CHALMETTE CHRONICLES: CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Bonjour bodacious beloved,

Words do not describe this week. I think the feelings we get from the Spirit are truly indescribable because it gives us a glimpse of the flawless nature of heaven. I felt a bit of that this week as I had front row seats to the greatest miracle movie of the mission. Grab your overpriced popcorn and lean back ladies and gentleman because the elect are rampant, and its time.. for your friendly neighborhood edition of the CHALMETTE CHRONICLES: CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE. 

Y'all, finding the elect feels pretty good. I attribute nothing to myself, of course, but God has most certainly been really good to us. Remember those investigators that came to church a week or so ago and bore her testimony? Yeah, we about to write a weekly about their insane preparedness and awesomeness-

So, this past week has been pleasantly spent in the service of our fellow beings and our God. I think the token to finding prepared people.. is whether or not they feed you. As most of us, natural men and carnivores know, food is a delight. If they got refreshments, you're probably already there let's be honest. Yeah, missionary work is no exception to that rule- if Louisiana cuisine is involved, chances are you're gonna have a stupendous lesson with a spiritual frequency that just breaks the celestial radio charts. And subsequently, of course, this lesson did just that.

Over the course of this last week, we have been regularly meeting with this incredible couple. And let me just say, you know that scene in Hercules where all the stars align and Hades releases the Titans from Tartarus and they rampage the cute Italian village? Well, this was no clash of clans, but there was certainly some constellation constancy that made everything in this past week possible. Like I said, God has been so good, and in looking back on this week, his hand has never been so visible. 

So, President Farrell had a meeting with our investigator after church on Sunday.. and when we went over for dinner that night, he let us in on a little secret.. "she is ready for the next step." Now, this is coming from a guy I really respect and sustain, so you know I'ma take his word for it. He even said that he would've extended the invitation right then and there, but thought about us and left it at.. "the missionaries are gonna be talking to you about the next big step in your discipleship." Now if THAT doesn't have implications, I'll be darned! Naturally, we went into our lesson with a commitment in mind.

All good things start with good food. And there's even an underlying, "five loaves and two fish" miracle work in how they feed us, it's just all so incredible. We gave her the good 'ole Gospel of Jesus Christ along with a baptismal invite. SO, we're coasting through the lesson and teaching the principles.. and we have her watch the Children's Bible Video on baptism.. and then comes the invite: 

If there ever was a more golden response..

"Have you been baptized before?"

"Yes, but not in the fullness of the Gospel."

I'm sure you can only imagine how fast my jaw hit the floor. As directed by the Spirit I invited her and her fiancee to be baptized- and as they say in the Book of Mormon, "my joy was full." I felt so emotional, but in a way that could not be justified by tears. Like, I didn't even know how to respond.. but what I did know is that I really loved these people and desired their salvation. You know that moment where Ammon passes out in the Book of Mormon because of his godly joy? I can sympathize. My joy climaxed as she not only said yes.. but wanted to be baptized that Sunday with two of the kids the Spanish Elders have been working with. Yes, she has some sacrifices she needs to make.. but I can tell you that I have never seen someone so prepared for this Gospel. Like, honestly, we even started teaching her fiancee the Restoration. and she ended up teaching him about Joseph Smith and said, "pray about it tonight, honey. I know the Spirit will testify to you that this church is true." You'd think she was an RM (Returned Missionary) or something. :) 

So yeah, the two of them are miracles in my life and I know that I was meant to serve in Louisiana so that I could meet them. Missionary work is so exciting, is it not? My journal is traced with the penmanship of pure happiness. This week has really just got me so hyped to find more prepared people for this Gospel. They are out there, you just have to have a mind to find. :)

In other news, we celebrated the existence of one of my favorite Chalmettian humans- Brother Tony Hatcher. This guy does so much for our little branch, he is a minister to the max. He is basically a missionary, and as such, he consistently inquires where "his nametag" is. SO, naturally, the great minds that we are, we print him out a nametag.. frame it.. sign it..  and we think we are absolute geniuses. Well, little did we know... great minds truly think alike, because the sisters did essentially the same thing.  We even canoodled him into thinking we didn't even get him a cake.. so, when we arrived he was like, "you were supposed to make me a pineapple turnover cake"- but in reality, we had spent the past hour and a half scavenging through Walmart looking for maraschino cherries...  It was a surprise for all. Our investigators even came to his party and it was just a nice time to commemorate the wonderful man that he is. Once again, I love the people down here. I love this branch. I love the members and investigators alike.So much Louisiana lovin' Y'all.

Another highlight from this week: Elder Hernandez and I had the opportunity to go on exchanges in the Spanish area. Here's something quite delightful about the whole situation: the Spanish Elders have been tracting galore this past week, but alas, no fruits were found- consequently, they've been a bit down in the dumps, feeling hopeless about finding new people to teach- however, I was determined to show Elder Hernandez that anything is possible when you have exceeding faith. And we did just that.. we went tracting with our exceeding faith.. and found four new people to teach. MIRACLE CENTRAL. One of the highlights of the whole exchange (apart from unnecessarily walking five miles to an appointment that fell through, only to realize that we need to walk back to our car another five miles because walking around East New Orleans at night is really sketchy.) actually, came while street contacting. Now, I personally love talking to people on the street. I feel like when I come home, you won't be able to take me anywhere cause I will just want to talk to everyone I meet. #missionarystruggle. 

ANYWAYS, we walked by this lady who was brooding over two full garbage cans.. and upon closer look, we realize that they are packed full of concrete. We give her our friendly introduction, and she seems rather sheepish and standoffish.. so we proceed to give her our number and declare our willingness to serve and availability to do so. Well, things got awkward just then.. because she started crying. So, impulsively, the only thing I could think of doing was to shovel concrete with a dustpan from one garbage can to the other so as to give her a place to put her trash. Upon further conversation we find out that this was the third time she had to renovate her bathroom, and the people she hired just ripped the whole thing apart and left their mess outside for her to clean up- AND the sanitation engineers wouldn't take her big clonking concrete collection because it was so heavy, so she was left without a place to put her miscellaneous paper towels and banana peels. AND it turns out that the exact thing I ended up doing.. was the perfect epiphany to get her motivated about her trash cans again. We ended up leaving her with a smile on her face and a return appointment to continue talking about the Gospel. The words of our former prophet echoed through my mind during our entire encounter.. "never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." We had other appointments to get to on our way passing her house, but instead, we ministered to her needs and got a friend out of the whole situation. Love really can change the hearts of the people we meet. 

Well, Y'all I think that will conclude this week's CHRONICLES! I just want you all to know that this church is true. I know that. With all certainty of mind, I know that this is Christ's restored church in these latter days. I sustain a modern day prophet, President Russel M. Nelson. I know that he receives the revelation necessary to prepare us to meet our maker. This Gospel has brought a happiness unparalleled by anything this world can offer. I know this church is SO true. I hope you all have a great week and find ways to apply the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your lives. Stop and help someone unload their concrete. Bake a cake for your best friend. Be the smile someone needs in their day. ELDER BOYD AND YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER LOVE YOU!

With a jaunty juxtaposition of joy and gladness,

Elder Boyd

CHALMETTE CHRONICLES: CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Salutations random and familiar citizens alike, 

"Believe in yourself, and you're halfway there." I am a wholesome believer that every righteous endeavor can be accomplished and is entirely relative to the amount of belief one has in themselves. There is a great power in personal motivation that can defy the odds of pessimism and negative circumstance... You ever heard of that cheesy Pinterest quote.., "she said she could, so she did" or something like that? Well, like in all things, missionary work is halfway accomplished when one starts believing in themselves. Tough times never last, but tough people do, and if we truly press forward with complete confidence in our abilities, I will be the advocate that anything will render possible. #deepintros with Elder Boyd- this week has me feeling all philosophical. We had a great week and I can't wait to tell y'all about it in THIS WEEKS VERSION OF- CHALMETTE CHRONICLES: CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

A glorious event occurred on April 10th 1998. On this blessed day, a tender soul came into the world.. a gentle giant graced the Earth: Alexander Durham Carter. I am so grateful to know such an Elder, and this past week we were able to commemorate his stature with a surprise party. The plan was that I would connivingly discover his favorite cake and that we would convince him that we had to do, "service" with Brother Landers at a Chinese restaurant for a less active., and my only task was to secretly get him in the right place at the right time. I feel so proud of myself: we started with a 20 questions game.. "what's your favorite granola bar? Do you prefer long or short socks? What is your opinion of the economic recession of the mid-2000's? You know, the usual questions. Until nonchalantly I remarked.. "what's your favorite sweet tooth craving? Oh, do you like cake? What kind, perhaps? AND WALA, THE SECRET WAS REVEALED! We deserved one of those Grammy things for a stellar performance by a leading Elder. When we finally arrived, he didn't even know it was his surprise party! It wasn't until after the cake was brought out that he realized we weren't doing, "service" for Brother Landers. I love Elder Carter and I am so blessed to be his companion. :) 

This past week we were blessed to participate in yet another inspired Zone Conference of majestic proportions. I will go to the judgment bar believing that every single time you go into a meeting with prepared, prayerful questions- they will undoubtedly become answered amidst the divinity of discussion. 

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

I don't think we truly understand the power of this doctrine and promise. If we are congregated in the name of Jesus, we are given the absolute assurance that he will be there also. Personal doctrine by Boyd here: I think this is why a different Spirit is felt in groups than in private.. there is almost a community warmth that can be felt when multiple people of the same faith gather in his name. AND, subsequently, I think this is in part why we find answers to our questions so easily at these meetings and such... one of the time's when we are closest to the Savior, is when we are gathered in his name. "Nuff said. Got to church. You may be surprised to see a familiar face sitting next to you. ;)

BACK TO ZONE CONFERENCE:

Somehow in some weird, "time-traveling" way, this was already my fourth massive mingling of missionaries. Time really does fly by when you're having fun.. and what greater fun could there be than to preach the Gospel to the city of New Orleans? Than to rap with your investigators and dodge the doggos from the underworld? I didn't necessarily detect a "theme" to this conference, but I certainly enjoyed many feelings and impressions that I thought I'd share with Y'all:

"Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven- if it wasn't hard it wouldn't be a sacrifice."
"Rather than finding excuses to stay in, make excuses to get out and share the Gospel"
"The man who can drive his effort further, even when it gets painful, is the man who wins."
"The word, "can't" is false doctrine in the LDS Church."
"Your investigators understainding will increase by your own personal worthiness."
"We must understand that we need not be perfect to be baptized.. rather baptism gives us the opportunity to learn how to become perfect."
"The Atonement is infinite in scope and indidual in effect."

It was such a powerful feast. I felt well nourished by the good word of God and the goodness didn't stop there.

Side note: I was requested to sing a song for this conference, so the night before I put together an acoustic rendition of, "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy." So you can check that out on Facebook- and yes, that is sweat beading down my forehead.. that room was incubated at the heat of a million suns. 

Video courtesy of Baton Rouge Louisiana Mission- President and Sister Varner's Facebook page:

Something President Varner did as a part of this conference, and in conjunction with our recent challenge in the Book of Mormon, was he selected an elect few to bear their testimonies about what they've learned in the past 90 days. Considering I was called upon the last conference to share a few comments on heavenly discipline and the eternal effects of service, I was certain I wouldn't be chosen. But, as I looked across the room and met the gaze of my beloved Mission President.. his fingers pointed straight through my soul and into my testimony.

The Book of Mormon has really changed my life and my mission. I bore my sincerest testimony about the importance of real intent, and the love and example I have acquired from reading the sacred text. I know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true. God only entrusts a testimony of truth to those who will do something with it- and I know that for the purpose of bringing others to know of its divinity, I have been blessed with the perfect knowledge that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. In preparation for this disclosure in the conference, we were asked to write down our testimonies of what we had learned from highlighting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For my testimony, I wrote a little combination of rhythm and meter, and thought I'd include it in this week's chronicles- the Book of Mormon has become my favorite book, and as I have come to understand more of its doctrine, I have come to understand more of myself. Hopefully, the Spirit will convey the sincerity and emotion in which this poem was intended:

90 Days by Elder Boyd

I've spent many 90 days,

Many have too, I'm sure

Most spent in monotony,

With nothing to report

And I've read many books,

For work and school and such,

But looking back on what I've read,

I don't remember much.

I've even read the Book of Mormon,

And on my knees I've prayed

But no study, or prayer, or time, or book read,

Can compete with the past 90 days. 

Day 1, I'll admit,

Was a different way to read

As my myriad of colored pencils

Made the fragile pages bleed,

But as my red scraped the page,

Something hit me deep to the core,

Just like my colored pencils

The Savior bled from every pore

And with that, my understanding grew,

Reading was no longer a fight, 

But a joy with answers to find,

As I highlighted the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I read about Nephi,

Who with courage, inspired me

To go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded

And sail the promised sea

And as I read of Jacobs boldness,

I couldn't help but think

Are we as serious with,

The commitments we're extending?

With clarity I continued,

The prophecies of Isaiah were tense,

But all that rendered confusing,

Through the Spirit, made perfect sense. 

The humility settled sweetly,

As King Benjamin from his tower demands

I faced my desk chair towards the temple,

And swallowed the natural man.

And Alma and his brethren,

However wicked they may be..

In their shortcomings and dissensions,

I saw similarities in me,

But as they entertained repentance,

I knew I could be forgiven to,

And experience exquisite joy,

While helping others learn the truth

For in their great example,

I know we can fast and pray even more

To accomplish the impossible,

And baptize the two hundred and four

And Ammon served with love,

A minister 100%,

As He went above and beyond-

With real and pure intent.

And as my yellow stained the page

I learned how faith is like a little seed,

And through patience, and diligence I'll find

I've grown a perfect knowledge tree. 

265 pages in,

Something remarkable ensued

As King Lamoni came to conversion,

And, surprisingly, I followed suit. 

Now the altar of sacrifice,

Didn't nearly look as tough,

When I realized all I am to Him,

Will always be enough.

And the warrior inside,

Raised a title of his own,

To remember who he is,

Especially when he feels alone...

I gained an admiration for patience

As orange streaked the words

I cast not away my confidence

And knew I too could endure.

For as a little child I read,

And finally tasted heaven,

As my eyes glorified the pages,

Of 3 Nephi Chapter 11. 

The real highlight of the Book,

No color code can compare,

To the appearance of our Savior

As he descended from heavens care.

And when he blessed the individual child

I couldn't help but weep,

As I thought of how loved I was

And the blessings he's given me

And the rainbow of my colors,

Came with his gospel strong and true,

As he set for the way, the truth, the light,

In a bright and boisterous blue.

And it became unthinkable to me,

That his sacrifice could completely withstand

And somehow I'm graven in the palm

Of his calloused worn hands

And from this witness I can testify, 

That the shepherd has visited his other sheep,

And has awoken the non-believers

From their deep apostacized sleep.

On to the Brother of Jared who showed me,

What it takes to find the promised land,

And when faith exceeds belief,

As one beholds the man. 

And Moroni taught me how to love

Unconditional charity divine,

For without heavenly affection, man is nothing,

Love is the key to eternal life.

And my faith can wrought great miracles, 

If through God's power I would believe,

I could change another's life

And move mountains across the seas.

And as echorted, I followed another  challenge,

And with sincere heart I prayed,

When immediately the Spirit,

Confirmed how I felt in every way.

Now once again, this book is true,

My feelings are confirmed, 

And I attribute this man I've become,

To everything I've learned.

That the Gospel is in everything,

You just need a mind to find,

The mysteries of the kingdom,

And doctrine of every kind.

This book can answer questions,

So don't wait for time to pass

Because God cannot answer

A question that hasn't be asked

This challenge has really changed me,

And there's not much left to say,

But that I sincerely owe it all,

To these past 90 days.

I love dogs. Now, some of you may refute this statement saying, "Elder Boyd, you are an anti-shih-tzu advocate" but might I rebuttal, not all dogs are the devil incarnate himself. Yes, all dogs go to heaven- except shih-tzu's. But that's beside the point- I'm sure there is a doggy bed next to God reserved for the golden retriever we met this week. Her name was Gracie and we are best friends. After a consecutive catastrophe of proselyting, I knew God was smiling down on us through this four-footed friend. We were almost, "over-persistent" in teaching her owner the Gospel because we needed an excuse to come and cuddle his pup! I know that God is in the details of our lives, and he knew on that day, I would be saved by Gracie. :)

So, here is a happy missionary moment for the week: I have found sincere joy and happiness in the success of others. I feel like THAT is the real success of one's mission in life- they say that love is when someone else's happiness is more important than your own- and I think we can apply the exact same principle to developing Christlike love. I feel so emotionally vulnerable in these situations where I see progress in these people as they come unto Christ. Like, everything is enough to make a grown man cry. 

This scripture really hit me this week (Doctrine and Covenants 18:15-16):

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

The worth of souls is great in the sight of God and the worth of souls is great in the sight of missionaries who care about their investigators. You don't know true joy until you share a hymn book with someone who has come to know the Gospel. I don't know why, but a gesture so simple.. is oh, so powerful. The Spirit was felt in magnified ways this week. I know that I am meant to be here. I could never imagine not having met all of these wonderful people in New Orleans. I know that I will have many more mission miracles, but really this week exemplified that missionary work is all about the people. We should lose ourselves in the work... but always remember who we are... because when we can relate to our investigators, that's when the light gets in. This Gospel has the power to change lives and as the lifeguards in the pools of salvation, it is our charge to be thoroughly prepared and ready as first responder's, to rescue those who have not yet learned how to swim. "As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we find our own lives and our own happiness."

Well Y'all, I think that'll be the week of dreams. I'm really excited to keep up with this mission. I know that we each have an individual role to play in the lives of others and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can really unite us all as one eternal family. I am excited to meet more of my brothers and sisters, and I challenge y'all to do the same! Have a great week my friends, you all deserve to find the golden retrievers of your life. Share a hymn book with a friend. Read the Book of Mormon. These are the things that will give you the joy you were destined to acquire. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK Y'ALL, ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU!!

With an abundant amount of arduous affection,

Elder Boyd

FB Post For The Week:

In honor of my boy Connor Dyches getting his mission call.

"Of all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the gospel."

- Joseph Smith

Happy Singing Sunday, y'all!

#LBRMSingingSunday

Jeremy sent over 90 pics this week.  I won't post them all.  Here are a few...

CHALMETTE CHRONICLES: CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Good morning majestic mates and mateys,

This week will go down in the mission history books as pretty stinking radical. People are just so interesting, ya know? And in New Orleans, you can find the most interesting of them all. Unlike last week, my cranium car cranked into hyperdrive with so much material, the file cabinets of my frontal lobe overflowed with joy. Lesson learned from this week: don't ever turn your back on New Orleans- this city will never cease to surprise you. The people have a potential unparalleled by most any believers I have seen.. you don't realize what you've planted until you've seen what it can grow into. And with those attempted words of wisdom:  Welcome me hearties! Yo-ho to CHALMETTE CHRONICLES: CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. 

Let's get it rolling, this week is nothing to play around with.. and in the feisty words of Sister Costa, "You are not children anymore.. it is time to grow up and take the gospel seriously."

The mission is all about people, so here are a few experiences about a few of the people I've been blessed to serve down here:

President Henry B. Eyring once said that if we were to document a sentence or two in our journal every morning of how we had seen the Lord's hand in our life that previous day, we would be blessed with the eyes to see the merciful and outstretched help of the Lord in all aspects of our lives. Looking back on this week- I can say with all of my heart that every decision and prompting we made and received, was an opportunity to see the Lord's hand in our lives. With a heavenly perspective, I can now see how the pieces of this week fit together to fulfill our Heavenly Father's plan:

It all started with a simple prompting. I mean, that's usually how our spiritual journeys begin. Think about a gargantuan RPG, as you travel around in monotony until some shifty wizard convinces you to take on a quest. You have your agency to accept his proposal. And depending upon whether or not you choose to embark on such an adventure, you may never know when the next wizard will come again. Now, this is important- you don't know the reward until the quest is over. He'll entice you with blessings and great reward- the path may not be the easiest, but he gives you the utmost assurance that the journey is worth it. So, you accept his quest of sorts, with no perspective as to what comes next. You're guided to and fro, following his gentle instruction and guidance, asked to accomplish the most seemingly ridiculous of tasks. However, when you take a moment to see how far you've come.. you realize the necessity for each part of his wacky instruction. The reason you ARE where you are is that he eventually led you there. The ultimate goal was to get you there, but it was only through trial and tribulation and tests of the spirit that you could gain the experience to appreciate who you've become and what you've accomplished. Now, you've probably begun to see the spiritual parallel here... but in the Gospel's sake.. and through the gift of the Holy Ghost.. that wizard will always be there to give you another adventure. Heavenly Father is just WAITING for us to accept his quests so that we may benefit from the infinite surplus of blessings he has in store for us. What we're asked to do may not make sense.. the wizard could ask you to bake a cake for his stepsister, in order to help you defeat the dragon.. but in the end it all makes sense- in this case, the stepsister knew the dragon's achilles heel, and required a bit of baking bribery to reveal her secrets. Maybe this makes sense, maybe it doesn't.. but, follow the prompting, every time. Even if it doesn't make sense, it makes sense to an all-knowing God.. who knows exactly what attributes and wisdom you can acquire from accomplishing his demands. Trust the wizard- trust your father- you don't know everything, but you know enough. And the one who knows everything knows that you ARE enough to accomplish all that he asks you to do. Remember 1 Nephi 3:7-God is preparing you right now to fulfill all the quests he wants you to do.

We were set on some crazy quests this week, and most of them didn't make sense.. luckily; however, we followed the advice and tips of our wizard and saw the Lord's hand revealed. Once again, it all started with a prompting. With the spirit of remembrance, we are usually lead to visit people we've tried countless times, and haven't seen in a good minute. In this particular instance, we sporadically decided to see what this incredible family we had met a month and a half prior were up to. There is no circumstance that they were home this time that we visited. It was like we had seen each other every day for the previous intermission- that's how comfortable it felt. The wife of the couple is VERY into ministering, and coincidentally she said that she and her husband had been thinking of us that morning in specific.. coincidence? I think not. Apparently, she ran into this family who has been hospitalized for over three months in a nearby city.. and the first people she thought of were the Mormons. How incredible is that? WE were the people she thought could uplift this family. And not economically. She thought what they needed most were some, "friends in Christ." So, that was a fantastic ice-breaker. We proceeded to share insights, give some info about the Restoration.. and she came in clutch with some hardcore questions. Luckily my companion is a sophisticated baller with all the answers.

"As an African -American woman... I trust in God. But I do not understand why in all of the biblical record, they have included no such thing about slavery. Where is my story in all of this? Where was it prophesied that we would be in bondage? Why were we not prepared or warned for the persecution we were to endure?"

Well, Elder Carter shared a perfectly inspired scripture from the Book of Mormon.. and I told her, "in all of history, the people have never been warned of their inevitable persecution. Take the early Saints for instance.. did God give revelation to the prophet that the people who endure as much trial and turmoil as they did? No. I think it's because if God were to warn us about the trials he has in store for us... he would never see our true character in the furnace of affliction. Sometimes, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.. we must only utter four words, in confidence, that God has a plan.. thy will be done." By the grace of God, she was satisfied with our answer. She even presupposed that we would not be able to answer such things considering our age.. that she had stumped pastor and preacher alike.. and that she thought we would need some time to study and return and report. BUT, the dynamic duo (or rather the Spirit of God) gave her the answer she needed. We left her with a pamphlet, invited her to church, exchanged numbers (she wasn't even an investigator at this point..) and parted ways.

Fast forward to Sunday, we actually found some grand luck this week in committing investigators to church, more than we ever have before- so I was, essentially, HYPED for sacrament meeting. Brother Hatcher is a hero and three quarters let me tell you, this guy will go to great lengths to pick people up for church.. love that man. WELL, we called him ahead of time and asked him to pick up a few of our interested investigators.. and patiently waited for his arrival. We get through the opening song...the opening prayer.. the announcements.. NEARLY the Sacrament song..  but when the final verse hit, the man, the myth, the legend came walking through that door.. and with him, that SAME couple we had met in inspiration that previous week.. of all the people we were expecting to come, we didn't expect them, but BOY were we glad they came.. and just in time for the sacrament; when they say the Lord has perfect timing, they weren't kidding. :)

As is the case with the first Sunday of every month.. we had fast and testimony meeting. During the course of the various testimonies, she sat by my side- requesting references for all the scriptures that were shared. I ended up opening my quad and gave her a brief explanation of the Doctrine and Covenants. :) Well.. after Sister Marcus concluded her remarks.. she leans over to me and asks, "is this only for members?" NO, YOU CAN BEAR YOUR TESTIMONY, PLAY ON PLAYER. So yes, she got up there and gave one of the most heart-wrenching testimonies I have heard.. you didn't hear it from me, but my allergies were pretty maniacal and I may have let a saline drop or two hit the floor. She spoke about how it just feels right to be here.  She sang our praises as missionaries which were most humbling in itself.. it was a touching display of the spirit and the pure love of Christ. It was one of the more powerful meetings I have been a part of. BUT it gets even crazier. This Sister told us previously that her niece was actually Mormon and received the sister missionaries in California and actually lives in Baton Rouge at the moment!  Well, Sister Stratton actually just got back from serving in Baton Rouge for seven months... AND ACTUALLY KNOWS HER NIECE?? LIKE, WHAT?? She was freaking out, taking it as a sign that she was meant to be here. She participated out the wazoo in Sunday School and was fellowshipped like crazy. It was a miracle, to say the least. She said that something just feels so right about this place.. it feels like home.. it feels, familiar. I have to say, this was one of the best Sundays I have had, and after the fact, I couldn't help but praise God that he had led us here and let us be apart of the whole experience. 

Missionary work works. I know I am in Louisiana for a reason, and I KNOW that one of those reasons is so that I could be apart of this experience.. and while she was strengthening her own testimony, she strengthened mine as well. God has a plan for you, whether you know it or not, he will find a way to call you back home- answer the call, and trace the footsteps of eternal life.  

AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH: 

A week or so again as we were discussing our plans for the day as a quadship, Elder Hernandez jokingly suggested we visit the only investigator of ours that he remembered. We laughed about it and went along our merry way... but later in the day, I remembered his suggestion.. and with nothing else planned thought, "might as well." So, we went over to see this gentleman, and we ended up having an incredible lesson, the Spirit was totally there- he had some really inspired questions that we were able to answer about maintaining and improving upon his Baptist beliefs. We made a follow-up appointment and thought about the great circumstance we were just apart of. WELL, when we came back to see him hurriedly working on his automobile and told us he had a few minutes to talk. The following conversation ensued..

"Elders.. I forgot to tell you. I actually watched a Book of Mormon documentary and I've gotta say that.. well, how can I put this.."

*anxious hyperventilation*

"I'M A BELIEVER. YOU CONVINCED ME. I DIDN'T THINK YOU COULD, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING ME TO THE FULLNESS OF THE GOSPEL. MY WIFE IS STILL A BIT SPECULATIVE, BUT SHE'LL COME AROUND. EXPECT TO SEE MORE OF ME..  now, tell me, where do y'all meet for church?"

After rejoicing with our dearly beloved brother, Elder Carter and I had the mutual understanding walking away from the scene in silence.. but as soon as the car doors shut... Elder Carter and I did, "rejoice exceedingly", blasted our MoTAB (aka Mormon Tabernacle Choir), and happy-danced our way to the next appointment. 

God has been so good to us, I feel so undeserving of all these miracles, but glory be to the Father and I'mma just keep swimming towards the waters of baptism. 

Another one:

Elder Carter and I were out tracting when this white vehicle drove by and someone hollered... "COME BY MY HOUSE." I could've sworn it was this presumably 10-year-old kid in the adjacent neighborhood that we balled with.. but Elder Carter assured me that it couldn't be- the holler came from the driver's seat. So we finished tracting the street and headed for the car, and as we were driving away, the white vehicle drives up next to us... AND IT'S THE TEN-YEAR-OLD KID JUST CRUISING IN HIS NISSAN ULTIMA. He mutters.. "where Y'all going?" And upon remembering his request I quickly managed to say.. "your house?" And he just skirted off. 

He led us to his family- five or so cousins and counting, and we ended up teaching them all about the Book of Mormon and have a date to swing by and read it with him. And for the record.. he is not 10.. but 14. Only in New Orleans, I tell you. :)

And finally, just a little hilarity to top it all off- we knocked on this door and immediately head, "ITS THE COPS EVERYONE GET DOWN.." Elder Carter and I couldn't help but laugh.. and the suckers for comedy that we are.. we knocked again. We could hear someone frantically mutter something in French, and a big ole crash and bang of what sounded like a leaf-blower.. until finally, someone answered the door. Imagine her pleasant surprise when she realized that we were the Jesus people. Although relieved, as soon as we started into our message, a honeybee flew by and she quickly uttered, "IT'S A BEE" and slammed the door. Yes, it was as crazy as it sounds. And yes, I am still laughing about it now. 

We also were blessed to overcome the stubbornness of Brother Landers and do some service for him by helping out with his lawn care and fence-work. I had the patient privilege of mowing his acre-wide lawn with a 15-year-old lawnmower that vomited grass in your face and turned off every five seconds. I learned both what the true meaning of service is and what two-month-old grass tastes like. 

Oh AND we did service for this lady we met where we learned the botanical equivalent to the shih-tzu.. the prickly bush. We spent two and a half hours immersed in the unconventional acupuncture that was chopping down and bagging her satan bushes. I have so many random entrance pricks around my body.. you could say I'm a much more, "holey" disciple. :)

Well Y'all, I'd say we'd call that a week! I look forward to what this mission has in store for me... really, I don't know where I would be without it. Even the shih-tzus and demonic debris make me love this Gospel and this church more and more. You all deserve to have stellar weeks, so go out and do that. FOLLOW THE PROMPTING. Be the adventurer in the greatest quest of life- inherit the ultimate reward of exaltation and life everlasting. It all starts with you. LOVE Y'ALL, KEEP SAVING THE WORLD.

This week's FB Post:

Christ is not the light at the end of the tunnel, he is the light that gets us through the tunnel.
There is simplistic beauty in the metaphor of Christ as the light of the world.
Darkness exists only in the absence of light.. and likewise Spiritual darkness only exists in the absence of Christ.
I testify that there is no exception or limit to the infinite light that Christ provides. The obstacle is not in his provision, but in our acceptance.The words of a modern day apostle say it all- embrace the light. Be the light.
"However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don't have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's atonement shines.
-Jeffrey R. Holland
#LBRMSingingSundayFeaturing one of the brighter lights in my life- Elder Alexander Carter. ☀️

From the most inward part of my love filled heart,

Elder Boyd

He's Showing His Mamma That He's Taking His Meds Like The Good Elder That He Is 😇