It's been a while since I've updated Hunter's blog!  Here are a few excerpts from his past couple of letters...

We had a pretty tough week.  Our only progressing investigator keeps bailing on our set appointments.  It's really frustrating.  BUT HEY - she went to church this week!

 

So we were in Montour Falls and we were just walking to a potentials house and we felt the spirit prompt us to go in this retirement home where a member lives.  Her name is sister Jourdan. So we get her room number and walk down to find her.   We walk in her room and she says with her eyes full of tears, "THE ELDERS!"   So we sit down and talk to her a bit and she explains that she never gets visitors and this was really a treat for her. So she bears her testimony on the Atonement and the Plan of Salvation.   Then the dinner bell rings and she says she'll say a prayer and that prayer was one of the most spirit touching prayers of my life.  She said, "I am so very grateful for this visit and I will remember this experience for the rest of my life" and then we left.  We helped someone when they needed help.  That's what we are here to do!

 

hello hello hello!! 

 

Mom, I did get the shoes!  AWESOME.  Thank you.  I keep missing you guys and Dad - its hard... But I'll make it through.  How are the girls?  Hanging in there?  How are you?  I wonder if dad just sees us and laughs because we are all so worked up about family and crap.   Haha.  Actually, I know he is and wants us to just be happy.

 

That's GREAT what you guys did at the Cancer Center!!!  How were the patients?  HAPPY?   I bet they were!  Well get a Skype because that has been approved by President Wirthlin to Skype my family for Christmas!

 

Well here is some wise advice from President Wirthlin, SR. "Come what may and love it!"   That's like one of my top three most favorite quotes ever!   Read and listen to that talk. It will cheer you and the girls right up. 

 

Well love you all so, so, so much.  Dad is really watching over us.

 

Love,

Elder Neus

 

mmmm bye now

 

 

And here is a message I received from one of the members in Hunter's area...

 

 

Elder Neus is one of our missionaries, in fact, he just left to go to the Cornwells who live up behind us.   He is here every Monday and Thursday night.   He helped carry wood in for us last Thurs.   He is a really nice guy and is always willing to help everyone and to teach the gospel, wonderful.

 

Monday, we saw Elder Neus and he was in good spirits keeping quite busy, he spent Thanksgiving day with us, had a good meal. And yes, he got the drum stick, he says he always gets it at home, and it was our pleasure to let him have what he wanted. At times he seems somewhere else, I think with the Holidays he is missing home, that is only my observation tho, when I get back on my feet we'll try to make it more enjoyable season for both missionaries. I will also try to keep you up to date on how he is doing.

 

 

Elder Neus was here last night, he had supper at the Cornwells and then stopped here afterwards. He loves his new coat and it keeps him toasty warm. We had such a wonderful visit with these two young men. We shared stories about family and he is excited his sisters will perform for the prophet, that is some of the best news. We talked about the Indians out there in Arizona and the ones in California, it sounds like the battles never ended between the settlers and the Indians, lol.  Elder Neus and Koga took a 3 hour nap yesterday, I am glad they have been working so hard they were both exhausted. We have a wood stove and it is warm in our house, they come in the living room sit down and many a missionary have been noted to be so relaxed they sleep thru the visit. We just love having the missionaries in our home, will try to keep you up to date.

 

 

It sounds like Hunter is doing just fine and enjoying being a missionary!  We miss him but know he is where he is supposed to be right now.  We are so proud of him and the example he is setting for his sisters and all of his many younger cousins who want to be missionaries, also! 

 

 

 

 

Hunter is doing great.  He sent me a few pictures this week and a short email with a promise that a letter was in the mail.  I haven't been good about posting those letters on this blog!  Anyway - he is always upbeat and so positive in all of our communications.  I am so thankful for that! 

I'm not sure why every picture of him that I've gotten has a goofy face - but seriously, that's just Hunter, right?  I'm so glad to see him happy and loving life!  He loves New York and is growing and learning every day. 

Everyone tells me that our family will be blessed by having a missionary out.  That's the general consensus anyway.  A year or so ago a missionary mother in our ward got up to bear her testimony in church and said she was still waiting for her blessings.  At the time Brian and I were both so floored she would say something like that.  How could she NOT see the blessing she had when it was clearly obvious to our family how blessed their family was!  (Her husband wasn't suffering from cancer and worried about dying, etc.).  Anyway, I can tell you all honestly the biggest blessing our family has received from having a missionary out is that our missionary is happy and learning and loving his life serving others.  He is in the best place he can be right now and that's a huge blessing.  He chose to serve the Lord when he had a million excuses to put off going on a mission.  There's your blessing right there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mom -

 

Things are great!  Last week we went on companion exchanges with the zone leaders. It was pretty sweet. The branch presidency calls me Bishop Neus...they think I will be an Apostle someday... well that's what Brother Smith said.   I don't know, whatever.   But I am loving it!  We have a lot of baptisms coming up!   We found them, taught them, and are now baptizing them:)

We traveled down to Utica on Thursday night for training.  We stayed in the mission home.  I love everyone - especially the Zone Leaders and Elder Lewis and Elder Buck.  They are our homies.  We had chicken rigis at the mission home.  Best thing ever.  Anyway, we came home and the next day picked up 5 new investigators.  That doesn't happen too much out here.

 Yes mom, the apartment is clean.  What kind of apostate question is that!?  Well my camera is lost somewhere in the apartment...  I'll find it don't worry!

The people out here are sooooo weird - oh my gosh.  I have to head out.  I love you and know that the field is VERY white and already to harvest.  Dad is helping me out here!   I feel it every day. Love you sooo much.  And all the family - grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and so forth.  

 

SEND ME PACKAGES PEOPLE COME ON. 

 

Love,

Elder Neus

 

LIFE IS GREAT

p.s.   Send dad's mission journal

Week 3

 

The reason why I'm emailing you on a Tuesday is because we spent Sunday night in Owego with the Owego elders so we could make it to the Zone Training Meeting yesterday. So our p-day is today.

Trumansburg is the bomb!!! Sooooooo sweet! Our area has like three other towns/villages in it. We wake up to 32 degrees every morning :) but I love it. There are so many deer around. Kendyl sent me a package with water balloons (I do not know why), but we throw them at cats and deer when we want a break because they are always in our back yard, which is the forest. We have so much fun!

We are baptizing this family in a month! They are so perfect. I am so excited for them. And today is gonna rock! We are visiting our new investigators that we found on Sunday! The field is white and already to harvest out here in New York. But I'm not just going to plant seeds like everyone says - I'M GOING TO HARVEST THE CROP! BRING PEOPLE UNTO CHRIST!

I don't mind sending emails to everyone, but I hope they don't get offended if I don't answer them all. Its hard - but I try. And the girls better get asked to Homecoming! And it really doesn't surprise me that they failed their driver's permit tests! ;) Yeah...about the money... so first, I needed a handbag (not gay) because we are not allowed to have backpacks. And I also bought a USB drive for music because we have really nice cars that use those. I already have 1,000 songs haha!

So yeah LOVE ya! Tell everyone I love em too. (This dude just farted that's on the other computer next to me). But love you - stay strong. Dad is with us.

Love,

ELDER NEUS


LIFE IS DOPE. BYE NOW!

PS - AND I need a sweater for over my white shirt. Like a long sleeve one that you would see at church!

Week 2

Hunter sent a few pictures this morning.  These top three are from the MTC, and the ones at the bottom are from Trumansburg, NY.

Here is what some of his email said this morning:

 

Mom,

 

I've mailed you a letter!  Here's just a quick update:  I'm out here in Tburg (Trumansburg).  Just Elder Koga and I.  He's so sweet!  I have a ton of pictures I need to send! Trumansburg is the most beautiful place!  It's super cold already.  I bought my jacket, coat and a pair of jeans this week.  We have the largest area in the mission.  Most of it is little towns and forests and farms!  And tons of deer.  We drive mostly, but we also bike and walk.  Yesterday we walked and biked for about 3 hours.  We have the opportunity to give tons of blessings because we only have about 50 people in our branch.   We get fed really well. Our neighbor has stage four cancer and we go over there to do laundry and crap.   But it's pretty fun.  LOTS of people that have never heard of us, so we tract alot.  But relativity nice folk.

 

 

He also sent an email letter to Lauryn:

 

Hey Lauryn!  Wassup!?  I sure miss ya!  And wow - three months!?   I sure do miss dad, too! 

 

Haha the dogs out here in the sticks are pretty mean - they will bite anyone....ANYONE!  Too many of them...

 

How's mom!?  We have a family we are going to baptize already in a month!  Well stay strong Wittle Lauryn.  Remember.....stay strong and choose the right!

 

Hunter

 

 

And an email to Grandma and Grandpa Neus:

 

It's a little different out here!  Our apartment is pretty sweet, though!   And yeah we get along.   I'm in the woods and forest, a little village called Trumansburg. The field is VERY WHITE AND READY TO HARVEST OUT HERE.   But yup, Tburg, we are right in the middle the finger lakes.  Our area is the closest to Palmyra.   And it's pretty chilly.   We have the largest area for two elders. 

 

Tell everyone I love em.  I love and miss you guys, too.  Peace  

 

I'm assuming I'll get a more detailed letter in the mail in a few days!  I hope so, anyway!

 

 

August 28, 2013

Hey Mom!

I hope YOU get this right away because I'm doing my clothes right now and there are computers down here.  Sooooo....what can I say..?   Last night we had a Tuesday night devotional and ELDER NEIL ANDERSON FROM THE TWELVE CAME!  IT WAS SO SICK!  But it was cool to see an apostle.  AND on Sunday night devotional we heard from Elder Bednar. This week has gone by so fast but it seems like I've been here forever.  The food is getting old. The district is doing good, though.  We are all totally best buds.  We are like family - just us elders and sisters.  But the newbies come in today hahaha.  So they will have the orange sticker on their name tags!

My testimony has grown so much since I've been here.  LIKE SO MUCH:)   Oh and I need a lot more money because at the airport you have to pay extra fees.  What else - oh yeah I miss all the girls.  How are they doing?  Are they doing good in school?  What about Grandmas and Grandpas?  Tell them I can't write them every night usually because I'm so dang tired.  But tell everyone to keep writing me because I love letters!  I've gotten like 18.  I'm in second place haha.   Sister Davis is in first with like 25 letters.   And oh crap forgot I have to eat so I'll email you in a sec - so like thirty minutes.

Love,

Elder Neus ''zeus" LIFE IS GREAT

So yeah, I'm back and my clothes are done.  But like I was saying, TELL EVERYONE TO WRITE ME!   SO.... but there is this kid named Elder Peterson and he is a real shy kid..and he's in  my district but he has no support back home.   He hasn't gotten one letter.   His mom and dad kicked him out cause they thought he was too stupid to go on a mission.   But Elder Pettet and I, and the sisters and elders are trying to give him the support he needs. 

 

So I'll just tell you the names of the sisters and elders - there is Elder Fulton and Elder Sedgwich. Elder Buck and Elder Peterson.  And sister Davis and Sister Nillson.  And Sister Smith and Sister Glochnour.  THEY ARE SO AWESOME!   But me and Elder Pettet are the best.  But it's so stressful sometimes.. like the branch presidency was talking about how we need to have more meetings and stuff but like we don't need to.   OH, and it was crazy like last night while we were at the Marriott Center we got rained out.  There was a huge rainstorm and we had to walk in it all the way back to the MTC.  So I gave one of the sisters in my district my suit coat so she wouldn't get soaked.  But yeah, there are things every day that we try to do that Christ would do.  So like we get sooooo many blessings.   It's crazy.   But I'll email you later today because I have to get ready to go the the temple.

Love,

ELDER NEUS

LIFE IS AWESOME

Week 1

I received my first letter from Elder Neus yesterday!  I was so happy to see that he is doing great and having a wonderful experience in the MTC! 

Mom,

The most tiring days of my life...

So the first day was so cool.  I arrived at the MTC around 1:30.  An elder met me and took me to get my stuff and to take me to my first class.  So... there are 4 sisters and 6 elders in my district and they are all going to the same mission.  So we are the newbies in our district.  Pretty cool.  We are all new since yesterday.  I love every single one of them, love them with all my heart.  My awesome comp is Elder Pettet.  He's so funny and cool.  He's an awesome guy.  Kinda weird, but that's ok.  I love him.  He's from Idaho Falls, Idaho and has a southern farmer accent.  He's 6'6" and a farmer.  We get along great.  We also eat with our district.  We are all great friends and love each other even through our faults and looks.

So today is our second day and we got up early around 6:00 and showered.  Oh and uh, so we have two bunks and it's only me and Elder Pettet.  Haha so we get our own crap.  So we had a branch meeting right before we went to go back to our dorms and I got interviewed and called as the District Leader.  So basically, the bishop of my district.  It's so cool.

It's getting late - around 10:50 and that's unheard of around here.  I know this church is true and I know that since I've been here my testimony of the church and it's teachings have grown.  In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!

Elder Neus

P.S.  I love and miss you mom.  So, so much.  And dad is here with me, teaching me and guiding and also strengthening me.  Tell the girls I love them too, haha.  Love you.

P.P.S.  Life is great!  I would bear my testimony more but it's too late.

P.P.P.S.  I don't know our new address so uh, I'll mail this to Dave.