Perseverance is Key; ¡Que Buena la Feria!; e As Aguas do Batismo

Hi peoples! 

Another fantastic week! Up until Thursday it had been "dog-hot" (as Elder Rodriguez put it in Spanish), but Thursday it cooled down, and it's been pretty cool since. Truly nice that things have cooled down here as well; the first few days were killing me from heat.


Fun P Day today as we played soccer with the zone leaders and other elders from Obelisco, their investigator who's getting baptized this week, his friend, and the zone leaders from Norte, one of which is my good buddy Elder Belnap! Lots of fun! We're gonna go get pizza for lunch afterwards.

Giuliana was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Super amazing to see her get to this point after all the doubts she had to conquer. We are going to celebrate tonight by bringing her and Agustín pizza and teaching about Family History! One of our investigators who is in the run for getting baptized himself, Javier, also came to church and saw the confirmation!

We also learned about the importance of perseverance. Especially Friday; we had received some pretty brutal rejections, and I even had to cut a contact short due to the blasphemous stuff one guy was saying. Not gonna lie, I was pretty upset; it doesn't bother me much when people challenge or insult me, but when people start talking bad about Christ and God and basically spit upon what They did and do for us, it's not something that sits very well with me. But we kept plugging at it and were able to find some people with whom we've set a charla this Tuesday. We are continually trying to look for more people to teach and help, and are praying that our labors can bring forth even more fruit.

Side note about Uruguay: like I've said before, Uruguay as a country is really expensive because of the many taxes there are. Especially the supermarkets. So we have resorted to the "feria" (street market) by our apartment that they have on Thursdays, and besides being able to DRASTICALLY cut prices on fruit and eggs, I was able to find a pair of sunglasses and a fishing pole under 6 US dollars, and two Uruguayan sports jerseys under 30 dollars! What a steal!


Coming up on Changes Week once again! For that reason, my P Day next week will be Tuesday, so heads up y'all!

Well, I'm out of time, folks. Hope you all have another great week! Spread the Savior's love and light with at least one person this week, but with all your heart, and I promise that you will feel true joy.

¡Mucho amor para todos! (Much love to all!)
Élder Newman :)


Mom, crazy to see the family room like that! Are they going to replace the entire ceiling? Alma 22 is one of my favorite chapters for those exact same reasons. A member in our ward has a US quarter collection and is trying to complete it. Could you see if you or anyone you know has one of these quarters?: 2009 Guam, 2009 Virgin Islands, 2009 Mariana.
Thanks! Love you, Mom!

Wow, Callie! What a surprise with the playset! No worries, someday you might be the spotlight in Primary; just remember to set a Christ-like example. That will be the best spotlight ever! Callie, I would be honored to baptize you when I get home and you turn 8. Done deal! Love you tons!

Good luck with the dentist, Bear! Haha I know what restriction feels like; the collarbone experience was not fun. If you have any questions about Uruguay - it's for a presentation, right? - I'll be happy to help! Love you Bear!

Haha no sleep! Crazy that I'll be home to watch your senior year performances! And look at that with the filming! ¡Mucho amor para vos, Emma! (A lot of love for you, Emma!)

Blue cheese burgers! Guess who recently got hooked on blue cheese?  Yup, yours truly. Holy cow, Nick's already back! Crazy how the time flies! Tell that kid hi for me! Love you Pap!

Mom’s Questions:

1. How was the baptism? 

Absolutely awesome. Such a sweet spirit felt, and there was a lot of members there to support Giuli.

2. What was your most spiritual moment this week?

Either the baptism, or some recent charlas we've had with Javier about repentance and Christ's mercy. :)

3. What was the funniest thing that happened this week? 

We knocked yesterday on a member's house to visit - he recently passed his year mark as a member - and he peeked through the window and then let out a girl-like yelp. And he's a pretty big dude. Then he let us in.

4. How is the weather? Is it rainier than last year so far? 

It's finally cooling down, but it's been WAY drier than last year.

5. How did your hymns go in district meeting? Which two did you play? 

Pretty good! I played Redeemer of Israel in the key of C with just melody on the right hand and simple fifth-and-octave chords on the left hand, and Come, Follow Me as it reads in the hymnbook. Got that last one down pretty solid. :)

I Love to See The Temple; Vueltas en la Pansa; e Serviço é Muito Bom

¡Hola queridos! Another long, tiring, satisfying week in the Lord's service. Continuing to see the Gospel change people's lives, and it's so wonderful to see.

We went to the temple this past week as a zone, and it was such a sweet experience. There is an incomparable spirit there that you just cannot afford to miss out on.  Other highlights were: seeing Sister Eddy after three weeks and enjoying her brownie cookies. Yummm!!  Also had interviews this week with President Eddy! Man, I sure do miss being close to the Eddy family constantly!

Giuliana is all set for her baptism this Saturday, and Agustín passed his interview for the Aaronic Priesthood. Lucas continues to progress well, but the date has fallen for now because his non-member mother wants to see him deeply convicted in following this path so that he doesn't fall away afterwards. We're gonna keep working with him, and especially the father, who after a while, has finally expressed his desire to return to activity in the church. And Javier, the baptized but unconfirmed guy we found, is currently striving to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Definitely no lack of desire, though!

Also had the opportunity to do some service this Saturday; we painted the entire outside of an investigator's house yellow in 2.5 hours! Cookin' along!

Did happen to get sick over the weekend. Not sure if it was something I ate, but Friday afternoon my stomach started churning, and we got home just in time, if you know what I mean. All the rest of that day and many times throughout the night, I spent in the bathroom. Yeah, not super fun. But oh well!

¡Les quiero a todos! ¡Que tengan una semana maravillosa! (I love you all! Have a wonderful week!)

Con amor,
Élder Newman :)

Hey Mom! Glad you are able to serve as a Primary pianist! I have to play 2 hymns tomorrow for the district meeting, and our zone leaders will be attending! That should be fun... Wow, quite the home adventures. I don't think I would've done well with the sight of Sarah’s teeth hanging out and blood either, so you're not alone there. And super cool for Mitch! Send him my love and support! Love you Mom!

Callerist! Yes, I was able to have a zone activity today and play some games and eat some pizza with the other missionaries in the zone! Super fun!

Shoot, Bear! I am so sorry to hear about the mishap on the tramp! We all have crazy moments like that. Hope your recovery goes smoothly! Lots of love and prayers your way!

Yes Emma, ñokis are sooo good! Haha, yearbook week seems a little bit like changes week for us. NO REST. Hopefully you'll be able to catch some sleep this next week! Love you!

Dad, that meme is absolutely fantastic and quite true. President Nelson came in with power! We actually have a meeting in the afternoon this coming Sunday at the stake center where all the new quorum presidencies are going to be sustained. I'm super excited. Love you Pap.

Mom’s Questions:

1. How did Guiliana, Shakira, Javier and Lucas progress this week? 

Giuliana fantastic. She's all set to go for this Saturday. Shakira randomly disappeared to Colonia and will be gone until next week (her father told us that). Lucas is doing well but might take a little longer to get to the water. Javier is doing well, just needs to get his answer on the BoM and attend church.

2. How was the temple last Tuesday? Did you go as a district or zone? 

Stellar. :) We went as an entire zone.

3. Is the weather starting to cool off now? 

Mostly yes, there were some cloudy and rainy days. Today's still pretty hot though.

4. What is your favorite thing about Las Piedras? 

Probably the 3x1 pizza or the huge Las Piedras Shopping center.

Putting off the Natural Man; La Voz del Profeta; e Pequenos Milagres Cada Dia

 District Picture

Lunch between conference sessions Saturday

¡Hola gente! (Hello people!) Definitely a roller coaster week! We have seen some great miracles, like Giuliana accepting to be baptized 14/4/18 and Lucas, the son of a less active dad, agreeing to be baptized the 21/4/18, and we've also had some long days with rejections and returned Books of Mormon. But how would we experience joy without some sorrow every once in a while?

Conference was so amazing for me, incredible to see the vision that the Lord has for His Church by announcing those grand changes in Conference through His prophet, Russell M. Nelson. I felt very strong confirmations throughout the whole conference that he is truly God's prophet and has been prepared for this divine calling. And it seemed like the talks and music this year were better than they've ever been.

Yesterday we had a especially great day. We were able to find a reference that we're gonna pass to Progreso and we had two news! The first was Shakira (no, not that one), a young single mother that we found in the street with her son Isaías; we talked about the purpose of this life and families. Then we found an investigator named Javier that got baptized but not confirmed a year ago. He accepted a baptismal date for the 28/4/18 and is animated to try again in changing his life! After a week of not being able to find many, yesterday was an exciting start to the week!

Short on time because we're going to the temple today, but I love you all and hope that we can apply fully the revelation that we have received in Conference. ¡Les quiero!

Con amor,
Élder Newman :)

Wow, no kidding, President Nelson is so prepared for his role! That's so cool for the ward, a grand homecoming with all those missionaries! Super cool as well that I'll have a cousin at the Y! Love you Mom!

Emma! Way to go on your chemistry test! And Avatar! Man, they chose well.  ¡Te amo, hermanita! (I love you sister!)

Bear, I have memories of wrestling Dad, and it did not go well for me either! Then, when I actually learned to wrestle, he backed out.  Have fun at the rec! Love ya!

Callerist! That is quite the Easter loot there! Yay for school breaks!  I can't choose a favorite talk right now; remember to ask me next week! I love you!

Pap, I have tried to be bolder, following that conference and the prophet's boldness, and I believe that yesterday was a great reward for trying to do so. Happy birthday by the way! I've honestly lost track of how old you are going to be. 45? Love you Pops!


Mom’s Questions:

1. In your last area, you mentioned Southamerica Area Plan Card. Can you explain what this is?

It is a card with 3 blessings on the front - Enjoying the Blessings of the TEMPLE, Living and Sharing the GOSPEL, and finding delight in the SABBATH; on the back, there is space to write goals for each blessing. We are inviting members to write those goals, and we plan on passing by to follow up.

2. How many investigators do you have right now? 

12 right now.

3. Where did you watch conference? What was your favorite part? 

In the stake center, and I can't really choose a favorite; it was all so good! I did enjoy the meals we had in Las Piedras Shopping mall in between sessions!

4. Did you do anything special for Easter (besides conference)?

Nothing in particular.

The Harvest; La Pizza de Tus Sueños; e Muito Treinamento Bom

 Zone Activity

 Lethiel's baptism in Malvin

Agustin's baptism in Las Peidras

 Saying goodbye to the Palave family

Hey peeps! What a special week this was! Especially Saturday; I had the grand privilege of being able to travel to Malvín to baptize Lethiel and say farewell to the Palavé family before they move to Utah next month, and then of being part of Agustín's baptism in Las Piedras (Giuliana felt it was too soon and wanted to wait a little longer). Both spiritually charged experiences, and the ward is starting to give us references as well because of it, lots of part-member families! I have a feeling that the harvest in Las Piedras is just getting started.

I also had some great training and learning in an intercambio with one of my zone leaders, Elder Hunt, this week, as well as Zone Conference. We are planning to use the Southamerica Area Plan Card starting tomorrow with a charla we have set with a super capa family in our ward in order to help them set missionary goals, and we will see how it goes! I've already grown so attached to Las Piedras and am excited to see what the Lord can achieve through us!

We also had some pizza to celebrate a miracle reverse-contact that happened this past Monday! (In his video, Elder Newman explains how Sabrina stopped on her bike and approached them in the street before they could approach her and said she wanted them to teach her so she could get baptized.) Sabrina ended up living in the area of the hermanas of my district, so at least I might see her in the baptismal interview! Excited for her!

Well, this week, as we go through the last week of Christ's mortal life and ministry and approach General Conference, may we constantly study the scriptures and ponder upon questions that we all have, and may we enter Conference weekend ready to learn from our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, and the 12 Apostles and our other inspired leaders. I know that when the Lord speaks through them,"it is the same" as if He were personally speaking. (D&C 1:38) May we treat their words as such!

¡Que tengan una semana maravillosa! (Have a wonderful week!)

Con amor,
Élder Jackson Duane Newman

Emmerist! Look at the bilingual experience! ¿Pudiste entender todo? (Could you understand everything?) Glad you're enjoying Cali, and good luck with the self-taught chemistry lesson! ;) ¡Te amo mucho!

Mom, I did hear about Kevin and his mission call to Brazil! That is super awesome; I am so happy and proud of him and am excited to see what he can do!  Man, I would love to try some Harry Potter’s butterbeer someday; sounds delectable! Haha, Callie's not the first one that's had second thoughts about Tower of Terror-now-Guardians of the Galaxy.  Love you!

Callie, I'm so glad that you were able to enjoy Disneyland and California. Say hi to Mickey and Minnie for me, and don't forget your sunscreen!  Love you!

Woah, Bear! So cool that you got to see Peter Hollens! Such a stud. Sorry you haven't been feeling well; I remember when Christian was really sick in Washington, D.C. Hope you enjoyed the trip though! Love you tons!

Pap, bro hangouts with Bart should always be fun.  Miss that guy! Lots of love and prayers your guys' way.


Mom’s Questions:
1. How big is Las Piedras? How many members are there? 

There's about 80 active members who are really loving and supportive, and the area is HUGE! Not quite as big as El Pinar, but definitely an area where we use a lot of buses.

2. What is your apartment like? 

It is nice, big, and comfy. A little old, but I like it. :)

3. Tell us more about your companion? What is your favorite thing about him?

He's a great pizza addict, so we have something in common there. ;) But seriously, he's a great teacher and gets along really well with people, anyone and everyone. Great example for me. :)

4. Are you adjusting to full time proselyting? 

Oh, definitely. I feel like I'm right back at home. :)

Midnight Defense; Las Piedras; e Chau Às Oficinas!

 No more driving in Uruguay for Elder Newman

 The famous Montevideo picture

 Elder Millet from PG

Hey peeps! Well, that was a long time without P Day! Good to have back the Monday ones though; we had a super fun zone activity today with soccer, enchiladas, and goal setting, and I had a blast.

Speaking of which, yes, I have been transferred, for my office time is up. I have come to Las Piedras in the Las Piedras zone, my companion is Elder Rodriguez from Chile, and I will be serving as district leader of 4 hermanas! After only ever having men in my district as DL, it will be quite the change. But oh well! Should be fun! Especially considering that this could very well be my last area!

Las Piedras is a small city just outside of Montevideo, and it is awesome! The ward, despite being small, is super supportive and loving, and very involved in the work. Elder Rodriguez and his last companion who just went home have also established a great base to work on; lots of investigators and quite a few progressing well. For example, we will have a baptism this Saturday for two awesome kids named Giuliana and Agustin, and we're waiting for the spouse of a super capa investigator to agree to be married. Her name is Rossana and she is a dry member; she attends every week, knows a lot, and would've already been baptized if she was married. But we'll work on that!  Lots to do!

One crazy adventure from this week was that a huge thunderstorm came and hit Saturday night and Sunday morning, which was huge because this summer and fall has been really dry, especially for normally rainy Uruguay; it's hardly rained at all. And although a LOT of people were missing yesterday due to that (according to Elder Rodriguez), Giuli and Agustin came thanks to a super capo member who gave us a ride. However, due to the rain, there's a ton of mosquitos, and Saturday night, they would continually buzz right past my ear trying to get some juice. It became so bad that I got out of bed at midnight, turned on the flashlight, whacked as many mosquitos as I could, and then sprayed OFF! all over my pillow, neck, and face. No problems after that.

Other fun fact! I saw Elder Alex Millet from PG come into the mission and meet his trainer! That was super fun, and great to know that I've finally got a PG buddy here!

Love you all, and I'm excited to see the miracles flow going forward!

Con amor,

Élder Newman :)

Thanks for the reminder to feed my faith; I will keep that in mind this week when things get tough.  Thanks for everything you do! Love you Mom.

Emma! Haha, I know the struggles with Mrs. Snow; hang in there!  Have fun in Cali and send lots of pictures! And good luck with the yearbooks! Love ya!

Hey Bear, sorry to hear about the bum ankle. Glad to hear you're doing better though. Haha in the zone activity today, I was doing so well at goalie - 0 goals allowed in like 5 straight matches - that everyone was going crazy. Haha it was kind of funny. Haha I absolutely love little kids; they're soo innocent! Hope you enjoyed the pedicures, and don't get pinched! (When is St. Patrick's Day anyway?) Love you!

Wow Callie! Look at you as escort! Great job! You will love Star Tours; it's one of my favorites from Disneyland! Have fun in Cali, Callie!  Love you!

Pap! That is no surprise at all with Ty. The tower is definitely a good hobby; it has resulted in some sweet footage! Love you so much.

Mom’s Questions:

1. Where in Uruguay is Elder Jackson Newman? (to the tune of Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?) 
He's in Las Piedras, Las Piedras.

2. Who is your companion? Where is he from? How long has he been in the mission? 
Elder Rodriguez from Chile. He's got 7 months in the mission and is a super talented teacher.

3. What was your ward like? 
Fairly small, but VERY supportive!

4. Did the previous missionaries leave you with any investigators? 
A TON!

5. What is the best thing that happened this week?
Probably having Giuliana and Agustin come to church despite a huge thunderstorm Sunday morning.

Prayers are Answered; Hasta Vernos; e O Santo Templo do Senhor

 Ummm...facial hair??

 Temple visit with Virginia and Adriana

Super weird to know that this is officially my last Saturday P-Day! I don't know what's in store for me, but I am sooo grateful for the opportunity to serve here in Malvín. I have learned and stretched and grown so much, and I have seen many, MANY miracles here!

I wanted to share a special experience with you this week about the power of prayer. For a few weeks, Virginia Vodanovich had not been coming to church, and the last time she had come, she had looked really worn out and unwell. I had been worrying about her for a long time, especially since the family has not been able to receive us at home for a long time. This past Saturday night and Sunday morning, I prayed fervently and humbly that she, along with others who had been less active, would feel the love that God, as well as we, felt for them, and the need to return to the fold. The result? She and a member who has been less active for almost 2 months came! And it was a fast and testimony meeting, so I was able to bear my testimony in front of them.  I was able to say goodbye to all my converts, and I recently witnessed Virginia Añón and Adriana Moreira's first vicarious baptisms in the temple today! Not only that, but seated as one of the witnesses next to Elder Guanuna, who is the trainer of Elder Manzanares and a good friend of mine! Super sweet experience.

Lots of miracles are happening in the life of Virginia Añón: she recently did baptisms in the temple; she finally got a job, and a really good one too as the secretary of the president and owner of a big international company!; she is receiving her patriarchal blessing this Sunday! What a blessing it has been to see all these miracles before I head out.

With both of them, I shared the joy that I feel as a missionary as Alma describes it in Alma 29:9-10. Although it is definitely hard sometimes, I absolutely love being a missionary, and I feel honored to represent the Lord Jesus Christ here in Uruguay. It reminds me a lot of what one of my best friends, serving in Samoa, once said: "It is not hard for me to wear the name of Jesus Christ over my chest, because He is already in my heart." (Shoutout to Elder Edwards)

I will let y'all know about my new area the next time I write; Newman is (almost) officially out! Love you all, and have a fantastic week!

Con mucho amor,
Élder Newman

Wow! Such a while since I've seen Seth Adair! I actually was thinking about him this week; tell him I said hi!  HOLY COW, SAM'S MARRIED! That is so cool! Tell her congrats for me! Great thought about being self-reliant; it is so important in our lives. I am definitely learning how to be self-reliant spiritually and financially as well. Love you Mom!

Pap! Fun memories and reunions, right?  I will definitely take your counsel to heart and be more fearless this week.  Love you!

Callie, so glad you got to try an eclair! And I hope you have so much fun with the grandparents this Sunday! Disneyland too! Remember to always spread Jesus' love with everyone you meet! I love you!

Hey Bear! Hope you had so much fun at mutual! Haha you tend to get people mad when you shut them down; nice going. Good luck in your games, and keep up the good work as guard! (mom told me)  Love ya!

Emma, way to pull through for the all A's! And good job taking down the Get Out Games! Dang, nobody ever told me to take BC Calculus; smartie!  ¡Te quiero!


Mom’s Questions:
1. Do you have any idea where you’re going next week? 

Nope! I'm hoping out in the country, but we'll see what happens!

2. Were you able to visit David Miller? Isn’t it wonderful that he has such a positive impression of the Church through the previous missionaries and members he’s met? 

Sadly not, he recently moved to Bella Italia out in Maroñas.

3. How is Lethiel and his brother coming along? 

Doing well. We haven't seen his little brother since the last charla, but Lethiel is super excited to be baptized, enter the temple, start seminary, and serve a mission. ¡Capo!

4. What are your personal goals as you leave the office and head back out into the field full time? 

I want to finish the mission stronger, bolder, and more urgent than I started. I would also like to baptize a future missionary and Melchizedek Priesthood before I head out.

19 Big Ones; Cansansio Bueno; e Membros São Mutios Bons

 Clean Apartment

 Pday Fun

 Service Project

Hi peeps! So good to be talking with y'all once again! Another week full of twists and turns and miracles!

A few of this week's miracles: A random inactive man named David Miller, who was smoking in the street, hailed us down, shared his love of the church with us, and asked us to visit him and help him return.

Diego, after months of not seeing him due to chemotherapy, showed up to the sports activity, and we reviewed the baptismal interview questions with him, and he aced them all and has read the entire Book of Mormon! All we have to do is figure out what his living situation will be (currently living with his girlfriend), but we're headed in the right direction.

We also visited Lethiel and taught him, his little brother, and his grandma Lesson 2, and Lethiel and his brother were making very inspired comments that showed that they understood everything.

We also did service for a member (us four and a youth that has grown super close). We painted the outside of her house and her gate; super fun! She was super grateful and invited us back next week to finish the job and dine with her. Gaining trust!

Last full week in the offices coming up; I will try to live it up to the max and give it my all before I head out! This has been such a humbling experience for sure and one of the most stretching times of my life, but I feel like a different person than when I started. I know more fully now that the Atonement and grace of Christ is sufficient to change, heal, and transform us, little by little, into the beings Heavenly Father wants us to be. In things great or small, His grace is all-powerful and all-sufficient, and I can't wait to see what it can make of me and those around me wherever I go next.

¡Les quiero muchísimo! ¡Que tengan una semana maravillosa! (I love you very much! Have a wonderful week!)

Con mucho amor,
Élder Newman

Pretty intense playoff days; reminds me of my Bantam days! Nice workout room! I'll be able to stay fit when I get home for free!  Love you Pops!

Lots of cool stuff happening at home! And my old queen bed was the one that you threw out? Haha oh well, it was probably pretty worn out. Those verses in 2 Nephi 33 are great comfort to me when others don't accept the message; I know that at least I helped the message get there, I did my part. Love you Mom!

¡Opa! Reading has always been fun for me! ¡3 TESTS! Wow, best of luck! And tell the Bball boys congrats for me! It's not every day you go viral on youtube, way to go! any way you can send me the vid? Best of luck with the finals! How was it driving around in Salt Lake City? Intense? ¡Te quiero mucho, Emma! (I love you so much, Emma!)

I always loved Dr. Seuss when I was younger; how fun! JCW's for school grades; look at you, smarty-pants! Can't wait to meet baby Morgan! Love you Callie!

Wow, thank you so much for telling me about your temple experience. Crazy that you saw Bart Coon, Grandpa Newman, and all your friends at the temple in the same morning! You know what, I am growing to absolutely love spicy food! Night-to-day transformation! Love you Bear!


Mom’s Questions:

1. How are Rossina and Yanina progressing towards baptism? Did they go to church on Sunday? 

No. We haven't been able to find Yanina recently, and Rossina has been sick this week, but we will keep trying. :)

2. How are your shorts working for you? Do they fit ok? 

They work like a charm! Thanks soo much! :)

3. Any new investigators this week? 

Not yet, but we keep going at it hard!