EMail Conversation That Makes Mom Wonder If Things Are Worse Than They Sound

Elder Newman: the second package arrived. I'm basically living off of it :y

Mom: Reese's for breakfast ? :D

Elder Newman: and dinner :y that's exactly how it is right now

Mom: Yay for you! Unless it's because you really don't have enough food...do you have enough food?

EN: well I have about 15 dollars to finish off the month and no matter how I cut the budget I should probably just take out 20 dollars :(

Mom: Is there a special reason why it's close this month?

EN: In Soyapango, we had to pay for lunch and dinner, entering at 6, but some of our plans for lunch fell through and we had to go out to eat, which is way too expensive/

In my other areas, I'd usually save about 10 or 20 dollars each month for emergencies, but I used up my savings in March.

Mom: Please....use whatever you need! Eat!

(Post-Edit: He did, and all is well!)

Yes‏

Well, it was a week after its own style.

Something happened Tuesday but I know longer remember that far back.

But Tuesday in the afternoon the Assistents called Elder Paiz to tell him that he's going to train.

Wednesday was a day. Elder Paiz went to the trainers meeting in the morning but at the same time I received Elder Maldonado. The other area in our Ward had some problems so one Elder was sent to some other zone and Elder Maldonado came with us in trio. He's still in his first change, so I'm currently training 2 Elders (though since Elder Paiz is going to train, it's basically certain that I have changes this Wednesday. Me vooooooooooooooy, que lástima pero adiós).

Thursday we changed houses. We're renting a member's house who moved out of the Ward, and since our old house wasn't exactly sanitary, we moved. We have 2 showers. Showers are pretty incredible, and we always have water since it has a backup supply. There's also a water heater, but I've just taken cold showers to keep the habit.

Friday, Zone Conference.

Saturday, went to help with a blood donation. Gave a blessing to a sister missionary. She wanted it in English, which I more or less managed. There hasn't been a gringo in my District for 4 months. Otherwise, nothing happened at the blood drive. Almost nobody came.

Sunday, baptisms (which were from the other area in our Ward, but since the other area is closed, they corresponded to us).

Today, we'll see what happens.

Pascal Lamb‏

This week was full. Wednesday, we did a District Activity in which we all made shirts matching the pass along cards about questions of the soul and ran all over the city talking with people. Super cool, and we learned a lot of people's favorite colors.

Thursday was the Temple trip. We were teaching the class on the Plan of Salvation. The Spirit was super strong, plus Usulután was there so I got to see a ton of people that I worked with. We have pictures of B, B, and T H (T still isn't baptized :( ), plus Hna T, one of the super helpful members over there. N was also there but we didn't take photos. But it feels so good to see converts still being 100% active. I'm hoping to hear of mission calls from B, and maybe B in a few years. The members brought a ton of people, which was great, since everyone but D H turned us down, plus the L


family who are less active.

Conference was fantastic, although no investigators came. I watched it in English with our District Leader. Make sure to keep watching it, everyone! Write questions you have, pray about them, watch Conference again, and God will answer!

Also, Friday they did alfombras all over our area. We didn't take out our camera for the coolest ones since it was super busy where they were, but we got some good pictures of the area. The world stops here for Holy Week.

But yeah, that's my week! It was very good, even though not so successful on our part. We're gonna work harder, pray always, and live by the Spirit!

Build Zion!

Elder Newman

Still al suave‏

We did a fair bit of running around, but not so much finding people this week, and no nonmembers coming to Church. :(

On the bright side, A. has been a much happier person with his baptism. Healthier, too, which is very good given his age. I don't particularly remember him smiling before, but he was very smiley during Church, and Saturday asked us about how he could help in the Church. He has a much more mature faith in the Plan of Salvation. The Spirit is helping him a ton.

Plus at least one older couple that we visit is now effectively activated. If only their kids would come to Church and go on missions!

Though we found 2 young couples, both of them the wife being pregnant, which brings the sum of pregnancies in our investigator pool to 3. The good thing about it is that it awakens people to a more spiritual sentiment, given the powers of Creation being so near. The pillar of hope is the Temple Trip Thursday, since we have 21 people confirmed, and about 20 more invited, and the Ward has at least 8 confirmed. Then, General Conference!

In health, I sunburned my legs last Pday and Saturday I scraped up my knees bad playing soccer (the DL fell on me), but it wasn't too bad. Although there is pus now in my knees. I try to use the antibiotic cream, but since I'm always walking, anything I put on to cover the wound just gets taken off by my pants. We keep moving forward.

The new Liahona has some very good truths. I had always wondered how to have faith in miracles if I didn't know if they were going to happen or not, due to God's will, but the article of Power of Faith cleared that up, plus I like the model of distinguishing weakness from sin. I feel that most positive investigators are weak, not sinful, and should be treated as such. Sometimes they were sinful, but are at the point of being humbled, and are so converting sin to weakness to purity. Truly sinful people don't really listen to us :(

Bien, disfruten la semana, y echen fuego! Edifiquen Sión dondequiera que estén, y estarán listos para la Sión Celestial, la presencia de Dios. (Well , enjoy the week , and let fire! Build up Zion wherever you are, and be ready for the heavenly Zion, the presence of God. [Thank you, google translate.])

Salú, que les vaya bien en todo! Les quiero! (Good wishes,  and that all goes well! I love you all!)

Elder Newman Salvadoreño

al suave‏

BAPTISM OF HERMANO ABELINO R.

NEW SCRIPTURE CASE FOR MY BIBLE (TRIPLE STILL IN THE WORKS)

PICTURE FROM OUR CHAPEL, LOOKING OUT OVER ILOPANGO? MAYBE?

This week was chill. Saturday was full of the district, since we all worked in my area before lunch and then we all went to the baptism (well, 3/4 companionships did for each activity, but that's good enough for me).

Yesterday was completely dead because everyone was watching el Clásico (Real Madrid v Barcelona). Elder P. is Madrista con todo, so he was pretty disappointed when they lost. Football is a drug here.

Easter, General Conference, and a temple trip for investigators is coming up within the next 2 weeks. It's gonna be good!

Keep moving forward! Remember that even reading a little bit of the scriptures during the small moments of the day is a great spiritual strength and will help you be ready for whatever comes (remember the parable of the 10 Virgens).

I hope you have a great week!


Elder Newman Salvadoreño

70 is the low all week

What even happened last week‏

I feel like time scarcely exists. It just blurs and blurs and I don't even know at this point. We just keep moving forward. I feel like I'm in April but still in February.

Still entering at 6. We do our best to keep teaching, so we leave letters for families that we can't visit and we work from 10-1 and 2-6.

D. got baptized! His little brother should be baptized soon too. Just need to talk with his father so that he can come to Church (divorces and all that).

Pictures: Working with the whiteboard. Baptism of D., if you wanted to know what a pila looks like.

We hope to have baptisms every week from here on! Except for the first weekend in April cus it's Conference but ni modo!

Echen fuego!

3 Ne 1:13

Briefing‏

Still entering at 6.

No changes. Still with Elder P., not acting as district leader for this change.

Stake Conference, Elder Maravilla of the Seventy spoke. 4 investigators and 5 less actives present.

Improving. Working on daily contact with investigators. Will start to distribute letters to investigators whom we can't visit during the week. Investigators progressing more.

Teaching an elderly man to read, helping a less active sister with English.

D., son of a family in the process of reactivation, should be baptized this week.

Picture I drew for some less actives to encourage them to go to the Temple.

April is a visit to the temple for investigators and less actives. Elder Paiz and I are assigned to teach the Plan of Salvation.

OH from the article from the 1st Presidency in this month's Liahona, the Agony in Garden is my favorite painting. I think Pres. Uchtdorf and I had the exact same experience on going to the Sacred Gifts Exhibit!

Thanks for all your support, letters, and prayers! Be strong in the doctrine of truth, and enjoy your Christian liberty! Tire not of doing good works!

Cordially yours,

Elder Newman

Brief presented the 9th day of March, in the year of our Lord 2015.