E-mail from Neal Received 9-10-08

Hello, Hello, Hello!!!!!

Well I am going to start off by saying that Karl’s baptism is this Saturday at 2 pm (England time)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!! How amazing is that!!! I am so excited, and so happy for him. It is amazing to see the change that has come over him in the past few weeks. He had a lot of troubles, but he over came all of them and he did it by turning to the lord! His countenance has changed, and he has become a different man. He has fallen in love with the scriptures, he absolutely adores Joseph Smith, he got a copy of Preach My Gospel (amazing), and we were talking about a mission last night!!!! The gospel is so true, and I am seeing it first hand in the lives of the people that I am teaching! I know that I have used a lot of exclamation points in this letter, but there is no other way to describe my joy than with those little things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HA HA HA HA!! So yes please keep him in your prayers though, and I will let you know how everything goes next week! Its going to be hectic, but I know that everything will work out. The lord is sitting right here with us, and I know that he will watch over everything. I have total faith that everything will be great, but prayers never ever hurt!

Alright moving on…… Sounds like everything is going well at home, and that the seasons are changing. This is the second season change that I have missed, so I guess that time is moving right along. Its crazy to think that I have almost been gone 5 months. Transfers are next week!!! Again the time has been flying! I am pretty sure that I am going to be moving this time though. Just judging off of presidents comments in interviews yesterday, I am quite sure that I am moving. There are 21 new missionaries coming into the mission this transfer! I don’t think that I will be training, but I think that E. McIntosh will be. So just keep in mind that I will probably be getting moved and so plan your post accordingly. Of course I will let you know my new address as soon as I can. E. McIntosh thinks that I will be moving to Liverpool zone so that would be cool. That zone is nice, and one of my first Zone leaders is serving there! Its crazy though to think that I will be moving. I am scared, but I am ready for a change.

I heard a really great quote at church on Sunday…… “No other success compensates for failure in the home.” How amazingly true is that? I Think that all too much people think that if they have other things (possessions, jobs, money) then they can forget about the home. This is completely false!!! There is nothing more important that having a solid home. I am serving in country that runs rampant with terrible home situations. I think that England is seriously one of the worst places for families. Kids have no good upbringing, and it is really sad to see that. That is part of my job over here, a big part actually. I am trying to help people make their homes the best that they can be, and that is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the fact that I was brought up in a home that supported my, and taught me this amazing gospel! I know that I didn’t totally follow it like I should have, but that is not your fault, that is mine, and that’s why I love the Atonement so much!!!

A few Final things……. I have been thinking about studying lately, and I came up with a cool formula that I want to share with you all. When you study the point is to learn, grow, and become better, right? Well I have found some words that really apply to this. First when you learn something new (whether by your own accord/study, or from some one else) you first must hear it. You must take it in and remember it. You then must either go back and study it, or simply go in deeper. You then must meditate on it. Think about it hard, and contemplate the things that you have discovered. Next you must ponder about the things that you have meditated on. The important part about pondering is that when you ponder, you allow it to enter into your heart. I think that when anything enters the “heart level” then it is huge. You can think all you want about something. You can think that you love someone, but when you truly know something, that’s when it has entered into your heart, aka reached the “heart level.” Last you must heed to the things that you have learned. You must apply and do the things that you now know to be true and real. Since they have reached the heart level, that should be easy!!!!!! This is what a mission does to you!!!!! Scary I know! Did you ever think that something like that would ever come out of my mouth????? HA HA HA

One last little nugget that I have come to gain a testimony of while I have been over here…… The work is full of ups and downs, but I have learned something while I have been thinking about my life and my mission so far, and I have kind of coined it as my phrase….. You learn from the low times, but you remember the high ones! I have been through so much in my life, and I learned from all of it. Now I am on my mission (a high time) and I am going to remember every second of it!!!!! You can really apply this to everything. I am loving my mission, even though it is hard, but just be warned, when you talk to me at Christmas I am going to be a completely different person, and in no way is that a bad thing!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you all so much, and I thank you for everything that you do. You are all such and inspiration to me. Keep up the good work, and always allow the lord to be a part of your life. No matter what happens you always have someone that understands, and knows what you are going through!!!

Elder Neal