Tender Mercies

Dear Mom and everyone else,

Well there isn't a whole lot to report on this week. Three of the six work days were gobbled up by travling and Elder Rodriguez saying goodby to people because he got a change. I'm going to miss that kid. He was sincere but he still had a great sense of humor. I have a new comp from Guatamala. His name is Elder Poroj (pronounced Poró not porridge). He is a little hard worker and by little I mean short. He is really short. He comes up to about my ribcage. It's a good thing that we are on bikes here instead of walking becuase quite literally one of my steps is three of his steps. But he works hard and easy to talk to so we get along:)

The cool experience of the week was with a family that we are teaching that live near our house which is about 15 minutes on bike from where we usually work. Well, on Thursday night we put an appointment with some people that live close to our family for the afternoon. So at 3 o clock under the hot Honduran Sun we rode hard for fifteen minutes to that appointment only to find out that those dang people from the night before weren't even there. Well hot, tired, sweaty, and a little teed off, I remembered what President Viers always says, that when we have an appointment fall it's because the Lord has someone else closeby ready for us. So we started peddling down and past our families house and saw that they were struggling to get a fridge from their beat up truck to their beat up house. They called us over and we went and helped them. Then after all was said and done, we started talking with them for few minutes before the next appointment. After a few minutes of talking they start telling us about how great God is because 5 minutes before we showed up they were wondering how on earth they were going to get that fridge in the house with only the husband and the wife. They told us that they kept telling each other "Don't worry, the Elders will come soon to help us." And low and behold, we showed up five minutes later! It was an awesome experience. I love that family and they love us!

The spirit is real! When we live worthy he is willing to help us out even if we don't realize. I love this very real gospel and really know that it is true. And I can't wait to hear from our very real Prophet and Apotstles this weekend. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Neiswender

Hail Mary

Dear Mom and Every one else,

So I'm just going to pretend that Dad didn't send me the update on the BYU Utah game...

But Congratulations to Joey and Jen! What's the little girl's name? That is weird that all those cousins are now uncles and aunt. So I know you probably told me mom, but could you remind me where Elise is going on her mission?

Back to the mission news. Back here in my side of the Holy War things went a little better. Me and Elder Rodriguez had a meeting with our Branch President, President Calix. He is an awesome man. He is not loud or obnoxious, but he just goes along fulfilling his assignment as best as he can. He has been President for 9 years and has seen the attendence in the branch go up and down and around and around and pretty much everything you could think of he has dealt with. We had a good meeting with him to find out what the difference was between a couple years ago and now, aka when the attendence was 100 and now when the attendence hovers around 40. He told us that the difference was activities. When they did activities the numbers went up. And when they didn't do them, the numbers went down. Simple enough. The problem is that the last time we tried an activity we had a grand total of 8 people, or in shorter terms, President Calix's family. It was a tipped ball right into the other teams hand (dang football termonology).

So we planned ourselves a full 100 yard, down 54-10...(Oh wait, trying to forget that score), #1 vs. #107, 3 seconds left on the clock, Hail Mary. We planned an activity on Friday, Saturday and then church on Sunday. Church on Sunday was already planned so that part was easy.

After spending most of the week preping the activities, with invitations and a companionship fast, Friday rolled around. We had it out in the lot where they have finally started building the church in Coyoles. We chose that spot so that people could see that the church was progressing again. We set out twenty seats on the lawn hoping and praying that they would be filled. Well the prayers were answered and over 50 PEOPLE showed up!!! It was awesome. All the people that we wanted to come came and they loved it and were all pumped for Saturday. The heavy rains put a damper on Saturday but even so 20 people showed up. And the attendence did go up on Sunday! Now everybody is pumped and sees that the church is getting going again and everyone says that we have to keep doing these kinds of things! Haha I love seeing problems get solved! :)

I love this work and it makes up for things that didn't quite go right on your side of the Holy War:)

Love,

Elder Neiswender

The Ensign Never Gets Old

Dear Mom and Everyone else,

I will try taping a picture of Jesus on the bag and see if that works:)

I guess I have done bad at telling you about my wonderful comp Elder Rodriguez from El Salvador. This kid is a stud. He is a convert of about four years and is anxious to share his newfound gospel with the people here in Honduras. He is kind of weird, but then I realized I'm kind of weird too so we get along great:) I love talking with him because he talks to me! He is always testifiing to the people that he knows that this stuff is true. I love working with him. And Dad just to answer your question...He is 5 bajilion time better than Marcia. My only regret is that this is an area where the people have trained for 20 years to not like the mormons. Many times we go contact a house and right off the bat they tell us that they don't like the mormon church. But they never give us a reason, just that they don't like it. Oh if only they knew the blessings that came from the Church of Jesus Christ.

There is a scene from the movie Night at the Museum that I have been comparing to the work here that makes me chuckle. It's when the little cowboys and the little romans are letting the air out of the tire of bad guy's van and it shows them giving every thing they have and from their level it seems so dramatic and then it zooms out and the van still looks the same and you really can't tell that anything is going on. I would recommend that you watch it. It makes me laugh every time:) Anyway that's how I have felt the past little while, but finally we are starting to see some results which makes me way happy. And I found out that Elder Beus and his other comp are baptizing a lot of the people that I left behind and all the wedding that I didn't get to see are all happening so that has made me extremely happy.

As for my earlier emails about feeling a little bit distanced from the Lords. Or not being able to feel the Spirit like I wanted......

This week I went on divisions to another area. While I was there the Elder that I was with was taking a shower and I was thinking what I should do till he got out. That's when the Ensign sitting on the table caught my attention. Imediately I felt drawn to it. It was from 2007. The opening article was by President Faust, it talked about never giving any space to that wiley fow Satan. He trys everything he can, but we just have to be strong. The next article was by Elder Scott. I can't remember much of what he talked about, but there was a line there where he gives thanks to a God who lets us struggle and gain knowledge piece by piece. That line hit me. I felt like these past six weeks I had been getting little pieces of the comfort that I was longing for, but it never lasted and it was driving me crazy. After reading the article I remember how much I love the Ensign. I really learned to love it in my time with Elder Marcia. Because that's when I had a LOT of time to read it lol. I remembered then that the time I felt closest to the Lord was when I had a steady diet of The Book of Mormon and the Ensign.

Saturday night I searched through the huge stack of Liahonas and Ensigns and pulled out all the English ones (it's just not quite the same in Spanish). I found a copy of the ensign from 1988!!!!! That thing is older than Madison!!! I decided to read it and the opening article was from a member of the First Presidencey that is still familiar to me. President Monson. It talked about the pioneers and the sacrifices that they made and how they were drivin and driven from place to place until they found a place which the Lord had prepared for them. After reading a few more articles that were written before I was even born it was about 10:15 and time to get ready for bed. But I have never felt the prompting so strongly to pray before in my life. I couldn't resist it. So I bowed before my God and even before I had said anything the familiar feeling that I have missed so much came rushing back to me with such force that couldn't help but crying. I didn't even have to say anything. He knew what I wanted and what I needed and in that night I recieved what I have been searching for in these past 6 weeks.

1988 was a long time ago. But really the Ensigns is modern day scripture. Read it and I promise you that it will never get old.

Sincerely,

A much happier Elder Neiswender

Update

Dear mom and everyone else,

There aren't really any cool stories from this past week. Just one. And I guess it is pretty cool:) We have been teaching a guy named Miguel since before I got here. He is a way cool guy. He is 21 really loves the church. He says that from the first time he went he really loved it. He has wanted to get baptized for the past few weeks but his mom has been giving him some trouble. We've been going with him everyday trying to help him make the choice. Finally on Thursday he agreed to be baptized on Saturday! Which meant last minute phone calls to the distict leader to have him come out and do a quick interview Friday and then Saturday the baptism!! And is all worked out great! He was way way excited to get baptized. And now he wants to serve a mission:)

Other great news for the Branch of Coyoles is that they are going to start building a chaple tomorrow! By the way meeting in a chaple is a whole lot better than meeting in a rented house.

Oh and I found out for myself why mud brick ovens are so effective. Some memebers live in a house made of mud and we went there one day. We walked in and I felt like I was going to day. I have been in some hot houses here but nothing like that. I literally felt like a slab of meeting being over cooked again and again in there. It felt great getting out and into the normal 100 degree heat. lol.

This week and of course during the whole mission I have realized something. The moment I stop reading the Book of Mormon or praying sincerely for a day, I feel less and less like and effective missionary. But every time I open that book and read it I am filled with peace and comfort and love for my Savior. There is nothing else that has been able to do that for me. There are times now that get home and run to the Book of Mormon because I just can't wait to feel that comfort again. Try it out people it really works.

I just realized that conference is in a month and I am way stoked!!! I love conference time:) Time to get some questions ready.

I love you all and yes dad I forgive you this week for not letting me know how BYU and Utah did but next week I won't be so forgiving:)

Love,

Elder Neiswender

Switch It Up

Dear mom and everyone else,

First things first. I feel very ashamed by my family. They go camping, have a fire, and hotdogs...And what do they do???? They grill the hot dogs instead of roasting them over a fire!!! lol. I love you family. Sounds like you had a fantastic week filled with lots of fun activities. The week here was pretty bland. I pretty much already knew that I am going to leave Santiago on Wednesday because I have been here six months. But now it is official. Next email I send will be from a spot of Honduras where I have never been.

I have a fear and I{m pretty sure that it is a fear held by any missionary that ever cared for anybody in an area that he has been in, that after I leave, the people that I have come to love will fall away. It is a pretty big problem here in Honduras. The missionaries make great friends have lots of baptisms, but when the missionary leaves, their converts slowly fade away into inactivity. So since I have been blessed to have a pretty good idea that I was leaving beforehand (unlike the last two times I got transferred as complete surprises) I have been busting my brains out trying to think of a way to keep this from happening to the people that I have come to love. After much soul searching, studying, and praying, pondering and a lot more ...ings, I finally came up with the answer which was monumentaly...simple. It{s what we learn in missionary training 101. Day one in boot camp. The very key of our religion. We had convince these people of the importance of the Book of Mormon. Easier said than done in a group of people where to them the BOOk of Mormon is a mere side note to the Bible and other books. Heck these people would read any other LDS book they could get their hands on except the Book of Mormon. But after 6 solid weeks of shoving (I mean inviting) The Book of Mormon into their lives...I think it might have worked. At least with one person. Every week we hold a class for the new preisthood holders in the branch aka all the priesthood holders in the branch and allow them to ask questions and then help them understand things. This last week Elder Beus and I had a wizbang Book of Mormon class ready using the whole arch and the keystone example, and were even going to have one of the members try to prove our religion right without the Book of Mormon. So we get to the class on Wednesday and we got a grand total of 3 priesthood members. But we did it anyway.

Oddly enough the brother who volunteered to try to prove the church right was Natalio Paz. A convert of 11 months but had just been married and baptized that week. Complete stud. Anyway he gets up and is talking to me about how this is the true church because of charity, love, and he even used the church organization and everything except what we were looking for. Poor guy, I thought he was going to cry. Finally he mentioned in passing the Key. So giving him a break I let him end there. After that we explained the importance of the Book of Mormon to these 3 men. We invited them to put the Bible down for a time and read the Book of Mormon instead. Leaving the meeting we did not think that it had worked. Then two days later, Chino, great guy, comes up to us and starts asking us questions that he had during his first two days of reading the Book of Mormon. He said that he has put the Bible down for a time (short time becuase the Bible is still important) and is reading the Book of Mormon. Hopefully he will keep reading, but I won{t be there to find out.

I love you family, and give you once again that there is a God, and He is a Loving God, and that there is a book that can change your life called the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Read it. If you already have...read it again....and again....and again.

Until my next area,

Elder Neiswender

Hillbilies in Honduras

Dear Mom and everyone else,

It´s great to hear that you and Kristi had a great time in Peru. I´ve always wnated to see Macchu Picchu. My whole life!!!! Ok so there aren´t even 20 in my long life yet, but almost!!! It still hasn´t sunk in yet that I will be 20 years old in my next email. Wow. But at least for a couple of years I have wanted to see Machu Pichu and those crazy places. I just have one question. We have a firepit now? When did that show up? Oh and before I forget, yes I did take some money out of my account last month.
Not much has really happened this week. I just love seeing the difference in the area with a hard working comp. The thing about Central American missions (or at least Honduran) missions is that you don´t have to work super hard to get baptisms. There are elders here who don´t do jack squat and haul in baptisms, trust me, I lived with one for three months. A lot of elders just get content and lay off the rules. But from what I have learned from the General Authorities that speak to the missionaries and all the friends that are on missions, that´s not the way it´s supposed to be. So I always had the vision of how awesome it would be with two elders that just work their tales off without looking down the nose at the ones that don´t quite seem to get (very annoying, but there are those missionaries). I{m finally getting to see it. Elder Beus has a way of inspiring me to work even harder without saying a word. It is awesome, and while numbers don´t really matter, it is fun to see how much the area has changed and exploded since Elder Beus got here.
First off I just have to tell you about something that I didn{t really think I would see in Honduras, and even more what I never thought I would see in church. We found this man named Pacundo (I still have trouble saying it). He is an very old man whose house is surrounded by trees even though he still lives in the middle of the town. It´s weird, when we go there I feel like I am at the cabin of some old mountain hermit or hillbilly. All he does all day is lay in his hammock, his thumb is cut off halfway down, the ground is covered in beer bottles (the strong stuff too), he lives with another grumpy old man, and when we went to pick him up for church he told us, "Just let me drink my coffee first, it{s almost ready." as he put out his cigarette. Never in my life would I expect to see this man in church. Oh how the Lord loves to prove men wrong. Halfway through sacrament guess who walks into the little house where we have church...PACUNDO!!!! And oh man did he love it. He kept asking when we were going back to visit him. All the members commented on having him in church to us. Actually yesterday a lot of people that the members have been working with for years finally came to chruch. It was really quite fun to have all the members come up and tell us thank you. Thing is, we can{t take any credit because all we did was pass by and invite them. The Lord has His time. We just have to be ready so that he might reward us with a sliver of credit in the last days.
I love you all and hope everything is going great back there for you all!
Love,
Elder Neiswender

Respect

Dear Mom and Everyone else,

Thank you all for all your love and support over the past few weeks. I relize it might be rude to say, but I have been taught not to lie, I am excited for Wednesday. Elder Marcia gets his wish of going home and I get a new comp who hopefully shows respect for people. I don´t know where me and him went wrong, but just know that I don´t care who my next comp is, he is going to be my favorite right from the get-go. A lot of elders in the zone see how Elder Marcia treats people like dirt and ask how I went 3 months without hitting him. I can honestly say that I prayed in the morning, mid-day, night, and a few times inbetween for patience and love, and I think it worked.

I found the thing that really got under my skin about this guy, and it is something that has angered me only once, and it is something that I learned from having 4 older sisters, a great sister in law and a fantastic mom. Marcia has absolutely NO respect for women. My wonderful sisters, sister in law and mom, have always taught to to respect woman. It is something that I have tried for a while to practice. Now, as can testify my boy Brad Johnson, there are few things that make me more angry than when a man (if he deserves that title) mistreats a woman. There is no reason for it. There is no gain from it. There is only sadness from it. This part of the email is to the guys that will recieve this. GIVE PROPER REPESCT TO WOMEN!

This part is for the women that will recieve this email. To my Madison, Melanie, Kristi, Vicki, Danielle, Mom, Kaitlin, Grandma N. and Grandma O. and any aunts cousins or any other reading. One of the few things that make me more angry than a man who mistreats a woman is when that self same woman accepts the abuse in anyform and laughs. There are times for laughter and there are funny jokes. Be wise in knowing where the line between joking and reality lies. DEMAND RESPECT! There is no reason to accept insults from low down men (and I use that title loosely). Have the courage to tell them how you feel and how they should treat you. I have seen first-hand young women down here broken down, nearly to tears, by cold unfeeling men. Yes even one man who carried the title Elder. Don´t let this happen. Don´t degrade yourselves. You are far to precious to our Heavenly Father to think of yourselves as below us men.

I´m sorry if this email sounds like a chastisement, but it is what I feel. It´s shouldn´t taken hard because the people I know that are reading it already follow this advice. This is only a warning for the future. Please give respect where respect is due, and if it is not due, help that person to earn it. I can´t remember who origionally gave this quote but I heard it in sunday school a long time ago. It refers directly to high school, but involves life as a whole. "Popularity ends on yearbook day. Respect lasts forever."

I love you all, and hope for the very best in all your endeavors.

Love,

Elder Neiswender

Work Work Work

Dear Mom and everyone else,

Well there´s not a lot to say this week since I just talked to you guys yesterday. Oh and thanks Tim for coming over and talking for a few minutes! I don´t think that my family minded too much (?).

I read Elder Simper´s letter about the sacrament and I have to agree 100 % with it. Last week, due to poor plan, and quick decision making, by someone who is bad at making snap decisions, I followed my comp from one church building to the next, and we ended up missing the sacrament. No, I was not happy. This week when I took the sacrament, I remembered that it had been two weeks since I had taken it. It felt so good. It was as if I could feel it working right there, like the way that Elder Simper described it. It was amazing.

I also had the opportunity to bless the sacrament yesterday which was fun because the guy that I was partnered with to bless with has only been a member for about a year. He asked if I had ever blessed the sacrament before. I said yes but that didn´t stop him from explaining how it sould be done. It was cool to see how dedicated he was to seeing it done right. It´s been really cool seeing the progress that this little branch has been making. A lot more members have had the chance to confirm converts and even give the priesthood, so they are learning for themselves and gaining confidence and most important, faith and testimonies. The branch works hard with us because really, there is nothing else to do in this little place. But hey, I don´t care about the reasons, I just like working with cool members.

I hope that all focus on going out of your comfort zone and grow and grow and grow. because that´s how it works. My old companion Elder Ellett is a muscular man, and I know that he didn´t get those muscles by sitting there watching tv all day. he had to work. It might be hard, but it always pays off in the end!

Hopeyou all have great weeks!

Love,

Elder Neiswender

A Little Old Man on the Mountain

Dear Mom and everyone else,

I forgot to tell you guys last week, but here is a cool story. So two and a half weeks ago, we get a reference for an old man who lives up on the mountain. Not THE old man on the mountain because there are about fifty old guys that live on this same mountain. Anyway, for us as missionaries, it takes about twenty minutes to half an hour to walk to his house, for normal people, at least an hour. Yes, missionaries walk faster than most people. Anyway, we teach this guy once, and he falls in love with the part about how Jesus Christ organized his church, and kept telling us "Nobody ever explained this to me before." Then we told him how we have the same organization and he about fell off his chair. He walked the hour to church and loved it, but left before we got a chance to talk to him about baptism. We passed him a few days later when we were walking around the mountain. We asked him if he had prayed about baptism and he just tells us simply, "Yes, I have already made the pact with God, so I am going to get baptized." Then on the next Sunday (last Sunday) he comes up and just asks me out of the blue when the next baptismal service was, so I told him this (two days ago) Saturday. "OK" he said "I am going to get baptized that day." And that little old man from the mountain did it. He got baptized this Saturday and the whole time had a huge smile on his face. But there was a little bit of an awkward story from the baptism itself.

I got to organize the agenda of the service, so I decided to call on a non member friend of the guy getting baptized, to give the opening prayer. Just a quick preview to religion in Honduras, there are a TON of different churches, and some of them do or say things in prayers or in testimonies that are supposed to be saved for sacred ordinences. Some of them shout Halleluja all the time or end every prayer in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost. Well this little old guy (like I said, lots of old guys) and he gives a 3 minute introduction to his prayer, also not uncommon here. We finally start praying and I don´t know why but I opened my eyes during the prayer and saw that little old guy praying his heart out with his are put to the square!!!!!! I just about lost it laughing. I know it´s a sacred thing that you´re not supposed to make fun of but that little man just doesn´t know that he´s not supposed to do that! We´ll have to teach him about that one real quick:)

Other than that things have been going alright. We had our regular interviews with President on Firday. His advice to me...Just let Elder Marcia end his mission thinking that he ended good. I love that man, he understands what´s going on and understands the truth when he hears it.

Oh, mom and Kristi...Just remember that when you are in Lima, Peru, I´m here in Lima, Honduras!!! And I can´t wait to talk to you all on Sunday, I should be able to call Sunday in the afternoon around 3.

I love you all and thank you all for everything!

Love,

Elder Neiswender

Thanks to Everybody

Dear Mom and everyone else,

First I would like to thank eveybody for all their encouragement these past few weeks. I have loved reading mission stories from all my aunts and cousins that have had similar experiences. Last week when I was feeling down, I tried making a list of all the people that have helped make me who I am today. All the people that given the opportunity, I would call great. After writing names for a good long while I looked at how many names that I had and realized that I hadn´t even come close to finishing. I can´t remember the number that did have a the time, but I added on and as the number grew I grew more and more amazed at the wonderful people that I have been blessed to have around me.

At the beginning of the mission, I remember when thinking about "Awesome" people that I knew, I had the list slimmed down to immediate family, the youth leaders in the ward, the preists quorum, and a couple of friends from school. As I go on, I have looked at different things I do and think, "Hey I learned that one from... or from...." I realize now that it wasn´t just a few people that changed my life in big ways. It was the people that changed the small things that gave me the strength to change the big things. Every day it seems like I think of someone new that helped me a long time ago, or even some random guy at the movie theatre telling me to keep smiling.

I look back and realize that it wasn´t just chance that I got put in Brother Smith´s seminary class, or it wasn´t just chance that I brothers with David Archuleta on trek, and it wasn´t just chance that I got called to this mission, and it wasn´t just chance that I was put with Elder Ellett as my MTC companion. You guys don´t know him or the other elders from the MTC, but I tell you that they are some of my closest friends and Elder Ellett is just someone you´ll have to meet when we get back. I know that it wasn´t just chance that Brad Johnson was in Oklahoma with me, or that Chris, Ryan, Grant, Adam, Andrew, James, Austin, etc. Were in the same priests quorum as me, or that Tim, Mike, Verl, and Jeff, etc were our leaders. I know it wasn´t just chance that I have the aunts and uncles and cousins I have. I know for a fact, and with absolutely no room for doubt that it wasn´t just chance that I have the brothers, sisters and grand-grandparents that I have. And I am abosutley astounded at the wonderful, genuine, great, helpful...I´m running out of space....parents that I have. Everyday I see more and more parents that don´t care, or don´t know how to care for the kids. And everyday I grow more thankful for the parents that God allowed me to have. When people ask me how I know there is a God, I don´t start by looking at the trees or the rivers or the animals anymore. I start by telling them about my family, my friends, and my leaders. I love you all, and I thank everyone of you for every little thing you did or me to help grow. I agree with Elder Simper that I can´t think of how I would have deserved it. I can´t even dream of how I could deserve people like you, I guess the Lord you that I would need you instead.

Thank you all, I love you and I thank you,

Sincerely,

Elder Travis Neiswender

Here's to Mom and Dad

Dear Mom, and everyone else,

Well, things are getting better, then they get worse, then they get better, then they get worse...aka...We have an awsome lesson where we both use each other and support each others ideas and teachings and have an awesome spirit, then he takes us to the cooks house and has the cooks daughter apply some random cream on his face, for about fifteen minutes. Luckily, President Veirs was at our zone meeting the next day, so I pulled him aside and talked to him. I love that man, he has a way of inpiring patcience that I didn't think possible. Then the next day, we have another awesome, the guy understood everything and accepted baptism right there in the first visit, then the next day we go back to the cooks house in the early evening, and while we eat, the members put on Rambo 4!!!! I eat fast so we can split, but Marcia eats nice and slow and laughs at everytime somebody gets killed saying it's good learn about that kind genecide kind of stuff that really happens. The real kicker about it all, nobody understood any of the words in the movie but me, they were all just watching it to see different ways that Rambo could kill a man and how much blood the producers could fit in. And it wasn't just the adults that watched with their undevided attention, it was the kids that were 6 years old and younger! And the people here wonder why there are so many gangs and murders in this country.

The whole time they had the movie playing, I just sat there looking at the floor thinking about how great my parents had raised me. I'm 19 (holy crap almost 20) and I'm pretty sure that my mom and dad would still be mad at me for seeing movies like that. There were always times back home when I was younger, that I would think to myself, "Oh I'm old and mature enough to see this movie or go to this party or do this thing or that thing." Then I would get mad when mom would say no because I wasn't old enough. I can't remember who it was that gave these next two quotes, but the first one helped me avoid bad movies and situations when friends would invite me to suchthings. I think it was Elder Nelson, who when his kids or grand kids wanted to take him to see a certain questionable movie, his reply to them as their father or grandfather was, "No, I don't think that I am mature enough to see that movie":) And then in this conference somebody gave a talk about how the Lord knows what he wants us to be and that is why he cuts us down, so that we can grow better. So I quote the words of that inspired messege of God. Mom, Dad, "Thanks for loving me enough to cut me down." I know I didn't always make it easy, but I thanks you for putting up with me and always being there to help me. The family here in Honduras is of little more importance than financial support. I consider myself extremely blessed to have been sent to a family with loving parents such as you. Thanks again for everything. I love you Mom and Dad.

And I love the rest of you too everyone. All of you have helped me become who I am today, and in no way can I deny it. The other day I tried making a list of all the people that have helped me for the better, and I just didn't have room on the paper for all the names. I love you all and thank you all for being wonderful parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephew, cousins, leaders, and friends.

Love,

Elder Neiswender

Thanks

Dear mom and everyone else,

First off thanks for all your tips and pointers on how to deal with my comp. Things have been better this week. Yes I am with him for another transfer. This is his last transfer in the mission. I have already learned that there isn´t much you can do to change the mindset of "dying" companion. My first companion finished his mission the one change I was with him. Luckily he had the mindset to work hard and end strong, which we did. Elder Marcia seems to have the mindset of already having completed the mission and it´s coasting time. Try as I might, I can´t change that. All I can do is try my best to accept it and do my best not to copy that trait. Thanks dad for your emails of ideas. I would love to have insights from Tim that you emailed me about. What you said in your last email really helped. About picking the battles that I really wanted to fight and letting the rest of the things that are not a direct hinderence to the work roll off. Well I´ve been trying that this week and it´s been working like a charm. We still talk very little, but at least the feelings of anger have been disapating. Being the sports lover that I am and having plenty of time to think to myself I named this technique the pick 'n' roll (not origional I know). But I decided that everytime he does something little that I don´t like or that isn´t quite in harmony with the mission rules, if it is not something that I want to have a fight over, I just roll my shoulders back and tell myself to let it roll off:) That first day I rolled my shoulders a lot, but things have been getting better:)

Cool experience of the week: so we had a baptism this weekend (cool yes, but not the cool story), and to get to the church to baptize we take a bus for about 30 minutes. On the way back from the baptism, the mom of the youth we baptized, who is not a member but supports her son, sat next to me on the bus. We talked a while about the atonement and everything about forgiveness and the great gift that we have. Then I asked her if she would like a Book of Mormon. She told me that she had already read part of the copy that we gave her son. Then she tells me "The weird thing is, is the part of that book that I read...that night I dreamt it." Ok if that´s not an awesome sign that the Book of Mormon is true I don´t know what is. I wish I could have dreams of the Book of Mormon! We kept talking for a while about everything. There was a cool spirit in that little piece of the bus that day. I am confident that she felt it, now I just hope that she can have the courage to act on it.

Well, that´s about it for this week. I love you all have hope you all have the best week ever!

Love,

Elder Neiswender

Jerusalem!!

Dear Mom and everyone else,

First, can I just say that conference was AWESOME!!! We Americans got to watch it in English. Saturday we got to sit and watch it on a TV. Sunday, we got confined to a computer that had interrupted signals, but we got to watch it none the less. Yes dad, all the elders in the zone know that you are in the choir now, because whenever they showed you, I jumped up and told them "That´s my dad!" By the end of conference they were able to pick you out for themselves:)

Now for the funny part of conference. So Sunday All of the Americans were in there sitting in the small room watching it on a computer. The internet signal wasn´t very good so it kept cutting in and out at certain parts and every time it cut out we would joke around and say that whoever was speaking just announced and introduced the three Nephites or some random 2nd coming prophey like building the temples or sending the prophets to Jerusalem lol. Well when President Monson got up and gave his talk, Sunday morning we all listened intently to his talk of temples and how important they were. Then he mentioned one temple in particular, and we all focused 100%. He said it was in a city over 2,500 years old. We all looked at each other in disbelief. Then he said it was a city where the apostles walked, and we all got ready for earth shattering news. Then right as he said the name of the city, of course, the internet signal skipped for about five seconds. We all five of us jumped up and started shouting, ¨¨Jerusalem!¨ and, "Oh wow the end is close!" We all sat in disbelief and amazement. Then about a minute later we realized that he was talking about Italy, and not Isreal. Finally we realized that he was talking about the Rome, Italy temple, and not the temple in Jerusalem. Awesome, yes. Big step for the kingdom of God, yes. Little bit of a let down, just a little. lol. But we all have it straightened out now. It reminded me of when we were watching the BYU UCLA bowl game a few years ago. The score 17-16 BYU, time left: about 3 or 4 seconds.We were watching it on tivo so we were a few seconds behind real time. UCLA goes for a game winning, chip-shot field goal. They snap the ball, the kicker goes to kick the ball aaaannnnddddd......something happens to the cable and cuts out the play! Next thing we see are people storming the field. We missed BYU block the feild goal! Dang technology. OH well life goes on.

Yes mom, I did get the package:) I can finally show the other elders my family now:) Oh and yes I did use my debit carda while ago. Sorry, I was kind of bad about answering that question. Things are going well. I found out that I get another 6 weeks with my companion. We´ll see what happens and make the best of it:)

I love you all, thanks dad for your email. I´ll try it out and hope it works!

Love,

Elder Neiswender

I Should Have Died Right There!

Dear mom and everyone else,

Ok so from the subject title, this is not an adventure story. Let me explain. So I thought that me and my companion were doing better. We actually had a couple of conversations and even laughed a little bit. Things were looking up:) But yesterday thinks took a turn for the worse. We left to work and he walked out of the house with a hat on. Just to clarify, we cannnot wear hats during missionary work. Well I told him that we can't wear hats and he just gave me the "crazy" sign. Well we left, and I asked him why he even wanted to wear a hat, and along came another arguement. Thing is, I don't think people ever taught him how to make a smart arguement. All he did was say that he had more time than me. Therfore his two basic arguement were that I don't know anything because I only have 8 months, and that I can't even speak Spanish. He was only right on one thing and that was that he had more time than me. Well we went on and I said that I only do my best because I want to see miracles. He told me that he has seen his miracles and that I get to wait for mine. Well by the end of the time he realized I was right because he went back to pretending he couldn't understand me.

After all this, we met up with some converts and started a long hike under the brutal sun. Just a quick sidenote, this is the hottest time of the year here and boy is it hot! Well I was walking along, more irritated by his indifference than anything when I thought of a M*A*S*H episode that made me laugh inside.

In this episdoe a doctor comes to camp to visit and teach a new technique. BJ and Hawkeye don't really like him because he his cocky and thinks he can do everything. BJ Honycut has a lifethreatening problem that only this new doctor knew how to cure. After saving BJ's life, Hawkeye thanks him and the doctor just keeps on in his arrogant ways. After all this, BJ and Hawkeye are talking and saying about how cocky that doctor was. They were getting madder and madder and then BJ starts laughing and says to Hawkeye, "You know what I should have done that would have shown that doctor up? I should have died right there at the table while he was operating!"

And so while walking along the dusty hot road I thought "I should have just died right there in the middle of the road and let the converts see how he reacts!" Now don't worry these were not serious thoughts of dying. I just started chuckling at how such a absurd idea would have entered my mind and help me cheer up with a little humor:) Kind of like Thomas Heziltien's story about reading about when Nephi had to kill Laban. And then Thomas looked up and saw the Machette sitting there against the table.

Oh and dad you'll get a kick out of this other story. We went to an investigators house the other day and he told us to just hop the gate because it didn't open anymore. Well it was a little crappy wooden gate and my companion went first struggling to find a board strong enough to support his weight long enough. He finally did it and made it look really hard. Then it was my turn. I went up, swung up one leg and realized how tall I really was. I didn't have to climb the gate, I just had to lift my leg up high and walk over the gate:) Haha oh I love being tall here:)

Well that´s about it for this week. I love you all and hope you all enjoy conference and that we can all learn something new!

Love,

Elder Neiswender

Signs of the Times

Dear Mom and everyone else,

Things are still going great here, a lot of people sitting around blaming the Japanese people for not beleiving in God and bringing this great destruction upon themselves, and then they reject the message that we have about God and his restored truth. Oh well. Just gotta keep pushing:)

I had one of the most awkward experiences of the mission the other day. We went to the house of a recent convert that I hadn't met yet because he hasn't been back to church. He came out and the guy honestly looks like he is Davy's age OR YOUNGER! I started talking with him and noticed that he had a deep voice for such a youngster. I asked him what grade he was in in school, and I used the spanish word for elementary school. He looked at me weird and my comp leaned over and said in broken english. "He is TWENTY FIVE Years old." I felt horrible lol! I wonder how many times this guy has been insulted on purpose and then along comes this gringo who pretends to know Spanish, comes to my house and insults me again. Oh man I feel awkward. I hope he took my apology:)

I got to go on divisions with an elder from El Salvadador named Elder Perez. That elder is awesome. He was in the area right next to mine during my first transfer. He is also the elder who was first to trade helping me learn Spanish for my helping him learn Spanish. :) (I have heard him play the piano since and I think I got the better end of that deal:)) We talked to whole day and I learned a lot of new words from him:) He is awesome and he only has 6 more weeks than I do so we get a lot of time to be in the same mission.

We had a meeting with a few zones last Wednesday and President did something weird, for lack of a better word. One of the APs was talking and then President Veirs got up, stopped Elder Cardon, and read us a scripture about how we are seeing the signs of the last days with the events of Japan and all over the world, and then he told us that we all had to be prepared. I still can't decide if he was just saying that to make sure we knew it was important or because he felt something was coming. I think it's time to be prepared:) In his talk that he gave to us later, after Elder Cardon finished talking, President talked about the atonement of Jesus Christ. He detailed how the sweating of blood is actually possible, but only when the human body was under extreme pressure! And then he explained the flogging and the crown of thorns and how he must have suffered there. Then he explained in great detail, the physical effects of the crusifixition and how it really would be the most painful way to die because of how the nails effected the muscles. It was really amazing to learn about how much Jesus Christ went through for us. I can't do his talk justice in an email, but know that it was amazing and that a few elders were crying. It helped refocus me on why I am here after hearing so much about Japan and what happened there I admit I kindof got distracted a little bit. But I agree with the quote that Elder Simper used in his last email from Shawshank Redemption. At first I didn't like these walls, but now I do depend on them.

I love you all and thank you for all your support:)

Love,

Elder Neiswender

Prayers Are Inspired

Dear Mom and everyone else,

Well things are great here! Thanks mom for Trevor´s email address. That´s cool that you got to go to his restaraunt and that he could wait on you guys. I remember how fun it was seeing people I know at Jordan Commons. even though I didn´t really get to talk much when I saw them there. It was always fun anyway:)

So I tried using a little bit of that, as mom called it, "Travis charm" the other day to get my companion to talk. Problem is, the way the Spanish language is built, it is very difficult to ask for something without making it sound demanding. I tried to ask nicely to let me teach more in the lesson so that I could become more confident and fluent and the works, and I failed miserably. He took it the wrong way (or maybe it really did come out the wrong way) and he started telling me things about my teaching that didn´t really tickle my fancy. He kept saying that he interupted me because I didn´t know what to say. Problem from his side, he had no idea during the lesson that I was about to say the exact same thing that he said when he interrupted me. I asked him how he knew that I wasn´t going to say those things and he said "because". A few more words flew, but then we saw one of our investigators walking toward so we stopped talking. So good new, I finally had a conversation with my companion:) The bad news, it was an arguement. Guess there is no why to go but up:)

Now as for the earthquake in Japan. I am glad that all the missionaries are safe there. I had a weird experience with prayer right before that earthquake hit Japan. I have always heard that sometimes the Lord inspires prayers so that we might pray for things we might not think we need or what others might need. That night before, I was tired, and I admit I had pretty much put in the tape of Prayer A and was just going through the motions. All of the sudden one of the scriptures that talks abut vain repetitions came into my mind while I was praying. So just to mix things up a little bit I slowed down and took a pause in the prayer. Suddenly I felt a small prompting to ask for Ryan´s safety. I had no idea why, but I did it anyway because President Monson says never ignore promptings from the spirit. As I heard about what was happening in Japan the next day, my thoughts truned to my life long friend Ryan Horne. I know that millions of prayers are said everynight for all the missionaries all over the world, and I don´t feel like one prayer in a couple million really had a whole lot of effect on the situation. But I tell you that I felt a whole lot better knowing that I had already petitioned to my Father my brother´s safety. I read the story of Helaman´s Army the other day. And while hearing about the events in Japan I was filled with a peace. I didn´t have to worry because I know Ryan, and the trust in the Lord that he has, and I knew that he wasn´t worried. I know now that the Lord does inspire prayers. He knows what we need even when we don´t. I encourage you to do as President Monson has said and practice and act on the promptings of the Holy Spirit immediately.

I´ve had a lot of time to study ensigns and read about what President Monson has said in these past couple of weeks. And I am gratefull for it.

I hope everything is going well back there at home! I love getting updates from back there:) I love you all and I pray for you all everynight!

Love,

Elder Neiswender

New Area

Dear Mom and everyone else,

So the downside to the mission is changes. You have to say goodbye to comps that you worked hard with and came to love through hard work, you have to say goodbye to the ward members that help so much, and of course we have to say goodbye to all the people that we have taught, loved, helped, prayed for, cried for, and rejoiced with. If there is one part of the mission that I would say wasn't there is the goodbyes. My dear sister Kristi, now I know why you hate saying goodbye. It really stinks especially knowing that there is a very high chance of not seeing these people again in the life.

Ok enough of the sad stories and on to the new area. It's actually not very far from my last area. But it is a whole lot hotter! It's right smack dab in the valley which means that the mountains don't give us any shade at any time of the day. But the work seems to be good here. I have a picture that I will try to send next week that almost tops the last baptismal one I sent. This area had 8 baptisms and as a zone over 20 on saturday! I only wish I could say I was a part of it. I literally showed up to the area Wednesday and my comp told me that we have 8 baptisms for Saturday:) Can't complain though:) OH and as for my comp...I finally got a latino comp!!! Which means that whenever we talk, we talk in Spanish!:) Only problem is that he doesn't talk very much. But we'll change that:) Cause frankly I really do need the help of a native speaker. No crazy stories from down here, but I keep hearing from other missionaries that Jerry Sloan resigned and Deron Williams got traded! What's up with that?!

Oh and yes mom you can add Sister Holt to the email list:)

Well that's about it for this week, I'll talk to you next week and we'll see if any fun stories come up:)

Love,

Elder Neiswender

No Alcohol?

Dear Mom and everyone else,
Ok ok, I am done drinking random things for a while. There is a drink
in that they sell in the little stores that people open up in the
houses all over place. I didn't recognize it and neither did my comp,
but we both knew that it didn't have caffiene and it wasn't alcoholic
so we could drink it. As I went to buy my bottle to try it out, this
one guy came up and started telling us that it was the same as beer,
but just without alcohol. I figured now I get to know what I am
missing out on. After taking the first drink of that stuff I was
done! That part of the word of wisdom just got that much easier to
keep. That stuff is nasty!
Not much happened here again this week. Just a lot of the same
running to appointments. But it was really cool yesterday. Benigno, a
guy that we were teaching a while ago that just wasn't progressing so
we stopped teaching him, came back to church with his family! It was
pretty cool to see. Unfortuneatly I don't get to see what happens in
that scenario. I found out this morning that I am getting tranferred
again. It's sad because there are so many wonderful people here that
we are teaching and a lot of them just need to get married so they can
get baptized in a few weeks. Oh well. I guess we will just have to
wait and see what happens in the next area. I am a little mad that I
have to leave, but I always get mad at the people that aren't willing
to put their faith in Christ and see where it takes them so I guess
it's time for me to practice a little bit more of what I preach:) But
at least I get to know another part of Honduras.
Oh and I finally got all the Christmas cards from the family and yes
Jami, I still do have some Spanish to learn. And to Logan, me encanta
la comida aqui tambien, pero miro adelante quando yo puedo comer la
comida de my mami otra vez:)
Well things are going great here. I hope to be able to send more
pictures next week when I get to my new area. I love you all and hope
everything is going well.!
love,
Elder Neiswender

Dear Mom and everyone else,
Well this week has been pretty uneventful. Most of the people we are
teaching right now have to get married before they can get baptized.
The thing is, the women are always ready and love the idea of getting
married, but the guys always get real nervous. Oh well we just gotta
keep loving them and telling them how great marraiges in the church
are:)
That's been another thing that reminds me that the church is true.
people get completely dumbstruck when I tell them that my parents have
been married for 35 years (or is it 36 now?). They never hear about
marraiges that last that long down here. Most people don't even get
married, they just move in together and call it good. It is a lot more
common than in the states. Nobody gets married here. But when they
realize what they need to do and how the church and the Holy Ghost
will help, they open their eyes more. But the number of marraiges in
the church that stay together is amazingly high. This church has to be
the true church, if it can require that two people live together, and
then by some miracle keeps almost all the couples together. It is an
amazing feat that can only be done somewhere where there is the
authority of God and in a house where there is his Holy Spirit of
peace.
That's about all there is to report this week. Like I said, not
much happened. Everything stayed the same:)
Yes mom, I am taking plenty of pictures, and with the three
memorycards I have, I still have plenty of space:)
Oh and congradulations to Joey and Jen! They told me to expect a
little Joey or Jen running around when I get back:)
Well thanks again for all the support:) I love you all and I know
we are in the right path. I'll talk to you all again next week!
Love,
Elder Neiswender

Christmas Presents!!

Dear mom and everyone else,
Well, as for the weekly update, Things are looking way way up. Thanks
goodness that that week is gone and I just hope we don't have anymore
like it. This week has been much better. We found more great people
and put some good sounding dates with people:) The family that still
needs to get married has seemed to turned it around and hopefully they
keep going in the right direction. We also got some references from
some members and we found this one black lady and her husband that
like the church a lot. The great thing about them is that the lady
speaks ENGLISH. The first lesson we taught was just with her and she
wanted us to teach it in english. I never thought it would be that
hard to teach a lesson in english. Boy was I wrong. Luckily we got
through it and she loves it and keeps telling us that it just makes
sense. She actually lived in the states and graduated from high school
there so her engligh was really good.
Also this week we had interviews with President. That man is so
awesome! I love president Viers with all my heart. He knows how to
treat any problem with the right amount of love. Also, because we went
to the mission office for interviews, I got to go to the mail room and
guess what were waiting for me there...CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!!!!!!! All
the elders there looked at me weird when they saw me carrying all
those packages, because it's not christmas time anymore. They were all
shocked when they found out those were my christmas packages. They
were late, but they are here. So Kristi, sister, I can finally start
that twelve days of christmas thing:) Thanks so much for all the
gifts! They were all so wonderful to get.
Well, not much else has happened this week. It was a great week:) I
love you all and I know that this work is the right work.
Love,
Elder Travis Neiswender

Bishop Burton

Dear Mom and everyone else,
Well this week has been a rollorcoaster ride. I'm talkin, California
Screamin' at Disneyland! Well, more so it was just this weekend then
the week.
First the great news!! We got a visit from Bishop Burton of the
Presiding bishopbric and two members of the seventy and...Elder D.
Todd Christofferson!!! He came and spoke to the whole mission in one
huge meeting, and can I just say it was AWESOME!!!!!!
Friday we had a Choir practice for anyone that wanted to be in the
choir that sang during the meeting. I figured, I like to sing, this
seems like a win-win situation so I went to the choir practice Friday
morning. I walked in and the guy that was at the piano came over to
me, and told me "Neiswender I can't freakin learn this song by
tomorrow, can you play it?" Luckily it was one of the songs that I
learned to play in various sacrament meetings here in Honduras. It was
"I know that my redeamer lives". It was fun.
When Elder Chistofferson came in the room, there was an immediate
feeling of peace from all the worries and stresses of the mission. It
was very comforting. Words can't explain the peace that was in that
room. I wasn't even nervouse to play the piano! After he came in he
let each one of us walk up and shake his hand, and he asked us all our
names and where we are from. I have lived in Utah all my life and have
never shaken hands with an Apostle. The feeling that I had there was
unlike anything I have ever felt before. There was so much peace right
there.
The performance during the meeting was really powerful. I almost
started crying at while I was supposed to be play the piano. It was
awesome.

Bishop Burton spoke to us first and introduced us to "Chocolate Chip
Cookie Days". Special days that recieved special celebration. He
challenged us to make as many chocolate chip cookie days as possible
here in the mission and also in our lives. It was a great talk filled
with hope and inspiration.

When Elder Christofferson got up to talk that huge spirit spread out
over everyone in the audience. I had the feeling right then that I
should write down everything that I can. Any impressions that I get
during the meeting. It was funny, during his talk he was making an
example of how president Viers should react when he hears our name. He
looked to the part of the room I was sitting in and said "Hey you
Elder, the one that played the piano, what's your name?" Holy Crap! I
nearly forgot my own name in that moment. Finally I was able to yell
"Neiswender!!" And look on his face was one I will never forget:) Long
story short, Neiswender is a name that he will have to work on
pronouncing:) Good ole names.
At the end of the talk he gave us an apostalic blessing from the
pulpit. He told us that we would be blessed with the spirit to be able
to be able to feel the love of God and to be more persuasive teachers.
It was after that statement that I had the feeling that I should write
down a quote from...of coure..."ROCKY". The quote is "Life's not about
how hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep
moving foreward." I didn't really understand why I should write that
at the time, but about five hours after I got my answer.
We got back to our area and left to go visit our 6 "set" baptismal
people. It was supposed to be the best day ever. Two people were an
old couple who promised us that they would do it. The other was a
young couple with 2 kids over 8 years old. their only problem was to
get married and we thought that would be easy because they already
agreed to it. In those two hours of appointments, all 6 of those
investigators fell, and fell hard. They fell subject to preaching and
teaching of men and the fear of their hearts. They couldn't put all
their trust in the Lord. They say they believe in him. But as the
title of the book, they weren't "Believing Christ". The problem with
loving the people so much is when they rip your heart out of your
chest and stomp on it right in front of you. Saturday was the biggest
rollercoaster day of, I believe, my entire life. I have never felt as
sad as I did there, except when Luis from my last area turned us down.
Well, later that night we got back to the house bruised and battered
and just ready to go to church the next day. I sat down and started
looking through the pages of notes that I took during the meeting. I
read that quote at the end of my notes "Life's not about how hard you
can hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving
foreward." I realized then how much that line will help me through the
mission. There will be and has been great times, but it's how you deal
with the hard times that defines you as a person and a missionary.
Thank you Verl for the email you sent. It couldn't have come at a more
needed time. I will take your advice and make me the sweetest
lemondade in the world:)
I love you all, and hope that you can all have the greatest week
possible. I know this church is true and there is nothing that anyone
can say that can take that away. I know that I am here in Honduras to
stand as a witness of the truth and goodness of God and his gospel.
There is no greater comforting power. I hope that we can all learn to
put everything in the Lord's hands and let him do his mighty work.
I love you all.
Elder Travis Neiswender

Doggggs

Dear Mom and everyone else,

These past two weeks have been crazy. It seems like everyday we find
at least one new person to teach. Everybody and their dogs are
listening to us (ok so the dogs just chase us), but the work here is
taking off like crazy. The next few weeks are going to be full of
appointments and hopefully those all turn into baptisms and
conversions.
It's feels weird that I have already been out 6 months. Oh man did
they fly. I still feel like the new guy on the block, but there a
alreday a lot of missionaries here that have less time then me, and a
few of them actually ask me for help with Spanish. Sometimes I can
help them and other times I have the same question. There are
transfers this week. Me and Elder Wilson found out that we are staying
together another change! It should be fun. We are have great success
together now and we get along great!
Speaking of the dogs here, they are everywhere. Most of them just stay
off to the side of the street and look at you like you did something.
The ones that run at you aren't very couragous lol. It doesn't matter
how fast they are running at you all you have to do is lean down like
you are going to pick up a rock and they do the fastest 180 turnaround
you will ever see. It is actually quite funny. Hopefully it keeps
working everytime.
As for the packages, no I haven't gotten them yet. They haven't
delivered packages anywhere the the past two weeks. Why? I don't know.
Is it frustrating? A little bit. lol. Oh well hopefully they come this
week. And yes I did take the money out of the acount. Sorry I didn't
answer those questions last week. I forgot:) I hope things are going
well there at home. Things are great here and I love it;)
Love,
Elder Neiswender