Moving Right Along

Sorry for being a slacker and not posting last week. I will make this post a big one!

It's almost been 7 months!!

Here's from 2 weeks ago...Keyen shared a letter that he wrote to his mission president...

"Hey Pres. Johnson! I hope all is well with you! I am doing pretty good. Elder luker and i have a few solid investigators who will be baptized here pretty soon. I love being with Elder Luker! We get along so well. I had a really cool thing happen this week. We were teaching a lesson and our investigator was really struggling with some big trials. He did not understand why God would want us to suffer. I didn't say anything because the words weren't coming to me so i was quiet for the whole lesson. But then Elder Luker told me to tell him about how Satan sucks haha. So I looked at the investigator and suddenly i started telling him a story about my own life. I told him that God loves us and gives us trials for a reason. I told him that Jesus knows exactly how he feels and he knows exactly how to help us. I talked for probably like 8 min. I didn't even know what i was saying half the time. After I was done. It was really quiet. Then our investigator tuned to me and just said thank you. Then we ended the lesson. This investigator was really strong but then disappeared for a while. But now he is back and is making great progress. That was the best part of my week. Thank you for all you do for me and all of the missionaries in Thailand, Loas, and Burma.

- Love, Elder Neal"

Also on his P day he got to look at some of the most expense nice cars in the world....Which is pretty much Keyen's personal heaven!

This is from yesterday...

"Hey everyone!! I hope you a;; are doing good!! I miss you all! Well, This last week was a pretty good week! I felt like it flew by!! Nothing to crazy happened but we were just really busy. On p day we went bowling which was a real rush haha! In fact we are probably going again today!! This week We taught a crap ton of lessons!! SAnd it paid off! Yesterday 2 of our investigators got Baptized and it was awesome!! We have another lined up for next week! So the work is coming along good:) After a long week we went over to my companions grandmas house:) My companion is half Thai. His whole moms side of his family lives in this area! So its way cool to go visit them!:) His grandma is so sweet:) She always feeds us and stuff haaha. So that was way cool! So yea im doing pretty good:) I miss home and everyone there so much but im getting through it:) I love you all!!:)
- LOVE , Keyen"

Sorry for this fast post. Thanks to everyone who is reading the blog and supporting Keyen.

We love you Elder Neal!

New Adventures in Bankane

I could not wait to talk to Keyen yesterday.I was so anxious to hear the new place he was going to be serving in. 
Here's what Keyen had to say about the week...


"Wow!! Its been a crazy week!! So I got the call i was moving right after email last week! I was way sad and nervous! My last 2 days in KPP were really good and we accomplished a lot!! Saying goodbye to all of the members way way hard!! It really did suck leaving KPP! The whole drive to Bangkok i was worried about where i was going and who my companion would be. So before transfer meeting i just talked to the Elders who i knew and it was fun just talking to everyone:) I then found out where i was going and who my companion was gonna be!! Im not in Bangkok! My area of Bangkok is called Bankane. Its way cool and the members are really cool and all speak amazing English haha!! I live in a huge building on the 22nd floor! it is a way small apartment and there are four of us i it but its not to bad:) there is a gym where i can do my p90x which i way cool! My companion is Elder Luker... and he is sooo awesome!! he is my best friend!! we both love the same things!! So that's been so cool! we have already decided that we will be each-others best man at our weddings haha! We also got news that Elder Holland is coming to Thailand!! So will will get to have a special meeting with him!! Im a little scared haha but it will be awesome!! Its been a good week!! I hoping it will continue to be awesome here in Bankane!:) I love and miss you all!!:)"

I was so happy for Elder Neal! What a blessing that he has got such a great companion for his first transfer. I hope I  meet this Elder Luker someday! How cool Elder Holland is going to Thailand!! I would be nervous to see him too haha! Keyen has met him before when he was in a program for a Scouts celebration. I wonder if Elder Holland will remember him. 

The New apartment. A lot different than KKP haha! 

We love you Keyen! As always I am so proud for all you do and for working so hard!
Stay strong!! 

Miracles Before the Move

Sorry that I didn't post last week, but this week I hope will make up for it.
Elder Neal had a pretty great week. Some ups and downs and some big changes.
Here's what he said about the week...

"Well this last week was crazy! I was really busy!! This week I have to make another long 5 hour bus ride to Chang Mai to meet the new Mission Pres. and his wife. I really like him. He is a lot different from Pres. Senior But i feel like he will be a cool guy! Me and elder Larsen worked our butts off this week trying to find some new people! we went inviting for hours and hours every day!! And the lord blessed us for it. Our mission standard is the have 2 new investigators every week. But elder Larsen and I got 6 new investigators. I honestly don't know how it happened! A lot of the investigators didn't even come from inviting. Most of them came from members bringing friends and stuff. But miracles happened this week. We were also blessed to get a new church building!! the building we are using now is way nicer that the garage we were using before! The new building used to be a bar haha so its even cooler!! haha but its really nice and best of all it has AC!!! Its awesome!! And we were able to make some good progress with old investigators too. And right when i started typing this email i got a call from a lady asking me if she could meet with us and get a book of Mormon. And she wants to learn about Jesus. So we will meet her tonight!! so miracles are happening for sure!!!  This week I had a cool experience when I was teaching Seminary. We are studying the D&C. Anyway we had class in our new church. There were only a couple members there but the spirit was so strong. The section i was teaching was about the spirit. And so i asked them all to share an experience when they felt the spirit and it was so awesome! The members here are legendary!! Today i find out if i stay here or if i'm moving. I don't want to leave but i have a feeling my time here is done:( but hopefully i'm wrong haha. But yea it was a great week! I love and miss you all!!"



A few minutes later after talking he sent this email...


"I'm moving:( i just got the call:( well ill talk to you guys next week!!:) I love you guys!!"

Keyen loves KKP ( Kamphaeng Phet). The members are so incredible in this area and I know Keyen has made a lot of great friends and has done some really great work while he has been there. I was so touching how excited all the members were to get a brand new church building.

Keyen really wanted to bear his testimony in the new church building because he felt like he was going to be leaving soon. He said he was so glad that he got to share it one last time with everyone. 

What a handsome Elder 

I know it's going to be very hard for him to leave. I know Heavenly Father has more plans for Keyen in other areas and I know that he will do great no matter what part of Thailand he is in. I feel like he has done his service to the best he could in KKP and he has more great experiences ahead of him. 

I love that Keyen talked about how the members brought them new investigators. I makes me think about all of us who are members here at home. We too can be missionaries and help out the missionaries in our areas. It was a miracles for my brother and I'm sure it would be a miracle to another missionary as well. 

As always I am so proud and grateful for my brother. Even thought he is thousands of miles away I feel like I have become even closer with him and his example and made me closer to Christ. 

WE LOVE YOU KEYEN! Stay strong!!

We Too Must Give

I miss my brother so much! When it going to get easier that he is away?? My mom had a moment the other day when she walked into my brother's room and saw all his clothes hanging up in the closet. My poor mom! She loves her son and I love my brother. We've been a bit emotional. 

At times like these this hymn comes to my mind. "Because I Have Been Given Much" Here are some of the lines that really get to me...

"Because I have been blessed by
thy great love dear Lord
I’ll share thy love again
According to thy word
I shall give love to those in need
I’ll show that love by word and deed
Thus shall my thanks be thanks in deed" 

My family has truly been blessed and my brother is sharing the lords love with so many people. I feel like I should be better at doing that right here at home. I am amazed by my brothers sacrifice and I love him and my savior even more now because of the service his is giving back to others. 

Here's what Keyen said about the week...

"Hey everyone!! How is everyone doing?? I hope all is well at home!! i miss you all a ton!! This last week was a pretty good week:) It was normal for the first couple of days but then on Thursday i went to Chang Mai. Chang Mi is a big city that is supper popular and has a ton of tourists there! So i went there for Zone confrence and it was really good. We just got some training from The Pres. and then Ate some good ice cream!:) We got some more elders in my are as well so that was interesting haha. One of them was my compaanion last transfer but now hes back and hes got him comp haha so that was and is a little strange but whatever! Im doing pretty good:) Im still missing home and everyone thee! I love you all!! Stay sweet!" 

President and Sister Senior are going back home time for a new president! 

We love and miss you Elder Neal! Stay strong!! 

While I've been Away, The Missionary didn't play...

Maybe I've been playing on vacation, but Elder Neal sure has been busy and working hard.
I have no idea how many of you friends and family members of Keyen read this, but I hope that it keeps you updated and maybe hopefully give you a little spiritual uplifting.

I know I say it every week on my brother's blog, but this gospel is true and I am so proud that my brother is teaching this wonderful truth to the people of Thailand.

Here's what Elder Neal has been up to...

2 weeks ago:
HELLO EVERYONE!!! I hope everyone is doing well!!! im doing pretty good over here in Thailand! But its been soooo flippin hot!! but i guess thats not really anything new! haha This last week has been pretty good:) We have a couple of new investigators who have a date to be baptized so hopefully all will work out:) This week my companion and i have really been focusing on service:) We just look for opportunities to help people. We don't ask if they need help we just start helping them haha. If you ask someone in Thailand if the need help they will always say no. so you just need to start helping them:) So its been fun. I helped lift a motorcycle out of a truck, we washed these random people's dishes, i helped this lady load bags of rice in her truck. The bags were sooo flippin heavy! she never could have done it!! weve just done random stuff:) But its been fun:) Its been a pretty good week:) I love you all and miss you all a ton!! I hope you all are doing good:) You are always in my prayers:) bye bye!!:)

1 week ago:
Whats up everyone!!?? how is everyone doing?? hows everything on the home front?? My week was a very interesting week:) haha it started off good. We had three people with a date to be baptized! They were all pretty solid! But sadly, one by one they all had something that messed everything up!!:( One of therm told us that next month he is going to become a monk! so that was a blow! haha he says he dose not want to but he has to because his family already spent a ton of money on his ceremony stuff idk. The other guy was sweet too! He is 15 and just a way cool kid, but his parents dont want him to learn so he dosent really know what to do:( Then the other lady is just kind of crazy haha. So it kind of sucked to have a few daters and then to loose all of them in a week! haha but we are still working on them:) Hopefully some of them will come around:) But other than that its been a pretty good week:) It has been so hot!! yesterday i thought i was going to die!!! but i didnt so thats good:) I love and miss you all!!:) 

Some say, That he's on an errand of the lord for the next two years in Thailand.....

And that recently, he has developed a love for cycling....

All we know is.. Hes Called The STIG!!

Exercising with the Soccer team

Please if you find the time write Keyen an email or a letter. Even if it's just your testimony I know he would enjoy to hear from those he hasn't in awhile. 

Traveling Around Thailand

So Elder Neal had some struggles this week, but he still is in good spirits. Here is what he said about the week...

Well this week was a interesting week indeed!! It started off pretty normal but then something horrible happened.... i got sick!!! It started Monday night. So the rest of the week i was feeling like crap!! So that made everything a lot harder!! I had a cool lesson with brother Gap and i feel like he is that much closer to being baptized!! He just doesn't understand how its possible that god is real and Jesus is the savior. He believes it but he doesn't understand it. I feel like he wants to know everything before he is baptized but he will just need to figure out that he will never know everything. But he's Awesome! He cut my hair this week too so I've been rocking some sick hair!:) Well on Wednesday we got a call and were told that we had to go to Bangkok so my companion could renew his visa. So on Thursday night at 11 we got on a bus and headed to Bangkok. We got there at about 430 in in the morning on Friday. So then we took a taxi to this building where you do the visa stuff. Well the place was closed so we had to wait outside for like and hour before is opened. I felt like crap and i fell asleep on the grass. Then When i woke up there was a bunch of ants on me!! so that made me feel even better!! haha the whole visa thing too until about 10 then we got on another bus and headed home!!:) so being sick and traveling on a bus for 12 hours was not a good combo! But now all is well. That's pretty much all the excitement that has been happening this week! So yea!! I hope everyone is doing well!! i love and miss you all!!:)


Poor guy! It seems like forever since we Skyped him for mothers day! I miss my brother so much, but I'm so glad that he continues to work hard and serve the lord.
We love you Elder Neal!!!!

A view from Keyen's apartment 

A scary insect that Keyen saw on the way to Bangkok!! Yikes!!

Keyen with the famous Gap!! He gave him a cool hair cut!!

He didn't have his raincoat so he had to make a homemade one. 

Some new members Keyen met. 

Wise You Have Become

Our family hasn't ever "had" to Skype. Lucky for us we all live close together and see each other often. So our first Skype experience was quite exciting! Luckily we have Austin who is a master technician and he got everything set up for us. Around 8 PM we all gathered around the TV to see Elder Neal! He sent an email saying he was having some technical difficulties, but then a few minutes later the screen popped up saying INCOMING CALL FROM KEYEN NEAL!! We all freaked out!
When I saw my brother pop up on the screen I felt such joy and comfort, mostly because I could actually see him and know he was okay, but then also because I miss him so much!
He looked so cute and he is happy! Something that he kept saying through out the call was that, "Everything is good. I'm okay. I am good." It sounds silly but that was really all I waned to hear and I'm glad he kept saying it over and over again. My mom asked him, "Keyen are you happy all the time?" He was like "Um no. Are you happy all the time?" It was hilarious! But he reassured us that he is happy besides being homesick. He said he is busy ALL THE TIME! What is really special about the area he is serving in is that the Elders are pretty much in charge of everything. There aren't a lot of members or people in the town he is in, plus most of the members are really young. He said that they plan everything for Sunday's and activities through out the week.  There is no Bishop or Branch President to check up on them so they have complete freedom to either follow rules or not. Kamphaeng Phet is a very special place. Keyen says that he wishes that he could stay in Kamphaeng Phet for his whole mission because it is such an amazing place. The members are so loving and caring. They are constantly asking Keyen and the other missionaries what they can do to help. They LOVE the missionaries. Keyen said he has never seen people like this. They don't even need to be asked to do service, they just do it and they love doing it.
Besides getting super close with the members, he said that it is very hard finding new investigators. He says for the most part people are very nice but they almost always say, "I have no time. I am too busy."  Keyen said they do not know who Christ is about 99% of the time and again they say, " I have no time to learn about that." Keyen said it's so frustrating because if they only knew who is really is it would be so different.
Something that I thought was hilarious was when he told us, what he says when he approaches people. Most people in Thailand are Buddhist. In Buddhism beliefs they don't believe that you can be forgiven for your sins, you just have to try more good and hope that it out ways the bad. So Keyen will ask people, "Do you want to be cleansed of your sins?" and a lot of time people say "Oh I have no sins." Keyen then said this is when he starts the mess with people because then he says, "What you have no sin!? You're perfect??" We were all dying! Keyen was like, "You wouldn't believe how many perfect people are here in Thailand!" Haha I loved that!
Towards the end he bore his testimony in Thai. It was absolutely amazing. I know I don't know any Thai, but I can tell that he is getting even better. He then said a little thing personally to each of us. It was very special. But the best thing that Keyen said through out the call was when he talked about Christ and family. He said that he didn't know how much Jesus loved him until he got there and that the knows that Christ is always with us. He said he so grateful that our family had been sealed together. He has been thinking a lot of our other family members who are less active or who are not members and he said that we all need to show love and support for everyone. We need to no be afraid to tell them about Christ, because it really is the most important thing in the world. He said at one point we all accepted this gospel, that's why we are here, we just need to accept it again. If we have accepted it once then everyone can do it again. Eternal families are THE most important thing in our whole existence.
He said we need to love. Show love to everyone, especially our families. Love is what will make people see the good and truth. Even if we can only bring one person back, then that person will find one, then they will find one and so on. That's all the matters.
Keyen is so wise. The spirit is just beaming from him. I could see it even through a TV screen. I love him so much. I love this gospel and I love Jesus Christ. I'm so proud and happy for my brother. He knows this and he has strengthened my testimony. I know he will continue to share that love and truth with the people in Thailand and I hope it will do the same for you.
It's going to be so hard waiting till December to Skype him again, but Elder Neal is truly and amazing young man.
WE LOVE YOU ELDER NEAL! STAY STRONG!
P.S, To view the videos you may have to open it as full version mode if you are looking at it from a mobile device :)