Temple Joys; ¡Somos Gringos!; e O Futebol dos Estados

 Palaves Family got their Visa and are moving to Utah!!

 District Picture

Temple with Virginia V

Hey peeps! So good to be talking with y'all again! Lots of interesting stuff happening in our area as we get ready for changes!

A sad occurrence this week: an Elder in our mission is going home really early due to depression and having talked about suicide, and we are taking care of him until changes when he goes home. It was a very sad occurrence, but I believe that all of my trials in the past few weeks served me really well in this tough situation; I have been able to sympathize with him, make him laugh, and sustain him through his burdens. Man, I really ache for that kid; loved him to death. But I feel such peace knowing that I have been able to affect his life in a positive way.

We were able to find a nuevo this week so far on a doorstep contact; her name is Mabel, and she is an inactive Evangelist who loves prayer and believes in miracles. We talked about miracles, God's love, the Restoration, and the Book of Mormon with her. Great to see the results as we applied what we learned in district meeting: teach immediately instead of asking to teach. Great things happen when you're always trying to learn.

After that, we were walking to a charla with a member, and we saw a bunch of boys playing football in the park. Not fútbol. AMERICAN FOOTBALL! It was touch, granted, but it was sick! They waved us over and invited us to play, and I played football again for 10 minutes, for the first time in almost 2 years! On defense, nobody even got close to getting past me; domination. On offense... well, let's just say that boots do not make good cleats in dirt. But we won anyways, and now we're going to invite them to English classes, because they speak really good!  And from there,... charlas.

We're also seeing an upsurge in the member's participation; 3 specific Melchizedek Priesthood holders (the bishop, the high priest leader, and the 1st counselor in the stake presidency) said that they are available and willing to go out and work with us!  We also have lunch or dinner every single day, and are truly seeing how the hand of the Lord is working in this ward. Got me super stoked for change 4 here!

We actually went to the temple today to accompany Virginia V. for her first time there! Man, I truly did miss the temple; I was able to be baptized and to baptize for the first time in over a year. I've said it before, but the peace that emanates inside the temple is indescribable. I truly enjoyed it. 

BIG NEWS: THE PALAVÉ FAMILY IS MOVING TO THE UNITED STATES! They got their permanent residencies after years of work, and they invited us over to dinner to spill the news. We had a suspicion that it was either that, or that the wife was once again pregnant. As soon as we entered the back patio and saw the big American flag, little 4-year-old Mateo yelled "¡Somos gringos!" (We are gringos!)  And there went the surprise.

Love you all so much! Remember to trust completely in the Lord, and "he will direct thy paths." :)

Con amor,
Élder Newman :)


Mom, haha that is quite the mattress adventure. Sounds a lot like our bed frame adventure a while back. Yet while we think of ways to carefully disassemble and reassemble it, y'all just push it off the balcony. So true, I've learned SO much more about the Book of Mormon in these past 2 years than I have in all my life. We are always learning.  Love ya Mom!

Wow Callie, you are super duper smart! Way to go on Lexia!  I know how you feel with dry skin; I had it all the time. I would not have lasted those 100 candies; I would've eaten them all. I love you!

Sarah, my favorite song... is probably Redeemer of Israel by Gentri. So powerful.  I remember NOVA! Congrats on graduation!  Love you so much, Bear!

Emma, I am so sorry for what happened with drill. Sometimes we take our knocks - I took a few over these past few weeks - but I want you to know that I am just as proud of you as I was before. You will be blessed for your great attitude and support. Best of luck in Region! Ah, mighty Valhalla! How I miss it! ¡Te quiero muchísimo! (I love you so much!)

Dad, haha, bringing the Ice back! Blast to the past! And super sick to see Upset City alive and well! I truly feel that, as a missionary, priesthood holder, and man, I have grown so much in this year and a half. Yet I feel that the best is still yet to come.  Love you Pap!


Mom’s Questions:
1. With transfers this week, do you know who is replacing Elder Manzanares? 

We will know tomorrow night in the dinner with the Eddys!

2. How much time do you spend with Elder Holland? What is he like? Do you get along well?

He is in the office quite a bit. He is very tranquilo, super humble, and just a great guy to be around. We get along perfectly. Love the kid! :)

3. Did you have the Oro Conference this week? How did it end up going? 

A week ago. This week, we had a special leadership conference with all the zone leaders, district leaders, and travelling sisters in the mission.

4. Are you feeling like you were able to manage your time and balance office and regular mission stuff better this week? 

Yes, for sure. Minus the situation with the elder going home early, we were able to get out and proselyte every night at 5 PM.

5. How were your visits with Nadia this week? 

We weren't able to visit with Nadia this week; she was trying to drop us, feeling scared to take a risk after all the things she's suffered. We invited her to keep listening to us and she said she'll think about it. We sent her 2 Nephi 2 to try to help out.

Divine Design; Semana Loca; e a Fome pelo Amor de Deus

 Books of Mormon and other mission supplies that we had to find a place for

Hey peoples! This was probably the most unique week of my mission; the most stress I've ever felt, the most tears I've ever shed, and the sweetest joy and peace as a result. Super early mornings, long days of office work, a flooded house, searching for the elect. Life is good as a missionary and office Elder!

This past Saturday, I had been feeling down about the lack of success in our area and the stress from the office and the mistakes I had made. However, that day, my wonderful father felt the inspiration to send me a "4's up" 4th quarter email that truly inspired me. My incredible companion set aside time to talk with me and see what was going on and how he could help. His words for me were truly prophetic. Then a FUTURE INVESTIGATOR told us to keep our heads up; that if today we were rejected by 8 and accepted by 2, and we kept persevering, then one day we we would be accepted by 8. All these three occurrences in ONE DAY. I knew then that this was no coincidence and that the Lord was speaking to me of His love and approval. Truly Divine Design, just like Elder Rasband spoke about in Conference.

Then yesterday, the payoff. We finally had a new investigator - one that I've met in person! She was a contact that Elder Suxo (ZL) and Elder Araújo had found on intercambios here on Monday while I was working with MI HIJO AMADO ELDER SOUZA! Yes, I had an intercambio with my son/zone leader, and it was absolutely awesome; we worked super well together, laughed a ton, relived great memories from El Pinar, and milked alfajors to end the day (of course).

But anyway, back to our new investigator! Her name is Nadia, and she has suffered just about everything from the human race: her father tried to violate her, her mother tried to kill her, her brothers are in prison, and her roommate is crazy and can't stand her. She says that she is sick of the human race and had ceased to believe in God for the hypocrisy of her parents who were highly religious. But she was 100% attentive in our charla - I believe for the hunger she has for peace and answers and the love of God - and she was happy and laughing quite a bit as we talked. She said that she would promise to read the BoM and come to church. A very powerful charla on the Restoration. SUPER POTENTIAL!

Virginia A. is becoming active again; she was able to overcome her dark moment of depression and see the hope in life, and she even has a reference for us that said in the moment that she would love to come over and charlar! We are seeing the desire to participate from the members, and that is truly exciting for me! I believe now that we've passed through the midnight and are seeing the sunrise! It reminds me of Elder Zwick's talk in GC about our eyes being opened. I had my eyes closed and believed that I could not find any new investigators and that we would need intercambios always if we were going to find people. Now they're open, like Elisha's servant with the chariots of fire.

Other than that, it was a crazy but satisfying week as we had to wake up at 3:30 to help a missionary go home (home early), buy and hand over return tickets for the Oro Conference, and other cosas aleatorias (random stuff). But a great week, and a fantastic setup for the week to come!

Con amor,
Elder Newman :)

WOW! Haha, back to school and everything that comes with it; homework en pila! So happy to see the love that Sarah and Callie have for each other; sisters coming together! Indeed, I felt that same confirmation during Pres. Nelson’s broadcast and the news conference; I know that he is indeed the prophet of our time. And I can't wait to try out "Asado!" Having cooked and eaten many asados, I think I'd be well qualified for the job. And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Love you so much, Mom!

Callie! How did you feel at the teacher's desk? Here with Valentine's Day, it's pretty much the same as in the States - there's chocolate and everything - but just on a smaller scale. Love you tons!

Bear! So glad you liked the Vegas Cup despite its ups and downs. And hey, way to be a big girl being on your own for a week! Some of the greatest people I know are from different beliefs; it sure is fun seeing us come together despite those differences. And trust me, I know all about crazy sports fans; I've had plenty yell their heads off at me too. Love ya!

I totally know where I got my flexibility, or lack thereof. Glad you had a blast with the Dad Dance. And I'm right there with you in exhaustion; this next week, we have to help out with a leadership conference (all the 24 zone leaders, 10 Hermana Viajentes, and 27 district leaders), cédulas, and getting ready for changes! (Yup, it's coming already) And thus is the grind! But seeing great things in our area, so all good in the hood. And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Love you tons, Pap!

Mom’s Questions:
1. Since you now are in the last quarter of your mission, is there something you want to do before you leave? 

I would like to visit either the "Dedos" in Maldonado or Chuy once again in terms of temporal stuff, but mainly I just want to finish stronger, bolder, and more like Christ than at any point in my mission. I heard this once from one of my old zone leaders which I've taken to heart: the way you work in your final change says everything about your entire mission.

2. What do the members think of the announcement of the new prophet and 1st presidency? 

Virginia A. has studied a lot about the members of the 1st Presidency and has been very interested and excited in the whole process. With the others, I'd have to tell you next week after church this week.

3. Last week you talked about using the members more. How did the ward members help you with the work this week? 

Even though some charlas with them and having them contact with us fell through due to conflicts this week, they are more and more

4. Have you heard of Six months to sexy? Hahaha. Is that a thing in your mission? 

Oh, it is real, and Elder Manzanares and I are both in full swing with it.

Road Trip; A Full de Ñokis; e Pasando Pelas Provaçãos

Painting Hermana Olmeda's wall

Delivering a mattress to an Elder in San Jose

Hey peoples! Long, interesting, trying week for sure, but full of tender mercies of the Lord! As we all know, a great roller coaster has lots of ups and downs, and you gotta climb all the way up the mountain to get the best view; you gotta be tested to get stronger. This has been one of those weeks.

The first bit of the week, we faced the worst rejections I've ever seen in the entire mission; lots of long days searching intently for someone to listen to us, but to no avail. We realized two things: 1) we were allowing ourselves to lose faith and become discouraged, which was hindering our progress, and 2) we had not been using the many great members in this fantastic ward, and thus we had been underestimating this great tool. We have decided to overcome both our weaknesses this week. We have done service this week, visited key members, and tried to serve and love however we can, and it has worked. Elder Araújo and Elder Manzanares even found a new investigator in our area while Elder Christensen and I found a new one in his on intercambios.

Something did happen this week that normally doesn't happen for the financers. We went on a road trip! A poor Elder in San José needed a new mattress because his old one was giving him back problems. The result: a 6 hour total of driving, much of it out in the country. It was so awesome to use the freeway for the first time in a year and half, and the country was so nice in comparison with the busy city. I truly enjoyed it. :)

Two of the families we ate with this week gave us ñokis, the Palavé family, and Hermana Olmeda after we finished painting her wall. Soo nice!

Elder Araújo and Elder Manzanares were able to teach Germán Lesson 3: The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he is currently reading and praying on his own and with his family! He is so ready, and even Gerardo is opening up more and more and confessing the miracles he's seen. We are planning to invite him soon to baptism once again!

¡Les quiero a todos ustedes! ¡Que puedan seguir los ejemplos de la vida de Presidente Monson que compartieron los que hablaron en su funeral! Fue una experiencia maravillosa presenciar el servicio; sé que fue un profeta de Dios y que Dios cambió el mundo por él. Sé que él y Frances están felizmente reunidos, para siempre. :) ¡Que tengan una semana optima! (I love you all! May they follow the examples of President Monson's life shared by those who spoke at his funeral! It was a wonderful experience to witness the service; I know he was a prophet of God and that God changed the world for him. I know he and Frances are happily reunited, forever. :) Have an optimal week!)

Con amor,
Élder Newman :)

Mom, Pathways! Wow, that is super awesome! I've heard a lot of things about that program! I love Moses 1 and what it teaches about our identity as children of God. Quick request: the next time you send a package, would you be willing to include some athletic shorts? I've lost quite a few! Love you so much, Mom!

Emma, silver nitrate; man, been a while since I did that in chemistry! I have seen major growth in you throughout this year; the way you've attacked challenges and tests head on is amazing to me. I have had to realize the same about God's timing; this weekend and the past, we had had baptisms slated, but they have either fallen through or been postponed, and that's tough as a missionary. But I know that if I keep working and am patient, I will someday see those joyful results I desire, maybe even while I'm still here in Malvín! ¡Te quiero muchísimo, Emma! ¡Espero que las cosas vayan increíble para ti! (I love you so much, Emma! I hope things go incredible for you!)

Callerist! You are going to have me beat on piano by the time I get home! Yup, there's little time left for sure! Love you so much!

Good luck in your tourney, Bear! Praying and cheering for you all the way from here!

Mom’s Questions:
1. How’s Diego feeling? Is he still doing chemo? 

He's still feeling under the weather

2. Is Daniel getting baptized today? 

No, he didn't come to church and now he's out in the country doing a 30-day tomato harvest! And we've passed him on to the Elders from where he lives anyway, so they will be doing the teaching, and Elder Araújo and I will probably go up there when he does get baptized.

3. Any nuevos this week? 

Yup!

4. Did you end up singing “We Ever Pray For Thee” in sacrament meeting? 

No, because it was Fast and Testimony meeting. We will probably do it this week.

5. What is the funniest thing that happened this week? 

I don't remember off the top of my head, but there are always random, unexpected moments every day that leave us laughing hysterically. You need something to reduce the stress of balancing demanding office tasks and the success of your area. :)

Trial & Error; El Poder del Sacerdocio; e Dois Mil e Dez e Sete

 Elder Holland

 Elder Manzaneras

 New Years on the roof

FAM BAM! Happy New Year! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Feliz Ano Novo! Crazy to think 2017 is already over; I remember thinking last year on January 1st that one whole year in the mission field would last an eternity. But I couldn't have been farther from the truth; ¡ya fue! As great as the fireworks were on Christmas, they were even more nuts for New Year. Seriously, it was mind-blowing, and the camera didn't even come close to doing it justice.

Not going to lie, however; this first week of 2018 was a tad bit tough for us. Up til now this week, we have had no luck finding new investigators, and we have had trouble keeping up with some we do have. In the case of Diego, it's understandable - he's really weak right now from his whole week of chemotherapy last week - but it definitely tests your patience. Add on top of that that, after a leadership conference with the zone leaders and helping out the sisters (a few of them missed their bus home from leadership conference and had to buy new tickets because the tickets I bought for them were too early). Oh well, we learn by trial and error for sure, and we definitely become stronger that way. 

But there definitely were great blessings! Daniel has now learned all the commandments, met his ward leadership and missionaries in 18 de Mayo, and is on track to be baptized the 13th! Germán is reading the Book of Mormon on his own (still needs to pray) and absorbed Plan of Salvation! And we were able to visit the bishop and his family as well! (This has been attempted many times here but always fallen through for his super busy schedule) We read Alma 31:34-38 with them and asked the bishop for a priesthood blessing to help the work move along). He was so touched by that, and he gave us both powerful and inspired priesthood blessings; he addressed needs that I didn't even know I had! He has trusted in us before that moment, but we could see that increased trust after he dropped us off at home; wonderful man. Excited to see how the work hastens going forward!

I was impacted greatly by the passing of President Thomas S. Monson as I'm sure you all were. He was the 2nd prophet that I have had the pleasure to know and follow, and I have always been inspired by his words. I know that he was the chosen prophet of God and that every word he spake was God's word for us. I know that we are in good hands, the Lord's hands, and that the new prophet will be just as inspired.

Happy New Year y'all!

Con amor,

Élder Newman :)

Wow! What announcements! That is so crazy, everyone I know is getting married!  Holy cow, that arrangement of We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet by Brother Pierce was incredible; the most beautiful arrangement I've ever heard. Not even kidding. Love you so much. 

There sure is security in early retirement, huh? Looks like you didn't repeat the same mistake in wrestling that you made with me and arm wrestling. Haha crazy how the time flies for sure! That banquet picture sure gives me nostalgia. Haha, meetings on top of meetings; the office life sure has its aportes (contributions) and challenges. Learning that first hand. Glad to hear the youth are still going strong.  Love you Pap!

Emmrist! Oh my, your date story made me cringe so much. I'm sorry it turned out that bad, but hey! Memories to laugh about, right? Oh my, tell Brother Fossum hi for me! LOVE that guy! I'm excited to see how State goes as well! So proud of everything you do, keep it up! ¡Guardá la fe y amá al Señor! ¡Te quiero! (Guard the faith and love the Lord! I love you!) 

Bear! Haha I remembered our straight-face games in the car and how I always WON! Haha but seriously, that procession sounds like it was a lotta fun. Lemme know how your games go! How is your scripture study going? Love you Bear!

Wow Callie! You are so flexible and I never even knew it! Way to go with the piano lessons; keep it up and never give up! You'll be so happy you did them! Look at that, I didn't know that Mom's going back to college! I love you! Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Mom’s Questions:

1. What was the reaction by the members in Uruguay to the passing of President Monson? 

They were heartbroken for sure. The bishop has asked us to do a rendition of "We Ever Pray for Thee" in sacrament meeting.

2. What did you do for New Years? 

Same thing as last week minus the pineapples; we had another great asado dinner with the Palavé family, and watched fireworks on the roof together.

3. Were you able to get in to do charlas with Sebastian and Maria? How about German? Still progressing toward his baptism date? 

With Sebastian, not yet; he has a very busy work schedule. We have a charla with Maria today. And we had one with Germán on Wednesday.

ADRENALINE; Provolone Asado y Guaraná; e o Ano Novo

Guarana on the roof on Christmas Eve

Matching socks for Christmas (gift from Sister Manzaneras)

Christmas Nativity from Grandma

Hey fam bam! Glad to be talking with you once again! We had such a marvelous Christmas! The Palavé family was so nice to have us over and feed us the best asado ever. All different kinds of delectable meat, Paso de Los Toros and Guaraná, and they actually grilled provolone cheese! Like, "OH MYYYY!" (quoting the famous Elder Childs) Literally the most mouth-watering thing ever! And they invited us back for New Year's!

Afterwards, we went home, did Secret Santa (I gave a tie and alfajors to Elder Manzanares and received a sick belt from Elder Christensen), and repeated the Guaraná en piñas (Guaraná in pineapples) tradition, drinking it on the roof and watching the fireworks at midnight. The fireworks here in Montevideo are crazy; there are no legal restrictions and so they go all out.

Speaking of the fireworks, one neighbor set off some aerials in front of our house, and so we had the best seats in the house! It was super intense, and videos don't even do the experience justice! Super cool and super sketchy at the same time.

This week was definitely a lot better than last week; we had more time to work in our area and saw definite results.

After a couple weeks without a charla with the Soto Vodanovich family, it was super great to be with them once again. We had a charla with them on Wednesday, and before we could even start teaching, they broke the news that the 11-year-old son, Germán, wants to be baptized! We set the date for the 27/1/2017 and had a very spiritual L1 charla with the new First Vision video. They have committed to come to church and to read and pray about the Book of Mormon individually and as a family. Super excited to see where they end up going!

We sent the Barrio 3 hermanas over to visit Diego in the hospital this week - chemotherapy - so we will see how that charla went!

And we were able to find 2 news up until now! Elder Araújo and I found a super nice Christian guy named Sebastian who, after a little persuasion and powerful testimony, agreed to pray about the things we've taught. Then Elder Araújo and Elder Christensen found a woman named Maria in our area while on intercambios. Excited to meet and teach her!

Things going great around here, and excited for the New Year! May you all have a fantastic 2018! ¡Mucho amor!

Con amor,
Élder Newman :)

Wow, you surprised me as well with the guitar, Mom! With you learning guitar, me learning piano, and Sarah learning ukulele, we could get a band together! It was great to have the family together in three places. Haha, Elder Manzanares said he felt so loved when you all noticed him in the background and started cheering! He also thought our family prayer was the cutest thing ever.  I hope you had the most merry Christmas possible! Love you!

Dad, 1 mile! Dang, that is pretty impressive! I will definitely have to sharpen up shooting long range when I get home! Can't wait to hear Brother Pearce work his magic! Hey, tell Jace Clinger congratulations for me! Love you so much, and Happy New Year with the old Elliptical!

Callerist! Yes, I was very surprised by your splits! Did you learn that in dance?  I'm so glad you liked Christmas Break. Have fun with the Chadwicks and tell them hi for me! Love you!!!

Bear! I am so excited to hear your ukulele! I am impressed that you gave Emma such a challenge! You held your own against somebody 6 years older! Way to hit the thousand! Some of my favorite all-time songs, hmm. I'm gonna have to think about that one! Remind me next week and I'll get back to you! Love ya!

Emmr, you're so right; when Christ and family are the center of Christmas, it truly becomes transcendent. You climbed on top of the high school!? Wait, what? Like, PICTURES! Haha the fight night with Sarah, I did not think of you as a violent person. ¡Te quiero muchísimo!



Mom’s Questions:
1. Have you had more time for teaching and proselyting this week?

Yes, and it has been SO nice! :)

2. How are you enjoying your new companion? Is he picking up the finance responsibilities?

It's been a blast with Elder Araújo; he is impossible to get down through trials, exactly obedient, and is picking up his office duties like a champ. :)

3. What are your new year’s goals?

Finish the mission stronger and with more urgency than at any point in the past
Bless the lives of EVERYONE
Once home, get a job and get involved in great causes (or, not be lazy)
Ace my first semester at college

4. How was your Christmas Eve sacrament meeting?

Super stellar! The Soto Vodanovich family came and it was a great experience! :)