E-mail from Neal - Received 9/7/09

HEY HEY HEY!!!!!!!

You are all amazing! Thank you so much for all the support that you give me. I really can feel your love, and I hope that you can feel mine. I pray every single night that you can feel the love that I have for you, and
according to that last email, you have felt that! You are all amazing, and I am so grateful that I was given to you. I love you all so much.

This week has been a good one. A lot of things improved this week. We still had some rough days, but in the end everything was all smoothed out. We taught quite a bit this week, and that really helped out everything. We also had interviews and training on Friday, and that always helps. President is absolutely amazing!!! I think that that was the best interview that I have ever had with him. I think that it is because my spiritual state is in a much better condition that it has been in the past. I have really felt my soul come alive in the past 3 weeks. I have felt the spirit so much more, my heart has been pricked to the things that I need to do better, and I am just much happier!!!! I am loving every second of this, and the time is showing that. This transfer has disappeared!!!!!!! Its scary! Anyways that is my personal report about me, now I will address some of your questions.

DOWNHAM -  That is a place that Heber C. Kimball felt prompted to go. I think that Alma 26 explains it all perfectly. Everyone said that they were hard hearted and that he should go. He baptised 25 the first night
HA HA HA. Chatburn is right next to it and he baptised a ton there as well. As he was about to go back to the states he went up and visited the people that he loved so much, and on the walk from Chatburn to Downham all the children followed him holding hands and singing. The parents all watched from the windows and called down blessings upon his head. He took his hat off, and almost his shoes because he felt as though he was on sacred ground! When he got back he told the Prophet Joseph about what happened, and Joseph told him that he was walking where ancient prophets and apostles had walked and blessed the land, and their blessing fell upon his head! Walking though that town was incredible! I hope that that answered your question about Downham. I have a ton of info about it that you will get to see when I get home. As for President Bullock.. he was about the same size as the guy, but the guy was standing more forward. There was no contest as to who won that battle. That is a memory that I will never EVER forget.

It sounds like home is not getting any quieter. You might be as busy as me. Wait NAH!! I never believed people when they say that when you are in leadership you have no time. Yea, its true. From 9:30 pm onward I have a phone glued to my ear! Every single night. As soon as that phone rings E. Erickson can basically go to bed if he wants to. Its crazy, but fun, I like it. I get to talk to the Zone Leaders all the time, and I love that as well. One thing that I am very happy about, and you can be proud about too is that I have kept my journal very well, even through the past 3 weeks. For some reason I have not been like other missionaries and let that slip, I am very thankful for that. My journal is just as good as the one that I sent home, actually it is probably better! There is not all the useless babble about certain home situations, that seemed to plague the last one, and thank heavens for that. This one is much more spiritual, and interesting in my opinion!

I am quite scared right now because tonight I have to give my first baptism interview. If that is not enough I have to do another one tomorrow! I am scared cause I have never done this before. Please pray for me to be super in tune with the spirit, and that I will be able to have a gift of discernment. I was blessed with that gift in my patriarchal blessing, so I am been praying very hard to be worthy of it! I have faith that I will be ok. Its not quite over yet though. I have to give another interview to someone next week, and he is from Brazil. He speaks virtually no English! Yea so please pray that I can receive the gift of tongues and the interpretation of tongues, please that would be great. I am scared about that one, but I am really taking the attitude of all right Lord, here I go!!!!! I know that it will all work out fine. I should be getting a translator for that one though.

We are all in preparation to see Elder Bednar this Friday. I am really excited and really cannot wait. It is going to be a great day!! I will let you all know how good it was next week.

Well, I really have to get going. The day is short and I have a ton to do today. I love you all so so so so so much, and I thank you all for the support that you give. Tell everyone this weekend that I say HI!!!!

I love you all!
Elder Neal

P.s. Fall is definitely in the air over here. The days are getting colder and colder and it is so nice! I really love this time of year over here!


EDITOR'S NOTE:  PICTURES TO FOLLOW