Elder Jeremy Ashton Boyd

THIBODAUX TALES: CHAPTER FIVE

Shalom Sheep,

It's too hot, hot darn- however, in a southern rendition of his beloved psalm, we can find a whole lot of comfort in the miracles of the south:

*See Psalm 23 for reference..*

"Yea though I walk through the bayou of the humidity of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

We fear no evil down here because we know the Lord is on our side- and trust me- there would normally be a lot to fear when it comes to Louisiana- but it's amazing what you can do with faith in Jesus Christ. That's the thing about fear. It can only hang around until faith enters the room, and then it's forced to flee. So, with faith in every footstep, and fear as our stomping ground, we brave the sweat and travail the heat in this weeks, THIBODAUX TALES: CHAPTER FIVE.

Considering the last tale we enjoyed was not even a week ago, we've only had five days to experience- or rather should I say, we've been blessed with FIVE DAYS TO EXPERIENCE AND WRITE ABOUT. I must say, it only takes a second to see a miracle, and whether it was five days or a week... this tale is full of tender mercies from the Lord. And how can you not be grateful when you have a FANTASTIC companion, a promised land to work with, and the only true and living church to share with the world? It's a beautiful day in EVERY neighborhood over here in Thibodaux.

ON WITH THE MIRACLES:

One of the more noteworthy experiences of this week was actually the entirety of Saturday. It was one of those, "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down" kind of days. I was pleasured to go on another exchange this week, this time with our District Leader, Elder Cooley. Now, I don't know where he got this idea from.. but word went around that, "Elder Boyd has the GREENIE FIRE" and so he was ready for a Weeble day already- and I'll be honest, God and Elder Boyd didn't disappoint. Y'ALL, WE FINALLY FOUND A FOOD BANK TO WORK WITHIN THIBODAUX. MIRACLE UNO OF THE DAY. They are some of the cutest old people you ever did see and I love volunteering and helping the less fortunate. Really, it's a win-win. If you haven't volunteered at your local food bank lately, I strongly encourage you to do so. ANYWAYS, this next part requires a little bit of background:

One of our most progressing investigators is a single mother with four kids who works two jobs and doesn't get home until the midnight oil burns out- so you can probably imagine, she's a cornucopia of stress. Well, we've been trying to share more of the Book of Mormon with her lately, with great emphasis on the assurance of peace that it brings, but she just hasn't been home and has evaded all of our attempts. SO, come Saturday morning, I shoot her a text.. very determined to see her, might I add.. to see if we could come over that day. TO MY GRACIOUS SURPRISE, she responds.. "yes, come over after lunch.:" Well y'all, I could not wait for lunch time to be over with and for us to go see our girl! However.. as we wrapped up at the Food Bank.. she texts,

"Today is not a good day Elders."

If there ever was a greater facepalm. I was gutted- but I wasn't going to let that stop us. we've come this far, WE'VE COME THIS FAR AND WE ARE NOT STOPPING NOW. So, I called her, and to my somber surprise.. this past week had been one of the roughest weeks of her lives.. NOW I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, but to Elder Boyd that sounds like a million and one reasons to invite the missionaries over... so, I bore my testimony over the phone, and pleaded with her to let us come over and pray with her children to invite the spirit into her home. The reply, "yes" has never sounded so nice.

- and there is your background-

Elder Cooley and I went over and contention was definitely in the air. But, something I have learned to love about the Gospel so much, is that there is no contention that the Spirit can't drive away.. We ended up having an incredible lesson with her (not just a prayer. :)) and at the end of it all, we promised that church would be the best thing for her kids. Stay tuned to see how that turned out..

Elder Cooley and I continued to have a great day. We left a bunch of uplifting notes on a few of our potential investigators' doors; just to let them know we were thinking about them. We delivered a few copies of the Book of Mormon.. and then mosey'd our way over to follow up on a few investigators and find some new people to teach. God was on our side. I kid you not, we did not meet with ONE of the people we intended to meet with.. .. with every door we knocked.. some relative or suppose or significant other answered and we were able to share the Book of Mormon with them instead! Each one of them invited us back to teach their family- and the family members we were actually TRYING to see. It was a tender mercy for sure. Then we hit the other side of the street to knock some doors, and were pleased to teach two college students with the most ADORABLE CHIHUAHUA/POMERANIAN MIX PUPPY. Another tender mercy. And the plus side is.. we got invited back.. so not only are they interested, but we get to cuddle their dogs again. AND, IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, we kept knocking and ran into the choir teacher at the local high school who talked our ears off for an hour and a half, is actually a family friend of our stake president, and has been looking for missionaries for his whole life. Yeah, I know, TENDER MERCY. SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK. Elder Cooley and I were cooking' at this point.. and managed to see two potentials that Elder Sellers and I have been trying for years now, and taught them both about the Book of Mormon. Like, I said, exchange magic is real.. and Saturday was just like a subscription to the jelly of he month club.. a gift that just kept on giving. We taught a few lessons, baptized a few nations.. ya know, just an average day in the life of an eager emissary of the Lord. We ended the day with eight new people to teach and paved the way for Sunday where...

OUR SINGLE MOM AND HER FOUR KIDS CAME TO CHURCH. Now, this was a struggle and a half, my goodness, but it was OH SO WORTH IT. She can't really.. drive.. so we texted the entire ward roster, trying to find her a ride, and it wasn't until the last seconds of Ward Council that our incredible bishop offered to pick them all up in his Ford Explorer! I ave never loved that man more in my life than I did in that very moment. How GREAT was our joy as they all filed into the chapel and sang the hymns and went to their separate classes.. I think I have a greater appreciation for helicopter parents, because I was watching them like a HAWK making sure they enjoyed every minute and were fellowshipped to infinity and beyond. It's a good kind of stress to accompany you investigators to church.. because you love them so much, and this church is so special to you that you just WANT THEM TO KNOW AND LOVE IT TOO. I feel like parents can sympathize.. you know vegetables are great for your kids.. and homework too.. but you can't force them to like it. It's entirely their choice.. you can just show them the way and pray they'll follow suit. In the words of Elder Robbins.. we teach them the doctrine and then we leave them at the crossroads with the Holy Ghost. And as a missionary.. we can parent our investigators as much as we want.. but if they are to ever grow up themselves, they need their own testimonies. I think my mission is teaching me alot about parenting, dont ya think? :)

Well, family and friends, another day another tale. Your prayers are working because the work has never been better. I love you all, and hit up those return prayers every day. KEEP THE FAITH MY FRIENDS, OUR GOD IS GREATER. I know this church is true... how can a church that brings THIS much joy not be true? I love it and I LOVE ALL OF YOU. HAVE A GREAT WEEK YA'LL.

Shalom sheep,

Elder Boyd

This week's Facebook Message

Disclaimer: there is alot of joy in this video.
"(he) lived joyfully not because (his) circumstances were joyful, but because (HE) was joyful." - Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
I know that as we internalize joy, regardless of our circumstance, we can find happiness in the greatest voice cracks of our lives. Choose to be joyous. And crack your voice every once in a while.. sometimes it is in our imperfections that we find the greatest joy.
2 Nephi 2:25
#LBRMSingingSunday

This week's Pictures:

THIBODAUX TALES: CHAPTER FOUR

[Due to Memorial Day and Zone Conference, here is this week's letter from Elder Boyd- a little later than usual.]

Ciao Children,

I invite you to join me for a primary rendition of a familiar song,

The wise Elders built their shack upon the bayou...

And the rain came tumbling down...

The rain came down and the humidity rose up

And the shack on the bayou stood still.

Praise the Lord. I feel like we're fixin' to see a monsoon season because home is calling and the sky is crying. Singing in the rain, and dancing in the swamp.. we've had a soggy tale this week, my friends. SO WELCOME ONE, WELCOME Y'ALL TO THIBODAUX TALES: CHAPTER FOUR.

It's been 10 days since our last entry and in that time you would think a hardworking Elder would have a PLETHORA of experiences to boast jauntily about.. alas' Satan works in mysterious ways, and this week he played with the rain- HOWEVER, not even precipitation could stump the motivation or the dedication of these Elders as we baptized nations. We had some jaw-dropping moments over these past few days.. so get your lower face muscles ready.. because that floor is about to be smacked with these Thibodaux miracles.

Before we even get this rolling...

Remember the itchy baptism and the Skyrim addict? (Oh my Lanta, that sounds like one weird conference talk.) Well, we met up with Brother for a final hoorah this past week... Sadly, his caretaker will no longer permit the missionary visits..but get this, in consolation... HE TOLD US HIS NAME. Of course for all-inclusive confidentiality purposes, I will not include it.. but my goodness, I have never felt so blessed. The mystery of Brother has been uncovered- and his legacy will forever live on as the mysterious itchy guy with the baddest dragon Lord in the Elder Scrolls galaxy.

STORY TIME:

One of the many facets of missionary work is known as referral contacting. If you are someone who wishes to investigate, or has interest in the church, you can request a visit from the missionaries through several means of media or advertisement. When you do this, we as missionaries, get an email or an immediate notification, that gives us whatever information you provide.. and as soon as possible, two guys in the coolest floral ties show up on your doorstep. Quite an efficient and effective process, really. So, with our background out of the way...

We went to contact this referral, and we were told that she was out of town but will be coming back for the fair, so they asked us to check back again.. well, when we came back, she made the decision that the fair wasn't worth it and decided to move to Baton Rouge. Rather rash, really. ANYWAYS, her sister was there, and upon inviting her to listen to a message, she invited us back.. well, we show up, as you do, and she's not home. This was about, three weeks ago? Consequently, through a prompting of the spirit, we go back to visit her three weeks exactly after our initial meeting, and when we arrive, BOY WAS SHE STOKED ABOUT US WHITE GUYS. She anxiously invited us in, questioning why we hadn't shown up before and called her husband inside to listen to a message about Jesus Christ. As we start into the message, the Spirit is already so strong.. and as missionaries, we could've taught for days on end and said as much as we wanted, but nothing would compare to how powerful she, herself, brought the spirit. Her story is where this experience gets crazy.. and mind you, we didn't know any of this when we intended on coming back...

She's already met with the Elders.. not once.. not twice.. but three times. Over the span of fifteen years, our girl has been investigating and attending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. AND IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH... The Elder who found her was also named Elder Boyd. She said that she loved the mixed congregations and the family element of the church.. she just didn't know we had missionaries in Louisiana. She said it was a sign from God when we knocked on her door because she had been praying to find missionaries and find that church that once made her and her family so joyous. Y'all, I feel so blessed to be apart of experiences like this... Only Jesus Christ's church would have such a profound effect on people like this did on our girl... The Spirit of God is a glorious gift afforded to anyone who is willing to allow God to make their happiness everlasting. I am just a happy little tool in the shed of our heavenly father, who just JUMPS FOR JOY at the opportunity to be used how he sees fit. It feels so nice to be out in the field and not stuck in the shed. And hey, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but your shovel ain't gonna get any stronger by collecting dust in the warehouse, and neither will we if we don't get out and get used! Wow, never thought I'd say that before. But seriously.. God was so generous to lead us to this beautiful family... I'm excited to see what he has in store for them... You know what they say, third times the charm. :)

In other news, one of the blessed responsibilities of living that Zone Leader life, is lots and lots of exchanges! This past week I was pleased to participate in a two-fer.. one with Elder Peterson in Houma and one with Elder Woody in Thibodaux. I'd say the best part about being in leadership is getting to serve other missionaries.. and there is no greater joy than having fun in a new area with a new companion, just spreading the Gospel and having the time of your life. Elder Peterson and I broke some ankles in street ball with a bunch of really cool guys who actually were super interested in the Book of Mormon. "Any guy who can shred a court like Y'all, must be knowing what he's talking about." We had some good fun with the members too- which was a tender mercy for me, getting to know the ward better. Elder Woody and I were just dipping our toes in the miracle waters all day... but certainly, the highlight was doing some inspired tracting.. and as we pull up to this door we give him the good ole missionary approach.. and he looks us straight in the face.. and says:

"I'm a Mormon"

I kid you not, it was the longest thirty seconds of my life as we just... stared at this guy. I didn't know WHAT to say. So we stared. Awkwardly. For a prolonged period of time.

Could you imagine how absolutely embarrassed I felt in that moment, not recognizing a member? Well, fear not. Cause here's a story for Y'all...

For the past six months in the Thibodaux area, every single missionary has been trying to tract down this infamous RM. I've heard the stories of Elders knocking on his apartment over twenty times in a transfer.. with no answer. Heck, even Elder Sellers and I gave it an old-fashioned knock.. but nothing... We'll call him Waldo. Y'all. we found Waldo. He broke the silence and said...

"I'm Waldo"

And fun fact, Elder Woody used to serve in Thibodaux.. so here's been a huge participant in the search for this guy too... and randomly, on an exchange, on a brisk spring evening.. we find him. We found Waldo. So yeah, our bishop was IN AWE thinking we're like master tracters or something, and now we have a return appointment to get him to church!

So yeah, exchange magic is real. I love exchanges.

In other news, we had Zone Conference this past week, and that was a dream. The go-home testimonies were my personal favorite part. Those Elders and Sisters could thrash nations with the Spirit in that room. It could not be denied- this is an inspired work that changes people. Thank goodness I'm not there yet. :)

And, the final highlight we have for this week... I had some authentic Mexican food from this majestic family in the ward.. and my food baby is still growing. If I have learned anything on my mission... it's that an empty bag can't stand. So fill those tummies and get to work.

WELL, Y'ALL, the miracles of this week are not exclusive to Louisiana.. you can have your very own limited edition miracles right where you are. The blessings of God are ENDLESS and he's just waiting to bless you. May we all follow the words of one of my former investigators and say to God.. "I dare you to bless me." HAVE A GREAT WEEK Y'ALL!! ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU.

Ciao Children (isn't it funny how this works both ways),

Elder Boyd

This week's Facebook Message:

We can learn alot from soldiers.

Sacrifice. Selfless service. Bravery. Consecration. Dedication. Loyalty. Honor.

The lessons are endless- and through their example we can take courage and be lead through the war we are all enlisted in- the war against sin.

Every single person is a soldier in their own way, fighting their own battles every day. However, in the cause for Christianity, we can fearlessly trust that our God wins his battles. The battle is his. And his battles are won.

So we too can sing, "Onward Christian Soldiers" as we march on to war. And take heart if your battles seem hard- God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.

#LBRMSingingSunday

John 15:13