Mission Address

Washington Yakima Mission
1006 S 16th Ave
Yakima, WA 98902

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Christmas (week 24)

                                               A picture my son Blaze drew for his brother
                                                              Santa found him
                                                 Trying out a women's scarf
                                             Got matching tie and scripture covers for Christmas
This has been such a great Christmas week. We had a great week even though the snow just doesn't seem to want to stop for us. It just keeps coming and keeps pilling up. I think I'm finally getting down how to drive around in it with out sliding around too much. I haven't had any crazy scary slides this week so that must mean I'm doing a lot better now. Good thing the roads get cleared and sanded here. It would be a nightmare if they lacked the tools like Texas does. 

On Tuesday I got to go on exchanges with elder Moser here in Omak. It was a great time. We got to go out for a bit and do some tracting. We got to talk to a lot of different people and I got to see how awesome of a missionary elder Moser is. He isn't afraid to open his mouth and talk to people. We got to have dinner at a pizza place here in Omak We got they garden pizza which had olives, slices of tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and chicken. It doesn't sound like something I'd normally have but it was good. It's cool what food you can discover you like when you just try things. We then were able to visit a couple of our investigators. We visited a family that speaks mainly Spanish so it was a little hard for Elder Moser to follow since he is an English missionary and doesn't speak Spanish.  But it was a good lesson and we think that they are going to be ready for baptism some time in January. The Father loves reading in the scriptures and is getting pretty far into the Book of Mormon. I know that he is going to find the answers he is looking for as he continues to read and search for that knowledge. 

 We also had a great district council this past Wednesday. We talked about sacrifice and how we can apply it as missionaries. We related it to the pioneers and the sacrifice that they had to give. We may not be asked to up and leave everything behind and trek across the plains but the lord asks so much easier of us. He asks to share the gospel and help others make use of the atonement. One of the bigger sacrifices that we have to give is our comfort. It may not be fun to step outside our comfort zones and do things we aren't used to but the Lord will bless us if we do what he asks and follow the promptings of the spirit. 

Christmas Eve and Christmas day were really enjoyable. We weren't able to go out and tract either of those days but we made the most of the time we had to go and visit families and share this wonderful time with some of the members. We had an awesome Christmas eve dinner with the Chandlers, the senior couple here in Omak with us. Then on Christmas day we got to go to Grand Coulee Dam to have a Zone Christmas breakfast and watch the best two years. It was a lot of fun and the food was great. Not too often that we are able to have pancakes, eggs, and bacon for breakfast. Then once we got back to Omak we were able face-time home which was awesome. It was great being able to see all the family and see how everyone is doing. Then we spent the rest of Christmas day visiting some of the families in the ward. Elder Colunga had me sing for two of the families we visited. I wasn't expecting to be singing for any of the families but it was nice being able to do it. I sang two songs in Spanish for the Bauers and then sang a Christmas song for the Mills. Good thing there was someone in both families that could give me some piano accompaniment. The gifts I got for Christmas were great. Thank you for sending them. I love the tartan scripture case and the family tartan tie. And the scarf and sweaters are great. Now I have more stuff to keep me warm. 

Saturday and Sunday were pretty good days as well. we didn't get to see all of our investigators because some of them are still out of town be we did get to see a few. One of the families we have been teaching came to church again this past Sunday which is awesome. They are really progressing and them coming to church is going help them receive the answers they are looking for. They told us that they think they will be ready for baptism in January which would be a great way to start the new year. I hope they will be able to take that step and find more happiness in their life. 

I hope all is well back home. 

Love,
Elder Boren

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Merry Christmas ( Week 23)

We almost died this week. I mean not really but it felt like it. Because there is so much snow the roads are really getting slick and it's even worse when they haven't sanded it all yet. So we were driving down the main road when all of the sudden when I start driving into the curve the car keeps its momentum and slides into the opposite lane. Freaky huh? Good thing the car in the other lane saw and stopped in plenty of time. Then is morning we were driving to some stores and I took a turn and the car didn't want to so we slid into a big pile of snow where the plows had pushed it. We haven't gotten hurt so all is good. Nothing to be worried about. I think I'm figuring out how to drive in this dang stuff. Hopefully it will stop snowing sometime soon and they will be able to clear the roads better. 

This has been a great week though. We had an amazing Christmas gathering this week and we all met in Quincy. It was a day full of driving. I think we drove like 6 hours that day. We had about 3 hours to drive there and another 3 to get back. And Quincy is in our zone! But I got to see all the elders and sisters that were in Othello with me. I got to see both elder Turley and Elder Mercado. It was awesome to be able to see them again. Don't know when the next time will be though. We had an awesome lunch provided by the Gates family then we had a little Christmas program. Each zone had a musical number and then shared a spiritual thought. In our zone we sang silent night and joy to the world. All the zone had Elder Moser and I stand next to each other in the front because we are the best singers. It was really fun. A lot of the spiritual thoughts that were shared were focused on having gratitude during this Christmas season and being thankful for all the gifts that we have been given. As well as being grateful for the greatest gift of all. The birth of a savior. We then got to watch Meet the Mormons. I know I've seen it before but it's a great movie and better the second time around. Then after the movie we took a big group picture and then went and got gifts that they arranged for us. We all got a mission shirt and a goody bag. Then we got the packages that had been sent to the mission home. It was a little surprising to get 6 different packages but I am thankful to have gotten them. Now I have stuff to open on Christmas. 

We haven't been able to see as many people as we want to but we have been trying to go out and talk to more people. You'd think more people would be open to hearing a message of Christ at this time of the year but most people seem to be distracted by the gifts and what the world has to offer at this time of the year. We are still trying to share the "A Savior is Born" video and we hope that people are able to feel of the spirit that it brings. The spirit that this season brings is so strong and something we should strive to keep though out the year as we remember Christ and his birth and sacrifice for each of us. We had one of our families of investigators at church this past Sunday and they really enjoyed it. We had a great Christmas program with lots of the members sharing their wonderful talents. I love the spirit that comes with the music and scriptures that are shared.

I don't have too much to write about this week but that's a pretty good synopsis of whats been going on. We should be having a pretty full week upcoming as we have Christmas and a few meetings. I'm looking forward to being able to skype this Friday.

Con Amor,
Elder Boren
                                                          Snow, snow, snow
                                             Just an hour of being parked here
                                                           Shoveling snow for church

Monday, December 14, 2015

Rain, rain, and more rain week 22

This past week was great. Lots of rain and no snow this week. Most of the people here say that they would rather have the rain over the snow. I think the opposite since the snow looks better and doesn't drench us as much. But the snow does make a mess of the roads and makes it a bit harder to drive in. Maybe well get some later on in the winter. 

We had a great zone training meeting this past week as we talked about becoming a consecrated missionary. It's something that is hard to do because it takes giving up literally everything and adopting the lords will and desires. The blessings that come from doing so outweigh any challenges and difficulties that we may have in the process. That is how we can become successful missionaries. Overcoming the natural man and the fears and doubts that come with it. We may want to keep to ourselves and not be so bold in inviting people. I know I have trouble being bold in extending invitations. But Heavenly Father will bless us if we yield to the promptings of the spirit and do surrender our will to his. We had a lesson yesterday in church and we went over how in reality we need to yield to the spirit. We need to be ready to stop and listen to the spirit and its promptings. 

We have been really trying to share the Christmas pass along card with everyone and invite them to watch the great video that the church has prepared on the birth of our savior. Not very many people have been open to talking to us but we can just about always share the card and the video that goes along with it. I'm hoping that the people we share it with are going and looking up the video and watching and feeling of the spirit that it brings. 

Nothing much super interesting has happened but we have been working with a few family and helping them progress in the gospel. We are trying to help them see the importance of acting on their faith and taking those steps to follow Christ and his example for each of us. It can be hard to accept that no matter what we teach that they still have the choice to make on whether they want to follow the Lords teachings or now. But that is one of the most important parts of the plan of salvation. Our agency is the one thing Heavenly Father has given us that he himself does not have. We should help others see that there are some many blessings that come from following Jesus Christ and his example and this is one of the best times of the year to do so. 

To answer a few questions. In my opinion Omak is actually bigger than Othello. Then we also cover a lot of the surrounding areas. We have a pretty large area to cover and because of it we have the car and a good amount of miles to get us around. The weather isn't that bad just a little wet just about all the time. Which is odd for this part of Washington. But this area is beautiful and the mountains are awesome. Whenever we drive to Coulee Dam for zone meetings and other activities we get to drive on a scenic road through the Cascade Mts. We drive through Disatel pass and the drive is awesome. Reminds me of driving through Colorado. 

Hope all is well back home and everyone is enjoying the Christmas season.

With love,
Elder Boren

Monday, December 7, 2015

New area and snow, week 21

This has been a really good week. Transfers, lots of snow, and an awesome Christmas Devotional. 

So as you know I have now been transferred to Omak and had to leave Othello. It's not fun having to leave all the people you get to know and love. But the Lord needs me here and I've got work to do. Sadly I never got a chance to say good bye to either of the bishops there in Othello. They were both out for Thanksgiving weekend. Hopefully I get transferred back to that area before I finish my mission. If not I can always go back and visit the people that area there. 

Elder Colunga Flores is from Laredo Texas. Which is on the boarder of Mexico. He was born in Cancun Mexico and moved to Texas when he was 5. So he is fluent in Spanish and fluent in English. Means I get to improve my Spanish as his companion. He has actually been out as long as I have. We got to as we say greenie bust each other. 

It snowed again and in Othello we got about 2 inches which is pretty awesome other than the fact that Elder Mercado is going to be walking in it. I hope he got a car with this transfer though. Up here in Omak we probably got like 5 or more inches of snow. It is crazy and there was so much falling. Defiantly something I am not used to. Here in Omak is beautiful. We are really close to the Cascade Mountains. They are right in our back yard. And we also have lots of snow on the ground here. One thing I found out at the transfer site is that I'm the driver since Elder Colunga doesn't have a drivers licence. Means I get to learn how to drive in the snow and ice. It hasn't been that bad so far since its mainly just been the snow and none of it has frozen over yet. And they have plenty of snow plows to get it all off the roads. The only time I have to really drive on it is when we go a bit out of the city or its snowing and they haven't started plowing. It's a fun experience though.

We had the Christmas part here in Omak on Friday and it was pretty good. We had three different investigator families there which was great. They all spoke Spanish but they said they really enjoyed it. They had some good musical numbers on Christ and Christmas. There was plenty of food there and they had us take home tons of left overs. I think they ended up giving us all of the left overs. 

The Christmas devotional was great. I really liked the talk the David A. Bednar gave on Christ and how he expels all fear and darkness. I enjoyed the insight that he shared on the Saviors birth and his death and resurrection. Christ is the one that dispels all darkness and our faith in him can help us overcome any problem or challenge in this life. The Nephites were in fear because of the "deadline" that the unbelievers had set for the birth of Christ. They feared for their lives and Christ was able to expel that fear with his coming and the beginning of his earthly mission. This time of the year is great because we are able to see that light bringing joy to the lives of others. A great way to share that joy and light with others is the new website that the church has set up for Christmas. The two videos on there are a great way to help others remember the true reason for the season.  

Hope all is well back home and you are enjoying the Christmas season. 

Con Amor,
Elder Boren


P.s. Some snow boots would be nice. I don't know how much snow we will get so I guess it would be better to be safe than sorry. 
 Went to the Taquerria and had burritos campechanos. They were huge!

                                              
                                              ​One last picture as a group of elders in Othello.


A picture with Elder Mercado before I got transferred.

​Elder Colunga Cleaning the snow of our car. I got to drive in that mess.

Monday, November 30, 2015


Pictures sent to me from Elder Turley.

Ist Transfer to Omak. Week 20

This week has been pretty awesome but sad to say I got news that I am going to be transferred this Wednesday. I'm getting moved up even more north to Omak Washington. My companion is going to be Elder Colunga-Flores from Texas. Yet again my companion is from Texas. From what I am told it is going to be even colder there in Omak but It is very pretty up there. Hopefully I will not freeze while I am up there for the winter. I'm getting a little used to the cold here but it is still not enjoyable. Good thing I am able to layer up and at least be warmer. It's crazy to think that it's already time for another transfer and that I'm getting moved. It feels like just yesterday Elder Mercado got here and we started the transfer. Time really does fly. And Christmas is right around the corner. I can't believe it.

As you can tell by the pictures we got to start this past week off with a bit of snow. I think we got about 3 inches of snow and it was awesome. It's cool to see snow because that stuff doesn't fall much down in good Old Texas. We got to throw a bit of snow around before we had our District council. It was a bunch of fun. Speaking of district council we had a really good discussion on the topic of the fourth missionary. There was a quote in the fourth missionary talk from C.S. Lewis. The Lord is speaking to us saying, "Give me all. I don't want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work: I want You. All of you. I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man, but to kill it. No half-measures will do. I don't want to only prune a branch here and another there; rather, I want the whole tree out. Hand it all over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart shall become your will." (Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis, p. 167) I really love this little passage and how it tells us that we need to give all of our desires and wills to the lord. It is something that is really hard to do but it is defiantly worth it in the end. When we are able to orient our desires with those of the lord we will be better off and become more like him. We will be more in tune with the spirit and better able to follow its promptings. I thought I would share it with you since it can really apply to anyone. It may apply a bit more to full time missionaries but, it still helps anyone see how to become more in tune with the spirit. 

This week has been a bit interesting as well having to walk everywhere in the snow. I think I can now say I have had to walk up-hill both ways in the snow. It's a little warmer walking in comparison to the bikes because we aren't rushing around in the wind but it also means that we had to walk everywhere we had to go. Made things a little harder and we had to watch the time so we wouldn't be late to things. The walking is a bit tiring but it is all worth it. 

Thanksgiving was really good. We had one meal with the "H" family at 1 and then after that we went over and had another Thankgiving meal with the "G" family. We were so full and yet Elder Turley still insisted on us eating more food while we were at the "G". It was a good time to enjoy being with some of the families here in Othello. After dinner with the "G" we went and walked around for the rest of the night trying to find people we could talk to and visit. We ended up going and visiting two less active families and sharing a message with them. It was defiantly an enjoyable day.

With it being Thanksgiving week most people were spending time with family or were out of town. This made it a bit harder for us to find our investigators and actually teach them. We kept trying though and used most of our time these past 3 days trying to set up time we can go and see people within the week. It got a little tiring and discouraging to not be able to get in and teach anyone but we tried and that's what counts. A successful missionary is not measured by numbers or the amount of baptisms but instead by his devotion to the work and the will of the lord. 

Yesterday (Sunday) Elder Mercado and I gave talks in the Spanish ward sacrament meeting. I was a little worried about covering the 10 minutes I was given but from what Elder Mercado tells me I covered it rather well. We both were given the topic of keeping the commandments and more specifically the law of tithing. It was good studying and preparing for my talk and taking time to learn about gods purpose for commandments and why he asks us to pay tithing. I based the larger portion of my talk on the teachings of King Bennjamin in Mosiah 2:22-24. They are really good scriptures and help us see the blessings that come from obedience to the commandments and why we should keep them. I think it also helps us see why we need to pay tithing, although it doesn't specifically say anything about tithing. I wasn't looking forward to speaking but looking back I'm glad I was given the opportunity. 

To answer some questions. I'm only able to read my emails on P-day and likewise only respond as well. It is getting a little cold but as it drops below 20 there isn't much moisture in the air so it isn't a very stinging cold. Still not fun to be out in but I'm glad its more of a dry cold.

Glad you had a good Thanksgiving back home and I hope all is still going well. 

Love,
Elder Boren

P.S. Elder Mercado shared a song with me that was awesome and I was wondering if you could find the group for me and get me some of their music. He said the group is a womens version of BYU Vocal Point. That would be awesome if you could. And I'm always open to some new ties.
Snow about 3 inches, not fun walking in


I got my new stocking, thanks Mom and Dad
                                                All the pies at the "G" family
I'm going to miss the "C" family

Our faithful companion 

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Talking fish and 4 Thanksgivings so far "week 19"

It's just about time for Thanksgiving. Our mission President shared a scripture this week with us and I thought I would share it with you. This scripture comes from the teachings of Amulek in Alma 34:38: "receive [The Holy Ghost], and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye may humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye may live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." I really like this scripture because this is the kind of attitude we should have at all times and especially as we enter into this holiday season. We need to be humble and give thanks unto the lord for all that we have been given. 

We have had a really good week here in Othello even with it starting to get really cold. we have been starting to see a lot more miracles as we have been trying to talk to everyone. Sometimes it can be hard and seem a whole lot easier to just keep walking. The blessings from taking time to stop and talk to those we see on our way to other places is well worth the time. As we have done so we have found more people that are willing to listen to us and learn more about the gospel. More people are sincerely asking us to come back and share more with us and we have been able to find those that have been prepared. us having this focus has been a great way to really show our love for those we serve around. 

Up to now we have already had four thanksgiving meals. We had one on Thursday for the 3rd ward dinner and one on Friday for the 4th ward dinner. Then on Sunday we had a thanksgiving lunch with the Jensen Family. We were talking with some of the "J's" kids and a daughter-in-law of theirs is a"H" and her brother is Houston from our ward. It is so cool when you are able to meet people that have connections to you. We talked about it and one of them said we get tender mercies like that so the Lord can show us that we are not alone in the work. Then they took a picture of us and sent it to Houston. I see that you got to see said picture. They are also going to be heading to Melissa for Christmas and I can send somethings there to you when they go. We also had Thanksgiving dinner with Bishop Villarreal and has some awesome pasole. We still have another two thanksgiving meals that we know of this week. 

With all of the ward activities around this time of the year it is such a great time to meet those people the members invite. I hope for the ward activities back home you are inviting friends and especially those that are non-members. It's a really good for them to get to know the other members and be more comfortable talking about the church. 

We had and investigator that had gotten offended last Sunday at somethings that were said. We went and visited her this past Wednesday and talked to her about it. We discussed how everyone is imperfect and just because members mess up and say stupid things doesn't mean that the church is not true. We also talked a lot about how heavenly father gives us trials and problems to test us and that he knows that we are capable of rising above those challenges. We invited her to pray about coming to church again and she came this Sunday. She has so much potential and even though she has opposition in her home she still tries her best to learn more and search for the truth. We are so thankful for the blessings the lord gives us when we put in the effort. 

I hope all is well back home.

With love,
Elder Boren

P.S. I would love to get some more recipes. Maybe even the recipe for the lasagna soup. 
​We were teaching an investigator and kept hearing this sound coming from the kitchen. We asked what it was and he told us that it was a bunch of living fish.

​We haven't gotten snow where we are at yet but every morning everything gets frosted and it looks like snow which is cool.
Picture sent to us from Sister J

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Words from Members in the area

We are the G family and your son is serving in our ward! And we have invited them for thanksgiving dinner. And we wanted to send this message demonstrating our love and appreciation to your family and for him. He is a great Elder that works hard and has a strong spirit. We appreciate your sacrifices for serving the Lord. We appreciate his work and all that he does. We also appreciate your love and support. We will be sending some pictures and again we really appreciate your Elder and all that he does for the Lord and this ward.
Sincerly,
      The G Family

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Temple Day, November 17

We just went to the temple today. There was a ton of winds and it formed a big dust storm here in our part of Washington. The cool thing is that above and around the temple is clear skies and not dust. It was a really cool experience. Columbia River Temple is awesome.
Our district at the temple. Sister Hirshy's hair was all over the place because the wind was so strong. 

Monday, November 16, 2015

Temple trip tomorrow (week 18)

This week has been pretty good. I don't have as much time today since it isn't actually p-day today. Tomorrow is going to be p-day since we have our temple trip tomorrow. And we have to get to a lesson here soon so I'm going to make it a little shorter this time. 

This has been a really great week to be honest. We have been able to meet a lot of new people and have even started teaching some of them. We have been working on turning every opportunity into a teaching opportunity. It is really helping us find new people to teach as we help them feel of the spirit and having it testify to them. It helps when we are able to bring the spirit to them because that feeling is what they will associate the church with. Even if they don't start taking the lessons now and learning of the gospel they will start being prepared to learn of the gospel at a latter time. I think that's what people mean when they say you will plan many seeds in peoples lives. It relates to Alma 32 when he is referring to the gospel as a seed. We are able to bring it unto people and let them hear it and feel of its light. And as time goes on they begin to feel a swelling of it in their hearts and a desire to learn more. There are many people who have been prepared in this way and the fruits are ready to harvest. This is what it means when in the scriptures it says "the field is white already to harvest". I think as members we should be working to help plan those seeds and find those that have already been prepared. We can all do our part in this work and help bring people to the gospel. 

We have had a really good week full of teaching and finding alike. Being able to get into a house and teach the gospel is such a great blessing. Being able to hear peoples stories and see where they come from is pretty fun. Then we get to share the gospel and help them come unto Christ. We have a few people we have progressing and we hope to invite a few of them to be baptized. I hope as they feel of the holy ghost they will come to realize the importance of it in their lives. And when we show others how important it is to us it will help hasten that progression. 

I hope all is well back home and that its not tooo cold for all of you back in Texas. 

Con Amor,
Elder Boren

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Work hard and the lord will bless you!! week 17

Hello People!

This has been a pretty great week for me. I haven't frozen just yet so we are all good. The weather is starting to get colder and colder and the rain doesn't want to stop for us. I think the weather likes to mock us since we are riding on our bikes and walking everywhere. It no big deal though I just got a big wool jacket and some sweaters from goodwill today and then the jacket I'm getting sent to me should mean I'll be warm for winter. Talking about our bike we have had a crazy week in that regard. Some one let out the air in our tires one night while we were out walking around and we weren't very happy to come back to flat tires. Elder Mercado was just able to fill his back us and I was able to patch my tire. The patch only really lasted a day but it will be fine. Elder Mercado also got chased by a pit-bull while on his bike and had to pedal for his life.He didn't get eaten by the dog so all is well. I also crashed my bike while trying to hop up onto a curb. I just scraped up my knee a bit which isn't too bad. Bikes are a lot of fun other than the fact that we don't have heaters and windshields to keep us out of the elements. 

I went on exchanges again this week with Elder Call. We had a good time and got to talk to a bunch of people. We also got to talk to one of the less actives who is from Nigeria. He is really cool and wishes he lived in the city. Sadly he is pretty far from the city. We shared ponderizing with him and his wife and challenged them to give it a try. We are going to be visiting them again this week and we will be able to follow up with them. Elder Call and I were able to work on making every opportunity a teaching opportunity. It's so much better and effective when you try and teach something when ever you talk to someone. Helps them feel of the spirit and understand what our purpose as missionaries is. 

We had Zone Training Meeting this Saturday and it was a great learning experience. We discussed accountability and our role in the conversion process. It's really important to realize that our accountability is to the lord and that as long as we are doing the things he asks of us we are successful missionaries. That also ties into our role in peoples conversion process. As long as we do our part, are worthy, and do our best to help our investigators we are successful. Our success isn't measured by the number of baptisms or any other number although it may seem that way. We have to remember that everyone has their agency and they are free to choose what they will do. We may teach an amazing lesson and they may not believe a word we say. But as long as we are doing our part and are able to tell the lord that we are giving it our all we are successful. Sometimes it is hard to look at it like that but its so true. Some missionaries never baptizes but are still some of the most successful Elders and Sisters in their mission. We also discussed asking inspired questions which is something I think I can work on. We need to be asking questions that prompt though and soul searching and lead them to asking questions of their own. Asking questions is a key part that helps the investigator better understand how things apply to them. 

Our investigator in the English ward came to church again this week. She is really progressing and she is really starting to grasp what we teach. She enjoys the Sunday school class as it gives her a change to ask questions and learn more doctrine in a simple way. We invited her to be baptized and she declined saying that she had been already baptized. I was going to explain why it needs to be by the proper authority but she went off on a tangent and we were not able to pull it back. We are hoping to get a baptismal date for her this upcoming week and keep her progressing. We also want to get her into a members house for a lesson to help her progression. 

We have a few other families we are trying to work with as well. We have also been trying to find some more people who have really be prepared by the lord. We know that as long as we put in our part we will be able to find those people we are looking for. We have been talking to just about everyone we see and it is starting to really pay off. We are looking for some more Spanish people to teach so we can help the Spanish ward here grow. 

Elder Mercado and I are getting along great. We are both from Texas so there aren't very many problems. We both bought some cheap tennis rackets today and are going to start playing tennis in the mornings during our workout time. It's going to be a lot of fun.

I hope all is well back home. Remember every member a missionary and it is easy as being friendly to everyone and sharing the gospel when you can. 

Con Amor,
Elder Boren
A soup that Dylan made

Fall colors, he tells me it is amazing

I sent him my recipe for my Oreo pudding cookies with the dry ingredients 

Monday, November 2, 2015

Halloween and converts (week 16)

The beginning of this week was pretty hectic and really busy. On Tuesday Elder Mercado and I have Doctrine of Christ training and Trainer/Trainee training down in Quincy. We were away from our area from about 7:30 in the morning to 6:00 at night. The meetings we had were great though. I really enjoyed them and had a great time learning from President and Sister Lewis as well from the assistants Elder Archibald and Elder Carter. Both training were full of things to learn and it made for a great day. We talked a lot about applying what we have to share to our investigators and making sure that we are teaching to their understanding. I always think back to how if we don't pay attention to what words we use when we talk about the gospel people can get lost and confused very easily. We need to go down to their level of understanding and pull them up. We can't expect them to just understand everything the way we do. I think that's part of why we ask everyone to read in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon speaks to our own understanding and we are all able to apply it to our selves. In between meetings I got to talk to Elder Smith some and then I got to meet our new Assistant to the President Elder Carter. I'm gonna miss Elder Smith. I also got to meet a bunch of other missionaries and spend some time talking to them. I also lead some role plays for the trainees during the portion of Trainer/Trainee that was just for the trainees. 

We are still continuing our recent convert lessons with Elaine. She knows so much about the gospel and already understands the purpose of just about all the doctrines and commandments. We were teaching about tithing and when we brought up the topic she asked us how she is supposed to pay it because she had been wanting to start. We had a good lesson on the blessings that came from paying tithing and why Heavenly Father wants us to. We are working on getting her to the temple for some baptism trips so she can feel of the spirit that is there. 

On Wednesday I was on exchanges with Elder Tanner in my area. We had a pretty good day and were able to get to know each other a little better and learn from one another. We had some awesome lessons and were able to put some on on-date. His name is Pedro and he was telling us about how he wants to change and get rid of the habit he has. He had asked us as well when and where church was so he could go. He didn't end up going to church which made us sad. We had tried finding him later Sunday but we couldn't get in contact with him. Hopefully we are able to see him this week and teach him so we can get him progressing towards the baptismal goal we set for him. Elder Tanner and I also got to teach a part member family and get to know them better. The wife is a non-member and is very religious. She said she has questions regarding the things we believe so I hope we are able to answer any questions she has and get her baptized. We think she has the potential for it if we can figure out all the things that are holding her back from accepting all of the gospel.

Saturday was a pretty fun day as well. We got to teach Linda who is one our progressing investigators in English and we committed her to reading in the Book of Mormon every morning after her morning prayer. She has come to church the past 3 times which is awesome and maybe this week we will be able to put her on date. She really likes church and likes gospel principles class. Before we had to head in for the night we went to the ward trunk'or'treat for 30 minutes. It was cool and most of the members gave us a bunch of candy. I ended up giving away the candy I got to the only people that came by our apartment. We had a good night of carving pumpkins and snaking of food. I realized that I hate carving pumpkins and the only part that is any bit of enjoyable is the actual carving of the pumpkin. Elder Mercado went for the easy route and I just made little silhouettes and shined light onto the pumpkin to project the design on to it instead of free handing it all. Elder Turley made a pretty cool spider-man pumpkin but I don't think it compares  to Texas and the Temple. 

I a week we shoot for 20 lessons but we are not always able to reach it. We are working on building up our area so we can get in and teach more lessons. In our English ward they have scheduled days when either a High Priest or Elder will come out that day with us. It helps us build up trust with the ward and gets the members more comfortable to give referrals. And referrals are the bomb. 

I hope all is well back home. Make sure that Riley writes me and tells me all about his golf tournament. 

Con Amor,
Elder Boren
Hi Sister Boren, this is Elder Turley and I just wanted to write and say thanks so much for including me in Elder Boren's package!  I definitely enjoyed the bag of sweets that were there:)  You have an amazing son and I've learned so much from him.  I'm super sad we're not companions anymore, but at least we still work closely!  Thanks again:)
Love
Elder Turley


I had to add this thank you note from his companion. How nice of him to say Thank you.
Elder Smith and Elder Boren

He told me he would, so here is the temple pumpkin

and of course a Texas one

A member gave them a trunk full of Bread.


Friday, October 30, 2015

Monday, October 26, 2015

Transfer week (week 15)

Transfers have happened and now I am no longer with my father. I now live with my step-dad and he is teaching me his ways. We live right around the corner from my dad so all is well. My new companion is from Amarillo Texas which is awesome. He is an awesome Elder and I can't wait for all the things I will be able to learn from him. We have a good transfer ahead of us and maybe even more. It is going to be a great transfer because we have both Halloween and Thanksgiving in these six weeks. We already have thanksgiving diner scheduled with one of the families here in Othello. And we are going to go the ward trunk-or-treat before we have to go in for the night at 6. As a zone we are also going to have a pumpkin carving contest. Elder Mercado and I are going to win. We plan on carving the temple into our pumpkin as to win over the judges. Our judges are going to be the stake presidency here in the Othello Stake. I think Elder Turley and Elder Tanner are going to do spider-man or some other super hero. 

Not much has happened this past week. Transfers and a slight area change have made things different. I am still in Othello 3rd ward but I am not in the same Spanish area. The zone leaders changed my Spanish area so that it is the same boundaries as the 3rd ward. I don't know any of the people in this new area so Elder Mercado and I get to know the area together. Good thing Elder Tanner is still here and can answer any questions we have about the area. 

The investigators we have in English are going great. They are progressing and we can see some changes occurring in their lives. Our investigator Linda has been coming to church the past two Sundays and is enjoying it. A lot of the gospel doctrine is stuff that she had already known some of and she is not afraid to express her thoughts or ask questions in gospel doctrines class. She is still getting used to us and isn't comfortable enough to pray out loud with us yet. We have another lesson with her this week and hopefully we can get her on-date. 

Lots of our less actives in the 3rd ward are making progress and are coming to church more often. Not all of them made it to church this past Sunday but we can continue to work with them. I love being able to work close with the bishops here. They are both great guys and are really in tune with the spirit. The bishop in the Spanish ward is also really good on the barbecue. (Gonna have to step it up dad) The wards are making some changes top try and really reach out to those that are less active and get them to church. They are going to focus all their home teaching efforts on the less actives and only giving one family for each companionship to visit. Its going to help them focus on who they visit and really teach them to their needs.

My ponderize scripture for this week is going to be 1 John 2:10 

"He that Loveth his brother abideth in light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him."

I really like this scripture and it shows that if we are able to love other we will find ourselves less likely to stumble when trials come. I found it when I was reading through the hymns and looked at "Brightly Beams out Fathers Mercy".

It hasn't gotten too cold here yet but it is starting to get there. There really isn't a big store anywhere near so I'll have to get something at Walmart to get me by until I can get something better. We are riding bikes right now but we are high on the list to get a car here soon. Hopefully it comes before we start freezing while we are riding. Not really any new foods yet. Most of the food is stuff I've had before. Elder Turley liked the chili. I want to try cooking more foods so sending some recipes would be great. 

Con Amor,
Elder Boren

Monday, October 19, 2015

The Lord's hand (week 14)

Things are going well here in Othello. We are seeing the lord's hand in the work and see that he is really blessing us. Just this past week we had 13 member present lessons, which is amazing. Our goal was only 8. When we went to tally up our actually we were surprised to see that we had 13. We are not sure how we got to that many this week as opposed to others, but we know it is a blessing from the lord. Our zone has been improving and this week our zone average for lessons taught was 21. When we are able to really trust in the lord we see success and things start to change. We are going to keep working and continue to work as a zone to reach the goals we have set for ourselves. 

The Goddard family that we thought was going to be golden dropped us because sister Goddard told us she wasn't ready to have more lessons. She told us that we should try back with her at the end of the month and we may be able to continue teaching her. We are going to make sure that the members here continue to reach out to her and make sure the family feels welcomed. We also decided to drop the youth pastor because all he was wanting to do was ask questions and find holes in the gospel. If only he would read and pray with an open heart and not be so stubborn. We are however, teaching his roommate who seems pretty open to the lessons and the gospel. I haven't meet him yet due to exchanges but, Elder Turley tells me he has potential.

One of the investigators we have been teaching in our spanish area is on-date for the 21st of Novemberr. We had a church tour with him last monday and he was hesitant at first but he accepted our invitation to be baptised. We still have to keep working with him and make sure he is progressing but, this is going to be a great step for him. Now we just have to get him to church and make sure he is keeping up with his commitments. 

There is this other awesome lady in our spanish area named Blanca. Elder Turley meet her while on exchanges and we have started teaching her. We have had two lessons with her so far and see is looking like a golden investigator. She has read some in the Book of Mormon and we are inviting her to pray to know that the Book of Mormon is true. Our next lesson with her is next Saturdayeand maybe we can get her to commit to a baptismal date. 

Transfers are this upcoming Wednesday and it is going to be bringing a bit of change. I was thinking that I was going to be with Elder Turley for another transfer and he would finish training me but that is not how the lord will it. I am going to be staying in my area and Elder Turley is going to be moving to the other Spanish Othello area so he can be with Elder Tanner as a zone leader companionship. I am going to have a new companion, Elder Mercado, who is then going to be serving as the district leader for the Othello district. I am going to be moving to the other apartment right around the corner so Elder Tanner and Elder Turley can have the bigger apartment. It works for me because the one I am moving into has the washer and dryer and I won't have to carry my cloths back and forth anymore. This upcoming transfer is going to be a change for me because I will have to take over the area and take the lead since Elder Mercado is not going to know any of the members or investigators at first. 

It is starting to get a little colder and the lows are going to be in the high 30's this week. Shouldn't be too bad. I haven't needed much more than my fleece as it gets closer to 8. As the sun starts get set earlier it also starts to get colder earlier. Luckily I have been in a car for the past transfer. This next transfer is going to be a mix of biking and driving since we will have to share the car.

The thing that really stuck out for me this week was that we need to show gratitude for all the things we have, good or bad. There was a talk given by President Jones just this past weekswhere he said gratitude and depression can not coexist. It may be hard to work on but I think its worth it finding the good in all things. The lord wants us to be thankful in all things and I think it is a great thing to focus on as we get closer to the thanksgiving season. 

Love,
Elder Boren

P.S. So is the music going to be on a flash drive or a C.D? It would be a whole lot easier for me if it was on a flash drive so I can hold a lot more and easily put other things on it. My old oil holder broke and it's not able to hold any so a new one would be nice since there isn't really any place to get one here.
He made pumpkin spice cookies

                                                   His version of chili but with pasta in it
Planning time