CLINTON EDITION: THE FINAL CHAPTER

Ohana means family-- and mission family means sometimes people need to be left behind,

That's right friends and family-- an edition has come to a close. A final chapter. An ending edition. We've grown-- physically and spiritually-- and been blessed by the promised land of Clinton. I will forever remember the people here. BUT BEFORE WE GO, ALLOW ME TO SEND CLINTON OFF WITH AN EDITION OF MIRACLES. Yes, sad but true, we'll enjoy our final edition of the CLINTON EDITION: THE FINAL CHAPTER. 

So yeah, I'm in Gonzales Louisiana now and my new companion, Elder Paul, and I are loving life, the work, and the new area! Gonzales is a promised land in the mission, so I'm excited to wind and grind, to slay and pray, and to give these next six weeks the sharpest sickle. 

SOME MIRACLES FROM OUR TIME TOGETHER: 

When we eat and preach, God will provide a spiritual feast. Why not make everything a spiritual experience? Having been caught up in administrative duties, we forgot to eat. I know, "what kind of Elder skips a meal." Well, when you're backing trailers in mall parking lots, lunch isn't the first thing on your mind. Anyways, we decided that we didn't have time to knock doors and stuff our faces-- so, why not do both? We prayed about where to eat. Which I quite frankly think is a brilliant idea; there are missionary opportunities all around us, so why not invite the inspiration of God? Even cooler, we both received the same answer: Whataburger. 

We showed up with the intention of sharing the Gospel, and with two feet into the door, we knew who we were there to see. Our server was prepared by the Lord to exchange gifts with us; a patty melt for the restored Gospel. And if it wasn't a small world in the bayou of Gonzales already-- he actually recognized us. And this recognition came as a result of a long-term streak of exact obedience.

A FEW DAYS EARLIER:

We were running late to an appointment but we saw our neighbor having troubles with his vehicle so we pulled to the side and decided to help him. There wasn't much that we could do-- aside from sweat on his lugnuts-- but we did what we could, not thinking beforehand that this encounter could have eternal value. 

FLASH FORWARD to Whataburger...

Our server recognized us as the "sweaty white boys in the ties." HE SAW US HELPING OUR NEIGHBOR and that witness prompted him to wonder who we were and what we were doing. Food wasn't the only thing we were ordering that day... an elect silver platter of salvation was on the menu. We set up an appointment with him and his posse of coworkers to bible study. That was the first miracle of the week...

First, let's recap: 

Had we not prayed, we wouldn't have received the revelation. 

Had we not opened our mouths, we wouldn't have a bible study scheduled for this Monday. 

Following this revelatory experience, we knew there was a work God needed us to do. Elder Paul and I went home that evening in the spirit of revelation, seeking the will of the Lord, with humble hearts and an open mind. That is one of the many things I admire about Elder Paul: his desires. He desires to be a good missionary and to help this area. That evening we expressed our desires together and wondered..."is this the will of the Lord?" Kind of kidding, kind of not-- he said, "let's see what the Book of Mormon has to say about that: 

As he read, the only thing more priceless than our faces, was the spirit in the room:

"And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire." 

Immediately my first thought was-- "how did they get there." So, we continued to read verses 1-12. What we came up with (what we call it): "The will of Gonzales." 

1.) Prepare to take the Sacrament through the Gospel in the home. 

2.) Gather the leaders and disciples together to teach the multitude. 

3.) Pray ON YOUR KNEES for a miracle. 

4.) Minister in the home with the words of Christ. 

5.) Pray for that which you most desire-- and the spirit. 

As we've discussed this vision with the members of the ward (on our cute little whiteboards of course) the response has been exhilarating. Families praying in their homes, on their knees for the people we're teaching. The Book of Mormon flooding the streets of Gonzales. The spirit dwelling in abundance in the homes of the elect. The Lord has great plans for Gonzales and I am so excited to be apart of the hastening of this work. 

And last but not least...an homage to Clinton...

Clinton really became a home for me in the South. The people I've met have made a forever difference in my life. Elder McEntire was divinely appointed to help me achieve my potential. The work in that area... is on the verge of greatness. I really did grow a whole lot in Clinton-- both in my love for the Gospel and my love for the people of the South. I know God sent me to Clinton to continue becoming the man I know he needs me to be... I'll be back-- but until then-- I know it's in good hands. Elder McEntire will continue to work mighty miracles in the hidden gem of the South. If y'all are ever looking to be blessed make your way to Clinton-- you'll realize who you are and what God has in store for you. 

Well y'all-- here comes another transfer of the inevitable-- miracles and growth. I'm grateful to serve the Lord in this capacity and to be a disciple for him who knows the purpose of change. I'm grateful for eternal friendships and Southern families. I know this church is true and I know that God has work for us to do! Seek the Lord's will concerning you and your present situation...pray about where to eat-- take a chance on missionary opportunities...and I promise he will provide. Gonzales, this finna be a good six weeks. HAVE A GREAT WEEK Y'ALL! ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU! 

I bid Clinton adieu,

Elder Boyd

This Week's Pics:

Clinton...

Gonzales...

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Boyd Family Day (6/18/19) with one of his favorite meals: Fat Coco's (minus the mozzarella sticks- his companion, Elder McEntire had those)

CLINTON EDITION: CHAPTER ELEVEN

In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity,

It's true. In the middle of our garden of opposition, is the tree of eternal life; however, should we prematurely partake of its fruit, we wouldn't be able to bear its greatness. That's why we must spend our time in the thorns. Have you ever considered that? Eating a rotten apple really helps you to appreciate the grandeur of a fresh golden delicious. It's true-- there must needs be opposition in all things. Thankfully, we worship a God who has infinite wisdom, and though we may not be able to comprehend the things which he doth comprehend-- we comprehend enough. We understand that he loves us, that he guards us from our eternal trees for a reason, and that he has a plan for us. And that's enough. That knowledge will get you through the thorns and the rotten apples-- that one day, your eternal and golden fruit may be delicious to the taste; because you were willing to spend time in the garden to more fully appreciate its flavor. Grab some thorns and endure your way through those apples-- cause its time for another edition of our journeys here in the blessed mortality of Clinton in the CLINTON EDITION: CHAPTER ELEVEN. 

I love it here in Clinton. And if you couldn't tell from our previous editions', one of my greatest reasons for being at home here-- is the mighty change of heart Clinton has wrought in me. I'm sure you all have those people or places or situations that change you. Those, "turning points' in your life that pave the way for progression. Those answered prayers and earthly angels God sends your way can be the very catalysts for your conversion! I'm sure we've all felt this way, yes? 

Well, my catalyst is Clinton. 

God knows us individually. He knows our needs, our struggles, our weaknesses, our strengths; and in his infinite wisdom, he caters his plans for us to accommodate our exaltation. There are no accidents in the Father's plan. No one you have met, nor any situation you have encountered is mere coincidence. On the outside you may feel like no one understands... but our God [looketh] on the heart and I testify that more than anyone or anything, he understands. And because he understands, he knows who and what we need to achieve our potential. We are partners in exaltation, my friends, learning our way to heaven. Do you not think that an all-knowing Heavenly Father wouldn't help us make it back to our heavenly home? 

Those around you are part of your purpose. This is a gospel of fellowship, or connections, or friendship, and family. In the words of a more secular source, "we're all in this together." Salvation is an individual matter but exaltation is a family matter-- and that makes us all one eternal bandwagon on our way up to the exalted mansions prepared for us. Be grateful for those around you-- they're there for a reason. Appreciate them. Compliment them. And endure to that day when we're all resurrected and can truly express to one another how we really feel about each other. That'll be a good day. 

We experienced this joy of this bond and this plan this week, with one of our dear friends here in Clinton. We don't really realize how much light we have until we spend time with someone in darkness. I couldn't help but mourn with this elect soul when he asked those inspired questions...

"Where is my mom?"

"How will I know I'll be in heaven?"

"Is there... a happy place for those who sin?" 

Goodness, where would we be without the Plan of Salvation? Lost. Confused. Scared. The truths of the gracious plan of redemption help to clarify who we really are-- and allow our fears to be replaced with the conviction of our faith and hope in brighter, more celestial days! Ooh, how tender his response as we answered his questions through the Book of Mormon: 

Something feels so familiar about what you say... almost like I've heard it before and spent my whole life waiting to hear it again.

If that doesn't make you wanna slap your knees and call your grandma-- we were hooting and hollering for Jesus (in the most reverent way of course.) So it is with the beautiful reality of our purpose in this life and our plans for the life to come! I love being a missionary-- sharing these restored truths is a gift that just keeps on giving. 

And not only that but being divinely lead to a couple in need puts the cherry on top of our Sabbath sundae! This less active family that the ward has been reaching out to for over two months has been nearly M.I.A between vacation visits and business trips. Sadly, they haven't felt the love of the ward-- because they haven't been here to feel it! We as missionaries have also been trying to reach out and minister, but all of our efforts have come back without an open door. THAT IS, UNTIL THE ADRENALINE OF MIRACLES THIS WEEK. Follow the prompting, EVERY time. I promise you won't regret it. Even if it doesn't make sense-- actually-- ESPECIALLY when it doesn't make sense... follow it! We were out and about trying potentials and knocking doors when we felt distinctly lead to knock on their door. Zero to 100 real quick, we zoomed or way over-- only to be left unanswered... yet again. But... let this be a rule of thumb with following promptings: if at first, you don't succeed, try again! And that is exactly what we did the following day, we tried again. Like Alma entering into the land of Ammonihah, we found another way to enter into the hearts of these beloved members; their dog. If you think humans can recognize the familiar spirit of the elect, wait until an Australian shepherd locks eyes with those single to the glory of God. This dog was wigging out-- like, the pre-workout of the spirit was coursing in his veins and enabled him to let forth the most courageous roar in our direction. Being the dog people that we are, we pursued the pep of this pup-- and found ourselves introduced to the very members who had evaded us all these months past! And not only did our equivalent love for shepherds of the Australian kind break the ice-- but we were able to testify of the good shepherd, the redeeming kind, and ignite a fire in their hearts to come back to church. 

I know God put us in that exact place at that exact time for that exact reason. He loves his specifics-- and likewise, I know he has put all of you where you are, with who you're with, doing what you're doing... for an exact reason. I invite you to seek out the purpose for what you're doing, to strive to magnify it, and to align your circumstances with the Father's plan. Maybe you too will be lead to a "dog-gone" miracle. 😉

Well y'all, this week was mostly just filled with the inspiration of the Spirit. We were lead and guided to what we were needed to do-- and there's not much better you can ask for than that! I love it here-- I love the people, I love the work, I love my mission, and I love the Lord! 

Something rather magical happens when we let go and let God... we end up loving everything about who we're becoming. It's quite the phenomenon really... And I can testify that when we prioritize the Father's plan when we endure through the thistle, and when we follow the high pitched promptings of the spirit-- we will be where we need to be and to what we need to do with the people we need to do it with. Remember, there are no accidents in the Gospel. So get out there, and find your purpose! Magnify your calling! And I can only pray that you'll feel as blessed as we do to be here in our own garden of opposition: Clinton! 

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

From an opposition gardener himself,

Gardener (Elder) Boyd

This Week's Pics:

Call Home for Father's Day

CLINTON EDITION: CHAPTER TEN

Specifically speaking, we had a great week

If a man asketh God for a hamster... will he deliver a gerbil? Or if a woman prayeth for a rock... will God come forth with a tree? Or if a certain group of missionaries was to ask a loving Heavenly Father to provide a family of four, prepared for the restored Gospel.... would he simply close the heavens? I think not. Why not, pray for specifics? Honestly; that is the theme for the week. If we ask God for specific blessings, he will bless us with specific answers. In the words of President Monson himself, "when we deal in generalities, we will seldom have success; but when we deal with specifics we will rarely have a failure." It's time to succeed through specifics! If you're looking for failure, get general! We're fixin' to be specific here in the CLINTON EDITION: CHAPTER TEN. 

Let me start with an experience to prove the reality of the blessings in specifics:

It was one of those, "wow it's raining, and we're in a biking area" kind of days. For you Washingtonians back at home, Mississippi might as well be on a magic carpet ride, because it's a whole new world down here when it comes to the weather. One moment it could be a brisk summer's day, not a draft in the air... and then the next, it's as if Thor sneezed on the clouds and enabled torrential thunder downpour on the entirety of the Southern hemisphere. Well, someone released Thor's thunder thighs on Clinton this week because we were caught in a torrential twister. And in the midst of this twister, we found a great calm through prayer... we were visiting "formers" in the area when we felt prompted to stop... and pray. However, as per our theme, this time we were praying specifically-- a little too specifically some might say:

"God, lead us to a family of four who are prepared for the restored Gospel and is willing to come to church on Sunday."

We said amen, and not one door later-- three kids come rushing to the front of their house, and their father peeks out from behind and says, "we know who you are, we feel like we're prepared for your message, please come back on Sunday and teach us the Gospel."

The look on our faces could only be matched with the gratitude in our hearts. As we said our gratitude prayer following the miracle, we couldn't help but see the divine pattern in asking God for specifics in our lives. Why WOULDN'T God bless us with the exact things we stand in need of? Why WOULDN'T he want to bestow upon his children the absolute of his blessings? We just need to ask-- and I can testify that when we do, in our most specific need, he succors our specifics with specific blessings. This was a lesson we learned from Elder Stanfill: 

God has reserved the rights to prayer, he is qualified to listen, and he is qualified to bless-- if we only authorize him through specifics. 

Okay, now that I have said, "specific" almost as many times as our God desires to bless us-- okay, not really, but pretty close-- let's talk a bit about the word of God. 

The Book of Mormon. I must say, I have never had such a strong testimony of any combination of inspired words and epic stories than I do of the Book of Mormon. Recently our mission has been involved in a, "90 Day Book of Mormon reading challenge." Now I know what you're thinking... 90 days? Well, yes-- I was once like you, random citizen, and then I realized if I can read Percy Jackson in 12 hours, the Book of Mormon should be a breeze. A nice, tranquil, relaxing, beach breezy reading. Reading the Book of Mormon has been the best of breezes and as we have been focused on it as a mission, I've been able to see the benefit and purpose for its' coming forth in this dispensation. This was perhaps one of the best Zone Conferences I've been to: (1)There was a time allotted, for heavenly things and (2) a time for everyone to share their testimony of the Book of Mormon. I was blessed to add my living witness to those borne on that sacred day, and I can truly testify with all energy of heart that I know this book is true. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that the Gospel has been restored to the earth today and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom on the Earth. But more than knowing these things... I love them... I try and live them... and I encourage others to do the same! Pray for a confirming witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon this week. Ask God SPECIFICALLY (there's that word again) if it is true! I can testify as His representative, that if you do, the heavens will be opened and you will receive your answer. The challenge is up to you... now the real question is... Percy Jackson or Book of Mormon?

We had an experience with the Book of Mormon this week-- as we were teaching one of the ladies in our area, whom I have grown to love, she was astounded at the doctrine of the fall of Adam as described in 2 Nephi 2! It was incredible to me, how spiritually thirsty she didn't realize she was, and how the Book of Mormon was able to quench even the slightest thirst. She ended up committing to reading the rest of the chapter with joy in her heart, and one foot in the well of living water! Without the Book of Mormon, we wouldn't have been able to have such an experience: I am forever indebted to how this book has changed me as a missionary and the work I have been called to do. 

You know, reading the Book of Mormon has helped me realize just WHAT it takes to become like Christ. Have you ever felt denied or rejected? Have you ever mourned or wept? Have you felt betrayed in the house of your friends? I think I know someone who can sympathize. And if we, as children of God, desire to become more like Him... I think it to be normal to feel alone and helpless every once in a while. Thankfully, as Elder Holland puts it, "because Jesus Christ walked such a worrisome and lonely path alone... we don't have to do so." You are never alone in your struggles. God is watching over you. His angels are ever present. And it is those very trials and challenges that sanctify and qualify us to become like God. What an honor it is to be entrusted with sacred trials-- that we might be able to learn and grow by becoming more like Jesus Christ through our suffering. 

In fact, this week God literally prompted us to feel rejected. We were counseling with Him before we headed to our next appointment, and we heard the Spirit speak, "knock on that door." OOOOOOH this is gonna be one of those, "feeling good, dunk a family of six" moments-- or so we thought... on the contrary the young man who answered the door politely asked us to, "get off of his lawn and to never tread the steps of Satan on his holy ground ever again." Not entirely sure what that means, but I guess God wanted us to have that experience. Why? Why does God permit rejection? Because without pruning... the tree of life would never grow. We were pruned, plucked, and prodded this week-- but all for the greater good of growth! In fact, I'm starting to like the way God works-- sure we may suffer for a moments time, but the reward is far greater on the other side of the orchard. 

So really, what I'm trying to say is: PRAY! SPECIFICALLY! Pray specifically for the things you know God wants most for you in your life, and see what he does. If you want charity, PRAY FOR IT! If you want answers, PRAY FOR THEM! If you want a new car... talk to someone else because we're talking about TREASURES IN HEAVEN PEOPLE! And while you're praying, talk to Him about the Book of Mormon. I know that his answer will be the same answer he has given me... it's true! If you don't believe me, try it for yourself! I testify that as we strive to become like Christ; in our sufferings and our greatest rejection, and as we seek specific answers... we'll be okay! Go ahead, try it-- spend some time in the "specific" ocean, and I promise you won't drown. Soon you'll learn how to walk on water because you've become like the Savior, and then you'll come to know through the Book of Mormon, how much God and Elder Boyd love you. HAVE A GREAT WEEK Y'ALL! ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU!

Sincerely and specifically,

Elder Boyd.

This Week's Pics:

Zone Conference

(photo and video courtesy of President and Sister Varner)