Happy 19th birthday to Elder Boone

Hey all!!!

 

You know what's funny?  I'm looking out the window right now to sunny skies, and about 60* weather.  I walked to the library in shorts and a t-shirt.  Am I REALLY in New England?  During winter?  What the heck?!  Not that I'm arguing or anything-I'm quite enjoying it :)  But it sounds like y'all are getting it BAD in Utah.  So sorry about that; it kinda blows. 

 

Honestly, I wouldn't rather be ANYWHERE else right now.  I look back at myself via journal entries and pondering, and I've already grown so much-and I've only been gone like two months!!  A Mission is a trying experience, but worth EVERY SECOND of it. 

 

And just for the record, my area isn't technically Somerville.  I cover Somerville and Cambridge.  The area's official name is Cambridge South.  It's crazy, because Elders Brinegar, Kilgore, Quackenbush, and myself went to the CES Fireside Broadcast last night.  ON HARVARD CAMPUS.  It's crazy to be walking and living among Ivy League contemporaries. 

 

I got to give a talk on Sunday, too.  Needless to say, giving a talk in front of a bunch of MIT/Harvard graduate students is a little intimidating.  I was given the topic of (and I paraphrase), "fostering a sense of belonging among members of the Church; particularly new or potential members."   Well, I prayed LONG and hard about what to say, and I got the idea to just start brainstorming.  So I came up with a list of ideas of things everyone can do to include these members.  As I looked at my list, a sense of realization flooded over me: this was a list of what Elder Kilgore and I were doing every day.  Member Missionary work.  It's not hard-simply sharing what you know to be true with others.  Something as simple as inviting someone to go to Church to support you when you're giving a talk, singing in the Choir, or teaching a lesson is all it takes.  I'm actually reading a book, "The Power of Everyday Missionaries" by Clayton Christensen (who's the 1st counselor in our Mission Presidency and was voted smartest man in the world, #1 innovator of 2011, and is the dean of Harvard Business College) all about member-missionary work.  More to come as I get new insights from that :)

 

Spiritual Moment of the Week: not exactly a moment and kinda lame, but if you haven't already, watch Elder Uchtdorf's CES Fireside.  Just go to lds.org and it's the main event/link.  Watch it and see what you get out of it-quite inspiring and uplifting.  I'm not gonna try to tell anyone what to get out of it, because as we all discussed it, everybody got something COMPLETELY different.  So check it out and see what YOU learn. 

 

Love ya and hope everyone's doing well!!!

 

Elder Alex Boone