Debora's baptism
Hey family! ¡Hola amigos! Hope you're doing well! We had another fantastic week. It kind of hit a bump as I got sick again on Saturday, but luckily I've been recovering very quickly, so all is well. Rosanna and Raúl were super kind to care for me as I rested in their house on Saturday (I got sick right after lunch with them).
Debora was baptized this Sunday and will be confirmed this coming Sunday. Honestly, to see all of the obstacles she's tackled to get to this point has been amazing, she is a great example for me. And for a lot of the ward members as well; they bore their testimonies during her baptism and shared their feelings for her and how she was a great example for them and really unified the ward. Tender blessing for sure. Sunday baptisms are the best because everyone stays and supports really well. We'll be doing that from now on.
Funny experience with Debora: she is a big fan of Nacional, one of the big fútbol clubs of Uruguay. I have been a fan of Peñarol, another big-time club, my whole mission. She wanted me to baptize her, but I had to change to Nacional. At first I tried to explain that fútbol had nothing to do with this, but she was insistent. She is a CRAZY fan of Nacional. Finally, it got to the point that I thought, "Is sticking to a sports team really more important than her eternal salvation?" I turned to Elder Chandía (other Peñarol fan), and asked him if he wanted my Peñarol gear. He said yes, and I turned to Debora and said, "Soy de Nacional." (“I'm from Nacional.”) Completely took her off guard.
We are working hard with our new DOM, who amazes me more and more with how capo he is. He was made for this calling. He gave a Book of Mormon to Debora's little sister who attended church and her baptism. During our correlation, we shared the things we learned during our two conferences and he said that he had been feeling those same things. And he's going to accompany us to Erwin to help him get to baptism. He is so inspired, so spiritual, and such a missionary.
Great intercambio this week with Elder Hunt; we were able to talk with many, find a new, and watch the Joseph Smith movie with one of their progressing investigators. What a special opportunity it was to bear my testimony of Joseph, the restored Church, and the great truths of the gospel. I remembered President Eddy's advice to pause, relish this moment of one of the last times I would ever have to bear such testimony, and do it with power and love and without fear. It was incredible.
We tried a simple yet powerful strategy as we visited the presidents of the auxiliary organizations, thanked them sincerely for everything they've done (which is a lot), and asked them what we could do for them. The Primary President responded by giving us 2 referrals of less actives and a future investigator. Man, that worked well!
Love you all so much! The Church is soo true, and missionary work is the best and noblest work on the entire planet. Gotta take advantage while I have time left!
Con mucho amor,
Élder Newman :)
Mom, Raúl and Rosanna are super amazing for sure. They have said that they want to get married before the end of the year, so I probably won't be here to see it. Oh well, better late than never. HD Team Sports sounds like it is going to be awesome! Excited to work for you guys! Thanks soo much for the souvenir money. Thanks, love you!
Emma, I know, time flies for sure! Happy that boot camp and Camp Williams went super well for you! Man, Camp Williams was so fun back in the day! It will be soo nice to sleep in a big, soft bed once again haha. Love you!
Hey Bear! Did I ever tell you that I've made a lot of goals on headers in my zone activities? Haha they're super fun for sure. Pap told me you balled out during basketball, can't wait to see it! Love you! See you soon!
Callie! I will keep your baptism on December 1st in mind. Thank you so much for telling me! I LOVE your America dress! Tumbling is kind of like cheerleading, right? Happy you enjoyed it. Enjoy the swim party for activity days! I love you!
Pap. Look at Mom expanding her skill set! (Chop saw) Excited for the 4th of July this week! Love you so much, thank you for your wise counsels and unfailing support. Game on!
Mom’s Questions:
1. What was the highlight of your week?
Debora's baptism for sure. :)
2. Did you get to make a visit to another area you served in your mission this pday?
Nope. We're only allowed to visit converts in nearby areas. In Malvín, all of my converts are either working or at school during the P-Day hours, and Chuy is super far away, and I have no converts there. So my visits are done. :)
3. Do you work at all on retention in Las Piedras and how much support do the members give you with this?
We have been for sure. It's just that a lot of the converts from last year either don't want anything or are super hard to find. But we are working on that. And the members are always willing to help. :)
4. How are your investigators coming along this week?
We've got very few. But Juan Carlos is doing well. We finally found Cinthia (they had cut her phone line) and are going to try and go paint her house this week.
5. Are you feeling better after being a little under the weather last week?
Minus Saturday, yes.
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