January 2nd

Well, I would like to start off saying "Happy New Year". It is now the year 2012, and, it might just be the mission bubble speaking but everything still seems exactly the same. I dont know why but I was expecting to feel older or feel strange or just feel something but another year has come without me even realizing it. It has been a great year for me. I have learned and grown a lot in these past 12 months and plan to keep up with that trend. I also think about how strange this year was. There were lots of wonderful things that happened and many less fortunate but I am just grateful that I had this year to be humbled, to be taught, and to become a better missionary. This year is now my time to shine as a instrument in the Hands of God. Obviously I'm not perfect but as I have looked over my life, I sure am a heck of a lot better now than I was a year ago and 3 years ago and 8 years ago I was a punk little snot-nosed little smart mouth. I am sorry you had to live through all of that. 

Anyway, things went well this week. We spent a lot of this week working with Andrea, Javiera, and Ignacia. They are a family who is really great who I totally would not of have even taken the risk of teaching a year ago. Andrea is a mother who is trying to quit smoking but is having a lot of success. Her two daughters are 15 and 12 and they totally were too embarazed to share with us at first but once they got to know us, they not only started listening to us because they thought we were pretty but are now very excited about their baptism in the next few weeks and they know the gospel well.

 Also we are teaching a wonderful teenager named Michael. We are also teaching his mom who is blind and had her kidneys removed and suffers from many other health problems. We showed up in exactly the right moment. Michael was starting to get involved in somethings that he shouldnt have and was getting into trouble and now he tells everyone how excited he is to get baptized. Things are going well as far as work goes. 

The zone is improving as well. We are working really hard on getting them to the level where they need to be to have success. Things are awesome.

I love you all so much and hope you all have an amazing year. (We will even be able to celebrate New Years together this year... wow that thought makes me feel dizzy and blown away). 

Anyway, 

Lover,

Elder McNeil