June 9, 2014

'If I had a year left I would slit my throat Elder Neus" - Elder Huff the branch president who's about to go home.  Haha just another great quote I have heard out here. Well HELLO HELLO ARIZONA PEOPLE

This week wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had a blast!  First we had a boring first few days.  Just pounded the pavement. But let's fast forward to Friday.   We woke up and went to the gym.  THEN we went to do some service at the Relay for Life.  It was really fun.  We helped them fold shirts, make a stage and eat their pizza:)   Later that day we had the one year anniversary party for the Massena Branch!  It was so fun!  I had a bunch of fun. I don't know if my companion did, but oh well, he doesn't like sports...yeah I know...lame.  We played some volleyball and frisbee.  IT WAS SO HOT.  It felt like a sauna. New York is super freaking humid. The complete opposite of Arizona.

So then on Saturday we woke up at 5 and went to the Massena Arena to set up a booth for the Massena Heritage Festival. We had a projector to show Mormon messages and I'm a Mormon videos and tons of cards, DVDS, Book Of Mormons, and stuff like that.  So it started at nine and went until 5...SHOOT ME IN THE FACE that's a long time to be sitting down. We gave away a lot of stuff and the most promising person tried to bash us at the end of the festival. She made no sense whatsoever.  First she says, "Why do you worship Joseph Smith?  And why do you like him more than Jesus?"  So I stood up and pointed to my name tag and said "MA'AM, DOES MY NAME TAG SAY CHURCH OF JOSEPH SMITH OF LATTER DAY SAINTS OR DOES IT SAY JESUS CHRIST?"  So then she says, "Well you guys don't believe in the bible just that dumb Mormon book."  Then at that moment Elder Davis (who was hanging out with me at the time) says, "THEN WHY ARE WE GIVING AWAY BOTH?"  This went on for about 15 minutes when finnaly we both stood up and bore our testimonies on Joseph smith and The Book Of Mormon.  Done-zo.  Elder Davis leaves in a few weeks to go home and was like "I've never wanted to bash until now."   I felt so bad. She looked so dumb and immature.  I'm sure she regrets it as much as we do.  Bashing doesn't do anybody good except Satan.  Ugh yeah not trying to do that again.  I felt the spirit but didn't feel it after.  Words of advice:  
NEVER BASH. EVER...  

Well that was my week. I hope to hear from all of you soon. The church is true the book is blue and Moroni is on that ball:)

Love, Elder Neus

MMMMM BYE NOW

June 2, 2014

Hello Hello!!!  "If you don't have constant contact with God try knee mail!"  Haha that was on some churchs billboard.  Pretty funny.  BUT TRUE!

This week was hectic.  We had exchanges with Malone on Tuesday and that was a very interesting.  I wish I had more time to write this email.  I had a huge email and just freaking deleted it.  Ugh well...uh yeah.  Next week will be better!

SO...yeah.  This upcoming week is gonna be the hardest one of my mission.  Exactly one year ago yesterday I got on my knees and I asked Heavenly Father if this church was true.  At that moment I KNEW it was.  That night my dad also said his last words to me before his spirit left his cancer ridden body and into spirit paradise.  I am so glad that I got to talk to him before he passed away.  He was such a great example for me.  He loved this gospel so much and knew it was true.  

I wish I could write more but my companion wont shut his mouth.  Haha very distracting... Well I love you all so so much and thank you for all your support.

I love hearing from you SO WRITE ME haha

Love, Elder Hunter Neus

mmmmmmmm bye noowww

May 19, 2014

Doctrine and Covenants 133: 26  And they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord; and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves; and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence

Hello hello! That verse just pumps me up every time I read it! So cool!

SOOOO...I have a new companion. His name is Elder Zenger. He is from...hmm...probably Utah...I think.  It's just safe to assume he's from there.  Wait - he just told me he's from Layton, Utah.  Okay yeah awesome haha!  He is so funny!  We get along really well.  I'm really gonna enjoy serving with him.  He is so goofy - I love it!  This morning he woke up, went over to my bed and farted on it.  Then went back to bed...I was half asleep so I didn't know if i was still dreaming or not...I should probably ask him why he did that.  Actually probably not!  hahahahaa

We baptized Tracey on Saturday and it went so well.  And yesterday he was confirmed a member of the church and was interviewed to receive the Aaronic priesthood next Sunday. HOLY COW!  It is so great to see a family that was so far away from happiness come unto Christ and actually be happy.  The Trimms are so great!

Well I need to make this email short - we have a busy P Day ahead of us.  I love all of you and enjoy your emails and support.  Love Ya!

Elder Neus

May 5, 2014

"You have to make your plans and plan your makes...I don't know what that means but ya gotta do it!" - President Wirthlin

Hello hello

"Sister Musser...why do you need to hold the priesthood when you can hold HIM every night?"

President Wirthlin just makes this mission so awesome.  This week was so great! We had a couple baptisms and found a lot of new potential! I will start with Wednesday.

Wednesday. We had district meeting down in Potsdam and our district leader Elder Child and his companion wanted to exchange afterwords. So I went to Malone with Elder Adam. He has been out about six months and the past 4 weeks he has had to stay inside due to his huge headaches. BUT they have the best apartment in the whole mission. They have a huge 60 inch flat screen in their living room with a nice fireplace, washer/dryer, keyboard, another TV in their bedroom, basketball hoop, etc.... So spoiled. So we had to stay in the whole exchange..(not complaining) haha. And while we were their Elder Adam got the word from President Wirthlin that he is going home on Saturday...so crazy day.

Thursday. I woke up with a dang cold. So that whole day we stayed inside in Massena. Not too bad.

Friday. I don't even remember. Still sick.

Saturday. Day of Debbie's baptism:) Wake up and NOT SICK THANK GANDHI!  Haha probably cause I drank a glass full of  cough syrup before I went to bed.  BUT so the day goes on and around 5:00 we head to Potsdam and get ready for the baptism. So I am baptizing Mary Beth...and let me tell ya, she is not the smallest girl in Massena.  She is the other Elder's investigator but she wanted me to baptize her.  So I dunk her and I am so happy that she didn't faint like she said she would.  Because I would've died.  No joke...Tender mercies.  And Debbie is scared of water too and Elder Jepsen baptized her and said her last name wrong so he had to do it again haha.  I think she's even more terrified of water now.  No, but he did a great job.  It was such a good day.  So I had the blessing of confirming her the next day.  I felt the spirit so strong it almost put me to tears.  I can't really describe the way I felt.

I can't wait to see the rest of the Trimms get baptized later this month. They are so ready. I love them so much!

Well that was my hectic week! Thank you all for the support. I love you all:)))

Love, Elder Hunter Neus

MMMMMM BYE NOOOOOW

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

April 21, 2014

Okay so first off Massena is freaking weird.

Let me explain...

hmm...  SO we went to this less-active's house in this freaky high rise building.  We got up to his door and HE HAS ONE EYE.  Then he lets us in.  We walk in and its instantly apparent that he has no underwear on.  Yuck.  THEN we look around his house and there are posters of girls in thongs and stuff.  So we sit down and try to share an Easter message with the guy and he turns on his weird gypsy music and starts singing to us.  I wanted to just get up and leave but he has never let missionaries in so we decided to stay.  The spirit came back when he turned off the music.  So the.... AND HERE COMES THE KILLER.... he has dialysis twice a week and he is wearing some short gym shorts and he showed us the scars near his nether regions and we saw things that will haunt my dreams for eternity.  I felt like I needed to repent.

Thats only one of our experiences this week.

We have seen butts, hard drugs, prostitutes, drag queens, you name it we have seen it.  And one thing that all citizens of Massena have in common is no dang teeth.  I LOVE IT! These people need the gospel and they are receiving it gladly.  Most of them are really accepting to what we share.  The Lord loves everyone and we try to remind ourselves that when we are in those sticky situations.  "Come what may and love it"!

Easter was so great.  We ate dinner at Elder and Sister Huffs house and we all left 5 pounds heavier.  I love the Easter season!:)  It's a time where you can really focus on Christ's atonement.  He died for each and every one of us. " He is ^adespised and rejected of men; a man of ^bsorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we ^cesteemed him not .,Surely he hath ^aborne our ^bgriefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.   But he was ^awounded for our^btransgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his ^cstripes we are ^dhealed.

I just love those versus in Isaiah. He truly did bear our sins. He loves us and wants the best for us. He has been through every hardship that we have had and ever will have. I know this to be true and I bear witness that He lives.

Well love you all and hope to hear form you soon. Write me some letters.... I'll write ya back.:) hah

Love,

ELder Neus

mmm bye bye now

April 14, 2014

mmmmheyyyyy

“You will have the comfort of His love and feel the answer of His drawing closer as you reach out your arms in giving service to others. As you bind up the wounds of those in need and offer the cleansing of His Atonement to those who sorrow in sin, the Lord’s power will sustain you.” I just love that quote by Henry B. Eyring. If we were aloud to pick favorite general authorities he would probably be mine haha:)

This week was good we are really enjoying the warmth. Elder Jepsen and I are loving the fact that we can walk down the street and talk to people. It seems like Massena has come out of their winter shell. We had a few hard days this week when no one would let us in.  Everyone, it seems, like didn't keep their appointments.  And kids and some adults yelling choice words to us while walking down the street...  But we put trust in the Lord and He helped us out a ton.

Our investigators are still being bosses. On May third we will have three baptisms! That's unheard of up here. Heavenly Father is blessing us so much. He is helping out our investigators as well. I've never seen anyone so excited about the gospel. I can't wait to see them get sealed to each one of their families in the temple some day.

Well I hope to hear back fromm you soon.

Love,

Elder Neus

mmm bye now