Where Shall I Work Today?

Hello Friends and Family! 

Well the transfer call came, and I am now in a small town in between Santa Cruz and Villamontes (one of my previous areas) called Camiri! It’s pretty different! It has beautiful mountains and is such a pretty area! Also, I went from a zone of 26 missionaries, to a district of 4 elders, so that’s going to be a fun time! Im looking forward to it, and to working with my new companion Elder Amasifuen, from Lima, Peru.

During my personal study, I read a quote from a book that Grandma Jessop sent me that really stood out to me! It is a poem by Meade Macquire, that reads:

"Master, where shall I work today?

My love flowed warm and free.

He pointed a tiny spot

and said, 'Tend that for me'

I answered quickly-Oh no, not there.

Not any one could see,

No matter how well my work was done;

When He spoke, He was not stern. 

But He answered me tenderly,

'Little one, search that heart of thine;

Are you working for them or for me?

Nazareth was a little place

And so was Galilee.'"

It doesn’t matter where we work or if others see how well we do or how much success we have. What matters is that we are in the service of the Lord, and that we are serving Him with all we can. This applies in the mission with leadership assignments, in the Church with Callings, or wherever we may be.

Well, this week we had Ariel's baptism! It was a great service, and an all in all very successful weekend with EVERY area in the district having baptisms this weekend! Proud moment for me as a District Leader seeing the really hard work of the missionaries and doing all of the six interviews for the district! They finished out the transfer strong!!

Well, time to work hard and sprint to the finish these last 6 months of the mission! I’m excited to be here in Camiri and to get to work here!

Love you all!

Love, Elder Christian Newman

Dad, thank you for the photo album of the 4's up! Love you so much dad, time to finish out strong! Love you!!

Mom, that makes me so happy that Lucas and Chris came by to visit!! That’s so awesome! Looks like a stellar week with your anniversary, competitions, games, and an awesome Stake Conference! Love you Mom, have a great week!

Jackson, well, I’m stoked that you'll be coming in to the house! Sounds like an awesome week with a Devotional, and in the weight room! I think the biggest thing I’ve learned thus far, "come what may and love it". Don’t let the things you can’t control ruin your day, just go out and conquer every minute of every day! Love you dude!

Emma, well done in the drill competition! That sounds like a great week, with the dad dance and spray tans (wut) and going to semi state! Love you Emma!!

Sarah, nicely done in your basketball games!!! Good luck in the tournament!! Love you Sarah, hope you have a great week!!

Callie, that’s so cool that you had a part in the come follow me lesson! Its true, every day is a new chance to start new and be better! Don’t worry Callie, these last few months are going to pass by really fast, and I’ll be back before you know it! Love you Callie!!

Mom’s Questions:

1. What’s the word on transfers? Are you staying or going? Keeping your comp or getting a new one? 

New area, going to Camiri with Elder Amasifuen :)

2. How was the baptism Saturday? 

Went really well! Very awesome baptismal service.

3. How’s the weather now? Dealing with many mosquitos? 

It’s getting HOT!

4. What was your favorite encounter with a contact this week? 

Probably finding a person just because their dog came out and tried to bite us, haha!

El Milagro de Ariel Maturano Vallejos

Hello Friends and Family!!!

I hope you all had a great week, it was a week full of ups and downs for us here in Cortez, but we had a big miracle this week!

So this week, we had interviews with President Rodriguez, which was awesome! It was my first interview in a quick minute, but it was good to talk to him about how things are going here in the district, in our area, and how I’m doing personally. It was a good moment to analyze the work we are doing and see where we can improve.

Our big time miracle was that we received permission from President to baptize a referral that we received from one of the members of our ward! His name is Ariel Maturano Vallejos, he is the brother in law of our Elder's quorum president, and I haven’t talked about him much in the weekly letters because he actually doesn’t live in our mission, but is living here during the vacations here.  He has accepted everything we teach super well, and is super prepared! We asked President if he could be baptized here, and he said yes! He will be getting baptized this weekend!!

I finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish again this past week. I love that book so much, and I feel so grateful towards my Heavenly Father for the additional knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ through his written word in the Book of Mormon. The living reality of His post mortal ministry here in the American Continent among the Nephites shortly after His resurrection is something that gives us understanding of His doctrine, and His church. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to preach and teach using that inspired book!

I love you all so much! Have a fantastic week!

Love, Elder Newman

Dad, WOW, 10 ordinations?? Sounds like the work is hastening in the Grovecreek 5th Ward too! Elder Holland's talk is so so good, it’s one of my personal favorites! We actually shared it during our District Meeting. Love you so much Dad!

Mom, sounds like a very full week! That's fun that Reese got to go play with another puppy, even if that other puppy was MUCH bigger! Thanks for the updates, I hope all are doing well. 4's up! let’s finish these last 6 months out strong! Love you Mom!!

Jackson, sounds like a great schedule for this semester! Thats awesome that Clemson got the W on bama! great weekend, and great sabbath! Love you tons Jackson, have a great week!!

Emma, congratulations on a great week and ON WINNING THE 6A DRILL DOWN at your competition!!!!! Nicely done Emma!!!! Have a great week, and keep up the great work Em! Love you!!

Sarah, well done! Sounds like you had a great scrimmage against the 8th graders, and a great time at the dance! Love you bear, have a great week!

Callie, that’s so fun that you got to go and play with Reese and Hinckley! The truth? No, I have not washed my sheets yet, but thank you for reminding me, I should probably do that, haha. Enjoy the Cinnamon Toast Crunch! Love you Callie!

Mom’s Questions:

1. How are your investigators? Did Rufino decide on a baptismal date? Is Eber still on track for his baptism on Saturday, the 19th? 

Eber didn’t attend church this week, so unfortunately not. Rufino wasn’t able to meet with us this week, but he did come to church.

2. What was your favorite scripture this week?

Moroni 6:8

3. Was there something that made you laugh this week? 

Elder Yucra! He has been pretty quiet ever since I met him, but this week I was able to get him out of his shell and he has been VERY funny!

4. What did you do this week that made you feel accomplished? 

After my interview with President. He let me know that he and the Lord are very proud of my work :)

5. Isabelle sent me two pictures today on FB messenger of you with a little black puppy on your lap. Whose dog is that? So cute! 

It’s her new puppy :)

Contacting Dunks, The Heroes of the Gospel

Hello Friends and Family!!!

We had a really full week, so we are just going to get straight to the update for the week!!!

We spent a fair portion of the week in exchanges. I went to work with Elder Santander in his area, which was really fun! They are doing some great work out there, and I got to do a baptismal interview. Like I’ve said before, baptismal interviews are some of my favorites. :) All in all, a very successful exchange!!

We then went to our District Meeting, where we were able to learn together about the importance of the Book of Mormon in the teaching of our investigators. It truly is essential in any lasting conversion to the Savior and His restored gospel. It all goes through the Book of Mormon, and we missionaries have to center our teaching on the Book of Mormon! Im 100% on my goal of sharing scriptures from the Book of Mormon in every lesson so far, and its made a visible difference!

Right after finishing our District Meeting, I began another exchange with our zone leaders. Elder Farnsworth, from Lehi, Utah, came and worked with me in Cortez, and we had a great time! Really productive exchange, we found some good new investigators in a pretty creative way. You see, Elder Farnsworth is 6'5, and loves basketball as well. We were able to grab the attention of a family playing some basketball at a local court in our area by teaching them how to shoot a ball. We then each threw down a dunk in our proselyting clothes, and taught them about the Restoration!

We had a great lesson with a guy named Rufino Mamani, the non member husband of one of the members in our ward. He previously had desires to be baptized, but after some time, lost those desires. We went to begin teaching him again, and after teaching for a moment, I felt strongly impressed that we should kneel together in that very moment and pray together (something I’ve only felt impressed to do a few times in my mission). I think the Lord prompted us to do so because He was thinking, "Do it, pray now. I’m going to answer him." We kneeled down, and the peace felt after praying was an unmistakable answer from the Spirit. Rufino told us, "I’ve made my decision. I will be baptized, I will tell you soon when it will be." One of the coolest things about the mission is that each time the Spirit testifies of the truth, we as missionaries don’t have to wonder if the Spirit was there. We feel it testify to us of the truth as well. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for yet another witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and that Rufino could feel of its truthfulness as well.

Now, to explain the subject line of "The Heroes of the Gospel". I absolutely loved two hour church this week, beginning with our Fast and Testimony Sacrament meeting. Let me explain why. An extremely valiant sister from our ward, with a squirmy child in her arms trying to grab the microphone, and two more kids pulling at her dress, bore her simple and sincere testimony. What an example! There really is no excuse for us to not share our testimonies, and that valiant sister was a shining example of the women of this gospel.

Love you all so much! I pray for each of you and your New Year’s Resolutions, I hope that 2019 can be a year of spiritual growth for us all!

Love, Elder Newman

Dad, awesome to hear about a great start to 2019 and a great Fast and Testimony meeting! Things went great here! Truly inspired changes, the Lord is strengthening us all! Love you Dad!!

Mom, as difficult as changes are, sometimes they are exactly what we need to keep progressing (I hope karma doesn’t bite me in the butt and give me a transfer for saying that.) Sounds like a great week mom! Love you so much!!

Jackson, well done, sounds like a great way to finish 2018, and start to the New Year, by being in the temple! Love you dude, have a great week!!

Emma, it’s so true, true strength is found in holding fast to faith rather then giving in to doubt. Sounds like your schedule is awesome! Well done in your Drill competition! Love you Emma!!

Sarah, well done in your games!!! Sounds like you have quite the team! I’m sure you and Tess were killing it! Good job finding all your classes, have a great week! Love you Bear!!

Callie, sounds like you have had lots of fun with Reese! I love that story of Jesus being resurrected. My next transfer will be in 2 weeks, but we don’t know if I’ll be leaving or not. Guess we will see! Love you Callie!!!

Mom’s Questions:

1. How was your first Sunday of the two hour block? How do members in Bolivia feel about it? How is the new Come Follow Me curriculum being accepted by the families there?

It was awesome!! Great from a missionary perspective, lots of investigators stayed for the class and loved it!!

2. Did Eber come to church again? How is he progressing? Does he have a baptismal date? 

He wasn’t able to come, but is progressing well. He has a date for the 19th.

3. Who are your other investigators right now? 

Rufino Mamani, and the familia Alvarez

4. What experience strengthened your testimony this week? 

Our kneeling prayer with Rufino.

Happy New Years!!

Hello friends and family!!

I hope you all had a great Christmas! We had a very memorable Christmas, spent visiting our converts and singing hymns with them, eating lunch with our Elders Quorum president, and then of course, the video call! It was great to see how well everyone is doing, everyone looks happy and healthy, which is one of the best things ever (answered prayers). We then spent the night with our pension, they gave us dinner and we shared Christmas together.

This past week, I had the opportunity to do 3 baptismal interviews for the missionaries from my district. I think baptismal interviews are my favorite thing about being a district leader. It’s so fun to be able to sit down with these investigators who have made changes in their lives to be closer to the Savior. It’s been great to see their faces. They just seem so bright, so happy, so ready to take the big step of being baptized in Christ's Restored Church.

El Poder de la Valentìa: In our district meeting, we talked about the importance of the commitment in the conversion of the people. Sometimes it can be difficult to invite people to make changes in their lives. It can be uncomfortable at times, and if we are timid, it can be very difficult. In Preach My Gospel, we learn that as we extend commitments and invite people to change, we put on display our faith in the Savior, and that He will complete his part and help those that we teach. As we show courage, the people take notice, and often times accept the commitment. Hence the phrase to start the paragraph, "El Poder de la Valentìa". Literally translated, it means, "The Power of Courage". We have seen in our area and are now seeing in our District, that as we are brave in defending our beliefs and inviting others to do the same, they take notice, and the Spirit testifies of the truthfulness of our message.

In my studies, I was reading in Alma 30, where an antichrist named Korihor rises up among the people and begins to cause dissensions among the people. He attacks the believers, saying that they cannot know of something they cannot see, and cannot have hope in something they do not know will come. As I read, I thought, "There are alot of Korihors in the world today." And it’s so true! How many people do we know that say that we cannot believe, that there’s no evidence, that what we do is vane? I remember a quote from Dieter F. Uchtdorf that helps me understand where we stand as believers. He says, "Let me be clear: there is nothing noble or impressive about being cynical. Skepticism is easy, anyone can do it. It is the faithful life that requires moral strength, dedication, and courage. Those that hold fast to faith are far more impressive than those who give in to doubt when mysterious questions or concerns arise." May we hold fast to faith when the trials come, when those who doubt tell us we can’t, let us have faith and press onward!

I hope you all have a fantastic week, and a very Happy New Years!

Love, Elder Newman

Dad, sounds like a great Christmas break, being able to kick back and relax a little bit and go see some movies! It was great to see you guys too. :) What an awesome goal for temple work!! Love you Dad!!

Mom, well done on hitting the target out at a mile! Thats awesome! And congrats on getting accepted to BYU-Idaho! Have a great New Years! Love you Mom :)

Jackson, those are some stellar goals my friend! Sounds like some very fun dates, and a good time getting out and working out a bit! Lots of homecoming talks too, that’s awesome brother! Love you dude!!!

Emma, sounds like a great Christmas!!! It was great to talk to you as well. :) What a fun date with Caleb! Way to keep the kids safe, haha. Keep up the great work in drill! Love you Emma!!!

Sarah, sounds like you were living in the movie theater this week bear! I’m excited for New Years as well. :) Mostly just fireworks at midnight is the Bolivian tradition for New years. Love you Bear!!

Callie, it was awesome to talk to you too Callie! That’s so fun that you get to go to the Reay's for New Years! I could tell that the puppy is growing a lot! Soon enough she will be so big that you won’t be able to pick her up! Love you Callie!!

Mom’s Questions:

1. How was the rest of your Christmas? What else did you do after we talked? Did you have a meal with your pensionista? 

We had a meal with our Pensionista :)

2. What are your plans for New Years? How do Bolivians celebrate? 

Honestly, nothing. We aren’t going to be doing anything, haha.

3. What are your goals for this last year of your mission? 

I am still continuing with my goal to be bold in every situation, I also have the goal to use the Book of Mormon in EVERY lesson that we have. Also, to help me not think about the time (time left in the mission, how long in the area, etc.) I have stopped wearing a watch. It helps me focus more on the people. :)

4. Who are you teaching right now? 

Eber Bederano, he is 19 years old, and he came to church this week!!