February 28th...

Hey Everyone!
Well this week was a lot better than last. I don't feel so lost anymore. Its always hard coming from a companionship than switching to a new city. But it was fun. We got jaked a lot. By members and investigators. We had so much set up but it just didn't go through. But that is the life. All we can do is move forward. We taught a lot of less actives so that was good as well. We got one to church!!! Her name is Mai and she is way nice. So that was way excitign to see her there. We also started meeting iwth a kid named Ranauld but he didn't make it to church unfortunately. Its sad though, so many people just quit coming because they get forgottoen. There missionary leaves then they miss a Sunday and then they just don't come back. I see it so much here. I wish the members would just be more friendly and branch out from their little clicks that have developed. I know its now just here too. I saw it in Latvia and at home. People just need to branch out more. Ya it may be unocomfortable but we can really change somebodys lives if we make ourselves uncomfortable every once in a while. Thursday was Estonias independence day. That was such a blast. We got to see a parade and everyone was just so happy. It was a fun day and a fun thing to be apart of. The work here in Kristiine is a bit slow. But we have some investigators that have been gone coming back to town, so hopefully things will pick up. I have been reading the war chapters in Alma and man they are ridiculous. When the nephites are righteous they win, when they aren't rigtheous they lose. Its that simple. Its just made me reaalize that the problems that were plagueing the people in the book of mormon, are still plaguing us today. People just need to stop beign so proud and do what God says. Life would be that much easier. But the chpaters are fun rto read. I used to find them boring but I am really trying to apply them and change. I love it. II hope everyone is doing good. I lvoe you all and miss you and I am grateful for all your letters. Until next week.
Elder Boyce

February 21st...

Hello,
Well the big news. I have packed my bags again. I am up in Tallinn now. Wow. I was really surprised. But it is actually very fun here. I like Tallinn a lot. It was really weird saying goodbye to people in Tartu though. I mean I could never see some of them again. I already miss Tartu a lot. I am in Kriistine with Elder Lane. I helped train him about a year ago when he first came. So its fun to be back together. On Saturday we were able to go to the Sepps for family night. We had so much fun. They were so excited to see me as was I them. They are so much fun. We ate, had a spiritual thought, and played games. It was way good. The weather has been freezing. It was -32 degrees celsius on Friday. -32!!!! Crazy. But I am surviving...somehow. I thought it would be a good idea to make my companion apple crisp one night. Well the brown sugar was hard so I put it in the microwave and I reached in to grab it and burnt my finger off. Who knew that brown sugar melts? So i had to sleep holding a bag of frozen peas in my hand. But its already way better. But so far I don't really have much to say. The week has just been busy and it was just hard saying goodbye to people. I am so excited to just work. I have 6 weeks to find someone to be baptized!!! Pray for our success and that the peoples hearts will be softened. Again in my reading of the Book of Mormon I have noticed how often it still says 'if you keep my commandments, ye will prosper in the land...' It is just a constant reminder of how everyday we need to do our best to follow God and keep him in our minds at all time. I love you all. I am grateful for you.

Armastusega,
Vanem Boyce

PS...My homecoming will be April 17th for all those curious.

February 14th...

Hey,
Its been freezing here. Its about -3 degrees Fahrenheit today. Eat your hear out. So its been a pretty busy week. Way more busy than last. I have lots of stories. First one. When I was in Tallinn last September I lost my planner. I could never find it and then it left my memory. Well a couple of weeks ago a man walked into the Tallinn church, gave my lost planner to some misisonaries, and said God bless. Then a missinoary went to chase after him and he was gone. They are claiming he was one of the three nephites. But how crazy is that?! I was way excited. But that was just way weird to me. I told them to call every phone number inside the book becasue someone must be ready to hear. Next story. I was able to go on splits with Elder Elmer this week. We went and taught a guy named hanes. We read Alma 7 with him and talked about baptism. So I committed him. He said he wasn't sure. So I committed him again. Still he wasn't sure. So we talked a little bit and an idea came to me. We needed to give him a date, and then let him pray about it. The date would show God his willingness and then he would have something more specific to pray about. So I committed him again. We also had a member with us and everytime we would committ this guy the member would open his mouth and give him an out. So when I committed him again the member went to speak and I just put my hand on him. We sat silently for like 30 seconds, and the guy said okay. It was really cool just to see the spirit work on this guy. I felt like we had to give him a date and push him. Normally i'm not so pushy, but I felt he needed it. It was a way cool experience. I hope the member also learned too. Next story. We were teaching Vend Vilpo. He is so awesome. He wants to be baptized but his wife won't marry him. So we shared the intro with him in the Book of Mormon showing him how he could introduce the book to people. Then he told us a way rad story. He says he doesn't hide the fact that he's a mormon-haha-at work. So he was working one day and a friend came up to him in a panic saying he couldn't find his keys. So Vilpo said 'well ask God, he'll tell you.' So 15 minutes later the guy came back and said 'Hey, you were right. I prayed and found the keys!' I just love that story because he is such a member missionary and not even baptized. Then he brought his two kids to church with him on Sunday and they loved primary. So that was just way awesome. I was so excited. Then in church the Branch President asks me 'hey can you translate for Laura' laura is a member from Finland who speaks english. So I just figured I would translate sacrament meeting for her. I said sure. Then I realized that Laura wasn't sitting with the congregation. She was sitting up front where the speakers sit. Then it dawned on me that he wanted me to translate her talk from English to Estonian. So I was freaking out. I said a prayer to calm myself and I got up and did work. It was my first time ever translating this way-especially in front of a crowd. It was a way cool experience. It made me realized that we have way weird saying in english. But it was very good. Also, I found a sewing machine at the church. I got permission to take it home. So on my lunch break I sew some sweet book covers. I will attatch some pictures. They are awesome. We went to visit a less active on Saturday out in Elva. Its about an hour away. It was freezing by the way -17 or for Fahrenhiet users 0 degrees. We got there and she was so happy we came. She was so grateful and smiling so much. She is less active becasue its hard for her to get to Tartu for church. But she still has a lot of faith. I felt really good that we went out and visited her. We then found out her neighbor is also a member. So we were able to visit with him too. He was way nice, but didn't seem interested right now. But hopefully it left an impression on him. We committed him to start reading again. We'll see what happens. I hope we can go out there again next month. Wow. Okay. I wrote a lot this week. Oh!!! One more thing. I was reading the book of Mormon this morning and something caught my eye. In Alma 24:15-18 the anti-nephi-lehis or whatever there names are are preparing for an attack by the lamanites. Instead of fighting they bury there weapons in the ground 'making them bright.' They also feel that this is a 'testimony' to God. Well I got thinking about this and the verse in 3 Nephi 18:24 where Christ tells us to hold our light high. I realized this is exactly what the people did. They were being examples to their ´attackers even unto death. And through their actions to follow and be like Christ thousands of Lamanites were converted. I just love this story. Because if we hold our lights high, we could affected many people. I love you all. SO MUCH!! Keep up the good work.
Armastusega,
Vanem Boyce

February 7th...

Hey guys!Well this week. Wow. Its been a bit of a big one. haha. Zone conference. Yes, it ended up being my last one. It was so weird. Its weird thinking that some of those missionaries I may never see again. President informed me it was my last and when I heard I get sad. Its weird that things I never thought would end, are ending. Its a good feeling, knowing that I truly have given my all. We talked alot about Faith and aligning our will with Gods will. I love zone conferences. They just get me really excited to go out and teach. So you know the home front commercials the church does...the whole...'family, isn't it about..time?'. Well they have some translated into Estonian and Russian and they are trying to get them on TV here. It was really cool to see those at zone conference. It means the church is growing. We had a slow work week. Everyone kept jaking us or canceling our mixing up days. So that was a little bit bummy. But we contacted a lot and tried to find. It was slow. Just one of those weeks. We did end up contacting a man that had talked to missionaries before but only on the streets. After inviting him to come talk five times and him offering us coffee and to sit at a kohvik it wasn't going anywhere. So I said *fine if your to scared....' to which he replied, 'I'm not scared im....well fine lets go!' So we got him to come in. That was awesome. Also Saturday night Elder Jenkins was a little ill. So I called the whole branch list and found a ton of less actives willing to meet. It's my goal to get one active before I leave here. We visited one last night named Armilda. Her building was locked up like fort Knox. Seriously. But luckily a guy let us in. Then we got to her hallway and that was locked. So I called her and she gave me some sob story how she couldn't come but then the same guy that let us in before lived down her hall. So I told her we'd see her in a second. So we finally got to her door and she let us in. She was a talked, and pretty much blind. She said that she thinks her baptism was a joke, but she is willing to talk with us and listen. So it wasn't a wasted effort. Hopefully we can help her. We helped a member move out of her apartment today. She lived on the fifth floor. So me and Elder Jenkins were the only ones moving stuff. I am tired. haha. But its worth it. She is awesome. Oh, I slipped!!! Dang it. I almost made it all winter without slipping but I ate it the other day. Elder Jenkins just laughed. Well that is all for this week. Next week, ya?Elder Boyce