What a week this has been. I am sorry for emailing so late, there was a bank holiday (yes another one) on Monday, and then we had district meeting on Tuesday, so the buck falls on Wednesday. It has been a really great week though, and amazing things are happening in Blackburn. The ward is good, but a little lacking in the excitement category. We are really trying to get all of that sorted out at the moment. We are seeing miracles right and left though!!! I want to tell you about some people….
Godfry Gad – Recent convert. He was baptised on my Birthday. He was a Methodist minister for 40 years. Researched the church for 2 years before he walked into the church and asked to be baptised. He is ROCK solid. He is an amazing new member and he has already been to the temple to do baptisms. This is the best part though…. John Rutter (yes THE John Rutter) is his cousin, and they hang out quite a lot. I am about fell off my chair when I heard that. I will be trying to get some autographed stuff for you all don’t worry. [EDITOR'S NOTE: SWEET!!!!!!!!!]
Tom Petch- 18 years old, and had been researching the church for about 4 months before he walked into church and asked to be baptised. He is the most amazing kid I have ever met. Absolutely zero concerns with anything. He is getting baptised on the 10th of June and he cannot wait. We are probably going to be teaching his mom soon!!!! He is the most well fellowshipped investigator I have ever seen. The YSA in Chorley stake ROCK!!! We were talking about the Apostasy the other day, and we were showing him scriptures in the bible about it. He read Amos 8:11-12 and he stopped, hit his bible on his knee, and exclaimed “SEE! it’s even in the bible!!!” Tom is amazing to say the least!!!
Those two people are amazing, and that’s just a dent on the miracles that we are receiving in Blackburn right now. We must be doing something right, cause we are being blessed. I love this work, and love this area already. Me and Elder Driscoll are way tight already and we are going to have a ton of fun.
I am actually in Chorley right now. I have been here on exchanges since yesterday!!! I have seen a ton of old friends, and taught some people that I have taught before. Clifford is getting baptised next week, and I am so totally going. We saw them yesterday, and you should have seen the smiles on there faces. They are two amazing people. They are like my English grandparents. Clifford asked me to say a prayer, I was so honoured to say yes. He has changed a lot since I left. He was no where near baptism when I left, and now look. Just over a week away. We are having a big UK-wide stake conference broadcast from Salt Lake the Sunday after he gets baptised, so he got special permission to get confirmed on the same day that he gets baptised!!!! I will get to be there for it all. I think a lot of the missionaries that taught him will be there. We are going to bring Tom so that it is completely allowed HA HA HA!!!! It is really exciting to see him please his heavenly father!!! Speaking of Baptisms….. I am not going back to Shrewsbury. I just can’t afford it. It would have cost me about £70, and a huge headache trying to figure out everything logistically. I know that Emma and Kim will never forgive me, but it is just something that I cannot do. I will probably ask if I can write them a letter and apologize and wish them good luck or something. President told me that it is just as much my baptism as it is anyone else’s. I give the credit to the Lord personally. President also wrote me an email this week, and said that he thought long and hard about the decision to send me back to Chorley district, and he said that the spirit told him that this is where I need to be at this exact time. I am not going to argue with that one!!!!!!!!!
I just barely got a conference issue of the ensign yesterday. I have been waiting and waiting, and I was at the temple for district meeting and so I popped into the distribution center and got one. I read Elder Oaks talk today about service, and that was really really good. I am now almost through 1 Corinthians, and I read 3 Nephi 17 today. I love study. I really really love study!!! How is your Preach my Gospel study coming???? That question applies to EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I gave a really cool training yesterday about the atonement. I used a bit of a talk by Jeffery R. Holland (my favourite), about his theory on the Atonement. He said very boldly to this group of MTC missionaries that “Salvation is not a Cheap Experience!!!!” He goes on to say that if we want to be true disciples then we are going to have to spend a moment our two on our knees in Gethsemane, and a step or two somewhere in the general direction of Calvary. That talk is really really powerful, and it really hit home. We are not the church that claims easy salvation, and that’s the point. It was never easy and convenient for the son of God, and we claim to believe in him, so why should it be easy for us?!?!?!?! I love this gospel. I love my Saviour. This life is hard, it is supposed to be hard, and Elder Holland says that it has to be hard!!!! I have really come to know that. I am so grateful that I am here now serving, and helping all those around me. I know that blessings come from obedience and so I am trying to really change myself to be most exactly obedient and turn my mission into a sacred one. I parted my hair for the first time today. I don’t know why, but I just felt that I should. Its not a requirement, but I want to be a disciple, and there are many things that we must do to be a disciple that aren’t necessarily required! I love you all, and I am so grateful for all the amazing support that you give. I am so thankful to God that he put me in such a loving family that never once turned their back on me. I gave you reasons to, but you never did. Thank you.
I hope that you all have a good week, and that everything goes well. I will be working hard, I assure you of that!!!! I will be writing on Monday unless something crazy wild happens!!!
Love,
Elder Neal
Pic 1 - We see sunsets like this EVERY NIGHT!!!!
Pic 2 - Biggest Book Ever!!
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