2.25.14

OK... I wouldn´t have been 100% honest if I told you that I was given the big news today when I entered into my email, let me tell you all how they spilled the beans...

Yesterday was not P-day for the office, we were all minding our own business when a few elders came in from the Urcos branch to pick up some materials. Elder Jara is a good friend of mine and he came in to the office telling us about p-day and what there plans were for the day. All of the sudden, he looks at me and says " oh! y el papa de elder neff es el nuevo obispo de su barrio!" I was so dumbfounded! I was like, What? how do you even know that? And then all the pieces of the puzzle started to fall in place... I thought about E. Wagner and how he is currently serving in Urcos (doing very well by the way) and how his grandparents live in our ward. All of the sudden it clicked (meaning I realized it was possible that Elder Jara was right and that Dad really was the new bishop) In this moment I started to express my suprise and excitement walking around the office saying " Mi papa es el nuevo obispo! Mi papa es el nuevo obispo!" And I said it so many times that the elderes started to get a little bothered and before I could repeat the phrase they were saying "si elder neff sabemos que su papa es el nuevo obispo, muy bien!" It was so funny. Honestly a really neat surprise. 

I jumped on today just to give you that quick update... we are a little overloaded this change.... Sometimes I feel like there are a million things to do here in the office that when there is any free time and I have a minute to relax its hardly possible... but I am happy and healthy :) everything is so good. 

Eden its a good thing you mentioned me while you were a little out of it.... good to know that you miss me ;) 

ANDY GREAT SONG YOUR A PRODIGIE! 

Dad, I am so grateful for the blessings that the Lord is pouring out over the family. I feel the spirit really strongly as I write this, knowing that you were prepared for this and that the Lord is so pleased with the way that you and Mom have raised us and the example that you have set for us. I am so grateful for that personally. I know that you will do a wonderful job looking out for the ward and being a blessings in the lives of all of the members. Even though I will only be home for one month, I am 100% manos a la obra! I love you and Mom and am praying for you every day. Thank you for being the best parents that any missionary could ask for :)

With much love,

Elder Neff

CUSCO 2.14.14

Thank you so much for the letters. I always appreciate a good update from home and to know about the little things that are going on. They come to be pretty exciting when you are so far away. 

I loved the snipit about ben and andy. I know they love me... but perhaps I never knew the impact that me being a missionary would have on them. 

I really want to stay, because I feel like the mission has been the best thing that has every happened to me after my family. I really feel that way. Which was my main goal that I had when I started. I wanted to learn how to love my heavenly father more than anything else... and I wanted to show that love through service and have that big change of heart that everyone talks about. I feel like I have done the very best that I can and... honestly I have all confidence that the Lord will help me keep progressing and learning after my mission. 

I am really starting to learn how to let go, be humble and let the Lord´s will step in to help me to make decisions. Honestly on this decision. I felt like he was pleased with either of the dates to come home, (after all, that was an option that everyone of us recieved.... meaning that either one was acceptable) and that the decision would be left up to me. I was rather fearful of going home 3 weeks early... thinking that it would in some way imply that I wasn´t as dedicated to the work, or that I wanted to get out of here sooner or something. It certainly has nothing to do with that... I will think about it a little longer and let you know what I think next week. Sometimes in life, we just need to make a decision and go with it! The Lord isn´t going to command us in all things. 

We started a new way of doing interviews this week. My companion and I checked agendas and area books while President did interviews and Sister Harbertson helped the latin elders get a jump start on their english studies. It was a huge success. We were pretty lax on our usage of agendas and area books, it was interesting for me to think about how important it was for the missionary department to have us use these materials... they have spent probably millions of dollars over the years so that we can use these tools to help us in the work. We are trying to go and help all the missionaries in the mission to know how to use them, and motivate them by explainig how much it will contribute to the work. 

We have had a couple of difficult situations with our investigators these past few weeks. President is going to come to a lesson with us with Carlos and Tania. I am very hopeful that his influence will help them to resolve some of their marital issues.... we aren´t marriage councilers... but I am confident that comprension of gospel principles will help any person solve their problems... so we are fitting the part pretty well actualy ;) 

Love you all so much!

 

Ben and Andy I really love you. Don´t worry, I´ll be home really soon. Just hang tight there a little longer :)

Elder Neff

CUSCO. 1.31.14

Man, there are too many things that happen that I feel the need to write about! Ill try to get at least a little of it in....

I have had a great week and a half with my companion. We were with president and finished up the last few sets of zone conferen uillabamba, Valle Sagrado, Abancay and Andahuaylas.  Now, next week we have changes and then we are in preparation for the next change, nos toca entrevistas!

This week, I had a funny experience and a SUPER spiritual experience which one would you like to hear first?

Ok funny.

So we went to the quillabamba bus terminal to send of some packages with materials that the zone leaders needed. Well, we were there waiting for them to fill out a few papers when all of the sudden a lady came in to the terminal with a few suitcases and her children. It seems like the bus terminal was having very little business that day because all of the ladies representing the different bus companies began to yell, casera casera! (which I have always assumed means like frequent buyer, or the "regulars" that come to buy from a store.) Well she was obviously NOT  a frequent buyer as I saw the startled look on her face and her two kids. I watched in awe as the ladies came from the two bus companies and began a struggleto see who could get them to come to buy a ticket from their company... literally a struggle. One group of ladies managed to get a hold of the mom and one suitcase while the other company got a hold of the two kids and the other suitcase. I could hardly believe what was happening! They obligated the family to use two different buses! It was honestly the most bizarre thing that I have ever seen, I even yelled out and told them to stop but... it was really to late. At least the two buses were going to the same place......

Spiritual and uplifting now. We had a lesson with Carlos and his wife tania. Tania is a member but carlos isn´t... he has quite a few concerns about the church and some of the stories that are related to the restoration. We decided to teach the plan of salvation and base our teachings 100% in scriptures from the BOM.  It worked so well! At the end of the lesson I felt the need to tell him to read moroni 10:4 and 5. He expressed to us how we had often told him to pray to recieve an answer, but that he had never really had this great feeling or comprehension that this set us apart from all the other religions.... cool!

Love you all so much!

Elder Neff.

CUSCO 1.18.14

I am getting so much better at writting in my journal and that is a big help for me. I feel like I am more open to revelation because I am showing the Lord that I appreciate the spiritual experiences that he is giving me.  That has kinda been my theme this week, making an active effort to listen to the promptings of the spirit, which is so important, and sometimes I am ashamed to say that I get a little caught up in the daily tasks and forget a little to make an active effort to listen to the spirit. 

Yesterday we went to visit a less active women who lives up " en el punto del cerro" (on the top of the mountain) that is on the back side of our sector... well she doesn´t really live at the very top but, it is still a nice little hike. (although beleive me there are plenty of people that decided to build their house on the top of the mountain and it is always a joy trying to find your way up there). Anyway, we arrived at her house and she invited her daughter (member) and her daughters boyfriend (not a member) to meet with us as well. We practically turned our lesson into a " how to begin teaching session" to help This young man Cesar understand our purpose as missionaries. He was a little hesitant at first, but the moment that we began to teach him a little about the restoration of the gospel a beautiful spirit filled the room.  I was a little stunned, not because feeling the spirit is unfamilar, but because it came on a lot stronger than I expected. I felt a distinct impression to make sure that Cesar gave the closing prayer.  That was a surprising prompting because Cesar was barely participating, let alone volunteering to give the closing prayer. Well, I put my fears to one side and followed the prompting of the spirit. It was an awkward prayer, a little clumsy and a little uncomfortable because I insisted a little so that he would give it. But, a good feeling of confirmation came over me that I had done the right thing... maybe even like a little " I told you so" As I saw that he was pretty satisfied for having given the prayer. 

So, we just gotta trust in the spirit. It will always lead us to good. Honestly, as I come closer to the end of my mission, I realize more and more just how much the lord has blessed me in his work. I have been far from a perfect missionary... but perhaps I was rather hard on myself.  Today, as we traveled to a fun ruin sight in valle sagrado (pictures attached) I was talking to my good friend Elder Bentsen (not Jake Bengtzen... although I saw him about a week ago in puno and he is doing dandy, let his parents know!) and he told me something that was very significant. ( Mom and Dad I don´t want to toot my own horn so if you think this is too braggy for the blog take it off) He told me, " I don´t know if you realize just how many people look up to you, I heard all about you even before I had met you. Everyone told me that you were just a kind good missionary." It hit me so hard. I felt the spirit. I am grateful for that good feeling that basically let me know that, I have met the Lord´s expectations for me, and that is all of the satisfaction I need to know that I have done my best in serving him during my full-time mission. 

There is still so much to go! And I am grateful for it. I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Elder Neff

If you can´t tell these brown things are inca salt mines... the Incas are the Bomb I can´t even believe it. In another life if I could have been any type of Native American I would have been an incan. Hands down.

CUSCO 1.3.14

Dear Family!

This week was a full one, full of changes and mission council. I think we are all a little grateful for some P-Day time. President is even going to take a P-Day, he hardly ever takes P-Days, and this is definitely well deserved. We´ll have to see if he makes it down from the mission home to play a "pichangita" (little soccer match) with us later.

Firstly it was really exciting to have all of the new missionaries come in. Lots of Hermanas and few Elderes. Something interesting about this group, lots of the missionaries were a little older, they seemed to be very mature and this was nice considering the fact that past groups have been a little harder to deal with.

We take them for a "mini" tour around the center of cusco before we get to the mission home to have their first training and interview with president. When we get to the mission home we normally give them a short time to explain who they are and where they are from... the short time turned into a full testimony mtg. and it was really something special. They were all so eager to share their testimonies! So eager to be missionaries! Which was neat to see from this group of new elders and sisters. They all had unique stories about how they had gotten to the mission, and most of them included a lot of sacrifice.

Later this week we had a training mtg for new mission leaders. And yesterday we had a mission council in the mission home. We talked about a lot of things, one of them is a new booklet that he church has provided all the missions with titled "adjusting to mission life" Which really is a great help, such a good reminder that missionary week is stressful, but that there are ways to manage it!

What else can I say? Not so sure! I know its not that exciting what I have to say sometimes, it really is always an adventure, I think you sometimes just have to be here.

Have a wonderful week!

Elder Neff

CUSCO 12.9.13

Wow... it just got so real seeing my best buds in the airport! I am so proud of them and grateful for their good example. See you all in six months!

We have had some great experiences this past week... sorry I couldn´t get to you last week. I was kind of frustrated when the people who do maintenence in the chapel where we have the mission office came in to shut of the internet for the whole afternoon and fix it. Sorry you didn´t recieve an email last week!

The next day, we traveled to Abancay and then to Andahuaylas. Wow, what a beautiful trip. I am always amazed at the beautiful sights to see as we travel throughout the mission. don´t worry, Sister Harbertson took oodles of great photos and  I am sure that we are going to get them soon.

Ryan needs to tell me in what part of Abancay he worked in! I met some great remembers and some of the men from the district presidency mentioned that they remembered and Elder Brunt from a while back. The whole city is just a GIANT HILL. We had a great zone conference with the Elders and sisters. They seemed very excited to get a visit from their mission President. This has been one of the great dificulties in our mission, it is so hard to get out to many of the areas where the missionaries are serving... if you were to travel from one extreme of the mission to the other it would take you more than one day! And not even that... puerto is an other great challenge, luckily we drop the big bucks on a plane ticket and can get there rather easily.

We are also having a small Christmas program with the Elders. It has been such a spiritual experience for the Elders and I am very grateful that they have that chance to have a special christmas mtg. President and I do a musical # for the missionaries. Have you heard the song Still, Still, Still as done by the piano Guys? President plays the piano and I do the ooo´s ;) Its pretty great.

We have an investigator who is ready for her baptismal date on the 14th of December! I think that I have learned a wonderful lesson with this investigator. Her name is Danitza, and she is perhaps the most prepared person I have ever met for baptism. She is so ready. Someone who has investigated the church for an extended period of time and, wow, the experience shows. I am grateful that the Lord has given us such great oportunities to do good in our own area of prosyliting as well as help missionaries throughout the mission.

Elder Neff

CUSCO. 12.20.13

Sister Habertson sent us these photos a few days ago from when they were in Viaje a Puno. Sam says that although all this travel is tiring, he loves seeing all the missionaries and sharing experiences with them.