Recovering from food poisoning

Dear family,

             So right now things are going well in California as the weather continues to cool down.  The work is going really well as we are continuing to find new people and strengthen those we are working with.  We should be having some baptisms come up this month.  We have preparation today, wednesday, because yesterday and monday we were in fresno for a leadership training.  I got to work in my old area for the night and saw some recent converts that we baptized and it was great.  Then I got food poisoning and threw up at like 1:30 in the morning on tuesday morning.  That was not so fun.  So now I am finally feeling better but it was a rough day yesterday.  A guy named Greg Mckewoen (I think that is roughly how you spell it) came and did training on tuesday called the "The Essentialist" he is the co-author of the book "Multipliers" and lot of others.  He is a friend of President Gelwix and travels the world giving leadership trainings to companies and stuff for LOTS of money.  Dad are you still going to go do training in President Jordan's mission in London one of these days.  That would be great!  If you wait til I get home I will go with you.  It would be a burden and all to travel around London and all and see missionaries but I love you so much Dad that I would sacrifice for you - haha.

            We are working with a lady who wants to be baptized but her husband is super catholic and doesn't let her come to church so we went by this morning and she was like, "I don't know how but I am getting to church this sunday!"  So please pray for Maria Gonzalez and that her husbands heart may be softened that she may be baptized.  We are working with another sister of a member and we had a very spiritual lesson this morning where she felt the Spirit and began to cry as we testified of God's love for her and how she is never too far from Him and His light.  We taught her of the Book of Mormon and she will be baptized here soon.  Her name is Maria, as well, and if you could keep her in your prayers that she may recieve a confirmation of these things to be true that would be great.  I love you all so much and pray for you always.  Keep being a missoinary every single day.  I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

-Love Elder Neeley

"I love being on the Lord's errand"

Oct. 8th, 2012

Dear family,

             Things are going well here in California and things are finally starting to cool down a little.  We are working with a lot of people right now but because we had a strecht a month ago of very little finding it will be tough to get these people ready for this month to get baptized but the end of this month and november should hold lots of success.  We are working with a lot of wonderful families and people to have a desire to be baptized but just need some more preparation.  There is one 12 year old boy who wants to get baptized and he is so smart.  He just gets the Gospel and as we explain it he is like "duh, of course we need a restoration" or "of course we need to be obedient to follow Jesus Christ".  He is awesome and should be baptized at the end of this month.

               General Conference was awesome and we had 7 people come watch and they really enjoyed it.  I love all the talks and really don't know which was my favorite cause they were all so good.  I think Elder Oaks though may have been my very favorite about kids and the importance of treating and teaching them well.  I love Priesthood session too and President Monson's talk.  He follows the Spirit so well it amazes me and I try to emulate that in my mission and life.

                As far as transfers I don't think I should be transfered but I don't know really.  I will have been here for 5 and a half months at the end of this one so I don't know how it will go but I hope to stay.  I love it here and the work is going well and the members are wonderful and so missionary minded.  My companion and I get along well and we will see if we stay together.  The transfer is on halloween day the 31st but we will find out the Saturday before.

               My spelling is awful but I have been catching most of it I think but I keep spelling stuff really badly and then catch it after.  My spanish is getting better though and I just contribute it to that.  Sorry about the pictures they just didn't send so I will upload them next week and send them again.

                We see miracles every day here in the field and it is so amazing.  It is just like President Monson says about just following the Spirit and being the answer to people's prayers.  So many times we stop by and people are just at the breaking point and are about to drink or smoke or are really feeling low and need the Spirit in their lives.  It is amazing and I love being on the Lord's errand.  Doing what He wants through His Spirit is one of the best feelings cause you know you literally are doing what He would do if He were here.  I know that you can do the same in your lives and be the  blessing to those you don't even know are praying for your help.  God knows though and if we listen He will send us to answer their unspoken prayer.  I love missionary work cause all it is, is sharing my happiness with others and I pray you will all do the same.  I love you all so much and keep you all in my prayers.

-Love Elder Neeley

Break-dancing and Clip-on ties

Oct. 1st, 2012

Dear family,

               I know that you love pictures so I will start by describing them.  The little mexican boy is named Johnny Ochoa and he break dances for us when we come over and dresses like a "little brother" on sundays with his clip on tie.  He wants to be a missionary but his family still has not decided to get baptized.  The other two mexican boy are Victor (the chubbier one) and Luis, they are Johnny's brothers.  Then there is the picture in front of the river with me and the whole family.  Then there is our "sandlot" picture of me and a ton of Tongan boys.  We played rugby and football and it was a ton of fun being with all them.  The baptism picture is the Piza family and the little boy is Agustin who got baptized 3 weeks earlier and the girl is his older sister, Yaniri, and the man is there recently reactivated father who should be getting the Melchezidek Priesthood this Stake Conference.  The picture with all the missionaries is our zone right before transfers and then there is the one with me and one of my very favorite missionaries in the mission, Elder Grange from Bountiful Utah and he sweats a lot as you can see haha.

              I teach about 20-25 lesson per week and I would say that 70% are spanish.  It is about the same as Fresno but probably more hispanic here.  Everyone here is from the Mexican state of Michoacan.  This last week we taught 24 lessons and we had our baptism.  Things in our zone are going great and me and my companion are getting along well.  We get most of our work from referals and recent convert family.

             I hope all is well and I want you to know that I am praying for you each every single night.  I love my mission and I love the Gospel and I have changed because of it.  I know it is true.  I hope that you all will find that joy and knowledge and grow in it and SHARE it.  I challenge each of you to bring someone to the waters of baptism before I get home.  I KNOW that you can and that there are people ready to hear it if you are willing to take the Lord's challenge and find them and invite them to church and introduce them to the missionaries and baptize them.  I love you all so much and pray you will accept and do all you can to find these brothers and sisters of ours.  LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

ps Grandma thanks for the family history stuff.  It is SUPER interesting!! I can't wait to read it all when I am home.  LOVE YOU!

-Love Elder Neeley

"I am an exceptional missionary" :)

Dear family,

 

             Things are going really well in my mission.  I love to be a missionary.  We aren't have the most baptisms we every had or even finding a ton.  The work is good but not where it should be and we are working on that.  But we are working our hardest and I absolutely sharing this Gospel with everyone.  It is true.  It is not a lie it is 100% true and I know it is.  I love it and I love you and pray for each of you every day and for your success in all aspects but especially the Gospel.  Please never lose focus that the Gospel and living it IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.  There is no real and lasting happiness outside the plan of happiness so let's not look.

             We had a wonderful zone conference with Elder Golden and he is just amazing.  My interview with him was great and I love him.  He told me to tell you today that he says I am an exceptional missionary.  I loved every minute of the interview and wish I could go on a plane ride with him around the world so we could just talk.  He has a great South African accent.

              For transfers we are staying the same and I am in Ceres with Elder Gygi.  The zone is doing so well and we are so excited about this month and the following.  Right now after emails we are going to Patterson, a near by city in the zone, and we are going to play football and rugby but not tackle cause we can't.  A ton of Tongans live in Patterson so we go to play with them.  I can't wait.

               We have a baptism this weekend of an 11 year old girl named Yaniri Piza.  She is the daughter of a recently activated man who is doing really well right now.  We have some others who will be baptized soon as well at the end of the month or October.

              Please do your scripture study every day.  EVERY DAY.  Please I know that in prayer twice a day and in daily study is found the strength that our family NEEDS (like is essential) in order to become an eternal family one day.  It is a COMMANDMENT to read and pray every day.  Do it cause you love our Saviour and honor Him, His life and example.  Go share this with everyone and don't let our family reunion in heaven be short even one person.  We all need to make it home.  I love you all SOOOOOOOOOO much I can't describe and I pray for each of you and think of you even though I fail at writing you.  I LOVE YOU!

 

-Love Elder Neeley

 

ps the elder in the ice cream pic is Elder Hardy who serves around me and is going home after 2yrs on weds.

"Come on!" :)

Dear family,

 

           I just got the new camera and here are some pictures that I have taken with it.  I can't find my old card right now so I only have these pictures as I have taken them but it is ok cause Sarah has all my old pictures.  As I take more, I will send more but here are the first of them.  The work is a little slow right now as some people with baptismal dates have pushed them back or dropped them right now.  We have been finding some new solid investigators though right now and we feel like they have some promise.

            We taught a lady named Griselda who through a personal experience knows that we have the priesthood authority.  So we were excited to teach her as she recieved an undeniable witness we are representatives of Jesus Christ.  Then we share the first vision and she says "I am sorry but I don't believe you.  I can't believe it."  So we were confused and she explained John 1:18 where is says no man has ever seen God or could basically.  We explained that Moses saw God "face to face and spoke to him as a man speaketh to a friend" and how Stephen saw the Son of Man on the right hand of God.  She said she wanted to see the scriptures so we are going to explain more next time.  But the JST explains how John 1:18 says that no SINNER could ever or has ever seen God.  I really don't like the Apostasy because it is SO evident in the world around us and in the mere fact that the Bible says 10+ times that people have seen God and then says no man has ever seen God.  Then as obvious as it is people are so blinded by the mists of darkness and their hearts are hardened to the truth.  But it is amazing because the iron rod takes them out of the mist of darkness, reading the Book of Mormon takes them out of the confusion that is the Apostasy.  Like wise in our lives we can cast our doubts and confusion away as we search the scriptures.  It is so easy and so true that the iron rod, the word of God,  will bring us understanding and bring us out of the blindness.

           We are teaching another man named Lionel who is deciding what church is true between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and another christian church.  Last night after 2 months of teaching him we watched the Restoration movie and re explained the story of Joseph Smith and found out he is deciding which church is true but has not been praying at all to know!  COME ON!  It is like I want to know about science but I am not going to read any science books or talk to any science proffessors!  Well we made a course change and directed him to read and pray DAILY cause it is the only way to know the truth.  We said you can get an answer other ways but the truth only comes in one way and from one person, God.  So we are excited for him to find his answer.

          Tomorrow Elder Golden of the 70 comes to the nothern zones (we are one of them) for a zone conference and he is going to interview one on one 4 missionaries and President asked me to be one of them.  I am excited for the opportunity.  I will let you know how it goes.  We will find out about transfers this weekend too so I will let you know next week if I am staying her and with my companion.

          Well I love you all and pray for you every day and feel and appreciate your prayers.  Live your faith don't just say it and pray and read EVERY day.  No vacations for spiritual things.  Be a missionary and live the commandments.  Missionary work isn't hard, it is just sharing what makes you happy, really happy.  Because the only lasting happiness is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ so just tell them this makes me happy and I want you to be happy too.  Share it and bring our family home.  I love you all SO much! SO MUCH!  Thank you for your examples and letters and all that you do for me.

 

-Love Elder Neeley

"It is hot"

Dear family,

 

             Things are going well here in Ceres CA and it is hot.  We had a baptism this last Saturday of a 9 year old boy and his name is Tonatihu Morales had he is HILARIOUS.  He is the sweetest kid ever and he just says the funniest random stuff.  His mom just came from being semi/less active to activity and he got baptized right after.  This weekend we will have 2 more baptisms that were supposed to happen this last weekend but 2 hospital emergencies.  Ivan, the first one, his wife had her baby 2 weeks early so we are waiting so she can be there and then the other one, Angelina, had her mom go to the hospital so she took her.  We are really trying to get ready for Sept right now.  I am not the Senior companion cause when your a zone leader you are co-seniors but I have been here longer and my companion is a brand new zone leader so I am teaching how to be a zone leader and guiding things but we are co-seniors.  My companion Elder Gygi was in the same MTC district as me so we know each other well.

               We are having about 20-25 lessons per week so we are teaching quite a bit but we are trying to find a little more right now so we can be ready for the months ahead.  Things are going well and the zone is ramping up for a really good September.  We have great district leaders and just a great set of missionaries so it is really easy to be a zone leader haha.

              We are still working out everyday but sunday and I am staying fit so things are good with that.  We are going to play basketball right now when I am done so I am excited for that.  Pictures will be coming through the computer next week so get excited!  I am sorry I have been putting things off but I promise Preparation days have been really busy with different random stuff different weeks and I have not been napping haha.

               I know the Church is true and that Heavenly Father is a real person.  He really is some where right now watching, and caring for us and listening to us.  Jesus really suffered, died and came back to live as a resurrected person.  I know they really are true and my mission has done that for me.  I love my Heavenly Father SO much and I just want to make Him happy and I know that we will live for ever together if we can be obedient.  Not to earn God's permission into heaven but to prepare our hearts to be in His presence because through obedienc our hearts are changed through the Atonement to be able to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  It is not that we are obedient to pay back the debt because even if we did our very best we would still be "unprofittable" (mosiah 2).  I love you all so much and want to live with each of you for ever.  Share this with everyone you can cause whats a family reunion with out all our brothers and sisters.  You all know that 90% of our family for Christmas is just not good enough.  Everyone needs to get home and we need and GET to help them do it.

 

-Love Elder Neeley

Companion sick and a car to be waxed... busy, busy, busy

Dear family,

 

          Today will have to be short (I'm sorry!).  My companion got sick today and we had to wax our car because of a zone conference and I also had to cut my hair which doesn't happen every week and it all happened this week so hurray!  I love you all a ton though and I really can feel your prayers and your love.  I feel your support as I go through out the day and it is wonderful to know that my family is there for me and that you are wonderful examples to me in the Gospel.  Dad to respond to some questions, no shoes or camera,  i am sorry but I already stated the craziness of the day so next week it will be done.  I will be going back home on May the 27th of 2013.  I am pretty sure cause that is what they told me pretty much when I started but I would rather not bring that up.  It is so crazy how fast the time goes and how it feels like I just started my mission.  I think I will be going to school in the summer because that is what I told BYU but I don't know but it is something I will think about as I would like some time home with all of you.

          Angelina, one of our investigators, was supposed to get baptized on this past Sunday yesterday, but was admitted to the hospital on Saturday night so she rescheduled for this next Sunday and we have 2 others on Saturday at 6.  We are very excited and seeing these people tonight.  The work is great and I LOVE being a missionary.  I get very envious of the sons of Mosiah and their 14 year missions as mine winds down more and more.  It drives me nuts.  I really can't and and don't want to imagine not being a missionary.  Well I love you all and am so proud and excited about the missionary work that you are doing and telling me about.  Grandma is a missionary machine!  I love you all!!!

 

-Love Elder Neeley