Natalie March 30, 2015

Buenas Tardes Queridos!

Hola hola hola! 

Well just a few words today, a short but sweet message. First I just want to say I love my companion Hermana Gaspar. We are doing so great! I know that she is such a big example to me. I am so grateful for her, she is teaching me so much and it is mainly because of that example. I know that I am becoming a better missionary because of her and I don't know what the Lord has in store for me with upcoming transfers but I know that I sure wouldn't mind another transfer with her again, she's amazing. She teaches with such love and one can truly feel her sincerity with everything she does. I feel like we work well together and we are learning so much together. I am so glad she can be there for me and I for her. We communicate, we talk, we share ideas, it's what I feel like the true meaning of companionship is. I know that we are going to do even better this week too because we can always improve. 

This weekend is Conference Weekend and I am SO excited! I don't know about you but I am in need of some personal revelation. My invitation to you is to please sincerely consider attending/watching conference because it can truly help us. And do so with a question or more if you like, in mind because when we pray and ask for help, Heavenly Father gives it but only if we act and do something. In this case, pray and ponder, meditate your concern(s) and when we listen- not only hear- the words of the Prophets, we can recieve answers. Maybe not in the way we would like but they are the answers the Lord wants us to have. As Isaiah states that the Lord says, ''For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways''. -Isaiah 55 I hope you enjoy the delicious spiritual feast! 

Oh and other random thoughts real quick.. I have lost a total of about 17 pounds since the MTC, I have eaten chicken's feet, cactus, pig brains, and of course other delicious meals. lol 

Jason March 30, 2015

Una obra maravillosa y un prodigio

Hey everyone!!

[REMINDER]: THIS WEEKEND IS GENERAL CONFERENCE--BE SURE TO GO WITH A QUESTION IN MIND! Mine is: "How can i serve the Lord with ALL of my heart, might, mind, and strength?"

man, what a rollercoaster type of week! i dont even know where to start...ok, well first off, i titally forget to mention previously that i spent 2 weeks with another Elder, Elder Blanchard, while my companion Elder Johnson went to Anahuac (other área in the zone) for the 2 weeks. it went well, and Elder Johnson came back with me last thursday. I am so proud of the huge change that I have seen in him. those 2 weeks turned him into a great missionary.

well, first with what happened yesterday. So, we had visited and called and comitted so many people to come to church, yet noone came to our services :(   as a missionary, i think this os the hardest thing for me to accept is the agency of others. It is such a beautiful gift, but sometimes we just wanna make the investigators do things, when we have to as missionaries take that step back and say "well, just here to invite". so we thought that noone was gona come....until our new family showed faith and devotion. We met Sobeida last tuesday, and she is AWESOME!!!!!!! its her, her husband Elman, her mom maria angelina, and her three kids Jamie, Elman, and Joshua (its his birthday on thursday and hes turnning 4). we met them and i personally knew that she has been prepared by our Heavenly Father, because she absolutely LOVES to pray. she hasnt ever been to a church before, but she committed to go easily. she got there a Little late, but her and her mom and the 3 kids loved it! they have a baptismal date for the 25th of april.

this week went up and down, because i felt good about our work some days, and then other days was hard and i felt like we were slowing down the Lords work. but i know that through the counsel of our zone leaders, we were able to improve and finish out the week well. We learned as a zone this week that cowardess is a sin. yep...so there is no time to be a coward in the misión. i know that a lot of us think that we are valiant, and deep inside we are, but from a missionary perspective, it shouldnt be hard to get contacts or talk to people, but sometimes we get nervous and it is really hard. but its so cool to think about it that we literally have NOTHING to lose, meaning that even if people reject us, we are still fulfilling our commandment to preach the góspel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

My favorite thing that i learned this week was even more about the truthfulness of the book of mormon. I had a sweet study on the book of mormon, and how thats what Isaiah was talking about when he said that "a marvelous work and a wonder". here is a chain of scriptures that i highly recommend looking up and studying. Its first in isaias words, then in nephis words, then in Joseph Smith/martin Harris s words:

Isaiah 29:9-14 --> 2 nephi 27:6-20, 23-26 --> Josheph Smith-history 1:30, 33-34, 46, 51, 53, 59, 61, 63-65 --> 2 Nephi 29 1, 6-13

I love the book of mormon and know that it is true. I know that if we all read it, ponder on it, and pray about the truthfulness of it, God WILL answer us by the power of the Holy Ghost, "against the which there is no law". (Galatians 5:22-23) i know that once we feel that spiritual confirmation, which i have experienced, there is noone in this world or any other forcé that can tell us that it is false. For me, i know that just as the book of mormon is true, you and I are alive today and that we are children of god.

I pray that everyone of us may be a Little bit more courageous and valiant in sharing what we know to be true, yea, even the Restored góspel of Jesús Christ. I love this work and am so happy to be a part of it. All of us need to be a part of it.

Thanks everyone, y que disfruten su semana!!

love,

Jason

-- 

*Elder Newman*

Misión

November 2013 - 2015

Alma 26:12

Jason March 23, 2015

Jason sends his love.  He apologizes for not having enough time today to post a group letter.  He is doing great, happy and healthy. 

Natalie March 23, 2015

 ¡Saludos de Cancun!

Buenas tardes! Oh I am learning so much and know that it won't end soon. The journey of learning that is. I do know that specific prayers really work! I am always reminded of what everyone says, there are no coincidences. The coincidences we think happen are really tender mercies in our life. It is so hard to constantly push satan our of your mind and the negative thoughts that can come BUT it's not impossible. As Hermana Lopez always says, about whatever it would be.. es dificil pero no imposible. Well anyway I say all this because all though the though still comes to mind that it was a coincidence I try to remember it's not. So when I was with Hermana Calderon for exchanges on Tuesday, she talked to me about praying specifically for finding people. For example, she related the story to me about how one day her and Hermana Perez decided that since with they weren't having too much success with their HCT (contacting people) and (no one wanted to give their direction) they were going to be very specific in their prayer and Hermana Calderon said Heavenly Father, please help us find this person who is a woman and she will be wearing a white blouse and black pants who will also be willing to give her direction. Well the next day they didnt find her but the day after that they found her and it didn't even occur to her that the person fit the description until she was almost finished writing down the address. I tell you this story because then I said to her, so you're telling me I can just make it up, randomly and say Heavenly Father I want to find someone who is wearing a blue shirt, um glasses, and has gray hair! Like that? I was skeptical. But I tried it. The next day I kept thiking about this person in my mind, a man who wasn't too old but not so young either, with a blue sport type shirt, glasses and gray hair. Well as we were talking to people and got lead one way and another, I found him. This man who fit the description exactly. Minus the sport type shirt part but I mean I thought, no way, Heavenly Father why do you have to be so funny and we just so happened to find this person I had been thinking of all morning. 

I know that true, specific and sincere prayer works. These instances can't be coincidences. They can't. They are signs that our Heavenly Father is mindful of us and He knows us and our desires. I know this to be true. And I share it with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Hope you all have a great week and try this challenge of praying more specifically and having the faith that it works! 

Love,

Hermana Newman

Natalie March 16, 2015

What really matters

Hi everyone! Wow the weeks fly by so quick. I have already been with my companion for two weeks. She is so great. She only has four months left until she goes back to Mexico, Mexcio. That's where she's from :) One day this week, to repent for not talking with more people earlier on in the week lol, we contacted 28 people! Every week we have the goal to talk to 70 new people and we only had 20 or something really poor and then guess what happened.. on Saturday most of our plans fell through and there was so many people in our path that that's why we were able to contact so many in one day. Almost 3 days worth of the weekly goal we accomplished in one day and I know it's because Heavenly Father allowed our paths to cross with those people. We now have  many people we can go back and find. 

I want you to know that I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and we can literally feel relief if we submit to Him and rely wholly on Him. It's amazing what true and sincere prayer can do and study of the scriptures. I will always remember my parents teaching me, reminding me that if there are any two things we can do to stay close to the Lord it is reading the scriptures and prayer. And not just reading but actually studying. This past week an activity I did from PMG over two personal study sessions was about the Book of Mormon. The activity listed several pasages of scriptures of all of the reasons the prophets gave for why they wrote their records. They were 51 plus 4 others from DyC that I had discovered. As I sat there at my desk I had an excitement, a love to search for how many reasons there were for why the Book of Mormon was written. I couldn't believe how many I found. Still can't! And every single one was different or at least presented with an added piece of light. I love the Book of Mormon. It has the answers we need. Heavenly Father knows us and that when something is on our mind, we go to the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon and we find a chapter that answers exactly the thing we are preoccupied with. I have been thinking a lot lately how by the Book of Mormon we are able to testify and the Spirit too, for conversion to take place. This is something I am working on right now and I'm so excited, how to improve in this and truly as PMG says, use the Book of Mormon as our main tool and resource. 

I urge you to strengthen your testimony if you are not doing so and if you don't have a testimony, follow the words of the prophet Alma, in chapter 32 who said,

 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties,even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise aparticle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire tobelieve, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe ina manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

 28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, ifye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart,behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not castit out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of theLord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts;and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin tosay within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a goodseed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlargemy soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding,yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

The fruits of the gospel can be experienced and we can be filled with enlightenment and true joy from the Spirit. This is what truly matters and has ever lasting happiness, through the hard times and the good. Until next week!

Hermana Newman<3

Jason March 16, 2015

The learning continues...

Hola, familia y amigos!

this last week was great! i think its interesting that i always seem to comment on the week that had just happened, but this week i am more excited, nervous, and anxious for the upcoming week.

of the few things that I remember that happened this last week, cause really as a missionary you just get going and going and the memory span isnt too long, I do remember that we were able to see the movie "meet the mormons" projected in the chapel. Every misión president got one, and so we were able to see it for free :)  . wow, I loved it!!!!!!! For those who dont know, its a documentary style film that includes 6 stories of 6 different members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints. It shows a bit about their lives, and really just a good message to the world to show that, contrary to popular belief, we are NORMAL! haha it was hard to , but i did manage to hold back tears in a few parts of the film. Highly recommend it for everyone.

Also, i thought it was really neat how we found a lot of new investigators and have increased our teaching pool of investigators. we had 6 in the chapel yesterday, 2 grandparents named maria and Claudio, and the familia castillo!!!! the goal is to get them baptized and confirmed this week. Their names are Isabel, Karen, Dariana, and Leslie. we are gonna do everything posible to help them get baptized this week, as their date is in fact this saturday.

So, with this upcoming week, there were mini transfers. Elder Johnson, my companion, went to a closeby town called anahuac (about the same as going from salt lake to Park City), and an Elder from anahuac came to serve with me in his place. his name is ELder Blanchard and he is from South Jordan. the idea is that he, having 7 months in the misión, and I will recieve a more intensified training in this next week in regards to leadership. even though its gonna be really hard and trying for me, im grateful and excited for just that reason, to see how i will be able to grow and become better and stronger this week. Im grateful for this oppportunity, because i never really got that training in regards to how to be a leader. If teres one thing i have learned, its that the definition of a leader is "someone who helps others become better disciples of Jesús Christ". so, thats gonna be my overall goal in this time.

I love you all and am doing well, having great experiences and really just learning, learning, learning. daily. I pray that you may all have a good week!

love,

Jason

p.s. it continues to be freezing and now with more rain. 

-- 

*Elder Newman*

Misión

November 2013 - 2015

Alma 26:12

Natalie March 9, 2015

A New Light named Francis :D I love her!!!

Hey everyone! Hope you had a great week. I had a good first week in Cancun. Well as far as the work goes, two days was super awesome and the next two weren't because people weren't home, appointments fell through, you know that stuff.

So Ah not sure if you're dying to know or with curiosity or didn't really mind waiting to hear about Francis! Francis is amazing. I hope you enjoyed the pictures last week. We had been working with her for a few month- since December. Well actually November for maybe two, three visits but something happened, I can't remember and we didn't go back for awhile. Well a month later, we saw her again in the street and she said to us, ''Hey, why haven't you come to visit me? It's been a month!'' lol oops well we started visiting her and little by little she started to progress. We taught her the Restoration and she accepted the Book of Mormon. She started to read it and she prays everyday. For awhile I thought she wasn't going to progress because she kept talking about the Catholic and what they did in the Catholic church. But that's the lesson of not giving up on people. Like I said little by little she progressed.  

Francis had difficulties with her family but they are so much better now. She told us, ''things have changed, and I have changed and I know it's because Heavenly Father sent you to my door. Since the day you came I knew it was because he answered my prayers.'' She told us that she had asked Heavenly Father for help and then two weeks later we showed up. 

When we taught the doctrine, she read, she prayed and accepted it. She was able to allow it to change her. And the result was magnificent. When we taught about the Law of Tithing and Fast Offerings she was once again willing and ready to accept it. She doesn't work but she has a little business of selling what are called Saborines (Sah-bor-een-es). They're pretty much like a type of Mexican popsicle is how I like to put it lol. One of these days I'll have to get a picture of them..

Well to continue the last part of the story, she was so excited that she could pay tithing even if it's with what little she makes from selling Saborines. Well the day of her baptism was going to be on a Sunday and it was Fast Sunday. The day before on Saturday night, there was a Young Women's activity that Francis and Ana her daughter, went to. When we arrived we saw that they were finishing preparations to put the food out and Francis with a worried voice motioned and beckoned to me saying, ''Hermana Newman, come here. Tengo una duda...''  

Tengo means I have and duda can me either doubt or concern. So me being worried that is was something about getting baptized or the church I go over and she says to me, ''Is that food for everyone?'' ''Yeah why?'' I say to her. ''Because I can't eat it.'' I laugh and ask why not. She doesn't answer but instead puts her hands on her hips and purses her lips looking at me like I should know the answer.

Well I didn't know for sure the answer but I asked.. ''Because you're fasting?'' She nodds her head as if saying mmhmm. Hahaha With a sigh of relief and happiness inside we talked about it and I said I know I'm bummed too because we also had begun our fast. But I mean she wasn't even baptized yet and already had decided to live that simple law. She touches my heart her strength, her self-esteem, her growth, her light, her testimony. She is now a part of my testimony. 

OKay well sorry that was so long but it made up for last week right? lol Thanks for listening, reading and I hope this week you go and find or discover what will be your own spiritual experience. Until next Monday,

Love from Cancun,

Hermana Newman

Jason March 9, 2015

I love me some miracles :)

wow, que suave fue este semana!!

this week was great. really great! it was very bittersweet, especially in regards to sunday, but more sweet than bitter. we had 12 investigators in the chapel!! 6 were ours and recieving the lessons, but the other 6 were pure miracles. ok, who am i kidding, i always consider it a miracle when even just one investigator comes to church. Isabel and her daughter Karen came, and they are gonna get baptized this month for sure, and a sweet older lady in our ward named hermana acosta brought her neighbor who we have visited a few times named maribel. hermana acosta is one of the best missionary members in the whole world. ill try to get a picture with her to send. she is great. anyway, and then we went early in the morning to remind the familia loya about church, but they didnt answer so we left a note. they didnt come, and we were pretty bummed, but then we came back to the chapel for the second wards meeting, and there they were in the sacrament meeting! it was the best!!!!! only the mom and daughter came, their names are arela and lizeth. then, the miracle investigators were two that the other missionaries contacted on the way to church, then two others who are part of a family that have been coming a lot we just never knew them, and then two others....wow, i still cant believe this happened...are jose and rosa maria. we had visited them earlier in the week, had set an appointment to come back, but then we had a meeting and werent able to go with them. they end up coming to church on their own, looking for an "Elder Newman", to tell us that they were waiting for us. whoa!!! youve gotta know that pretty much never happens. anyway, we asked if we could call them on tuesday to see when we could come by and jose, the husband, is like "no worries, we will just call you because we are the ones interested". miracles!!!! so that was our adventurous day yesterday, on sunday. great sunday. 

i am excited because i am making these lists that are gonna help us as a district stay more organized and focused on the investigators. its a list of investigators in teaching, and so hopefully we will see more progress with the investigators that we have all laid out and organized on a list. 

we had a few really great lessons this week. we saw a man sitting on the sidewalk, picking up small branches that he had cut off his tree for firewood. His name is Alfredo, and we felt the impression to sit down with him and teach him. i truly felt like a disciple of Christ as we were humble enough to not care about getting our hands and pants dirty and dusty, but i remember that for me in that moment, the most important thing was leting Alfredo know that he is a Son of God and that there really in a true church in this world. He wasnt able to come to church, but we are definitely going back. he is already living the law of tithing and the word of wisdom, even though he may not realize that they are commandments. we feel that he is super prepared and are excited to go back. 

well, those were the main  things that happened this week. its still pretty cold in the city where we are, but no worries--rain or snow (which weve had both), we are out there working hard "to bring the world his truth". i had a great week, and can truly testify that this Church is the true church of Jesus Christ, and that by making and keeping sacred covenants with Him, we will be able to walk back to the presence of the Father. I promise you all, and give my personal witness and testimony as a representative of Jesus Christ, that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was and is indeed a prophet of God, and that in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we find the instructions, commandments, ordinances, and principles that are necessary for us to know in order to gain exhaltation. I love it and will always be a part of it. Its not easy being here on the mission, but it is so worth it. 

until next week, friends and family. i love you all and may the lord bless you all abundantly this week. take care!

love, 

Jason 

Elder Newman

-- 

*Elder Newman*

Misión

November 2013 - 2015

Alma 26:12

Natalie March 2, 2015

¡Adivina Que!.... (Guess what?)

We had a baptism!!!!! Today is going to be mainly an email of photos and next week I'll tell more about Francis but it just goes to show how the Lord just truly prepares people and we really are just guides. Also just really quick I have a new companion too her name is Hermana Gaspar and I'm no longer in Cozumel, I'm in CANCUN!!! Wahoo :) Next week I promise I'll write more but enjoy the photos and oh just know that Francis even made her own little dress for her baptism! Ahh so cute. It's the dress with the little black belt. Anyway I hope all is well and everyone has a great week! 

Now, Love from Cancun,

Hermana Newman<3

Jason March 2nd 2015

great week!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow, this week was the best!!!!!!!!! we had 8 investigators in the chapel, which means that we will be working with them 8 so that they can get baptized this month of march. one family is a family of 2 sisters and their saughters, and Their names are Isabel, Faustina, Karen, Dariana, Leslie, and another group of kids of another family whose names are Ruby, manuel, and angel. I love each and every one of these people so much, and i was so happy to be able to see them come to church and partake of the sacrament. they have baptismal dates and we hope and pray (and fast), that they will be able to be baptized. so our goal for this month is 8.

Elder Johnson and i are gonna be together for another transfer, as we recieved the transfer call last night and we dont have transfers. woohoo! who knows, maybe we will have the same situation that my trainer and I had, which was after our 5 and a half months or so together, he bacame zone leader and i had transfers...but who knows.

I am very happy and am feeling a lot better. i feel like we started the cycle off great, and we are excited to continue to se the miracles happen in the lives of our investigators. i love how we have been patient, and have suffered long to the point where after much trial and disappointment, we were able to see our investigators come to church. I know that the Lord looks out for all of us and i know that he will help us get through all trials. if He can get you to it, He gan get you through it. I hope everyone has a great week (sorry, a Little cshort on time), and i hope you know that i love you all!! talk to you all next week!

sincerely,

Elder Newman

-- 

*Elder Newman*

Misión

November 2013 - 2015

Alma 26:12