Baptism of Alejandra, Playing with fire, and Wild Turkeys arent my favorite.

Hello Friends and Family!!!

To start off, I want to thank my family who wrote in my Halftime package, it was great to receive your loving words of support and advice!

This past Wednesday, I hit my one year mark in the mission. It was a really weird moment of reflection, to see how much I’ve grown and changed during this wonderful year here in the mission. It definitely hasn’t been easy, and I’ve seen things that I will never forget, but I am so grateful for the Lord's hand in my life and for showing me what He is capable of doing through his imperfect servants. I’m so ready to see what the Lord has in store for me this coming year. I know that my progress isn’t complete, and I’m not yet the missionary I want to be, but with time, the Lord will shape me into the missionary He wants me to be. Here's to the next 12 months!!

We had two really cool things happen this week. First, our convert Gean Tejerina was able to go to the Temple in Cochabamba with the branch this week!! It was super cool to see the pictures of him at the temple, and to hear from him about the baptisms for the dead he was able to do. He told us it was a huge testimony builder, and we are so happy for him.

Second, we had the blessing of the baptism of Alejandra. She was so happy and so ready to be baptized. We met with her on Thursday, and finished preparing her for her interview, and she was so happy and ready. Saturday, we were working on getting the chapel all ready for the service and preparing a musical number. the service went really well, again the spirit was strongly felt, I love baptismal services. I’m super grateful to Heavenly Father for the people He puts in our path. There are truly prepared people everywhere, and the Lord has guided us to the people who have needed to hear us.

Well, here’s to another week in the work of the Lord! Love you all tons, have a great week!!!

Con mucho amor, Elder Christian Duvall Newman

Dad, Sounds like an eventful week! Bear with her tourney, Emma with drill, Callie scoring a goal!!! Things are getting back to normal in the Newman home!! Love you Dad!!

Mom, glad you guys enjoyed your stay cation!! Those boating pictures looked like tons of fun!! Glad you guys enjoyed Cassidy's farewell!! She is going to kill it!! Love you Mom!!!

Callie, A GOAL???? Sounds like you are already a better soccer player than me!! And you shot a gun?? Awesome!! And I understand that you didn’t like Mate, most people don’t like it the first time! Love you Callie!!!

Sarah, Nice job in your Tourney!! And sounds like you had a great time boating as well!! Love you sis!!

Emma, Well, sounds like a wild couple of Sacrament meetings!! Love you Emma!!

Jackson, Well, hope you have a good time getting adjusted to post mission life!! Have fun spending time with the family. Hope you can stay sane and keep yourself busy!! Love you Bro!!!

Mom’s Questions:
1. What made you laugh this week? 

Getting crapped on by a wild turkey.

2. What miracles did you see in your life this week?

The baptism of Alejandra. She was so prepared, the Lord just put her right in our path.

3. How did you serve Elder Tovar this week? 

I took him to eat fried chicken on thursday night :)

4. What is your favorite scripture you read this week? 

Well, I just started el Libro de Mormón again, and I love 2 Nephi 2:25. We are here to have joy!!!

5. What investigators are you teaching right now? 

Felipa and Rufino Tejerina (Sebastian's parents), Jimena, and the Familia Ochoa.

The Miracle of Carla Espinoza

 Carla's baptism

Hello Friends and Family!!!

The time is moving by to dang quickly! I feel like it was just yesterday it was p-day, and here I am writing again. It just moves too fast, got to take advantage of this second year of the mission, because before I know it, it’s going to all come to an end!

This week, we were mainly focused on getting everything organized and set up for Carla Espinoza. We were passing by teaching about the commandments, and she accepted each one without delay!! Super impressed by her faith. This past Saturday was the service, and all the members made it to the baptism. The room was absolutely full of people, members, investigators, family. She was so happy during the whole service, you couldn’t take the smile off her face. The messages, songs and service brought a powerful spirit to the room. But the best part was after the service. Each member came up and shook her hand, hugged her, and told her congratulations. Then, her family passed to the front to talk to her. Her mother, her sisters, each with tears in their eyes, hugged her and congratulated her. Then, they each came and shook mine and Elder Tovar's hands, and just said, "Thank you. Thank you so much for teaching and helping her." A thought came to my mind (and I know that it was the spirit), and reminded me that this family met the missionaries over three years ago. Carla was the only one that wasn’t baptized. They have been waiting all this time to go to the temple and be sealed because they didn’t want to leave her behind. They wanted their eternal family, ALL of them. Saturday was an answer to our prayers, but more than just our prayers. It was the answer to three years worth of prayers, fasts, and tears from the Familia Espinoza, pleading with our Heavenly Father to help Carla be baptized. Saturday, July 21st, those prayers were answered, as Carla was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was in every sense of the word, a miracle.

I’m trying to be more grateful for the miracles that the Lord has been putting in our lives. I realized that I spend a lot of time in my prayers asking for the help of the Lord, which is something that I desperately need, but not enough time thanking him for the things He has given me. I read in Doctrine and Covenants this week in section 78, verse 19. "He that receiveth all things with gratefulness shall be made glorious..". That’s one of my goals for this coming week, be more grateful for the things that the Lord has put in my path here in the Mission.

Love you all so much, I hope you all have a fantastic week! Put the Lord first, He takes care of the rest!!!

Con mucho amor, Elder Christian Duvall Newman

Jackson, Thats crazy that you are home!!!!! I can’t even believe it, now you are officially.....OLD!! That’s so funny that you are still waking up early, gonna take some getting used to haha. Glad you enjoyed Brother Pierce on the organ, he’s awesome!!! Love you Brother!!! If you have a copy of your homecoming talk, Id love to read it :)

Sarah, Im super proud of your boldness in sharing the gospel and giving a Book of Mormon!! You are a fantastic example to me, you will be an awesome missionary someday!!! Love you Bear!!

Emma, sounds like you guys had one heck of a girls camp!! The baptism happened, and it was truly amazing! Thats crazy that Brayden leaves July 25th! Love you Emma!!

Callie, well I hope you feel better! It’s ok, I missed Jacksons talk too. ;)  Good luck with your dance tryouts!! Love you Callie!!!

Mom, Congratulations on finishing the Book of Mormon!!!! The Book of Mormon is a powerful powerful witness of Christ, and will touch our lives, no matter how many times we read it, if we do it with intent :) Love you Mom!!!


Mom’s Questions:
1. What was your favorite scripture verse you read this week? 

D&C section 31, the whole section :)

2. How was the baptism Saturday? 

Powerful :)

3. How are your investigators coming along? 

Really well, Felipa and Alejandra are progressing well. I believe she will be baptized this Saturday:)

4. Any tips that you can give Jackson on good member missionary work now that he is on the other side as an RM? 

If I can give one tip...... Extend the circle of friendship every Sunday. President Nelson has taught that we should find someone new each Sunday to befriend. That’s something we can do each week. Especially with those who may be visiting the chapel for the first time.:)

Weekly letter, Elder Newman, the other one.

Hello Friends and Family!!

I hope you all had a fantastic week!! This week was a really solid one, with lots of answered prayers!!

We were pretty concerned about our investigator Carla, she has a baptismal date for the 21st of July, but we were unable to get in touch with her all week. We called, passed by her house, but nothing. I was pretty concerned, because she still has a few things she needs to learn before she can be baptized this coming week. After several days of this happening, I decided to pray that she would be able to come to church and we could set up a cita. Well, Sunday came, and so did she! We were able to visit her that same day, and help her learn more, and get the final details set up for her baptism this coming week! It was definitely an answered prayer.

We have been teaching Sebastian's mom recently. She is fantastic! She is a school teacher, and loves to learn. She accepted a baptismal date during our first official charla, and she has put in the work necessary to receive an answer to her prayers. She has been reading and marking her Book of Mormon, and came to church for the second time this Sunday! She was taking notes during the sacrament meeting and writing down the scriptures referenced during the talks. The Relief Society has done a fantastic job of befriending her, and I know that will be a big factor in her decision to be baptized.

This past week, we were informed on Sunday that we would be giving talks this week. We were told that we could give it on whatever topic that we felt prudent. We coordinated with the other Elders, and we got to work on preparing our talks. Sometimes being out here in a little tiny branch, people don’t really prepare talks, they just hop up, and ramble for 15 minutes until our branch president taps them on the leg and tells them they need to finish up, so we really wanted to invited the spirit to the sacrament meeting. My companion gave a great talk about the sacrament and the importance that it has for us throughout our whole week, and then I gave a talk about reverence, and the way that we can invite the spirit to our church meetings and our own homes. The spirit was really strong during the meeting, and I know the Lord blessed us for our preparation and effort that we put into it.

A cool experience that happened this week! We have a Noche de Hermanamiento each Thursday, where we invite investigators, members, and anybody who feels like coming to come to the church, sing hymns, listen to a short message, and then enjoy some refreshments. This week, the Primary was in charge of the lesson. Usually, one of the presidency gives the message, but this week, I was very surprised to see 9-year old Sheila Espinoza up front with her notebook and Liahona to give her message. She gave an excellent talk about faith, and then left us with a fantastic invitation to act. She said, "I invite you all to read the scriptures and to pray to know how you can live the gospel better." I was extremely impressed by her spiritual maturity! She gave us a great example to follow!!

Well, I hope you all have a great week, enjoy the summer heat, and remember to put Christ first in all things!!

Romans 1:16

Con Amor, Elder Christian Duvall Newman

Dad, sounds like a crazy week up ahead! Enjoy every minute of it. Sounds like the film business is going to be up and running this weekend! Good luck, I know it will go awesome! So happy for Chandler! I know he will be a fantastic missionary, the people of the Philippines are very blessed to have him!! Love you Dad!!!

Mom, wow, talk about a miracle with John. That’s incredible that he was able to recover and he is doing ok. Miracles have not ceased!! Prayer and faith definitely precede miracles. Don’t worry about me Mom, I’ll try not to think about it to much, I wont be trunky. Give Jackson a big hug for me and tell him I love him and miss him tons! Love you Mom!!

Callie, that’s so awesome that you went off the diving board this week!!!! Congrats! Sounds like you have been doing lots of swimming lately!!! Love you Callie!!

Sarah, good luck in your tournament and enjoy your first girls camp!! I know you will have a super fun and spiritual experience. Hope your hand heals up fast! Love you Sarah!!

Emma, Hope you have a great girls camp!! Thats super fun that you got to go to Newsies with Grandma and Grandpa! Sounds like it was super awesome!!  Water Dodgeball? Sounds like a blast haha. Love you Emma!!!

Mom’s Questions:

1. Was Carla able to get baptized this week? 

She has her baptism all set up for this coming Saturday.

2. How is Alejandra and her husband progressing? 

Really well, came to church again, understanding everything. She has been reading the Book of Mormon as well.

3. What was the best/worst thing you ate this week? 

Hmmmmm, best thing I ate I think was a lasagna that our pensionista prepared, worst.... hmmm, not really anything bad this week. Stay tuned for next week.

4. How are your clothes/shoes holding up?

Clothes are holding up well! Shoes.... Well, I’m down to two pairs of proselyting shoes. My brown shoes ate the dust a week or two back. But the boots and my black dress shoes are still in good shape

5. As you reach your one year mark, what goals are you setting for your second half of your mission? 

Im still thinking about some goals, but I do have a couple in mind. The first, BE BOLD IN ALL SITUATIONS. I’ve learned that the worst thing somebody can tell me is no, and the blessings of the gospel should be presented to everyone. I don’t want to miss an opportunity to teach or serve.

The second, is to read the whole standard works. Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and the Old and New Testament.

Happy 4th!!

Hello Friends and Family!!

I hope you all had a great 4th of July! Seeing all of the pictures of the giant American flag back in PG made me so happy! To quote my brother in a video he sent me, "I love the mission, I love Uruguay (insert Bolivia for me), but there is no place like home, there is no place like the United States." My companion is from El Salvador, so I couldn’t go all out like I would have liked to, but I did search the scriptures for some good old America prophecies, and I’ll go ahead and attach one of those pictures. One thing I did do was call our two American zone leaders that are here in Villamontes as well, and I sang the Star Spangled Banner at the top of my lungs. God bless America!!!

We found another great investigator this week! Her name is Alejandra Marín. She is the wife of a less active returning to activity, and she has seen lots of miracles leading up to this point. They have been trying to have a child for a long time, but haven’t been able to due to some health issues she has dealt with. She and her husband decided to return to the church, and received news from the doctors two days later that all was well, and she would be able to have a child! She and her husband promised that they were going to be coming every week, and they have kept good on that promise! We were able to teach her about the Plan of Salvation, and she accepted a baptismal date for this 28th! She is super awesome, when we asked her if she had any questions about anything, the only thing she asked us was, "Do I need to buy the white clothes or do you guys have them there?" There are few things in missionary work that are better than when an investigator asks about baptismal clothing during the first lesson, haha.

Elder Tovar recently started one of his new goals, read the whole Book of Mormon in English, and I’m doing it with him. I love seeing his eagerness to read, and how he just wants to understand it all. He asks me like a hundred questions everytime he reads about the words that he doesn’t understand, but he is understanding more and more! I admire his courage for trying this new challenge even though it’s difficult sometimes for him!!

Have a great week friends and family!!!! Love you all tons!!!

Con Amor, Elder Christian Duvall Newman

Mom, Looks like you and Emma had a great time hiking to Indian Springs!!! So cool you got to listen to Coleman and Dylan! Can’t believe those guys are home, but I can imagine that they killed it in their talks. Love you Mom!!

Dad, Thank you for the Flag pics!! Wow its gigantic!! This week I’ve tried my best to thank Heavenly Father for the freedoms we enjoy, and for all of the sacrifices that our brave soldiers make to protect this great nation. I feel very proud to be American. Love you Dad!!

Emma, Sounds like a great week, full of hikes, parties, and Antman and the Wasp! Hope you enjoyed your week! Keep having a great summer break!! Love you Emma!!

Sarah, Seems like you are working really hard with both your soccer team and your basketball team! That sounds like Coleman to use the traditional dress of his mission in his homecoming! Maybe I’ll do the same. Love you Sarah!!

Callie, That’s so fun that you guys got to go to Grandmas to celebrate 4th of July!! I hope you had tons of fun :) Love you Callie!!

Mom’s Questions:
1. How is Carla progressing? 

She is progressing great! She came to church again, and is learning really fast. She is on pace for her baptismal date this coming week :)

2. You said you don’t have a lot of melchizedek priesthood in your branch. How many men are there that are worthy melchizedek priesthood bearers and what is the branch doing to strengthen the other men? 

We are still working on getting the Ministering program underway here. The leadership of the branch just recently had a training, so I think it will be getting going soon

3. What ways did you feel the hand of the Lord in your life this week? 

Each time I teach about the Atonement, I realize how much the Savior has done for us. I feel very grateful for all he has done for each one of us.

4. What happened this week that made you laugh? 

We went exploring by the river today, and we entered into a cave to explore. Little did we know it was full of bats.. Funny moment for sure!!

Happy 4th of July!!

Hello Friends and Family!!

I hope you all have a fantastic 4th of July week!!! Not going to lie, being away from the USA at this time makes me appreciate the freedoms we have. Never forget to thank our Heavenly Father for the blessings we have, because I have seen people who have almost nothing. It’s kind of sad sometimes, but it reminds me of just how blessed I have been. Enjoy the barbecues and fireworks for me!

This week we were very blessed to have the baptism of Sebastian. Unfortunately, his brother Gean was in Santa Cruz taking a test, so he wasn’t able to perform the baptism, but Sebastian was too dang excited, and when we asked him if he wanted to wait for Gean to get back, he said, "NO, one of you guys can do it instead!". We laughed and told him that we could do that if he wanted. This Friday, we had the service, and he was just so dang excited!! Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see his face since I was baptizing him, but my companion told me that he was smiling super big during the whole ordinance. I am so grateful for Sebastian. I never thought I could learn so much from an eight year old kid, but I have learned a lot from his enthusiasm and love for learning about the Savior.

We were very blessed to be guided to some fantastic new investigators this past week, one of them being Carla. Her family is almost completely member, she is actually the only one that isn’t baptized! She is 24, and has a son named Patrick that is 6 years old. Carla's father recently passed away, and he and her mother always had the goal of going to Cochabamba to the temple to be sealed as a family. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to complete that goal yet. Carla has recently opened up to the gospel, and wants to be able to go with her family to do the temple work for her father and be sealed to her family! We are working with her so that she can be baptized this month, on the 21st so her family from Tarija can come and see the service!

Hope you all have a fantastic week!! Stay safe! GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Con mucho Amor, Elder Christian Duvall Newman

Mom, Sounds like an awesome week for you guys!! That’s so crazy that its fourth of july this wednesday, pretty much my celebration is the drawing of the American flag in my planner haha. Have a fantastic week!!! Love you Mom!!

Dad, I love hearing about the Bear's sports!! Sounds like she is balling up!! So cool that the filming business is getting up and running! Love me the Star Spangled Banner, I’ll be sure to sing it with our Zone Leaders this Wednesday! Love you tons dad!

Emma, Looks like a super fun activity with your team! Crazy that Coleman is home!!!! I am looking forward to sleeping in a real bed! Love you sis!!

Sarah, Well done in your games!! I love hearing about your games from you and Dad!! Love you tons Sarah!!

Callie, I love your American dress!!! Sounds like you had fun at dance camp and tumbling! Enjoy your summer break! So excited to hear about your Baptism on December 1st! Love you Callie!!


Mom’s Questions:
1. How was the baptism of Sabastian this weekend? 

It was amazing :)

2. Since you get another transfer with Elder Tovar, what is your favorite thing about him? 

His enthusiasm and his ability to relate to the people we teach.

3. What is your favorite p-day activity in Villamontes? 

We go and play racquetball and basketball :)

4. Do you work at all on retention in Villamontes and how much support do you have from the ward members in this regard? 

We have great support from the relief society, and primary. We are trying to strengthen the priesthood of the branch, we don’t have many active melchizedek priesthood holders right now.