Email from Neal - Received 6/4/08

Hello my Great family!!!!!

Another week has just flown by it seems. The days are long and the weeks are short, and getting shorter all the time! I am really starting to jump into this mission and work hard. I am talking to people all the time. Sharing the gospel all the time, and learning all the time. There is so much to learn and there is so much room to grow that one can never stop! This week has been an amazing one for sure and as always I will start with the gospel stuff and then move to the funny stuff and the business stuff.

Me and E. Garcia prayed last week to know how many new investigators the Lord wanted us to find this week. We had an amazing spritual experience in which both of us felt that 4 was the correct number of souls that we were going to find. Well all throughout the week we were not getting anywhere. The work was slow and long and hard, but there was light. Twice during the week we recieved a name of a man that was taught when the sisters were here (a while a go). We thought that it would be good to go find him. Previous to this we decided to have a disctirct fast. Starting on Saturday and going through fast sunday. All that I have to say is the blessings of fasting are real. Right after westarted fasting we went to this area to find this man..... We found him,we taught him and his wife and son. They enjoyed it, they are going to be tough, but there were 3 souls right there. The rest of that day killed us. We walked so much, and that was the most tired I have been on my mission to date! After Church on Sunday we went back out and wentback to a street that we had both felt the spirit on. We had met a ladyand she told us to come back.... we did, we taught her, she felt the spirit, and we are going back. That would be the 4th soul!!! After thinking about the area we discovered that her house was right across the street from where we had felt the spirit the strongest! We were so happy and pumped!!!! It was great because we followed the spirit and theLord did not dissappoint!!!! HE NEVER WILL!!!!!!! Ever since then the work has been better. We walked down a street just yesterday that we didn't know why we did, and what happened..... A guy called us to come up.... we taught him, he discussed some things, we are going back. Yet another soul!! The Lord is round about us at all times, of that I am sure! We went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders on Monday, and I can honestly say that I am now a different missionary! I learned so much from Elder Crowther about how to talk to people, and how to not be afraid when the time comes. I am so grateful for the great missionaries that I have to serve with!!! We are teaching a couple right now. The girl is like 19 and the man is probably 25 but he has been Excommunicated. He is absolutely amazing. He wants to come back so badly. He knows what he has to do and he is doing it!! His girlfriend is so interested in the Church and she can see how much it hurts John to be away from it. They are moving very nicely. They were both in tears last night.... The spirit was so so so so so strong!!!!! I love this work. All the slammed doors and rude comments literally dissappear when something like that happens Planning is Amazing..... If you don't think so go read Joseph Smith history. "After I Had arrived at the place that I HAD PREVIOUSLYDESIGNED TO GO." He used it, he's amazing, we need to use it!!

Ok now on to the funny/business/questions/whatever stuff.
The Chorley wards did Savior of the World in December I think. Crazy huh, I tell people that I was the sound designer and Engineer for ours and they absolutly love it. This area Rocks!!!!
There is a Bocce field in the middle of town!!!!!!! Its nuts!! It is built for Bocce and bocce only. They never throw only roll. I will try and snap some pictures sometime if i can.
Send me any picture you want over email! I would really like to see picutres from the tornados. I brought my Jump Drive with me so I can keep them and get them Printed. Email is a great thing.... Use it!
I heard a new funny phrase for "6 to one, half a dozen to the other" the english say that "its just like 6 and 2-3's". I thought about dad!
Cooking...... Cooking is fun, I am getting used to it. Its mostly just frozen fast stuff. Nothing hard really. Everyone has convection ovens so that is different. Our mission has a rule that we can only eat with members if there is going to be a non member present. So that makes things tough some times. Kebabs!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh. Most kebabs have somthing called Donor meat in them. Donor, I hear, is kinda like HotDogs.... You really don't want to know whats in it, but its really really good.
I love getting letters still. Makes my day really. Never stop sending them. I am trying to do one once a week in addition to email of course.
You think that gas is bad there. Get this.... Petrol here is around 1pound 20 A LITER!!! You do the math and get back to me ha ha ha haha!!!!

Well i really must go. I love you all. Stay Strong, and KEEP STUDYING!!!!

Elder Johnson

EDITOR'S NOTE: there are some pictures, but I can't get them on here until I'm at home. So watch for them later today.