E-mail from Neal - Received 11/23/09

Hello to my crazy cool family!!!!!!

How is everyone over there??? I am very wet. It has been raining constantly, and its not the most fun. I think that so far this year we have already had more rain than last winter combined. I really don’t remember it raining that much  last year, but this year has been constant rain. Oh well, “I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord.” I am happy to be where I am, and we are seeing great things happening. They are slow right now, but that doesn’t mean that miracles aren’t happening. We actually have someone that is getting baptised in a few weeks. His name is Gary Robinshaw, and we found him on the street the first day that E. Boahene was in the mission. He has done amazing.  He has been to church twice now, and he is giving up smoking. He made a huge step on Saturday night, and gave us all of his tobacco!!!! We were so proud of him! We told him that we would dump out all the tobacco and then give him the tin thing back but he said that he wasn’t going to need it anymore, so just toss it all. I about fell out of my chair! I would ask you all to please keep him in your prayers though. He has been smoking for a lot of years, and he is going to need all the help that he can get! We read him Ether 12:6 and 27, and promised him that the lord is going to bless him with so much strength, because he acted in faith. I know that he can do it!!!

We had a great zone conference this week, as always! The scripture chase was a lot of fun. I didn’t do all that great. I got 4th out of my qualifying group, and there was about 20 in the room, so I did ok. E. Boahene got in to the finals though!!! I was so proud of him. He did quite well. Didn’t make it to the final 5, but he wasn’t dead last either so he accomplished what he wanted to. He was excited. As always president gave an amazing talk that just picked us all up. He talked all about the spirit, and the 7 things that the spirit does for us in missionary work.

1)      Gives feelings of comfort, peace, and then from that come confidence
2)      It teaches you all things
3)      It guides you to all truth
4)      It shows you what to do
5)      It gives you what to say
6)      It Brings all things to your remembrance
7)      It bears record of the Father and the Sun
 
Of course there are scriptural references for all of those, but that is way cool. Do you see the sequence there. Those are in the order that things happen as well. I thought that it was way cool. He also talked about the 3 D’s of receiving revelation

1)      Desire
2)      Discipline
3)      Doctrine

You have to first want to receive it. You have be worthy and ready and willing to receive it, and to act upon it. You then must understand and know how it will come. Can you see why I say that he is going to be a general authority someday???? He is amazing!

We are going to be having a Mission Sports day on Thursday, and he is going to be out there with us playing Football (American). He said that even if the weather is bad we will still be playing. I am taking my Frisbee though, and I am going to get a proper ultimate game going!!!!!!

The study of virtue this week was a good one. It really struck me how much virtue really effects. It is not just a one time thing either, it is a consistent process. I read in a talk that virtue is an accumulation of thousands of little thoughts and decisions. That is very true. Keeping yourself clean for a day really doesn’t make you a virtuous person, but keeping yourself clean for a lifetime does. That is I think that main thing that hit me this week, is how we all need to be virtuous, and that we all can become that way. I have lived parts of my life in a different path, far from virtue, and I can really tell the difference now. I wish that I would have lived my life better from the beginning, but you cannot change the past. All that I can do is not allow the past to plague the future. Virtue is a life long thing, and it is truly something that brings about the most choice and precious of blessings.

It was a great topic to study, and it really made me feel the great importance of being a virtuous young man. I read in another talk that we as Priesthood holders are the “defenders of virtue.” How true is that!

Well I think that that is all. I need to get going cause we are going to Liverpool today for a zone activity. The Isle of Man elders are here for the sports day so we are taking advantage of that. I love you all so so so so so so so so so so so much. I hope that you can feel my prayers for you. I can feel yours. Keep up all the hard work, and continue to study hard.

With Love,
Elder Neal

P.s. I got another almost new suit from the mission office for FREE. The pants are a little big so I am thinking about getting them tailored, but we will see!!!!!! It’s a sweet suit though!!!!