E-mail from Neal - Received 4/8/09 *NEW ADDRESS*

Hello Everyone!!

I am moving…… Sort of. Me and E. Wheat are both staying in Shrewsbury, but we are moving into a new flat. Our house right now won the award for the worst flat in the mission, and so president wants us out of there. Everything was bad about it…. Location, living conditions, sanitation, you name it, it was bad. I will be getting some pictures and probably a video before I go don’t worry. On Friday we are moving into a really, really nice new flat. It is right in the center of town, and it overlooks the River Sevren. It is fully furnished, and it is going to be really nice.

The Address is…

79 Benbow Quay
Shrewsbury SY1 2DL
England

“Quay” is pronounced like “Key” by the way.

We are really excited to get out of the barn and into a nice place. We have been having to do a lot of prep work for the new flat this week, and that has been lame. There have been missionaries in our current flat for about 10 years, so you can only imagine ha ha ha!!!! We will be in there on Friday so any mail needs to go there!!!

General Conference was AMAZING!!!! I really wish that I didn’t waste all of those years sleeping though it. I was on the edge of my seat that whole time. Jeffrey R. Holland is the best, and his talks always seem to be directed straight to me. I do not know how anyone in their right mind can watch that and not know that all of the apostles and the prophet are not called of God!!!! They know what this world needs, and if everyone in the world was able to hear what they said last weekend and could apply it, this would be an amazing world!! I had some really amazing feelings during conference. I had a ton of questions answered, and I am so thankful for that. That week had been tough, but God knew what I needed, and he told the Prophet and Apostles. I guess the really cool thing is that I was not the only one that needed to hear that stuff!!!! As always we don’t get to see the Sunday afternoon session, but I am sure that the talks were amazing. I cannot wait until I get the ensign and can read them, but I guess that I will have to. I am jealous that you all get to watch conference again and again!!!! Can you believe that that was my second conference in the field, and that this time next year I will be pretty much on a plane. I still have a long time left, and I still have a ton to do for the Lord.

This week I have really been gaining a really strong testimony in a principal that I should have ages ago, and that is in prayer. I have been on my knees a ton this week (as I am sure you would have guessed), and the comfort and peace and strength that I have received is unexplainable. The only way that I have been able to make it though the days is by praying. I have been pouring out my whole soul to God, and I know that he is listening to me. He is there, he does live, and he does love me! The prophets told me that this weekend, but I don’t need them to tell me that. I know for myself that prayer is in fact a communication with God. It is a two way communication, and there is nothing that is hindering that conversation but ourselves. Prayer is the passport to spiritual power as Pres Monson says, and it is true. I have really begun to cry unto the Lord for everything. I plead with him everywhere…. On the Bus on the Streets, and he hears me cries! I know that Gods will is what is best for me, and I am trying my hardest to accept his will and his help to do the things that he wants me to do. They talked about in Conference about how we will not be given any trial that we cannot bear. “We have a labour to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay.” “There must needs be an opposition in all things.” “All things will work together for good.” The scriptures go on and on, and the stories are always true. When we are faced with a trial it is for our own good and learning! We are given it to prepare us for something else down the road. God’s will is ultimately what will happen and we need to accept that. I am accepting God’s will right now, and I am finding happiness in it.

I guess that I kinda just mounted my soap box again, but I just know that what I just said is completely true. I guess you all just got a taste of what I can be like on the street, on doors, or in lessons sometimes ha ha ha. I am not shy about what I believe in anymore. I have noticed that my boldness has really increased since I got here in Shrewsbury, its fun being bold with people. I don’t know why I wasn’t as bold in my other two areas. People say “so what you are saying is that you was the only church that has the authority do those things…..” I used to beat around the bush, but now I am just like “YES!!” This gospel is true and we are the only ones that have the right to teach it in the fullness. I know that what I am doing is right and true, and that there are so many blessings that have come and are coming from that knowledge.

I love you all so much, and I was so happy when we were watching the live session of conference over here because I knew that you were watching the same thing. You were hearing the same words and feeling the same spirit that I was!!

Stay strong in all that you do and remember that I love all of you.

LOVE,
Elder Neal

P.s. We will have P-day this Monday but it is a Bank Holiday so the library will not be open. We have Zone Conference on Tuesday so I probably won’t be able to email again until next Wednesday. I know that that is lame, but that’s what we have to do sometimes.