Things are well in CA...

Dear family,

            Things are well in CA and we are finally getting out and doing some work and finding some very prepared people.  We have 2 people preparing to get baptized on the 27th of April and the 30th of April.  The fist one is Noe Flores and he is an amazing man who is having a lot of struggles right now.  We found him biking home from an odd job he picked up because he is unemployed right now.  He is also divorced.  He has been in a low spot and as we came and taught him this last Saturday he really felt the Spirit strongly.  He said a prayer at the end and asked if he should get baptized and afterward we asked him how he felt as we knelt and he began to cry as the Spirit rushed into the room.  He told us the next day at church that when we came by it was the first time in his life he had felt such a warmth and a closeness to God.  He never had felt that before.  We have a lesson with him tonight and the ward is just swallowing him up in love.

          The second man is 18 years old and we are going to pass him off to the YSA Elders and help them in the process.  His name is Clayton Macias and he is amazingly prepared.  He told us he had been lied to his whole life and without any questions he just told us that this is the first time he doesn't feel like some one is lying to him.  He is amazing and so sincere.  I know the Gospel is true cause it makes people want to be better and come closer to God so it MUST be from Him.  I know it is.  I love you all and hope that you continue to have great success.  Ruthe is a stud-ette and is amazing!  Good job in the meet.  Don't forget what is the most important though and that is to love others and help them come to Christ.  Be a missionary ever day!  I love you!!!!!!!!!!!

-Love Elder Neeley

Pics: 1) Me and my trainees and their two trainees (me in the middle and my trainees next to me and theirs next to them.
2) Late night in the office with the vehicle coordinators glasses
3) Me and all my previous companions except for 3.
LOVE YOU

"It is good to be a missionary..."

Dear family,

 

           It is good to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I love it so much and would not trade these moments for anything.  The work is a little slower as far as baptisms but we are working with a few people who came to conference but have some catholic and non-denominational roots holding them back from the truth but they are getting closer every time we meet with them.  It is all in the Book of Mormon.  If you read it with just an open mind and heart and have no hidden agendas, you will always know it is true, because it is true.  I know it with all my heart and I am not afraid to share it with anyone cause all I am trying to do is making them happy.  That is the whole purpose of missionary work is to make them REALLY happy.  What could be better.

 

           One man we are teaching is from Taiwan and his name is Max.  He is 28 years old and just a sponge.  He is really smart and very sincere and I love teaching him.  We have invited him to be baptized but he was baptized recently in a pool and is praying about the concept of there being one true church that we need to belong to.  He understands everything and now it is only a matter of reading and praying and he will know.  I love the Book of Mormon cause if we read it, just like a sunrise, we will feel a little more light flow into our lives until we realize that our life is as bright as the noon day sun.

 

           Another lady we are teaching is named Jennifer Brooks.  She is a middle aged woman who has 3 sons.  She has been catholic her whole life and started out on fire wanting to be baptized but now her son who is 18 is giving her grief for trying to explore the church.  She has a tough life and has lost a lot of loved ones and has a husband who has a major computer addiction.  She smokes and is not very healthy so we are really focusing on the Book of Mormon and he reading it cause it will literally chage her life.  Not just spiritually but physically as well.  Everything will be different if she will just cosistently read it and we told her that and taught her that concept.  Hopefully she wil keep her commitment.

 

          This week is transfer week so we will be quite busy moving missionaries around and doing meetings and some trainings.  It is a lot of work but a ton of fun so I always look forward to it.

 

           I just want you to know that I am working very hard and finishing my mission strong.  I cannot believe that it is coming to an end and most times when it hits me I want to cry cause I love this place.  I love California and all the people here.  I am excited to talk to you and come home to see you and move on with my life but I will miss my mission so much.  I have changed a lot and won't go back so don't expect me to.  I love you all so much and hope that you always know that and that I am praying for you.  Be a missionary every day!

 

-Love Elder Neeley

 

ps Ruthe you are doing so amazing and I am proud of you and all you are doing.  Amber I love you a ton and know that you are such a nice and beautiful girl.  Don't you ever forget how pretty you are.  Alex you have turned into an animal!  I love seeing you and how big you are.  Keep getting ready to go to the temple and go on a mission cause it is the BEST!  Eleanor, keep being the wonderful leader you are and the good example to all our family and our siblings.  You are beautiful.  Olivia,  I love you and love your pure and tender heart.  Don't ever stop being nice and incredibly loving like you are.  Each of you need to be eachother's best friend cause if you don't have your best friends at home then what kind of brother, sister, father or mother or family are we.  We are in it for ever not just a few years.  LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

Homecoming scheduled for June 24th

Dear family,

 

      Sorry about not emailing you yesterday but my preparation day got changed to today because of President interviews and I forgot to inform you last week of the change.  I bet the beach was lots of fun and I am glad so many people got to come down and visit cause that is always lot of fun.  I am sorry to Ruthie that I will not make it but I will be cheering her on and praying she can do her best.  I will write her back as well so be looking for that in the mail.  Also I will be coming home June 24th so you can put it on all your calendars.

 

       Things are going well here in Fresno as it starts to get pretty hot.  I am glad I will not be here for the whole summer cause it gets really hot.  We just had some zone conferences on Saturday and Sunday and had a zone leader/ district leader council on Friday and my companion and myself did a large portion of the training in all the meetings.  I do love seeing all the missionaries around the misson and working with them.  It is such a blessing to see them grow.  This week we have transfer boards starting today and we are going to be figuring out where everyone goes for this next transfer.  This is always a busy week and then next week is only busier getting everyone ready for departure and the new missionaries that are incoming.  It is always a lot of fun.  We are still working in our area as much as we can and we have a couple people we are working with for baptism.  James Dunmore is our number one candidate and he just needs to get better to baptize him but we have been fasting and praying and know that his time is going to come up soon.  We also have another famliy we are working with and the mom smokes which is a big set back but they want to be baptized as well.  Other than that everything is great and I love being a missionary.  We see miracles everyday and find the Lord's prepared children.  I know that this church is Jesus Christ's true church with no doubt in my mind.  I know it cause I feel it and see it everyday work in people's lives and I know this is God's very own work.  Go be a missionary every day!

 

pictures: 

1) last night with visa waiters at president's house

2) air port the next day at 4 in the morning with the visa waiters (what joy)

3) Elder Wyeth and I.  He is the kindest missionary in the world.  We are up in Turlock after a zone conference

4) My companion.  Isn't he just so endearing haha

 

-Love Elder Neeley

Blessing everyone, not just giving the message...

Dear family,

           It is so good to get these updates and learn of how you are doing.  I sometimes just get overwhelmed with emotion in a good way, thinking how my mission has gone and reflecting and realizing that is coming to an end.  I just can't believe that it is happening so fast.  I love my mission with all my heart and I love Jesus Christ so much and it just amazes me that I feel this way.

          We had our baptism and it was a great one, as there was good support and the Spirit was strong.  There were also some delicious brownies which always makes things even better.  The father of that family, James Dunmore, has made a definitive decision that he wants to be baptized and know we just have to wait for the first day that he wants to be baptized.  We are hoping tomorrow and if that is the case I will get some pictures of it to send along with the ones from this last week.  Sorry I am not doing better and sending pictures every week.  I will do better.  Please pray for brother Dunmore's health that he may be able to be baptized here soon.

          We got all done with zone conferences and finally have a good full week to work in our area.  The conferences were great and were just what the mission needed to take our next step.  We have been finding TONS of new investigators because of the different direction we are taking in the mission, which is to bless everyone instead of trying to just give them a message.  So now that we have them and are finding tons more we need to get them progressing and that is what we focused on and how to make time to teach and find and how to teach better so people keep their commitments.  This week we will only have one meeting and that is with the trainers and trainees who have been out for 3 weeks so I will see Elder Goettman there.  He is in the city of Modesto and his area touches my old one when I was working in Ceres.  He has a GREAT trainer and is doing so well.  He is an awesome missionary and exactly obedient.

              I hope all is well and pray for you all constantly that you will be safe and happy and also have desires to share the Gospel even more so than you are now.  You are all so amazing and such good missionaries and I am proud of my family and couldn't ask for a better one.  I love you and am excited to see you even though it will be difficult to leave.  Be a missionary every day!

-Love Elder Neeley

A lot on our plate...

Dear family!

         The work is going very well here as we are having a baptism this Saturday of a young lady named Lauren Fairweather.  She is the one that used to drink lots of tea and is the friend of a recent convert.  We have a few other people that we are working with as well and  hopefully we will get a couple of them committed to baptism for this month but we will see how they progress.  We surely never will push but we invite everyone like crazy.  As you do missionary work is it good to share but invite!  Inviting is the MOST important part.  You would never go through medical school and residency and then never work a single day in your life as a doctor.  The same applies in that sharing info without the invite to act on that knowledge is useless.

               We have zone conferences this week and leadership training and we will be doing 3 separate trainings this week so we got a lot on our plate but it is good.  Elder Goettman is just excelling and has one of the BEST trainers in the whole mission.  He will be and is a leader in the mission.  I have a blast being with him from time to time.  I also heard that Eric Nelson and Sarah LaFond are engaged!  That is awesome and crazy.  Tell them to send me out an announcement, I mean if they want obviously.  Tell Eric I say congratulations and I am glad he won't be a menace to society haha.

             Well I love you and am glad to hear that you are all doing so well and taking trips and stuff.  I love to hear about all of it so thanks for updating me.  I miss you all a ton and love to hear from you.  I love my mission so much too!!!!!!! Oh it is the best!  I love you all and hope all is well.  Also I just have one request when I get home cause it will be summer and that is that we all go as a family to do baptisms in the Temple.  Direct and extended family.  I would love that more than anything, so please set that up cause that is my one wish to you all.  I love you so much and feel the swelling in my heart when I think of you all and being with you forever.  You are the best family I could ask for.  LOVE YOU!  Go out and be a missionary every day.

-Love Elder Neeley

Elder Goettman in the Mission

Dear family,

 

           Things are going really well right now and I love my mission.  I love my new companion Elder Kahuhu and he is probably by far my favorite companion.  We just get along great and we work so hard and well together.  It is a blast.  We have another baptism scheduled for the 16 of March with a 14 year old girl named Lauren who is the friend of a recent convert.  She has a pretty bad habit/addiction of drinking tea so please pray for her as she has committed herself not to drink tea anymore.  I know that the Lord will hear your prayers and bless her for it.  We also met a lady who has used or is using drugs pretty hard and we had a really good talk with her on the street and she wants to change so much.  She set a date for baptism on the 30th of March and we are going to see her tomorrow morning.  She has had such a rough life with her husband and children leaving her and because of lonliness she has resorted to drugs.  Her name is Sherri and she is such a nice lady and we love her so much.  Please pray for her as well as she battles these addictions.  We are finding lots of people and it is the best!

          I loved seeing Elder Goettman and me and him went out together for his first day and we set a baptismal date with a lady and her 2 kids right on the street for the 23rd of March.  She is a very humble lady with 3 kids who has been through a lot but has such strong faith in Christ and wants to follow Him.  We will let you know how it goes with her but neither of us are teaching her so we have to follow up with another companionship.  Elder Goettman is such a good missionary and very powerful. He is just happy and loving his mission so much and I love it. He is amazing and is and will continue to do great things here in the mission.

          My teeth are officially done and look really nice and I am pleased. Because of the dentist though I left my camera at home but I promise pictures of my teeth next week. I love the schedule for when I get home and am happy to do whatever you would like.  I would like to see my friends like Matt Hansen for a bit but I want to do what ever you want.  I love you all so much and am so proud of all of you and all you outstanding achievements.  I think I have one of the most awesome and talented families ever.  Let me know when the baby comes!  I love you all!!!!!!!!!!  Be a missionary every day!

 

-Love Elder Neeley

Blazin' Challenge

February 27th, 2013

Dear family,

            We had a baptism on Sunday and it was a great baptism.  The whole family from the young lady was there and they are not members so it was a great opportunity for them to feel the Holy Spirit in their lives and introduce them to the Gospel.  Kiana is the name of the girl that got baptized and her friend's dad baptized her and the friend sang a song.   It was a great service.  We have a few people that could get baptized in March so we are excited for that.  I got a new companion and his name is Elder Kahuhu he is from Washington state and he is half Hawaiian.

             We are seeing lots of miracles and I am so excited for this week and seeing Elder Goettman and doing all this stuff for transfers.  We are getting 28 new missionaries and this is the biggest group we have ever had in the mission.  We have about 3 trainings this week and we will be seeing lots of different missionaries.

             These pictures are from a farewell that we had and the blazin challenge at buffalo wild wings and my teeth.  They have temporary teeth on right now and next week on Monday I am getting permanent ones so they will be awesome.  I did the blazin challenge and it was VERY spicy and I got a free tee shirt cause I ate 12 of these wings in 3 minutes and 3 seconds.  The bathroom was very rough.  The last one is recent convert family that got baptized last march and came to the farewell to see a missionary and myself.  It was wonderful.  I love you all so much and pray for you and I apologize for emailing late.  I will do better and make sure I am emailing.  I am never too busy for you either so I am sorry.  Tell Matt Hansen that I am going to write him this next monday.  I love you!!!!!!!!!

-Love Elder Neeley