Quillabamba 5.26.14

Some pictures Sam sent us! The first one is some animal that his mission president caught in his backyard. Apparently they ate it for dinner that night.

Quillabamba 5.26.14

Family!

I am starting to get a lot of emails from friends giving me words of encouragement about the last stretch of the mission. Thank you for all of your support! Elder Murillo and I are being so blessed during this time. It has been incredible. I couldn`t be happier about where I am serving, who I am with, and most importantly who we are teaching!

This week I have been mostly impressed by how concious the Lord is of his children and their specific needs. We have been visiting a member named Erica with our Ward Mission Leader, at first with the intention of teaching her the restoration and helping her to invite her friends to investigate the church.... I was so surprised about what happened next. We followed up the first appointment that we had with her with a plan to watch a gospel video and ask her if she had been able to think about someone in particular. We were mostly interested in helping her to invite her husband to investigate, who isn`t a member and travels a lot for work. During this appointment we began to ask her about her husband, and as we entered into this conversation we could see that it was a touchy subject. She then told us that she really wasn`t married toher husband, and began to talk about how guilty she had felt during the time that she had been living with him. She said that she was about to pick up and leave everything (including the church) because of the pain that she felt about her past choices. I was so stunned... but saw in that moment that the Lord is always concious of the needs of his children. We went to that house with the intention of finding new investigators... not knowing that our purpose for going there was much more important!

We should always be ready to "go to the rescue"! I know that many of god`s children are waiting for us to visit themand bring them comfort in a response to their prayers.

Love you all!

Elder Neff

Quillabamba 5.19.14

Hello family!

We keep pluggin´ along here in Quillabamba. Good things are coming out of our dilligence. We have someone with a baptismal date! And our other investigators are on their way towards the same. Cristina and Oswaldo are prepping themselves for marriage, and we are starting to get the preparrations ready for all of that. I sure hope that Oswaldomakes the decision to be baptized as well. I wouldn´t like to baptize any family that wasn´t complete into the church. It has happened too many times before and the results are often inactivity in a short amount of time. However, we really feel like Cristina is so preparred to receive the gospel! If it comes down to it, she will be baptized even if Oswaldo isn´t decidedon it.

I am sorry Really am out of time.... and I am also about to break this peruvian keyboard with the broken space key! Sorry if it was very little....

conmuch amor!

Elder Neff

QUILLABAMBA 5.12.14

Wow, I had a great time talking to all of you yesterday! I can hardly believe that it is the last one.... You`ve all given me that extra push to help me finish strong! Thank you Thank you. 

We had some very good things happen this week. I love to see how people progress in the gospel. Carlos (our less-active returned missionary) has quit his night time security job! He is now a little busier in the daytime working as a trainer in the gym where he lives, but we are seeing the good changes that are coming about as he sets aside the things of the world and comes back to Christ! 

We also had a very interesting lesson with an investigator. Jorge is a reference from the ward secretary. Jorge is studying agricultural engineering with an emphasis in tropical fruits, interesting right? Coincidentaly,l his religious beliefs are almost as diverse (and odd) as his career choice. We began the lesson by explaining who we are and what we do using the "how to begin teaching " points from Preach my Gospel. He then came out telling us that, he doesn`t need to search for the truth because the Lord said in Mathew 18:20 "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I will be in the midst of them." I felt bad. I have heard something similar many times on my mission, and really it is a cheap excuse to not take the personal responsability to search for the truth. I love that concept, searching for the truth! The restored church is based on the principle of continued revelation, and the Lord taught the same principle when he said you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. 

The spirit was with us, and his friend was able to bear a powerful testimony about his conversion story, and it must have had an affect on Jorge because he accepted the invitation to pray to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet, and he even consented to chance his form of prayer to be in harmony with the Lord`s teaching to ask in the name of Christ. 

I`ve attached some photos of some interesting things this week! Holy cow that was so much food I almost DIED! Literally DIED. That is Oven cooked pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chicken, duck, cuy and oven cooked banana. And that is an animal that my branch president caught in his back yard! (I have no idea what it is called....) 

Love you all! Elder Neff

QUILLABAMBA 5.5.14

I love thinking about what I am going to share with all of you every week! The honest truth is... I have a hard time picking from all of the exciting experiences that we have, I often look through my journal and think to myself... what do I write about this week? And then I get to excited and I can hardly express myselft in my letters home haha, just know that I am trying as hard as I can! 

Thank you Dad for that last bit of advice that you gave me in your last letter. I hope to accomplish many things before it all ends. I am enjoying the chance to work hard every day with Elder Murillo. Like I have always said, I am grateful that it isn`t easy. That has been such a good thing for me to realize. If it weren`t so tough, it wouldn`t mean so much to me. 

This week we had good things happen... and some not so good things as well haha. Let`s start with the bad news. 

We had a lesson with Cristina y oswaldo this friday. We taught from "The family a proclamation to the World" with the idea that, we would also explain to them the law of chastity when speaking about marriage between a man and a woman being essential to God`s eternal plan. After explaining all of that, they both seemed to be in agreement... although many times we find that to see if the people here understand, you have to ask some more specific questions. We did so, and then invited the both of them to set a specific marriage date... we explained to them that we had prayed and thought that the 30th of may would be an excellent day, in preparation for a baptismal date the 31st. Oswaldo then looked at us and simply said. Hmmm.... you know, getting married really isn`t in my plans right now. His wife Cristina then looked at him with a stare that could kill. I was startled... it really isn`t easy to invite someone to excercise their faith in such a way, but we felt impressed to do it. It was a very disappointing lesson, but the hope is that, praying they will receive an answer and know that they must set a specific date for marriage and baptism. 

On the bright side, we are making progress with the less active members, and there are a few no-members in their families. We will let you know about their progress next week. 

Love you family! I look forward to our last phone call this sunday! 

Elder Neff

Quillabamba 4.27.14

Wow, we had an amazing week here in Quillabamba! 

First off, president and the assistants came and paid us a visit. We had a great zone conference and, to be completely honest, it was nice to sit back and just learn for the first time in over a year! I absolutely loved it. President spoke to us about the talk given by Elder Nelson in the October conference of 2012 (ask the missionaries they can help you). He talked about our ability to bless the lives of practically anyone because of our calling as missionaries. We commited ourselves to go around with pamphlets of "My Family" and use it as a way to contact and find new investigators. THAT is something that I want to try... it is kinda difficult here because records were iffy way back when but, oh well we`ll give it our best shot! 

We are visiting a lot of wonderful people. Did I tell you about Carlos? (no not Carlos from Cusco, although he does get baptized on the 6th of may! SO EXCITED!) No Carlos from Quillabamba is a less-active returned missionary that we found looking for other less active members that he lives with. They were a little less-interested so we decided that we would start with him. He has progressed so much! He has the strongest desire to return to church... Satan is just a clever fella and knows EXACTLY how to get people. Addictions are a big problem.... don`t let yourself fall into any type of addiction. 

Anyway, we are teaching him many times during the week and every time we teach him we feel the spirit so strongly. The Lord loves his wayward children and wants them to return to his gospel and his church! 

I attached a load of photos. Yes that is QUILLABAMBA! linda Quillabambita de mi corazon.... for real I love this place it is SO BEAUTIFUL! The people are wonderful, we are really enjoying our time here. 

Last comment, Edna I am so proud of you. My companion is from Ecuador and he is by BROWN BROTHA! I honestly love him to death. There is a lot of work to do in Quito Ecuador. Maybe not as a coincidence, he has a less-active sister who lives in Quito with her pareja.... IDK how to say it in English, person that she lives with but isn`t married to. I will give you the reference so that you can take it to Ecuador and take it as your first service in the country of your mission! 

Love you all! Have a wonderful week

Elder Neff

CUSCO 4.14.14

I'm glad you are all doing muy bien!

I´m doing great as well. 

Paige and John you finally know where you´re off too! I know that John is very, very happy. I only ask myself one question, when in the world am I going to see my niece!? I hope we can get everyone up to see me on the first week of august.... 

Eden good for you on the papes I AM TOO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!! 

Jenna you know I love you. 

Ben stop growing

We are doing really great here in Quillabamba. It was, quite honestly, a good week and a bad week. We had some great success with some poeple that we were searching for since the first day that we got here, and had little success with the people that we found who were doing great! I´m hoping that the Lord is prepping us for one day when EVERYTHING just falls into place. 

But until then we are just gonna keep pluggin´ along. 

My companion Elder Murillo from Guayaquil Ecuador is doing great. Fun facts 

1. We have the SAME BIRTHDAY! April 22 1993.... he said he was born in the moring as well, wasn´t I born in the morning too? We like to think that we were both in heaven and said " Bueno amigaso.... nos vemos en la misión!" 

2. His Father ALSO served a mission in Quito Ecuador (año 90) 

3. He is about 5 foot 5.... and I am about six foot 2..... 

We weren´t to similar on that last one. 

He is doing VERY WELL  though, Really progressing. He loves to teach and I am happy to say that we are having a lot of teaching opportunites. If we can´t find our investigators, there are always many less active members to teach. That seems to be one of our biggest struggles in this branch, retention. 

This week we had a few activities in the district. The most exciting one for me was a fireside for returned and potential missionaries. Many of the RM´s that were present had become less-active, which is a common trend here in Perú (at least in our mission) and I think that the district was hoping for their attendance more than anything. There was such a strong spirit! I feel so strongly that the Lord has a great love for those who have served him and wants them so badly to come back to full activity in the church. 

That is something that we will definitely work on. 

Elder Bengtzen is sitting here right by my side in this very moment! We live in the same house and it has been so great for the both of us. I am amazed at the man that he is. He is an example for me and for all of our district. Some of the patience that he has learned would have pushed many of us to our limits, but he has born it all with good cheer and a great love for his companions. In one of the activities that we had this week, he spoke about a few specific questions investigators and members had and did it extremely well. LATER he gave a talk in church when, on a whim the branch president asked him to give a talk in sacrament mtg. on the book of mormon. His parents should know that their son is an exemplary missionary and that I love the opportunity to be serving with him at this time. 

But.... what more would you expect from DISTRICT OLYMPUS anyway??!!! 

Elder Doxey and I are doing great here on our last stretch. In yet ANOTHER activity that we had this week (IDK what the district was thinking, we had many activities this week) Elder Doxey and I played and sang " he sent his son". He on the guitar and I was on the piano. It was a blast! Like the good old days in ensemble. Wish we had taken a video.... 

Well I love you all very much! Mommy, I´ll be thinking on that one. Not sure what to say to you yet. Remind me next week to respond. 

great photos that we took going to a waterfall. 

yes that is my comp

yes that is Elder Bengtzen

Yes those are bananas 

yes that is a 150 ft waterfall in the peruvian jungle

yes you are now, only a little jealous ;) 

So much love! 

Elder Neff