Pictures from Neal - Received 10/26/09

#1 - a funny thing in the Train Station
#2 - The District plus a few, going on a safari in the the Liverpool Musuem!
#3 - The Amazing Wigan District, with their fearless leader in the middle!!!!
#4 -  The Assistants Elder Wilson, and Elder Ayers
#5 - Ashley Byrne's Baptism
#6 - Me and Ashley Rocking the Air Guitar... She loves some of the same bands that i do!!!
#7 - Ashley and her little brother (that whole family is sooooooooo cute!!!)
#8 - England o England.....

E-mail from Neal - Received 10/26/09

Editor's Note:  Neal sent a LOT of pictures today, so check back later.  They will be in a separate post.

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I must have to say that this week has been EPIC!! It has really been a good one, and I am so excited and happy about what is going on here! We have seen some amazing things this week, and more than anything I actually feel like I am being the example to my comp, and my district! We had a really good week. We had an exchange with the Assistants, and interviews, and we also had a baptism. I really could not ask for much more. The exchange with the assistants was really good. They have a way about them to inspire everyone, and to get people to work hard. We talked to so many people while they were here, and then that didn’t change when they left. We kept that fire going and had a great time after they left! I really felt good about the things that we were able to do.

Interviews were great as well. Normally when we leave those meetings we feel a bit rebuked, and a bit like horrible missionaries, but not this time. It was really good, we all felt great! We talked about great things, and my interview with president was really good. We mostly talked about other missionaries in the district, and how we could help them. He had a very serious talk with one of them that I was concerned with, and that really helped the missionary out a lot!!! I love president!

Last Monday we went to Liverpool to see the sights, and what not! It was really cool. I really love that town, and all the cool history that is there. You can tell be the pictures that we got to do some cool things! We seriously have to go there when you come over, it is amazing!

Yesterday we had a really cool baptism. Ashley Byrne, our 13 year old bombshell of an investigator, got baptized. She has been such a joy to teach! She has kept every commitment, and done everything so well. We had quite an interesting thing happen though. The water in the font was green! Yes that’s right it was all discoloured. No one really knows why but it was. We started the font right before sacrament meeting, and didn’t think anything of it. I gave a talk about the Council in Heaven, well really about the Plan of Salvation, and it was good. It looked amazing on paper, but never really comes out the same. I talked a lot about why we said yes in the pre-mortal life, and that we really said yes to the Celestial Kingdom. We said yes to the reward that we knew we could receive, and whatever we had to do to get to that reward we were willing to do cause we knew how great it was going to be. That’s my little theory, but tell me what you think.

Anyways we went out after my talk to check on the font, and the water was proper green!!!!! We freaked. We ran to shut off the water, drained the font really quick, and started again, hoping and praying that it would be good this time. The problem didn’t get fixed though, and so she had to get baptized in green water. She is a little sad at first, but the man that baptized her was telling her about how people used to get baptized in rivers, canals, and what not, and so she said that this water would be fine! It will be a funny story to tell in the future. Other than that it was a good baptism. She is so cool!!!! I hope that you enjoy the pictures.

Anyways I need to get going. I love you all so so much.

Elder Neal

p.s. - Yes transfers is next week. I am pretty sure that i am staying here with Elder Boahene. Traning usually last 2 transfers, but we will see. The Lord has a plan!!! I will be writing on Wednesday most likely.

E-mail from Neal - Received 10/19/09

HELLO FAMILY!!!!!!

Well I am glad that you have nice and warm weather, cause I am sitting in a very gloomy, cold, and wet Wigan right now. It is definitely October, and it has been for the past few days. It’s alright though. I pulled out my big coat, gloves, and scarf yesterday in preparation for the deep freeze that I know is on its way. I only used the coat, but I know that the other gear will be short to follow. I like the change of seasons though, cause it means that winter is on the way. Even though I can’t snowboard, I can be happy knowing that the possibility is there if the situation was different ha ha ha!!!!!

We had a baptism in the ward yesterday. It was a girl named Bailey. She is 8 years old, and is the sister of our investigator Ashley. Ashley is getting baptised next week!!!! I think that I have told you about Ashley, but she is amazing! I have been so blessed to teach and Baptise nothing but amazing people! We are so excited for Ashley. She is getting baptised on Sunday the 25th, and then because of some crazy things, she is not getting confirmed until the following Sunday. Odd I know, but she is 13, and I really don’t think that she is going to go out and break any commandments in that week. She is way too cool to do that. Anyways I will send you some pictures next week. It has been a total dream to teach her! Her sisters baptism was really cool, and Elder Boahene and I got to stand in the circle for the confirmation. It was, as always, an amazing experience!!!!! I love being a missionary!

Being a district leader just keeps on being more and more fun. I am like the first resource for struggling missionaries, and boy this transfer has been full of that. I have really learned a lot about the scriptures and how much advice and guidance they give us. They have been my main source that I send the missionaries to. I have studied for them, and in doing so felt a much greater love for every one of them. I have learned something about myself as well….. I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES, AND I KNOW THEM!!! You knew me before my mission. I really didn’t have a clue when it came to the scriptures, but now I do. I know the stories, I know the people, and I know the doctrines, especially the Book of Mormon!! I finished the New Testament the other day, and so I have begun the Doctrine and Covenants. I am really excited about them. I am making it a constant effort to read the Book of Mormon not just in my personal study, but every night before I go to bed as well. I just finished Mosiah, and I am into my favourite group of stories. I love Alma the younger and the Sons of Mosiah!!! AMMON IS MY HERO, but you all know that! I am really loving the time that I get to spend in the scriptures, and I know that it will bless me for the rest of my life. I am building up my spiritual reservoir that I will be able to draw from for the rest of my life! I can actually have a scriptural discussion now, and that is something that I could never have before!

We are doing well. We are teaching more, and trying to improve our finding. That is the thing that we need the most help with, but I know that we will be ok!!! I thank you for all of your prayers, I do feel them. Can you feel mine?

I love you all so much, and I am so grateful that God blessed me with such an amazing family!!!!!

Love you all
Elder Neal

Pictures from Neal - Received 10/12/09

Pictures from the baptism on Saturday:

E-Mail from Neal - Received 10/12/09

[EDITOR'S NOTE:  There are several pictures that will be in a separate post, so check back!!!]

Hello to my amazing Family!!!!

Well I must say that I am really jealous that you have snow. I am also really sad that A-Basin and Loveland are opened. This is the final year that I have to miss, and so that makes me really excited. Actually when you think about it (although I am not) I might actually get to ride late this season. I will get home in May and there are still some resorts open. I fully plan to go and ride. I might be horrible, but that’s not the point!!! Anyways I really hope that you enjoy the snow, cause I know that I won’t get to. We never get snow here. It is getting colder, but snow is never in the forecast….. I Say BOOOOO!!!!!

Anyways this week has been much, much better. I have really seen some amazing things happen this week. It helped that there was an amazing Zone Conference on Thursday, and that I got to go to Blackburn on Saturday, but all that aside, the week was good! We saw a marked improvement in everything that we did. I felt like a much better example in most things, and we were much happier this week. The week still had some tough days, but that is always expected. If you don’t expect tough times then there is something wrong with you ha ha ha!!!

Zone Conference was amazing. Elder Kerr of the area seventy was here, and he is a hoot! He is from Scotland, and he really knows how to make the gospel fun. You can tell that he has been called of God! The most amazing thing is that all he really did was continue where Elder Bednar left off. He basically followed up on what we learned from Elder Bednar, and continued to teach us, by the spirit! It was a great conference. President gave a really cool presentation as well. Every few zone conferences he gives us a “don’t go and teach this to your investigators” presentation. The first one was all about the 2nd coming. The Next one was all about the Dead Sea Scrolls, and this one was all about the physical evidence of the book of Mormon! It was incredible. Like always he talked about how this is not what we should base our testimony on, and if you do then it won’t last, but this is strictly to help strengthen. It most defiantly did that!!!! He taught us some amazing things, and really backed up what Elder Holland said, with about as much tenacity!!!! I got to watch Elder Holland’s talk at my Ward Mission Leaders house last night, and I printed off the text of it! I think that that talk might have just topped the list of my all time favourite J. Holl talks!!! My words never cease is good, but that one just blew me away. The amazing thing that impressed me after watching it, was this….. He is an apostle of the lord. If he was talking to us in general conference with that much power, and boldness, then he must have been seriously moved to do so. I loved that talk, and I really think that I am going to get it in Audio form when I can!!! AMAZING!!!!!!!

The Baptism on Saturday was a dream. Jenna and Karen are amazing, and they were so happy. It was an absolute pleasure to be able to baptise both of them! I will never forget that. I hope that you enjoy the pictures! Everything went really well as well. I got to see everyone except for the Brox family and Tom. They were in America cause Justin had to take some tests or something. Tom had to work, but I know that you will get to meet him when you come. I was really sad about that, but I will live. Everyone else was there and it was good. Don’t worry I wrote in my journal about it all, and I will never forget it.

Well I think that that is about all for me this week. There is more I am sure, but I can’t think about it now.  I love you all and I hope that you enjoy that Christ like attribute thing that we are going to do in the mission. I am really looking forward to starting it. Let me know how it all goes with you.


I love you all So Much!!!!
Talk to you soon
Elder Neal

E-mail from Neal -- Received 10/5/09

Hello to everyone!!

Yes, you were very right conference was great! I really enjoyed it. There were some really great talks. Elder Bednar was way good, and he used some of the same tone that he did when he was with us! Elder Anderson was talking right to me. I had some questions that I went to conference with, and he answered them quite directly. I am really jealous of all of you, cause you got to see Elder Holland (my fav) and I didn’t. I will have to wait until I get the issue, or maybe I can print it out today. It was a really amazing experience though. I have really gained a great love for conference, and I am looking forward to it for the rest of my life. I really gained a lot from this conference, and I think that I gained a lot for the remainder of my life as well, especially when I have children. There was some amazing council given.

So something really crazy happened on Sunday during conference. There was a serious threat made on the Liverpool stake center and all the members there on Sunday morning. All the high council was on security and there was some high tension. Some people didn’t come because of it. It was kinda scary, but cool at the same time. I knew that nothing was going to happen cause the Lord was on our side, but it was still a bit scary. Nothing ever happened, and we found out later that is was just some disgruntled ex-member that was trying to cause trouble. Satan tries so hard, but yet he really never gets anywhere with faithful and righteous members does he.

The work has been hard these past few weeks, and I have finally found out why. I have not been humble. I did a huge study on humility and pride today, and realised that I have been prideful, and that is why things are not working. Last time a trained I was on my knees all the time pleading for help. I haven’t given E. Boahene the training that he needs and I feel horrible about that. There is a mighty change in store for me this week, and into the next weeks as we press on. I have been humbled and I am humbling myself a lot, and I know that things are going to change around. They have to, or else I am not going to survive! I am doing ok, I am happy, but I know that I can do much better and be much happier! There is nothing holding me back but myself. I don’t want to dwell on it too much, but I just wanted to let you know that some extra prayers for me would be nice. I really just need to go and do what the Lord needs me to, and nothing else!

I am really excited to go back to Blackburn this week. I will send you some good pictures next week for sure! I am really excited to see everyone, and I am really excited for Jenna and Karen. They are doing so well so I hear. I am going to be talking E. Llaguno on Thursday at zone conference, but everything should still be good! I heard that they went and got their dresses for the baptism and also for the temple…. They are planning ahead!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are going to Liverpool today to play some sports with the rest of the zone. I am way excited cause David Perley sent me a proper ultimate Frisbee disc!!!! I am way ready to go and play some good ultimate. I really haven’t played my whole mission.

Anyways I am glad that all is well at home. It is starting to cool down here quite a bit as well. It reminds me of home!

I love all of you! I know that this church is true. The gospel has blessed me so much, and it will continue to do so for the rest of my life!!!

Love,
Elder Neal