Trains, Turkey, and Translating

Hello/Hola!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  Ours was delicious.  We had hor d'oeveres (I really do not know how to spell that.  I tried seven different ways.) and ate too much. 

Monday: Honestly, I cannot remember what we did after P-day!  We must've been in the baptismal font so long that I'm water logged. 😋 This week, we've been finishing up the plans for our Spanish Sacrament meeting on Sunday night.  Contacting people who attended last month, handing out flyers, etc. 

Tuesday: We read with A and ate Hawaiian pizza from Papa Murphy's.  We taught him how to offer a prayer and share his testimony. 

Wednesday: New Missionary Training in New Albany.  It's always great when we get to hear from President Brough and the APs.  We had the opportunity to eat dinner with the P family.  They are fantastic! On our way home, we got stopped by the train that runs close to our apartment.  Hna. Swapp and I decided that each time we get stuck, we are going to make a video. 

Thursday: Thanksgiving!  We ate at The T's and took a nap.  Any of you who know me know how happy that made me.  Brother T turned on General Conference talks, and we fell asleep right away.  Is that bad? We drove to their duck pond and sang High School Musical songs on the swings. 

Friday: We had a lesson with J, a recent convert, and Y. Both were interesting, but J's brother, A, actually joined in our lesson!

Saturday: We helped a sister in the ward, V, pack her 72 hour kit and clean her house a bit.  She's so great! We ate dinner at Sister H's.  She made us empanadillas.  They were soooo good! I love Hispanic food. 

Sunday:  Our Spanish Sacrament meeting was a success!  We had 37 people attend!  J's whole family attended!  We loved seeing them! Even M' nonmember boyfriend, Y, came!  We were so excited!! Can you tell?  I translated for the first time.  I translated the opening prayer and both sacrament prayers.  It was good experience.  I had to make up the words for the prayer offered.  Sorry, Brother M! 

I have been trying to have an attitude of gratitude in any circumstance.  I have been treating my opportunity to learn Spanish as anything but that.  My eyes have been opened, and I know I need to be grateful for this.  I have been keeping this quote from Pres. Uchtdorf in my heart and trying to apply it. 

"It is easy to be grateful for things when life seems to be going our way.But what then of those times when what we wish for seems to be far out of reach?

Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be." 

 We have so much for which to be grateful!  We have a living prophet guiding our church. We live in a land of freedom. We have the Book of Mormon.  We are blessed! 

I love you all so much.  Stay steadfast and immovable.

Love, 

Hermana Boyson

Picture: Me, Sister Weedman, my companion, and Sister Endemann at The Thorn's for Thanksgiving

-- 

Hermana Boyson

Kentucky Louisville Mission

Horses and Helping Hands

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all are prepping your
stomachs for this day! :)

Monday: We found a new investigator while visiting our investigators,
her niece and nephew. She was willing to listen to our lesson. It was
little hectic because the 2-year-old brother was running around. Hna.
Swapp and I took turns playing with him; one of us would teach the
lesson and the other would keep him from smacking his brother. It was
kinda like being in a circus, but D accepted our baptism
invitation! She's a sweetheart.

Tuesday: We had an incredible lesson with our investigator, M!
We showed up, and she was so excited tell us that she read the entire
Restoration pamphlet including the definitions and scriptures in the
back, and she read the entire introduction, testimonies, and two
chapters in Nephi. Incredible, right?! We taught La Restauración/The
Restoration, and she loved it. She kept asking if she could get
baptized or if she was too old. We explained baptism and it's
something she really wants. She said she wants to know God better
before she gets baptized and wants to learn more of our message. We
set a baptism date for Dec. 17! She even said she wants to teach her
family everything she is learning. We are praying that she can attend
church and be baptized.

Wednesday: We had a great Zone Conference and learned how to use the
Book of Mormon in every contact, lesson, etc. We were also taught by
President Brough about what it means to be converted from D&C 20:37.

Thursday: We raked leaves from 11-5! Holy moly! We had a good time!
Sorry for all the exclamation marks. Luckily that morning for exercise
I did a HIIT workout of just burpees, so I wasn't sore at all the next
day. At all. Psych.

Friday: Woke up and had to roll out of bed. Thank you, burpees. We had
a virtual temple tour lesson with J and her sister's boyfriend,
Y.

Saturday: We have the best Mission President in the world! Our cute
friend, B, wanted to take is to Fall Racing at Churchill Downs,
and President let us go! We had three hours of horse racing bliss!
Pictures to prove it. Later, we attended Stake Conference to be
backups for translation.

Sunday: We got to ride with our favorite people, The J's, to
Stake Conference. It was a great meeting. We heard from J. Vaun
McArthur of the Seventy. So good! AND we talked with 47 people! Hot
dog again!

At this time of year, I am so grateful to all of you. Thank you for
you support and words of encouragement. Thank you for standing as a
witness of Christ in this time of ever-spreading evil. The gospel of
Jesus Christ and the message we share with others brings happiness and
hope. Let us be grateful what we have and pray for opportunities to
share it with others.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good night!

❤️🐎 Hermana Boyson

Tracting and Two Months

Feliz lunes!

This week has been one for the books. And I still don't know which
format I want to use, so bear with me. Por favor!

Monday: a productive P-day and two months in the books! Hermana Swapp
treated me to a 25 cent cone to celebrate. Hooty hoo! See picture for
proof that I am patient and that Hna. Swapp isn't when it comes to
eating ice cream :) While we were walking out of Wally World after
shopping, we saw a guy taping his car window. We asked if we could
help, but he said he was fine. We talked to him about his beliefs and
we shared ours. He said he believes everything is random and that
there is too much bad in the world to believe in God. It hurt my heart
to see how lost he is! He truly believes what he says and seems pretty
hopeless. He was a really sweet guy and we respectfully conversed
together. I know that nothing is random. I know that we have a purpose
here on earth.

Tuesday: Rain today. The weather matched our moods. We went out
tracting with M, a 16-year-old whose little sister just got
baptized. She's so great. We ate dinner with a family in the ward, The
G's. They are the best! A is Sister G's son who is
talking Spanish classes in high school, so we read out of the BOM
together. Sister G even read in Spanish! You go, Sister G!

Wednesday: We served at a food bank in town. I seriously love serving
here. Service helps take the focus off of myself. Excellent news! We
found an investigator! Her name is M from Cuba. She has really
no knowledge of religion. It was the coolest lesson. Hermana Swapp
translated as much as she could for me. I felt strongly to testify
that God is our loving Heavenly Father and that He wants us to return
to Him. She asked "God knows me even though I don't know Him?" She's
so incredibly prepared. She wants us to visit three times a week, but
she's been sick. We hope to teach her again soon.

Thursday: We returned to L's house to help her with the bushes in
her yard. Service! We ate at the M's for dinner and had a really
cool lesson about the Book of Mormon
(https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-11-018-a-book-of-mormon-story?lang=eng)

Friday: A really hard day.

Saturday: Another difficult day. The Zone Leaders came to help us and
to give us both priesthood blessings. Missions are hard. We went out
finding again because we don't have anyone to teach right now. All of
our appointments fall through. We're putting our heads down and trying
to work hard.

Sunday: We had a great visit with J, a less active in the ward.
She is such a sweetheart. She asked for us to pray for her and her
family almost immediately after we walked through the door. I felt
inspired to share "Gracias a Él/Because of Him" with her, and it
seemed to bring her some comfort in that moment. It truly is because
of Christ that we can receive peace, comfort, and relief from the
storms of life.

As I reflect on this week, I am reminded of a scripture that my
Mission President shared with me. In Moses chapter 5, Adam and Eve
have fallen, are cast out of the Garden of Eden, and are sent into the
lone and dreary world. I feel like Adam and Eve. Since being in the
mission field, I have been having thoughts of going home. They aren't
thoughts of wanting to go home, but thoughts of needing to go home.
President Brough taught me that those thoughts are neither from God
nor Satan. Those are my own thoughts. My Garden of Eden is Ogden,
Utah, and right now I am wandering in the lone and dreary world. I
want to go back to where it's comfortable. Moses 5:11 says that were
it not for The Fall, they might not have known good from evil, the joy
of their redemption, and eternal life. Verse 12 says "And Adam and Eve
blessed the name of God..." I know that the struggles I am facing
right now are only for my good. My life back home was too good. I need
to bless the name of God and be grateful for the trials I'm given. I
know that they shall be but small moment.

Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their
weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my
grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for
if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I
make weak things become strong unto them."

God be with you,

Hermana Boyson

2 months!

Hola Hola Hola!

Today marks two months being a representative a Jesus Christ!  Hot dog! Perro caliente!  This week has been ca-raaaaazyyyy.  First, I have to give credit where credit is due.  My mom and dad sent me a package of cold weather items and included some Halloweeny knickknacks. AND my mom sent me my favorite cookies! Snickerdoodles! I think that's the best thing I've gotten out here besides a stronger testimony!  Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Monday: Hermana Swapp and I got home from P-day/Halloween activities and made cookies from a Halloween cookie kit her mom sent us (see photo). Thank, Mama Swapp!  

Tuesday: We helped a member named D R clean out her apartment for her move.  After that, we went to the doctor for my toe.  It was still really swollen and painful. Hna. Swapp and I had come fun in the room while we waited (see photo)! The toe isn't broken so that's pretty neat. 

Wednesday: I had my second interview with President and Sister Brough.  I just love them! I feel very blessed to be able to receive guidance and council from such inspired and loving people. I've been getting down on myself about a few things, especially the language.  President Brough encouraged me to be patient. That's my Christlike attribute I'm working on, and it's tough. I'm very humbled. We ate dinner with the Johnsons who are newlyweds.  They are so great. It's fun to interact with members who are close to our age.

Thursday: We had the opportunity to eat lunch with Sister M and to talk about member missionary work.  She's incredible and has already helped plant seeds with her neighbor who isn't a member. After lunch, we grabbed some clippers to help out L (I mentioned her last week). It was raining so we had to hold off for a bit.  Kentucky rain showers are amazing. We left Leann's and went to dinner at Logan's Roadhouse with Brother S (see photo). We love him!  He was a marine in the Korean war.  He told us about his family, and we had a fun time talking together. 

Friday: We traveled again to New Albany, IN for Zone Meeting.  Our Zone Leaders are GOAT.  Elder Moyer and Elder Jolly.  We learned about "We Invite, They Commit, We Follow Up."  It was a really inspired training. No soft commitments! We got to go out to lunch with the APs (I promise we do a lot more than just eat) and then came home for exchanges with the Hermana Training Leaders (Spanish Sister Training Leaders).  I went with Hermana Castillo in Shelbyville and Hna. Swapp stayed in our area.  Hna. Castillo is very sweet and soft spoken.  She's an amazing missionary.  We ate with some members in her ward, the N.  Brother N was raised in a different religion and his story is incredible.  This church--Christ's church He established during His ministry--is true.  I know it and feel it with all of my heart.

Saturday: During exchanges, we helped Sister S set up for an event she was hosting.  At noon, we had an appointment with one of their investigators.  It was so incredibly powerful and spiritual.  M was attentively listening as we shared the story of Joseph Smith.  She said "I have never heard that before. I've been going to church for 12 years and I have never heard that."  You could see her mind opening up and the Spirit witnessing to her that our message was true.  She is so prepared.  I've never seen someone so ready to accept our message.  I'm so excited for what is to come for her and her family.  We ended our exchange and headed back to Louisville.  When we got back, we discussed what we should do for the area.  We felt inspired to go to the P's house.  After our short visit, we went out to TWE (Talk With Everyone) and stopped to talk to a group of people having a little fire in their yard.  A lady named A came up to the fence to talk.  She expressed her appreciation for our efforts and then said "You need to get in your car and go home.  This area is unsafe.  Don't go into the city. Just get home."  Needless to say, we were a little uneasy hearing that.  At 4am, we woke up to gunshots and car lights. We were paralyzed in our beds!  It was nuts, but we called Pres. Brough the next morning and basically said "Welcome to Louisville." Haha!  We know that our area is a little rough, but we also know that if God needs us here, we will be watched over and taken care of.  Don't worry! 

Sunday:  We had a great lesson in our Spanish GP class. After church we stayed at the building and studied our little hearts out.  It was great! We broke our fast with Hawaiian Haystacks at the Gosnell home.  We love them and the spirit we feel in their home.  It's so great to get to know these wonderful wonderful members. 

I love you all and I love this work! Adios!

​"The Hope of God's Light" ​https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-07-006-the-hope-of-gods-light?lang=eng

Not broken

Dinner with Brother Schumacher 

Exchanges

Kentucky trees❤️

Sent from my iPad

Week2

Hola and Happy Halloween!

This week has been relatively slow, but we've stayed busy with
contacting and TWEing (Talking With Everyone).  Missionary work is
HAAAAARD, but it's so rewarding. We've had some really nice dinner
appointments with members of the ward. Now that I'm a missionary, I
realize how important and helpful it is to be fed! First and foremost,
it's so great to get to know members and then see them on Sunday. It
helps make connections and build relationships, but you all already
knew that! On Sundays Hermana Swapp and I attend the Gospel Principles
Spanish class in the ward. It's the best but the WORST because I don't
understand what they're saying. I have to keep reminding myself that
I'm only 8 weeks into learning Spanish. Thankfully, Hna. Swapp is
really encouraging and tells me that my Spanish is actually really
good for 8 weeks. Whenever we meet Hispanic, they're pretty impressed
by how much I know. I know it's not possible without the gift of
tongues and God's help. I am nothing without Him.

Something really neat happened last night! We were out TWEing after
our dinner appointment with the P family, and we saw some people
outside. I spoke with a gentleman on his porch, but he wasn't
interested. I walked away and saw a lady walking to her car with some
bags. She seemed a little bothered by me at first, but I continued to
talk to her and told her we were out looking for people to help. Very
sincerely, she said she needed help trimming some hedges in her yard.
The look on her face when I told me we would love to help was so
humble and sweet. She's single and works 13 hours a day. I'm so
looking forward to seeing her and serving her.

I had a little accident earlier this week. The sister missionaries
found a man in his yard raking leaves, and they offered to help. He
wanted us to come back on a different day in work clothes. His name is
B, and he's the sweetest man! We raked leaves, black walnut
shells, and plums from his yard. The second day helping him, a little
big boulder lining his yard got misplaced, rolled down off of the curb
and onto my big toe.  Within a few minutes, my nail bed was purple. It
did not feel great. I heated up a needle and put it through my nail to
relieve the pressure. Oodles of blood. They might take the foot. Just
kidding. I've been taking good care of it, Mom. Don't worry!

In my studies, I've been reading a lot about the Atonement in personal
study. I'm so grateful that I can promise people more blessings and
happiness than they can imagine by applying the Atonement to their
lives. The message we share is so special. I know that through Christ,
I can repent every day and become like Him. I invite you all to apply
the Atonement every day. "Try a little harder to be a little better."
I promise that He will help lighten your burdens and that you will
receive blessings of comfort and strength.

Holy smokes! What is this?! A nomination??? I'm overwhelmed! That is
so unbelievable.  Thank you so much for sharing that! My mom is going
to freak out! :)


Hermana Boyson


Hermana Swapp and me making chicken pot pie Hot Pockets. Groooooss.