Amabato 6.15.15

Well I am staying in Ambato! It was such a surprise but such a blessing! I finished Hermana Maldonados training.  She is now training in Quito and guess what,I AM TRAINING AGAIN!! its my third time so we will see how it goes!  

Right now i am with Hermana Molina which has been soooo fun!  She is training too so i have lots of posterity (or we say grand daughters jajaja).  It has been so so fun to be with her and remember the good times we had in tambillo!   

We had a baptism this week.  Senaida was baptized and it was such a special baptism.  We sang with the elders from our district and made cake to give to the members after.  We really love Senaida and it has been a blessing to teach her!  

I feel so grateful for these last two transfers.  I have learned so much!  Traning has been hard, but really a blessing and i am grateful for the opportunity to train once again!  I want to let you all know how much the Lord loves you all.  I feel his love for me and for all of you. I feel the love He has for the people in Ecuador and i am so so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission here.  I dont want this time as a missionary to ever end.  

I love you all so much!  

Hermana Neff 

Miracles 6.8.15

HELLO!! 

Ok so first im just gonna jumpr straight to the miracle we had!  We are teaching Senaida and we didnt know if we were going to see her baptism this week because she works on Sundays.  But the Lord blessed her and she was able to get her turns switched!  It was such a blessing and i am so grateful to have had the opportunity to teach her.  

This week i had a special experience.  We were teaching a recent convert who has lots of head pains that really worry her.  I watched her on Saturday as she explained to us that she is going to get some examens to see what happens. She told us that she wasnt afraid.  She explained how she knelt down before God and told hime "father in heaven, whatever you give me... i will accept it.  And i will accept it happily."  It was such a testimony builder for me, that someone who has so little, is willing to accept such a challenge, and accept it happily.  

I had the opportunity to talk with an investigator this week about forgiveness.  My companion was sitting at the table and talking to Jolanda and i was talkiing to her husband Raul.  After teaching them they offered us bread but i was fasting and my comp cant so she just ate.  Ok anyways so he was talking with me and all of the sudden he asks me, "How can God forgive me after all of the bad things i have done?"  It was sweet to be able to testify of the atonement and how it has blessed me in my life.  How i had been able to feel the love of the Lord in my life, and His forgiveness.  We had taught him about this before, but he still needed reassurance.  It was a sweet experience.  

I have been reading a lot of the general conference talks this week and i am just so grateful for living prophets, and for the blessing of the gospel in our lives!! 

Love you all so much! Have an excellent week.  Dont forget to read the Book of Mormon, EVERY DAY! 

Hermana Neff 

Ambato 6.1.15

Hola mis queridos!  

How is everyone? I am doing well!  

So this week was HARD.  I am not gonna lie.  My companion was really sick and we found out on wednesday that she has a bacteria.  So that was a little discouraging.  And a lot of the people that we have been teaching really dont want to progress.  So we are looking for lots of new people!  We have been blessed to teach Rosalina and Senaida.  They are two sisters who are going to get baptized next week.  So we are excited for that!  The Lord has been blessing us and giving us miracles-even through all of the difficulties. 

This week my testimony of humble prayer was strengthened.  I knelt before Him in truly humble prayer and He helped me realized a lot of things that i need to change, as a missionary and a person in general. .  I am so grateful for the many moments we have in our missions to feel the love that God has for us. I have truly felt his love and light.  I know that it is infinite.  I know that His grace is sufficient and personal-according to our needs and weaknesses.  I know that He will always love us and forgive us, even though we are so weak snd maybe undeserving.  

I love what Elder Ringwood of the seventy said in this last general conference.  "The service that counts most is usually recognized by God alone"

I love Him and i want to serve him.  ahora y siempre.  

les quiero! 

Hermana Neff 

Ambato 5.25.15

hola chicos y chicas 

HOW ARE YOU ALL!!  I am doing great.  This has been another weird week.  I will explain all ahoríta mismo.  

So monday and tuesday and wedenesday were normal, but on thursday my companion was really sick so we hardly worked.  Then on Friday the ward sort of left an activity to us and we had to plan it all... so we were in the church almost all day.   My comp and i made dulce de leche with pancakes and the ward LOVED IT!  It actually ended up being a really good activity and a lot of people came.  That night i was talking with my companion.  We were talking about what we feel like we have been able to do in this area.  We havent had too many baptisms, and we havent had a lot of sucess with investigators coming to church.  But we have seen MIRACLES with the ward.  When we got here the ward was really struggling with attendance, organization, and general love between members.  We have been able to see a complete transformation, which it such a blessing.  I dont know why The Lord sent me here at this time, but i know that is a reason.... and i am working to do everything i can to be better.  I was reading in Enos this week about the records or in other words, the scriptures.  At this time, the Lamanites were not ready to recieve the records, but Enos prayed that the Lord would preserve them so that one day they would accept them.

 15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith,believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.

 16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.

The Lord covenanted to bring the records in HIS DUE TIME.  (aka not mine)  This is sometimes hard for me to accept, the Lord´s timing, His will.  

So we are teaching Senaida right now.  She is 18 years old and SO PREPARED!! Her brothers are members, right now but she never joined the church.  She accepted a baptismal date for June 6th so we´ll see what happens.  I really really love her.  

Another thing that i was reading in Enos this week.  

26 And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world.

I love that it says that he declared the truth and "rejoiced in it above that of the world."  Sometimes i get caught up in the world.  I worry about numbers, what my leaders think of me, and my own talents and abilities.  I forget to trust completely and 100% in the Lord.  And my desire for praise of the world (or other missionaries) comes before the love i have for The Lord, and the Love and pride i want him to feel for me and my work as a missionary.  He is teaching me so much.  I love Him.

Another scriptural inspiration this week.  

 11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me.

As i read this i asked myself "why has the Lord preserved me?"  And why has he preserved every one of you?  It is to serve those around us with all our might, mind, and strenth.  Do not forget that.  

I love you all so much!  I hope you have an excellent week!   Serve and love everyone around you!  

Hermana Neff

AMBATO 5.18.15

HOLA! 

Ok so this week was good and hard.  We are working super hard and we have so many investigators!  Which has been fun... we are just having troubles helping them progress!  

We went with the bishop and the other Elderes in our district to contact in a place called Pasa.  It is literally the mountains!  As we were driving up i was noticing that in this place they didnt have any type of like super market, but when we got to the top we found a HUGE catholic church.  Of course.  I made a comment the the bishop about how of course they put a giant catholic church where there isnt even places to buy food.... ok it probably is funnier in spanish but  anyways.... they are a really humble people and we had fun contacting there!  

So we have been having problems with our investigators coming to church.  We have contacted contacted and contacted and found A LOT of people to teach, but they just dont come to church!  So on Saturday we stopped by EVERY investigators house.  And we have about 30 right now.  So we walked all day and were so tired, but we felt and knew that we had done our part and that The Lord would bless us... but yesterday no one came to church!  We were feeling a little discouraged because we have been working so hard!  But I have been doing a self evaluation to see if there in something that I am doing that is maybe keeping us from sucess.  However, in all honesty i just feel like the Lord is testing us, and thats ok.  We are learning and pressing forward!  

Sorry it has been such a busy and crazy week and in my brain i am trying to remember everything we did and its just all a blur... jaja lo siento

TODAY WE LARPED AGAIN!!  I dont know if you remember but the missionary that taught our zone how to larp about 6 months ago is now my district leader, so i naturally begged him to teach us how to larp again.  We also made completo which are these delicious hot dog things that they make in chile.  I am learning how to make a lot of yummy things that i will cook for you all when i come home.. get excited! 

Sorry this is all over the place!  But as a final thought I got to speak in church again this week.  Dont worry the bishop warned be this time (even though it was only the day before).  I talked about the Book of Mormon and i couldnt help but cry as i testified of the truthfullness of this book.  It is such a blessing to know that all of the doctrines necessary for our salvation our found in this book.  I love it and i know that it is true.  

I LOVE YOU ALL!  Have a happy, hard working, love filled week!

Hermana Neff