Persistence

I keep writing about miracles in my emails, but I can't stop because they KEEP HAPPENING! We met SO many people this week who are prepared to receive the gospel.

We met the young girl who a young woman called us about. She is sixteen and has wanted to be baptized since she was ten! Her parents didn't want her to when she was younger because they thought she needed to be older to make her decision. She has been coming to church activities ever since, and thanks to her friend she has started meeting with us! She was kind of quiet at first, but finally she opened up and told us how badly she has wanted this. She knows it is true and she is ready to take this step! The best part is, her parents are supporting her decision!!! We prayed and fasted that they would be ok with it, and the Lord granted us a miracle! She has been reading the scriptures and praying and doing everything she can to prepare for her baptism!

The other family we met yesterday. A few weeks ago we had stopped by because we knew the dad was less active and the wife and daughter were not members. We met the husband at the door, he didn't let us in. He said his daughter wasn't feeling well, and we asked if we could come back another time to meet them. He didn't sound very interested, and told us that he's pretty sure his wife and daughter don't want anything to do with the church. Still, we were persistent and tried them again last night. As we were praying before we went to their door, they pulled into their driveway! They let us inside and we met them all. The wife didn't grow up with any religion, and the daughter hasn't learned about any church. We testified of the power the gospel has to change lives, to bring peace and comfort, and to give us a path to follow to find happiness and lasting joy. The spirit was so strong, and when we asked if we could come and teach them more, the wife said yes that would be wonderful! We are so excited to get to know them and help them to feel of the love of their Heavenly Father.

A bunch of missionaries were able to do some service at a homeless shelter. They were serving dinner and we were the entertainment! We sang hymns and people had brought guitars and ukuleles. I sat with a few people and chatted with them. I love to sing but I figured they would rather have some conversation. I met one guy who is getting baptized this weekend! He has been meeting with some elders that work down in that area. The other guy at the table had just come from Philadelphia, thinking his cousin would have a place for him to live but turned out it was the homeless shelter! Me and the other guy getting baptized talked to him about the church and how it could bless him. He had a lot of wild ideas about religion, but he said that he was praying for a girl! HA! We told him boy you're praying for the wrong thing! Heavenly Father will bless us if we are obedient and seek after righteous desires. We told him he might meet a nice girl if he came to church haha. We'll see what happens. It was so fun to just chat with everyone and help them to feel the spirit. They are so humble. Their needs are so basic. It is incredible what the gospel can do to help us find peace and hope for the future.

look at those missionaries sing!

I LOVE this gospel. It is such a privilege to share it with everyone I meet. At the homeless shelter, a young girl came up to me. Her parents were helping serve the dinner. She said "I just wanted to let you know what an awesome missionary you are!" She must have seen me talking to everybody. It made me so happy! Fifteen months ago I would not have had the guts to sit down at a table with homeless people and start talking about the gospel. I am so thankful for the trust I have put in my Heavenly Father, and for all of the incredible people He has placed in my path for me to meet.

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

xoxo

Sister Boman

Who Do You Love?

We are working hard to see changes in our area, to see changes in ourselves, and to see changes in the people we are working with! I am grateful for the strength that Heavenly Father is giving me to keep working hard!

A member of one of our wards spoke to us on Sunday about teaching a lady who is in his neighborhood. She had a few questions, and he figured it would be a good time for us to come and speak with her! She is Methodist, and her husband passed away last year. She is struggling to cope with the loss, but she has a lot of faith. We taught her about the restoration of the gospel and told her about the plan of salvation that our Heavenly Father has for us, and she really liked what we were talking about. By the end, she said "Well i'm not interested in changing religions..." BUT, she said she would start reading the Book of Mormon! If she reads it prayerfully with an open heart, she will know, by the power of the Holy Ghost that this church is true!

We met a young couple, she is less active and he is not a member. They have been going to some other churches, trying to find a place that they like, but nothing feels right. We were able to share our testimonies with them, and we could really tell that her husband was feeling the spirit. Hopefully we can help them to find true peace and happiness! 

We got a phone call late Saturday night from a young girl who said her friend is interested in taking the missionary lessons! We love when people call us with people ready and willing to be taught! We are excited to meet her this week!

We had interviews with our mission president yesterday and received some really great training. We talked about the difference between the Law of Moses and the higher law that Jesus Christ taught. The people needed a little more help to be obedient, so they were given the Law of Moses. Unfortunately, they kind of missed the point and focused too much on the technicalities and actions involved in the law. When Christ came He helped them to realize that it can be boiled down to the two greatest commandments found in Matthew chapter 22 verses 37-40:

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Everything we do can be brought back to these two things: Do we love our neighbor? Do we love the Lord? I have come to know that when I truly love God, I am willing to do anything He asks. And when I do what He asks, that is when I find real, lasting happiness.

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

xoxo

Sister Boman

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

Baba Yetu

Musical Fireside!

This week we had the Ogden Musical Fireside! It was such an awesome experience. I was asked last minute to join one of the special musical numbers, called Baba Yetu. It is the Lord's prayer in Swahili. I was still recovering from a cold, but luckily it was gone by the time of the performance. As soon as the music started a rush of adrenaline flowed through me, and I sang my heart out! It was so much fun. We had the Ogden tabernacle packed full, there were people standing! So many missionaries were involved and there were some incredible special numbers. I was so grateful to be a part of it. 

dinner with our mission president and wife, the Hiers!

We have been teaching a young girl who is 14. She has come to young women's activities forever, but has never come to church or met with missionaries. We have taught her a few times now and she came to all three hours of church last Sunday! If you have ever been a missionary, you know what a big deal that is! It is so hard to get people to church. We had a wonderful lesson with her at the Bishop's house, and it was awesome to see how open and receptive she is to the gospel. We told her to really give it her all and test it out, to see if this is right for her, and she is doing just that!

This last week we had Zone Conference. It was super spiritual and the trainings were awesome. In our mission we have the opportunity to take the Gallup Strengths test, and we discover what our top five strengths are. Mine are input, developer, connectedness, empathy, and activator. We did an exercise where we each thought of a problem that we have that we want to work on, and then we looked at other people's strengths and found someone we thought would have good insight to our problem. It was so neat to see how we are each blessed with different individual strengths, and we can help each other so much with our varying personalities and perspectives. 

I wonder what the Savior's strengths would be? Maybe empathy, belief, includer, activator, and connectedness? He always knows how we feel, He knows what He stands for, He makes things happen and takes action, and He feels a deep love for all of us. I know that He is real. I know that He is helping me each and every day. I know that I could not do this work without His help. I am so grateful to be a missionary. My time is running short, but I know that I can make the most of it with Him by my side. I know that we can all find true joy and happiness by relying on our Savior Jesus Christ. He is our brother, and He loves us. 

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

xoxo

Sister Boman