Steven is Working So Hard

Dear family,

 

        So things are going well in Fresno as always but there has been some stress in the work recently.  We have a family that is investigating the Church and know that they are going to get baptized but keep saying they need to wait.  We are working our hardest to resolve doubts and buil their testimony but they just can't seem to take that step.  They are such and amazing family and I love them so much.  They love us too and cook for us every time we come and we never ask.  The daughter fixed my Book of Mormon the othr week when the spine was coming loose and they are just awesome but the mom still feels unready.  It is so frustrating but I know they will be baptized in the coming month.  Until then it is just a lot of faith and hope and waiting until they finally accept the answers they are recieving about this message. We have 2 other baptismal candidates for feburary that have dates and one is very excited and solid and the other is a 17 year old girl who is also excited but has been sick recently and we need to see her because it has been a little while. 

                I love my mission and I am just trying to work my hardest and be more obedient every day but I always seem to keep messing up but what is new haha.  The Atonement is very much necessary and I become more and more greatful for the amount that Christ suffered for me alone and I still don't fully understand how much it really was.  I am also continually amazing that he can possibley forgive me over and over and over again.  He truly is perfect and loves us perfectly and is willing to lift us when we fall over and over again.

                 Also I got Matt Hansen's letters all of a sudden and I will be writing him back.  He seems to be doing well and I am glad he hasn't forgotten me.  Also I have not written anyone for the past 4 weeks I think.   I am really sorry and I am getting everyone's mail but I am lazy and I am repenting and I will be writing letters today and sending them this week.  I am sorry but know that I love you a ton and still pray for you always.  I still need to send back to charger to the cam cord and I am sorry like wise for that, I am a bad person.  I am still the same height I think and my pants are all still great.  Also there is always a special bond between the family that a missionary teaches and that missionary and President Gelwix has told me that I just have an inherent ability to love everyone which I believe is true (maybe you all who have grown up with me would say otherwise haha) but I have a very close an personal relationship with just about all investigators and certainly all who have been baptized.  Dad,  I love being a district leader and just try to do my best but I feel like I don't know what I am doing and feel like I am constantly messing up and not being the best example for these missionaries but I try my hardest to repent and do better all the time.  I do enjoy it though.  All the missionaries in the district and I are very close and we love and respect eachother and you know that I have always had that ability to just become close with the people I work with and it is the same with all these missionaries.

         It sounds like so much is going on at home all the time now and maybe I just get the high lights but everyone is really busy.  That is so awesome that you are doing a half marathon Dad and it is great that you all got that time to spend together in SLC and that some skiing was done.  That sounds like a lot of fun!  Also that is so awesome that David Jordan was called to be a mission president!  He will love that and if you can tell him I said congratulations and to roll with the punches because they will come.  My mission president always says "the biggest lie is that the mission president knows what he is doing"  maybe he will find truth in that but it is the same in all things:  The Lord knows what to do so we just need to ALWAYS go to Him.  I love you all a ton and miss you and will be writing.  Dad I am still like 6'4 and like 170ish I think, no fat.  Love you all!!!!!!

Still Loving the Work

Dear family,

 

                 We just had the baptism of Briana Padilla who is a 9 year old girl who's mother is a less active member that is coming back to church and her father is not a member.  It was a great baptism and Briana is adorable and really funny.  We have some pictures of that too so you will be able to see that.  We have another baptism coming up this Saturday of another 9 year old girl named Leslie who's cousins are all members and the whole family is going to get baptized but just like a week after because she wants her own baptism haha.  The work is going really well and there are still a lot of trials and there is literally opposition in ALL things.  It is almost like the prophets knew what they were talking about when they wrote the scriptures haha.  I love my mission so much and me and Elder Worthen are getting along really well and he is a great missionary.  He still has some things to improve on but we all do and he has improved so much since just 2 months ago coming into the mission.

                  The ward here is really working harder and improving as well and I really feel like we have been able to make a visual change for the better and it is awesome.  I love these people so much and I will never forget them.  I love this work because we actually get to feel a portion of the pure love Christ has for these people and has for each one of us.  I love you all so much and pray for you always and know that the Lord is taking care of you.  I love my mission and really never want to stop this service.  I love it!!!  I love to hear about the missionaries that you are at home and it is so awesome.  I am sure you don't realize the importance you are to the missionaries.  They probably go home and say "Wow the Neeley family is so awesome, they help us out a ton with fellowship and they have the best food!"  I know now because I am a missionary and we have those types of families that work hard with the missionaries and they are the best.

         I love you all and love to hear about all the activities that are going on.  I hope Eleanor and Ruthe's team pick it up and finish strong.  Also I am going to send back the Week's charger.  Tell them I am so sorry but it is on way!  I love you all so very much and I appreciate all you do!!

 

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

Overcoming Trials

Dear family,

        I am really enjoying my mission and all the challenges it
puts forth and the opportunities to grow and love.  I have been doing
everything that you suggested Dad, by asking others for input and
following "Preach My Gospel" and the Spirit in my leadership duties.
I really enjoy this opportunity to serve and it is in fact service.  I
am constantly trying to repent and be better because there is so much
for me to work on all the time.  I really love repenting and the gift
the Christ gave us so that we can.  We all sin and repentance is the
best because it takes away the pains and guilt and replaces it with
the Spirit and love.

         We have had some trials as different investigators have been
dropped and others missed their dates for baptism.  We are working
harder all the time and trying to be more obedient every day so that
the Lord can bless us and our investigators.  We just had our first
district meeting for this transfer and we talked about faith and how
fear and doubt can never exist with eachother, it is like light and
dark.  We all have a lot of trials as missionaries but we just like
everyone who has trials have to have faith and must drive out fear.
Moroni 8:16 says that "perfect love casteth out all fear" and
therefore we must have love to cast out fear and only have faith.  I
have had my faith tried a lot but I know that we will reach our goals
and that we will have success in the Lord's eyes because we have faith
and we show it through diligently working and being obedient.

           This last preparation day we went to Yosemite National
park and it was amazing.  We took a lot of pictures and I will send
you the card Sarah, so that you can put them on the blog and make
copies if Mom and Dad want hard copies please.  That took up the whole
day and there was a tiny tiny tiny bit of snow and it was a little
cold.   I really enjoyed it and think that you will all like the
pictures.

           I am always happy to hear that stuff is going well at home
and that you are all striving to be such  good missionaries and
sharing the Gospel.  I love you all so much and you are all such good
examples to me.  I love hearing about all the things that you do and
have going on and I pray for each of you always and the specific
things that you all have going on and hope that all is well.  I love
you all so very much and love to hear from you.  Keep up all the great
work you do.

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

District Leader

Dear Family,

 

            Things are going really well in Fresno.  We just had transfers and Elder Worthen and I are staying together but that is no surprise since the training program lasts for two transfers. I also got made district leader so I am really excited to start serving even more and in different ways.  I don't really know what I am doing but I know the Lord does so I rely on Him and know that this is what He wants.

             We are seeing a ton of success and miracles every day.  We are going to have some baptisms coming up and I know that this is truly the work of the Lord and we need to allow Him to use us as intruments, pure and refined.  I will send pictures as the baptisms come up and tell you more about them but we are very excited and I love seeing these brothers and sisters of ours grow right in front of us and find a true love for our Saviour Jesus Christ.

              I am reading Jesus the Christ and I really enjoy and learn a ton from reading that book.  Dad, I am glad that you have been making sure I got around to reading it because it is very detailed and profound in how it talks about Christ and his divine role.

              I miss you all a ton but I love this mission and serving the Lord.  I absolutely love it.  It is not always exciting or extreme success as some look at it but there is such a Spirit and confirmation of this Gospel that comes from one absolutely immersing themselves in the Lord and His will.  I can feel myself changing and I love that it is because of the Holy Ghost and the presence is constantly has as we live as very best we can.  I am so greatful for all of you because every day I see more and more that all of you, my family, have been such wonderful and awesome examples of charity, faith and obedience.  I have found these traits in myself and it is only because I have been completely surrounded by all of you who possess and are great examples of these traits.  Thank you so much for being who you are and sharing the Gospel and supporting the missionaries there at home.  You are the best family I could ask for and I have a firm testimony we will absolutely live together forever as we strive our hardest to repent daily and be like Christ in every way.

             Just to answer some questions for you Dad, it is not too cold at all here in Fresno and is starting to warm back up I think.  It still gets around the 60's in the afternoon and a little chilly at night/morning.  We still bike pretty little because our area is huge but we use them the same amount pretty much since conditions are still ok.

            I love you all so much and pray for you nightly as well and I hope all things keep going well and that especially Robbie can find a job and that everyone else is doing well in your own personal trials.  Rely on the Lord in all things and He will always guide where we need to be if we forfeit all we have including our will, to Him.  I love you all a ton!

 

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

Post Phone Call

Dear Family,

           It was so wonderful to speak with all of you!!! I really
enjoyed hearing the questions and telling you how my mission is going.
 It felt like the time went by in 5 minutes but I still enjoyed it and
appreciated getting to talk to all of you and know you are still doing
well.  It sounds like you all had a merry Christmas and that you had a
lot of missionary opportunities!

          Yesterday (the 26th) we had a lesson with two of our
investigators named Claudia and Roberto.  They have been taught for a
year which is kind of a long time but it was our first lesson with
them.  We followed the Spirit and changed the plans a little bit and
talked about how the Spirit answers and how they have already recieved
an answer that they need to be baptized.  They have fear though of all
their Catholic family not approving the decision.  We are praying for
them and they will be baptized soon I'm sure because they can feel the
Spirit but just need to act now.

            Elder Worthen and I still get along well and enjoy working
hard and teaching and finding everyone we can.  It is fun training and
sometimes a challenge but overall just a great learning and building
experience for us both.

            I don't have to much to say this week since we just talked
and all but I love you all so much!  I miss you all and I love being
here in Fresno serving the Lord.  It really does make me happy and I
know that this work will make others even happier than the way I feel
because it is true and I know that.  I hope you all can continue with
these missionary experiences and becoming closer to Christ yourselves.
 We must be converted first before the conversion of someone else.  I
am so glad for all of your examples to me and the love you all show me
and prayers you offer.  You are really thet best family an Elder can
ask for!  I love you all so much!!

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

Upcoming Christmas Call

Dear family,

So first and foremost we had a baptism this past week and I will be printing pictures today and sending them home as well as our Christmas card from the missionaries in the ward we are serving in. The young man who was baptized is named Alan Garcia and he is 18 years old and so awesome! His dad baptized him and it was a super spiritual experience. He is teaching his girlfriend with us and is talking about his mission and baptizing his sisters and serving the sacrament. He is amazing and the Holy Ghost and this message of the true Gospel on the earth has changed him. This work even though difficult, is more than worth every single minute and I love it. About the call this Sunday!!!! There will NOT be any pre-call on Saturday but on Sunday YOU WILL CALL ME at 4pm your time. Don't worry if you are a little late or don't get a hold of me right away. These are our plans but if something goes wrong, don't lose it or panic or anything like that. We will get to talk no matter what. 

I can't wait to talk to you all!! I love you so much and am looking forward to it but I am not losing a focus on why I am here or what I need to be doing. I love you all a ton. Today (Tuesday) was my preparation day because we got to go to the Temple today and it was fantastic. I love getting to go there and feeling the Spirit because it is not quite the same anywhere else. This Christmas Eve we get to watch a movie and we will be watching Tangled. Then we are going to a family's house for dinner and they will be having a big party there. To answer your question Dad if it is different, Mexican people only really celebrate the 24th and it is litterally an all day party of food, family, and presents(probably in that order haha, I am kidding). But there is a lot of food. Then on the 25th they just relax and don't do anything than just eat left over food and stuff like that. !!!!!! Dad if you could tell Ruth your daughter, my sister, that I got her letter and am sending her response back today. It will be there before Christmas.!!!!!!!! That is pretty much it from here in Fresno. I miss you all a ton and I know that this is where I need to be. I love being a missionary so much.

When I first got here I worked hard but I didn't really love it haha but for the last few months and now I can truly say that I LOVE my mission and more importantly love the Lord and love sharing that fact that anyone and everyone can and needs to use His sacrifice to be clean and happy for ever and ever. I know we will be together forever with out a doubt in my mind. We must be faithful to our covenants and we will always be a family. I know this is true just as we are living. I am so thankful for all the gifts I got from everone (haven't openned them yet) and more importantly all the love and the example that you all are to me. I love each of you and think and pray for each of you individually daily because you have all done so much for me and I want you to know that. I love you and can't say it enough. Merry Christmas to all of you!! Remember and be as the Savior is and wants you to be. -

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

PS I have noted now the spelling of Bishopric hahaha. My spelling is AWFUL since learning Spanish and I don't know why haha. LOVE YOU!!

Christmas is Coming...

Dear family,

 

       It is great to hear everyone is doing so well and that everyone is getting prepared for Christmas.  Here in Fresno we have all our plans pretty much set up and it looks like we are going to have a great Christmas.  The work in this area is going really well and we love the work here.  Dad as for Christmas Eve I do not know when we are going to call but I will let you know as soon as I know.  Just keep your phone with you that day and if you don't pick up when I call you I will try ever couple hours to get you again so don't worry if you miss it or something.  The Lord will make sure we figure it out.  By the way did you know that Mexican people don't even really celebrate the 25th but the 24th is the holiday for them.  They all get together and have a huge dinner and open presents and stay up all night and then the 25th they just relax and eat left overs from the day before haha.  So we look forward to just relaxing a little on our Christmas and eating and talking.

         I really enjoy being a trainer and working with Elder Worthen.  He is a great missionary and we work hard and the Lord blesses this area we are in a TON.  We see miracles every day and it is awesome.  The Church is so true that sometimes I wonder why everyone is not jumping in the water and staying completely active forever.  Sure it is hard but there really is nothing like the Holy Ghost and feeling a calm assurance that everything will be ok through faith and obedience.  I love being a missionary and I know it has changed me and I know will continue to change me.  Not in a bad or weird way but I know I am closer to my older brother Jesus Christ and my Father in heaven.  I realized that to be a good missionary I must change because that is what I teach people: change.  None of us are perfect and we must all change and my mission especially must be a "point of no return" or my "Ebenezer".

             I love you all so much and know that you are all doing great and doing great missionary work and it makes me so proud and it sets such a good example for me to work hard and do the best I can every day.  Love your missionaries.  I hope all is well and keep you in my prayers.  Sarah I got your letter and Christmas card and it was wonderful!!  I also have 3 packages on the way so I am excited about that.  Mom and Dad I look forward to your Christmas card and my pictures have been sent so they should be there today or tomorrow if not already.  I get to go to the temple on Tuesday the 20th so I am excited for that and it is really cool Uncle Keith that you are doing sessions in Spanish and you better brush up if you are rusty cause we are speaking when I get home!  The work is good and so is the food.  You are all in my prayers and I love you all so much!  Thank you for all you do and all the prayers my way.  JoAnna I hope you can go get some other deer then and that you have a great Christmas with your family.  Tell Ryan I say hi and I love him and ton and he better be going to church!

 

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