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