Izuchaca 11-12-12

Hey Family!

Well... I have some pretty sad news. It seems that my companionship with Elder Doxey was meant to be short lived. last tuesday (or algo así) He had an emergency transfer to the sacred valley which is another zone in the mission. He was transfered to a town called Calca (creo) and I hope he`s doing great although I wont get the chance to find out until the change mtg which happens in about two weeks. Oh! and dont worry he wasnt transfered for any kind of iniquity, the mission just doesnt like to keep trios running for any longer than they have to.

We had a great time together though... I never thought that i would have the opportunity to preach the gospel in a foreign country with one of my very good buds. WE worked hard in Izcuchaca for two good weeks, unfortunately, he wont be here to witness the three batisms we are going to have next week! But we are going to count them as his converts anyhow. Maybe when i put up pictures of the baptismal service his parents can email them to him or something like that.

My thoughts on missionary work have changed a lot this week, and through the experiences we had with a few investigators I was able to think a little bit about my own personal conversion and how i came to know that this gospel is true.

The gospel is not easy. It isnt easy to accept, it isnt easy to live, and it isnt easy to share with your friends or neighbors, or even to live it in the midst of others who think that the book of mormon was written by the devil himself! I think this is how a lot of the people in Peru feel. I mentioned that we were going two have three baptisms next week. Well, they were originally planned for this week. What happened??? There was some opposition, and our investigators just couldnt hack it.

The first person we were going to baptize was the Sister Celestina. She is a single mother with 3 kids. We love to go out and help her herd her sheep, and then have a little lesson in her chakra. She has been an investigator for almost 3 months now. We almost left her, well actually we did... one night we passed by her house and told her that we would love to continue being her friend but that we could not continue having regular visits. She told us that she was going to attend church, and we almost shrugged this committment off thinking that we had committed her to come to church many times, and she had never come..... Well she came! And ever since we have been working toward baptism.

I thought a lot about what made the difference in her life, what was the key to her conversion, and in effect, what is the key to anyones conversion who wants to come to know the gospel of jesus christ? We had zone study this morning and something that was beat into our heads was the power of the book of mormon. Before, I´m not sure that i had put enough emphasis into the power of this book, and what significance it can have here in the work of the lord.

The book of mormon is the keystone of our religion. It clarifies all docrinal discrepancies that could be formed by hundreds of religions who all study the same book (bible) but interpret it differently. Most importantly, the promise that we find in moroni of the book of mormon is real. If we read this book, and meditate in our hearts what it says, and then ask heavenly father in the name of jesus christ if the book is true, we will recieve an answer.

Hma. Celestina recieved her answer of the truthfulness of the book of mormon. I though I was going to have time to explain the other families experience and more, but i dont have time! Sorry 30 minutes flys by pretty quickly.

Well Im bummed that i didnt get ONE SINGLE EMAIL THIS WEEK! But i hope that all of you are doing just wonderful and that all is well at home.

oh and p.s.

Im sorry that Obama is president again... looks like i am going to live in Peru for another 4 years ;)

Con mucho amor

Elder Neff.

Izuchaca 11-5-12

Hola! Que tal? I hope that everyone who reads this is doing just great. Here in Izcuchaca we have had the most EXCITING week of this change. I´m excited to tell you about it.

The week started off a little odd. A week ago today, the zone leaders told me and elder Doxey that we would have to travel back to Lima to recieve Targetas de extrangeras. ( I think that is how you spell it!) Or in other words some identification that we were foriegnors here in peru with permanent visas. So we flew off too Lima on tuesday earlay in the morning. And guess who was waiting for me in the airport MY OLD COMPANION ELDER NOLAN! I couldnt have been more happy to see him. He is serving in puerto at this moment and i havent seen him for nearly two changes.

We started by asking the usual questions about each others sectors, how´s the food how are the people, clima etc. etc. Eventually the conversation moved to our trainers and I was happy to tell him just how awesome a trianer elder doxey and i had. While i was telling him just how great my trainer was i could see his face a little crestfallen. He started to tell me who was training him and what type of training experience he had had and i was shocked! He began to tell me how it was impossible to do companionsip study together, and that he practically had to study alone for 4 hours in the morning. That he and his companion usually didnt leave to work until and hour after lunch, and that for the majority of the time they were stuck in members houses for agreat part of the day, and many times just watching football. This coming from a missionary (Elder Nolan) Who is was and excellent Elder in the MTC despite his struggles with the language. I dont think i have ever met someone more interested in serving the lord, and in dedicating all of his time and talents to the work.

I had the chance of rooming with him in the hotel in lima and we sat down for a bit to chat. He told me of his desires to work hard but of his struggle to do so because of his inabilities with the language and a companion who was unwilling to be obedient or work hard. I was able to sit down with him and express my love for him and my confidence that he was going to be a great missionary, and that he was one now. I remember telling him that the lord only asks us to make the best of our circumstances and that as he gives us certain difficulties, it is because he knows our potential and of what we can become... After our little chat he said something so kind that went something like this, " Elder Neff, thank you so much for talking to me, It always helps me so much because you just give me hope."

Hope has been the theme of this week. Izcuchaca has been struggling the last few weeks and we couldnt figure out why. Members weren´t asisting to sacrament mtg. Families were expressing their concerns about their troubles at home and how the gospel was supposed to be helping them to live better lives but it just wasnt working that way for them.

I remember one story of one family in particular. The family Payma Davila. It is a family of two parents and 5 girls! (honestly it makes me think of the wards a little bit minus walk dog) They are the cutest and honestly i love to visit them and share messages of the gospel. One night we were having a family home evening with them and some feelings (that i could tell had been brewing for a long time exploded!) The parents began to argue and i could tell that they had strong desires to share their problems with the missionaries.

In the moment when they were angry and their was some shouting i realized what a great responsibility it was to be a missionary. Here i was sitting in front of two grown adults and their were confiding their very personal problems with me and the other missionaries, confident that we had the answers to their questions. I am so grateful to our father in heaven for his blessings, and the call to be set apart as a missionary. I knew exactly what to say to this family and so did the other missionaries to help them resolve their very personal problems.

I know that this gospel blesses families. It is the only through living the gospel that we can live happily and enjoy strong family relations here on this earth. Our heavenly father is preparing us and our families for happiness now and on into the eternities. I am so grateful for my mission, it has strengthened my testimony of the divinity of the family. I am grateful for the blessing i have at this moment to know on what principles to build my own family! I know that we are blessed as we follow the council of our heavenly father.

I sent some letters last week! I hope they get to all of you soon.

Les Quiero muchisimo :)

Elder Neff

Izachaca 10-29-12

Wow this has been such a cool week! And i think that i have some of the most exciting news yet to come from my time here in the mission. More on that in a sec.

So we came home from the change mtg, and yes nothing had changed. Elder Solis and i were continuing work as usual. Wed. morning though, we got a call from the zone leaders that nearly stopped my heart. All i could get from the conversation that solis was having with them, seemed to indicate that he was going to have a change!!! And i was seriously about to cry. Every moment i have had with elder solis as a trainer has been a treasure.He is for sure one of the best missionaries in the mission and i would be so sad to have our time as companions cut short. What happened for real however, was such a pleasant surprise! He told me that Elder Galves (ZL) told him that he would be training TWO missionaries... there was one missionary who had arrived to the mission a little late because of visa problems. In this moment i was thinking who could that be? A missionary that was from the states waiting for a visa. I dropped the big question. Was this missionary serving in chicago?And elder Galves said yes! I started jumping up and down screaming ITS ELDER DOXEY! WE ARE GONNA BE COMPANIONS!!!!!! and sure enough i am looking at elder doxey right now! He i and elder solis have become a trio.... When we got our mission calls we always used to joke about how cool it would be if we got to be companions. Well here we are sure enough as companions... being trained together! I couldnt be happier.

Elder Doxey has brought a completely new excitment to our companionship. He has so much energy and that is the best because at times elder solis and i get a little pooped out. It sounds to me like he had an awesome time in Chicago, but i am so happy to have him here with me.

Well i am almost out of time but i would like to share something that elder solis told me during companionship inventory. He told me that this week he had noticed that i had taken the initiative in most of our contacts and interaction with people on the street ie: setting appointments, starting lessons, etc. etc. He told me that this was a strong indication that i had used the time of my training well and that he thinks i will be ready to train after the end of this change (the new in field missionary training program has this goal in mind, to have the new missionary ready to train another after their first 12 weeks) This was such a huge compliment to me and i hope that i can live up to the expectation.

Love you all! Have a wonderful week

Elder Neff.

pics. not much explanation. We are all goofs, i took some pictures of some chacras. (those are potatos)i and elder solis is gooooooood looookin´

 

 

Izcuchaca 10-22-12

(This first bit is for our ward primary president and a sharing time next week)

For Andrea Johnson

 

Have you ever been so sick that your dad gave you a priesthood blessing to help you feel better? As missionaries we have the opportunity to help others receive the blessings of the priesthood who don’t have priesthood holders in their homes. I have been in the mission field for almost four months, and every month I have had the opportunity to exercise my priesthood! The other day we were with one of our investigators and all of her little girls (she has three) were sick with a type of chicken pox. My companion and I had the chance to give all of her children blessings of healing. I anointed the children, and my companion (who is from Peru and can speak Spanish better than I can) sealed the anointing and blessed the children. When we returned the following week they were all feeling much better and over the chicken pox! I know that it is a blessing to exercise the priesthood, and I am so happy that God has shared his power with me to bless his children here on the earth!

 

Ok I hope that is what she wanted.

 

Well we have started another change here in Peru. Izcuchaca is better than ever! And WE are starting to make some great progress in the work here. At the end of this last change I had a lot of thoughts about what we could do to make this sector a better place. Honestly, I had a little bit of fear in my heart about how our efforts to make Izcuchaca una rama were going to turn out and whether or not we were going to be able to do it. But we continue to work hard and I know that as we put in our best effort and trust in the lord, we can be tools in his hands to bring great blessing to the members and people of Izcuchaca. My spirits have been lifted in a couple of ways, Ill share with you a couple of the most exciting stories of the week.

 

There is a sister here named Hma. Mantilla. She lives about 20 minutes out of Izcuchaca in a little pueblo called compone. I’m sure when you think of the name Cusco Peru you would imagine in your mind something like the little town of compone, where all the houses are made out of mud bricks.....(well scratch that practically ALL the houses that have seen in the mission are made out of adobe including ours) and the people go out to work n their fields all day with their cows and sheep and potatoes. Anyway the son of Hma mantilla was hurt in a mototaxi accident in puerto maldonado, and then her entire family became ill. She called us on thurs day in tears asking us to come and visit them. Unfortunately her husband only has the aaronic priesthood and as of yet hasn’t received the melkezidec. (hope i spelled that kind of right.) We went, the four of us, to give them priesthood blessings and some words of comfort. The priesthood is an incredible blessing. As we were giving them blessings and visiting with them, I couldn’t help but be grateful for the infrastructure of the church and the blessings that we have in strong wards and stakes. I know that if something like that had happened in a strong ward there would have been home teachers and visiting teachers and priesthood holders, and mothers bringing meals to the afflicted, yada yada the list would go on. Hma Mantilla called us in tears because no one had been there to help her in her time of need. I am grateful that I get to be a holder of the priesthood of God, to bless his children when they are afflicted.

 

We also had the opportunity to challenge a lot of people this week for baptism. Baptism is the end goal for all of our teaching, we teach not just to help people live better lives but to help people be saved in the kingdom of god, receiving all of the ordinances and keeping all of the commandments to receive all of the blessings. Everyone should stop for just a second to think about all of the things we need to do to be saved... before my mission I never really thought about how different our lives our from the rest of the worlds but HOLY COW WE ARE DIFFERENT! And it is tough to help people believe in the gospel, let alone change their lives completely to live it. However, this week i had the blessing of seeing that these things are 100% possible and that this is the way God intended it to be. We have an investigator named Jesus. :) Who is quite set in his evangelical ways. Yesterday we had divisions and elder Tavoian and i went to his house. During the lesson we challenged him, and he pulled out the famous answer that has become the absolute bane of my existence here in izcuchaca. He said " Bueno Hmos, entiendo todas de estas cosas, pero realmente no me importa, porque nosotros SOMOS la iglesia" Meaning that, " we are the church and that its not important to assist to any church in particular. I knew this was coming, and i felt sad when he said it. I was so discouraged, and prayed so hard just to know what to say to help him understand. I though of the words ·"just open your mouth" and the promise in DyC that tells us in effect that god will put the words in our mouths and help us say what needs to be said. I bore firm testimony to Jesus that this was the church of jesus christ here on the earth, and that salvation would come by no other way. I have never spoken in spanish more clearly and with more confidence, I am grateful for the promises of the lord! they are real. He is praying about his baptismal date for the 10th of nov. i hope he accepts!

 

Well i have run out of time, love you and miss you! here area few pics :)

 

Elder neff

 (Sorry!  No pictures came through)

Izcuchaca 10-15-12 Last week of the first change

Well here we are ending my very first change in the field. I dont think any of you would be surprised to hear me say that it went by quickly! But also that it was an amazing time of growth in terms of spirituality, my knowledge of the language, and in my love for the people here in Peru. This truly has been the most amazing and exciting 6 weeks of my life to date!

Before we talk anymore about the work here in Peru, I want to talk a little bit about my dear friend Jim Webb who passed away this past month. Mom thank you so much for sending me those funeral remarks. I am so honored that my thank-you letter was read in his funeral. As i read the remarks made by brother christensen, I was so touched by his words and the spirit that i felt i started to tear up in the internet cafe here in cusco. It gave me a chance to reflect on how great of an impact Jim had on my life, and also to strengthen my testimony a little more about the plan of salvation and our purpose here on this earth. Every day i walk down the street in Izcuchaca i have this same thoughts pass through my mind, that there are millions and billions of people here on this earth that have a incorrect knowlege, or no knowlegde of all as to the nature of God and their personal relationship to him. The first thing that i want to say to investigators when we get a chance to sit down and talk is that " le ama mucho!" he loves them. The devil has a tough hold on the hearts of many of God´s children, but i am so grateful that we are here with the power of the priesthood and the gospel message to change those false teachings and beliefs that have so many people in confusion.

No one in Izcuchaca has a change! So it seems like we are all going to be here working for another 6 weeks to hopefully change this small town in Peru and bring some others into the fold. This week we had some AWESOME success, I am super excited and think that this nxt change is going to start a new day for the members and investigators here in izcuchaca.

This friday we had changes and Elder Ferman and I had the oportunity to work together for a day. Elder Ferman is the other latino here in Izcuchaca from Honduras. We started out by heading out into the boonies, the end of Izcuchaca, to go and have some lessons with a few references from the week before... unfortunately, as usually happens, when you have a super long time between a contact and a set lesson, the people forget, or have conveniently planned not to be there when you arrive. So yes, all of our citas fell through. As we were walking back to the town center we decided to pass by a house of an investigator to say hello and perhaps have a little lesson. We didnt find our investigator, but we did find a little panai with her 6 children. She was brushing out here hair on the ground while here six children were running around chasing chickens. I started out by saying that we had taught a lesson to her neighbors and that we would also like to share this message with here. Well she didnt talk very much and we couldnt figure out why. usually when that happens i start to think its and error of my spanish, but it turns out that she spoke practically ONLY QUECHUA..... Yet again we are having trouble with this darned second language that a lot of people speak here in the mountains of Peru. BUT I have started reading the BOM in Quechua and, though it is nothing like spanish, or english, or any other language in the world! I hope that i can learn at least enough to have a simple conversation with these people before we can bring a member who can speak it fluently.

We have had quite a few troubles with getting investigators to church here as well, but guess what happened this sunday. 5 INVESTIGATORS SHOWED! I was so happy. The mtg was about to start and they all just started to file in. I just sat there in shock. Usually i am praying in my mind that people will come and we spend all morning and the early afternoon (mtg starts at 2 pm) trying to get people to show up. Well a miracle happened and 5 showed! We are planning on putting dates on all of them and i am so excited to see what is gonna happen.

The rains here are just starting to pick up. And I wasnt sure what that was going to mean until halfway during the lesson i was teaching in sunday school (p.s. it was on eternal life! everyone should take a little more time to read 1 nefi cap 8 y 11 super cool) IT STARTED TÖ HAIL LIKE CRAAAAZZZZY. People couldnt even hear me teaching the lesson.... and then the whole primary ran out of the primary room and we had to go and bring them back.

Well that is all for this week! I hope everyone is doing soooo great! I cant believe that i have two cute new cousins. AND PAIGE AND JOHN YOUR HAVING A LITTLE GIRL!!!! That may be the cutest thing i have ever heard! Cant wait to see her in two. And yes I will love her all the more if she comes out a little ginge ;)

les quiero muchisimo!

Elder Neff

pics not in any particular order

top of the museum

me stembride and fuller

us and the pigs

me in front of the cathedral in CUSCO!

dead guinea pigs. (yes we eat them yes the are dellllicious :)

me and a panai

 

 

Izcuchaca 10-8-12

Wow this change has flown by so quickly i can hardly believe it! I am so happy that i will probably have two more changes in my district of izcuchaca. Really because it is an area that is having some serious struggles, and i want to leave it better than we found it, but more on that later here´s a weekly update.

Monday: I wrote you a letter and then we played some soccer. Yes, that is pretty much how it always is here they are all soccer fanatics. Including President, who plays with us every p day. He is SO good it blows my mind! If only we could play some basketball or lacrosse, the latins wouldnt have a chance, but alas, no... siempre jugamos soccer.

Tuesday: BAck to some real work. This day began probably the most exciting week of my mission yet, unfortunately not in terms of our success in the work, but a lot of weird things happened that i have to tell you about. Tuesday we were walking down the main road in izcuchaca. As we walk down the sidewalk we always have to move out of the way for a bunch of Panais (old woman who only speak quechua and have those giant hair braids that are so typical of peruvian woman) They carry on their back these sacks of goods (probably full of chuño... nasty) and so we always have to move out of the way. Needless to say, i am often walking off the side walk. Well tuesday i ran into a parked motto taxi and RIPPED MY SLEEVE IN HALF! Ya i think that shirt is done for. But fortunately my garment was not ripped ( yes a testimony that the protective powers are real!) De todas maneras, later that day we had the oportunity to give a blessing to Hma. Jobeli´s children who have a terrible case of the chicken pox. I only did the annointing, but i felt capable to do the actual blessing so nxt time i probably will.

WEd. THis was a very bizare day. WE were supposed to go to cuso for a district mtg. but all the buses were on strike. When we asked a taxista if he would take us to cusco he simply said " no peligroso" so we couldnt head off to cusco for our mtg. After lunch we went to a funeral for the mother of one of elder tavoian´s investigators. Peruvian funerals are weird. Four men carry a casket UP THE MOUNTAIN to a catholic cemetary high up in a little town called ancha, and a very unpracticed peruvian band plays music the whole way up. The family was so depressed. I have never had a stronger desire to shout out the blessings of the plan of salvation to help ease the pains of people. When they placed the casket in the tomb, (they bury people above ground here) THe band played a sad note and the family started wailing and sobbing. So. Sad. My heart aches for people who have no knowledge of our father in heaven´s infinite plan of happiness that allows us to continue our family relations after we die. These people simply never have though to even consider this, and i think it is because satan has such a strong hold on the culture and way of life here. We are working as hard as we can to bring people here to the knowledge of the savior and how his gospel can bless their lives.

WEll lets skip to general conference because there are a few things that need to be said about that right? ç

Wow the missionary age has changed. That is so incredible! honestly right now i am thinking more for the sisters than for the brothers. WE already have quite a few 18 year olds here because in south america they send missionaries off at 18 for their studies. BUT HOLY COW THE SISTERS! Incredible. Eden your gonna serve right!? I cannot tell you how many of my friends i have spoken to that have told me " i would serve a mission, but waiting until the age of 21 is difficult and i feel like a may be missing out on other opportunities [cough! RM´s and marriage obvi] so i dont know if it is for me" Well i hope the decision is much easier now!

I have such a strong testimony of missionary work. My testimony has grown so much in just these short three months i can hardly believe it. In conference their was a lot of talks given on personal conversion. I particularly loved the talk by elder bednar. His talk helped me to understand the difference between my gaining a testimony and becoming converted. At times a think that we forget that our father in heaven is the ultimate source of all happiness. What "Weapons of Rebellion" are we willing to lay down in order to enjoy his blessings more fully in our lives? I know that obedience will bring these blessings, and i am so happy to continue my personal process of conversion, by having the oportunity to help others begin theirs! I love this work and my father in heaven, and i have never felt so close to him... and i hope that i can continue to feel closer and closer as i bring my life more in accordance with his will.

I love you!

Elder Neff.

Izachaca 10-1-12

Wow! sorry i lost a lot of time reading your wonderful emails. Please bear with me if my responses werent too long, but i want to have enough time to let you all know what happened this week here in peru.

I think i will try to go day by day, that way you can get a little bit of knowledge about the time frame.

Monday, PDAy! We ended up playing soccer most of this p day. Which by the way idk how but i have become bombin at. For reals i scored two goals and everyone was cheering for the gringo. One latin was like "ME ENCANTA A VER ESTE TIPO DE TALENTO!" ya it was pretty funny. Also, i got to talk on the phone with my old companion elder Nolan! right now he is searing in one of the two jungle sectors, in puerto maldonado. I told him that i would be able to see him in one month because, yes i am going to the jungle in one month for the mission recital. Very excited.

Tuesday WE got back into the swing of things, Had a lesson with two of our investigators named Ceferino y Andreas. They are a couple that originally contacted us about helping their son get over his drinking problem. BUt when that fell through we continued to teach them and have had quite a bit of success. I really love them because they are the investigators who seem to understand my spanish the best. Most everyone can understand me almost perfectly... But these guys actually thought that i came from cuba so... ya they are number one in my heart. Neither of them have the ability to read because of eye problems, Andreas has a glaucoma and Ceferino sees double vision Ç( it seems that eye problems are going to be following me my entire mission.....) ya but we read the scriptures to them, and they are very receptive to our teachings. Also we ate some chicken stomach today. Ya its actually nice and tastyu but i wouldnt recommend it because you will be chewing on it for days.

WEd I was a little sick, with a cold. And for this we were kinda bummed. not much to say about today.

Thurs. ÇWE went to to a little town called compone. which is about 30 mins out of izcuchaca. WE taught a lady.. but really swhe only know quechua... It was this day that elder solis and i decided that we were going to try to learn quechua. REally i am doing very well in spanish, so why not!? honestly not a day passes that i dont meet someone who really only speaks quechua (well) so ya that is what we are going to try to do.

Sorry there is no time i have to stop there if i want to be obedient. It is hard to be obedient but i know that only in this way are we going to recieve the blessings. Lots of love! talk to you nxt week.

Elder neff