Farm Animals and Faith in the Book

Hiiiiii!

¿Cómo han estado? We did a lot of service this week! It was my first
week helping out Steve on his farm. Holy moly. It was interesting. He
has hogs, an emu, goats, sheep, deer, and bison. I'm probably missing
an animal or two. Steve is really great. He's rough and tough, but
towards us he's a teddy bear.

We serve at the food bank now! It's a great way to make a positive
name for ourselves in the community. We have a good time running
around filling orders. :)

We found a lot of part-members and less-actives this week, so we were
able to get to know them better and offer service. We met Jesse and
his wife and family. They're so sweet! His wife, Elizabeth, is so
cool. Both of them were really open with us and allowed us to get to
know them. We get to go back and plant some lavender for them. Yay!

Our investigators, Kyle and Megan, are progressing. We're hoping to be
able to teach them more in the next few lessons. They have some hold
ups on the Book of Mormon, and they're devoted believers in the Bible.
They know it very well. It's intimidating! I love the Bible. I just
don't know it well at all. And there are so many out there! Teaching
them has given me a greater love and testimony of the Book of Mormon.
Through multiple translations, precious truths are lost. Through the
Book of Mormon, we have the fulness of the gospel. We have answers to
the questions of the soul. We know perfectly how to find lasting
happiness here on earth and how to make it back to our Heavenly
Father. I love this book!

I am grateful every day to be able to do the Lord's work. It's hard
out here, but this time I have been given to be a missionary is a
blessing. I love it!

Con amor,
Hermana Boyson

Christmas in May! Hermano Howard and his wife bought us Sam's Club!

Eddie! Our pet possum got out and now look at him! (*Not our pet possum. Don't worry, Mom.)

esus wants you to succeed! He knows you and loves who you are and who you're becoming ❤️ 

Chicos malos. 

Indiana and The Iron Rod

Hola, mi familia y mis amigos!

Hello from Indiana! New city, new companion, new adventures!

I have only been here for six days, and I already love it so much! It's a lot different than Paris. Not as much of a small town feel, but still beautiful, green, and friendly. 

My companion is so amazing! She's almost 25, so we have a lot in common. She has her Bachelors from USU so we're both old ladies. She's happy to be with me so that she's not the oldest one anymore haha! She's a really good missionary. She teaches really well and has a genuine love for the people she serves. We just laugh and laugh every day! I feel so grateful that Heavenly Father has allowed me to serve here with her. I have been so blessed with such great companions.

We've had some great things happen here so far. We had a breakthrough with Carolina. She hasn't been very friendly to the missionaries here, but this week she allowed us to walk with her to the Mexican store. She's really sweet. We're hoping to become better acquainted with her through service. 

We met with Kyle and Megan this week. They are referrals from the Zone Leaders. They are so amazing! We were able to answer their questions and taught The Restoration through our answers. They have two little kids who are dang cute. When they told us that they set aside every Tuesday night to spend time together as a family, Hermana Parra and I about fell off our chairs. They're so prepared!

We taught Victor whose wife is a member. He's super cool. He's from Puerto Rico and has the coolest accent! We knew that he'd been approached by missionaries before, so Hermana Parra felt impressed to approach him differently by asking him if we could practice teaching a lesson to him. He had a lot of great questions and said that he's willing to have us back to teach him more. Yay!

I have been studying Lehi's vision of the tree of life and what Nephi was able to see as well. As I have studied, I have learned a lot more about the rod of iron. The iron rod represents God's word. This includes the scriptures, inspired words from prophets and other church leaders, and personal revelation. As we hold to the rod, we are kept from the mists of darkness, or temptations of Satan such as pornography, seeking the acceptance or praise of others, addictions, selfishness, greed, being envious of others, failing to pray and study the scriptures, excessive use of electronic entertainment, excessive participation in any activity or sport, dishonesty, and following what everyone else does. 

As we take the time to armor ourselves against the adversary, we are able to receive the blessings that come from the Atonement. We allow ourselves to learn more about Jesus Christ and our purpose here on earth. 

Alma 32:24

"For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."

Love y'all!

Hermana Boyson

That is a shelf cloud which is a great indication of a tornado. We barely missed it. Blessed. 🌪

This is a real pharmacy. And a soda shop. 😕

Strawberries and Sunny Walks

Feliz lunes!

This hermana is gettin' out of dodge! I'm getting transferred to
Corydon, Indiana, and I'll be serving with Hermana Parra! I'm so sad
to be leaving Paris! The last 4.5 months have been filled with so much
growth! I have been blessed to have served here with Hermana Starling
and Hermana Rodriguez, and I've seen many miracles because of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. The members have been wonderful. I have homes
away from home with many of them. They have taken such good care of
us. I will miss them dearly.

Betsy is professing and loving the blessings that the gospel is
providing. She is so humble and teachable and is well on her way to
baptism. I'm going to really miss teaching her and getting to know her
more. Buena suerte, Betsy! Le quiero!

I read this during studies this week and wanted to share it. It
brought me a lot of peace to be reminded that when we make a mistake
or commit a sin, we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to turn
toward Him and allow the Atonement of His Son to change us.
"Of all the principles taught by prophets over the centuries, one that
has been emphasized over and over again is the hopeful and
heartwarming message that mankind can repent, change course, and get
back on the true path of discipleship.
That does not mean that we should be comfortable with our weaknesses,
mistakes, or sins. But there is an important difference between the
sorrow for sin that leads to repentance and the sorrow that leads to
despair."

My new address is
2250 Heritage Way NW #4
Corydon, IN 47112

💕 and 🐴
Hermana Boyson

Our recent convert, Angie. We went for a walk and enjoyed the nice day! ☀️

District lunch 🍴 Pioneers!

We sent this to Betsy when she didn't hear our knock ✌🏼 😁 

HRod and me with Hermano López and Betsy ❤️

Our Mario party! He ate with us on Mother's Day, and he sang to us. Haha!

Always Dreaming....about new investigators

Hi, y'all!

We've been so blessed this week with new opportunities! 

Betsy is doing great!  She enjoyed her first time at church and is anxiously engaged in our lessons. She agrees with everything we have taught so far, including the law of chastity and the Word of Wisdom. Everything makes sense to her, and her progress is amazing. During our lesson on Saturday, we forgot to start out by following up with her on her reading. While we were teaching, she applied what she had read in Helaman to what we taught about pray, studying the scriptures, and attending church. She's just so INCREDIBLE! Pray that she will be able to continue to progress and that she'll be ready for baptism. We're hoping that she'll be willing and ready to move up her baptismal date to this month. We think she'll be ready!

Amiee is doing really well! Sadly, she was pretty sick this week, so we weren't able to see her. We communicated through Messenger, and when we checked up on her reading, she said "What I have read, I love. It's simple and makes sense. P.S. Joseph Smith is AWESOME! I believe!"  We were ecstatic! We invited her to watch "Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration" while she's sick in bed, and she committed to watch it. We love seeing how this is all coming together for her. She has been deeply confused about which religion is true, distraught about what some religions preach, and discouraged about not having conviction in one. We know that she has been prepared to accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ through her experiences. Although she has been struggling with disbelief, the simplicity and truthfulness of our message is bringing her the happiness and clarity that she's been searching for throughout her life.

We had a cool experience playing basketball with two teenagers, Devon and Jacob. I use the word "playing" very loosely here. We had been trained on different ways to find people, and playing basketball with people was one way that missionaries have been successful. Go figure! So we played with these little fellas in the rain and taught them about the plan of salvation. It was so great! But my basketball skills weren't. 

I have started the Book of Mormon this week, and this time I am really diving into it. I was reading in 1 Nephi 1:20about the tender mercies of the Lord. Elder Bednar said this about tender mercies. "The Lord's tender mercies are very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ." 

I invite you all to look for the tender mercies in your own lives and as you read in the Book of Mormon. "The Lord's tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Faithfulness, obedience, and humility invite tender mercies into our lives, and it is often the Lord's timing that enables us to recognize and treasure these important blessings." 

Hearts & Horses,

Hermana Boyson  

Derby week! Some of the Sisters in our zone at Zone Conference. 

After we played basketball with Devon and Jacob, we felt like Utes basketball players ⛹ 🏀 

We tried to prank the Elders on Cince de Mayo by telling them they had to dress up or they would offend our Hispanic members. They caught on, so we left them a dead snake and Revelation 12:9. 🐍😏

Best Grandma Ever!

HOLA!

It's been a fantastic week, y'all! Hermana Rodriguez threw me my very own doble quinceañera. I found a poofy dress from Goodwill. The sleeves made the dress. My theme was 

"High School Musical", so our front room looked like a miniature East High School. It was amazing! I 

received an outpouring of love all week, and I can't express my gratitude in words. It was so sweet to hear

from all of those who sent cards, gifts, emails, and posted on Facebook. 

The Elders gave me a gift that says "Best Grandma Ever." It was hilarious! 

We have had great success this week! We had a POWERFUL lesson with our investigator, Amiee. She is the most prepared person I've taught. 

She told us that she wanted a book that has been translated once because she is discouraged by the New World translation of the Bible. 

She prayed to know how to come closer to God and if there was a true church, send her someone to teach her. The next day, we showed up while looking for a less-active. She is just amazing! 

She will greatly benefit from the gospel of Jesus Christ. She has had many things happen in her life such as losing her mother in a car accident. She will be baptized on the 20th anniversary of her death. 

It's just awesome to see how she is accepting and loving our message.

Our investigator, Betsy, came to church on Sunday and really enjoyed it! The Rama Camino is so very welcoming to newcomers. The member who picked her up shared a lot about his conversion and how he has been blessed by the gospel. 

Betsy is always anxiously engaged in our lessons and fully participates. She's so great! 

I finished the Book of Mormon for the first time on Saturday! I'm embarrassed that it has taken place at age 30, but I guess that there's no time like the present. 

I have always had a belief in the Book of Mormon, but reading it to completion has brought me to another level of conversion. I love this book and the power that is found on its pages.

I am really looking forward to diving into it more deeply in my mission and after.

​Hearts and horses,

Hermana Boyson​

Celebrating with a High School Musical theme is the only way to turn 30.

We tried to recreate the cover of High School Musical. Crushed it!

Exchanges with Sister Endemann. 😎 

We found this sign at Goodwill, but the homemade signs are waaaaay better!

Service! Thanks for the shirt, Mom and Dad!

Feliz doble quinceañera! Thanks to my girls for the great day! Bless your hearts! ❤️

Hola, mi familia y mis amigos

Hola, mi familia y mis amigos! Tuvimos una semana increíble! Tenemos 14 investigadores! 

This week in Paris has been wonderful! We exceeded our goal for finding new investigators and had great lessons with a lot of them. We taught a lesson about courage to the youth at Youth Night and had a few dinner appointments with members. It was so great! We are seeing a lot of success here, especially as the weather gets warmer and warmer. 

I love Kentucky. ❤️ The people here are wonderful. We have some solid investigators who the Lord has prepared, and we feel very directed as we plan our days and then go out and do His work. 

We found Betsy in Cynthiana. Had it not have been for a cancelled lesson, we wouldn't have found her. She's here visiting her parents for a couple of months. We taught her The Restoration and set a baptismal date for June 3! She leaves less than two weeks after her baptism, so we feel so blessed that the Lord helped us to find her. 

While we were trying to find a potential at a horse farm, we were directed by one of the workers to the wrong house. As we started to drive away, I felt prompted to knock the house. We found Graciela and her 9-year-old daughter, Alexa. She is so darn cute! We taught them the first lesson, and Alexa loved it! We are hoping to help them progress this upcoming week. 

This Friday is my 30th birthday, and I'm not sure how I feel haha! Hermana Rodriguez is AWESOME and is throwing me a double quinceañera! We have an exchange that night with our STLs, Sister Endemann (I served with her in Arcadia) and Sister Honey, so they'll be here to celebrate with me! Although some days are difficult, this is the hardest fun I've ever had. I love doing the Lord's work. This gospel provides lasting happiness and security from the evils of the world. It helps me to feel complete and loved. I know that Christ lives. Through repentance, we can be freed from the sins that cause us to be spiritually separated from God. I feel so incredibly blessed to be a 30-year-old missionary because I get to share the good news every day! 

Have a happy week, y'all!

💕 & 🐴 

Hermana Boyson

El burro...sabe más que tú. 

I held a TARANTULA! 

The Great Lexington North Zone in the GKLM.

Servicio and Cinco Investigadores Más

Hello, everyone!

It's been an excellent week here in Paris! Hermana Starling and I said
our goodbyes on Tuesday. I only cried twice (in public)! Meeting my
new companion was so great! Hermana Rodriguez is from Tucson, AZ.
She's been out almost eight months. She is one of the sweetest people
I know. We've seen a lot of success together in only six days. We now
have five new investigators! FIVE! We have some really great
investigators right now. Juan R., Juan M., and Efrain are our most
promising. They all have amazing stories and are so prepared! Efrain
was taught by missionaries here in Paris 10 years ago. All of his
family are Mormon! What the?! The Spanish Elders who were teaching him
were whitewashed, and a set of English Elders came in. Efrain couldn't
understand them, so they lost contact. He has been attending another
denomination because the service is in Spanish, but he doesn't like
it. We had a really cool lesson with him. He shared a lot of things
and kept saying that he usually doesn't share this much about his
life, but he felt peace with sharing it with us. We're really excited
to bring the gospel to him again!

On Wednesday, we were able to help our Bishop's wife weed her yard and
put down mulch. We worked from 11-6:15. It was great! We had heard all
day that there was some very severe weather coming our way in the
evening. While we were out proselyting, we found a woman named Bertha
(She happens to be Efrain's daughter!). We started sharing a message
with her when we received a message from our district leader to get
inside and take cover--President's orders! We hurried to our apartment
and ten minutes later we heard the tornado siren blaring. It was
thundering and lightning and pelting rain! It was so awesome! Luckily
no tornados hit Paris, but it was a thrilling night!

Thursday was spent working in Winchester where we found our new
investigators, Juan M. and his son, Inmer. Juan is awesome. When we
told him we live in Paris, it reminded him of a movie he saw about a
criminal who fled to Paris, France. I didn't understand that it was a
movie, so I was freaked out as to why he was talking about guns and
drugs and taking a woman with him out of the country. He acted out the
entire movie and did so for 30 minutes. It was pretty entertaining
when I realized that it was only a movie! After that, we had intended
to have a drop lesson with Teresa. After talking with her she said
that she's been waiting for us to read the beginning of the Book of
Mormon with her and to share more about baptism. Hna. Rodriguez asked
me about it, and all I could say was "I had no idea!" Man, having a
language barrier is a killer! Haha! She still isn't able to go to
church. She babysits her niece and nephew on Sundays, and their dad
won't let them go to church. We're trying to think outside of the box
to get her to church so that she can progress.

We had the opportunity to help clean up the Rose Hill Church cemetery
on Saturday in Carlisle which is about 30 minutes away. It was great
to help out, and we got it cleaned up and looking nice in two hours.
We went looking for potential investigators and less-active members in
Carlisle while in the area. We pulled up to a member's home, but we
didn't get out. He had a no trespassing sign in his yard...

...Fast forward to Sunday at church. We were in the library before
sacrament meeting, and a gentleman walked in asking for a Book of
Mormon. We introduced ourselves, and he told us his name. He was the
member from Carlisle who had the no trespassing sign in his yard! We
looked at each other and both of our jaws dropped. We explained that
we tried visiting him, and he told us we could come another day! Fue
loco!

I have been using all of my personal study to read the Book of Mormon.
I love this book. It is the most correct book because it contains the
fullness of the gospel. It tells us exactly what we need to do in
order to have lasting happiness and to live a purposeful life. Over
and over it tells us to repent, and I know that through repentance we
can become Christlike. We can let go of the things that are keeping us
from having the Spirit in more abundance in our lives. We will be
given the strength to withstand the temptations that are put in our
paths. As we live the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are anchored so that
we won't be led astray.
Mormon 3:2 "2 And it came to pass that the Lord did say unto me: Cry
unto this people--Repent ye, and come unto me, and be ye baptized, and
build up again my church, and ye shall be spared."

💕 and 🐴
Hermana Boyson

So sad to see her go. She is beautiful inside and out. ❤️

Reppin' O-town! Gotta love my hometown! #ogdenmade

My new companion, Hermana Rodriguez! She's great! 😀