Arroz y Habichuelas

Dear Family,

Thanks so much for your inspiring letters! I loved reading emails this week! Well, I always do but I loved hearing about the ROC concert and about Easter. I loved hearing about how Alicia is doing and I will pray for her little family to get better and for David and Blanca.

And I love that you guys are in love with the Latin community as much as I am! Whether it is El Salvador or Puerto Rico… I just love it. I can’t wait to be able to come back and make some Arroz y habichuelas (beans), maybe a little pollo guizada (stewed) and chuletas (fried pork chops). Haha, well I hope I’ll know how to make all that! But, I am glad that you all had a great Easter.

I wrote a little bit about my day yesterday in my letter to President Martineau because it was a great day. There is this really neat thing that happens on your mission - because you don’t really celebrate holidays like other people – its just kind of a normal day it makes you think about why that day really is a special day. And yesterday, of course being Easter, I thought a lot about Easter and why we celebrate it. Wow, it is just amazing when you think about it. I know that my Savior lives and just thinking about Him and His atonement and what He went through and then knowing that He really did rise again so that we can live again.

I don’t have a ton of time left, but I did really quickly want to tell you how much I love you. I love you guys so much and I am so grateful for all your support as I am serving my mission. I have been feeling this most amazing gratitude lately for this amazing opportunity to study the Gospel and to preach it to the people hear in Puerto Rico. I started listening to "Oh Ye Elders of Israel" last night and it brought me so much joy to be apart of this work. I know that it is true. I know that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thank you guys for all that you do for me!

Sister Neff

Letter to President Martineau
Yesterday was a really great day at church. As we were driving to church after just having met with our investigator, and gotten his “Pon” all figured out I was telling Hermana G that when I was a greenie and talked to Hermana T. I asked her what her favorite thing about the mission was. I was expecting her to say baptisms of course, but her reply shocked me. She said it was, "when investigators come to church."

Being a new missionary I didn’t understand the significance of this – not until my first one came to church did I really understand what a missionary feels when they see one of their investigators keeping this important commitment. So, I told Hermana G yesterday that this is my favorite thing about the mission too.

We were so blessed yesterday to have 2 of our investigators in church and three other inactive members that we have visited come to church as well!

Wow, the joy that I felt yesterday was unbeatable. Our branch is so great and made all of them feel very at home and very welcome – during fast and testimony meeting we felt the spirit and grew closer together as a branch. It was really neat for everyone there to be in a full sacrament meeting room.

If something else could beat this feeling it would be to see my companion, Hermana G experience it. As we came into Sacrament meeting we noticed the inactive member with her two daughters whom we had visited - and had a great lesson with - this past week. On our visit with them earlier in the week, we talked about enduring to the end and questioned them about things we have to do to be able to receive the reward of living with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. "Going to church." was one of the answers that they told us.

I loved seeing them there, but I even more loved seeing the joy that my companion felt when she saw them and the joy she felt knowing she had helped them come to church that day. It was really awesome. I know that it isn’t us that are doing these things and helping these people, but it is the Spirit and we are just the instruments – the messengers.

This past week I have been filled with joy and gratitude of being an instrument in the hands of God. I know that there is no greater calling than this, and I am so so grateful that Heavenly Father has given me this opportunity to be a part of this great work.

As we were coming down to do email, we were talking about what it would be to live here in Puerto Rico after our missions. I would love it because of all of the work I could do – I would just work, work, work to make the church grow here – but then I realized “Hey, that is what I am doing right now!!!”

I am excited for the time I have left to be a part of the cause of Zion here in Puerto Rico!