Hello family!

As far as this week it went really well! We had some great success and we were happy as we got all of the standards for the mission for our key indicators which is like all the work we do. Ask Nate and Jason about key indicators and standards they explain more about them ha-ha. But we worked our tails off and the Lord is blessing our efforts.

Monday we had mini zone conference and the office came with president and displayed the vision of the month with the Olympics. We are doing our best to save souls and to be the best that we can be. We taught a family home evening lesson Monday night with some of the families in the ward and we are trying to teach and strengthen each of them.

Tuesday night we were contacting and knocking doors and we were at a street corner and were stopped there and we were trying to decide where to go. We then decided to go down the street and Elder Smith felt like we should stop for a second because there some guys that he might thought were following us but they passed by and then we were at this door and we decided to start there. We were knocking and then no one came then Elder smith saw a lady carrying grocery bags and he offered to carry hers and it turns out we were right in front of her house knocking on her door. She let us in and we had a great first lesson and she liked the message very much

On Wednesdays we have now started to teach an English class to increase our potential investigator pool and we had a few come on Wednesday. As news continues to get out, it will increase.

Thursday I went on splits with Elder Russell over in their sector (area) called Bilbao. The district leader went with Elder smith and we were so worried because it was just us two, who had barely been in Chile for a week and we were going to go contacting and teach lessons. They live right in front of this huge sand dune I feel like I´m in the Sahara but then our pension is right on the ocean at the same time it’s a very odd place and combination. Anyway here is elder Russell and I a duo of two newb who can barely understand Chilean we first went to teach this guy and his wife who were referenced by a member to talk about Christ and to strengthen their faith. However the member did not inform the missionaries this. So we go in back for the second lesson and they just blasted us about how this wasn’t what they expected and just rejected everything we told them. They are very strong catholic and wouldn´t set up a return appointment

After that we were feeling a bit down but we kept going. Then we went to this guy named hector and he spoke so incredibly fast and mumbled off his Chilean that Elder Russell and I could not understand a single word he was saying. Literally he would go off for like 10 minutes straight talking and elder Russell and I looked at each other in complete la la land and had no idea what do to. Ha-ha his questions went from aliens to repentance and it was nuts. But I felt like we needed to teach him the gospel of Jesus Christ and then at the end I felt impressed to ask him to be baptized. I had no idea what I was doing but I did and he accepted. It was a rollercoaster of a lesson because this guy was crazy but it ended well. After that we went and contacted that was great practice. We taught a lesson to this girl and her kid on her front porch and then after that we went to go do some service for a family in the ward. We moved tables and boxes of things because there were preparing to move. They gave us a bunch of bread to eat, which is soo good, yet it is very fattening (3 amigos) hahaha.

Friday morning I met back up with elder smith and we did a sector attack in Bilbao. Which is where all the elders and hermanas in the whole zone go to one area and try to get a bunch of references and lessons to boost the sector. Bilbao is a new sector so we did that. This area is very rich compared to other parts so elder smith and I had a tough time getting into some people’s houses. If I got a nickel for how many times I’ve heard soy catolica (I’m catholic) I’d be rich ha-ha. But it’s great; we are getting into more and more houses every day. Teaching is improving and we are getting more effective every day. Our bishop in our ward is amazing and Friday night we went and met with him about the mission plan. When we met with him he told us exactly who could be used for member support for each one of investigators and that was huge for us. Saturday we passed by and went and contacted a bunch of references. Saturday night we taught this guy named Nicolas who is a less active member. He had some bad experiences with members and bishops and what they have said to him. Members can destroy the work, it is awful. Some of the people who serve in callings can be so dang prideful that it absolutely destroys the work that we try to do. But when we went he had this feast for us. Elder Smith and I had already been given food from some other lessons and so we were already full and this guy had a serious full table full of cheese, pepperoni, cookies, bread, peaches and cream, and all sorts of stuff. We had to eat as much as I could. I thought of Jason while eating all of the beef and cheese. mmmm it was good. But we taught him about why it’s important that we endure to the end, this guy is a great person and has read so many books about the church. The problem was that one elder told him how the church really functions in North America and Utah with all of the programs and now it’s hurt his view because the church structure is so different and weak down here. After we talked about enduring to the end then I talked about the blessings of the temple and how he needs to go and receive his endowments. This guy is single and like 60 years old and could be a great support to the ward.

Sunday was great we had 3 investigators at church and 2 recent converts and then 7 less actives. It was great and we were all excited for the good week we had. Rosario our Bolivian investigator came and we set a baptismal date with her for the 25th of this month. We also taught this guy named gonzalo last night who had questions about our church, his wife left him for a past bishop of the church.  But we taught him about the churches central position about families and about how the atonement can heal him. He wants to be a strong member of the church; he even said he wants to be a bishop. Kind of odd but if he´s doing it for the right reasons to help others and be a good person then we will take it if he is committed. Last night we taught this lady named Pamela and she knows that everything we have taught is true and I am thinking that she will be baptized eventually too. She has a boy and he´s 9 years old. She loves the book of Mormon and we will meet with her 2-3 times this week and hopefully set a baptismal date with her. 

Our apartment is pretty good. It was gross at the beginning but we have cleaned it up like crazy. I´ll attach some pictures. The food is pretty good. A lot of rice, greasy meat, chicken and sometimes a good fish. The bread is great and it is really tasty. Ha-ha I try not to eat too much of it because it is so fattening. They drink so much stinking soda here it’s crazy. I carry water with me everywhere because I don’t want to rot my teeth out with soda. Ha-ha there are many people who are missing teach probably because they just rotted out. Elder smith is great. We work hard together.  We walk all over the place. If you can look online the borders of our sector are downtown Iquique from Rem. El Morro to 18 de September and then from Jose m Carrera to Esmeralda. Those are the borders of the street of our sector. I have no idea how much we walk but it’s a lot. We have a court next to our apartment so we are going to buy a cheap basketball and start playing in the mornings. It takes us about 10 minutes to walk to our church so it is pretty close. I hope all is well at home. Thank you for the email. I am doing well and love this work. Truly there are miracles that happen every day. Today Elder Smith and I are going on exchanges because some of the other elders in the zone are having a tough time so we have to go help them and so I’ll be in a different part of Iquique just for tonight. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I glad to be serving him down in Chile. This work is tough, but I love it. Have a great week. Continue to press forward with faith in Christ, although I may be weak, through Him we can be made strong. 2 cor 12 9-10 and Alma 26; 12. His grace is sufficient for all of us. We just need to trust him. Love you all. 

Elder Newman