don't be someone who calls and complains to the missionaries about your personal problems with your neighbor's dog. It is not very professional, or effective for that matter. 

Sizzler with our grandparents!

Our fourth of July was fun and pretty low key. We went to a parade with a ward missionary, and it was so fun to see the community get together, all dressed up in their patriotic garb, to celebrate this blessed land that we live in! Our adopted grandparents took us to Sizzler for a delicious American meal of steak. We had a 7:00 curfew, so we watched fireworks from the back yard. But the next day our neighbors set off a ton, unfortunately they were intoxicated, and a few of the fireworks got a little too close for comfort, so we went inside and watched them set the neighbor's yard on fire. Luckily it was contained. 

This weekend we had dinner and a lesson with one of our investigators who is getting baptized soon!!! She has quit smoking, and her transformation has been incredible. To hear her testimony of the gospel and the power that God has in her life is so so so awesome. We always leave her house with happy hearts, and happy tummies!

We have been meeting with members of the wards, and the success has been miraculous. Each family is different, and we don't know anything about them going into it. That is when the spirit steps in and we are guided in our words. We met a family and the dad is less active, and he has a lot of deep questions. He struggles to believe that there is even a God, how he wants to believe that He is there, but also that He is not, because it would be easier. It is hard for him to believe that God cares about him because of all of the difficult things that he has gone through. He is struggling and is searching for answers. We listened to his theories and ideas, and asked if he would like to meet with us so that we can help him to find some peace and understanding. He said "Yeah that would be great. I don't want this to sound weird, but sitting here with you girls, I feel... love." It was such simple but touching statement. As a missionary, I am a representative of Jesus Christ. Because I bear His name, I am an instrument through which others can feel His love for them. That has been an incredible experience, and has strengthened my love and compassion for others, as well as my love and gratitude for my Savior Jesus Christ. 

There are so many things to be grateful for. A good meal, a kind compliment, our freedom to worship. We just have to look up to see all of the wonders that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with!

I love you all! Keep smiling!

xoxo

Sister Boman

We're All In This Together

This week has been all about working together. Sometimes as a missionary you feel like you are the only one who cares about this work! People don't come to lessons, the members don't seem to be motivated to share the gospel, and the Bishops have lost hope. It can be frustrating. But that is when we get on our knees and literally plead with our Father in Heaven for His help and guidance. And that is when things start to happen. 

We have been trying to find a way to motivate the members to get excited about the gospel and inspired to share it with their friends. We have been working with our Senior Couple (an older couple who lives in our Stake who have been called as missionaries), we have talked with Bishops, and we have been working with the Ward Mission Leaders. As you can tell, it is a lot of people to work with and try to get on the same page. We were frustrated because no one seemed to be listening to our ideas. We were losing hope. But that night we knelt in prayer together as a companionship, and we asked our Father in Heaven for His guidance. We had seen that our efforts alone would not be enough. We need His help to make things happen. This is His work, after all. The next day Sister Gietz felt prompted to look through one of the church magazines we had at our apartment. She flipped through it and found an article that spoke of two Sister Missionaries with the same plight. In Preach My Gospel it says, "There are many ways to help the members. For example, help build their faith by teaching them the message of the Restoration and other doctrines of the lessons. Help them feel the Spirit and power of our message. Strengthening their understanding of the doctrine of Christ will do more to increase their trust in you and to build their excitement to do missionary work than anything else you can do." These Sisters spoke of how they applied this instruction, and began meeting with members and helping them to rekindle their testimonies. So we are going to do that! We now have lists of people who would like to have us in their homes. We are so excited to help inspire the members, because without them, we have no one to teach! 

Think of it this way. An elementary school teacher does not go door to door, trying to find students to come be a part of her class. Families send their little ones to be taught because they know of the importance of an education. Then they do what they can to supplement and encourage growth in their own homes. This is the same with missionary work. If members will nurture those who are not educated in the gospel, they will have a family they can trust. And we, the missionaries, are the teachers. And our curriculum is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, when the teacher leaves, the student still has people around them to help them gain more knowledge, and to whom they can ask questions. It is so important that we work together, members and missionaries. We all have different duties, but we are all working toward the same goal. Elder L. Tom. Perry said "As I travel throughout the Church I marvel at all the positive things that are occurring. Yet I never feel that we, as a people, are living up to our real potential. My sense is that we do not always work together, that we are still too much interested in aspirations for personal honors and success, and show too little interest in the common goal of building the kingdom of God”.

It is sometimes difficult to be a missionary, especially here in Utah. But then there are members who embrace you and say, "Ah, you are just.... sunshine in my life!"

We were teaching a young girl who lives in some condos near us, but she is really shy and is not sure that she really wants to learn more. She needs community service hours, and so we have invited her to every service activity we are involved in. She may never want to join the church, but the saying "we're all in this together" goes deeper than that. It means that we are all on this Earth together. We're all trying to figure things out for ourselves. And so we do all we can to help each other, to lift, to serve, and to love. 

I love you all! And I hope you're smiling!

 Here's a picture of Sister Gietz and I smiling, because we are about to enjoy a delicious milkshake at the famous Burger Bar, which feeds missionaries for free on Wednesdays :) 

xoxo

Sister Boman