Natalie September 28, 2015

Greetings from Cancún!

So this week we had transfers but we are staying in the same area again, together Hermana Carrasco and I, and as Sister Training Leaders again! President made so many changes in the mission this transfer but wanted us to be together again. I am so happy, I'm thrilled! I have come to just love Hermana Carrasco. I think I have grown the most with her, I mean as always I learn many things from each area, each companion, but I mean I have learned A LOT with my companion. She has helped me stretch and recognize my weaknesses but not letting myself get down but picking myself up, swallowing my pride, recognizing the mistakes made, and moving forward. And in the process of being Sister Training Leaders too, that has also made an impact.

Out of the 8 sisters that were under our care, only 2 remain with us in the zone and they took away one companionship that will now be of Elders. So we will be recieving 6 new (well new to us) sister missionaries. Whoo, it requires a lot of work to be a Sister Training Leader and for this next transfer I'm learning how I can not only be one but be a good one. At the moment I cannot remember who once said it, one of the General Authorities that said something in reference to, ''Whatever you are, be good and be good at it''. And that's my goal for these next 6 weeks, not only be a STL but be a good one. And in general, not only be a missionary but be a good one.

It's something we can actually apply in our everyday life, for example, not just be a person but a good one, even more kind and thoughtful than one already is; of course, that's what the Savior wants, and it's what He would do ultimately. I challenge each of you this weekend to attend General Conference, I hope you've been preparing in some at least, small way. It's what I consider ''the most wonderful time of the year!'' :) ...AND this weekend instead of just attending, attend attentively haha does that make sense? Apply it to the phrase I was using earlier that carries the implication of not just completing but ''going the extra mile'' I guess you could say; or can also be noted as ''do something more''. I promise that you will not regret it. Obviously if you can attend all of the sessions that would be amazing and the ideal but if not because of work or schedule conflicts, at least to hear one speaker. I know that there is power in participating in General Conference. I know that they are men called of God who fast and pray to have the guidance of the Spirit to carry the message unto us, our hearts, and then as we listen with a willing heart and understanding mind, the Spirit whispers to us what we are in need of. And sometimes we learn something we didn't even know we were in need of. I know the church is true and we have the servants of the Lord today to help guide us because we absolutely cannot do it alone. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Hermana Newman

Jason September 28, 2015

buckle up--last cycle!

hola a todos!! que suave fue esta semana!! 

ok, well, it wasnt perfect, for we again didnt have investigators in church again...

but, least to say is i dont feel like the world is over or anything! (although that lunar eclipse last night was pretty cool). i fell right now, in my mission, a lot happier and i am super PUMPED for these last 6 weeks. I dont know exactly how, but i have a conviction to give it everything this last cycle, knowing that i will never have this sacred blessing. so, as part of that conviction, i am happy because even this very morning, i felt a difference when i grabbed my brand new, last agenda...as if something said to me "no excuses, now". i know that this is the most important time there will be in my mission, for it will be the time in the which i believe i will rely on Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father the most. I noticed that this morning, i already started to put goals, and am excited to see what the Lord has in store for Elder Loreto and i this week, (oh, P.S. - we didnt have transfers, so its most likely that he will be my last companion. yay!) 

with our investigators, we have sooo many good ones, but for some reason things just fall through at the moment. but every week we commit to be even more obedient, and sure enough blessinga come! just a quick overview on a family here, familia sanchez coronado, so they were gonna get married this last friday and the hermano was gonna get baptized on saturday, but something happened and they had to go to chihuahua for the hermana. her health wasnt in good shape, and at first they were gonna do surgery, then they said they werent, then they said they were gonna do it again, and then in the end they didnt end up doing it. not a coincidence, because we did in fact give her a priesthood blessing a few days before, and they are now gonna be getting married tomorrow. woohoo!! may it be the will of God that he gets baptized this week. 

well, its a quickie this week, because though we didnt have transfers, we all met up as misisonaries and we have our district meeting at 4, of the which i get to teach and train! phew wish me luck...muchas gracias a todos por sus corazones tan buenos y llenos de amor. amo a Jesucristo y lo que el me ha comisionado hacer. que tenga una buena semana!!

love, 

Jason 

Elder newman

--

*Elder Newman*

Misión México Chihuahua

November 2013 - 2015

Alma 26:12

Jason September 21, 2015

The need to know the Savior.

Hello everyone! 

once again, sorry for not writing yesterday, we had another activity as a zone, and on top of that we had to spend quite a bit of time making our......ZONE SHIRTS!! it was fun making those, for they are custom made to the mission. photos to come. 

well, another week has passed in the mission, and in my experience, i have seen that really the weeks are never hard. the hardest thing as a misisonary are the days friday thru sunday, for that is when all the stress comes and things get really difficult. In this email, i would like to describe the reality of how a misisonary feels often on the misison, when things are hard. so, on sunday, we had zero investigators in church. again. It was very trying to have felt all the good things we had done in the week, and to only come to sunday and not have anyone in church is really hard. Heres usually how things go (at least in this area): we will have a ton of sweet lessons throughout the week, we found 13 new investigators last week, and some of which, in addition to the investigators that we already had, committed to for sure go to church. so we are all stoked, we get to saturday and we work really hard in the morning because in the evening was our ward activity "noche mexicana de talentos" (ward talent night), which was very fun. but then, as a misisonary, the only thing you desperately desire is that the investigators can come to church so that they can get baptized and live with their families forever. so then the phone calls start. we call all of our investigators to make sure they are gonna go, and things just happen to have come up, like "oh, i wont be able to" or "im going out of town today"--huh?? haha its just interesting, and then i remember that this particular sunday, one family said they would come an hour before church, and we dont know if they couldnt find the church, but they didnt make it either. the feeling of standing in the doors of the chapel, waiting and waiting, only to wait in vain is sometimes so crushing. This week, i remembered the talk mountains to climb from president eyring, and asked myself "(when i have felt like i have had success all my mission), why has this happened to me? "heavenly Father, what are we doing wrong?" 

well, through counsel of the Zone Leaders, and prayer of repentance, i am feeling better about it, and it doesnt mean the world is over, it just means we have to keep trying harder. it felt really good to go eat after church with the familia garcia galvan, where all the kids are returned misisonaries, and we all talked about the joys of the mission. one of the sisters said that her mission president challenged her to highlight every type of name of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon, and so in my goal to finish the Book of Mormon before returning home (im in 2 nephi chapter 15), i am going to do that as well. which is where the title of my email comes in--i feel that in the time that i have bn here on the mission, i have gained a doctrinally accturate knowledge of the Savior. i have felt his redeeming love many times, and so i know how that love feels. but i think that one of the most crucial gifts that a missionary needs to bring home is the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, and the gift of a testimony that he lives. So i am going to be focusing a lot on that, knowing my savior and not freaking out so much about the key indicators or the numbers we use to represent the fruits we bring to the Lord, rather in strengthening my testimony that he lives and loves me personally. though i often still feel as if i were a weak man, humbly i testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. This is his work, for as i saw in this last week, it is not, nor will it ever be My work. i know that my place here on earth is to keep his commandments and serve him and his children. I thank my Heavenly Father for this marvelous blessing it has been, not a sacrifice, to serve him and his cheildren in this labor of love. i testify of these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

love, 

Jason

Elder Newman

--

*Elder Newman*

Misión México Chihuahua

November 2013 - 2015

Alma 26:12

Natalie September 21, 2015

Oh esta todo bien (All is well)

Hello all! I can't believe how crazy this week was but at the same time I felt totally tranquila or calm. All was just well :) But as I mentioned this week we were busy! On Monday we ran out of water.. Yay!... so amongst all the other things we had to do we had to figure out why we didn't have water when we already paid the bill. We went to report it and that maybe the company shut off the water by being confused with the neighbors who hadn't yet paid. Well in the night when we got back home we had water and everything was fine! Then from there throughout the week we had water and then we didn't. We had water and then we didn't. We felt embarrassed to have to ask some members who live 2 streets away if we could use their shower haha good thing we only had to do that twice this last week. Well finally the owner of the house said he would come to check it out and sure enough when he climbed on the roof to see the tianco.. I don't know what it's called in English like the water pump maybe? lol.. well long story short, he fixed the problem and we had water again! So that part was fun this week.

Aside from that, on Tuesday we had exchanges again with different sisters who also were having some difficulties but President was able to talk with them and now they seem to be just fine so we're grateful for that. On Wednesday MAURO WAS BAPTIZED!!! Yay! He is so great, you could see almost literally seem the transformation over the last week before his baptism and how he is completely changed. His habits are different and his whole person is just happy I don't know how to describe it. It was pretty special because President Kirkham, the mission president was able to baptize him. :)

On Thursday, we had a special training meeting from President and his wife, our whole zone. They got to take us to a very small area of ruins but it was really special! I don't have pictures of that :(

On Friday it rained all day, boo but we still had lessons! :) And on Saturday Carlitos was baptized too!!! We had not one but two great miracles this week. And Carlos even shared his testimony which was so adorable he said, ''before, I was a troublemaker, and it was hard for me to learn, but the Hermanas taught me!'' and if that wasn't enough he bore his testimony in sacrament meeting on Sunday. AND our other recent convert from July, Sandra, Carlos's aunt. This was probably one of my favorite weeks not only because we had two baptisms but because I continue to learn so much and because I am truly witnessing how the Heavenly Father prepares His children for the gospel, you can even see that with Carlitos, an 8 yr old who has such enthusiasm to learn even if sometimes he is still shy. But I know that the Lord loves us and wants the very best for us, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives and saves marriages. He wants us to succeed, all we have to do is keep His commandments and ask for His help and He is always there. Of this I testify in the name of the Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Hermana Newman <3

Jason September 14, 2015

a very spiritual sabbath day :)

Muy buenas tardes!!!

wow, this week was quite interesting, and im tempted to just fast forward to friday and saturday, because though we did work last week, it wasnt too much because my companion had a few health issues and we had various appointments. and where we are in our area, its hard because we live far away from the central part of the city, which is where everything is, and so we lost a lot of time last week soing things like that. but we did find a few new people and are excited to go and be diligent, and visit them, to open our mouths and let the spirit take over to teach the restored gospel. 

once again, our hermano jose arturo didnt get baptized for some reason this week. he keeps saying yes, but then things come up...anyway, i think we are gonna have to sit down with him and have a misisonary heart to heart. also, Marcelino is getting more excited as the time comes for him to get married soon so that he can live the law of chastity diligently and get baptized. this family is so awesome, they are definitely some of whom i am gonna stay in contact with. the hermano wants to get baptized, and so this week thay are gonna go to the civil registration? building (here its called the registro civil :) and take a few steps, and then 4 of us misisonaries are gonna be witnesses and get them married! then hopefully he can get baptized on saturday, and confirmed on sunday! also, jesus needs to get confirmed this sunday so we will be working with them on that. 

ok, so heres the spiritual part: this weekend, we were able to see the dedicatory services of the Mexico city Mexico temple, which were broadcasted to the chapel here in delicias! forst, on saturday was the cultural celebration, and its pretty cool because it was my forst one, seeing as how i had never seen before a cultural celebration. it was a theatre-style presentation, which explained the how and why of the book of mormon. the book of mormon is of course, for everybody and it was written for our day in these the last days of this final dispensation...BUT, it was especifically written for those here in the american continent, and is a record of the ancient inhabitants of the americas. so, its to say, the people in the book of mormon are the principal ancestors of those who are of latin american nationality (whoooa, im "half"way there!) haha...if you got it, you got it, and if you didnt, you didnt. but yes, it was a mervelous celebration. 

then, yesterday was even better. we saw all 3 dedicatory sessions, in the which was present Henry B. Eyring, and Jeffrey R. Holland, Kent F. Richards, and the mexico area presidency...and of course the temple presidency. it was like watching 3 mini, 1 1/2 hour sessions of general conference, only temple version and they were dressed in their awesome white suits (love it!) i actually learned something from one of Elder Hollands talks, is that the coming of elijah was one of the most important events to ever occur, next to the first vision and the atonement. i had always thought that he only came to restore the sealing keys that bind families together, but no...the sealing keys are not only used in the temple. its to say, thanks to the sealing keys that were restored to joseph smith which President Thomas S. Monson holds, my baptism, confirmation, patriarchal blessing, temple covenants, and every single ordinance performed in this live will have validity after this life. when you hear the word "sealing", dont only think of "between husband and wife"., though that is true. when you hear "sealing", think of the phrase "the power that connects ordinances and covenants from the earth to heaven". in other words, if we could build a bridge that connects the earth to exhaltation, the sealing keys would be the bricks and cement we would use to build said bridge. and God expects and desires for us to walk on that bridge, not only hand in hand as a marriage, but also as a family. 

(sigh), phew! hope all that made sense. but just know that i cried like a baby in the first session, for the spirit overtook me completely, and as we sang hymn #2 "the spirit of god", which is my favorite hymn, i couldnt sing because tears were flowing down my face, and i just had to mouth the words. it was wonderful...surely its experiences like that that refer to the fruit so sweet and desireable that lehi dreamed of (see 1 nephi 8). 

i hope everyone has a good week, and that we can all have spiritual experiences!! i love you all :) !

con mucho cariño, 

Jason 

Elder Newman 

--

*Elder Newman*

Misión México Chihuahua

November 2013 - 2015

Alma 26:12

Jason September 8, 2015

hello everyone! no worries, still alive.

Hola, como estan todos? sorry that i wasnt able to write yesterday, we had a multi zone activity. it was loads of fun, and a great p day in general. 

So, in regards to the photos i sent, we had a baptism!! we met jesus only a few weeks ago, but he had already been to church before, and so we were able to teach him for a few weeks, and then we had his baptism on sunday. he is a great kid and we hope when the time comes, he will go on a mission. love him, and i am so thankful to my savior, Jesus Christ, for helping us out with him. 

so, i really just wanted to bear my testimony on Jesus Christ. it really is ALL about him on the misison. there are times, for every misisonary, that when you start having tons of success, the pride level goes up (naturally), and at times you have to be humbled by the Lord. not saying that i was really prideful, but i fel that this last week was one of those humbling weeks. it was hard to not have too much fruit to bring to the Lord, and to be even more specific we didnt have anyone in church. but, in the moments when you feel the lowest and are humbled the most (sacrament meeting with 0 investigators), the Lord has an interesting way of boosting you up again with big blessings (like the baptism of Jesus). it just makes me want to know him even better, and will really be making that a big emphasis for the rest of my misison is really knowing my Savior. 

things are great with our area though. finding lots of new families, and it will be kind of weird this week because this sunday we are gonna be having the rededication of the mexico city temple broadcasted here, and so with that said, it will be a sunday without investigators in church (cause there wont be services). so, all of our efforts and work this week will mainly be pointing towards next next sunday. so, lots of seeds to plant! 

well, once again sorry for not being there yesterday, but next monday should be normal. i testify that Jesus Christ lives and loves us, and that if we just heed to his counsel, blessings will come! have a great week!!!! 

love, 

Jason 

Elder Newman

--

*Elder Newman*

Misión México Chihuahua

November 2013 - 2015

Alma 26:12

Natalie September 7, 2015

Blessings from Living Gospel Principles

Hello :) Well this week was a little difficult in the sense of finding new investigators and such but we're still working with Mauro! Well, remember the couple I told you about who are supposed to get married this week? Well, now they're not :( We got a little discouraged Hermana Carrasco and I, everything was in the plans and then everything wasn't but that's what happens with the adversary doesn't it :( So we aren't sure when they can make the arrangements again but after the rain, the sun always comes back out!

We discovered that Carlitos, the nephew of Sandra, our recent convert from July, is at the age of baptism and he wants to get baptized! So we are teaching him and although he is a little distracted at times, it is very fun teaching him because we have the opportunity to teach the gospel in it's simplicity. And actually most of the time it's better that way so that there is no confusion and in it's beautiful simplicity we can understand the doctrine of Christ, as He taught us. We expect to hold his baptismal service next Saturday :)

Yesterday we had our stake conference and it was amazing that not only our mission President and his wife were in attendance but also the Temple President and his wife from Merida, Mexico! They talked about sacrifce for the Sabbath Day and the importance of tithing and that it is not only a law of obedience but that if we obey it, it also qualifies us to recieve the blessings of the temple. I have a testimony of tithing, thanks to tithing, my companion and I are here in Mexico, thanks to tithing we have the sacred, holy scriptures, church buildings of worship, my missionary tag, thanks to tithing I was able to attend university to study to gain and education, thanks to tithing we have the beautiful sacred temples, where we can feel the spirit in abundance, where the spirit of the Lord without fail, may dwell. I have a testimony of tithing that when we sacrifce a little, of what the Lord has already given us since everything that He created in the earth is His, He blesses us ten times fold for our faithfulness and willingness to give Him everything we have. 

Remember the blessings of tithing and sacrifice for the Sabbath Day to keep it holy, and don't rob yourself of those blessings is my hope and prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Sincerely, 

Hermana Newman ☺