Heeeeyyyy! whats
up family! hope everyone had a good of a Christmas as I had! It was really nice
talking to you guys and afterwards we got right back to work. It actually
helped quite a bit to be able to talk with you guys. It was a little weird the
next day to wake up thinking that yesterday I talked with you but now we are
doing great. We have been working hard and really trying to give everything we
can. Sometimes it is so difficult to respect people’s self-agency. Sometimes
you just want to make the decisions for them because you know it is going to
bless their lives. But people need to make their own decisions. People take
some of these things so lightly sometimes, I mean were “talking about salvation
here people!” haha! Sorry for that little vent, the progression that we were
seeing has kind of come to a stop so we are trying our best to get that
excitement going and get the area going again. Well I loved your stories and
the pictures you sent me. Sounds like you guys are doing really well and had a
great Christmas. But before I start probably should give you an update about
the food this past week beat me up. On Friday I ate some pastels (little pastry
things with meat inside of them) for lunch with our lunch lady and didn’t feel
good the whole day. We stopped by a member’s house and she told me I didn’t
look so good. She gave me some medicine and ya..... I threw up! Don’t worry
outside in the bushes! Afterwards we tried to get back out and work but the members’
wouldn’t let us leave and after a little bit we had to go back to the house.
But don’t worry about me I’m doing great now! haha as for this week we had
another wonderful week.
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| This was taken on Christmas day when we were able to skype Kaden. It was an awesome experience. |
First off, I learned a lot this week as a companionship. The importance
of an eternal perspective is everything. We had a multi-zone conference where
president gave a talk about the importance and the size of the work of
salvation. He told us that God also has bigger and greater things that he will
bring forth. It made me think that this work is so much greater than we think
it is, it is so much more than we are. It is the Salvation of our brothers and
sisters! At times we lose that perspective. But we must always keep that
eternal perspective in everything. That is one of the many ways the Plan of
Salvation can help us. Helps us to keep that eternal perspective. Sometimes as
imperfect beings we forget this perspective and who we are. Really missionary
work is just helping people remember the things they already know and helping
them not only to know these things but also to live them. The things that have
really been sticking out to my comp and I have been the importance of acting
according to our faith. Something that we have been trying to do a lot more of
is helping people accept and fulfill their commitments. I would say that is our
number 1 problem if not the problem in our mission or even in the world, is
helping people keep commitments. As we studied and tried and tried to figure
out what we were doing wrong we realized a very key principle, the importance
of love. We forgot and seemingly overlooked the importance of love, or charity.
As Mormon says that without love we are nothing. Suddenly we realized what we
were lacking the love for these people. It was a very humbling experience for
the both of us to accept that we really didn’t have that love for these people
and were somewhat going through the motions. From that planning session we
decided that as a companionship we were going to have more love for these
people. So now we have been praying a lot and trying our hardest to look at
these people through different eyes. In only a matter of 4 or 5 days my whole
missionary experience has changed. Suddenly it’s not so difficult to contact
people or to challenge people, but it turns into something we want to do. I
found it interesting how fast that love came into our lives when we were
willing to accept it.
We had a experience this week that was really special, but please do
not be scared. Like I already told you I got assaulted when I had about 3 weeks
here, about 4 months ago. To be able to understand the experience that I had
this week, I am going to explain what happened that night when we got robbed.
We were walking around a corner probably at about 7 pm on a Monday when we saw
2 men and a tipped over motorbike. As we approached we thought, oh I wonder if
these man needs help. But as we got closer we realized that it was different
than what we had thought. When we got closer one of the men came up to us and
robbed us at gunpoint. The other man, we soon realized was the first victim and
got robbed before us. Afterwards when the robber left, we said a prayer with
the other man that got robbed and then we separated and left. During this past
week we found that man who got robbed with us and went and visited him. He told
us when he was getting robbed, the robbers wanted his motorbike, but his
motorbike has some problems and didn’t start. The robbers were getting angry
with him. He told us that during this whole experience he was praying that God
would send someone to save him. And then that’s when we came. He told us that
if we hadn’t come the robbers would have killed him. He thanked us and told us
that he knew that we were servants of God. God works in mysterious ways. Ways
we don’t understand. An experience that seemed at first bad luck has turned
into a miracle. I now look at that experience as a blessing and a privilege to
help someone that needed help. We now have a super awesome family that is
extremely prepared to hear the gospel. I will tell you guys more about this
family in following weeks because I am sure they are going to progress.
We visited with him and his wife about Gods purpose with each and every
one of us. It was an extremely spiritual experience for me especially. Knowing
that God sent me to save a mans life is something I cant explain. The joy and
love I feel for this family is overwhelming. There really is a purpose behind
everything. It is somewhat difficult to remember and just say one or two experiences
this week. Its so hard to try to describe the feelings and the experiences that
we as missionaries experience each and everyday. There is just so much stuff I
want to tell you guys, the stuff I’m learning, the people that I’m meeting, the
experiences that I’m having, and the miracles that I’m witnessing, but there
really isn’t much space and my words are so weak to describe them. Sorry I
probably don’t do any of my experiences justice by the way I explain them. Some
of them you just have to experience. So that’s my invitation for you guys this
week, to start looking and having missionary experiences. I can promise you
guys that you will not find a purer love, a deeper peace, and a brighter joy
than helping others come unto Christ. Pray for these experiences, pray to have
this love for everyone, and afterwards stand up and get to work and when you
look back you will see how the Lord has answered you prayers. Thank you so much
for that wonderful opportunity we had to talk together and to see you guys. Thank
you for your prayers for me and for the people that I’m serving. Always stay
strong in the gospel and live your faith at all times and in all places! I love
you guys. Please always remember that I am doing great here and having the time
of my life even though it is hard at times. Don’t worry about me. We are the
Lord’s servants and He has a work for us to do. I love you guys.
Love Elder Neuberger
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