Update on Thom and Tresta
This year has brought many changes to our family
Our family has grown. Our oldest son, Izaak, married a girl, Toriann, from Idaho. They spent the summer in North Carolina selling pest control and making enough money to go to college at BYUI where they currently live. Our second son, Matteo, finished his two year mission in Chicago and is now attending Utah Valley University and Institute. Tennijsen our third son is preparing for the National Guard and Natassja is spending one more year at home to get a few more credits and money in her account before she heads to BYUI. Our youngest four ages 6 through 13 are still home and being homeschooled. :)
Thom’s Health
Thom was been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy (heart failure, heart functioning at less than 25%). He is under a doctors care with a medication regime. It is like radiation (but not toxic) where you get sick every time you increase the dose. In November after another echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) we will know if this treatment is working or if he’ll have to try another route. In the mean time he is eating a pristine diet of whole plant foods (vegetables, nuts and seeds and no animal product) to help strengthen his heart and give him energy. He is doing much better than when he started; his color is more normal and he can stay awake more hours in the day than before. Thank you for your prayers, your thoughts and your cards.
Our family has grown. Our oldest son, Izaak, married a girl, Toriann, from Idaho. They spent the summer in North Carolina selling pest control and making enough money to go to college at BYUI where they currently live. Our second son, Matteo, finished his two year mission in Chicago and is now attending Utah Valley University and Institute. Tennijsen our third son is preparing for the National Guard and Natassja is spending one more year at home to get a few more credits and money in her account before she heads to BYUI. Our youngest four ages 6 through 13 are still home and being homeschooled. :)
Thom’s Health
Thom was been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy (heart failure, heart functioning at less than 25%). He is under a doctors care with a medication regime. It is like radiation (but not toxic) where you get sick every time you increase the dose. In November after another echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) we will know if this treatment is working or if he’ll have to try another route. In the mean time he is eating a pristine diet of whole plant foods (vegetables, nuts and seeds and no animal product) to help strengthen his heart and give him energy. He is doing much better than when he started; his color is more normal and he can stay awake more hours in the day than before. Thank you for your prayers, your thoughts and your cards.
Update on the LDS Homeschool Conference
We cancelled the August LDS Homeschool Conference back in April because we felt it was too much to take on with all the changes in our home. Since then our minds have been reeling. We had planned to do a Power Talk Conference for one full day, but when Thom had to go back into the hospital we realized it may not be the best to do an in person conference, it would be difficult to cancel. So, we come up with a new plan.
New Conference Look and Feel
We chose to make it an online conference. Here is the plan. We will be interviewing (sitting down with) each presenter for a two hour time period. Here they will share their message and tips and we will be asking them questions we have come up with and the audience has asked. We will be filming from Sept. 13 through October 8th. Then we will edit each of the videos. We will air them beginning October 24th and continuing through Nov. 4th. There will be opportunities to advertise or do commercials and digital flyers for those that want to get news and/or their product/service to our audience. This will be a free event for those two weeks at which time they can opt in to purchase a membership where they can view all of them for the past 6 years. We will also be promoting a family church history tour.
New Conference Name
The Conference name is being changed to Called to Learn conference. We have decided this because the LDS church has asked a few of our friends to change their name or to take out the LDS in their titles. Therefore, before we “get the call” we want to change it now to avoid logo and branding changes in the future. The LDSHomeschoolConference.com website will still remain active and will direct people to the new web page.
We chose Called to Learn because it describes what we are about - we feel learning is a calling to better ourselves, our family and others too. :)
Mission of Called to Learn
"Our individual responsibility is to learn what we should learn, to live as we know we should live, and to become what the Master would have us become. . . . . to learn truth, to love truth, and to live according to truth. ~David A. Bednar
"And now, my son [Shiblon], I have told you this [my, Alma’s, conversion story] that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness.” Alma 38:9
This Year’s Symbol
Living Water is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings. As water is essential to sustain physical life, the Savior and his teachings (living water) are essential for eternal life. “It frankly does not make sense to occasionally 'fill up' with water, with long periods of dehydration in between. The same thing is true spiritually. Spiritual thirst is a need for living water. A constant flow of living water is far superior to sporadic sipping.” ~David A. Bednar
Each video will have some form of water in it. It’s like a treasure hunt for the audience. It may be a flask, a cup, a picture on the wall or even the sound of water.
We hope that this has enlightened you with the behind the scenes. Please, contact us if you have any questions and help us contain the rumors that may be floating around. If it comes up, will you please enlighten others with the truth? We’d greatly appreciate it. We are grateful for the friendships we have here and the fellowship we have felt in this community. Thank you again for your prayers. If there is anything we can pray for you about please let us know and we will do so - We know that prayer in numbers is a powerful tool for healing and conversion and prosperity.
We love you,
Thom and Tresta Neil
New Conference Look and Feel
We chose to make it an online conference. Here is the plan. We will be interviewing (sitting down with) each presenter for a two hour time period. Here they will share their message and tips and we will be asking them questions we have come up with and the audience has asked. We will be filming from Sept. 13 through October 8th. Then we will edit each of the videos. We will air them beginning October 24th and continuing through Nov. 4th. There will be opportunities to advertise or do commercials and digital flyers for those that want to get news and/or their product/service to our audience. This will be a free event for those two weeks at which time they can opt in to purchase a membership where they can view all of them for the past 6 years. We will also be promoting a family church history tour.
New Conference Name
The Conference name is being changed to Called to Learn conference. We have decided this because the LDS church has asked a few of our friends to change their name or to take out the LDS in their titles. Therefore, before we “get the call” we want to change it now to avoid logo and branding changes in the future. The LDSHomeschoolConference.com website will still remain active and will direct people to the new web page.
We chose Called to Learn because it describes what we are about - we feel learning is a calling to better ourselves, our family and others too. :)
Mission of Called to Learn
- Provide resources and ideas to implement the gospel of Jesus Christ into all learning.
- Bring individuals closer to Christ through quality, spirit lead presentations.
- Strengthen family relationships with practical tools they can implement immediately.
- Promote family learning patterned after the temple; using doctrine and principle based teaching.
- Warning the public of government involvement in education - they want to regulate all education, we must teach Christ’s way, use true sources, recognize and avoid the counterfeit.
- To show how religion and science can work together when taught with true sources. It is like seeing out of both eyes - seeing with depth, better perception!
"Our individual responsibility is to learn what we should learn, to live as we know we should live, and to become what the Master would have us become. . . . . to learn truth, to love truth, and to live according to truth. ~David A. Bednar
"And now, my son [Shiblon], I have told you this [my, Alma’s, conversion story] that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness.” Alma 38:9
This Year’s Symbol
Living Water is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings. As water is essential to sustain physical life, the Savior and his teachings (living water) are essential for eternal life. “It frankly does not make sense to occasionally 'fill up' with water, with long periods of dehydration in between. The same thing is true spiritually. Spiritual thirst is a need for living water. A constant flow of living water is far superior to sporadic sipping.” ~David A. Bednar
Each video will have some form of water in it. It’s like a treasure hunt for the audience. It may be a flask, a cup, a picture on the wall or even the sound of water.
We hope that this has enlightened you with the behind the scenes. Please, contact us if you have any questions and help us contain the rumors that may be floating around. If it comes up, will you please enlighten others with the truth? We’d greatly appreciate it. We are grateful for the friendships we have here and the fellowship we have felt in this community. Thank you again for your prayers. If there is anything we can pray for you about please let us know and we will do so - We know that prayer in numbers is a powerful tool for healing and conversion and prosperity.
We love you,
Thom and Tresta Neil