Charity:Christmas:Christ:Jesus:Noel:Love‏

This is Elder F's friend. He was chilling by our study tables yesterday.

Temple detail! This is from the Temple Activity from a while back. La flor de izote makes a lovely motif.

This week was quite nice, fairly relaxed. We found a family of 6+ (well, we taught 6) on Sunday and the mom explained for us the reason why authority is necessary in baptism :> The only shame is that we can only visit them on Sundays! We're finding some good new families :>, especially since some others we were visiting chilled a bit on us :<.

L moved away... we're trying to figure out where so as to send missionaries.

I'm working on pass-along cards for the Sabbath Day, Internet resources from the Church, and a Plan of Salvation fold-open brochure for teaching. Also, consolidating reports.

Last night was the Ward Christmas activity! It was a lovely devotional and 3 investigators, 2 less actives came! 2 of them have almost come to Church twice but la joven of the family was super friendshipped by the young women and was ecstatic by the end.

But yeah, it has been a good week and further Christmas joy awaits :>

The light of Christ burns bright in Christmas. John 16:33.

Elder Newman

Also, something I've found useful, you judge- from time to time, I have an idea about stuff I want to do as a parent and I keep a list of said things.

Buenas taaaaaaaaaaaaaardes‏

Hola, ¿cómo les va?

This last bit went bien rápidito. There's not really much too report though. We did a service activity cleaning up a neighborhood on Saturday. Improved our numbers reports.

Probably the coolest thing is that one of Pres. Vásquez's counselors, Presidente López, invited us to a Christmas dinner Sunday night. It was extremely good. I didn't know the family before but they have very light, lovely souls. We watched a movie that apparently everyone except me has heard, the Little Drummer Boy.

We have a lot of good families we're working with. It's just hard helping them to get to Church, which is frustrating since they can't progress spiritually and less towards baptism unless they come. In the eternal words of the District 2, "Just come to Church!"

I took a few scene photos from our house. The country is lovely and the architecture, even if it's not sophisticated, is wonderful.

I found to my pleasure that there is a bus route we take normally that is sufficiently calm to read the Scriptures on the ride.

Talk of the week: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/be-not-afraid-only-believe?lang=eng

Pues, work hard, live by the Spirit! Keep organized, have a daily plan, remember that you are really cool people! Give people things just because! We don't need a lot of the stuff we have and a lot of what we have would make someone much happier than it's making us!

Love all y'all!

Elder Newman

Previous messageNext messageBack to messages A long list of things went wrong but it all worked fine, ya know?‏

BUENAS TARDES.

Today was a week in which many things happened without them needing to happen, but we've gotten along well. I haven't exactly had much the luxury of waking up at 6:30, but the world is quite lovely in the early diurnal hours.

The Temple Activity went along smoothly, despite being planned kind of last minute. We had an attendance of over 1000 and at least the missionaries really liked my ordinances sheet (we almost didn't get it on time, but the printing company brought it to the Temple). I didn't see a ton of converts, but I saw some friends from Villa Mariona and Usulután, including E G, plus a super good family we found in Apopa while I was in companion exchanges. They've had some difficulties getting married, but they've almost got it. It was a bit different running the whole show as a secretary.

L's baptism was con todo! She's really great and the familia G (the children of a recent convert) and some less actives and L's daughter all came.

Changes prep went pretty normal until we were driving to President's house to receive the new missionaries and we get a phone call telling us that the news weren't coming due to protests on the Guatemalan border. Hmm.

So we had to receive the news on Wednesday as well as send off the missionaries who are going home, then have changes a day late (and change everything to make that work). The new missionaries ended up staying in our house, which has never housed more than 5 missionaries (suddenly, 16). Attached is a photo of Elder N, who actually does live with us and appears to have found my camera without me knowing. And at 12 AM, Elder F got a call saying that 2 Elders who are going home had lost their suitcases on the Temple grounds. Well, at that point, there's nothing you can really do but Elder F tried for like an hour and a half.

Yesterday we finally got to changes. That was nice but since Leadership Council was today, I had to stay late in the Office getting stuff ready and when we left there was some very very beautiful traffic.

Today was Leadership Council. Last month I kind of invited myself by giving a presentation in the Council, but when President went to the Mission Pres. Conference, the Area said that Secretaries should attend Leadership Council so we now get to go. Also, since Pres. and Hna. Vasquez´s grandchildren are here for the month, A had his 6th birthday party right after with all of us singing to him and Hermana Vasquez slamming his face into the cake. Pretty great stuff.

Now I finished some reports, did some birth certificate stuff, and I guess we'll go to the area as soon as we finish up here

Also Elder B left us and is now in Ilopango! It feels very different without him. And Elder B is being trained as the new financial secretary. He was my Zone Leader for two changes in Apopa. He's super chill :>

Hualahuala huashington (to be spoken in Spanish)‏

First: Happy Thanksgiving!

Second: I found this just like 2 hours ago! I didn't know there was a fine art culture in the Church like this. It's so fantastically cool: https://history.lds.org/exhibit/iac-2015-tell-me-the-stories-of-jesus?lang=eng
Art is marvelous.

Third: the Mission is great and we found a ton of very good people! The only problem is that we barely have time to visit them all! We're trying to work more with members so as to be able to cover everything. Last weekend was miraculous. We hadn't found any new investigators all week, but Saturday we found 6 and 10 on Sunday, including some super positive people!

My special thanks right now is for the Mission because it is a very great thing finding the Lord's escogidos (elect). I have met a bajillion people in the last year and some undetermined amount of time, and most of them were dormant children of God, but when you start finding the princes of the Kingdom of God, it's marvelous marvelous marvelous (it's worth at least 2 more marvelouses than fine Gospel art).

Have a great week! Work hard! Choose not what is good, not what is better, but that which is best!

Como decimos aquí,

¡saluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuú!

Elder Newman

Fotos: people I worked with in other areas who got baptized last month :>
(Office perk 1: seeing baptismal photos of old investigators after you have changes)

Piedra Angular‏

Well, it hasn't been exactly what you would call a ton of time since my last letter. But I am happy to report that Saturday and Sunday we found some people very likely to be baptized. We found 5 old investigators who already know that they should be members of the Church and a little girl who has attended Church a ton.

Also, an investigator named Lidia está con todo. She told us that she hald felt really really happy while getting ready for Church and is now just waiting for her baptismal date on Dec. 4. We've been teaching everyone the Word of Wisdom right quick to make sure they don't have problems. It's pretty exciting. I'm also processing a metric metaphorical ton of referrals from the previously mentioned cemetery activity. I wish Google Earth had just slightly better coverage of Eastern El Salvador.

:>

Be happy!

Ponderizing: Helaman 5:6-7

Since this transfer is only four weeks long, it'll be a bit hectic, but ni modo. We'll just have to be happier for it.

How Firm a Foundation is a wonderful hymn and my appreciation for it has soared since I sung it for President Nelson.

I hope you all keep well and receive a healthier portion of the Spirit. Let's work hard in the best of causes, because the better the cause and the harder the work, the more fruitful our future.

Elder Newman

Fare thee well, Saints in Zion. :>

I like life‏

Well, changes week is pretty ridiculous as far as workload goes.

A new area got opened and to free up a house in the Zone (since it's a Sister companionship and there are no other Sisters that live nearby) I moved our storehouse of house materials (beds, fridges, etc) to our house and then moved over 120 boxes of proselyting material to the Change Meeting, all on Tuesday. Props of being a Secretary is having contacts with guys with trucks.

We're still in trio. Elder Hilton left but Elder Frazier came in (Elder Barwick is training him to be the next Migration Secretary). We've been pretty busy, but we're getting along. I created and updated reports, generated the Mission directory, taught the Zone Leaders about the Referral Manager system and caring for materials, President and I decided not to update the changes board since he does that online anyway, I have a birth certificate that I am trying really hard to get to the West Mission but it's not getting there, and President started doing interviews yesterday. I actually started writing yesterday but that got interrupted by said interviews. I cleaned out my desk, filed some reports, and stuff. The weird thing is that I still haven't talked with President in the interview setting, I just talked with Hermana Vásquez and as soon as I left the interview I found out everyone had decided to leave the Office right then and I had 30 seconds to wrap up for the Weekend. And that's why I'm writing Saturday. I will write next Wednesday as normal.

Ponderizing: Matthew 9:36-38

Well, that's the week. We haven't had as much time as I'd like in the area, but we have been able to help the positive investigators we have to progress.

It's time to get back to work soon. It's really uncomfortable writing on Saturday and in an Internet café (I'm already used to writing in the Office).

Follow the Gospel. Take in the words of life. Love God and do what He asks because it will be satisfying, happy, and meaningful. If you aren't being taught by Him actively, search out His Spirit. A week wasn't worth it if the heavens did not open and pour out knowledge on your soul.

De Sión,

Elder Newman

SALUTATIONS‏

This week was pretty spiffy.

Ponderizing: Isaiah 1:16-19. I realized that this verse is just an exposition of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in reverse order (baptism, repentance, and faith by prayer). Another good thing: what justice can a man do if he is alone?

Monday was FAMILY HISTORY DAY. Because the 1nd and 2nd were Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead), President arranged with the cemeteries so that we could put up stands and teach about family history. I was expecting a kind of memorial day experience, but it was a lot like a festival. I also half-attended Mass for the first time, since they did it about 10m from the stand. And the traditional food is giant corn flakes, like 1 foot in diameter. You put some kind of syrup on them.

We got called to Office due to an Insurance Card problem and since we had nothing else to do in the Office besides wait for the Insurance Company to respond to us, I learned how to do family history! I found the three names that were missing in my 6 generations chart. I found Ellen Weaver´s parents and Mary Ann Davis´ mother. Ellen Weaver now can get sealed to her parents! Mary Ann already was. So I know all my ancestors for six generations. It's super cool. And I saw some of Uncle Roland'
s research on there. That was the first time I've looked for my own family names.

Final request: If you could, please send me your testimonies! I want to send them to converts.

And next week is changes! That means a ton of work! And I will probably write home on Friday since Wednesday is Change Meeting and we will be very busy! Elder Hilton assumedly has changes.

A good article in the Liahona that Sister Hoagland reminded me of:
https://www.lds.org/liahona/2015/04/the-power-of-faith?lang=eng

God has provided us with approx. one really prepared or willing family every week this transfer cycle. They're not ready to be baptized, but seeing their repentance process begin is wonderful.

There is no joy so sweet as seeing the Works of the Holy Ghost in people. After all, a traditional name for the Book of Acts is "The Acts of the Holy Ghost through the Apostles." When they begin to do works, when they leave evil behind, when they keep commandments, and when you start to see the light of Christ enter into them...

pues, no hay nada mejor.

Elder Newman