Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot and Humid

Hey, y'all!

It is hot, hot, hot here in KY right now! We saw many blessings this
week. We found 11 new investigators! I know that our Mission President
was inspired to push us to find new investigators because we have seen
the promised blessings.

Marisol is one of our new investigators, and she has the cutest little
girl. We actually dropped her because we couldn't get ahold of her.
After we sent her a drop message, she wanted us to come back! She is
our progressing investigator! We wanted one so badly, and the Lord
delivered. We taught her about The Plan of Salvation, and she was
really receptive to it. She really wants to learn and have a happy
family.

We went on two exchanges this week! I love working in different areas
with the hermanas here. I always learn something from each of them.
Our first exchange was with the Lex Oeste hermanas, and I got to work
with Hermana Corona here in Shelbyville. Hermana Corona has such a
cool personality. We got to teach Marisol after not seeing her for a
few weeks. It was a great lesson, and I truly felt the gift of tongues
as we taught her.

Our other exchange was with the LaGrange hermanas, and I got to work
in LaGrange with Hermana Gittins. She's a great missionary! We worked
our tails off in the heat. I've never been so sweaty in my life! Oh!
And I rode a bike for the first time on my mission (and probably for
the first time in years)! I looked like a baby deer taking its first
steps as I tried to get control of the handbags, but I eventually got
the hang of it.

On Saturday, I had the opportunity of going to the temple. Hermana
Wilkinson's recent convert, Israel, went to do baptisms for the dead
for the first time. It was so good to be in the temple and to feel of
the Spirit there. As we were walking out, I saw Hermano and Hermana
Howard. They are the couple from the Corydon Branch who gave us loads
of food and supplies from Sam's Club. It was so good to see them. It
made me a little trunky for Corydon.

We had a lesson with a member who struggles to get to church due to
health limitations.  Both Hermana Wilkinson and I had studied the
enabling and strengthening power of the Atonement, and it was the
lesson that this sister needed. One thing I know to be true is that
Christ's Atonement not only offsets death and sin, but it also allows
us to receive strength in challenging times. He suffered "pains and
afflictions and temptations of every kind", and He did it completely
alone in the Garden of Gethsemane so that He could know perfectly how
to help us.
Mosiah 24:14
"And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders,
that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in
bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me
hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do
visit my people in their afflictions."

Christ knows you, and He loves you.

💕 & 🐴
Hermana Boyson

Exchanges with Lex Oeste. Hermana Corona 👑 and Hermana Swapp, my
trainer. So fun to be back with her. ❤️

Before . . .

During . . . 

Aaaand after a long day of missionary work. 🚴 💧

My companion and I with Hermana Acireale and Hermana Rodriguez at the temple ❤️ 

Felicitaciones, Israel! (Israel is in the middle with a white shirt and striped tie)

Sunsets and Spiritual Gifts

Hey, y'all!

What a wonderful week! We found nine new investigators this week! Carmen came to church AND brought a friend with her! She said she feels good when she reads, but she couldn't completely describe it. We were like "That's the Spirit!" She understands everything she reads. She's just so great! 

We went on exchanges this week with the Highlands Sisters. I got to work in downtown Louisville. I love that city. I prayed that we would be able to see miracles as we worked together, and we found four new investigators! When we pray for miracles and do the work, the Lord delivers. He never shortchanges us. 

I gave a training last week on the spiritual gift of being quick to observe. My cute mom sent me an article in the mail about asking for spiritual gifts, and I really liked the gift of being quick to observe. In one of Elder Bednar's talks, he explained that in the scriptures, observe means to look, to see, or to notice and to obey or to keep. When we are quick to observe, we notice the people around us who need our help. Spiritual impressions come into our minds of those people who need us or of those people who are "perishing in unbelief . . . because they know not where to find [the truth]." 

I want to invite you all to pray for the gift of being quick to observe. This weekend as you prepare for the Sabbath day, pray for this spiritual gift and then reach out with love. Pray to be able to notice those who need the gospel in their lives. You will receive impressions of those in need of your goodness.

The Prophet Joseph Smith said “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.”

“Let the Saints remember that great things depend on their individual exertion, and that they are called to be co-workers with us and the Holy Spirit in accomplishing the great work of the last days.”

Love youins!

💕 & 🐴 Hermana Boyson

Feliz Cumpleaños, Hermana Espinoza! This day called for Kentucky Derby Pie. Muy delicioso!

Exchanges with Sister Allred! We sweat buckets. 

Demar with his sticker. I said "Hey, let's take a picture together!" My sunglasses made it!

Kentucky 🌅 

Servicio and Serpientes

Hey y'all!

Wowie! This week has been amazing and full of miracles! Our mission vision is to find, teach, and baptize, so our new push is to find one new investigator a day. Well, this week Hermana Wilkinson and I found 10 new investigators! We have been BLESSED! 

We had a lot of service opportunities this week as well. We helped a less-active family move in from Louisville. They have two teenagers and an 11-year-old. This house is full of sass! Haha! They have been going to a Pentecostal church because they didn't have a good experience in their ward. They are relatively recent converts, and we missionaries love them already. They are hilarious, and the mom cooks curry like nobody's business. 

We helped another family clean the soot off their interior walls. Holy moly! That was a lot of work, but we did in one day what would've taken them two weeks to do. Service is an amazing concept. I love this video "Lift" because it shows that through service, we find the better versions of ourselves. We love people through service, and they in turn feel their Heavenly Father's love for them. <https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-05-003-lift?lang=eng>

Our 4th of July was so much fun! I had MLC (Missionary Leadership Council) for the first time. Wow, it was a room full of powerful missionaries. I haven't felt The Spirit so strongly. There's a lot of love for this work and this mission, but most importantly for the people here who are "kept from the truth because they know not where to find it." 

After MLC, we had a lesson with Andres. He's doing really well! He feels a lot differently now that he has the gift of the Holy Ghost. We love teaching him because he's such a happy person. 

We spent the evening of the 4th of July with a family in our ward. We had mesquite smoked ribs, shrimp, and salmon. It was the best BBQ I've had. Texas Roadhouse has nothing on Brother Hurt's ribs. We played "Redneck Life" which is like The Game of Life and laughed the whole time. We watched fireworks and had a great time. We are so lucky to have great members who take care of us. 

On Friday, I celebrated 10 months! I'm out of the single digits, and I can't believe it! Time flies when you're having fun!

Love youins!

💕 & 🐴 Hermana Boyson

Sister Endemann and I after MLC. My favorite brown girl.

First MLC in the GKLM! Our new Mission President and his wife are on the left. 

Ssssssomeone wanted to hang with the missionaries. 

This girl has no fear...and then there's me. 🐍 

Elder Hemsley and Elder Iglinski in their patriotic ties. Elder Iglinski was our only casualty.

Rain, Rain, and Ripping Satan's Lips Off

Hey, y'all! 

Happy 4th of July! My second week in Shelbyville has been so great and pretty nuts. We set a goal to find seven new investigators. By Friday, we only had three. In district meeting that day, our district leader trained us on how to get a new investigator within five minutes of meeting him/her. He promised us that we would all reach our weekly goals if we'd apply what we learned. Well, Satan worked really hard to keep people from wanting to learn more. Every person we talked to refused to let us leave them with a prayer, and that's a key part of a lesson. It was insane to see how hard we were pushed. But! We ended up finding our seven new investigators this week. Woohoo!

We were tracting on Saturday evening and came across a guy named Charlie mowing his lawn. We talked to him for a bit, but he told us to move along. The rejection kept coming. Person after person. It started to rain, but we didn't have our jackets or umbrellas. As we were walking, Charlie passed us. He stopped for a moment and just looked at us until he asked if we were Jehovah's Witness. We cheerfully exclaimed "No, we're the Mormons!" He said "Wow, it must be pretty important what you're doing." He pulled out an umbrella and handed it to us. So cool. We definitely ripped Satan's lips off.

I had my first exchange, and it was with Hermana Espinoza. Wow! She's a powerful missionary. And wow, if I didn't know my Spanish was so bad before, I definitely knew it with her. She's a native speaker and she's learning English. It was tiring to speak Spanish the entire time, but it was necessary stretching.

The neatest thing that happened this week was seeing Andres' confirmation. The Spirit was so strong when he received the gift of the Holy Ghost. I know that it will be such a blessing for him as he continues to progress and come closer to the Savior. 

This week I was studying chapter 16 of 1 Nephi about the Liahona. The Liahona led Nephi and his family "in the more fertile parts of the wilderness." They suffered from hunger because of their bows. We have personal Liahonas in our day. We have patriarchal blessings, the scriptures and the words of the prophets, and the Holy Ghost. The Liahona worked only when they had humility, exercised faith and diligence, and prayed. For us now, in order to receive guidance, we need to recognize through humility, faith, diligence, and prayer our many blessings. 

Have a happy week! 

💕 & 🐴 Hermana Boyson

Exchanges with the La Grange Hermanas! Hna. Espinoza, me, Hna. Gittins, and Hna. Wilkinson

During our exchange, we painted nails at the assisted living facility. There I met Hazel, the sweetest lady with the cutest name. 

Ms. Lillian made us real Kentucky fried chicken. Take that, Colonel Sanders! 

Danna is back from Mexico! We got to tour our ward mission leader's farm together.

The most fearless kids you'll ever meet.