The Church in El Salvador Salutes Thee‏

So, this was a good week. Just to specify, it was indeed a cold day in the Office when I last wrote, but I also had a fever which supplied most of the discomfort. The three of us in my companionship got amoebas! Assumedly an investigator gave us an insufficiently cooked soup. But we've all gotten over it, pretty much. And I learned about amoeba infection development cycles, since my amoebas were immature and caused less harm than they did to Elder Barwick, who had a mature infection.

I am ponderizing: D&C 67:13-14 (10-14).

The Relief Society President's son is moving to the States. It is a sad thing, although he'll probably be happier there, being fluent in English and the youth culture there probably being safer.

The doctrine of covenants is wonderful and clear and precious. We should probably focus on it more, since the corruption of the ordinances was, after all, one of the chief causes of apostasy (1 Nephi 1:27-28, verses 24-26 suggest that materialism and pride were the other significant cause).

It is well after my birthday, but a nifty gift would be sending me all-time favorites from General Conferences and Scriptures. I love scriptures and talks and have free access to them right now.

It's fun being in the Office after having spent so much time near San Salvador. I usually see a member from one of my old Wards about once a week.

I blessed the Sacrament on Sunday, for the first time since the MTC, over a year ago. It was wonderful, passing the cloth and meditating on the Sacramental Prayer with all the delicacy and meditation I could muster. Two of the talks were from members whom I believe are members of the Temple Presidency. It was good.

We're changing a lot in the weekly reports in the Office. We're also trying to run some inventories and we're thinking about creating materials to teach about the Sabbath Day, as the Church has not produced any pamphlets or stuff like that. Pass-along cards and pamphlets about the Sabbath Day would be wonderful!

Enduring to the End, Rejoicing to the End:

Making, Keeping, Renewing Covenants.

Let us live as the Lord's Covenant People!

Elder Jacob Thomas Newman

FOTOS: 

It was Elder Hilton's birthday yesterday. We bought a bunch of crepes.

A sheet I made for teaching about the ordinances of the Gospel.

The Annual Cold Week in El Salvador‏

El Salvador chose this week as the one week in the year that is cold. I don't know why, but the administration of the building the Office is in has us freezing. Or at least me, because my corner is the coldest part for some reason. :<

It's rained a lot. I went to Church in suit and sweater. That felt really good. It feels more powerful.

The last week we lost contact with almost all of our new investigators and couldn't find any more, but yesterday we found a really good family that a recent convert brought to Church on Sunday.

Elder Hilton is sick, as is Elder Gomez (Migration Secretary).

There isn't a ton to report, more so because my brain is frozen. I'm working on some sheets to explain the progression of ordinances and then we're going to work on Sabbath Day materials next week. We're starting to get things ready for changes.

So, have a good day and week and life!

And I'm meditizando [meditating]Juan 14:12-13. I found more Teachings of the Prophets books so I'm reading those. And I want to be better at using the Scriptures and Inspired Questions in teaching.

Elder Newman

Hello World

Today is Wednesday, the normal, common weekday used for Preparation Day by missionaries.

Well, this week is going along. I've learned how to handle telephone robberies, made pupusas, started an inventory of fire alarms in the mission houses, started prepping some proselyting materials, bought stuff for the mission, got my driver's license, drove, and modified the numbers reports.

We also did divisions with the Young Men and their leaders Sunday. That was cool, even if we didn't find anyone to teach.

We're working a lot with converts and less-actives. We have 3 who are working on being reactivated, and a convert who we're prepping to receive his Patriarchal Blessing and the Melchizedek Priesthood. Even though we're opening the area, we have a lot of appointments, which makes it pretty hard to find new investigators, but we'll figure it out.

Ponderizing: Moses 7:62

Elder Newman

No Subject

First: the funny thing about having you all write on Friday is that President gave us a PDay on Wednesday so this is the 2nd and last time I expect to write on Friday. Assumedly, I'll write next Wednesday. (It's a good change, given that last PDay on Monday we didn't leave the Office until 7 PM).

We have had General Conference, a Multizone Conference, and a pretty busy week. I'm fairly in the swing of things in the Office. I am working on D&C 20:37 for my ponderization. I loved something that was said in one of the prayers: Let us not only endure to the end, but enjoy to the end.

It seems to me that 3 significant themes were:

1. Women

2. Sabbath Day Observance
(after all, the Sabbath Day is the only day of the week where we are limited to the things we will do in the Celestial Kingdom. If we cannot enjoy them now or make them a priority, how will we be able to enjoy the Celestial Kingdom? God will not be so cruel as to assign us to the highest joy if we are not prepared or willing to understand it.)

3. Renewing Spiritual Happiness

The nice thing about being in the Office is that I know that a lot of my investigators in Villa Mariona went to Church :>

In our area, we've had some difficulties in finding a lot of positive people, but we do have a few good families. We taught a brief English class to 3 niñas yesterday. We've also moved houses (since we're opening a new area), moved a bunch of supplies (since we're trying to compact our material storage because we like to save money).

In theory, I should get my Salvadoreño Driver's License today. ¡Que chafa! I don't want to drive- I haven't driven for almost 2 years :y

It's really cool being in my old Ward, although 2/3 converts are inactive. But the members are all pretty great and it's great to see them again.

And to any missionaries or RMs interested, you could send me your baptism photos for a thing I'm doing. And photos in general are also appreciated.

And I felt a strong impulse a few days ago to extend my mission. I want your take on the idea, because I'm not sure yet.

We proselyte generally from 4 to 9, though we've gotten back 3 times at 8 PM, since this last week was beyond busy.

Conference was great, although there were some hiccups. A lot of my investigators from Villa Mariona went.

Elder Newman

Hello. I have an abundance of time to write you all and nothing to say.‏

Hello, everyone! I now write on Fridays! Isn't that wonderful?

Well, changes came and the long-anticipated suprise-to-no-one event occured: I am now in the Mission Office. I will be the new General Secretary, which means I do everything nobody else does (materials, references, numbers, reports). It's kind of weird doing a desk job, especially since I was feeling pretty good about the work, but así que se vaya. El Señor doesn't change things up if there is no potential to increase your happiness.

The most surprising part about that is that I already have a lot of time in the mission. The General Secretary who's leaving the Office is Elder Hilton, who came with me to the mission. One is usually in the Office for 4+ transfer cycles, and I only have 5 left. I'll probably spend 4 changes here and leave to work hard my last change. That means if you happened to be planning to send me something, right now would be quite opportune, as I am the one who processes mail.

The other surprise is that they closed the old area of my group of secretaries. That means I am simultaneously opening area, learning secretary work, and doing said work. We also have the luck that it is the beginning of both the month and the transfer, which means all the monthly reports are due and all the transfer specific reports have to be updated and issued. To this point, we have left the Office no earlier than 6 PM. I have: copy-pasted a bajillion times, remembered how to use Excel, checked a mission vehicle, organized a bunch of packets, answered a ton of calls to a business called Manpower who used to have our number, and yeah.

The third sorpresita is that the new area we're opening happens to be the other area of my 2nd Ward! I'm back in Los Alpes, San Marcos, just on the other side. I still haven't seen too many people, because, well, we've only gotten back to the area at 7 and have had to leave at 8 given that we have no house, but I've seen Bishop and a few more people. And we've found 1 investigator. Yeah!

A picture on LDS.org (of President Nelson meeting with the mission presidents of the area). If the camera were angled 20° or so to the right, I'd be there.

In the photos: some photos from Villa Mariona (I really liked that area) and my trio, Elder B (the migration secretary), Elder H, and myself.

I suppose that's everything. It's weird having a desk job, using a computer, and all that, but at least it means I'll be more prepped for coming home. :/ I just don't like the prospect of having to drive a car again, which assumedly I'll do soon.

Elder Newman

Remember, Fridays are the day!