"Travellin' Clean"

As described on the West Indies Mission blog (maintained by the fantastic Sister Robison):





Hurrah! The newest elders are here but it wasn't easy. They were supposed to arrive at the Trinidad airport at 8:00 PM Monday night. We got them Tuesday night at 10:00 PM - 24 hours late. Here is the story of their 40 hour journey:

Monday

• left the Provo MTC very early Monday morning
• arrived at Salt Lake City airportflight delayed out of Salt Lake
• arrived Atlanta , missed departing flight to Trinidad by a few minutes (had to catch tram, run to gate, oops wrong gate, find right gate, no plane)now what?
• contacted Delta personnel, got in touch with us - everyone scrambled
• no easy way to get to Trinidad so...
• early evening 5 elders fly to Cincinnati
• an hour later the other 2 fly to Cincinnati
• sleep a few hours in hotel

Tuesday

• morning - all 7 catch flight to New York City
• early afternoon - all 7 fly to Trinidad
• 8:00 pm - arrive on time
• line up in immigration
• immigration officer doesn't want two of them to enter
• frantic calls to President Robison and Sister Coleman to bring permit to the airport
• 9:30 pm - march triumphantly through gate!
• met by President Robison and the assistants
• 10:00 pm - dinner (?) in the mission home
• 11:oo pm - 12:30 am - handle necessary welcoming and training (finances, paperwork, orientation)
• 1:30 am - finally to bed
  

Wednesday

• 5:00 am - elders serving in Guyana head to the airport (Elders Harris, Brenkmann, Lee, and Coronado)
• right now (8:30 am) - Elder Neff (going to Guadeloupe) is being interviewed and I haven't yet seen Elders Jones and Noah (serving in Trinidad)

Andy wrote us quick e-mail. It follows.

Hey mom and dad I don't have very much time. But I wanted to let you know i arrived in Trinidad just fine. We got here last night and Elder Barton(chas) was at the mission home because he was being transfered! He said it was one in a million chance we would see each other, but thats just another one of the tender mercies of the Lord. I probably won't see him again on the mission due to different islands. This morning I woke up early and have been chatting and interviewing with President and Sister Robison. They are awesome! They are so nice, and make you feel right at home! It makes me sad they won't be here the whole 22 months for me. But I am off to Guadeloupe in an hour to serve with Elder Garotta as my senior companion. I guess he is a native of France. Ya i'm screwed...no doubt he will make me speak 100% french. But i'm so excited! I'll be making 3 flights to get to Guadeloupe today....is that a record? i'm pretty sure...7 flights in 3 days! holy schmokes..k well gotta go. love ya

"Come Monday"

Welllllll...thanks for the letter mom and dad. I'm just sending an email this week since i'll be talking to you on monday So plan on monday morning from about 6-8 sometime..sorry for the large window...Thanks so much for the package too...as usual the cookies were quite the hit...well the gingerbread ones were.Were those other cookies a new recipe? i miss your home cooking...i have managed to get through 9 weeks of fattening all you can eat MTC crap with only gaining 6 pounds! Its unbelievable but kids put on an average of 15 here i think. Its ridarn diculis...it probably wouldn't have even been 6 but this last week the packages of food have been flowing in (Clara, Ange, the fam) I should call you all satan! but I appreciate it..mom it sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now... I know what you are doing is hard but that you are being blessed for it...and no you don't sound proud, just supermom is all. During the priesthood session (Which was awesome by the way)president Eyring talked on stretching ourselves as children of god and that as we grow spiritually heavenly father is going to rely on us more...soo keep doin what your doin:)...but ya I hope ya'll saw me, Tucker said he did, but we watched it as a choir on tuesday and I only saw my face in a crowd of about 20 haha. I got the shaft by the camera men! but its was awesome being there and feeling the magnitude of righteousness in those chairs in front of us. K so funny story....last night I was lying in bed, and a must have been having a bad dream or something cuz i jumped in bed and came back down and smacked my head on a bar, i woke up after that and was all upset cuz I knew I'd have a huge bruise the next day, and my head was throbbing! haha It does take some serious skill to sleep apparently, but I laid my head back down and i saw my pillow was all bloody! i don't know how in the crap I did it but i had a huge gash on my right eyebrow ridge!. I tried to go back to sleep with a towel around my head(it was like 4:30 in the morning) but couldnt fall back to sleep cuz it wouldn't stop bleeding...i tried going to class and stuff with it but it wouldn't stop so at about 8:00 I went to the doctor and they sent me to the hospital down the street for stitches . hahaha! And the award for dorkiest stitches story ever goes to?! Andy Neff, in learn how to sleep! but ya I guess I'll have to find someone to take them out in the in west indies or something. So no worries over here, I'm taking care of everything and we will talk to you on monday! Au voir mon famille! "I like ya a lot"

Final Week at the MTC

Dear .... Everyone,

How goes it up north? I can't believe that you would go to the cabin without me! That's lame, and good luck having fun... just jokin'. I am jealous though. Mom, thank you for the amazing cookies and recipe book. The cookies were gone that night (I only ate two luckily). The recipe book will be nice though. Word on the street is that we have a cook in the West Indies though. I kind of hope not so I can get better at cooking. But, on the other hand if we don't have to cook, there is more time to do missionary work. I'm sure you are getting kind of bored of my letters from the MTC. Nothing really happens. I do like it here and enjoy the study time, but I'll be grateful to leave.
I appreciate your advice on being district leader, mom. I'm sorry if last week sounded like I was shrugging the duty off as "no big deal". Truth is, it is difficult for me because I have to act the leader role and its tough finding the balance between fun guy and serious district leader. I just didn't want to sound as if I was complaining last week, hence, the "no big deal". But thanks for the advice. I know you are doing a great job as Relief Society Pres.
Anyways, nothing too much to report other than that. I just wanna hear more about how everyone is doin'. I hope letters won't be this boring for everyone in the West Indies. Tell Tucker he needs to start dating. I'm dying to test out some french lines that he could use. So, he can fill me in on that, or if not, tell him to write me about football.
I know this church is true and that Christ lives. I know that Joseph Smith was called to open this dispensation and through our testimony of him we can have a testimony of our entire church. He was so sweet! Au revoir, Andy

And from his email: I just got back from another day at the temple. Its cool that all the missionaries go through every week. Each session the probably has 5 different languages everytime! its wild! I'm going to miss it. So i should be getting my flight plans tonight sometime, i'll let you know the low down next friday...I'm stoked for singing tomorrow night...we get to the conference center around 3 and practice till about 5. Apparently i'm singing 2nd tenor but i think by the time i'm done singing the songs my voice has covered about every part haha. Mostly i'm just excited to hear the direction we will recieve from the brotheren this weekend. HOw awesome is it that these men that recieve revelation from God, are all talking to us in two days. and i know there will be something in conference for everyone. HOw are my buddies doing out in the field? it sucked to have pat leave the mtc, i didn't even realize how much of a comfort it was having him there until he left. K well you all have fun, i'll talk to you later, Elder Neff

"Sheer Genius, Lloyd..."

Hey folks!

Another Utah win, eh? I'll be honest, it doesn't surprise me. Can you tell Coach Kyle to make the win margins a little larger for me though so that I don't have to put up with this crap I get from BYU fans? "Well, we won by 40". You know how they are. So, I'm thinking that I need to write Coach Smith about Tuck. Ahhh! That really bugs me.
So the house is coming along? I'm glad to hear that. I dibs the big room downstairs when I get back & for sure my machetes will be on the walls (apparently he's moved on from the Ninja sword collection phase). I'm definitely down for some hunting when I get back, dad. I'll be practiced at hunting, sort of. On the mission we hunt for the elect of God. hahah. Okay that's pushing the analogy, but I try.

Some news this week is that, I guess, the missionaries are singing in the priesthood session of conference. I was one of three hundred that get to go. So obviously it must have been a random selection cuz if they had heard me sing I would be shoot out of luck. So watch for me Dad and Tuck.

The French is coming along really well. I can basically say anything, but go about as slow as a four year old. I need to start thinking in french, but not cross the line of thinking like a Frenchman. Because as Harry Dunn says..... well, you know. I was teaching an instructor the other other day who happened to have served in the West Indies. He told me that the french missionaries usually have to learn french creole along with french. That scared the crap out of me. Two languages? It is alright, though. It will all work out; it always does if we rely on the Lord. And thanks for teaching me that.

So for gym I occasionally play basketball instead of working out. I tend to get a little too competitive when I play. Plus, there are a lot of chuckers or guys who just don't know how to play. So when I get a little frustrated, I quit and go play four square. All I can say is that game is "sheer genius, Lloyd". My companion's and my weekly goal is to have better four square teamwork. Well, you can tell that not much is going on this week, but I love everyone and keep on keeping on. Andy

PS Fun pictures of Elder and Sister Neff (who'll have the Caribbean covered!) & Andy and his buddy Pat enjoying the MTC

Sleep-Talking in French

Man! Time is flying by here in the MTC. And with every week I feel less and less prepared to speak French. This week Elder Brady (who is going to the same mission as Ashley Christensen-- Geneva) and I taught the first lesson all in French (35 minutes). It was tough, but I felt we did a good job! The great part about teaching is that most of the message is said eloquently through the spirit and the lack of eloquence in the language can be overcome through that (the Spirit). It's weird though, apparently I am getting the hang of the language because my companion says I talk French in my sleep. I still don't know if I believe him, but he swears by it. Sleep has never bothered me here. I always feel as though I get enough and never seem to be very tired. So, add another thing to the Lord's blessings.
I feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day here...hahah... every day is the same. I love it for the most part. Studying is the best (who'd have thought!) and I love the feeling of finally understanding something in French. The only thing that sucks is that everyone is getting wise to my pranks. But, we have some new kids coming in on Wednesday. Mwahahahaha! (he's sounding like his Grandpa Taylor)
I've made it a goal to keep all the rules to a T, to set an example for the district (not that I wasn't already... but not perfectly). Getting to bed on time was a task!
My running has continued, and I'm jump roping a lot now. So, I've been able to stay in shape (at least I think). I'm sure you are making fun of me at home, but, no joke, elders that are here nine weeks put on an average of 17 pounds. Not me!
This week I have had my scripture study and discussed in class the saving grace of the Lord (Elder Bednar's first talk.... Money!) I have come to appreciate trials that our Father in Heaven gives me. No, I'm not drunk, but how are we to grow without the blessing of overcoming tribulation? How are we to overcome the truly difficult tirals without overcoming the small ones? See D& C 58:2,3.
I love and miss everyone. Let everyone else know how grateful I am for the letters and support. --- Elder Neff

E-Mail from September 12, 2008

Andy's e-mail ( not in its entirety) included:
Its good to hear the house is coming along! surely but slowly, but that has always been the case. So it sounds like the utes are tearing it up!!!! SWEET!!!! i'm so stoked hearing about them! and especially rubbing it in to the BYU fans. I admit i get a little "gym locker" trunky....alright thats a crappy way to put i miss the sports. I get an hour a day for gym but usually i try to run and jump rope if i'm outside(ps, is there anyway i can get a jump rope sent?) its been a good workout its so fun. I feel like rocky and sing eye of the tiger while a do it...no but i do play basketball on some days too, and D-Will (Elder Torres is a D-Will look-alike) sometimes makes an appearance. The french is coming along...we have had some setbacks with new instructors coming in, and have had to teach ourselves a lot, so i kind of suck...But i've been trying to use any spare time i have to work on it. We have to teach the first lesson in French on wednesday!!!! but i think i'll have it by then..I just speak about as slow as a 3 year old.
So we had as ashley would say "Uchtdorf" (ask us why Ashley calls President Uchtdorf that)come last tuesday! I think i've decided he is my favorite speaker! His wife started off things and she was so peppy and up beat. Her English was not very good and she admitted to it but said that she didn't care as long as she had the spirit with her. and although it was hard to understand her at times, her point was understoood. I know that that is how it will be for me in the west indies..i'll struggle with the language at first but those who are ready to hear The Word will hear it through the spirit!, and President Uchtdorf gave an incredible talk on Missionary work, it inspired me tons!!! i'm gonna send you a copy of my notes of that talk.. I have seen so many people here, i saw Harry the other day, and see Pat a lot. its wierd to see everyone though, it almost feels like highschool...minus all the cute girls unfornately. K well i'll send you a letter today as well with those notes.
Love everyone, Elder Neff

Week 3-- Excerpts from His Letter Home

What is up family? How are things going on the home front? I hope and pray everyone is doing well! Things are pretty decent here, we are into a nice groove and time has started to go by a little faster, so that's swell! Everyone has been getting sick. Even though I wash my hands thirty times a day (you're welcome Mom), I still woke up with a sore throat this morning.
Studying has been going well, I love being here and just being able to study. Although it's not the funnest here I realize that this is probably the only two years I'll be able to be so engulfed in the gospel. It's a true blessing. So I suck at French, but that's okay, it will come. We have to be able to teach lesson one in french in two weeks! (Good freakin' luck) I can barely contact people. But, the Holy Ghost will "quicken my learning", so no worries.
One of my favorite things here is the referral center. We get to call people and share a message with people and offer them a free Book of Mormon or DVD or something like that. I talked to this lady, Gloria, for about twenty minutes the other day. I was able to bear my testimony of the Book of Mormon to her. She is a grandma (which was good for me) and had eight grandchildren. I also bore testimony that families can be together forever. I told her that the missionaries in her area would like to share a message, and she accepted! Sweet, eh?! I can't wait to do this for real in the West Indies! I don't know how in the crap I'll do it in French.

Au Revoir



Andy at Jenn's Mission Departure