One-Hundred!!

Hey everyone!

Thanksgiving was great! We went over to the Moore's on Wednesday to prepare for the meal for Thursday since the travel conditions weren't that safe with a storm that came in. We headed over there on Thursday as well, where the Haitian speaking Elders in our District joined us for the Thanksgiving feast. We were stuffed to the brim, and then a couple hours later we headed over to Sister Clement's for another meal. Since her family is Haitian, we had Haitian style-turkey and a mushroom rice as the main course. Sister Clement is a joy to visit as her laugh is contagious! We had a nice visit with she and her family. :)

The rest of this week has been very busy getting everything ready for this final week. It was weird sending home the packages full of medications and medical supplies, journals, and personal belongings. It also felt unreal that on Friday was our last District meeting. It was a little bit of a heavy meeting since much opposition has hit our district, but Sister Jones decided to stand up and went to the front of the room. Both of us gave our District an unexpected pep talk, declaring how we face opposition when good things do/are about to take place when we do what's right. We shared scriptures and bore testimony, which led to us all feeling uplifted. Afterwards our District Leader Elder Welker and Elder Davey then myself stand and bear our testimonies since we will be heading home. It was sweet and powerful. We have seven missionaries from our zone leaving and our entire zone will be at transfer meeting since there is one from every companionship either leaving or being transferred.

Everything has still been rolling for the area--more visits made, more preparations done for the ward Christmas party, and then there's preparing everything for this week. There have been many farewell's said with much food provided with Thanksgiving and more feasts to say goodbye. Many notes have been written and sent out. There is still packing to be done. It's gross to think about, but it is what it is. At times I feel excited but other times it is coming all too soon and I'm not sure how I feel about it all. Everything just keeps rolling . I'm not sure what else there is to say!

Now...here is what I've been dying to tell about! Here in the Massachusetts Boston Mission, the rains came down and the floods came up! I couldn't ask for a more memorable way for my time here to come to a close. November here in the Massachusetts Boston Mission was most certainly a time to remember. It will go down in history. It will never be forgotten. Last night, our mission gathered for a conference phone call with the final results for the baptisms this month. More miracles happened throughout the mission. Remember--when the Packard's came in there were only TWENTY-SOMETHING baptisms as the highest that had ever taken place in one month in this mission. This weekend, to add to all the baptisms that took place, we had over THIRTY baptisms scheduled, placing us at NINETY-SEVEN!! We reached OVER our goal of seventy, but the question rang through President Packard's and other missionaries' minds who knew of this actual ninety-seven--"Why not reach one-hundred?"

On Saturday, desperation spread. Phone calls were made and appointments set for anyone who did not have a baptism date set but was ready...and could be baptized the following day on Sunday. After more prayers and every ounce of faith shown it happened...

THE MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON MISSION REACHED ONE-HUNDRED BAPTISMS! THE HIGHEST THIS MISSION HAS EVER HAD!! 

President Packard's unsaid--until last night--hope when he arrived in the MBM to reach one-hundred baptisms in one month happened.

Going from 59 in October to this is remarkable. This was a month where every missionary "worked like everything depended on them and every prayer depended on the Lord." Each missionary was called to and willingly lived in complete consecration. Each placed a significant personal sacrifice on God's altar. We gathered weekly as a mission every Wednesday morning, praying within our companionship's by name for every baptism date. The temple prayed. Elder and Sister Lawrence and even Elder and Sister Holland joined. It happened. Yet through all our efforts, it was fully through the Lord's divine help as the windows of heaven opened. He elevated our vision. He increased our capacities and our faith. All of this was through Him.

At the end of the phone conference, one of President Packard's Assistants offered a prayer as we came together in great gratitude. He thanked Heavenly Father by naming every individual who was baptized this month. It was a moment that will never be forgotten.

With all of this, it is only the beginning for the mission. Elder Holland responded to this miraculous event with these words: "Tell the mission I could not be more proud of them. Tell them to keep opening their mouths, talking to everybody, keeping this kind of depth in their teaching pool and 70 will be the new base line every month. What was never done before will now be standard; it will be where the new goals start, not where they end.”

From this point, more miracles will happen here. There was not a recent convert temple baptism day in November, but the mission presidency is already preparing for the recent convert temple baptism day on December 27th to create sessions for these 100 recent converts.

Last but not least, as the cherry on top, Sister Bailey serving in the University Singles Ward called me last night, sharing the news that brought me to tears. Grace, who I taught back in Plymouth and now goes to school in Boston, decided to be baptized this Saturday! She has had a rough road coming to this point but is one of the most devoted investigators I've ever met. Sister Bailey and I will watch the program together through Skype this Saturday. :)

As I've been immersed in the sweet time of witnessing and being a part of the miracles happening here in the Massaschusetts Boston Mission, I want to add to the portion of Ammon's words that I shared last week by adding in one of my favorite verses. (Now as I've said a lot here "This is one of my favorite verses. I say that a lot but it really is.")

"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast ofmyself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for whichwe will praise his name forever." Yes, many miracles have been brought to this land--to New England--to the Massachusetts Boston Mission--which I will never forget and will always hold dear to my heart. This time here for the last year and a half has been precious. It will never be forgotten. The marvelous works and lessons learned here will remain with me, and will be shared in the generations to come.

A phrase I love "La vita e bella-- Life is beautiful." is what brings it all together perfectly.

Many more good times await. I look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Love you all!

Sister Roy

P.S. Be sure to watch the new video put out by the church for this Christmas. We are handing out pass along cards right and left to spread the news about it and there will also be portable visitors center for it in this mission. It's incredible as it's supposed to be the new "Because of Him." It's called "He is the Gift." http://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HPFR112814529