Having a wonderful time in Quincy (week 96)

We have been having just a wonderful time here in Quincy. The members have really good trust in us and really take care us us. The weather has been warming up and the wind has been less of a nuisance. We have however been getting a good amount of rain and it usually comes out of nowhere. On Saturday we had a really good down pour that only lasted for 15 minutes. It did a pretty good job of flooding the streets in that little time. It was great to break out the rain coat for that short time.

Our investigator is really progressing well towards baptism. We had her baptismal interview this past week and she did well. We could see that Heavenly Father is really helping in the process and that he is aware of all his children. The members have also been doing great with extending a hand of fellowship. The young women are doing great at helping her feel welcome. This week for Wednesday they are going hiking and our investigator is going to be able to go with them. We are looking forward to the baptism this Friday and all the doors it is going to open for her. This ward has really been a testimony builder for me on the importance of working with the youth. It is such a critical time and they are so much more willing to accept the gospel. Then in turn it affects so many people and helps spread the gospel even more. Our investigator is thinking of doing the mini missions that our mission is offering in august. That would be such a great experience for her. 

On Saturday we went to a ward dinner held by the young women and it was a blast. They has a silent auction for desserts and it was funny watching all the members go around and bid on what they wanted. One of the members ended the night going home with close to ten different desserts. We ourselves ended up with three. We were also given two big plates of fresh donuts but we drove by a park and shared them with some kids that like to play basketball there. After the dinner we went to Brother Erikson's house and had correlation. We are getting everything set up for a fireside we are going to have the 11th of June where President and Sister Lewis are going to speak. This is one of the things we are working on to allow the members to do missionary work and invite their friends to learn more. We are looking forward to the results that it will bring. 

This is going to be a great week and I hope everyone has a great week as well.

Love Y'all,

Elder Boren

Day after Mothers Day (week 95)

So this has been a good week. I'm sorry if I don't include much this week but, thats how it will be with it being the day after mothers day. The weather is alright. We got another little bit of cold but, nothing like what we got in the winter so I'm fine. So some upcoming stuff is that at the beginning of next transfer we are going to be having a combined mission conference with the Washington Kenewick mission and we are going to be visited by one of the twelve apostles. Originally it was just going to be the other mission but, President Lewis made it possible for us to attend the conference as well. It is going to be a lot of fun and we are going to be able to learn so many new things.

This past week we also had out zone conference in Moses Lake. It was a great time and we got to learn a good amount on having a good attitude and being obedient. I love being able to go to those meeting and learn new things and add to the things I already knew. Sister Lewis taught us about how Mosiah chapter 4 has a list of things we can do to always be happy. It take a bit of studying to figure out what those things are. 

Our investigator is still working hard towards baptism. She is very committed to keep the commandments and has shown already that nothing is going to get in her way. We have been really working to involve the members and it has helped a lot. She has started to develop some great relationships with the members and it helps at church because those members are able to extend a welcome and even invite her to sit with them. This will help a ton after her baptism as we start to make it where the ward is more and more involved because we aren't going to be around forever. Her baptism got moved to May 26 and she is really looking forward to it. 

I hope everyone has a great week out there. 

Love Y'all,

Elder Boren

                                                          Part of our hike last p-day

                                               Elder Richardson making his way down

having a great week (week94)

This week has been great. The weather has started getting warmer and it is so much more enjoyable. As long as we don't have humid days here it's nothing I can't handle.The wind is still going but, it seems like it is going to be dying down soon. This past week we also had a thunderstorm. I think it was the first one I've seen here on my mission. We heard from the members that the storm took out power over in Idaho. Luckily nothing bad happened here in Quincy. In Quincy the wind is more dangerous than the thunderstorms. The wind this past week knocked over some trees in the other elder's area and they helped clean it up.

Our investigators are doing great. One of the young women we are working with has a baptismal date set for May 20th. She is really working towards it and has a strong desire to do what is right. She asks some of the best questions and has been reading and praying every night. She came to church this past Sunday for her third time and was able to stay all three hours. It may have gotten her a little confused but, I think that is going to lead to her having a desire to know more and better understand the gospel. The ward has been helping quite a bit with teaching. We had our ward mission leader to a lesson with us Saturday and he really helped put everything into a real life perspective for her. I have seen that it really is true that the youth are so much more prepared to receive this gospel. It also helps a bit that we can better relate to them since we are the same age. A lot of the people we have been finding are younger. They are more open to talk to us and are curious to learn more. We have noticed that most of them know about Christ and what he did but, don't really know why it was necessary. That usually gives us a great opportunity to teach and help them apply Christ and his atonement to their lives. I love when we have that opportunity. I've also noticed that many of the youth are great at fellowshiping their friends. We have one of the laurels working with another investigator of ours and she really works to make sure that she is learning and understanding. She even called her friend and invited her to the church to have a lesson with us. Member missionary work is amazing.

Quincy has been great and I love this place. We decided that this transfer we are going to take all our p-day time and explore the area and do the fun things the place has to offer. We got bored of p-day in Ephrata.

We are looking forward to another great week and I hope all y'all have a great week too. 

Con amor,

Elder Boren

letter to Mom, some of it is a repeat from above

Mom,

Our investigators are doing great. One of the young women we are working with has a baptismal date set for May 20th. She is really working towards it and has a strong desire to do what is right. She asks some of the best questions and has been reading and praying every night. She came to church this past Sunday for her third time and was able to stay all three hours. It may have gotten her a little confused but, I think that is going to lead to her having a desire to know more and better understand the gospel. The ward has been helping quite a bit with teaching. We had our ward mission leader to a lesson with us Saturday and he really helped put everything into a real life perspective for her. I don't hear too much from other recent converts but, I do hope to get into better contact with them once I get home. Letters are just a bit of a hassle. Quincy has been great and I love this place. We decided that this transfer we are going to take all our p-day time and explore the area and do the fun things the place has to offer. We got bored of p-day in Ephrata. I'm not to sure if it will be my last area. I want it to but we will see when the next transfer comes around. Either Elder Klossner or I will probably leave after this one. I think the area I've enjoyed the most is a choice between Royal Camp and Sunnyside. I'd have to say Sunnyside because I had more opportunities to interact with other missionaries and there were so many great members there. The weather has started getting warmer and It is so much more enjoyable. As long as we don't have humid days here it's nothing I can't handle. There will defiantly be things that I miss about Washington. Like all the fresh produce. 

I'll make sure to talk to him about it. I'll even include it in my email to him this week. I think our next interview is Wednesday the 24th.  (Mission President to give him an all clear for BYU so I can sign him up for his class for fall semester)

It's good to hear that you are finding out what has been messing with Riley's stomach. I'd imagine that having chipotle all the time wouldn't be good for you. I think he'll do fine not being able to eat spicy for for a while. If he is better when I get home I can make him a big batch of some homemade salsa.  (3rd son had stomach issue's thinking it is ulcers as for now)

Does our stake have a YSA branch or do they all just go to the one in Allen? I have to agree that reading scriptures really does help us focus on God and truly trust in him. 

That must have been a cool experience for the sister. Last year Elder Sanchez tried to let the member family know without me knowing but, I over heard him when he told them.  (about celebrating and surprising missionaries on their birthday's.

Why did they have a buyback on the jetta?  (VW scandal that our car was involved in)

I did get the Easter package. Sorry that I forgot to mention that. 

Love you,

Elder Boren

(week 93) week into transfers

Another transfer has started and we are almost a week in. It is crazy to see how fast time flies. This past week was great. We have still been doing quite a bit of service and that is always a great time.

So on Tuesday we took some time to go and help a WW2 vet with his yard. He needed some holes dug and we got that taken care of for him. We went back again on Saturday and watered his yard for him. We'll see what other things he'll have for us to do in the next coming weeks. On Thursday we went to the local Habitat for Humanity and had a good time helping moving things around for them. There are some really cool things you can find in a thrift shop and it's never really anything expensive. 

This past week we have been able to have some really great meals with the members here in Quincy. On Saturday one of the members finished building their brick pizza oven and they invited us over of the inaugural pizza. It had to be some of the best pizza I've had. The member cooking them is also a chef so that added to the greatness of the food. We have also been blessed recently with lots of opportunities to have lunch with the members. That always makes it easier for us. 

We have also been working a bit with the members and it has been turning out rather well. We have an investigator that is laurel age and her member friend has been helping out a lot in fellowshiping her. She was able to bring her to the mutual activity this past week and they really enjoyed it. It was glow in the dark volleyball and we were able to be at the activity to support our investigators. Our other investigator came and was able to spend some time with her member friends. We have found that the younger people are very prepared if they are open to listen to us. They ask great questions and have been pretty honest and upfront with us. It makes things a lot better. It also helps when the investigators have a member friend that can reach out to them and invite them to activities. We take a good amount of time trying to find people our investigators know. Lucky for us the members in the area are rather well known. Our bishop has also been pushing for us to get referrals from the members. In this last ward council as we were finishing up with our report the bishop asked everyone to think of people to refer to us and then he gave us the name of a friend of his that we could try by. Missionary work is so much better like this. 

We look forward to another great week and I hope everyone else enjoys their week as well. 

Love y'all,

Elder Boren

This happens to be my only picture for the week. We went to a members house and played basketball for our last p-day. Elder Bown made a shot from where I was standing to take this picture. Dude Perfect. 

Transfer week (week 92)

So this past Saturday we got our transfer calls and Elder Klossner and I are going to be staying together for another transfer here in Quincy. Elder Davis one of our flat mates is going to be transferred to the Selah area. This is his first time getting transferred. We are looking forward to some more great fun this transfer and lots more people to teach the gospel to.

This past week was great. We had plenty of opportunities to go and provide service for people. One Tuesday we went to the food bank and the the assisted living place. Then Wednesday we went to go work on pulling a stump out of the ground. Thursday we went to habitat 4 humanity and helped a member build a chicken coup. On Friday we finished the chicken coup and on Saturday we went and helped a non-member with cleaning up their yard. And it looks like we might have even more opportunities for service this upcoming week. I love being able to do service for people especially when I get to work with my hands. 

We have been having a great time working with our investigators and they are progressing really well. We make sure to keep in good contact with them and really make sure the understand the purpose of everything we share with them and everything we commit them to do. Most people will not keep their commitment if the don't see why they should. We have taken a good amount of time when we first meet these people to set expectations and help them see that it will take effort on their part. We also make an effort to invite them to be baptized in the first lesson so they can see where all of this is leading. We have seen that it has had a great outcome. 

We had a great Sunday and we had two investigators at church. One of them even brought a friend with them. It was great being able to have them there. It would have been great if they could have stayed for the classes but, I'm sure they had a great time and really felt the spirit. After Church the Relief Society had us translate for a meeting they had on visiting teaching. They had a great lunch there and we got to have some of it. Recently we have been getting fed really well. We have somehow ended up with lunch a lot of days this past week. 

We are looking forward to having another great week and I hope you do too.

Love Y'all,

Elder Boren

                                               After we had dug the stump out of the ground.

                                                              the tree stump

                                             

 Going down to the Colombia river. That little bit of land by the cliffs is where we golfed

Orchards by the golf course 

                    The course was surrounded by construction but, we still had a good time

                                                  Elder Davis found himself in the rough

                                               Elder Bown chipping onto the green

Beginning our round of golf. I'd add pictures of me but, those are on the other elder's cameras.

week 91

We have had a pretty good week here in Quincy. The weather has been getting a lot warmer and we have been more consistent with having sunny days. The wind is still a bit strong and we have still been having some pretty cloudy days. Thankfully we had a very sunny weekend. I can't wait until it starts really warming up.

We have been keeping pretty busy here in Quincy. We have been working with one of the members here and her friend. It has been a great experience so far as we have been teaching her. The member is also really good at helping with missionary work. We have the lessons at her house and she has been taking time to make sure that there is another man in the house so we can teach. Working with the members is great fun and We are trying to find more ways to get involved with them. Missionary work is just so much more effective when we work with the members and we are able to teach their friends. Most people are willing to talk to the missionaries when introduced by their friends rather than having the missionaries knock on their door. 

We have been able to quite a bit of walking in our area. We have decided to let the other Elders have the car more frequent. It gives us time to talk to some of the people we see as we go places. It also gives us the chance for a few more adventures. One of those being us trying to find a short cut from one neighborhood to a little trailer park on a country road. We crossed a little canal and though that we just needed to walk over a little hill and we'd be there. We were wrong and it turned out that the hill we were climbing was the main canal for the area. So we had to walk down a bit before we got to a bridge we could cross. Thankfully it was still faster than taking the usual way to get there. 

Elder Bown and I had a great exchange this Thursday. We went out to a little town called Sunland that one of the members told us that we should try. It wasn't what we expected and turned out that only a third of the house were owned by regular residents. The other percentage is people who come during the summer for vacation. Later that day we got to visit the Williamsons and talk to them about Easter. We had another member and his son with us to help fellowship the the Williamson boys. 

Today for our p-day we have some great plans. We are going to go golfing close to the river. We had some members that lent us some clubs and Elder Bown was able to buy some lefty clubs at the thrift shop. Then one of the members is going to get us into the Gorge amphitheater for a tour. We also plan on doing some other sightseeing around the area. We have discovered that Quincy is more of a tourist attraction than we though. 

I hope everyone has a great week. I know we are going to.

Con amor,

Elder Boren

One exchanges with Elder Bown we went down to one of the towns on the Columbia river. Turns out it isn't much more than a vacation community. 

                                                        A cool river side tennis court

                                                               Leaving Sunland

poem was shared form a member (week 90)

Quincy is great and I'm really glad I get to serve here. This week it got a little chilly again with all the wind that comes through town. It will probably be another month before all the wind dies down. It looks like we might be getting a bit of rain this week but, hopefully we don't get dumped on too much.

This weekend we had a great zone training meeting where we talked about the importance of helping our investigators keep commitments. It was great as our zone leaders lead a discussion on how we can better help our investigators understand the commitments so they will be better prepared to keep them. Our main goal should be helping them to see for themselves the blessings that come from doing what we are inviting them to do. We also need to make sure that the promises that we are extending correspond to the individual. We had some great role plays where we were able to practice extending invitations that were tailor fitted and then following up and getting a good understanding of why they didn't keep the commitment. I loved the role plays and they really got me thinking about how I can take it and apply it to my own missionary work. I look forward to being able see how it affect the work these coming weeks. 

Here is a poem that was shared with us by one of the members. 

Invictus 

"Out of the night that covers me

Black as the pit from pole to pole

I thank whatever Gods may be

For my unconquerable soul

"In the Fell clutch of circumstance

I have not wined nor cried aloud

Under the bludgeoning of chance

My head is bloody but unbowed

"Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the horror of the shade

And yet the menace of the years 

Finds and shall find me unafraid

"It matters not how straight the gait 

How charged with punishments the scroll

I am the master of my fate

I am the captain of my soul"

-William Ernest Hemmingway

I like this poem because it shows that no matter what we decide what becomes of us. 

There wasn't anything else too exciting this past week. I hope the pictures I sent will make up in the lack of writing material I have. I hope everyone has a spectacular week and enjoys their time.

Con amor,

Elder Boren

                          We went and did some service walking dogs at the animal shelter.

                                               Elder Klossner being walked by the dog

I've decided to take time and make a good breakfast every morning

                                                            Our sleeping quarters

Our Kitchen

                                      This is the what we see every time we come in

                                  Maybe I'll add pictures of our study rooms next week.

                Elder Bown, ELder Klossner and I with other members of the zone behind us

                                                            Elder Klossner and I

Another of the two of us

                                           Everything set up to watch General conference

                                            Elder Davis even brought some muffins to enjoy

Elder Bown played the piano before it started