Hey guys!
Sorry I am writing on Tuesday, yesterday we had a mission wide
leaders meeting in Ceiba that was all day long. It was a great meeting, and I
will share some things that I learned. Anyways so we today have somewhat a half
p-day to write home and clean the house. Loved the pictures. Mayson looks
beutiful (I don’t know how to spell that word), I was blown away. Is that
really my sister? How cool about the young men that are getting their mission
calls. What moments of excitement and a little bit of fear. How cool dad about
your calling! Does that mean you are still stake secretary?
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| I absolutely love this picture...Searching for people to teach the gospel. Look at their smiles:) |
Anyways we had a great week this week. First off just wanted to tell
you guys how hot it is. I literally feel like I am in a oven. This past week it
was hitting 43 degrees celius or around 110 degrees F, with what it feels like
100 % humidity. I sweat so much that all of my sun screen falls off. Oh and me and
my comp got heat rash. All over my neck and part of my face and arm got a sweet
sun allergy. Don’t worry mom, I am currently using medicine. Apparently its
normal with this kind of heat. But in spite of the heat we worked hard.
Sweating like a pig while doing it. Also the water went out in one of the
colonies where we are at, luckily we aren’t effected, but everyone from that
colony has been in the street with their buckets going and getting water.
We really did have a great week, we were able to do divisions with
some missionaries this past week and so that was awesome. Many of our
investigators have been progressing. We found a family about a month ago and we
have been visiting them. They are married, and the husband is a civil engineer
and a math professor in college, has been making quite the progress. Every time
we have left a commitment, for something to read, he reads it and explains it
perfectly to us. Last time we had left him the plan of salvation and Alma 40
and he had read them both and explained to us perfectly the plan of salvation.
He stated that it just made sense and every time he reads the book of Mormon he
has the desire to keep reading. He accepted a baptism date this past week and
we are so excited for him, he has two children and every time we come the wife
has been taking care of them, but we hope to be able to teach the wife.
We found a new man while walking through a part of the area that we
had never been before. While walking a man yelled out to us, hey vengan! So we
went over and turns out that he was a man that we contacted in the bus and gave
him a pamphlet, he read it, and wants to go to church. Also we found some
inactive members this past week and some of them went to church.
Just wanted to share some things that I learned from this meeting we
had with president. From the very beginning of my mission we have had the
vision of real growth. Meaning that we are not only to go and baptize but to
also strengthen the wards and branches where we are at by helping all go to the
temple. President has always told us that we are not in missionary work, we are
in the work of salvation which consists in helping all, investigators, less
active, active members, recent converts and family history. When President Duncan
came he stated that our converts are not only those that we baptize but whoever
we help come more unto Christ and especially go to the temple. It is not only
amazing to help others make their first covenant through baptism but also to
help them stay strong and become more converted. That has been the focus of
president and also the church especially in this part of the world. Apparently
for the year 2014, the Central America had a real growth of 0 %. Our mission,
or the wards and branches in our mission, had a growth of 8.5 %. When President
Duncan came he was very curious to see what was going on in the
mission. My favorite part of what president said was this, how do we
baptize thousands of people? When we baptize converted people with testimony
and help them go to the temple they will raise children, their children will
serve missions and help others, and slowly but surely just like the ripple
effect, will thousands of people not only be baptized but converted and endowed
with power on high. President said, “during my mission I baptized more that 100
people but I am not sure if I have baptized thousands. Or in other words,
missionary work doesn’t exist, rather it has been swallowed up by the work of
salvation, in helping all of God’s children, member or not, to come unto Him
and make covenants in His holy temples.” We too have a huge role is this work,
Not only does it include helping those that live at this time come unto Christ,
but also includes our ancestors. Family history plays a huge part in this work.
Fulfilling our callings, visiting and home teaching, and most important family
home evening, play huge roles in carrying out the work of salvation. We as
missionaries are simply cheerleaders, encouraging and helping all members all
around the world to fulfill their work of salvation responsibilities, to help
them with their non member friends and families, to help them with their family
history, family home evening, etc. Like what President Uchtdorf said, what we
can count normally doesn’t count, but what we can’t count normally always
counts to God. What we do to help others, normally we can’t count it. So
simply my invitation is of those that the prophets and apostles have given to
continue diligently in the work of salvation, fulfilling our parts. Especially
in doing family history. If you can please log on to my account and take some
of the names I have found to the temple.
I love you guys. I have pictures so hang on there.
Love Elder Neuberger
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| Elder Blaisdell...future hair dresser? washed and cut Kaden's hair! |
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