Grido's Sesh with the Zonies, Toddy Timer, and "I am your father"

 Grido's sesh with the Zonies after a hard day of work in El Bosque. Elder Valqui's last one!​

 ​E' Christesen cooked me German Pancakes with maple syrup. ¡CAPO!​

 ​Toddy Timer and Milking alfajores. Uruguayan missionary life​

 Cutting the lawn for a member in Parque del Plata w/ Elder Sosa. With this being eletric and powered by a cord, it's a two man job!

​"I can't answer, Brother; my grandson is being born right now. We're in the sanatorium." Not the response I was expecting, but a very valid excuse!​

¡Hola querida gente mía! ¡Otro cambio ha venido y pasado, y Cambios son este Miércoles! Elder Christesen se va ya a Las Piedras para ser Líder de Zona, y yo quedaré en El Pinar, con... ¡UN ORO! ¡YO VOY A ENTRENAR Y SER UN PADRE! :D ¡WOOT! (Translation: Hello, my dear people! Another change has come and gone, and Changes are this Wednesday! My comp, Elder Christesen is going to Las Piedras to be Zone Leader, and I will stay in El Pinar, with ... A GOLD! I AM GOING TO TRAIN AND BE A FATHER! WOOT!)

*phew* Ok, not that I got all that energy outta my system…

We have had a rollercoaster week! On Thursday we taught Juan L3:The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and felt impressed to include the Law of Chastity because he was living with a woman in his house, and legal marriages are not common here in Uruguay. Upon teaching the lesson, however, we found out that he is already married and living la Ley! Talk about a miracle! However, when we went to pick him up on Sunday morning for church, all fell through. He came out, set his BoM on the fence, and told us, "Miren, chicos, no quiero conocer a ninguna iglesia, ni conocer a ningun Lopez (the family we were going to fellowship him with), ni nada. Buen día." (Translation: Look, guys, I do not want to meet any church, or meet any Lopez (the family we were going to fellowship him with), or anything. Good day.”) And he marched back inside without explanation or even a chance for us to speak. Boy, that hit me hard! I'm not going to lie, that demoralized me for the first bit of the day; I took a huge emotional hit. However, I tried to stay positive, upbeat, and obedient regardless, and as a result, miracles occurred within 3 hours! We had an investigator come to church! Facundo, the grandson of Beatrís, came to sacrament meeting and enjoyed it, and we are preparing to extend him a baptismal invitation! In addition, Solange, the nonmember girlfriend of Kevin that we have heard about but that nobody until now has been able to contact, also came, and we were able to set a charla with her! I learned to never lose faith even in hard times, for miracles are usually just around the corner! We have also reestablished contact with MA Ramón Rivero and his non-member family, and have gifted the kids a BoM! (The mom wasn't there) We also received a reference from the hermanas that we have previously contacted; José wants to know about life after death with having lost members of his family. The Lord can truly bless us in greater abundance if we are exactly and constantly obedient, despite the circumstances, and I saw that this week! I will definitely try to emulate that as I begin to train this week; what an exciting/terrifying challenge ahead!

Grido's Sesh: Grido's is an ice cream place that is very common in Uruguay and Argentina, and to commemorate Elder Valqui going home this week, we went there after a hard day of work and got ice cream. The ice cream itself is okay, but the whipped cream is ¡RIQUÍSIMO!

Toddy Timer: Anyone can do Toddy Time, but to be a Toddy Timer, you must have a jug with water trapped inside that can be frozen and keep your drink cold. Therefore, this week, upon doing Toddy Time with the jug, I am now officially a Toddy Timer.

Hey bro! Nice work on the three peat; business as usual!  Can't wait to see the rings! Who are you guys playing this week for lacrosse? Can't wait to see where the Lord assigns you in His marvelous vineyard! It is the most wonderful time of the year with mission calls; I remember it vividly. Tell me how the U goes! Love you Christian!

Emma, yo he oído I Heard Him Come; ¡que suerte que tengáis para cantarla! (Translation: Emma, ​​I've heard I Heard Him Come; How lucky you are to sing it!) Good luck at NATIONALS! You guys will do amazing as usual! And you probably won't get AS burned, because Florida is humid like Uruguay and although the heat is much worse and heavier, the moisture in the air hydrates the skin and protects a bit from burning you. Nevertheless, knowing you, USE SPF 50! ¡Te quiero muchísimo! ¡Tú eres una angel! (Translation: I love you a lot! You are an angel!)

All A's and P's on your report card! WOOT WOOT! That's what I'm talking about! Bear, of course I know it's your birthday this week!  It's actually on the same day that my son is born! (in other words, the same day I receive my oro) Way to be a great friend and example! It's never easy to stand up for your beliefs - that's why not many people do it - but you will be a light in her life and the lives of others for your example. Nice work. Love you, Sarah!

I miss you Callie! I love you!

Mom, Manti is definitely on my list of temple to visit afterwards; how gorgeous!  

Pap, so amazing to see so many great 5th Ward missionaries doing work all across the globe! Haha I am all alone on South America. What's the farthest shot you've hit on the range this week?

Wellup, that's about it; it's been a great change, and I'm super stoked to see the miracles in store these next 2! ¡Os quiero muchísimo!, y ¡que tengáis una semana increíble! (Translation: I love you so much !, and have an incredible week!)

Con amor,

Elder Newman 

Family Questions:

1. Christian’s question for you is: what are you doing to stay physically fit on a daily basis?  

Well, as of two days ago, I have started doing exercises again: pushups, situps, planks, etc. I am sorry to say that I have not been very faithful in this aspect. Christian, always do exercises or you'll get chubby like I have. You may not be able to build muscle in the mish, but you can at least maintain.

2. Emma wants to know more about your p-days in El Pinar. Are you still going fishing?  

We have not been able to go fishing because I still haven't got my pole from Chuy, and we haven't found a spot yet. But definitely in the plans! Normally we just email, cook something for each other, clean the house, sleep, etc.

3. Christian wants to know where you spend most of your time teaching the investigators. Do you spend most of your time in the Book of Mormon or do you cover more of the Bible that they are more familiar with and then how it applies in the Book of Mormon? 

Definitely the Book of Mormon. You should never shy away from teaching from the BoM even when your investigators are pro-Bible; the Book of Mormon is our evidence that we are different from the world. If you need to, you can share Ezequiel 37:16-19 in connection with 2 Nephi 3, or John 10:16 in connection with 3 Nephi 15:21-24, or even all of Isaiah to show that the Bible prophesies of the BoM. But otherwise, you stick to the Book. The Bible is incredible, and the Word of God, but it has gone through the hands of enough men and been changed enough times that it is no longer entirely pure; many interpretations. The Book of Mormon has been preserved for many years and only undergone one translation and is entirely pure and perfect. Stick to the Book! :)

4. Emma wants to know if there is good pineapple in El Pinar. 

Not any that I have seen.

5. Have you experienced any miracles this week? 

Facundo coming to church, and contacting a reference and receiving another in two days.