Family, 

We are all alive up here in the north of Chile! Haha don't worry about us! The earthquake that hit was around 50 miles north of iquique and it was around a 6.7. So we are all doing okay and everyone is fine. That was on Sunday afternoon and we were on our way to an appointment and then Elder Mccusker called me to ask me if i was informed about the quake that had just happened. He said that he entered into a members house and then they were all talking about it and everything and that the members had all the news on and had been all worried. Then i got a few other calls from a few missionaries informing me. So then we had to call all of the missionaries in Iquique and Arica and make sure that they were in the safe zone and we had to organize places for them where they would stay . Anyway we later had to create a report of all of the missionaries and their exact location and information on how to contact them. But the next day everything was all ok. 

Things are looking really great in the mission. In part of the zone conferences we talked a little bit about setting baptismal dates because we had more people going to church than those who had baptismal dates. But in reality we should have many more dates than that, we should be setting baptismal dates with everyone we teach in the first or second lesson. Anyways it looks like the south put that to practice because our baptismal dates last week increased 50%. I was super stoked to see that, I hope the north now does the same after this last week of conferences with them. On Monday we did a few things here in Antofagasta and got ready to leave that night. On Monday night around midnight we left on a bus to Arica. We got there on Tuesday morning and then had our first exchange with some elders that afternoon. On Tuesday morning before we had arrived to Arica, the bus workers put on a movie in the bus. Anyways i was just sitting there with my companion and I was studying and usually the movies are in Spanish so i don't really have to worry about hearing them (obviously we don't look ha-ha and usually i have earplugs but i forgot them this time). However this time the movie was in english and it was in spanish subtitles. I was trying to focus on my studying but this movie just had terrible awful vulgar language. I said to myself well i will just try to focus on studying, but it was difficult and so i started to pray asking that i could block the words out of my mind and not really register them. But then i had the thought come, "go and ask them to change the movie". And so i sat there for a second trying to decide what to do, and then I went down the stairs to the first floor of the bus and called the worker and told him that the movie that was being played was obviously in english and had terrible, very strong language, and i asked him if he could change the movie. I was worried to what his reaction would be, but he actually responded very positively and immediately went and changed the movie. I felt so much better as we went on the rest of the trip without having to worry about that. I know that there are many times in our lives and especially in mine where situations come up like this. We know what we must do and the gospel has taught us, it just takes us to act and do. At times we are unsure or scared of what may happen. But we just need to trust in Gods wisdom and that everything will work out. I had a really good feeling that morning. 

We had exchanges with missionaries on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday morning we had the zone conference in Arica. The zone conference was great! We worked with a companionship after the conference and i had an awesome experience. I was able to see one of the guys that i had taught about 5 months ago with some other elders. His name is Rafael. I had taught him in an exchange that i had on Halloween. He is getting baptized today and has made so many changes in his life. The guy doesnt really have a lot and I gave him my mini hymnbook that i had and his face lit up. He was so excited because he had been humming words from a hymn that he loved but he didnt know the lyrics. He is doing really good. I was happy to see him doing well. 

We left on a bus that night around 11:30 pm and then we got to Iquique around 4 am that next morning. We went straight from the bus terminal to the Lynch apt. where I started my mission to get a few hours of sleep before we started to get ready for the zone conference. We had iquiques zone conference and then later worked with the elders last night. I was able to work with Elder Marsee from my group and it was great to be able to work with him. He is an excellent missionary and is doing great things up there with Elder Stratford. For about an hour we went around the area and i showed him houses of people and families that i had taught that were old investigators. I hope that they can find a few. We left last night on a bus around midnight and then we got here to antofagasta here this morning at 6 am and then we went to our apartment and crashed for a couple of hours. It was a solid great week! I am doing great! 

I hope that you all had a great week! I am loving working with Elder Galvez! We push each other everyday to be our best! He has got a lot of energy and is ready to work and I am loving that! Anyways life is great! I love each one of you. You are all the greatest! I got another great week coming up! I hope all you do as well!

Elder Newman

Family, 

I don't really know how to start this letter other than saying that hearing about grandpa definitely was not an easy thing to hear. However the knowledge of the gospel is such a blessing to us with the faith and hope that we will all be together again. 

Last Sunday night I was able to work with Elder Cazier in Vallenar. He is a great missionary and it was probably one of the best exchanges i have had in my whole mission. It is awesome to see the success that is happening throughout the mission as the work hastens. We had our first zone conference in vallenar on Monday and in copiapo on Tuesday. It is interesting how the preparation of the missionaries and those who come really is what makes a zone conference or any meeting we have. If the missionaries come prepared for the zone conference and are ready to learn, there is a great environment where the spirit can teach us great things. There are always some conferences that are better than others.  I had exchanges with missionaries from last Friday night till Wednesday night. But there were some great exchanges that we had. 

It was great to be again with president and sister Dalton and to be able to spend some time with them and get to know them even better while we travel. They are so great and I have learned so much from them. They are doing great things down here in our mission. They were truly called by God to come to this mission. 

Our two investigators Julian and Betty are doing quite well. Betty has gone to church the two past weeks and really likes the church. We are trying to help her keep her commitments so that she can be prepared for her baptism. The baptismal date that we had set for both Betty and Julian is for the 29th of this month. It is hard sometimes because we travel and then have to have the office elders take care of our investigators while we are out of town. It will be that case again this week. 

We are leaving to Arica on Monday to go work with them for 3 days and have their zone conference. Then we will go to Iquique and have their conference with Alto Hospicio on Friday. We will also work with both of those zones. We travel all night long on Friday night to get back to Antofagasta by Saturday. 

One of the less active families who we were working with are now fully active and doing great. They are the Vizcarra family. The father was the one who introduced us to Julian and gave him to us as a referral. Hermano Vizcarra was set apart last week as the 2nd counselor of the Elders Quorum presidency. They are progressing really well as they work to go back to the temple as a family in September. They are helping us find new people to teach and baptize. 

President told me the news about grandpa passing away on Wednesday afternoon. It was really tough to hear that and it did not seem real. I was so blessed to be given such a great grandpa. I cant number the baseball games and football games that grandpa went to, to show his love and support. Grandpa Newman taught me many things. Among them is that he was someone who taught me to just be happy. That no matter what happened in life, we can always treat it with a smile. He taught me how to work hard. I remember going up to grandpas as a little kid and doing errands with him or going out and working in the barn with him. Those are cherished memories. Horse riding, sports, going to golden corral haha, and just spending quality time. But I think more than all of that, Grandpa taught by example of how to be a righteous priesthood holder and lead his family in the right direction. His mark has been left on many and has marked me deeply. I hope to be able to live in a way that I can honor the "Newman" name. How blessed are we to have the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. 

I want to share my testimony that I know that God lives. I know that we will go on into the eternities together as we strive to live the gospel and do what is right. Jesus Christ is our Savior, and he is central in this plan of happiness. He truly went about telling others to "Be of Good Cheer, for I have overcome the world". I believe that grandpa learned that same principle. That we are going to be alright. That we just need to keep a smile on our faces whatever we do, because we are children of God, and we have so many great blessings and things around us if we just open our eyes to look. I know that Grandpa is now working on the other side of the veil, helping others receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I love you all, Have a great week. 

Elder Newman

Family, 

I hope that you are all doing great. This week flew!! Serious i think it was the fastest week in the history of all weeks. I don't know what happened to it. But it was a good one! 

Monday we had to pick up the old mesospheres and take them over to presidents and we were running around all day long with transfers and things. Elder Pinto left to calama in the afternoon and then Elder Gálvez got here to Antofagasta in the night time. Elder Gálvez is from Sina Loa, Mexico. He is an awesome missionary. He has been here for about 13 months now. He is really young but I am so happy to be with him. He is ready to work. We lived with each other in the same apartment for 6 months while i was in calama and then he went to iquique and then i came here to Antofagasta. He just came from Iquique and was companions with Elder Stratford. Haha anyways he got here around 11pm and then we went to bed around 12pm and got up around 3:30 am to go take the old missionaries to the airport. It was sad to take this group home. It was a great group of missionaries. We will miss them. That same Tuesday we picked up the new missionaries. It was a great group that came in as well. When we picked up the new missionaries and while we were taking pictures at La Portada one of the new missionaries said, "Hey! You're elder Newman! Sister Jones wanted me to tell you hello, she said you were in this mission!" They all started talking about the Jones and how much they were loved in the mtc by the missionaries there in Mexico. It was awesome! They were really such great people and so nice. Anyways we were with them and and their trainers Tuesday and Wednesday doing meetings and trainings and things like that. It went really well. 

On Thursday and Friday we had some meetings with president as we planned out a bit this next transfer for zone conferences and things. Elder Gálvez and I were also able to sit down together and establish some goals and plans as we start this first transfer together. We are really excited to be together. We also had some meeting with our new ward mission leader and things are looking good for the new ward that was just created. 

Our investigator Julian is doing very well. He is very sincere and wants to keep all of the commandments. He is going to be a great member of the church. We found a new investigator who wants to go to church so we will see what happens tomorrow. 

This week we have our mission leadership council meeting and then on Friday we are leaving with President and Sister Dalton to head to the south of the mission to start zone conferences. It will be awesome to be with the Dalton's. I always learn a lot while I am around them. And while we drive and things we get to listen to their stories and things. We are going to be on the road for about a week straight doing zone conferences and working with missionaries. But it is going to be great! I love getting out to the field and being able to work with missionaries and see the great people that they are teaching. 

Anyways. Another great week ahead down here in MCA. Keep up the great things that you are all doing! Remember that the only key to real happiness is keeping Gods commandments and serving in His kingdom and helping others to feel his forgiveness and love! I know that this is true and that as we magnify our callings we will be filled with God's grace in our lives. Have a great week! 

Love, 

Elder Newman

Family, 

Its transfers already! Crazy how fast the time goes by. Well, I am getting a new companion! Elder Pinto is going out to the field up to Calama. I am going to miss him but I am also very excited to have Elder Galvez as my new companion. Elder Galvez is from Mexico and he has been here around 13 months. He is very young in the mission but he is super excited to work and is a great missionary. We lived in the same apartment in Calama and we had worked together a couple of times. I am really excited to be able to work with him. He gets here tonight around 11pm and then tomorrow we start with dropping off the old missionaries and pick up the new ones. 

This last week we were up in Arica almost the whole week working and having some meetings up there. We have been teaching a lot about finding through members. We left last Sunday night around midnight and we got there Monday morning to Arica to visit a few people and to have a training meeting with the zones of Arica. It went really well we received great feedback from the missionaries. We worked with 3 different zones while we were up in Arica. It was great and I had a great time working with the missionaries as always. 

On Friday we got back and had a few meetings with president, as we prepared everything for the transfer. Last Sunday in stake conference our ward boundaries were reorganized and we were combined with another ward that is in our stake. The ward that we were serving in did not have much priesthood and so was closed. But we are all apart of the Quito ward now, and the ward is strong. The goal is that with a little bit of time strengthen the ward so that they can split the ward into two different wards. The building that we used to go to is being transformed into the employment center and also in the future they will move the mission office over there. Yesterday we had a meeting with the ward mission leader and I am really excited about the things that are happening. We will be 11 missionaries in the same ward. There are 2 new missionaries coming into the office to be trained in their future positions and so there will be 5 of them, plus my companion and I, and then 4 missionaries who were in that previous ward. So we are a big ward with a lot of missionaries. But with the schedule of the office elders they usually get out around 6pm to go work. We have our investigator Julian who is progressing very well. He will get baptized in march. He is keeping all of his commitments and will be a great priesthood holder. Also the family that gave us the reference for him is doing well also. The dad will be receiving a calling this next week and they are continuing to prepare to go to the temple in September. 

There was a broadcast that we had from the area for all Melchizedek priesthood holders from Buenos Aries. Elder Ballard and Elder Rasband were present at the meeting along with the area presidency. The meeting was awesome and was about the work of salvation. Elder Rasband talked about how the cell phone is a rescuer tool. How through the cell phone he can reach out to every single one of his missionaries that he was president over. He knows which ones are less active and which are active. He says that he has been able to reach out to them through technology like Facebook and things and sends things to strengthen them and now he said that some of those missionaries are active again and doing very well. I was thinking about how we can also do the same with former quorum members and classmates from high school and whatever it may be. Everyone has facebook or some sort of way to contact them through technology. He committed all of those who were there to get an appt. for the missionaries though modern technology. He talked about how things are changing and that if we always do what we have always done we will remain with what we have always had. We need to think outside of the box. 

Elder Ballard talked about the work of salvation as well. He said that how personal prayer is more powerful than any cell device. He told a story about Wilford Woodruff when he was called as prophet he was having a difficult moment and he wanted to talk with the prophet Joseph Smith. Anyways he said that he was looking towards the temple and then saw Joseph behind the temple gate running back and forth as if he was super hurried. He said just one minute Wilford and then walked away. He said that he also saw Joseph's father do something similar. Later the prophet returned and Wilford Woodruff asked Jospeh... Why are you all so hurried? I thought that in the spirit world I would rest from all of my labors. Joseph responded to president Woodruff and said that every dispensation has had sufficient time to prepare for the second coming, but in our dispensation we don't have enough time to do all that we need to do. We have so much work to do here in this earth, that is why the Lord is hastening his work. I know and imagine that on the other side of the veil they are going double time to get the work done, and they are waiting on us to do their temple work so that they can receive the blessings of the Atonement in their lives. How privileged are we to live in a time that such great things are happening and that we can be the smallest fraction of such of the greatest work in the universe. We need to ask the Lord to know what we can specifically do to help hasten the work. Everyone is depending on us. There have been so many prophecies about the time that we are now living. We can help save souls every day. We must set goals and make plans to do so.

We are pretty busy right now but I am doing great! I will be excited to tell you about my new companion next week. I love you all! I have such a great testimony of this work. I know the savior lives. I am grateful to work for Him. 

Elder Newman