Izcuchaca 12/31/12

Dad: Thank you so much for the update and the pics! Sounds great next week i can look at the different frames and tell you what i would like. Ah I love that Ben has replaced me at game night! And that he is doing a great job with the trash talking... Keep it up Ben! Looks like a blast and I was happy to see a few more familiar faces.

Dear Family,

Wow it was soooooo great to finally talk to you on Christmas Day! Really it was so great to see all of you faces and hear your voices. The little guys really are growing up, (Ben and Andy) especially Ben I feel like he has gotten a lot bigger... Dont let him get too big before i get home... cant believe he will be 13!!! Love all of you it was great to hear from you.

Well Im sure you are all a little curious how the rest of my week went here in Peru. We finished off christmas night at the house of a member and they fed us some tasty turkey... although this turned out to be the bane of our existence this week because almost ALL of us got sick! (minus my companion it seems like they train you good for the mission field in Honduras) So a lot of this week was spent sick in bed! But we are all getting better so dont worry about it.

We spent all of the time we could strengthening hermano Hugo and his family and getting him ready for his baptism. Finishing up teaching Hugo all of the lessons was a really special time for me in my mission. After 4 and a half months of work here in Izcuchaca we finally feel like we have had some very real success. Of course, I have always had the spirit with me, and the Lord has seen it fit to give us some choice experiences helping members and less actives better there lives... but there isnt anything quite like watching the conversion of someone from the very beginning, and being their guide to help them learn the restored gospel and accept Jesus Christ in their lives. Hugo is a VERY happy man.... and I know that he is happy because he has allowed the savior to make a grand change in his life.

Well... we are happy! In this next week Hugo´s wife Sixta and his grandson (basically his son) Yorge are going to be baptized as well. I have such great hopes for this family and hope that they can become a great help for Izcuchaca, we certainly need it!

I love you all so much. If there are any details in particular you would like to know from my weekly newsletters please let me know! Also, I havent been able to send letters for over a month because of troubles we have had getting to the post office and things like that (sorry i have to wait until i get to cusco to send anything... and the past two weeks as well we have been in cusco only on a holliday so the post office wasnt open) Oh and i dont trust the post office in Izcuchaca..... enough said there.

Well we are on the last week of the change... not sure if i am going to stay here... stay tuned until nxt week to find out!

Love, Elder Neff