September 10, 2012

Hey Family! 

Happy Birthday Dad and Keira last week!  Carter and Keira look so big in the pictures! Don´t let them forget about their favorite uncle Zach! They are growing up! Crazy! I can´t believe she is two years old! 

Hope that you are all having a great week. It is crazy to believe that my first transfer in the mission is already over! Crazy how fast time flies! I have been here for six weeks?! No way! Well the first news of the week is that Elder Smith is being transferred! He is going to Copiapo which is 16 hours south from here! He will be a zone leader down there. So I will be getting a new companion tonight. His name is like Elder Tysmsym or something like that. I have no idea how to pronounce it he is from Argentina. He has been in the mission since May i think. So hopefully all will go well with that! Elder Smith has been great but I am excited to begin this new chapter of my mission and learn more things! I have learned much about the missionary I want to be and how I am going to improve the work here in Iquique this next transfer.

This last week was great. Not as great as last week as far as numbers but personally i learned much about how to be a better disciple and representative of Jesus Christ. Monday night we taught a family who has been inactive for 10 years. The parents are both members but the daughters are not members. Their names is the Familia Flores. The dad used to be in a bishopbric and was a great guy but for reasons stopped attending. He eventually got into problems with drinking and smoking and eventually the daughter and wife and himself wanted to stop. He said that if the whole family went to church that next week then he would stop and since then he hasn't picked up either of the substances. So monday night we met with them and they fed us some food. If you want to know what some classic chilean food is like. Here are a few things. Get some good bread. Then you get palta (avocado) and then just spread some avocado on the bread and eat it! Interesting huh! Pretty tasty I eat avocado like a hound but the bread is fattening. They also have sandwiches with just ham and cheese. No mayo they love mayo on their salads and stuff, I have never understood this yet but haha salads usually consist of think lettuce, beets, carrots and occasionally a tomato. Anyways that´s a little of the food for ya! Haha but back to my week!

Tuesday we were walking to an appointment. This guy was approaching us and then hocked a loogie (spit) right at me and then started swearing and saying all sorts of crazy stuff at us. We just kept walking I tried to keep myself calm and then I thought about the Savior. I thought about how we are representatives of him, and how during his life he was spit at, beaten, and crucified for doing nothing but good. It helped me to remember who i represent and to always act with dignity

Later that day we taught our Investigator Mary about the chastity and the importance of the Book of Mormon. She is solid. She will be a great member of the church.

Wednesday we went on exchanges. The district leader came over with me into my zone. He told me that my spanish was really good so that was some good news. At times i get discouraged with myself because i want to be able to do so much more but the language at times holds me hostage to the work I can do. However that was good to hear and I hope to continue to progress. During my study on Wednesday I received an impression that I need to start memorizing all of the scirpture mastery. So that is what I have been spending some time doing in the streets while walking.

Thursday we had a full day planned and then every single one of our appointments fell through. I have been thinking a lot lately about how we can better solidify our citas (appointments) with our investigators to make sure that it actually goes through.

Friday we taught our youth investigators Benjamin and Jeremias and then we were able to get the signature of approval from their mom. They are excited about their baptism on the 29th and the mom is becoming more interested about baptism as we continue teaching the sons. Yesterday at church we were hoping for many of our investigators to come. Yet 2 of our baptismal dates fell. Omar and Javier did not show up to church. We had called Javier to remind him that morning and he relapsed the night before drinking and he felt awful that morning and couldn´t come to church. So that was a little bit of a bummer but we did get one new investigator there who we had set a baptismal date the day before so that was sawweet! His name is Carlos and he is an uncle of a member in our ward. He´s like 65 he wants to get baptized. He has already begun reading the book of Mormon and will come to church with his nephew every week. All in all we had 3 investigators at church and then 4 less actives.

This last week we found 17 new investigators. probably about 8 of them are interested in our message. But we are finding people to teach. This week with my new companion we are going to spend more time with our progressing investigators to solidify them and help them get a decent foundation while we prepare them for their baptism. This last week I have also really tried to always be happy! This week I have really strive to love the people and the country where I am serving even more. Some elders make it hard when they complain about how things wouldn´t be like this if we were in the states and blah blah blah but this week I just said forget this nonsense about comparing things to home! This is my home! This is my home for the next 21 months and I am going to love this place for every single second that I am here! Time is so precious and there are people who need our saving message about the Savior Jesus Christ and his Atonement. The need to know about the restoration of the gospel and that they can have full access to the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ! That is why I am here! I am excited for this next week and the potential it holds! We need to take advantage of every single day! Live life enjoying every single second! I love you all so much! I love this gospel! I am so grateful for the opportunity the Lord has given me to serve the people here in Chile. I love my savior Jesus Christ. Everyday I want to be more like him! As we exercise faith and rely on his atonement one day "when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we will shall see him as he is". Have a great week family! Keep the faith! Take advantage of everyday and love life to its fullest!

Elder Newman