Natalie January 25, 2016

Still here!... unfortunately not for long :(

Wow it's been a long time since I've written I'm sorry to all! I hope all have been well :) 

I feel like I have been a bit of a mess emotionally lolf these past few weeks as my time draws to an end as a full time missionary. I cant believe this is it, I've come down to the last week I have as a full-time servant of the Lord and I simply can't believe it. It's almost a bit strange my mind can't seem to grasp, that this is the end of my time here, however I know that the work and learning doesn't stop here; just that all my time and attention as a servant to and of the Lord, is coming to a close but I know that He always blesses us as we serve Him in any time, any moment, anywhere. 

I've had some mixed feelings and emotions these last few weeks but nevertheless, we have seen a bit more progresstion in all things. We have a bit more of an urgency to be exactly obedient so that the Lord guides us and blesses us so that we can have the Spirit. I testify that being obedient to His commandments helps us to feel His love and of the Holy Spirit who guides us and comforts us. 

We have had many investigators attending church! 7 were at church! Wahoo!!! The family Dominguez Cruz is still progressing, although not enough to be baptized before my departure :'( I was really hoping for that, to seem all of them in their white clothes but I also know that it's not about me so it's not what I want. All in the Lord's time. The good news is that we had Family Home Evenings and they loved it! We are also finding new investigators and seeing more miracles and witnessing how the Lord guides the individual lives of His children and I know this is true. 

Some interesting other things that have happened recently all all in the photos that I am sending so that you can be a part of the adventures :)

***Last Monday P Day we got to go downtown and take some fun pictures.. I've included a picture of my hair now because it's growing so long!.. I also got a package in the mail from the primary of my ward ;D... got to go to the dentist to have a free cleaning ��...  tried a different fruit called Anona and actually was pretty good!.. oh and last week I got an eye infection, was red and kinda swollen, wasn't pretty :(.. and a picture of some of the fun murals that are all over the city! 

Well I hope everyone has a great week and I can't wait to be home but first I have a work to do, a work to be finished. Please be safe and have a great week!! 

Love,

Hermana Newman

Natalie January 4, 2016

¡¡Feliz Año Nuevo!..?

Helloo Happy New Year everyone!! I hope you all had a great New Year. Guess what we did!? We slept. Haha we slept and made a piñata.. Well now we just have to decorate it. Remember last year? Yep so I decided that it's a tradition now that I make a piñata for New Year's, it's so fun! I'll send a picture next week when it's finished. 

So this week so many things happened! As well as a lot of emotions have been felt! We had exchanges with our Sister Training Leaders and I got to know a new area for a day, we returned home on New Year's Eve at 6 PM for protection of all the fiestas and alcohol, and we painted a house!!!! YAY por fin! Finally someone let us serve them! I mean we are always trying to find ways to serve people but this was a project out of the norm. I even got to put on my jeans! Haha I'll have the pictures hopefully next week too of that fun event. I was so happy. 

The family's house that we helped paint is actually our investigator family that we're teaching that we are hoping we be prepared for a baptism at the end of this month! Wahoo. We are working with them to help the overcome their doubts and worries.. mainly from the hermano and we hope they get baptized because they also have officially decided they want to get married!!! 

The family's name is Dominguez Cruz. In the family is the father Luis, the kids luis (10), Alondra (12), Edwin (4), and their mom Gaby. It was so cute because this week when we had a Family Home Evening, we asked them all to share something of the week that they liked or that went well. But because Edwin is so little, he didn't understand the question really well and all he said smiling was.. Estoy feliz :) Hermana Carbajal asked, you're happy why? and he replied.. va haber boda! Which means, there's gonna be a wedding. Chuckling we said, there's gonna be a wedding? Of who? He simply told us as in a manner if it were something obvious with his arms outstretched and said, well mi familia! Hahaha it was so cute and he is super smart too. He likes to say prayers too and when we finish he loudly says AMEN! lol Ahhh Their really special to us and I know that as long as we are obedient and try our best, the Lord will help us to help them see their baptism day. 

Well to finish the week and start the year with a little bit of unluck.. we spent All. Day. Yesterday. In the hospital... �� It was horribly boring. I was fine, am fine but my poor companion had a kidney stone attack yesterday morning and luckily there were members ready to help us and so we woke up and as we started to get ready is when it all happened.. I felt helpless as I saw my poor companion in excrutiating pain but thankful that Hermana Kirkham helped us discern that we should go to the hospital. Because we actually had no idea what it was. All we knew is that she had a pain in her left side and it wasn't a stomach pain so I didn't know what it could be.. I instinctly thought it was her appendix but Hermana Kirkham said she thought it was a pain in her ovary because of her time of the month.. I was clueless and so was she and especially after the mission doctor nor her husband answered so she said okay, then take a taxi and go to the hospital. And when she said that I thought, oh no really? The hospital? I thought about getting lost and not knowing where to go but luckily I remembered exactly the night before, some sweet members said, Hermanas if you need anything let us know. 

So Hermana Pech was the first I thought of and when I heard her voice of comfort I started to well up with tears and couldn't find my voice to tell her what we needed. I found my voice and she said okay I'll my husband and I'm on my way! They dropped everything and took us there and there we spent the whole day... haha it was quite an adventure but I'm happy to say that we got her medication and everything will be just fine. We are still waiting to hear back for an appointment with the urologist so by the end of this week I hope we can say goodbye to the kidney stone of Hermana Carbajal. All I can say is the Lord truly is aware of us and answers prayers. We were guided throughout the whole day and are always as long as we are obedient, have desires to follow him, and ask for his help. 

Have a great and safe week everyone!

Sincerely,

Hermana Newman