You can never smile too much :)

Hello Friends and Family!

Well, I hope you all had a great week! What an exciting time to be here as a servant of the Lord! It was amazing to be able to talk to my beloved sister Sarah yesterday for her 13th birthday, it absolutely amazes me how much she has grown up during my time here in Bolivia. One of the things that impressed me most during my call with her was the fact that on her birthday, she chose to get up early and go to the temple with her friends. What a stellar example she is of putting the Lord first and doing His work first, even on her birthday :).

Not a lot to talk about this week! It was a pretty run of the mill week, lots of contacting and looking for new people to teach. One of the most effective ways that we have had to look for new people to teach is our English Class that we have been putting on. Last night we had almost 20 people in the class, and lots of people who passed by the chapel right afterwards and said, "Dang, I missed it! Next week I’ll be here!". There are lots of ways to find people to teach, and we are trying to find a good balance of all of the ways there are to find, and use the talents that the Lord has given us to help His children here in Camiri.

One of the things that we try to do in those first moments with a person in a contact is just show the happiness that the gospel can bring. In Missionary Handbook, it talks about that our appearance is one of the first messages that a person receives about us and His message. We try to make sure that the first thing that the people see when they talk to us is a smile. A smile and a bright countenance say so much about what the Gospel has to offer. On Thursday, after almost 2 hours of straight contacting, my face was pretty sore from smiling so much, but I’m pretty sure that’s one of the best problems you can have in life.

Well, starting tonight, until Wednesday morning, we will be in Carnival, or in other words, imprisoned in our house while all of Bolivia is out partying it up. It’s going to be a good opportunity to study the Scriptures lots, clean the house, and rest up for this coming transfer. Tonight we receive the transfer calls, so we will see if one of us is going to have a change, or if we stay together for another transfer. It’s truly been a blessing to work with Elder Amasifuèn here in Camiri. This transfer has gone by SO fast. I hope we have the opportunity to stay together for another transfer, we have had lots of success together, and I have learned a lot from him.

Well, I hope you all have a great week! Love you all, and remember that the Lord is with us, in good times and in times of difficulty, he will always be there to lift us up and sustain us.

Isaiah 41:10

Love, Elder Newman

Dad, that’s so cool that you got a new motorized tower. I’m sure that it will be super cool for HD sports. Love you tons Dad! Have a great week!!

Mom, lots of lasts, I think that’s the definition of Senior year! That’s awesome that Emma had a great showcase! Love you Mom!

Jackson, it was great to talk to you yesterday! Love you man, hope you have a great week!

Emma, WELL DONE IN YOUR SHOWCASE!!!!! Way to hit both of your aerials, the Lord answered your prayers and mine. Love you Sis!!!

Bear, I hope you had a great Birthday. It was so good to talk to you yesterday. Nice job this Basketball season! Love you tons Sarah!!

Callie, that’s so funny that Reese barked at the dog on TV! I hope you teeth don’t hurt too bad with the new spacers! Love you Callie!!

Mom’s Questions:
1. How is Carnival going? What will you being doing while you are stuck in your apartment until Tuesday? 

Studying, cleaning, resting up :)

2. Have you heard about transfers yet? Will you and your comp be staying in Camiri?

We haven’t heard yet, tonight we receive the call.

3. What is Elder Amasifuen’s family like back home? 

Elder Amasifuen has an older sister, a sister that just began her mission in Colombia, and 2 little siblings that are 13 and 11. He lived in a city called Iquitos until he was about 16, then moved to Lima (the Capital) and has lived there ever since.

4. What is the best or worst thing you ate this week? How much do you cook for yourself in this area? 

The best thing I ate this week was a dish called Guiso de Fideo. It’s pretty much pasta with lots of cheese and a piece of chicken in the middle, but its super filling and super yummy! I don’t cook a lot for myself here haha, I mostly just buy fruit for breakfast, and occasionally make myself smoothies.