Week 61: Abide...

Hey family! Hope everyone is doing well. I am doing great here and am loving it! Crazy that school has already started but before I begin I will answer some of your questions. I got that Line of Authority and thank you so much for sending that. I am going to take pictures today of where we are living, its probably the nicest house I have lived in, we have a little air conditioning unit that is the cherry on the cake. Don’t know how much you guys know about Honduras, but lately they have been shutting the lights off quite a bit which is very frustrating because when it goes off at night we have to go back to the house. It makes it very hard to try to teach families when the light goes out at the time when everyone is home. Its rainy season here so it rains about everyday. The video that I imagine you saw it about the same kind of rain that comes down here in Olanchito. When it rains here it, the streets turn into rivers, everyone goes inside, everything I have, all of my precious belongings (scriptures) go in a bag and we continue walking in the hondurean shower. I think I get more wet walking in the rain than in the shower here. no joke! Also when it rains everything becomes so humid that you sweat as if you had been standing in the rain the whole day. So basically when it rains you are bound to get wet.

We had changes this week and I didn’t have changes and neither my companion. 4 Elders came into the zone, all of them are gringos, 3 of them are brand new from the MTC. Also 1 sister came. We have a very young zone, my companion is the oldest and there is only 1 other elder that has more time than me in my zone! When did I get so old! I am doing really well on everything so don’t worry about sending me something I am doing just fine. To also answer you questions mom, we hardly never ride in cars, its always walking, Our zone is fairly small and there are no buses in Olanchito just buses that go to Cieba and to Coyoles. So we just walk and walk. Oh cool everyone is going into the MTC. I’m so excited for everyone. 

This past week we got to do a service project for one of our recent converts where we moved a truckload of sand from outside of her fence to inside. It took about 4 and a half hours to do it. While we worked with her children she read more and more in the Book of Mormon. She always tells us how much she loves the Book of Mormon. She is about to finish 2 Nephi. 

We spent quite a bit of time this past week contacting. We just love contacting, its always fun to meet different people and to talk with them. We had some great experiences and one of the contacts we made, we invited them to church and they went! So that was truly a miracle. 

Last night we visited one of the counselors from the District to teach his family and to ask for references. We showed up and began talking with them and when we asked for references they went off talking to us for about 15 minutes of who we could visit. I could barely write fast enough to get down all of their names. The members here are so ready to work and we are so excited to work with them. So excited for everyone. Being a missionary has been one of the biggest blessings in my life.

I am so grateful for you mom and dad that helped me get to this point. The past couple of weeks in priesthood class I have been thinking a lot of what it means to be a parent and I am so grateful that I was born of awesome parents who taught us the ways of the Lord. I like Nephi can testify of that. Thank you mom and dad for that. Thanks for all of the principles and lessons that you have taught me and for the example that you have shown me. That has been the biggest gift that I ever could have asked for. I have never been so happy in my life. I have a testimony that when we follow Christ we will be happy. He promises us peace, and peace is truly what I feel. I hope and pray that we might always be strong, that we might always be sure founded on our rock Jesus Christ. I hope that we might always be able to follow His example and to love as He loves us. The gospel is designed for our happiness and Christ came and showed us the way to happiness. I hope you guys are always doing the small things in your lives, like reading the scriptures and praying as a family to stay always in the path. A couple of weeks ago I read some of my favorite teachings of Christ in the book of John chs 14-17 the last talk that Christ gives before His atonement. He invites His apostles to abide in the Love of God. I love that word, abide. Keep reading the scriptures because truly a mission is a family affair. I love you guys and are so proud of you guys. Thanks for being there for me and I hope that we as a family might always be able to continue on the path while helping others to come also. 

I love you guys. 

Love Elder Neuberger