Dear family,
I can't believe it's only been a week (I suppose now eight days) since the new transfer has started. It feels like a lot has happened in a very short time and it's been unbelievable. My new district is great. Elder Nelson and Elder Petersen are doing really great work and have been very blessed already in their new transfer. They found a new investigator, A, that is progressing along at lightning speed. Elder Petersen is doing especially well in the transfer with a new companion. Elder Smith is also doing well.
We're all excited for a fresh start here in Olomouc. Last week duing his weekly letter to us President McConkie invited us to set some goals and a vision for this transfer. We did that in our companionships and also to a degree at district meeting. It was helpful for us to do that. I feel like we'll have the Lord's help this transfer, it will just be important for us to continually renew our commitment to serving Him.
We've put a focus this transfer on finding a couple of people from our vision and working with a couple of less-active members. We really feel the need to help L come back to activity this transfer and work with J so that he can progress. L was in a hospital for several months until the end of last transfer, when he was released and he came to church several weeks in a row. He's struggling to stay on the boat, though, so we want to try and help him come back. Last week we set the goal to with him to work on preparing for the Melchizedek Priesthood and to attend the temple, so we're hoping for progress there. J is a less-active member also on the vision that we had never had contact with until during priesthood session last weekend, when he suddenly walked into our building (I don't think that I had time to tell you about that last week). We also feel impressed to focus on finding from our vision families of four and YSA males that could strengthen the branch. We realize that after this transfer the year will already be half over!!
H is doing well. On Sunday he was ordained a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood and next Sunday he'll bless the Sacrament. We are excited for him! We have homework from our branch president to practice it with him.
L is not doing well on the health end of things. She's had cancer for many years and recently it's come back out of remission. Last week she started chemotherapy again. She has good days and bad days, but she's not doing to well. We're not certain how long her treatments will last, but it's very difficult for her. The branch is already reaching out very well, particularly the Relief Society president. We hope that she'll be well soon and that her health will remain good enough for her to be baptized.
I had a nice spiritual experience last week when I remembered something that happened almost ten years ago. I hadn't thought of this experience for a long time. In 2007 around the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows we went to Palmyra to see the Palmyra Pageant and some of the history there. We stayed for a couple of days, and one day we went into the Sacred Grove. I remember that we walked in and found a bench where we could sit together. We sang "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" and we had some time to think and pray. I remember feeling the Spirit very strongly and when the memory of this came back to me when teaching about the Restoration this week, I knew that in the forest where I stood in 2007 Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Yesterday I taught Elder's quorum and we talked about the great blessings that came from the knowledge about the First Vision. I'm grateful for such knowledge and that I get to share it!
We're facing some new challenges, but we're glad to be here in Olomouc. I've been sick for a couple of days (101.8 degree fevers aren't recommended, just in case you didn't know), but thank you for your love and support.
Love,
Elder Boyce
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