Charity. Los Chillos 12.14.15

HEY FAM!!

This week has been a lot of hard work and contacting.  We have found a lot of new people to teach which is exciting!  It has been interesting because a lot of these people have had mormon friends, or they knew someone that gave them a Book of Mormon... etc.  In fact, we found a family that had three books of mormon that their family members from the coast had given them.  Anyways this has helped me realize just how much it means to us missionaries when someone has had some type of positive contact with the church.  Seriously though, it makes our work so much easier!  People often make excuses not to share the gospel because the people they share with most likely "wont accept".  You know what?  they are probably right!  People most likely will not accept the gospel the first time they hear of it.  And probably not the second or third time either....however, i have seen that everytime they have some type of positive experience, related to the church of Jesus Christ, the Spirit will testify to them and soften ther heart.  Then, the next time they hear of it... they will remember that one positive experience they had, and be more willing to accept.  So... Be fearless!!  share the gospel with EVERYONE.  Live your life in a way that others will want to know the Christ whose name you wear on your heart.  Share, share, share the gospel.  Dont fear rejection. Simply do it.  In every way that you can.  It is a COMMANDMENT of The Lord, that we must follow.  And i know that if we all do, we can be wonderful instruments in The Lord´s hands.  

I have also been thinking about where my heart is. I have been trying to develop more charity. I was talking with my companion and we were realizing that someone who is charitable will always ask, "what can i give?" and then, after they have given much.... they will ask, "what MORE can i give?"  I feel that there have been many times where i have asked myself in my mission "What can i get from this"?  "How many baptisms can I have"?  How many new investigators could i have progressing this week"?  These questions are not unrighteous if our heart is in the right place as we ask them.  However, there are better questions that we can ask.  "How can i bless this family and help them change their lives"?  "How can i be a better instrument in the Lord´s hands, and accept His will for my mission"?  "How can i love these people more perfectly"?  "what MORE can i give"?  We have been asking ourselves this many times throughout this week.  What more can we give?  What more can we give to others, and more importantly, what more can we give to The Lord??  

I have learned that it is easy to love those that love you back.  Here in the mission it is easy to love those that accept our message and keep their commitments.  The challenge is learning to love others without expecting ANYTHING from them.  Christ knew that many would not accpet Him nor His atonement, yet He died for them anyways.  Because He knew and knows how to love perfectly. 

We are His hands here on earth.  There are many important things for us to do, but i feel that the most important among them is to love and serve God and His children.  

I am so infinitely grateful for my mission.  I love the work of The Lord.  

Hermana Neff 

Ok i forgot to share a funny thing that happened this week.  So we went to teach an investigator and she decided to show us how she kills her chickens..... So she took us out back to the chicken pen and lifted up every chicken to know which one was the chosen one to die.  Then she took us even further out back to the "machine."  When she said that we were going to the "machine" we thought it was like a guillotine type of thing.... turns out it was an aluminum cone stapled to a tree.  So she grabs the chicken and shoves the head through the cone, grabs her dull, rusty knife and SAWS the head off!  I think that must have been the slowest and most painful death for that poor chicken.  Five minutes later when we went back, the chicken was still there and her dog was licking the blood off its neck.  We decided that´s probably why we arent allowed to eat in the streets here in Ecuador.  

Have a great week!  Love you all! 

los chillos 12.7.15

My new comp!

HI FAM!!! 

This week has been soooo long and sooo good and i dont have much time again today so bear with me!  

Ok this Sunday was PERFECT.  It was stake conference and i was sitting there with my companion  when i looked outside in the hallway and saw FAMILIA SABANDO AND FAMILIA QUISHPE!!! We were all freaking out just so so so so happy!  And i got to see hermano mauricio quishpe get the priesthood which was SO SPECIAL!! I had no idea so i was literally shaking i was so happy to see them all.  I dont know if you guys remember them but they are two families that are so so special to me.  

Then after the conference i saw Christian Rosero!!! He is doing SO AWESOME.  Literally it just made me remember all the miracles i saw with these people here almost a year ago, and to see that they are still active and strong in the church was a huge huge blessing for me. And then on top of that i saw all of the members and less active etc. from selva alegre it was just so happy!  Such a happy day for me. 

And to top it off a family that we found on Thursday came to church!!  SUCH MIRACLES AND BLESSINGS!!  With Hermana McGill we are working so hard.  She is a really good missionary and we get along so well.  It has been weird being with a Gringa after almost a year of Latinas!  But i am getting used to and loving it.  

Really we have just been talking so much about how blessed we are to have served a mission.  I am learning SO MUCH!  I feel like these last few months have been pretty hard, bit really good for my personal growth, and now The Lord is giving us lots of miracles!  

The members of the ward are aweomse.  So so so helpful and always asking what THEY can do to help us.  I love Los Chillos!   

and i love you all!! Have a GREAT WEEK!!

Hermana Neff

guess where i am! 11.30.15

HI EVERYONE I HAVE NO TIME!!!!!

ok transfers..... i am no longer in riobamba.  i am BACK IN LOS CHILLOS!!!! I am so so so so so so happy you have nooooo idea.  So so EXCITED!!!  I am training a new hermana lider from UTAH Hermana McGill which is so exciting!  We are opening a sector called San Rafael so i am really just so happy and content.  

And we already had our first miracle!  We were walking over here to email and i saw a less active from one of my older sectors TAMBILLO.  And she gave us a reference of an hermana that is already in Alma of the BOM.... apparently missionaries taught her a long time ago.   So that was pretty cool!

Anyways i was really sad to leave Riobamba yesterday... there were a few tears shed....hahaha i came to love that place so so much )even though i wont miss the cold.  We saw miracles yesterday at church so i was a little bummed to be leaving at first,   But now i am so happy and excited to be back in Los Chillos!! 

Anyways i love you all soooo much.  Sorry i have no time but i hope you all have a WONDERFUL week.  

Hermana Neff 

11.23.15

{i am not actually sure if this is allowed...}

Hello family!  

first off... happy thankgiving this week and happy birthday BEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  i hope you have just the happiest birthday!  Are you 14 now??  

This week i dont have too much to share with you all.  Sorry!  We are working hard and finding lots of people to teach.  (lots of catholics)  And i am happy as always!  

This week we had interviews with President.  I think i was feeling a little doubtful of myself and my work.  He simply reminded me that the Savior is so patient with us! 

This transfer has been so great. Busy, but great. I have felt so so blessed to be with Hermana Peralta! I feel that when i have doubts and fears, she always knows EXACTLY what to say to me. I think that The Lord has answered a lot of my prayers through her. I think a lot of my doubts come from a fear that the work i have done here in the mission hasnt really made a difference, and then the question of have i truly been loosing myself in the service of God? I realized today that if i hadnt lost myself up until now, my mission would not have changed me for the better. And i feel so changed. And so incredibly greatful for what The Lord has taught me and what i know that He will surely teach me over the next few months. We truly find ourselves as we loose ourselves in the service of others. We are becoming disciples of Christ, and as we learn He is so aware of us and so incredibly patient. I am so infinitely grateful for His patience with me.

I copied and pasted what i wrote to the president this week so that you can understand a little better what i am feeling.  Really i just love and am so so grateful for the things that i am learning out here in the mission!  I will never be able to repay The Lord for all that He has given me.  

I hope that you all have a great week, remembering what you are grateful for.  We are so indebted to The Lord... sometimes it is overwhelming.  But He is so perfectly patient with us.  

I love you all so much.  

Hermana Neff 

tunguragua has been exploding all week...... 11.16.15

I wish i had more to say about this week!  There were some great moments and some harder moments too!  One of the harder moments was spending 4 hours in the sun with NO ONE to visit during divisions and getting terribly burned!  I have no idea what to do because even if i put sunscreen on, i still get burned! 

Our investigator that had a baptismal date for the 28th didnt come to church this week. I felt so sad and frustrated..... but i am trying to trust in The Lord and have faith that everything will work out!

We had divisions in Guaranda.  When i went two months ago to Guaranda, we found an investigator with Hermana Tello.  When i went this week, i had the opportunity to visit the same investigator and her and her chidren are getting baptized this week!  Such a sweet experience.  

I am doing GREAT.  Happy, content, and working!  

Oh please pray for our investigator Edwin. We are going to try to help accept baptism today so hopefully all goes well.  

Yesterday we watched the Restoration with some recent converts.  I love watching that movie because it reminds me of the sacrifices that the early saints of the church made and the power of the restoration.  We are so blessed to be a part of it.  

I LOVE YOU ALL!! 

have a happy week :)

Hermana Neff 

This is the oldest church in Ecuador!  I think it dates back to like 1582 or something like that..... 

CHIMBORAZO 11.9.15

Hi FAMILY!! 

First off.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDY MY ANGEL AND BEST FRIEND!!!!! I miss you and i am dead that you are 10 years old! I Love you!! 

Ok so this week we had a leadership conference.  It was so so special!  President Christensen used an example with two cups.  He filled one with water and the other with ice.... and he shared the example of how we all need to be like water, conformable, and willing to conform ourselves to the will of the Lord.  When ice needs to turn to water (in order to conform itself to the shape of the cup) it needs the sun.  It needs light.  In our lives it is no different.  When we need to change our hearts from "ice-cold" to moldeable "water"  we need our light source, which is the Savior.  Only through the Savior can we be changed.  I am so grateful for the many ways that He has changed me in my mission.  The other night i was just thinking about how after this mission i feel that i have not repayed The Lord for anything, but rather, i am much more indebted to Him than i was before.

Yesterday i had a special experience with Paty and Nicole our recent converts.  Paty has been sick the last two weeks so they hadnt been to church.  My companion and I have been visiting a little bit less because we have had to travel so much for divisions and leadership conference.  Anyways she said to me yesterday, "Hermana, i want to tell you something.  Today Nicole and i realized that we are never going to leave the church."  She proceeded to tell me that earlier that day,  they were getting ready to go to church.  She said that she didnt feel excited to go at all.  Thay she was confused and doubting, but that she got in the taxi and went with Nicole. In the taxi they talked about how they just simply didnt want to go to church, and how they had never felt this way about church before (obviously  the adversary..)  Anyways she said that after church they walked out and said that they felt so renewed and happy and excited and at peace.  I was so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven!  Who helped my recent converts learn a lesson that will help them remain actives in the church for the rest of their lives.  I testified to them that there have been many times in my life when i havent felt the desire to continue either, but every time that i do, The Lord helps me feel His love, and helps me know that He is proud of me.  And those feelings are enough to make want to remain active in His church always.  

So we are teaching the nephew of paty.  His name is Edwin.  We really have had such a hard time figuring out why he wont accept baptism.  This week we FOUND HIS ICEBERG!! Finally.  In the lesson he was telling me that he wanted to have more of an anwser. So i asked him what blessings he has recieved in his life since he started attending church and reading the book of moromon (he is almost to mosiah). He told me that he has seen many differneces and has felt a lot of peace.  I testified to him in that moment that he HAS recieved an answer from the spirit.  And then i asked him "so what ELSE is keeping you from being baptized?"  and he told us!  He is afraid to be baptized without his dad.  FINALLY he told us!   And all it took was a simple and direct question.... guided by the spirit.  

We are also working with a reference from a member with her two sons.  They came to church this Sunday so we are hoping to help them make it to baptism this transfer!  Her name is Rosario.  

Anyways i am happy.  Just content as you all know!  This week we have two divisions so it should be pretty busy!  

Oh and TODAY WE WENT TO MY FAVORITE VOLCANO IN THE WORLD CHIMBORAZO!!!!!  I was so happy because there was SNOW!! I havent seen snow in SOO LONG. 

 But i am burned now because we were at one of the highest points on earth.  Chimborazo is the highest point on earth that extends from the center of the earth... i dont know if that made sense... but it was SO FUN.  I LOVE ECUADOR!  I am so lucky.  

LOVE YOU ALL!! Have a grrrrreat week

Hermana Neff   

So we went to a little Pueblito called licto.  We went to visit a contact there.... but we called him when we got there and he said that he had gone to save all his animals from drowning because it was going to rain... so we took advantage and took some pictures. So beautiful.  

CHIMBORAZO!!!

Disciples 11.2.15

HEY EVERYONE!  

This week has consisted of..... COLADA MORADA.  And if you all remember from last year, i am obsessed with the colada morada. It is so so delicious! And wa was de pan!! 

Ok first off I am so grateful that Hermana Peralta is my companion!  We are having so much fun together and finding lots of new people to teach.  I learned this week in preach my gospel that the spirit will lead us to the people who are ready to hear the message of the restored gospel.  It doesnt say that he will lead us to only those that will be baptized, but EVERYONE that is ready to hear the message of the restored gospel.  I have felt that so much this week!  We have met so many people that arent married, that work on sundays, etc. etc.  who are waiting for their papers until next year who i will probably never see be baptized BUT i could feel and see in the lessons with them that they needed the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  What a blessing it is to be a missionary!

  

This week i especially loved this passage. I feel that The Lord has truly chastised me in certain moments throughout my mission, for which i am so grateful. Anways I looked at the footnote for"exercised" and it says "trained or disciplined"  I learned that to be a true DISCIPLE of Christ it takes DISCIPLINE!  I love what verse twelve says.  All the training, discipline, chastening that we will recieve in our lives is ultimately to make us better disciples of Jesus Christ.  It is to enable us to better "lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;"

 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

 12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

 

There is nothing better than just learning a sweet doctrine from the scriptures that we can apply in our lives! 

We had a halloween dance thing in a war this week.  It was fun.... and a little crazy.  Everyone dressed up and we had a contest for the best costume!  I love Latin America! 

i love the mission!

Hermana Neff