CUSCO 10.18.13

The other day, I made a big realization.  I have never been happier. Really never been happier in my whole entire life. I am realizing the blessings that come from service and faithful dedication to the work of salvation... its not what I expected it to be, but it is really even better. 

I thought that the happiness you felt as a missionary would be smiles on your face, perfect teaching situations and baptizing MILLIONS! haha, but thats not it! Its personal peace mom. It is feeling clean from your sins and helping others to do the same, the best that you can. 

And the other part is this strong desire growing in me to always, always serve the lord and make that my main priority for my whole life! I understand very well that most of that work will be done with my own family, but sometimes I get scared thinking about the end of my mission because I will miss this oportunity so much. Its not that I dont want the mission to end, I know very well that it will. But I don´t want to stop serving the Lord. Ever. Period. That is what makes me happy right now. So that is my ulitmate goal for when I get home.- 

I miss the family, very very much. Some times it has been difficult... a lot of times actually haha. But I love you all and think about you often. 

Much love 

Elder Sam Neff

CUSCO 10.15.13

Ok mom and dad.... conference thoughts!!!

first of all, a little frustrated because I took a lot of notes and am not sure where my journal is where I wrote them all down, but I will give you all my thoughts from what I can remember.

Mom I loved your comments on the priesthood and honestly I had NO idea about that woman´s movement. What a shame. Someone who thinks they can change the Lord´s mind through a  protest... doesn´t understand revelation. And how sad because I feel like their worry comes from the fact that they haven´t even taken the time to really understand what the priesthood is, and that it is our unique oportunity to serve as men... President always talks about this.... and how he believes that men need the priesthood, it is the "program" that helps us learn how to be servicial... something that woman have before they even come to this earth. More and more everyday I realize the great blessing it is to hold the priesthood and help spread those blessings specific to the priesthood in Cusco Perú.

And all I´m saying is that men aren´t going around looking for the way to have kids.... well, I haven´t been home for quite awhile so I hope that the world hasn´t gone that far down hill since I left.

Some things from conference that really impacted me were Elder Richard G. Scott´s talk about  the power of the atonement for us personally and guarding ourselves from past problems.  Also Elder Ballard´s talk about just opening our mouths to preach the gospel... that has affected me a lot, and I have been making extra efforts to open my mouth this week.

More than anything after conference my desire to be a faithful follower of Christ is always strengthened... but this time it felt so distinct.  I felt the importance of this faithfulness in my calling as a missionary, and in all of the challenges we will face in these last days. I can´t imagine many of the difficulties that we will need to face.  I think the most valuable lesson of my mission has been realizing that being faithful to the Lord is all that matters. I feel good as I make good decisions... and that never has to end. It will be especially important as the world continues to move farther and farther away from the principles of the gospel... we don´t have to "hacerles caso!"

The mission has been a tough experience... but I think that the other day, I realized why that was so important.  I don´t think that my mission would be any good to me if it had not been so hard. The Lord had to teach me, I think, that he needs me to love him more than anything else.

The calling may not be that easy, but its my calling, and callings rarely are convenient.

Mom and Dad your examples have been soooooo good to me, when I read about Dad in mtgs all sunday and Mom juggling the lives of 7 children 1 grandkid and working at the  highschool.  I think about how we are all doing something for the kingdom of god.  It makes me happy :)

I am going to be honest. I´m not sure what days I will be writing but Ill try my best to make it constant!

Love you all :)

Elder Neff

CUSCO 10.5.13

Mom and Dad, I am a little tired. We just got back from a work visit to Ollantaytambo, which is about an hour and a half from where I am serving right now in Cusco. We went to go and check on the Elders there and see how they were doing . 

Olllantaytambo is a little tourist town and is part of the valle sagrado zone. We went to go and get a feel for how the elders there are doing and how the work is going. When we got there I was really quite impressed with the elders, I couldn´t believe the amount of challenges that they were facing. Look it up on google earth, ollantaytambo is a little tourist town, that probably exceeds the population of actual inhabitants everyday the amount of tourists that come through to see the ruins or take the train to machu picchu. 

We went to the rescue! I hope that you have read the first presidency message for this month. It was a wonderful experience and we also found them a few new investigators, which is really difficult to do in such a small town. 

Earlier this week we went to Juliaca to have the zone conference and interviews with president. We were able to do a training mtg with the missionaries and it was such a great experience.... the interviews seem to be taking quite a long time with president harbertson as he is trying to get to know better the missionaries. We talked a lot about the importance of preach my gospel and how the missionareis should use it as a tool to help them be better prepared. We also talked a lot about ward council, and how it is the connecting moment between the missionaries and members to coordinate the work of salvation! 

I know that I am sending this right as conference is starting, I am about to go and watch it. I love you all so much! and hope that you have a wonderful conference experience! 

Love you

Elder Neff

CUSCO 9.23.13

I am going to write you all more tomorrow.... I was having P-day but now I have to go and help a companionship in another zone.... kind of an emergency so I have to get going here pretty soon. What I do want to do is give you some pics of my trip to the real JUNGLE. It was amazing and I had so many great experiences that I will tell tomorrow... for now just a spiritual thought. 

 Read a talk from Elder Holland from the Ensign of last month about the difference between justice and mercy, freedomand captivity.... it made me reflect so much about my time as a missionary, and howthe greatest blessing has been my understanding of the importance of the commandments. My whole concept has changed of my relation of my Heavenly Father and of what he expects of me... every day things are getting better because I am trying to give myself more and more to him. 

President has talked to me a few timesabout how when I go home, if I haven´t changed, I have missed  the whole point.... I have realized that as I try to change, I am learning more, understanding people better.... the whole gospel of Jesus Christ has taken on a new meaning in my heart that I never ever want to lose. 

And that means that these changes have to be permanent. And I know that it might be a little hard to always do, but its my new goal forevor and always!!! 

I love you more tomorrow,

Elder Neff

CUSCO 9.16.13

Well hello my family!!!!!! How are all of you!? I got a letter from quite a few of you so I assume that everything is going really really great! I am doing great as well :) 

Ok, so as you can see I sent you a boatload of photos! We went to Quillabamba this week and were able to have a training mtg with the missionaries and do a work visit with the zone leaders. I was able to have a great visit with my old companion from the CCM, Elder NOLAN!  I was more than excited to have that oportunity.  

The trip to Quillabamba in itself was quite the adventure, going up to over 4000 meters and then dropping down quickly into a valley at 1000 where it is basically the " seja de selva" o sea, eyebrow of the jungle was quite chevere. 

The work visit with Elder Nolan was so great. It was such a cool moment to remember how we had taught together in the CCM knowing hardly a lick of spanish and then having this oportunity about a year later to see how far we had come. He is a wonderful missionary and am so glad that he is trying so hard to help the missionaries in Quillabamba. 

Mom I read the newsflash about elder Cook in Perú and I couldn´t help but think about what his reaction would have been to visit Quillabamba. It is a small district with three branches and a family group.... i feel like the area could just explode with a little more leadership and a good focus on reactivation as well as teaching non members. A city where 600 people are more or less "active" and there are over 3000 people registered as baptized on the records of the church. I believe it is time to rescue! And while we were there we talked a good while about all of that. I hope the missionaries can embrace the new focus of the work of salvation and be able to find even purpose in this new type of focus. 

As for me and my companion we are doing sooo great! Elder Castro is from Lima and he is the kindest person. I can´t believe how much he has served me in just the few short weeks we have been companions. I hope to learn so much from him and I am assuming that we could be companions for a good little while. I expect to enjoy every minute of it! 

I love you all soooooooooo much. I feel blessed more and more everyday for my service. I am getting off now trying to be more obedient with the time rules.  But I cannot believe how much has been able to change in such a short time of my life. 

Loves

Elder Neff

CUSCO 9.10.13

Great week. here are some of the great things that happened. 

We taught the first lesson to a member family and their two nieces who are not members. (references;)  It has been a great experience teaching member references. Can you imagine the difference between someone who is surprised with missionaries on their door step and with someone who has been carefully prepared by members to recieve the gospel! It is a very big difference. 

We explained the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them, and I think few times in my mission a lesson has gone to smoothly. It was great to take a moment just to think and realize that the Lord has given me such a blessing to learn and understand the language, and I feel so good being able to express myself easily to explain the gospel. 

The two investigators had already seen the video of the restoration of the gospel, but I felt the need to go over again the first vision, and tell the experience of joseph smith looking for the true church. 

As I was finishing telling the acccount of the first vision, I felt the strong impression to look into one of the investigators eyes until I finished speaking. I was on the part of "one of them spake unto me calling me by name..... ) so I felt like I still had a ways to go before I finished the lesson. BUT I KEPT EYE CONTACT, I listened to the spirit and it was the right thing to do (its always the right thing to do) she looked intently into my eyes too and i know she felt the spirit.... she seemed to be affected after I told the acount and the rest of the lesson was much more receptive to what we taught. 

Well.... tomorrow we are traveling. It is and exciting but difficult part of being an assistant. Pray for my investigators while I am gone from cusco because I get back on Saturday and they need to read the Book of Mormon! 

I love you all so much, and will talk to you soon! 

Elder Neff

Pics of the trip to pisac.

CUSCO 9.2.13

CRAZY!!!! week! but so rewarding. The visit that we had from Elder Grow was something else and I am so happy that we recieved such a great blessing.

He talked about many important things, among them how we need to change our focus from just missionary work to, the work of salvation. It was explained to us many times how important it will be for us to take care of less actives and recent converts.

The whole week was spent with many mtgs and for me SO MANY different things to learn... honestly a little stressed and I am going to enjoy this p-day tooooooooo much! haha, but I love you all, Im sorry the letter will be better next week.

Closing thought, Elder Grow said something very special, he said that this moment in the history of the church is a moment tan significante (sorry I can never think in english) as the first vision, or as the restoration of the church, the priesthood etc. and that everyone will look at this moment and say " that is when everything changed!"

Can you believe this? What a blessing we have to be at the forefront of this great change.

I love you all! Que el señor les bendiga

Elder Neff