Giving 100%

Dear Family

    The field is wonderful and I love the mission life.  It is super hard but I know that I am here for a reason and that the great joy I get to experience comes with a price.  I love you all so much and am glad the reunion went so well.  I adressed this email to everyone so I hope you all get it.  I thought Dad was forwarding them and I forgot to tag on everyone else so that is my fault.  I will be sending more pictures soon and I found I can email them so I will probably do that next week.  Spanish is coming a long very well and I get to speak it all the time with my companion which is SO helpful.  Sarah get the agua fresca next time and tell Doug I said congrats!!!  I am striving so hard every day to be exactly obedient so that I can be the best missionary I can be.  All through life I always tried to give my best in sports and school but less than 100% was often enough to get by and even do really well but I have realized that anything less than 100% effort 100% of the time is not going to be good enough and will just be a waste if time and money for me to be here. I know that as I am striving to be better and overcome these difficulties the Lord is helping as I reach out to Him. I am so greatful for prayer and know that when we do all we can no matter how much or how little that is, the Lord will make up the rest. 

I hope all is going well at home and I would love to get a family reunion shirt sent out to me some time if you have one for me but if not it is ok and please also I talked to mom about sending me a picture of our family outside the temple at DC after we were sealed.  So if I could get the picture soon for sure and the shirt too if possible that would be great.  I love you all so much and keep you in my prayers all the time.  I miss you all a ton but I am very focused on the work.  Please don't mistake that for a lack of care.  I am trying very hard to contact everyone that is emailing me but if I don't right a away I am sorry.  I love you all soooo much.  Pray daily, read the scriptures and listen to Mom and Dad.  I love my mission and California and my companion so much and am so greatful for all you support, love, letters and prayers.

    -Love your son/brother/grandson/nephew/cousin/uncle/friend Elder Neeley

August 15th, 2011: Two Baptism Dates Set

Dear Family,

   I love you all so much and am so greatful for you all and you support.  Dad the reason why I wrote last week on Tuesday is because we went to the temple on Tuesday so when we get to go to the temple (which is every 4 and a half months) we have Prepartation Day on the temple day which was Tuesday last week.  But It sounds like everyone is busy at home and I am glad to hear everyone is getting back into sports and getting ready for school.  Also I bet going to go see BYU play will be so much fun and a great trip back to Tennessee.

    The field is awesome and we have two baptismal dates right now for August 28th and these  people are so wonderful and I have truly come to love them so quickly and I know it is because of the service being done for them.  The language is going pretty well.  I can teach and conversate some what and all in spanish but I have a long way to go with understanding, pronunciation and just knowing the language better but it is going well though.  I love the spanish and my companion is awesome.  He is from Mexico so he helps me a ton and as well as the language he works hard and teaches well.  We are both on the same page with being exactly obedient and working hard and we get along pretty well.  This is his last transfer so he is working hard and not trunky at all which is a blessing for me.  I am just trying to make sure that he has no regrets when he leaves by us working the hardest we can.

     The mission is awesome!  I am constantly tired and constantly working and it is such a blessing.  We see miracles everyday in the field and sometimes they are bigger than others but I know this is the work of the Lord because He is guiding us in it.  I invite you to look for the miracles in you life because even though some times small we have them in all of our lives every day and we need to recognize them and give thanks to the Lord for them.  Always try to share the gospel and help out the missionaries in our ward when ever you can.  I have come to realize that we teach as the missionaries and the Holy Ghost testifies but it is the members that really transition the investigators to members or retain them.  Even when people know it is true it is so hard for them to change there life and take this step but when they feel that love from the members and really truly have friends in the ward to rely on they are so much more ready to take these major steps and be baptized and change their lives.  The members are so important.  I know that you already do so much for the missionaries but I just wanted you all to know just how important you really are.  I love you so much and I am so greatful for you examples and support you give to me.  I know this Church is true with all my heart and I love you all so much.  Be good and always keep praying.  You are always in my prayers.  I love you.

-Love your son/brother/grandson/cousin/nephew/uncle/friend  Elder Neeley

August 9th, 2011: Hooray for Agua Fresca!

Dear Dad, Mom and family

   Things are going great.  There are very difficult times and this is the hardest I have worked and the most tired I have been every day consecutively and I'm sure it won't let up for the next two years.  I love this work though and love my area and the ward I serve in.   I am right in the actual city of Fresno and the ward I am in all speaks spanish and they know how to really feed the missionaries.  We get real mexican food for just about every single meal and I love it to death.  They make this water called agua fresca and they blend up a little fruit with water and sugar and put it with ice and it is so good!  Every single person makes it and I love it so much.  My compainion and this ward and my studies are really helping my spanish and I am understanding more and more every day as well and becoming better at speaking.  Also my spiritual studies are really awesome.  I love the Book of Mormon more than I ever have and sharing this message is the best thing ever as I keep increaing my love for these people and my testimony that this is the true church with the authority of God and that we will live together as a family forever after this.  I love it and don't have a lot of time to email today but tell everyone I love them and I will send pictures and stuff and I love you all a ton.  Give everyone a hug and kiss for me.  LOVE YOU ALL!!

-Love your son/brother/cousin/nephew/grandson/uncle/friend Elder Neeley

August 1st, 2011: First Letter "in the Mission Field"

Hey Family!

    So the mission is the best thing in the world!!!!!!!  I love this so much and am working so stinking hard and I love it.  We are doing a ton of work and teaching a ton of lessons.  I am in a Spanish area and my trainer is straight out of Mexico City and he is the best.  He teaches me so much with spanish obviously but he is so patient and wise.  He channels my blind excitement in to powerful lessons and I am so greatful for him.  I am speaking only spanish and am able to understand enough when people talk that I can teach and actually answer questions rather than just bear testimony when my companion gives me the cue.  I still have a LONG way to go but I know that it is not a sprint and that I need to work this hard all the time and I knew that spanish would not come over night.  I love this work so much.  I have already seen it change my life.  I get worried about if I am in bed exactly at 10 30 and that is a concern for me.  It is a big deal because I need to be exactly obedient in order to really carry out the work of the Lord, but it is tiny when I think about whether I am watching good movies or listening to good music.  I never really swore but now it's like any offensive language is just out of the question.  I am not trying to boast or anyting because I am sure it comes of that way but I really am not.  I just feel as Ammon felt  when he said "I do not boast of myself but I boast in my God" becuase I know that these changes are only through His power.  


So it is not even the changes in my I want you to take notice of but I want you to see how mighty the power of God is in that He can change souls and refine His disciples in to instraments of power to execute His work and His glory.  I LOVE THIS WORK.  I know that souls will be saved because of the missionary forces and actually because of the Holy Ghost which we carry with us.  He is the teacher.  I know this Church is true and I bear a strong witness to every one that listens to us because I live it.  I don't have to hear some one else tell me or read it but I see and live this great gospel and it has changed my life in this short time and I see it working on the lives of those we teach.  The Lord lives.  He feels our pains and suffered for them.  We NEVER have to suffer because He paid the price already for our sins and sorrows we must simply call upon his grace and mercy and he will always, 100%, for certain, 10/10 times be there with open arms and mercy to spare.  This gift have been given and now we only need to recieve, and how easy is that.  Well it can't get any simpler.  I love this gospel and I love my family and I know we will be together forever through the power of the temple and the priesthood.  There is no greater blessing in my life than knowing I will be with all of you forever.  Not a day goes by that I don't think about this great blessing and testify of it to others.  


I love you all so much and appreciate all that every single one of you have taught me and the examples you all are to me.  I hope the family reunion was good and that you all enjoyed.  My Preparation Day is every monday by the way.  Uncle Keith I think email is the best way to go about mail now like you said and I am thankful for you email.  Mom and Dad I love you both so much and think about each of you as well as the rest of our family and pray for you daily.  I too will miss the times of football camp with you and will think of you but now you can build those memories with Alex as he becomes the star haha.  This is the best and I know you and mom and the rest of the family are so proud and I promis to keep it up.  I love you all so much.  We are on the Lord's team and because of that we cannot lose.

       -Love your son/brother/cousin/nephew/grandson/uncle/friend Elder Neeley

Almost Done with the MTC!

Dear Family!!!

   

     The time in the MTC has flown by and I am excited to say that I have 6 days left until Fresno!!!!! I have learned so much in the MTC and made so many new friends.  There a lot of people that went to BYU that are going back after ward and I think we will be really good friends and one of them is named Elder Scott Holmes.  He is hilarious and he is the same way as I am, in the sense he is very competetive and very funny.  This has truly been the best time of my life just being able to serve the Lord and get ready for the real thing out in California.  I love spanish and I am excited everytime I am able to really get my point across and speak with ease with others that speak spanish well.  Elder Koford leaves on the same day as me and I will miss him a ton.  Me and him have made quite the tag team and I have been spoiled with the fact that I have my best friend for my companion.  I think that it will may be a little shock having someone new in the field for the first time but I don't worry about making friends or getting along with them because it has never been too much of a challenge.  But I literally cannot wait to just get out in the field because I know it will the best and I just want to show all these people this great truth and happiness that we all have in our lives through the gospel.  I love this work so much!!!  We have had some really good firesides too and I am so pumped for the work.

       I am also glad to hear that you have been getting to the temple Dad.  I just have realized how truly important it is and just wouldn't want any of our family to miss that opportunity.  I am so very proud of my parents though.  You both show me what kind of a person and what kind of missionary I want to be.  I love you both so much and very greatful for you.  I love my whole family so much and keep each of you in my prayers.  You all are the motivation that keeps me going and makes me want to share this message with others because I know I can live for ever with all of you after this life as a family through the temple and I want all the people in Fresno to have the same joy I do from this gift.  I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!  I am sad I will miss the family reunion but I am even more happy though that you all are able to get together and share this time because I know that it will be so much fun and such a blessing to see everyone.  Tell everyone I say hi but give Ryan a big hug for me and did he ever get my letter and my happy birthday.  I miss you all so much but would not trade this opportunity and this gift for the world.  I know this is THE mos important thing I could do right now in my life and this will shape the rest of my life.

     Grandma I am sorry that you didn't get my letter last week but  I will personally forward this one to you just in case but I love you so much and am greatful for all your letters and emails.  You are the best, gram-cracka! I love you and hope you enjoy the time down at the beach with the family and I am sure you will.  Jaeson I am also greatful for you letter too.  It is funny because my dad just sent me the same thing about being a marathon not a sprint and I will apply and remeber that advice because I am excited for the field but I know I cannot burn out.  The people at the end of my mission need me just as much as the people at the end of my mission.  I love you all so much and I know this church is true.  I know the Christ knows me just like all of you but even better. He died for the world but he died for all of us individually.  This is the greatest work in the world and I am greatful to be in it.  Stay close and I love you all so much and hope all is going well.  Sarah thanks again for the blog and the pics from the party and Jacob because they were SO adorable!! I love you all so much.  Also thanks to all who wrote me individual letters because I loved them and have sent individual letters back to all of you.  I hope the little kids got their temple pictures and hung them up in their rooms where they will see it every single day because it is so important to keep you goals set with the temple in mind.  Love you all!!!!!!!!!!

 

Love your son/brother/cousin/nephew/grandson/uncle/friend,

Elder Neeley

More Pictures from the MTC

Still the ladies man?

Elder Neeley at the Provo Temple 

Make like a tree . . . 

Slumber Party

More Temple Time

Keep up the good work, Stevie!

3 Weeks in the MTC!

Dear Family,

 

  Only three weeks in the MTC and I feel like my spanish is doing pretty well and I can't wait to get to the field, but like you said Dad I am trying to finish strong and do as much and more than I have already so I can be as prepared as possible for Fresno.  I am glad to hear all is well at home and I am glad everyone has got to spend some time together at home.  I bet that has been really enjoyable.  I am said that I will miss all the beach fun and the family reunion but I am more than happy to serve and I know this is where I need to be without a shadow of a doubt.  I did tell my friends though that you bought a jet ski right after I left and they laughed and said that my family could finally start having fun now that I am gone hahaha.  But I'm just kidding that is really cool and it sounds like you will all have a blast at the beach.  Dad, I am glad to hear the golf is going better but even when you were "off" you still kick my butt so to me it was always good but I am glad to hear you are doing well and get some time to yourself but I am sure it will be a little loney and quiet without the rest of the family.  That is also so cool that you and Art got to go to the Yankees game for the 4th cause I bet that was a ton of fun.

       The MTC is really going well though.  I love serving the Elders and Sisters around me and I feel like I am able to learn so much through being a leader.  I am able to help others but I am pretty convinced that it is me who is learning and being helped the most.  I love this work out here and know it is truly the Lord's.  We get to hear a fireside every Sunday night and a devotional every Tuesday and we got to here this lady named Jenny Oaks Baker play the violin for us and give us a talk and she is Elder Oaks grand daughter and she went to Juliard and it was way good.  The best part though was she had three little girls all less than 10 play the piano, cello, and violin for us and they played I am a Child of God and is was so good and we gave them a standing ovation after and it was very cool.  We also got a special devotional on Saturday to celebrate Indepenence Day (and yes I know it was July 2nd on that day) but they had this huge awesome devotional and then we got to watch the fireworks at stadium of fire and eat ice cream and stay out late.  So ya that sounds lame but it was pretty vigilantous for a bunch of missionaries.  But it has been awesome here.  I keep seeing people I know from BYU and it is awesome to see so many friends rolling forth the gospel with you.

   By the way I sent Ryan a letter to you all so you could send it to him and I hope that you did for me.  Also I know his birthday was the 2nd so please tell him that I say happy birthday and I love him a ton and miss him.  Don't forget! please call him right now as you read this......... Did you call him?  Ok awesome you are the best!

     But I love you all so much and am so happy to be a missionary!  I love it and feel the spirit so strong all the time and I love it.  This is truly the Lord's Church and if it was not I would not be here.  I know that it is true with all my heart and I love it and I know the Lord is blessing me with the ability to love others and I can see it everyday more and more as I just get to know people and talk to them.  But I love you all and hope all is well and I know the Lord is blessing you and me everyday.  I am so greatful for all the individual letters and will respond today because it is P-Day!!!! Ruth I just got yours yesterday and I loved it and will be sending you a letter today.  Sarah also please send me back my SD card for my camera when you can.  Also in other news the temple is closed for the rest of this month so we just have an extra 3 hours of personal time so I will probably just write more or read some more scriptures but I love you all so much and can't wait to hear from you again.  Thanks again grandma for the package and I understand that it is tough to send stuff and that certain things are harder now but I am glad my sisters are willing to help.  I love you and am greatful just to hear from you in my emails.

  I love you all and pray for each of you every night and I miss you.  I know this Church is true and many lives will be blessed and saved for the eternities because of it.  Be good:)

   

     -Love your son/brother/nephew/grandson/cousin/uncle/friend Elder Neeley

 

Les amo ustedes con todo mi corazon