Neal's New Address (and PICTURES!!)

We got an e-mail from Neal's Mission president today! He gave us Neal's new direct address in the field:

Elder Neal Milligan Johnson

7 Grove Wood House

Preston Road

Chorley, PR7 1PT

England

Packages should still go to the Mission Home.

Here are the pictures that were included with the e-mail. The first is with the Mission President and his Wife. The second is with his companion, Elder Garcia!

E-mail from Neal received 5/11/08

Hey everyone!!!!

This week has been crazy!!!! Class all the time and teaching all the
time. We are learning so much everyday that it hard to keep up sometimes
but the Lord is on our side so we are doing good. My mission President
came and had dinner with all the Manchester missionaries this week and
so he met all of us and had us ask questions. We go into the field
wednesday. We get our comps and our areas that day. So I will literally
be in the field that same day. He said that one of us will be going to
the Isle of Man, and one of us will probably be coming back here to
Chorley. Thats really cool. I am really excited to get into the field!!!
I feel like a missionary but not quite at the same time ya know. It is
going to be sad leaving here though cause its like the garden of eden.
Everything is provided for us and we are watched over all the time but
it will be great. It's also going to be sad cause I have made some
really great friends here. Some friends that I will never forget. I am
singing a lot. We sang a mens quartet a cappella yesterday for a meeting
and after the meeting we sang it in the stairwell cause the acoustics
were amazing. We got an ok recording of it but we are going to do it
again tonight and see if we can get a better one. Wow I wish I could
write more but I really don't have the time, and I just talked to you
all so that's good. Anyways glad to hear that everything is good back
home and hope that it stays that way.

I love you all!!!!
Elder Johnson

Week #2 E-Mail Received 5/4/08

Hey all!!!
The work is moving on. Tracting went well. I got to go with one of the teachers so that was really really great. It was a perfect senior/junior companion experience. We did one street in two hours, and had some really great converstions with people. We never got in and we didn't give out any book of mormoms but it was still a good experience. I learned that i still have a lot to learn, but it was a really huge confidence booster cause I SURVIVED!!!! I didn't get yelled at, no dogs chased me, the sun shining and i was happy. I probably shouldn't get used to that days like that though huh. At the MTC we have 40 mins to do email a week. Either on Saturday or sunday depending on the district. So im sorry if you were freaking out but my district landed on sunday thisweek, thats just how the cookie crumbles. The MTC is amazing though. The teachers are amazing and the president is awesome. He is an amazing man. Joins my list of spiritual giants and i have only known him for 10 days. Heather you would absolutly love him. He is your favorite type of old person. All smiles and cute beyond all belief. You would love him i just know it. The one thing that i have missed a lot is mixing. Im doing ok without music, but its the sound stuff that i miss a lot. They have somewireless stuff here and what not and they have had some problems and guess who has fixed them? So that has helped. I have gained a new lovefor singing. I have dads spirit and everyone knows that i am a musician. Last night me and a couple elders were just singing kinda a open book hymn sing in the big meeting room. I started it and i think that i am going to try to do that more. A great way to close the day. But anyways there is a lot in the letters that i have sent, including a lot about the temple. OH MY THE TEMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its is awe inspiring. The next section is going to be more people specific so if you could get them to the people that would be great. Don't worry about me though i am doing great. learning a lot, and i am already a different man than i waswhen i left. MUCH different!!!!!

Love you all,
Elder Johnson

First Snail-Mail Letter! Received 5/3/08

Hello All,

Well, I made it! I am now in England, where everything is a little backwards. The trip was very long, but cool and interesting at the same time. I flew alone from Denver to Atlanta. I sat in the very back corner seat of the plane, it was kinda odd. When I got to Atlanta, I landed in Concourse A and I had to get to Concourse E. I had two options: train or walk. I had plenty of time, so I walked. A mile later, I get to E. A half mile later, I get to my gate. It was long, but I really didn't mind the walk. As I got closer, I started seeing tags, and lo and behold I came across the clan! There were 25 of us. Elders and Sisters from everywhere! California, Utah, Texas, Arizona, Idaho, & Washington I think. It was a party to say the least. We were all going to either Manchester or Leeds, with one Elder going to Scotland and one Elder going to Ireland. We had a blast getting to know everyone. I fit right in as the crazy Colorado kid. I got to have Qdoba for the last time, and I think that may have gotten me a nickname. There was a lot of Leeds vs. Manchester jokes going around, but it was all in good fun. The Sisters that came with us are totally awesome! But Sisters usually are, right? So here we are now here in Preston and this place could not be any more beautiful. This whole complex is just breathtaking! The temple, the MTC, the grounds, everything! You all would love it here. I will send pictures as soon as I discover the best way to do so.

So first little bump in the road: I left my scriptures on the plane...yeah not so good. Second little bump is that I'm in a threesome, but my 3rd comp is stuck in New York. He flies in tomorrow and so hopefully the airline has my scriptures and they can get them to me tomorrow. Sister Sorensen, the President's wife, was going to take care of it all for me, so I hope that that all works out.

We have English Elders and German Elders, so we are getting to meet some really cool people. Oh, I forgot...my comp's name is Elder Combs. He is from Vegas and stands about 5'4". He is really cool and me and him are getting along great. Things are very different here. We are the only group here right now. There are 41 of us and that won't change. When we leave, a new group comes in. It's wild, but really cool. We get to go to the temple on Tuesdays, our P-Day is Wednesday, and other than that it's an MTC. GUESS WHAT??? It was raining when we got here, and it has been raining all day off and on. Big shocker, I know. The accents here are so amazingly awesome. All the teachers are young guys from around here and they talk so cool and proper. I set up an e-mail account today, so you will probably get that before you get this, but who knows. I don't know details about e-mail yet.

Love ya,

Elder Neal

*Editor's Note: He got his scriptures back and the 3rd Comp got there so everything is good now.

Email from Neal to Craig

NOTE: If you receive a letter or e-mail from Neal, and there is a portion of it you think everyone would be interested in, please e-mail it to me and I'll publish it on the blog. He'll probably tell most of us the same things, but every now and then he might just tell a story once!

This e-mail was sent to Craig last week:

This place kicks the trash out of Provo. There are only 41 of us here right
now. We all came together, we all leave together, and there is no other
group here. We are the only group here for the 19 days. All of us are
heading to the North British Isles missions. Manchester, Leeds, Ireland, and
Scotland. Except for a few that are going to Germany. There are German
Instructors here right now that will only be here for the 19 days, Cool huh.
When we leave there will be a new group, and they will mostly be going to
the south England missions. Birmingham, London and London south. The temple
is like a 2 min walk, and everything is just right here in the complex. It
is beautiful to say the least. Because it is so small we are able to do a
lot of different things, such as we are actually going Tracting next
Friday!! Kinda scary but cool at the same time. There are a lot of British
missionaries here and they have the coolest accents. One kid is from
Nottingham and i think that his takes the cake. Don't be surprised if i come
back saying whilst, and cheers, and talking very respectful. Anyways i
really love this place it is absolutely amazing.

Talk to ya later
Elder Neal

E-mail from Neal Received 4/26/08

Well hello everyone!!!!

I made it safely and I am now in the amazingly beautiful country of
England. While I am at the MTC I am only going to be checking my Email
on Saturdays. I can only respond to my immediate and extended family but
i am hearing that anyone can send me stuff!

You all would absolutely love it here, it is GREEN!!!! Like seriously
green. It is so beautiful, and just awesome. It's kinda weird having
weather that is constant. Its been the same for the past two days but i
really like it. I'm still getting used to the humidity but you will see
when i get you pictures that Provo has got nothing on this place. I mean
seriously this MTC is the most amazing place.

I am learning a lot, and these next 19 days are going to be intense to
say the least. Baptism by fire is all i have to say. We are actually
going tracting next Friday. Yeah I'm a little scared. No actually I'm
really really scared. But its all for good. I am so glad that i can be
here and learn and grow. Everyone here is awesome because they are all
here to learn the gospel. I feel great here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!
Elder Neal

Neal's Farewell

Neal will be speaking in the Lakeside Ward on April 13, 2008. Sacrament Meeting starts at 9:00 am. Be there or be square!!!!