Week One here in Suarez 2

Hello Friends and Family!!

This week flew by!!!! Lots of proselyting and getting right to our responsibilities here in the Zone. I am here in my eighth area, so its nothing new to me that once again, I'm here in a new area getting to know the ward, the converts, and the investigators. I am in the Suarez Ward, in the Merced Stake. I have loved getting to know all of the people we are teaching and the members. This is a very, very blessed area, and I am grateful for the chance to be here.

Here are some of the people we are teaching! Right now, we have three people getting ready for baptism for the 15th of June. Their names are Rodrigo Veliz, Leonardo Mullo, and Guadalupe Medina, and the great news is that all 3 attended church this week!!

Rodrigo Veliz is 14 years old, he actually has attended church for nearly a year, he was getting ready to get baptized but sadly lost contact with the missionaries for some reason.. Well, we got back in touch with him, and he is getting ready to be baptized! We taught him about the Plan of Salvation, and he wants to live with the Lord in the Celestial Kingdom, he is super excited for his baptism!

Leonardo Mullo is also 14 years old, his cousin got baptized about a month ago, so he has been helping us out with the lessons by sharing his testimony about the principles we teach. We have been teaching him about the commandments. He understands really well the concept of obedience and is very excited for baptism as well!

Guadalupe is 9 years old, she is from a partial member family. She is really excited for baptism, and our ward mission leader Hank Felipe (who might be one of the coolest people I have ever met, he is from the Dominican Republic and loves basketball) has been helping a lot with the fellowshipping of her family.

So, lots of great people! We have been finding lots of great people too! We had a cool experience while we were out contacting. I am still new to the area, and sometimes I'm kind of lost on where I am. Elder Farnsworth turned and said to me, "We are just contacting right now, so any house that you feel like knocking, go for it." I looked around, and this yellow house just caught my attention, and we went and talked to a guy who looked about 25 years old. It started off as a pretty normal contact, but little by little we found out that he had gone to church many times, his cousin is a returned missionary, and already has a copy of the Book of Mormon! Crazy how the Lord directed us there, lots of great things happening here.

Here are some of the scriptures I liked this week!

Acts 4:33, "With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus."
Acts 6:10, Missionary Work

Well I hope you have a great week! Love you all tons!!

Elder Newman

Dad, wow, lots of exciting stuff happening! Enjoy the vacation, I'm sure you guys will have a great time! Looking forward to hearing about it and seeing the pictures! Love you Dad!!

Mom, those Graduation pictures were super awesome! Exciting stuff with field day, soccer tryouts, and Lake Powell! Have a fun and safe trip, Love you all tons!!

Sarah, CONGRATS on soccer tryouts! That's so fun that you get to play with Tess again! I bet you and Emma had lots of fun with the graduation outfit! Love you bear!

Callie, great job graduating from second grade! I bet you and Miss Derksen will have lots of fun! How fun playing volleyball with the Reays! Love you Callie!!

Jackson, country dancing? Sounds interesting! I bet you and Coleman and Walker are going to have a real fun time!! Tell them I say Hi when you get the chance! Love you dude!

Emma, wow, I saw your pics from graduation, you look amazing! That's so crazy to me that you are graduated  from high school, when I left had just finished Sophomore year, you are so grown up! We are having a good time, we definitely get lots of funny looks for our height, hahah. Love you Sis!!