A Missionary Fashion Statement.

Things are going pretty good down here. We have had some good times some trying times and everything in between. No really its been a pretty good week. It is really a blessing that I have done a whitewash before because I know that it always takes a couple of weeks to kind of get going – but the members here have been awesome. There is a ward missionary named Norma that is really awesome – she kind of reminds me of someone in San Diego – like a little eccentric but really awesome. She loves missionary work and is always willing to help.

But, I wanted to tell you guys that after last P-day when I was kind of discouraged and overwhelmed with being here as a trainer I woke up the next morning on Wednesday and felt totally calm and at peace about everything. I felt so much more confidence that everything would work out all right. I know that it was because of your prayers. I want to thank you for praying for me and for constantly being a source of support and encouragement.

My companion and I are continuing to work good together – we have fun all of the time and work really well together. She has a funny sense of humor that always keeps me laughing. This past week we decided to go out into the sun to do our language study – I was wearing a really cute outfit to help keep me warm – I’m developing a Puerto Rican sensibility to cold weather. The best part of the outfit were my Christmas socks and flip flops. So we were just studying and all the sudden she says, “Donatello called and he says he wants his feet back” – like the teenage mutant ninja turtles.

Anyway, I really have no idea if these little stories make any sense or are funny, but just a little glimpse into the life of Sister Neff. Also I’ve discovered that I am starting to talk more Borequa - inserting a “no sé” or “como” every few sentences – but it makes me happy.

Well, this week I can’t think of any story specifically to tell you but the past few days I have been studying about the Restoration. Wow, I am filled with so much joy to know that we have the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I feel so sad for the people that don’t accept the gospel in their lives because I know that it is true. The gospel makes me so excited and I just want to share it with everyone that I see.

We had a transfers meeting with President Martineau and talked all about how we need to open our mouths and talk to everyone we see about the Gospel. Doing this and reading about the restoration have given me so much love for the Gospel and a desire for everyone to accept it in their lives!

Ok, Well I have to go but I love you so much and am praying for all of you always!

Love Sister NEff

The City of Beautiful Women

Well big surprise I got last week at transfers, like an hour before I got there I found out that I would be training!!! And doing a white wash!!!! Wow, I about died. But my companion is awesome.She is from Mesa and she has been down here for the last couple of months playing professional volleyball but she met the Martineaus and one thing led to another and she is serving a six week mini mission. But, we have had a ton of fun together. We are serving in a small town - the land of beautiful women, its called. It is mountainous countryside and gorgeous. I love it. Our apartment has been lived in by elders for the past 10 years and they have called it "Spirit Prison." So, ya, you can imagine how it must be for sisters. No, really its not that bad - with a little elbow grease its pretty good. We have had quite a few fun experiences with cockroaches though!

Anyway, the work is good here. I am trying to put my trust in the Lord that He will be able to help me with my responsibilities that He has given me here. We are the only missionaries in the branch so sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed but I know that it will all work out. This is a great opportunity for me to be able to rely on the Lord. Would you guys do a favor for me - I know that you already pray for me and I am so grateful for that but would you pray for me so that I will be able to have the strength to magnify my calling and responsibilities here? That will help me so so much!

I also feel like this period of time will be a growing period for me. There is a lot that I don't feel capable of doing and sometimes I get discouraged with the big task that lies ahead of us but I felt really strengthened this morning when I read Elder Samuelson's talk in the April Liahona on the Atonement and how we are not capable of doing it on our own - we need the Lord's help. After all that we can do, His grace will make up the rest. I felt very very strongly this morning that there are MANY people waiting for us to share the gospel with them in this beautiful city. Being a senior companion/trainer is helping me more to get on my knees and really rely on the Lord. I hope that I will be capable of following the Spirit and doing the work that Heavenly Father wants me to do here.

We had a neat experience with a contact the other day. We decided to walk to an appointment and to talk with everyone that we saw. Well, being kind of new to the area we got kind of lost and weren't sure if we were on the right street. So, we asked someone and he told us to go into the barbershop to ask for directions. After going in and finding out how to get to our appointment something said - "Ok, you said that you were going to talk with everyone, talk to these guys in here." Can I do contacts in a barber shop, I thought? I decided that I shouldn't have any limits so we talked to the three people that were there - testifying and inviting. I didn't think that they were really going to go anywhere or accept but one of the barbers said, "I want you to talk to my son about this... "Well, just then his son walked in and we started talking to him. He was curious what made us different from all of the other churches - we started to teach him about the restoration and about the Book of Mormon right there. We invited him to read the introduction to the Book of Mormon and to ask God to know if it is true. I felt the spirit so strongly as we were there - when him and another man that was listening agreed to read and to pray and for us to come back. It was one of the neatest contacting experiences that I have had on my whole mission!

It was a great testimony that Heavenly Father has people there and ready - that we just have to go beyond our limits! I know that He is preparing people right now to accept His message from us and I hope that I will be able to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost to be able to find them!

Consecrating my work.

This week has been a good week. We had our interviews with President Martineau this past week and I found out that I am definitely going to be transferred this next Wednesday. It will be hard because I have come to love the people here so much, but I know it is for the best - we sang in relief society "Each life that touches ours for good"and I was so happy that I have been able to serve here with these people. I love Puerto Rico so so much and am so happy that I still have 11 months to continue serving here!

Things are moving along great with investigators and recent converts and everything. There are always a couple of snags, a couple of things that we have to work on, but I know that everything will turn out great if we have faith and work hard. I know that even though this in transfer I didn't baptize anyone or do anything too outstanding, I was able to help in little ways - most of them I can't see, but I know that if I do my best Heavenly Father will consecrate my work for good.

While we were contacting this week, I talked to my companion about a question I had about a scripture I had read in my studies that morning. It was about the stick of Judah and the stick of Ephraim. We were talking about what the scripture meant. We also started talking about the lineage of Lehi. I remembered that Lehi was from the tribe of Manasseh, but I wanted to make sure, so I looked it up in the "guide to the scriptures" in the Spanish Book of Mormon and read what it said. I found out that, yes, Lehi was from the tribe of Manasseh, but more importantly, I read that in the last days the tribe of Manasseh would help Ephraim in the gathering of Israel.

My companion said, "I'm from Manasseh!!" And I said," I'm from Ephraim!!" I wasn't expecting to feel the spirit as strongly as I did. But in that moment, as we were walking up a hill to reach the last house of the neighborhood, I felt the spirit testify to me that I truly am of the lineage of Ephraim. I felt strongly that I am a part of something right now that is bigger than I realize, that my mission here on the earth is to help with the gathering of Israel not only here while I am serving in Puerto Rico, but for my entire life. I feel blessed that my Heavenly Father has entrusted me with this gift and responsibility to help gather His lost sheep. I hope that I can fulfill this calling the best that I can.

Next item of business... THANK YOU for an AWESOME BIRTHDAY! I'm bummed because I had some cool pictures to show you but they aren't downloading on the computer... next week. But seriously every little thing was awesome and perfect. I'm wearing my twilight necklace right now haha! love it. Also, the sea glass necklace was so pretty too, along with the scripture marker, ctr ring, CUTE cute outfit, and EVERYTHING. It was funny because I saw that the shoes were kind of bent or something and thought that it was because they were in the box and then realized that that must be the style now! haha, I felt kind of out if it but in a good way - and they are super cute!

My companion made the day really special for me. After I finished saying my prayers, she came in with confetti (the paper from the hole puncher) and sang happy birthday in Puerto Rican, Panamanian, and Papiamento! Anyway, it was a really great day.

I had a little epiphany this week that was really neat. I was knocking (yelling) doors and we found an atheist man. Normally we testify that Christ's church has been restored on the earth again, but with him we had to take a few steps back and testify that Christ lives and that God lives, that he loves us and hears our prayers.

He didn't accept, but I know that Heavenly Father loves him. When I told him that, he said, "Your God hears your prayers." And I said, "no, our God hears our prayers." But I was just thinking about times when I have known that Heavenly Father has heard my prayers. I remembered when I would walk home from Charlotte Wood (Junior High School) sometimes and be scared that the guy with the red hair would kidnap me. I would pray the whole way home that I would be able to be safe. Now looking back I know that I was totally safe and that Heavenly Father knew that I was safe.

Even though I know that He knew nothing would happen to me, I know that He listened. I know that He knew that I was worried and that He cared about how I felt. Anyway, it was just a little blast from the past but it really meant a lot to me. I am grateful for that time when I felt so close to my Heavenly Father and I that I knew that He was there. I know that we are His children and that He will never forget about us, that He will always listen to our prayers.

Well, Sorry its been such a huge email but I love you all so so much!

Hermana Neff

Hasta la Vista, 21.

Can you believe that you are going to have a daughter/sister that will be 22! So, I decided that I will like 22 a lot better than being 21. Last year when I turned 21 I felt SO old - but 22 is like "ok, you are already an adult, but you are on the younger side of being an adult." Like more maturity but more youthfulness at the same time. Anyway, hard to explain but that is what went through my mind today as I was thinking about turning 22.

Ok, enough philosophizing about my age. But thanks for your emails! They really help encourage me every week. I love to hear what is going on. Every Sunday night I feel like "Ok, I am ready to hear how the family is doing." Anyway, thanks for being so supportive! I haven't received your package yet, but I kind of had a feeling that there would be something waiting for me at the post office and so I asked Carmen to go by and check, She just called me to say that I have a package! Thanks! She also says hi to you guys!

Yesterday I fasted for one of our investigators, Carmen, who almost set a baptismal date the other day when we were talking about the plan of salvation. She is getting closer and is accepting everything that we are teaching her, so I fasted for her to be able to have a baptismal date. I have a feeling - well I'm pretty much really sure - that I will be transferred in a couple of weeks. But, one of my goals is to have a baptismal date set before I leave this area. I hope that Carmen accepts.

A neat experience this week was to be able to help teach Carmen and Edwin about family history work. Hermana Gonzalez is a pro with new.familysearch.net and so was able to get them started after we taught them.

I know the spirit of Elijah is real. I know that family history work is so important. When we got them all registered and everything, we started to enter information into the computer. After just a half an hour or so, we had four names that were ready to go to the temple to have their work done. Just a click of a mouse and their names would be sent to the temple for their baptisms and to receive their endowments.

Family History work is moving forward like none other and I want to get into it when I get back! But, the neatest part of the afternoon was when we searched for Carmen's mom's name in the computer. Carmen's sister was a member but died a few years ago, so there was the chance that her sister had already completed her mother's work. What joy Carmen felt as we searched for her mom's name, found her, and saw that ALL of her work in the temple had been done 10 years before! It was a really neat moment. I couldn't help but think that her mom and sister were a part in Carmen's conversion.

Wow, I know that this work is true - that it goes beyond anything that you or I can see. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that Christ lives.

Thanks so much for all of your love and support. I love you all so much and am always praying for you!

Love,

Hermana Nefita (someone called me that yesterday. Haha. Nefita is Nephi in English!)

Letter to President Martineau:

Dear President Martineau,

Well, it has been an interesting week but a good week also. There have been a lot of appointments that have fallen through but the appointments and lessons that we have had have been really good. Just last night we had a really great lesson with a couple and their kids. We watched the video of the Restoration and because they didn't have a remote control to change the language, I had to translate. It was nowhere near perfect, but I prayed really hard to have help and that the spirit could be felt. Heavenly Father answered my prayer. I felt the spirit so much as I was translating the first vision.

That and other experiences that I have had this week have strengthened my testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel so much. I know that the Gospel can change the lives of these people and I hope that they accept it.