Week 75 -- March 21, 2021

Leaving the Office! 



Hola Hola Hola!!


Like the Subject says, this is my last Preparation Day here in the office! After 5 transfers, I am heading to a new area!! I am pretty excited I'll be a Zone Leader in Lleida!! Lleida isn't super far away, it's still in Catalunya, so i will still be surrounded by Catalan, so that is exciting! (I decided after a year of being in Catalunya, I should give in and start learning a little bit of Catalan! I can read it and understand it a little, but I can't speak or understand it at all when someone is talking!)

I am looking forward to the less crazy, more normal schedule that will come being out of the Office, but I am sad to leave. I have learned A TON here!! I have grown so much as a person and as a missionary. I think that the biggest lesson I have learned is just how important it is to trust God. I have probably commented on it before, but the past 7 months I have been doing a ton of stuff that i have never ever done before. I have been doing so many things that I am not qualified to do! I definitely am not qualified to be in charge of the Legal status of 100+ people, 50 apartments, 20 cars, ect! There were many times when some big problems came up, but somehow, it always worked out! The Lord has helped me so much! I have really learned how to just trust Him, and put His will first, do the little things, like reading my scriptures every day, and He always makes it worth it!!

NOW IT'S TIME FOR A MIRACLE STORY!!! 
The final week of last transfer, we got an auto reference from FB, of a guy named Rafael. We had a 5 minute videocall with him just to get to know him a little. The next day he texted me, asking if he could get baptized! Well, we met in person, he's a super awesome, genuine guy just looking to come closer to Christ! And he even invited his friend Daniel to listen to us! Daniel is also super super amazing, and is one of those people who have such a profound understanding of the gospel without having ever been taught it! He is also so wiling to pray and Ask God if everything is true or not! Well Daniel is gay, and he messaged me the other day and said, "Hey are you Boden?" I responded saying that I am and he then sent a long, really personal, genuine message explaining that his whole life he has known that God loves him for who he is and that he was born the way he is, and he was talking to Rafael, who invited him to be baptized, but he said he wanted to learn if he would be accepted in the church being gay. Well, we were really touched that he was so sincere and asked us that! We prayed a lot to know how to correctly respond to him in a way that he could understand God's Law of Chastity, but also know how loved he really is and that he absolutely is 100% accepted into the church! I sent him a very long message, and anxiously awaited his response. He literally brought me to tears.. He said, "Thank you for taking your time to explain that. I am very happy because I know that you are a person sent from God and thank you for your words. I'll tell you something, I had a dream, in my dream they wanted me to ask Brother Boden because "I have placed him into your path and he will explain everything to you." Thank you! And after your explanation, I am very happy, thank you! I will be baptized the next time there's a baptism!" 
HE IS LITERALLY SO AMAZING!!!  GOD IS A GOOD GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rafael was able to be baptized yesterday, and Daniel is planning to be baptized next week! I am really happy for them both! Rafael doesn't generally show a lot of expression in his face, but after he got out of the water yesterday, he could not hold himself back from smiling and smiling and smiling! It brought an indescribable amount of joy to my heart!(:

I love you all so much! I apologize for being fairly inconsistent with my emails! I am sure I will be able to again develop a better habit in my new area!! 

Come Follow Me made me think a lot about how amazing it is to have a Prophet who has the authority from God to lead His church! 

Read your scriptures, say your prayers, NEVER forget that God loves you!

-Élder Boden

Pictures:
1. RAFAEL'S BAPTISM!!!🌊


2. First in-person zone conference in over a year!


3. Meeting our amigo at work!


4. Elder Palmer got a little carried away digging...😳


5. Pretty cool art museum 


6. DAMIAN! (Kyle said this was Damian in his email, but based on my eyes and the nametag, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is Pres. Gali.


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