E-mail from Neal - Received 3/4/09

I am on the road again. After 6 months of trekking it out in the middle of Manchester, my predictions have come true, and I am getting transferred. I am getting transferred to Shrewsbury, which is way down south in Shropshire. It is one of, or possibly the most southern unit (ward/branch) in my mission. We cover the Shrewsbury ward and Newtown (Wales) branch, but we have no car. Elder McIntosh was trained there a long time ago so I think that you can ask his mom about the area. When he was there they had a car. I say boo! Anyways it is going to be a new monster that’s for sure. I will be serving in Wales so I will be getting a new Welsh name badge soon (I am way excited for that), and I might learn some Welsh as well (maybe). My new comp is Elder Wheat. He is from the south of England somewhere and I hear that he is way funny. I am looking forward to having my first British comp! I am not sure what the address is, but I will tell you on Monday when we have the next P-day. We are moving flats in April sometime too. The move is going to be really exciting and it is going to be a total change in climate and people for sure, but the move is not the craziest part….. Gus’s Baptism is.

There was no way in the world that I was missing his baptism. Gus is so golden and I love him so much that I would not miss it for the world! So I called President Bullock yesterday and got permission to come back up. Now I have been praying for the past week or so that I would get transferred somewhere close so that I could make it back for the baptism. I knew that the farther away I was the less chance that I had. My fear was that I was going to get the Isle of Man, in which case there would be no chance that I could come back. Shrewsbury is kinda in the red area, cause it is quite far away. On Monday night when I found out I was really bummed, and worried that I wouldn’t make it back. I was asking around to see if it was even worth it to call President and ask him. I finally came to the conclusion that there is no harm in asking, and E. Nielsen (I am gonna miss him) assured me that President is a really reasonable guy so I should try. Well on Tuesday I called him…… I got his voicemail….KILLER!!!!!!! I left a message and then had to wait. He called me about an hour later and he didn’t even hesitate to say yes!!!!!! I love President. He also authorized my to stay over night in Stretford and leave early to get back for church! So on Saturday, I am hopping a train (I have to pay for both me and E. Wheat) and coming to the baptism. On Sunday Bro. “Rockstar” Spencer (my teacher from the MTC) is going to drive us back to Shrewsbury. I am going to have to reimburse him for gas so if anyone wants to randomly put some money into my account that would be great. You can call it a golden Baptism present or something! I am really really excited and so is Gus. I had to break the news to him that I was getting moved, and he was really really sad, but when I told him that I was coming back on Saturday, he was Ecstatic!!!!!! He is an amazing guy, and it has been a blast teaching him! His baptism is going to be amazing, and I cannot wait!!!

I love you all, and I miss you a ton. I am excited to move too!!!! I will write you all on Monday and tell you all about the new area. I hear that it is nice down there, especially in the summer (SCORE)!!!!!! Hang in there, and keep studying!!!

Love,

Elder Neal

This really describes my and E. Nielsen’s companionship very very well!

MY STREET (bad pic I know)