Monday, August 24, 2015

Elder Bos

3/9/2015

Hello everyone!  

I was going to send you pictures of the District P-day that we had last week but I forgot my camera cord...But I will tell you right now that it was the most beautiful place I have ever been.  It is called Rhossili Bay.  I was blown away by how nice it was.  We had a really powerful testimony meeting out there.  I loved it.

On Tuesday Elder Lowe and I drove to Birmingham to receive training from President and Sister Rasmussen.  It was a great meeting.  It was focused on us making more detailed lesson plans and having more spiritually uplifting studies that focus on our investigators and their needs.  On Thursday we had Zone meeting and gave the same training to the missionaries in our Zone.  It went very well.  

We were also told this week that we would be moving flats so we have been packing up ours and getting ready to move everything.  We don't know where we are going yet but we hope that it's close.  We find out tonight if one of us leaves.  My prediction is that Elder Lowe will.  He has been here for 6 transfers which is just over 8 months.  I would be very surprised if he stayed.  

I was on an exchange with Elder Magda this week.  I went to their area which in a different part of Swansea.  It went well...except I think I broke my nose.  ha  So...I was jumped..just kidding.  That would have been a less embarrassing story.  I was doing pull ups on a bar that you hook onto the doorframe.  While pulling myself up, it unhooked itself, and all of the force that I was using to pull myself up came down and hit me right in the nose with the bar.  It hurt really bad and there was a lot of blood but I am okay!  ha  Elder Magda sure thought it was hilarious.  

It was Elder Thompson's and Elder Harris' last Sunday yesterday and the ward sang them a Welsh song called, "We'll keep a Welcome."  It was a beautiful song and I don't think I've ever heard anything like it.  What a great tradition!    I am going to miss serving with them.  They are fantastic missionaries. 

This week is going to be great.  I can feel it.  I hope that you have a great week as well!  I love all of you!  Zai Jian!


3/16/2015

I feel like a lot has happened this week.  On Monday night we got the call telling us what was going to happen for transfers.  Elder Lowe was sent to Harbourne which is near Birmingham.  And I was sent Elder Debeikes from Thousand Oaks, California.  I was sad to see Elder Lowe go but Elder Debeikes is an awesome missionary.  We get along great.  

The few days before transfers were crazy.  Elder Lowe and I had to wake up early for a few days just so that we could prepare our flat to close down.  We lost one team in Swansea and we were moved into their flat.  So on the actual transfer day I had to spend time with a couple of missionaries in the flat organizing and cleaning it. It was really hard because we had all of our stuff plus what was in the flat when we got there.  But for the most part it was ready for when Elder Debeikes came in.  

Shaun and Caitlin and doing better than ever.  We had a really good Family Home Evening with them on Monday.  They asked us to do the lesson so that they would know how it works.  We are going again tonight and this time Shaun will be teaching us.  I am very excited. 

On Thursday we were told by Shaun that his brother Jack wanted to speak with us.  Jack is 13 and was almost baptized when he was 9.  He ended up canceling it the day of the Baptism.  He brought a friend with him and both of them were asking some good questions.  Shaun brought them to Church on Sunday and they seemed to enjoy it.  Our goal is to get them involved in youth so that they have a good set of friends.  

We also did a lot of stop bys with investigators this week so that Elder Debeikes could meet them.  

There was really cool miracle in the District a few days ago.  The team that was sent out left an investigator with the other Elders.  On Friday while meeting with him they felt prompted and invited him to be baptized the next day.  And guess what?  He was! It was an amazing story and I'll have to tell you the rest of it another day.  

Here's my new address by the way!
65 Gelli Rhyden
Fforestfach
Swansea SA5 4BD
Wales

Ta for now!


4/3/2015

This past week may have been the most beautiful week I have seen on my mission.  It was sunny all week and I now have an awful neck tan.  Just what I have always wanted!  ha  

We had Mission Leadership Council in Birmingham on Tuesday.  It was a very uplifting and inspiring meeting.  It focused on our 3 main invitations.  Church, Prayer, and Reading the Scriptures.  

On Thursday we were going to have our Zone Meeting at the church but there were people there working on the Electric...Soooo we decided to change it up and have the meeting outside in the sunny weather.  It turned out great.  We pulled the tables, chairs, and whiteboard outside and then we had the piano in the doorway.  I'm pretty sure that half of the zone now has a sunburn but I have never seen so many happy missionaries.  It was great.  

After Zone Meeting I went on an exchange with Elder Kezele.  He stayed in Swansea with me while Elder DeBeikes and Elder Roundy went to Merthyr Tydfil.  I really enjoyed the exchange.  He is one of the most diligent missionaries in the mission.  He goes home in 3 months and is still very motivated.  I learned a lot from him.  

We have been meeting with Shaun and Caitlin everyday so that we can read through the whole Book of Mormon with them before she is baptized.  They have officially set the date for their wedding!  They are getting married on June 20th!   And the following weekend Caitlin will get baptized.  We are so excited!   

Janine has been doing really good.  She came to conference last week with a whole list of questions.  The first one that she had was about fear and why the scriptures always tell us to fear God.  She loved Elder Bwednar's talk!  It was perfect for her.  We even watched it again with her during a lesson and she told us that it helped even more the second time.  

We had our mini missionary aka Assistant Roberts with us all last week.  It was a lot of fun.  Hopefully he will be putting in his papers at the end of May.  

I can't think of anything else to talk about right now...I was planning on sending pictures but I grabbed the wrong camera cord.  Awkward right?   I'll just send them next week.  I love all of you and want all of you to know that I love my mission.  I love proclaiming God's simple truths.  The Church is true.  I know that and if you do not know that, today is the day to find out!  

With Love, 
Elder Bos


5/4/2015

This past week we went to a mission wide conference in Birmingham.  Two General Authorities came and talked with us.  It was a very powerful conference.  And it only strengthened my testimony that there are people here ready to hear about the Restored Gospel.  I know that with all of my heart and I want to promise all of you that I will do everything I can to find them.  These last 8 months will be my best yet.  

I also have a challenge for everyone.  That is to prayerfully identify someone that you can give a Book of Mormon to.  Not only that but include your testimony it.   

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  I know that it was translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith and that abiding by it we may gain a stronger testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  The only way for people to come to know this for themselves is through study and prayer.  I encourage everyone to take up Moroni's challenge in Moroni 10: 3-5.  I promise that you and those you give this to will receive an answer.  

I love all of you.  Have a great week!  


6/8/2015

Hey Everyone!

I haven't sent a group email in a long time so there is a lot that I
need to catch up on.

I was moved a couple of weeks ago from Swansea, Wales.  I am currently
serving with an Elder Ross in Nottingham, England!  And before anyone
asks, No I have not seen or met Robin Hood... But he does have quite a
few people running around pretending to be him.

This week we drove to Birmingham for our monthly meeting with
President and Sister Rasmussen.  This was their last Mission
Leadership Council and it was very powerful.  It was definitely an
inspired meeting.  Sister Rasmussen gave a great training that was
based off of the Good Samaritan and "Talk With Everyone" from Preach
My Gospel.  I won't type out everything that she trained on but I will
tell you a couple of things that stuck out to me.

1.  We must all pray for the Spiritual sensitivity to recognise opportunities
to share the Gospel.  She gave the example of Sister Teixeira who was
found by missionaries on their P-Day.  Her Brother was baptised and
the missionaries went visit with him and to play a few games.  While
there they struck up a conversation with her and not long after she
was baptised.

2.  When we pray for missionary work, we should not pray for people to
be prepared, but pray that missionaries have the desire to find them.
The Lord already has people prepared.  We just have to have the desire
and faith to find them.  When Sister Rasmussen was training on this a
talk popped into my mind.  It's called, "Conversion of a Catholic" by
Bill Carpenter.  You'll know how it applies if you have heard the
talk.  If you haven't heard it then I suggest you listen to it because
it is fantastic.

 President Rasmussen gave some great training on helping our
investigators Open the Windows of Heaven.  Everything he spoke about
are principles that we have heard before but are also things that we
sometimes forget.  3 of the Principles that he spoke about are
attending church, reading the scriptures daily, and praying daily.  It
was fantastic but what stuck out to me most was the final scripture
that he shared with us which was, 3 Nephi 17.

On Thursday we had Zone Meeting which went well. The Zone here is very
focused and a lot of great things are happening.

On Sunday we had a Stake conference broadcast from Scotland. Elder
Holland was presiding. It was so amazing. He spoke on the Book of
Mormon and how he would die before denying the truthfulness of it.  It
has really pumped me up and I am so excited to see him this Thursday!
For those of you who don't know. Jeffrey R. Holland, who is a member
of the Twelve Apostles, will be coming to our mission to speak with
all of us. We will each have the opportunity to shake his hand and
speak with him. I am so excited!

Anyway, I am loving the work out here. I can see the Lord blessing me
left and right. Expectations are being raised and miracles are being
seen.

I love all of you and hope that you have a great week!


6/22/2015

Hey everyone!  

It has been one of the busiest weeks of my life this week!!! But it was absolutely amazing and worth every effort!!! We had loads of running around to do and we had one of our investigators have her wedding this last Saturday. She asked Elder Ross to play the Piano at the wedding and asked me to be an Usher.  I got to stand at the door and signal the Bishop and the piano for her entrance.  It was an honour to be able to help out with all of the things on their special day! We ended up being the catering service doing everything from Serving food to washing dishes to cleaning tables and just making things run smoothly. I had no idea we were going to be doing all of that so it was a nice surprise to be able to offer so much help! They were incredibly grateful for all the help we gave them and couldn't thank us enough so it was nice to be appreciated. It was my companion and I and the Sister missionaries helping for the afternoon with everything and we all made a great team!!! 

The downside to this week was that an Elder in our zone was in a bike wreck on Wednesday evening.  He hit his head pretty hard on a kerb and had memory loss for a couple of days.  He also had a few bones in his wrist go out of place and they pinched a nerve that was causing a lot of pain.  On Thursday, I went to the hospital and took his companions spot so that he could get some rest.  I was there all day.  It was the perfect time to just sit and read the scriptures while he rested.  Just to speed up this story, he had surgery on Saturday and was released from the hospital yesterday.  He is still in pain but is recovering well.  He is a huge Tongan and a Pro Rugby player.  I was on an exchange with him the day before it happened and he literally did 100 pushups in a row to warm up for our morning exercises.  I even got it on video.  He's a legend.  His companion is also Tongan and also a pro rugby player. Insane right?  

The work is getting better and better each week.  We have been seeing a lot of cool miracles within the zone.  The teams are really stepping up and working hard.  This last week we decided to go finding in a new area and it was great.  We went to a huge square that has fountains all around it and we would just walk over and sit next to people and teach them.  One person that we did talked to was from Italy and she used to meet with missionaries all the time!  She will be here for 2 more months and will meet with us as much as she can.  

I don't have much more to say for this week.  I love you all!  Bye!


8/3/2015

I am still smiling ear to ear because of what happened yesterday!  So
we have always struggled getting members out to help us teach
investigators.  But this last week we invited a Hungarian member to go
with us to visit a Polish family.  He did and unfortunately the lesson
didn't last long because one of the kids had to go to the doctor.  But
yesterday, during Testimony meeting, he got up and bore an extremely
powerful testimony.  He said, "I went out with the missionaries and I
saw the confidence that they have in their message, and I say
happiness.  But I also felt impressed that they need our help and that
we aren't doing enough.  It is just as much our responsibility as it
is theirs."  It was so amazing and he finished by bearing a simple but
powerful testimony.  Following his testimony, quite a few converts
stood up and bore their testimonies.  It has been one of the best
Testimony meetings I have ever been to.

Later we were in Priesthood and we were asked during opening exercises
if we had any announcements.  We just simply asked everyone to let us
know if they are available this week.  Right away a Member told us, so
that everyone could her, that he would make time this week to go with
us.  That is exactly what needed to happen because I really feel that
encouraged others to do the same.  By the end of church we had loads
of people approaching us, telling us when they are free, and how they
could help.  I am stoked to see where this week goes.  We needed this
sort of spark and it is finally here.

I also went on three exchanges this week.  It was a chaotic week.  I
was with Elder Lowe from Tuesday to Wednesday, Elder Lawson from
Wednesday to Thursday and Elder Magda from Friday to Saturday.   I
really enjoyed the time that I had with each one of them.

I really don't have much more to tell.  The rest of my week was good.
I had a really cool dinner appointment this week with a lady named
Priya.  She is from Sri Lanka.  We ate curry...with our hands!  ha  It
is a traditional thing in her country so we went with it.  It was
great.

Yeah...have a great week!  Love you!