E-mail from Neal - Received 1/28/09

Hello to all that are not where I am HA HA HA!!!!

Well what can I say, the work moves on the blessings keep on flowing. We have been working really really hard, and the time seems to be flying away. It seems like just yesterday that E. Lloyd was going off the greener pastures in Ashton, and now look… that was almost a month ago! So much is happening here and the working is moving. A little slower and in a different manner than I would like, but it is still moving. We currently have no solid investigators (not the first time and probably not the last), and so we are really in the hunt (Jeremiah 16:16). We have been talking to everyone and we are finally stating to see some results. We have discovered something…. As the QGC’s come, the appointments come. As the appointments come, the investigators will come. As the investigators come, then the baptisms will come, and that is what this work is all about. The more conversations that we engage ourselves in, the more the lord will help us out. We have been seeing not only more appointments set, but we have been setting really solid appointments. We pulled 70/10 last week, and that’s the best that I have done in my whole mission. We are well on track to beat that this week though. We are excited and really moving ahead. We had a really cool experience on Saturday while we were contacting some potential investigators. I stopped a young guy named Jake and we started to chat. I walked with him for a bit, when he told me that he lived just down the road and that we could come to his home. We went and we taught him. It was a cool, but interesting lesson. He is very knowledgeable about theology and the bible, but he had a problem accepting modern revelation. We talked a lot about the apostasy, and even more about the Restoration and the need for it. The really cool part about this all is that he has two other housemates that are very religious as well. One of them came in at the very end, and made the comment that he always misses the good stuff. It was a really cool experience, and if we are not there for Jake, then we are there for someone else in his house. We really learned a lot, and it was a very neat experience. Study has really helped me with experiences like that for sure. Study is amazing!!!!! I am half way though Mark, and I just started Alma today!!!!!

I really don’t have too much more to say. That’s about all that we have been doing lately. We have been walking all over Manchester, and so I have been shattered every night when we get in, but that’s what a mission is all about right.

Well everyone I am going to cut this one short. I need to shoot off some reply’s to other people. I love you all, and I think and pray for you daily!!!! Keep studying and working hard. The blessings will come as you show your devotion to the Lord!!

Lots of Love,

Elder Neal

GO MALLOW!!!!!!!!!

This is a great drawing!

E-mail from Neal - Received 1/21/09

Hello to one and All!!!

Yes, it’s true… I am now officially in my first 6 month area. Me and Elder Nielsen are both staying here in Stretford, so you can still send letters, ha ha ha!!! We are excited to be here, cause we feel that there is a lot of work to be done. We are definitely in a trough right now, but we are gearing up for the climb, and we know that it will happen! Missions are full of ups and downs in all areas of the work. Right now our part of Stretford is in a down, but we are not letting that get to us! We are going to get it back up again, don’t you worry. This is going to be my first transfer that I do not get a new companion. That was supposed to happen last transfer, but then the threesome happened, so that is definitely exciting. It would be really sad if in 7 transfers I had 7 new companions ha ha ha!!! It is wild though that I am going to be spending all winter here. It seems like just yesterday that I was with E. McIntosh and we were talking about where we were going to be spending the winter…. STRETFORD FOR ME!!!! It’s alright, I really do love it here. Manchester is a crazy city, but there is work to be done and I am the one that is called to do it.

We have been hearing all about Obama over here. Everyone over here loves him, and I think that that is for one reason only…… The Media Loves him!! E. Nielsen is really into politics and he is not a fan in the slightest of Obama. Pretty much everything that E. Nielsen lives for Obama wants to take away…. Guns, big trucks, etc….. We have been having some interesting conversations about the matter. Everyone asks us about it too, and we just say that because of the church we can’t say anything because we don’t want our opinion to be viewed as the churches…. CAUSE IT’S NOT!!!! Anyways we will see how it all turns out, I really won’t have to deal with it for a long while I guess.

I have really been digging in to study lately, but in a different subject. I have been really diving into the New Testament. I just finished Matthew today, and I was reading a lot of things in Jesus the Christ about all of that. That book is really something else. James E. Talmage sticks it to everything that is against Christ. It has been a really great experience so far to learn and to apply the things that I have been learning on the streets. People come at me with stuff, and I have an answer. I know that that is because I have studied it all out in my mind and in my heart! I am really discovering the reasons that we study every morning. Without it we would go nowhere. I have also been studying about all the Christlike attributes lately. I have learned that prayer is the key to receiving those attributes. Without prayer we are really just trying to change our lives in vain. We must ask the Lord to bless us with those attributes, and then give him the chances to do so! It really works. I have prayed for charity and love, and I have tried to talk to more people. I care for them, I feel for them, and I love them. I find myself listening more, and bearing a more sincere testimony each and every time. This is what the work is all about, helping people. I love it. I am losing myself and forgetting about a lot of the troubles that have plagued me throughout my mission. I am shedding some of the baggage and getting my hands dirty. That is my duty, that is calling, and that is what I want to do!!!!!

I love you all, and pray for your safety and care every single day!!!!!

Love,

Elder Johnson

PS to Grandma and Grandpa – Hello there. I had some extra time and I thought that I would write you and tell you about some things over here. I kinda wanted to talk about the weather a bit. It’s cold over here….. no wait, it’s dang cold over here. 0 degrees Celsius is normal, but the wind chill is always much worse. I am always bundled up when I go out, especially at night. The past two days have been a dream though! Sunshine and just a light breeze. I think that you two would love it here when it is warm, I really wouldn’t wish the cold upon you. Anyways I do love you both, and I thank you for your support. You are an amazing example and I am really lucky to have two grandparents as on fire as you two!!!!!

Manchester Zone - Zone Service

New shirt w/ name tag

E-mail from Neal - Received 1/14/09

Hello to my most amazing family!!!!!!!

Well this week has been a fun one. I passed my driving test on Monday!!!!!!!!!!! After 9 lessons and about 2 transfers I have passed. I can now drive in the UK, and not kill anyone. I hear that having a UK license will lower my insurance, any thoughts? I did really well on my test. I only got 7 faults, and nothing was huge!! I am way excited. There is no guarantee that I will be driving anytime soon. My mission is very different from the states. There are very few cars in my mission, and there are going to be fewer soon. We are getting our missionary force cut. We are at 140 right now, and by the time I go home it will be at 108. The goal is one set of missionaries per unit. This cut is going to be happening all over Europe. They are sending the missionaries where they are needed the most I guess. I am not bothered, I got sent to the best place in the world, only the super elect come to the hardest missions, and Manchester is one of the hardest!!! That is way cool that you got on that missionary moms thing. Elder McIntosh is the Bomb!!! He is still my favourite companion over all!! I loved the time that I got to spent with him. That other one from Colorado Springs….. He was trained by Elder Smith (my second Comp)!!! Elder Smith goes home next week, can you believe that. When I was with him he was at 18 months, WHERE HAS TIME GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyways I am rambling!

Here is what I wrote to president about Sean…..

To keep you updated, we have made contact with Sean, both us, and the ward. He is talking to some of the YSA and other ward members, and we have seen him once. We are all taking it slow. We really prayed hard the first few days, and we all felt that going slow, simple, and easy would be the best. It sounds to us that he was just not sure about some things, and he didn’t want to do something that he was not ready for. We are not going to push anything on him, because that is not the Lord's way. When we saw him we made sure that he knew that we still loved him, and that we were thinking about him. He knows that we are still his friend, and that we wanted to see him again. We invited him to church and to FHE, and told him that no one is angry or mad that he didn’t show up. I really have a lot of hope that he is going to come back and eventually get baptized. I am not sure if it is going to be now, or later, but I have full faith that it will happen!

There is still hope, and we are going to be trying to make something happen

Transfers are coming up this week, so you know the drill. I kinda have an odd suspicion that me and E. Nielsen are going to be staying. We are having a lot of fun, and talking to a ton of people. We have a small and shaky teaching pool right now, but that can always change. I have been feeling lately that I was going to stay in Stretford for 6 months, but you never know. Maybe I will get moved to a car area!!!!! Anyways, E. Nielsen thinks that I am going to be training again, but I don’t know what I think about that. We will just wait and see. I am really not bothered. I am on the lords work, and whatever he wants me to do I will do. I am really starting to realize that more and more everyday. This is not my thing, I am not here for my benefit, I am here for him!

The New Testament is great. I am on Matthew 22, and I am really loving it. I have learned so much, and it has really helped my with my teaching and “contending with people.” Hey they did it in the Book of Mormon so we are allowed to a little right!!! I am not afraid of anyone anymore. I have gotten into deep discussions with lots of different people, and I always find that the lord helps me out. I find myself saying things and thinking of analogies that just make sense!!!!! I LOVE MY MISSION!!!!!!

Love,

Elder Johnson

Pictures: The Swinton District:

Pictures from Neal - Received 1/7/09

Manchester Zone December 2008

England Fog (looking down from the church towards our neighborhood)

Me in Front of Old Trafford (Football Stadium)

SNOW!! (if you want to call it that. Taken from my bedroom window)

Did you know that Spider webs can freeze?

The Snow Slide in Piccadilly (it had white astro turf instead of snow LAME!!!!!)

The Terrible 3 (looking all American)

E-mail from Neal - Received 1/7/09

Hello everyone!!!!

Well this week has been a bit interesting to say the least. I can now officially say that I have had the worst day of my mission, and I really don’t think that it will get topped any time soon. I would really love to tell you about the baptism, and send you pictures, but it didn’t happen. Sean didn’t show up. We had everything ready and set to go, and he never came. There was the biggest turn out for a baptism ever, and he didn’t make it. It was a really hard pill to swallow, and I was really really embarrassed! We don’t know what happened, or what is going to happen, but we are trying hard to find him. We called him a lot that night, and stopped by his house and what not, but nothing. The worst part is that we saw him the night before, and he was totally excited!! He was pumped up and really ready to join the kingdom. Our only conclusion is that something happened either that night, or the next day, and he knew that he wasn’t ready. It really hurt, and I really never want to have to go through that again. Church the next day was really awkward as well, but hey what are you going to do. I want to all to know though that my testimony of working though the hard times is getting more and more rock solid every day! We did not let a little set back like that take us down, we kept working! That’s all that you can do when hard times hit. You cannot just sit back and wallow in your own self pitty, cause what good is that going to do? You have to get up and work, and work HARD!!!!!!!!! I am totally over the whole thing now, and I am back to myself. I am still really worried about Sean, and I am thinking about what to do, but I am good. I am happy, and I am serving the Lord!!! I have really come to learn on my mission that you get the most opposition, when you are doing the most good, so we must be doing something really really amazing because I can only think of a few things worse than what happened to us.

We have found 2 new investigators since then, and they are both solid. They are both female, and I think that they are the first females that I have taught on my mission for some reason (I have no clue why). One of them is named Riya Yates and she is going to be an interesting one. She is 17, pregnant, and has some major word of wisdom problems. I can’t think of anyone more ready to hear the gospel though. She is really cool, and really excited about the message (not the three American boys thank goodness)!!!

More changes in Stretford though. We got a call today from President and found out that E Lloyd is getting emergency transferred to North Manchester (Ashton). It is now going to be just me and E. Nielsen in Stretford. I am sad to be seeing my son leave me, but I trust president, and I know that we have our whole missions ahead of us so we sill see each other again. The threesome was good for the month that we had it, but I guess that the lord has other plans! He will be leaving today, and it will be a little more empty house. The wild part is that E. Lloyd has been feeling that he was going to be leaving lately, but he was thinking at transfers!

The New Testiment is amazing!!! I know most of the stories, but all the teachings and the miracles are what I love. I am learning so much!!!! I love you all, keep working hard and always keep praying!!

Cool Quote: If you believe, there are no questions. If you don’t believe, there are no answers!!

LOVE,

Elder Johnson

Pic - Two BAD dudes!!!! me and E. Nielsen

E-mail from Neal - Received 12/31/08

Hello Family!!!!!

Just to warn you, this letter is going to be a bit short, cause I have to do a program fro Sean’s Baptism, WHICH IS THIS SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sean is getting baptised on Saturday, and I am really really excited!!! He has come such a long way and really turning into a great young man. He is talking about a mission, which just makes my smile from ear to ear!!! He is keeping all of his commitments, and trying really hard to stay on the straight and narrow. We are going full speed ahead, and I will send pictures next week for sure!!

I know what you mean mom about helping the missionaries. The rules are tough sometimes. The numbers have to be uneven. That’s why a threesome is nice, cause we don’t need a fellowshipper to talk to a female!!! Now it is still good to get a member present, but at least we can teach! Help them out in other ways though. Feed them, give them referrals, and help them any way that you can. They are doing the same thing that I am doing, so you might feel closer to me by doing so. I hope that they are working as hard as I am, and that they are not being dodgy!!!! I do not like dodgy missionaries!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I am sorry that this is short, but I really need to get that program done!

I love you all

Elder Johnson

p.s. I have decided that I know nothing about the bible, and that really needs to change so I am have started to study the new testament. I know that I probably should have done this a long time ago, but I just never have. I know the Book of Mormon quite well, and I need to be the same with the bible.

E-mail from Neal - Received 12/24/08

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I am excited, very very very very very excited. This week has been amazing, and it is just going to get better!

Friday was zone conference, and boy was it amazing!!!!!!!! It was in Chorley (I love that place!!!!), and I got to see some people, cause they were setting up for a party!!! I saw Clifford and Mavis!!!!!!!!! Mavis came into the chapel cause she saw me and E. Smith (who is now a zone leader and goes home this transfer), and she came and gave us both hugs right in front of like 80 missionaries. Yea we were really embarrassed, but it was nice to see them. Clifford is still looking great, even at his old age. It was great to see them.

We went to the Temple as part of the Conference, and we got to eat in the Temple cafeteria. That was the best cafeteria food I have ever had (next to the MTC). It was really really good! Then the session was amazing. An endowment room full of nothing but missionaries is quite the experience. It was cool in the MTC, but these are now truly my brothers and sisters in combat. It was an amazing session. I totally forgot that I have two names still back at the flat until I got to the temple so I guess I will have to wait until next time.

This is my first Christmas away from home, and I have been battling that one for a little bit, but the Lord always comes to the rescue. He not only hears my prayers, but he listens to the desires of my heart! When I was in the celestial room (again with my brothers and sisters in Combat), I WAS HOME!!!!! I closed my eyes, and I was with all of you in the Celestial room of the Denver temple! I felt the spirit so strongly, and it was great. Since then everything has been great. We are going to have a wonderful Christmas, with wonderful members, and I am happy!!! I am sad that I am going to be away, but that doesn’t matter. For these 2 Christmas’s I am right where I need to be, and I am excited about that!!!! Hearing from you all, and feeling the love of the saviour, and his atonement is all that I need to feel at home!! We have a lot of crazy cool rules for Christmas, but I will tell you them tonight ok.

Sister Bullock, who is an absolute saint told us a really cool quote, that she thought about one day. President Bullock, who is seriously one of my hero’s now said that it was revelation, and has been using it a lot. The quote is…… Because of the Saviours life, we celebrate his birth. Can you tell that she is the daughter of an apostle. I really think that that quote hits it right on the money! Because of what he did, we are here, and able to live the way that we live. I read the talk from conference called “The Way” this morning, and it is true. The only way to return to where God wants us to return to, is though Jesus Christ! Its an amazing time of year, and I am so glad to be here.

I put the Gardner Families name on the prayer role in the Preston Temple, so there are more prayers coming from England. Please tell them that the faithful and wonderful people of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland are praying for them many many many times a day. Tell them that I know many of the temple workers in Chorley (perks of serving there), and they are amazing people. Their prayers are heard, and through faith their prayers are answered.

The Carol concert went really really great! They sang some really really neat songs, and I did the sound (I am becoming a legend in Manchester). Personally I don’t know why they used mics, but I don’t ask questions, I just mix!!! Obedience is the first law of heaven right. It was really funny cause I was right up front, where everyone could see me, and everyone that knew me asked what I was doing. It was really fun. We recorded it, but I am sure that it will sound much like Savior of the World did. I don’t mix for a CD, I mix for the people!!!!! I am so grateful that I am able to use my talents and gifts over here on my mission, and that people appreciate them. I am serving the way that I want to be, that is being myself. They ask me if I can run a sound board, and I say HECK YES!!!!!!! HA HA HA!!

I love you all!!
Elder Johnson