Olmstead!
Happy New Year!
Ha, I guess I am a Bronx girl, through and through! I have been
transferred from concourse in the Kingsbridge Zone to the Olmstead
Zone–still in the Bronx. I’ve heard it be called the “nice” side of
the Bronx to the “sketchy” side of the Bronx. Sorry, Dad.
I’m stoked though!
Except for the part where I have to leave everyone I love and my dear
companion, Hermana Alexander. I do love her. We have had such an
amazing cycle together and have been so blessed by the Lord. I am
bummed that we just got one cycle together, but that is more than I
deserve. She is an awesome missionary.
It was tough to say goodbye to Guille and Alejandra and the Martinez
family. Erickson and Owen are getting baptized on Saturday and, since
I’ll still be in the Bronx, I can go. What a blessing! I am stoked.
Their grandma and Isis’ husband are not far behind. Hermana Alexander
will do work this cycle with them! Miracles are coming and miracles
have sustained us all along the way. I love this work.
Transfers are crazy. Especially when you are finally the one getting
moved. But it has really gotten me psyched about this upcoming year.
New year. New area. New companion. New ward and investigators. New
experiences and adventures and challenges. I was thinking, what better
person to tackle it all than the new Hermana Boud?!
New me!
Our last zone meeting was all about “remembering Lot’s wife.” What was the lesson
there? I have about 5000 answers to that one, but I’ll just give you a
few.
First–was she really turned into a pillar of salt, just for looking
back to Sodom (which, if you just add an “i” is sodium–ha!)? No, she
was turned to a pillar of salt because she longed for that life. She
longed for that lifestyle, and she didn’t want to leave it. She longed
for those sins. She had gotten out of the mud she was stuck in but
refused to rinse the still caked-on mud from her skin. She wasn’t
dressed like her natural man, but she hadn’t actually “put [him] off.”
Or maybe she looked back because she forgot her handbag. Lesson there
is–be prepared to pick up and leave. As Elder Holland said, lightning
can strike at any moment, and we must have the spiritual power to be
ready to act with faith, with spiritual power whenever it does.
Or maybe she wasn’t actually turned into a physical grain of salt and
it was figurative. I learned in Sunday school as a wee tot that “we
are the salt of the earth” and back in the day when salt lost its
savor, they used it as gravel. It was literally trodden under foot of
men. Lots wife? Whether actually salt or not, still trodden under foot
of men. Hmm.
Anyway, some thoughts. I am ready to not look back. I’ll admit the
holidays was slow(er) than other times in my mission. Perfect breeding
ground for being a little homesick. Not even homesick, but just
missing my loved ones. (Sorry, there it is). But here it is–new year
and holidays are over and I am remembering Lot’s wife and not looking
back. Anyway, I have a bunch of goals and am ready for action. The
Lord is so good and I feel so blessed to be able to help Him in His
work at this time in my life.
Goodbye Hermana Alexander!
Funny story: We went to Hermana Reyes’ house to say goodbye one last
time–when we told her on Sunday that I was leaving, she pouted and
made sure we would come over tonight and told us she would give us
facials. So we went over, hoping to be quick and to not actually do a
facial….but we got one. We gave it to ourselves and it was just
hilarious–I can’t even tell you why. Just everything about it!
Hermana Alexander is so sassy and about made me wet my pants 300 times
because she kept muttering how much she hated it. How my face feels
like a piece of sand paper. How crazy Hermana Reyes is. At one point,
Hermana Reyes told us to put something on and then not smile or talk
for 10 minutes. Thank goodness she went into the other room right
after that and I am so grateful to Heavenly Father that somehow I did
not explode laughing during those first 30 seconds with Hermana
Alexander making me do anything but be silent and not smile. Oh my
gosh. I feared for my life that I might burst out laughing and the
wrath of Hermana Reyes would fall upon us. Oh how her feelings
would get hurt! That would be worse. I am just grateful that I was
somehow able to keep it in.
Thank you for the facials. We are great beauties. Duh.
So, good! Short on time because of transfers. But my love for you
shines brighter still. Have a great week and be happy! Start this year
off right and just be who you want to be. Just be who the Lord wants you
to be. He lives and loves us, only. I know it. I love this work. And
I’m stoked for Olmstead with Hermana Molina is cycle!
Hermana Boud
Still not sure if he was dead or alive….hoping for the best.
The Hermana Wears Tennis Shoes 