Letter from Neal - Received 5/20/08

May 14, 2008
To Whom it may Concern!!!!
I am now a real missionary! The Limbo is over, the MTC is over and I am in the field! I am a real Boy…Well sort of. I still have a lot of stuff to learn and get used to but hey, at least I am going out and doing stuff. I am writing this letter from my new desk, in my new flat in my new area (Ha Ha Ha funny story).My trainer is awesome! His name is Elder Garcia and he has been out for 7 months. He is from Spain and he is a great guy and a great missionary. Ok funny story time. If you couldn’t tell from the Postal Code my new area is good old Chorley!! If I threw a rock right now I would break a window in the MTC! That’s how close I am! I literally passed by my flat every single time we went to town! Yea funny I know – laugh it up all you want. The MTC lead teacher Chris Pattenden is in my ward. I literally moved like 100 yards away. I am close to the temple, so I get to go to that once a transfer period. Ha,Ha,Ha, score there, right? But anyways we met the president today and guess what dad? He served with you! His story was the exact same…North British to Scottish/Irish to Scottish! So I asked him if he knew any Elder Johnsons? He thought for a moment then said “I knew an Elder Murell Johnson.” That’s my dad! He looked at me and said that you stole a baptism from him, cause he got transferred. Tom and Anne Crook is what he said their names were. So that was funny. I’m probably never going to hear the end of it. So I’m writing this letter because I’m not gonna have e-mail until next Wednesday. I figured that this might get there faster. Good news…I can e-mail whoever I want! So I don’t think I will have mass amounts of time but I will try my best. Anyways first night we taught two lessons. They were good - I jumped right in and taught right with my companion. He’s a great leader, kinda hard to understand sometimes, but I’m getting used to it. I’m going to learn a lot from him I just know it! Leaving the MTC was sad but a good thing. We are off doing bigger and better things now and hopefully having a blast! I am in the main training process so it’s kinda going slow, but we will find out more tomorrow. We have a baptism next Friday so that exciting. I taught him tonight to I had a hand in it!! Its so exciting it really is that I am brand new and already jumping in with both feet. The two years has finally begun and I can’t wait to do this. My mission motto is GO BIG or GO HOME! I have a lot to learn and a lot to study so I better get to it. Tomorrow is going to be crazy I’m sure and then the next day is my B-DAY – YAY!!! I have Zone Conference on my Birthday so that going to be fun! Anyways I’m safe and sound, back home in Chorley!

Love ya all
Elder Johnson