E-mail from Neal - Received 12/24/08

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I am excited, very very very very very excited. This week has been amazing, and it is just going to get better!

Friday was zone conference, and boy was it amazing!!!!!!!! It was in Chorley (I love that place!!!!), and I got to see some people, cause they were setting up for a party!!! I saw Clifford and Mavis!!!!!!!!! Mavis came into the chapel cause she saw me and E. Smith (who is now a zone leader and goes home this transfer), and she came and gave us both hugs right in front of like 80 missionaries. Yea we were really embarrassed, but it was nice to see them. Clifford is still looking great, even at his old age. It was great to see them.

We went to the Temple as part of the Conference, and we got to eat in the Temple cafeteria. That was the best cafeteria food I have ever had (next to the MTC). It was really really good! Then the session was amazing. An endowment room full of nothing but missionaries is quite the experience. It was cool in the MTC, but these are now truly my brothers and sisters in combat. It was an amazing session. I totally forgot that I have two names still back at the flat until I got to the temple so I guess I will have to wait until next time.

This is my first Christmas away from home, and I have been battling that one for a little bit, but the Lord always comes to the rescue. He not only hears my prayers, but he listens to the desires of my heart! When I was in the celestial room (again with my brothers and sisters in Combat), I WAS HOME!!!!! I closed my eyes, and I was with all of you in the Celestial room of the Denver temple! I felt the spirit so strongly, and it was great. Since then everything has been great. We are going to have a wonderful Christmas, with wonderful members, and I am happy!!! I am sad that I am going to be away, but that doesn’t matter. For these 2 Christmas’s I am right where I need to be, and I am excited about that!!!! Hearing from you all, and feeling the love of the saviour, and his atonement is all that I need to feel at home!! We have a lot of crazy cool rules for Christmas, but I will tell you them tonight ok.

Sister Bullock, who is an absolute saint told us a really cool quote, that she thought about one day. President Bullock, who is seriously one of my hero’s now said that it was revelation, and has been using it a lot. The quote is…… Because of the Saviours life, we celebrate his birth. Can you tell that she is the daughter of an apostle. I really think that that quote hits it right on the money! Because of what he did, we are here, and able to live the way that we live. I read the talk from conference called “The Way” this morning, and it is true. The only way to return to where God wants us to return to, is though Jesus Christ! Its an amazing time of year, and I am so glad to be here.

I put the Gardner Families name on the prayer role in the Preston Temple, so there are more prayers coming from England. Please tell them that the faithful and wonderful people of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland are praying for them many many many times a day. Tell them that I know many of the temple workers in Chorley (perks of serving there), and they are amazing people. Their prayers are heard, and through faith their prayers are answered.

The Carol concert went really really great! They sang some really really neat songs, and I did the sound (I am becoming a legend in Manchester). Personally I don’t know why they used mics, but I don’t ask questions, I just mix!!! Obedience is the first law of heaven right. It was really funny cause I was right up front, where everyone could see me, and everyone that knew me asked what I was doing. It was really fun. We recorded it, but I am sure that it will sound much like Savior of the World did. I don’t mix for a CD, I mix for the people!!!!! I am so grateful that I am able to use my talents and gifts over here on my mission, and that people appreciate them. I am serving the way that I want to be, that is being myself. They ask me if I can run a sound board, and I say HECK YES!!!!!!! HA HA HA!!

I love you all!!
Elder Johnson