August 24, 2015 - In which the Lord hath granted me a son, as the saying goes

Dear family,

Last week, while not a banner week for finding or teaching results, was still a great week. I loved training and got a lot out of it. Not very many people stopped to talk with us last week, but it was still a good week.

J is doing pretty well. I mentioned last week, that though he didn't have a set baptismal date, he agreed to have a baptismal interview on Thursday. His interview was successful, and at the moment were mostly praying about how to help him accept a baptismal date. He's shared with us personally that he knows that baptism is the correct step eventually, and we don't want to just drill "You need to be baptized" every lesson, so we're trying to think of different ways to help him strengthen his faith and see how the gospel will bless him. We're going to try to get some other members involved with him to help him strengthen relationships with members that he might not talk to as often.

Sister D is doing really well. She's definitely at the critical stage where she's either going to be reactivated really soon or not for a long time. Lately she's realizing that she needs to change, which leads to interesting lessons because she's not quite certain how to deal with this knowledge at the moment. She's doing well, though, because she's continuing to study the gospel and the messages at church seemed this week to be tailored right at her. She wants us to talk about the atonement when we come next week, which we'll, of course, be happy to do :) As for other less-actives D isn't making a lot of progress right now. Last week the misisonary that baptized him came to visit and talked with D for a while about the Melchizedek Priesthood. We hope that it'll help him. President V also gave us a list of about 20 less-active members in Zlín to look for, which we spent a fair amount of time with last week. Not too much came out of it, but I think that it's a signal that he's trusting us a bit more... or testing us :)

We had Zone Conference last week and it was SO GOOD! President and Sister McConkie's trainings helped me a lot, especially as I've been applying them together. President McConkie talked about having a higher vision even when things are difficult and Sister McConkie taught us about prayer. I learned a lot that helped me personally We talked about the characteristics that we want to have when we become parents and then talked about how God perfectly fulfills each of those characteristics, and how since each of us as children of God are more than just His creations (like how the child of an architect is more than just the skyscraper that he designed), He wants to just to be involved in our lives. Sister McConkie's training helped me realize that God is already present in our lives, but I can talk to Him just as much as I could talk to my best friend. I've been trying to remember that as I pray since then it's been in a word wonderful. I feel like when I pray now that God is there, like a second companion! It's helped me to be better (you're more motivated to be better when God is walking with you side by side). It's helped me to do what President said, to have always have my eyes high, because when God is with me it's easy to remember that. I haven't felt like that 100% of the time since training, but it's helped me so much. I've been praying a lot more to involve God in the details of our work, and I know He's listening.

On Friday we were tracting the apartment building next to a less-active members home when they weren't able to talk to us, and we weren't get a lot of answers through the downstairs bell. I prayed that someone would talk to us, and before I could even start to say amen in my heart the bell crackled to life! I jumped about a foot in the air (Elder Page can testify of that) and then started to talk to them. I know that God is with us, and I'm so grateful.

Today were transfers! Elder Page is gone to Jihlava! I'm training a new missionary!! (I'm a dad, so to say.) I'm way out of time.

Love,
Elder Boyce