Coming Home

In The Blink of An Eye

Wow. I knew that this moment would come, but I never imagined it would come so fast. 2 years has passed by in the blink of an eye. What a joy and privilege it was to be a full-time missionary in this time.

We had the opportunity to visit the temple as valientes last Tuesday, and as we entered the celestial room, President Eddy gave the Elders hugs and Sisters handshakes (vice-versa with Hermana Eddy) and expressed their gratitude for our service and their love for us. That was so special, and I can personally testify that they were the right ones called to preside over this special mission. I am so excited to spend the next few days with them and my best friends in the entire mission (valientes).

Picture-perfect ending as Debora was confirmed and warmly fellowshipped in Las Piedras. I also had the chance to share my homecoming talk in Spanish in sacrament meeting, and people were thanking me and crying afterwards for what I've done for them. I was extremely humbled by this group manifestation of love and gratitude, and I felt the Spirit confirm to me that my service to Christ has been acceptable.  The despedidos (farewells) with the members as well have been super special.

I just wanted to bear my testimony that this is the work of God. Christ lives and directs this work, and He has transformed me just as much as every one of my dear converts. I am so eternally grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve Christ and be His representative, and it will be less difficult to take the plaque off of my chest because I feel it engraven in my heart as I prepare for the next chapter of life. I love you all and can't wait to see you! And I share this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

¡Nos vemos pronto! (See you soon!)

Con amor, y por última vez
(With love, and for the last time,)
Élder Jackson Duane Newman :)

Mom, I would absolutely love to visit John. Let's plan a visit when I get back!  And I can't wait to answer your “Mom’s Questions” in person and give you a hug when I get back! Love you! See you soon!

Pap, so crazy to think that this is my last time writing you as a full-time missionary; soon, I will join the club as returned misssionary!   You are right; although my mission didn't go as I had entirely imagined, I wouldn't go back and change a thing. It was absolutely incredible and I am so grateful that I could do it and gave my best.  And I have felt the power of your prayers the entire time. Love you. See you on Friday.

Callie! Five more days!  Look at you jumping off the diving board! Such a big girl! Looks like you're having lots of fun in the sun!  Can't wait to see you and hug you this week! I love you!
Bear! I'm sorry you sprained your hand, that's no fun!  Take it easy and you'll be back to 100% in no time. Haha good ol' Callie!  Have fun with girls camp and La Roca! Love you! See you soon!

Emmrs! Can't wait to see you in just over 3 days! Lookie at the Newsies going to town! Water dodgeball sounds so sick haha. ¡Te amo! ¡Nos vemos pronto! (I love you! See you soon!)

God Bless America; Las Pruebas Nos Hacen Resilientes; e Dez Dias Mais

Hey peeps! How you all doing?  Kind of an up and down week: we had a few empty days where I was sick with a brutal sinus infection and then poor Elder Chandía got sick after I got better, so we didn't get as much working time as we'd like; no investigators of ours showed up for church, and poor Debora was not able to be confirmed because her disabled son had some serious complication the night before. But as we know, you've always gotta search for those tender mercies! So here they are:

1) Thanks to the help of our CAPO Dom Hermano Hernandez, Debora is in good hands. We learned that she didn't even have a bed, so we donated one of ours and he donated a mattress, all on Sunday. She was very excited.  Also, the Relief Society sisters are going over today to support her, thanks to the fact that Hermano Hernandez organized that with them. He takes a TON of stress off our shoulders.  Gotta love Las Piedras!

2) We were able to find a new with Damian, 22 years old and who used to attend the Evangelical church. We're gonna pass by again on Friday, but he has a Book of Mormon now and is really receptive. ¡Vamo arriba!

So crazy to think that this is my last full week here in Uruguay as a servant of the Lord and that I have 10 overall days left; 2 years passed by in a flash! I am completely determined to take advantage of this last week I have and give it all I got. I have learned so much in this time I've been here and I hope I can bless the lives of others the most I can.

Lastly, an announcement for everyone: my missionary homecoming will be July 22nd at 1 PM; 495 North 700 East Pleasant Grove Utah.  Friends and family may also come by to visit on Saturday night at my home (1071 N. 1100 E., Pleasant Grove) between 7-9 pm or after the meetings at Sunday at 4:15 PM. Thank you all for your constant love and support throughout these two years!

Mucho amor, y ¡nos vemos pronto!  (Lots of love, and see you soon!)
Élder Newman :)

Mom, thank you so much for your constant support and generous help throughout these two years. You've made missionary life much easier for me.  Crazy mishap with the giant flag! But just goes to show that although America may take its scars, it will always stand as a nation. Haha I love the Uruguayan flag as well under our flagpost.  Love you so much! :)

Pap, that flag is absolutely huge! Lookie that! I did not know that Cici was already married. (Or maybe I did and just forgot. Quite possible haha) Thanks for the great topic, I'm going to have a ton of fun with that one for sure. ¡Te quiero, y nos vemos! (I love you, and see you)

Emma! I know, right! So crazy! So glad to hear that Dillon and Coleman killed it, say hi to them for me!  That looks like a fun hike to Indian Springs! Perhaps we could do it when I get home.  ¡Te amo, nos vemos prontito! (I love you, see you soon!)

Bear! Haha that is hilarious that you are as tall as Coleman!  Also that he wore his Samoan wrap. See you soon, love you Bear!

Callie! How fun to play with cousins! I'm so happy that you were able to enjoy the 4th of July. But I'm so sorry about the horse fly bite!  Not fun! I have also tried root beer with dry ice, it's super good! I love you sooo much, see you soon!


Mom’s Questions:
1. How are you staying focused during these last days of your mission? 

I am constantly thinking of how many days I have left. But not in the trunky way, or days until I come home. Days that I have left to be a full time minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. That helps me desire to take advantage of each and every day.

2. Over the last two years, what has been your favorite food in Uruguay? 

That's a tough one. I'd have to choose between asado sobre brasas (barbeque over coals) and fideos con tuco (spaghetti with meat sauce).

3. What is the last week of the mission like? Do you spend some time in Montevideo with President and the other Valientes? 

Yes. On Wednesday, all the valientes go to Tres Cruces and, from there, to the mission home in Carrasco. We have a Self-Reliance Training, interviews with President, and a dinner and testimony meeting, and weigh our bags for the next day. (Normally we have the temple that same day, but Wednesday July 18th is a national holiday and the temple's closed, so we're going tomorrow to the temple.) On Thursday, we just wait until we get taken to the airport.

No More Floods; Ahora Soy de Nacional; e O Meu Testemunho do Profeta Joseph Smith

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.

Merry Half-Christmas; Línea por Línea; e Estar Doente Não É Divertido

 Mission Pic with Elder Bragg

 Pics with my grandson and my tiny GREAT-GRANDSON Elder Acuña!

The generational photo with the adopted great-grandson Elder Harrison! 

 Fellow valientes Elder Hunt and Elder Johansen

 Honey and lemon tea is the greatest. And I made it myself, Mom! ;)

 Water problems in our house.

Pday visit with Victor and Patricia

My Trunky Packet! Whatt....​

Hey peoples! Merry Half-Christmas to you all! (shoutout to Elder Ryne Christiansen for reminding me in his group letter).

Wow! What great conferences we have had this week! Lots of revelation for us! We had zone conference and interviews with President here in Las Piedras this Wednesday, and I gave my valiente testimony in front of the entire zone. That was SUCH a special and spiritual experience. Then we had a mission conference in Malvín with Elder Bragg of the Seventy! Revelation upon revelation, line upon line!

Kind of a bummer that I was sick the first half of the week and couldn't do as much as I would have liked to, but we still had a good week as we helped Debora make her final preparations for her baptism this week!

Other fantastic experience: randomly before the beginning of sacrament meeting, the ward secretary asked me to share a quick experience and testimony with the ward after the second talk. I used the experience of Kevin and his family being reactivated and Solange being baptized in El Pinar as a result, and as I bore my testimony, I felt the impression to do the same thing that Elder Roquemore did in his new ward that normally did not support the missionaries very well: tell the members that I loved them, that they are the best members ever, and that we're at their service. The result? After I sat down, the Gospel Principles Teacher Teresita - who has a non-member husband who received a blessing from Elder Levrino, an Area Seventy - handed me a slip inviting us to a Family Home Evening tonight! Our DOM (WML, ward mission leader), who is normally a capo, took it to a whole 'nother level as he announced Debora's baptism in Gospel Essentials and Elder's Quorum, and got two witnesses on the spot and coordinated with the Relief Society for the snack there. We didn't even ask him to do it. Debora was VERY warmly fellowshipped by all the members. A true miracle. 

¡Les quiero montón, y espero que estén disfrutando su verano! ¡Faltan 24 días, no más! (I love you a lot, and I hope you are enjoying your summer! 24 days left, no more!)

Con amor,
Élder Newman :)

Wow! Sounds like Strawberry Days was on fire this year! Haha good ol' Coach Moore.  Glad to see the girls are doing well. And super cool you got to see the Domans! Tell them hi for me!  Haha and poor little Callie in Salt Lake, that must have been very eye-opening (and ear-opening) for her. Love you Mom!

Pap! Service is absolutely awesome, you got that right. Haha Callie is sure dedicated to the parade; I would have gone home early too.  Man, what a fantastic pic with the Doman boys. Capos for sure! Love you tons.

Callie! I'm so glad you enjoyed Strawberry Days: I really miss it! And you stayed for the whole parade! WOW!  No worries! Keep practicing, and you'll be able to swim one day in the deep end with no problem. And look at you riding all the big rides at Lagoon! Have fun with hip hop and tumbling! I love you!

Haha what a capo Daniello; I will help you learn Portuguese and Spanish one day!  Glad you enjoyed Keeper Camp! Haha Coach T is a CAAPO, and how funny that everyone was surprised at your age. Perhaps you'll play for him in high school!  Are there any new rides at Lagoon? Love you tons!

Emma! Glad you enjoyed the parade! I will definitely have to watch Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom when I get home! Incredibles 2 as well!  Wet kickball sounds absolutely epic, and what a capa who dodged in Matrix-style!  Can't wait to see your hip hop dance!

Mom’s Questions:
1. How fun you were able to visit El Pinar! Are you able to visit other areas on pday if they are close? Are you doing that because you only have a few more pdays left? 

Yes, I had to ask permission from President beforehand, but it's something that he sometimes allows us to do in our final transfer. In fact, I just did it today with Victor and Patricia.

2. How are your investigators doing? Any committed to baptism? 

Doing well, Debora is getting ready for her baptism this week! We haven't been able to get a hold of Cinthia, so I would appreciate it if y'all back home would pray for her so that she'll be okay and that we can find her.

3. What miracles did you experience this week?

The one from church described above.

4. Only a few more weeks left. What are you doing to make these last weeks count? 

I am going to strive to be the boldest I can be and invite more people to baptism. And I am going to express my love more to the Uruguayan people, because time is sooo short.

Return to El Pinar; Siguiendo Impresiones; e A Paciencia Traz Resultados

 Visiting Kevin and Solange in El Pinar

 District Pic

 Elder Chandia

¡Hola gente! I'll try to be brief, because we ended up with very little time today to write home. Just a few quick highlights:

• No news again this week, but we are searching out old investigators in the Area Book and have a charla set with one this week, so we're pretty pumped.
• Cinthia and Erwin went to the stake conference and heard President Eddy's invitation to be baptized and find true happiness! #CAAPO Erwin was huge because we had told him that if we were going to give him more charlas, he would have to go to church. And guess what? He came, with a member family. Back in business! 
• I got to visit Kevin Cela, his family, and Solange in El Pinar today! (That's why I have so little time now to write) Super awesome to eat with them, reminisce on old times, and give Kevin some consejos (tips) before he heads out on his mission to Brasil Río de Janeiro on July 10th! I also, on the bus ride home, found an old investigator of mine from El Pinar, and after talking with him a bit and catching up, I invited him to take the charlas again and he said yes!  Divine design.
• After praying for Cinthia one night, Elder Chandía felt that he should send a message to Cinthia saying that we loved her, God too, and to not be discouraged. To which she responded that we were the greatest messangers that God could've sent in her path, that we gave her so much peace, etc. Seems like she really needed that message when we gave it.  Always follow spiritual impressions.

Yup, when Pops starts building stuff, you know he's doing good.  Wow, Emma killed it at drill camp and Bear's working out at the high school! ¡CAPAS!  A very powerful story for sure with the wise and foolish men; our testimony of Christ makes all the difference. BTW, Elder Chandía is wondering how he can get into BYU; what can you find out about how foreigners can sign up? Love you Mom! 

12 hour shed project! Not bad! Thanks for the reminder, I will definitely put the pedal down this week. Love you Pap! 

Emma! Quite the performance there; you girls killed it!  Looks like you're quite famous; all of Asia will be rooting for PG come state time!  Glad you're having a blast with drill, live it up. Everything ends much quicker than you expect. ¡Te amo!

Bear! I've heard that the World Cup is crazy this year! Many soccer giants tying or even losing!  Glad you had a blast at the soccer party; great prank.  Haha how did Saucy come up?? Super cool that you get to work out at the high school! Have fun and take advantage!  Love ya!

Callie! Way to pull that sucker out!  Wow, level 3 already, you're killing it! It took me much longer to get there.  I would love to have the opportunity to play college football, but I would have to work REALLY hard to do so! And my favorite treat in Uruguay has always been ALFAJORS. Forever.  Love you!

Lots of love! I promise I'll have more next week! 

Con amor,

Élder Newman :)

Mom’s Questions:

1. How is Elder Chandia feeling? Any better?

Better; he had another sick day and we realized that it was a certain dish of food that the members like to give us often that always did him in. But he's all good now.

2. Were you able to get out more?

Happily, yes.

3. Do the members feed you much?

TONS. We never go hungry.

4. Who are your investigators right now?

Cinthia, Erwin (as of yesterday), Debora, Raúl and Rosana.

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

The capo pizza man that protected us.