April 28, 2014

"Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love."
President Thomas S. Monson

This week has been pretty exciting up here in the north country! Elder Jepsen and I have been really busy. Last week was all a blur due to the weirdness. But our investigators are getting more and more excited about the gospel. Debbie is getting baptized on Saturday and she can't wait. And her husband Tracey wasn't going to due to his love for alcohol but told us last night he hasn't drank in a while and wants to get dipped on May 20! SO AWESOME!!

Our mission has a new teaching method. President Wirthlin saw that even with the mission doubling in size our baptism rate has stayed the same. So with his "connections" he called Salt Lake and talked to a general authority and they gave us a new modified way to preach the gospel. We are the first mission to use it and it has really changed missionary work here. We have taught more powerfully and simply. It has really changed the work. With this new method we get an average of about 4 referrals each visit. And we stay no longer than 15 to 30 minutes. CRAZY!

But something has been on my mind lately. And that something is gratitude. Gratitude like it says in Preach My Gospel is a form of humility. Being humble is willingness to submit to the Lords will and to give him honor for what has been accomplished. Mosiah 4:11 states this perfectly. We need to be grateful for what we have. Being here in Massena has been a humbling experience. There is so much poverty. Yet they thank God for everything they have. Well....most of them. But they still are thankful. Before I came out here I was very prideful. I thought of myself before everyone else until my dad showed me what it is like to have true gratitude. He never talked bad about anyone no matter what they have done. And I never heard him once complain about him suffering with cancer and dying. Well except when they tried to give him a catheter...but that's understandable. That would suck haha. But he tried so hard to love evryone and to be humble. Another great example for me is Christ. He was beaten, persecuted, and killed but never once did he think about himself. Those two people have changed my life and the way I think forever. Let us be ever so grateful for what we have and serve our brothers and sisters.

I bear my solemn witness that Jesus is the Christ. He is our master and only through him we can have everlasting life. I know that he lives and loves us. And I know that as we are humble, submissive, and grateful that blessings will pour out of heaven. 

Well keep on keepin on. Write me :) The adress is
PO Box 149
Whitesboro, NY 13492

Love,

Elder Neus MMMMMMMMM bye now