You Know What That Means; Palabras de Trueno; e Nefi é Tao Sutil

 Picture Hermana Eddy sent of Jackson at lunch during zone conference

 Service with a smile

 Differences between sins and weaknesses (as described in the letter below)

Hey peoples! GREAT to talk to y'all today! Our temple session is in the afternoon, so I don’t have time to upload a lot pics. But I sure am SUPER excited! We had a great week last week!

Elisabét is flying high as always! She loves reading the folletos, studying the suggested scriptures, and writing down impressions in the folleto study page as she reads! We had a stellar Plan of Salvation lesson last Tuesday, and Elder George and Elder Hunt, one of the assistants we had intercambios with, taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only that, but her marido served them lemonade! Opening up little by little. And Rosana yesterday had read her scriptural assignment and we had a great Lesson 2  (Plan of Salvation) in which she made great comments. Excited to see where she goes!

We had a zone conference this past weekend with Norte and Este in Carrasco, and not only was it a super spiritual and inspiring conference from President Eddy, our zone leaders, and the assistants, I got to see my buddy Elder Manzanares who is now serving as one of the secretaries! We talked about personal conversion, being centered in Christ, and contacting as if we were talking to ourselves - being the best and friendliest you can be.

In the pictures you'll see comparisons of Sin vs. Weakness. I honestly loved that article in the Liahona (can't remember which one for the life of me), because then we know when we need to repent and when we just need to humble and patient. We understand better the Atonement.

You Know What That Means: We had the privilege that the assistants came to our area to do divisions with us. I got to work with Elder Mecham, who was here in Toledo with Elder Mereles before I came in! #WelcomeHome We had a great day and I learned a lot as we found 3 news and put a baptismal date; Elder George and Hunt also found a new and put a baptismal date! What does this have to do with the title? While Elder Mecham and I were doing contacts, before knocking a door, he would look at the property and name seemingly unimportant or irrevelant details about the house or possessions, and then say, "You know what that means..." and then, after a pause, he would nod his head, say "baptism," and knock the door. #CAPO

Palabras de Trueno (Words of Thunder): Yesterday we had gotten home and I was writing in my journal, and Elder George and I started talking about how we had shown in the Bible that day a testimony of the Book of Mormon to this sweet Catholic lady we were teaching. I said softly, "God is not restricted in His ability to speak to us. He only stops speaking to us when His children stop listening to Him." After a few seconds of silence, thunder rumbled in the distance and kind of shook the window we were seated by. I said, "Huh, my words must be more powerful than I thought," and IT HAPPENED AGAIN.

Nefi é Tao Sutil (Nephi is Tao Subtle): Read 1 Nephi 7:19 and 16:7, and you'll understand. Nephi is one sly dog.

Love you all, and here's to another great week! ¡Vamo arriba! (Let’s go upward!)

Con amor,

Elder Newman

Mom, ¡Ay ay ay! Super sad to hear about Easton's injury; send him my condolences for me.  But I'm super happy the letters made it to you, Mom, and especially so quick! I am always impressed by all Joseph Smith did and taught; that quote book you gave me is super awesome! BTW, any way you could you send me an oil recipient? I realized the hard way that putting the chain around your belt loop is a poor idea.  Love you!

Dad, Wellup, you and I will need to have a kickball competition when we get home; a king needs to be disthroned.  Haha, home cookin' is always "the best." (Jackson’s talking about refs at an away game.) Love you Pap, and glad you enjoyed the letter!

Mom’s Questions:

1. I got a picture of you and an email from Sister Eddy. Looks like you were enjoying that sandwich and soda! What meeting were you having that you were meeting with the mission president for?

Zone Conference

2. What is something you are looking forward to this week?

The temple today, charla with a reference we have, and intercambios with the zone leaders!

3. What is something that made you laugh this week?

We were cleaning the house and had left the trash can outside to dry. As Elder George was walking in, I felt inspired (but not by the Spirit) to turn around, point at the trash can, and say "You're trash!" Afterwards, we just cracked up because it was so perfectly timed.

4. What do the kids in your area like to do for fun? (Besides soccer)

They're all hooked on the spinner. But mostly it is just fútbol, fútbol, ¡fútbol!

5. What is your favorite hymn to sing in Spanish?

Hijos del Señor, Venid (Come, Ye Children of the Lord), but there are some others like Press Forward, Saints and Hark, All Ye Nations that are close

"¡Que Gordito que Está, Élder!", e Encontrar Os Escolhidos

 Dinner!

 Fried bananas and alphahors

Sunsets in Toledo

Hey peoples! So good to be talking with all of you! We started off the new change today with a super epic Mini-Olympics zone activity, and I'm super excited to see what we can do! We've got some super ¡CAPO! Élderes and Hermanas here in Maroñas! And this past week was pretty special!

Encontrar Os Escolhidos: This was a week of elect-finding; we truly found some people that have a world of potential! First, Nicolás is the grandson of a less active lady we found in an exterior part of our area; he said he wasn't sure what to believe but was SUPER attentive while we taught, and made some great commentaries and connections! He currently is working on Sundays but wants to change that so he can come to church! Excited to see how his reading went. Then we found Johnny and Carlos, who is a son of Johnny's friend Iris, a lady with some slight mental handicaps, but super faithful and funny; Johnny and Carlos both have a baptismal date for the 23 of September! And Elisabeth had taken the charlas 10 years ago when she was 16 and almost got baptized. Her L1 highlights: She read the scriptures in the additional study in the L1 folleto (minus the BoM, which she didn't have) before we came; when teaching about prophets, the first one she named off was Joseph Smith; she remembered other parts of the lesson; and she had already prayed and received her answer a while back, and accepted baptism in a flash! (We haven't set a date yet because she is going to talk with her pareja about marriage and when). So we are planning to set a baptismal date after that! SUPER EXCITED! We also have a super amazing reference from a recent convert that we will be visiting today. SUPER excited! Now we just need to get 'em all to church; nobody came this past week.

"¡Que Gordito que Está, Élder!": Even with exercises in the morning, the Toledo food (and my fried desserts from this week), has taken its toll; 4 DIFFERENT PEOPLE told me that I was fat. Thus, this week, I will be starting a diet to cut back down.

Bear, way to go rocking it with the big girls! I'm super excited to see how you do this season with double-duty! Haha been there, done that with the braces. I know how it is, just do everything you're supposed to and your time will be much shorter than... 4 years. Love ya!

Yup, the wavy pool is super fun; I agree with you Callie! Hey, way to go with the great results in your reading test! You will have a super awesome advantage with being able to read that well. Way to be tough and not cry in your soccer game with that little injury! So proud of you!

Super excited to see what you can do this year in Drill! Love you Emma!

Mom, could you send me Ethan Jensen's mish email? I'd love to write him! Haha best of luck with the loneliness each day while the kids are all at school! Great talk by Elder Duncan, it's so true; the Lord's timetable of conversion and return is not always ours, and sometimes we have to be patient. Love you Mom!

Yikes, rough start for the football team.  Well, we always have rough days in sports, mission, or whatever it be, but what matters is how we get back up and charge the beast again. Have you been using the 4k for Bear's games? I'd love to see that! Love you Pap! :)

Well, I love you all, and here's to another great change here in Toledo! ¡Os quiero muchísimo! (I love you all so much!)

Con amor,

Elder Newman :)

Mom’s Questions:

1. Does your mission have a rule about how many times you can attend the temple on the mission? How many times have you gone so far?

Yes: once around every 6 months. And funny you mention that, because WE'RE GOING NEXT TUESDAY! :D Thus, my P Day will be Tuesday BTW.

2. From Emma: Have you started dreaming in Spanish yet?

Sometimes, but I honestly don't remember all my dreams.

3. Is the weather starting to warm up yet?

Strangely, we've only had 2 or 3 truly cold days. This "winter" has been incredibly nice! Yesterday was honestly gorgeous!

4. What service projects have you done recently?

We were going to help with the construction of a house for a part-family, but we got rained out, so we're planning another day.

Dead Dog for Dayz; El Árbol de La Vida; e Muito Velho Estou

¡Opa, familia y amigos queridos! Con los cambios esta semana, me voy

... ¡a quedar en Toledo con Elder George!

(Opa, family and friends! With the changes this week, I'm leaving













... to stay in Toledo with Elder George!)

So good to be talking with you all! This past week was a little rough with having to drop Raúl, very few charlas or news, and nobody coming to church. But it reminds me of the time when José dropped us hard core in El Pinar just before church, and we found my convert, Solange, that same day. Always remember that the Lord "mourns with those that mourn," (Mosiah 18:9); He understands our struggles, and He is preparing the way to find the elect if we will follow His path. We must never lose hope!

We found a man by the name of Carlos; he is the nonmember boyfriend of a less active Teresa. In the beginning he said he wasn't much for religion but loves God and serving others; super great guy. We taught the Plan of Salvation in answer to his question about why "God punishes good-doers." Super great charla and we are excited to help him come along the gospel path.

Well, Bella Italia is no longer part of our district! They changed places with Prosperidad, so now Elders Yardley and Correa (son of my old comp E' Estouco) will be part of my district! Only true change here.

Dead Dog for Dayz: We found a dead dog in a ditch almost a month ago. For some reason, they never ended up removing it, and today, it is all bloated and decaying and black, and you can now see muscles and stuff. Elder George can't even stand to look at it.

El Árbol de La Vida: This past week I have been doing a serious study of the Tree of Life, and I have received monsoons of comprehension and revelation.

Muito Velho Estou: My son, Elder Souza, is going to be training these next 2 changes! He called me Sunday night and was super excited about it.  That makes me a "grandpa" in the mission; thus, I am officially old.

BAHAHAHA man those are some priceless faces Uncle Tyler pulled in the video you sent. So glad the wedding went so fantastically. That family pic is on point. Can't wait to hear about the season for the football boys! Love you Pap.

Haha that is soo cool that you got to see Mitch, Jace, and Jodi all at once! The MTC life, even though I got bored of it week 4, is pretty great. Love you!

Callie, what countries did you learn about in Primary? I hope you have so much fun at 7 Peaks! Love you!

No worries, school passes by quick if you don't stress about or count down the days. So crazy that you saw Mitch, Jace, and Jodi! Love you Bear!

Emma, Uruguay está bien en este momento. ¡Diga buena suerte a CamBikes por mi! (Uruguay is fine at the moment. Say goodbye to CamBikes for me!) Man, how quickly things pass by; Caleb Campbell playing varsity! Tell him "that's my boy!" Haha I would've loved to see that Coach Wooten outfit. ¡Te quiero hermana! (I love you sister!)

Con amor,

Elder Newman

Mom’s Questions:

1. Transfers are this week, right? Are you staying in Toledo for the next transfer or moving on?

Yup! I'll be sticking here with Elder George.

2. What ways have you served Elder George this week?  

He has asked me to correct his Spanish, which I have been trying to do; also serving him his plate of food sometimes.

3. Your birthday is coming up in a couple of months. Is there anything you need or want that you can’t get down there? Or would you prefer I transfer you money to your card to spend on a birthday cake and gift?

Just the black pants, and some lotion if you can; lotion is stupid expensive here (pardon the word, but it really is THAT bad)

4. How are the ward members helping with the missionary work in Toledo?

They are constantly giving us lunch (seriously not a day without lunch except P Day, and even so on those days sometimes); many priests and Melchezidek Priesthood holders go on divisions with us; and we've received quite a few references!

El Libro de Jamón

 Elder Newman's Hump Day Package

 Elder George making chocolate chip cookies

Mate Celestial

El Libro de Jamón

I should probably explain the title:

We ended up chatting for a few minutes with some kids behind the fence at school one day, and one saw El Libro de Mormón in my hand. But my thumb was covering up a bit of Mormón, and he shouted out, "¡Mirá! ¡El Libro de Jamón!" (Look! The Book of Ham!).

Such a great week! I am truly exhausted, but that means we've been working hard! We were able to place a baptismal date on 5 poeple, inculding Gimela, the lady that wanted us to baptize her child. She didn't come to church because her child has a parasite, but she has been reading! And Laura, the sister of recent convert Micaela, finally came to church! She also shared some good commentaries in Gospel Principles and seemed really happy to be there!

If you haven't read the book How to Pray and Stay Awake by Max B. Skousen, you need to. Such a powerful book that can truly help us transform our prayers into filling spiritual experiences.

Hey Mom, tell PJ Tauteoli congratulations on the mission call! I recently listened to that Brad Wilcox talk on Grace this week and it is truly amazing! I am truly stoked to see Kegan about to go back at it; I'm sure he was truly itching to get back out there! Love you Mom!

Haha, good job killing the wasp, Sarah. There was one time that we used a lollipop and wasp spray to kill a spider that got in. ...after we sprayed and missed ALL over the place. Dad was not happy. Dad was right in the Primary lesson; no matter what we lose for Christ's sake, we will always be blessed and more than recompensated. Love you Bear!

Callie, YOU HAVE A SPINNER!? ME TOO!! Hey, way to go in your soccer game! Great goalie! Man, I sure do miss the PG Pool, glad you had fun! Love you Callie!

WAY TO GO EMMA! I am so happy to see that you got into the dance routine this year; hard work paying off!  There truly is something powerful about music that goes beyond our ability to explain. I also have learned about the importance of journaling here and try to write something each day. ¡Celoso estoy! Un día veré a Peter y Stuart... ¡Te quiero hermana! (I am jealous! One day I will see Peter and Stuart ... I love you sister!)

Well, the 6A class is finally here! Dang, that will be some tough competition in our region... excited to see how it goes! Tell Mike hi for me! Love you Pap.

¡Os quiero a todos! ¡Que tengáis una buena semana! (I love you all! Have a good week!)

Con amor,

Elder Newman :)

Mom’s Questions:

1. Did you open your package? How did you like it? How did the homemade cookies fare? Were they took crumbly? Did you share with your companion?

Yes; LOVED IT; the cookies made it through very well; Yes I did :)

2. Is the weather starting to warm up at all?

Yup! Some days it's nice and sunny, others cold and rainy

3. Have you been able to exercise? Does Elder George like to exercise too?

Constantly, and he does it

4. What did you do to celebrate Elder George’s birthday?

Cooked him brownies, ordered pizza, and enjoyed mate celestial

5. Is Raul still on target to be baptized Aug. 12th?

Nope, we moved it to August 19th. Still got some issues to tackle.

Reverse Contacts Galore y ¿Invierno?

 Elder Newman and Elder George lunch appointment

Tag Picture

Hey peoples! This has been a pretty crazy yet miracle-filled week! The Lord is truly preparing His elect to receive His message!

Raúl, Victor, Adrianna and Agustina all came to church yesterday! Raúl has a baptismal date set for the 12th of August and that's pretty much all he talks about. Victor and Patricia received their official marriage date: 10/19/17! And Victor will be baptized the 4th of November! They accepted the Law of Chastity with complete ease. Adrianna is still in the tough spot of not being married because her marido (boyfriend) doesn't want anything; we're going to try tackling that this week. Agustina said she wasn't sure about baptism when we invited her, but the invitation made her super sober and pay attention; she wants to be sure about this decision. Potential!

Reverse Contactos Galore: We have received an inflowing of people who are prepared to listen to the gospel! We have received a handful of references, one of which has said she wants to be baptized and has already attended a few times! (her charla fell through, but we have another one set for this week) We also had 3 reverse contacts this week, the last of which was pretty funny and incredible: We were about to leave the chapel because for the first time, nobody showed up to English Class, when we saw a young lady outside the door, dressed in red with a baby in her arms. We went outside, and the first thing she asked was, "¿Ustedes hacen bautismos aquí? Quiero sacar una ficha bautismal." ("Do you baptisms here? I want to get a baptismal record.”) We were absolutely shellshocked and gleeful... until we realized that she was talking about her baby son. We ended up having a great contact with her and set a charla for tomorrow. Super excited!

¿Invierno?: Up until Sunday, this whole week was super nice, and reached 20º (Celcius). Then on Sunday, nice and brisk, with tons of rain in the evening. Hmmm…

Mom, make sure you send my comp a happy birthday message? He turns 19 today. Haha, only Isaiah (or maybe even Coleman) could pull off the pizza metaphor. Love you Mom.

Pap, thinking about each Book of Mormon character played by each member of the ward for youth conference... perfect fit. Haha, we have had to get quite a few of cars here unstuck; lots of dirt streets. Love you Pops!

Ooops! Haha I remember receiving that punishment (hugging timeouts) with Christian, Callie. Remember the Primary song, "Love One Another"! I didn't know you were playing soccer! How fun! Haha, way to be tough and not cry at all! (Actually she cried most of the 2^nd half.) Love you Callie!

Bueno, mi hermana querida, solo pasará el tiempo más y más rápido; ¡estaremos todos en casa antes que lo sepas! (Well, my dear sister, only time will pass faster and faster; We'll all be home before you know it!) Speaking of time passing quickly, already going to be a junior! 2nd-to-last drill team picture! Haha, only Isaiah would even attempt the pizza analogy in a farewell talk (or maybe Coleman or Ethan Hollis). Wish him and Derek good luck from me! Te quiero, Emma, y ¡nos vemos en 1 AÑO Y 2 DÏAS! (See you in 1 YEAR AND 2 DAYS!)

Haha truly quiet without the big boys there, huh?  No worries, I'll be home before you know it. Way to beat a California soccer team and play very well this weekend! Haha I remember the hugging punishment vividly; Mom used it on Christian and me many times. Make sure to help out Callie a lot in soccer and encourage her lots; it'll mean tons! Love you Bear!

Love you all, and the next time I write I will be officially OVER THE HUMP! (I hit a year on Wednesday). ¡Os quiero! (I love you!)

Con l'amore,

Elder Newman

Mom’s Questions:

1. What is the best activity you have done on pdays in Toledo? 

Definitely the asado with the district or watching The Best Two Years for the first time at Gustavo's house

2. What is the best thing you learned by the AP’s and zone leaders that are in your district? 

Well, the AP's are no longer in the district, but the greatest thing I've learned has to be about desire and giving all and more from Elder Childs.

3. What are your goals for the second half of your mission? 

Be exactly obedient, have no fear, be more humble and meek, and rely more on the Lord to acheive my objective of bringing souls unto Christ.

4. How are your seven nuevos? Have you been able to have teaching appointments with any of them? 

With Seria Marquez, yes! Sandro is a little complicated because he gets home late in the evening and his pareja (unmarried spouse) doesn't really want anything. Also had a charla with Ezequiel about preparing for baptism and being able to attend each week no matter what (parents are divorced, and he switches off weekends visiting each parent).