QUITO 10.7.14

HI!!!

Ok so I am in Ecuador safe and sound.  I have gotten about four hours of sleep in the last 30 hours, but I feel so good!  I had the great opportunity to ride to the chapel with the president and his wife.  I love them already!  They are amazing people!

DAD.  Quito is beautiful.  I am in awe and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to serve here.  Get onto LDS.org and watch the video in the church news (I think) called "called to serve."  It was filmed and the chapel I am emailing is in the video.... so Dad watch it and see if you recognize it!  The president said that this chapel was being constructed when he was a missionary.  It is the first chapel in Quito.  

I find out who my trainer is on Thursday.  Say lots of prayers for me!  I love you all very very much. 

Talk to you soon!

Hermana Neff

 

(me and the president and his wife)

CCM 10.6.14

Family!  

Ok so i get to send another email because i will miss my p-day this week which is such a blessing because i get to tell you all about my favorite parts of conference!!  Conference was amazing right?? 

I guess i will just share some general things with you that i learned

-SUSTAIN THE PROPHET! I love our beloved prophet Thomas S. Monson.  This also includes us sustaining ALL church leaders. 

-Kindness is powerful. We need to be a little kinder and loving towards everyone! 

-This was probably my favorite "self improvement over self contentment"  We can all make GOOD choices, but we should constantly be striving to make choices of excellence.  Making a good choice is making a choice of self contentment, a choice that is less than excellent.  Making the BEST choice, a choice of self improvement, is making a choice of excellence. 

-Have NO fear of men. Love all people, despite your differences with them (because perfect love casteth out all fear).  But do not lower your standard of choice because you fear them more than you fear God. 

-When we take the sacrament, we should consider how the grace of Jesus Christ can help us be better in the week to come! in this same talk Sister Esplin mentioned how Aaronic Priesthood holders represent Christ when they administer the sacrament.  When she said that i got a little emotional as i thought of Ben.  I am so proud of him and his wonderful example of Jesus Christ.  I love that boy!

-Dad, didn´t you like the talk about how the ward needs to be united in saving souls??  (by Chi Hong Wong)  You have the power to make this a reality in the seventh ward!  I have learned a lot this week in the MTC about how missionaries and ward members have to work together.  It is so exciting! 

-We bear the responsibility for our actions.  All of our life changes must be SELF-WILLED.  They cannot come in any other way.  And when we decide to make changes, i know that the Lord will help us.  

-Study the scriptures!! Gathering light is a life long search! We cannot ever learn everything the scriptures contain! It is so exciting that the Lord will reveal his eternal truths and doctrines to us if we will simply study them. 

-I love that Elder Uchtdorf said that our personal testimony of light will bless our posterity.  I thought a lot about Grandma Anderson and the many conversations we have had about the gospel.  Her testimony has truly bless my life! I also thought about Grandpa Neff and the many conversations we have had about missionary work.  They have also blessed my life.  Mom and Dad, your testimonies have strengthened me my whole life.   Thank you. i love you!

-Spiritual questions deserve spiritual answers. 

-What are we willing to give up to follow the Lord?

-Ask God how we can be charitable and generous.  He will guide us

-Look to God and live

-leave a rich legacy of faith for those who follow us

-live the gospel joyful 

-Walk the paths of Christ.  Be his disciple.  Walk AS he walked. 

-Ponder the path of your feet

-study the doctrine of Christ.  Live it and love it. 

-from time to time ask yourself what you can be doing better. avoid the small errors.  

-do family history work!

- How can our own personal ministries answer the prayers of others?? 

-SHARE THE GOSPEL!! YAY!! 

There is so much more! But those were my favorite points.  We are so so blessed to have living prophets who guide our church today! 

Ok so now.  I am leaving the CCM:

I will miss my district. so much. 

I will miss my teachers (probably the best teachers on planet earth)

I will miss the food (especially the fruit)

I will miss the amount of study time i have

I will miss mucho mango arizonas and access to peanut butter

I will miss Tuesday night devotionals and Sunday night movies.

I will miss so much about this beautiful place!  I have truly loved my time here.  But i am ready!  I am so ready to get to the mission field and start teaching.  Please pray for me. Next time we talk... i will be in Ecuador!  

CCM 10.2.14

FAMILY!! Como están my LOVERS!! 

So i leave the CCM on Monday.  My heart is a little bit sad as i think about leaving this place.  I have come to love my district so much.  The hermanas have become some of my best life long friends and it will be so hard to leave them.  There are 6 Elders going to Quito with me and my companion, but we havent met a single other sister going to Quito in our time here at the CCM!  So i think there are probably a lot of natives.  Which is so great!  

Today we went to the temple.  It is so beautiful.  I saw one of my friends from BYU at the visitors center! She is serving her mission in Mexico City right now!  It was so fun to be at the temple.  I am so grateful that families are forever because of the amazing covenants we make in the temple.  I am so happy to know that my family is forever and we will see all our loved ones again!

I am so excited for conference!  As we watch we should consider the Master´s hand in preparing the prophet´s and apostle´s message!  It is not their conference, but rather the Savior´s... and i know he directs it!  How cool is that!!

I am sorry but this week hasnt been too eventful!  We are just packing and enjoying our last few days with our amazing teachers (hermano chan and hermano hernandez) and with the district! My flight leaves at 2:55 AM tuesday morning and i have a layover in Columbiaat 6 AM.  Then i get to Ecuador at 10:30 Tuesday afternoon!  I am so so excited!  I have loved my time in Mexico.  I have learned a lot.  And i am ready to go apply this knowledge in the mission field! PRAY FOR ME!!

Also, if you guys have time i suggest you watch the devotional by David A. Bednar called The Character of Christ.  It is life-changing.  

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Neff

My companion and I in front of the temple

Me and my teachers

My district

CCM 9.25.14

Family! 

So i was just about to chastise all of you because i haven´t received a single letter during my time at the MTC, but today i got one!!  Sarah Evans aka angel from heaven wrote me the kindest letter that i really needed at this time!! Mom or Dad PLEASE tell her thank you thank you and that her letter meant so much to me!  And tell her i will write her back asap!  

I sent you guys a letter a couple weeks ago, have you gotten it yet? 

So something is going around the MTC.  Everyone has a cold.  I told my companion that if a zombie virus were to break out in the MTC everyone would either be eaten or infected within three minutes. Probably not the best comparison to make as a missionary, but seriously sickness spreads like wildfire here!  

So this week we walked outside one night and there was the most beautiful double rainbow i have ever seen in my life!  I was reminded of Noah and how God ALWAYS keeps his promises.  I will send pictures!

So my district made up a word.  It is borgadía.  It´s based off the Elder in my district (who reminds me of Uncle Mike) Elder Borg.  We walk around saying it to everyone pretending like it actually means something and it has started actually catching on.  All the Latinos look at us like we are insane, but the North American missionaries actually believe us.  We laugh and laugh and laugh.  I have been in tears on multiple occasions. Dont worry though, i have started telling people that it isnt a real word so they dont get into the mission field and start saying it... but boy is it funny!

I get my flight plans on Monday.  WOW.  I get my flight plans on Monday!  I am so so excited to go to Ecuador!  I leave a week from Tuesday which is crazy!  My time here has flown by!  It is such a wonderful place and i seriously have the best teachers in the world!  I love Mexico. It is really loud.  Cannons and gunshots go off all day every day, but it is definitely still a special place!  I will truly miss it! But don´t worry i still have a week and a half yet. 

My spanish is.... its getting there i guess.  I have learned a lot, but i still don´t know much!

My district and I read Enos this week.  Enos says "and my soul hungered" i found my self wondering, "what does my soul hunger for?" I think my soul hungers to be close to God.  To feel his love always.  When I sin, I become estranged from Heavenly Father.  When i repent, i am brought back to him and i receive grace (or enabling power) to stop sinning, and do good works-works that i normally could not do on my own.  So, with that reasoning, my soul hungers for repentance!!  Family.  We have the opportunity to be close to God all the time, all we have to do is repent!  What a blessing.  I am so weak, and the blessing to repent is seriously what keeps me going!  I pray every night for grace to do the works that God needs me to do, and although, i fall short... i have seen the BIGGEST difference in my life because of the atonement.  What a blessing that we can pray to the most powerful being, whenever we want, and about whatever we want.  

I pray for you all every night!  I do miss you, but i love being a missionary.  Never in my life have i had such a desire to change!  It feels so good. wow I just love it!! Love you all!  Next time i email will be my last p-day in the MTC! 

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Neff 

double rainbow (the picture does not do it justice)

Hello sunset in Mexico

Ok seriously.... MEXICO IS BEAUTIFUL!

Mom I took this for you... Magnum bar

Sister training leaders... Love them!

this little banana was so cute i had to take a picture 

CCM 9.18.14

MI FAMILIA!!!

WOW boy do i love you guys!  This week FLEW BY.  I love the CCM!! I love being a missionary.  

I just need to tell all of you that i have learned more things about myself in these last three weeks than ever before in my life!!  I am serious.  Heavenly Father is telling me new things every day that i need to work on.  And what i have realized is... I. am. weak.  I am so incredibly weak.  I can do NOTHING without my God.  I feel so much gratitude in my heart to him for helping me be better ever day.  

In these three weeks

i have never felt so incredibly close to my Savior.  I love him so much. 

I have never prayed so hard 

i have never studied this hard 

i have never been this impatient 

i have never seen so many flaws in myself

i have never felt so helpless

yet i have never felt so strong!

It is amazing because if three weeks in the mission field can do this for me, i cannot imagine what 18 months will do!  I love it. I love it. I LOVE it. 

I realize that while i am in the CCM.  God has been purging and purifying me.  I have realized that i need to turn to him with FULL purpose of heart. (see Acts11:23, Jacob 6:5, and John chapter 15)

Read all of John 15 it might be the greatest chapter ever!!  I have realized that although i love you guys so much, you aren´t my focus.  If i am to be an effective missionary you can´t be my focus.  At the beginning of this week, you were my focus.  I missed you all and i couldn´t stop worrying and thinking about you.  I prayed to know what i should do.  I got a very sweet witness that while i was on my mission, Heavenly Father would take good care of you all.  I felt so much peace and i truly felt in that moment that i could give my whole self to God for these 18 months.  I love him.  I often fall short because i am weak, but he helps my every day.  My whole heart and trust is with him.  And i am turning all my focus to missionary work, though i still pray for each one of you every night.  

Ok so on the fifteenth (Monday) it was Mexican Independence day!  My roommate Hermana Avila is Mexican and she was SO EXCITED!! But on Saturday and Sunday she was really sick.  She got a blessing from our District Leader and by monday she was back to normal!!  It was so cool to see!  The power of the priesthood is real everybody. 

So there´s this spider.  He lived outside our window for three weeks on a massive web and he was hideous.  

The following is my journal entry concerning this spider.  

"There is this spider outside our window and it is big and hairy and i hate it with all my heart.  I am so scared of it and i want it to die.  But Hermana Avila will not let me kill it... i told her and hermana hartzel to pray that the spider wouldn´t hurt us.  i am legit afraid of this spider. ew. it is so gross. hermana avila is mad at me beacuse i keep closing the window.  But i really am scared lol!  And Mexico is so LOUD right now! music and fireworks"

I am obviously a little scatter brained, but today while hermana avila was in the shower, hermana roach and i went outside and were squirting water on it and throwing things at it.  Finally an Elder came and killed it for us.  After three weeks of despising that wretched creature (it had all sorts of names.... Hades, satañas, el diablo) i felt a little sad, but oh well!  Now i can rest peacefully.  

sorry not too many pictures... time flies when you are having fun!

con mucho amor, 

hermana neff 

My best friends here. Love them all so much!

CCM 9.11.14

FAMILY!!!

ok first off.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON TUESDAY MOM!! I thought about you the whole day!  As i knelt down to say my nightly prayers i thanked my Heavenly Father for giving me such a great mom!  I realized just how selfless you are. Although you may experience trials in your own life, no one would ever know.... because you are always concerned about others.  I love you and am so grateful for you. 

This week has been GREAT. I LOVE THE CCM!!!!  I seriously love being a missionary.  I am so happy and peaceful all the time.  My spanish is actually coming!  I am starting to feel comfortable teaching a full lesson in spanish.  It´s crazy but the gift of tongues is real!  But more importantly the spirit is real, and he is always the true testifier! 

I really wish i could express to you guys just how much i love being a missionary. I love my district SO MUCH.  All day every day i am laughing. Like i am seriously giddy!  The Hermanas in my room are my best friends here.  We laugh all the time.  My companion, Hermana Roach, thinks she is black...haha.  My roommate Hermana Hartzel who i knew i would like from the first time i met her in the airport (because she wanted a Dr. Pepper almost as bad as i wanted a diet coke).  And Hermana Avila.  Hermana Avila is almost 21 so i call her mi abuela. I love them!  

We were sitting outside doing BOM study when one of the Elders in my district, Elder Borg, says "I think a bird just pooped on me."  Sure enough, a bird had pooped on him.  My district and I were CRYING!! It was so funny.  By the way. This Elder is like a way more dramatic and spastic version of uncle Mike.  Which always makes me laugh cause he did drama and wore cardigans and blazers in high school.... haha too funny. Hopefully Mike isn´t offended by that because i really do love this elder!

While i was teaching one of the lessons this week i gained a really cool witness about the plan of salvation.  I was telling my investigator that when my grandpa died i felt really sad, but that i was okay... because i knew that i could see him again.  I began to cry as i told my investigator how happy that knowledge makes me.  I love Grandpa Anderson and i know i will see him again! 

I am realizing just how much i love the scripture 1 Nephi 3:7.  I found myself wondering this week why i decided to be a missionary.  This scripture gives me my answer. 

                                                                I will go

                                                                I will do

                                                      Because I KNOW. 

I know that this church is true.  Where will you go and what will you do because you know that this gospel is what has made you happy.  

I was also reading in Alma 22:18

Read it and then ask yourself,

What are you willing to give up to know God?

I love you all so much, but please know that i am happy.  I am working hard and i am so happy!

con much amor, 

Hermana Neff

P.S. when we walk outside in the morning there are a billion mosquitos outside our door waiting for a feast... NO JOKE!! I hate them so bad. 

my view... i love mexico 

my district aka my favorite people on planet earth 

I drink these all the time

We love donuts!

haha how we tape our pictures up when we don´t have tape 

CCM 9.4.14

HI everyone!!! WOW this week has been crazy!! I don´t even know where to start.  I love Mexico City.  It is super cool and wayyy different from America!  The CCM is beautiful and really nice.  The FOOD.  I LOVE IT!! So spicy, so delicious, and they have the best cantaloupe i have ever had in my life.  I eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner along with a pear or a peach.  I am eating a lot of fruit here! 

My district and is the best.  I seriously love them so much!  The Hermanas in my district have already become my best friends.  I get along with them so well! My companion is Hermana Roach.  She is from Hillary´s mission.... Indiana Indianapolis and she is going to Ecuador Quito. Just like me!!!  I LOVE HER!!  She also went to BYU and lived in Hinckley hall.... so we have a lot to talk about!

Ok so the first few days here were actually really hard. We got here on Wednesday, started classes and meetings on thursday, and then taught our first lesson in spanish on friday.  Me and my companion were a train wreck for our first lesson.  Here´s the thing, she took 5 years of German ( yes GERMAN) before now so she doesn´t know any spanish.  And i know basically nothing so it was a struggle!  For our first two lessons in spanish we read everything. The third lesson i took a leap of faith and decided to go off my notes.  It ended up being such a good idea!!  Hermana Roach and I felt the spirit and were prompted to say certain things . We were able to teach by the spirit even in my broken spanish and her german accent! We ran out of that lesson so happy because our investigator accepted baptism!  We made sure to say a prayer of thanks.  The fourth lesson went even better. 

Everyone. Spanish is HARD. The mission is HARD.  But God is helping me!  This week he sent me so many tender mercies.  My second day was really hard. My district leader came up to me and gave me a letter, which was surprising because i didn´t think letters could get here that fast.  Well, they can´t.  Ben Smith left the CCM the week before i got here and he made sure to leave a letter for me before he left.  It was just what i needed!! I love him!

I´ve realized while being here at the CCM that..... 

yes the language is important 

yes the doctrine is important 

yes being confident is important 

BUT. 

Heavenly Father has helped me realize that the three most important things to make you a good missionary are faith, hope, and charity.  This week the spirit testified to me that these are the most important attributes i need to be developing at this time.  

D&C4:5

and faith, hope, charity, and love with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. 

I love you all so much! And i LOVE being a missionary.  

Hermana Neff 

Pics:

almost to the CCM.... YAY! 

OLY friends and BYU friends! 

MOM THANK YOU FOR THE LITTLE BAG IN MY PACKAGE!  I already ate the first two heath bars and i don´t think the third will last through the day.. i love you so much.