The Miracle of Yardwork

This week, we found success in service! We helped one less active man weed his yard and cut back his raspberry bushes. We talked with him after and even showed us his old Hudson he takes to car shows! It is rusted brown but he said people love it so he's not going to change it. He is a kind man, so it was good to help him out and get to know him better.

check out the hula girl!

We had another encounter with a less active sister. She opened the door and immediately said, with an upset look on her face, "You know what, I really don't want missionaries." Uhh... ok! We'll just leave then... Haha we said "Ok, no worries! Take care! By the way, nice plants! Do you need help weeding?" She said oh sure. So we left. A few hours later our lesson had cancelled and I turned to Sister Gaastra and said, we should go pull her weeds! So we ran home and changed into pants and went and got to work. After a few minutes she came outside and was so surprised! She didn't think that we would actually do it! She chatted with us while we worked and eventually she apologized for what she had said. She said she doesn't want the lessons, but we are welcome to come over and visit. Ha! It was so awesome to see what a little service could do to soften her heart.

The next day we stopped by the sister's home who's husband is not a member. We were going to invite him to church, but he was at work and she was working in her yard so we changed again and helped her (we've taken to leaving a pair of pants in the car just in case). We were able to talk with her and learn more about her and her relationship with her husband. She has been so brave to stay strong in the church, even without her husband's support. She has so much faith and trust in Heavenly Father. Hopefully we can help her out!

This week, look around you for simple acts of service! You would be surprised how happy it will make someone, and it will make you happier too! Remember the scripture in Mosiah 2 chapter 17:

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

I love you all, and I hope you're smiling!

xoxo

Sister Boman

Westward Ho!

Last week was transfers, and I moved up north a bit, near one of my old areas! It is farming community, but has been developed a bit. The people are kind and always willing to help, and they have really caught the vision of missionary work! They love their neighbors, and want to share what they have been blessed with. 

My companion is Sister Gaastra, she is from New Zealand! She has been out for just three months, so I am what we call her "greenie buster". In the first three months of your mission, you are considered "green", another term for "fresh off the boat". So the companion after your trainer is your greenie buster, because they bust you of being a newbie! She and her trainer were building member trust and helping the members know that we are there to help them, and that we will work hard to help their friends come unto Christ. Now that the members are on board, we are working hard to find, teach, and baptize people!

We had an incredible lesson yesterday. This man's wife is a member and has gone through the temple, but he has not been baptized. He said that he used to be a mean man, but finally he found Christ. He joined a Christian church when he was in his 20's. He has changed so much over the years and has seen many miracles brought forth by God's hand. He believes in the Bible, and has had so many good examples in his life, especially his wife, who taught him about the gospel. He made a promise to an aunt that he would join the church, but he is not sure that it is the right step for him now. He is afraid that being baptized again would discount all that he has learned and understood in his own journey, and he is not sure that the Book of Mormon is true. We told him that the whole reason why he went on that journey and invited Christ into his life was to prepare him for this day, to be baptized into His true church. We told him that we don't want to take anything away from what he has already learned, we just want to add on and increase his understanding. 

His friend and neighbor, who came with us to the lesson, asked him if he has prayed when he reads the Book of Mormon. He said no! We explained to him that we can not know of spiritual truths without prayer, we need to ask God if these things are true! The Book of Mormon is not a fictitious novel we read for fun, it is the word of God spoken by prophets. If we want to know that it is true, we need to ask God himself! He said that no one had ever told him that! He prays when he reads the Bible, but has never done it for the Book of Mormon. It was so crazy to think that this one little thing has been hindering his progress. We are so excited to help him learn and gain a testimony and understanding for himself that the Book of Mormon is true and that this is the true church of Jesus Christ established on the earth. 

I love being a missionary, and I am so grateful to continually see the change in people's lives as they make a place in their heart for the word of God, and then they help that seed that has been planted to grow. It has been my favorite thing about my mission, to see people change. 

I love this gospel! I know it is true, and I want every one to have a chance to feel the joy that I have experienced as I follow my Savior Jesus Christ.

I love you all, and I hope you're smiling!

xoxo

Sister Boman

A Mother's Love

I love my family!!!

This was an awesome week full of loving moms! I was so lucky to be able to skype my family, you guys are the best! How did I get so lucky? It was just the boost of energy that I needed. Sister Pitt and I sang a song together in sacrament meeting called "A Mother's Eyes Reflect the Love of Heaven". It was hard not to get emotional! I am so grateful for my mom and for all of the love that she has shown me. I have been so blessed to call her my best friend. I have been so lucky to have so many incredible women in my life, shout out to all you lovely ladies!

In the April 2010 General Conference, Bradley D. Foster said:

"Perhaps the reason we respond so universally to our mothers’ love is because it typifies the love of our Savior. As President Joseph F. Smith said, “The love of a true mother comes nearer [to] being like the love of God than any other kind of love”"

I have been so blessed to meet so many incredible women on my mission who have been mothers to me. I know that Heavenly Father knew I would need the support of these women while my own mom is so far away. 

baptisms at the temple!

This past weekend we were able to do baptisms at the temple for our recent convert's family! She was baptized for nine of her ancestors. It was so fun to see her do the baptisms, knowing how nervous she was at her own baptism, she is a pro now! All of her friends were there and they had a blast. 

We had a lesson with her family, her mom that grew up catholic and her dad that is less active, and really what it got down to was the importance of family and being united together. That is the main focus of the church. We are so blessed to have our families here on this earth, and we are sent to them for a reason. The gospel can bring us closer together and help us to have an eternal perspective. Our families are precious gifts to us, and I know that it is by following the example of Jesus Christ that we can find true joy and happiness in our lives. 

I love you all, and I hope you're smiling!

xoxo

Sister Boman

Angels To Minister

Me, Lexie, and Sister Pitt!

Hey everyone! I am so grateful to be a missionary and I know I say that every week but seriously I have felt the spirit so strong this week. Even through trials, I would even say especially through trials, the Lord has lifted me and strengthened me and helped me to feel of His love. 

In Moroni chapter 7 verse 22 it says:

For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.

I am so grateful for the power that our Heavenly Father gives us to endure trials and to become better people. It is the most incredible feeling to know that you are not alone. To be a missionary and to constantly feel the spirit and help the people around you is not easy, and when you find joy in the work you know that it is not happening on your own! 

Last night we had an awesome lesson with our recent convert's family (the little girl with the mom that is catholic and dad is less active). We were talking about membership record numbers (each member of the church has a record number just so the church doesn't loose track of them) and her mom said oh I guess I don't have one of those! And we said well we can fix that! Haha. She laughed, but then she said "well, I've been praying about it!" I thought oh my goodness did she actually just say that?! So I took her aside and spoke with her. It has been hard to help her and answer her questions because we had been actively helping her daughter to prepare for baptism. I spoke with her for a long time, and she is conflicted because she has been Catholic her whole life and is afraid to change, and doesn't want to hurt her relationship with her mom. But she said she just doesn't know enough about the church to make a decision. I helped her to understand more about the major differences between the catholic and LDS church, and answered some of her other questions. She said a lot of it makes sense, and I gave her a few things to do to help her resolve the conflicted feelings she has had. 

A lot of what it boils down to is the Book of Mormon. It is another testament of Jesus Christ, and it was translated by the prophet Joseph Smith. So if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, and there was a need for a restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is why the Book of Mormon is called the "keystone" of our religion, for without it, the entire religion would crumble. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon. I just finished reading it through and I can testify that it is the word of God. It has strengthened me and given me peace and hope for my life, as well as the people I have been able to meet and teach. 

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

xoxo

Sister Boman