Family,

Wow what a crazy week this last week was. We survived the Clinca Arica and we are finally free. It feels so good to be in the fresh dry air of Arica again.  I am glad that I can start this week normal and get back to work with the investigators we have. The Lord has taken care of our investigators while we have been in the clinica so that has been wonderful. 

Monday night as we were coming back from the centro Elder Stratford had lost his wallet in the taxi. So we went straight to the collectivo office to inform them that his wallet had been lost, then i went and took him to the terminal to leave to Antofagasta for his new missionary conference with the president. A youth from the ward had come with me to drop off Elder Stratford at the terminal and then we went back to the sector and worked. We did a full out exchange with the youth who is preparing for his mission. His name is Jean and he is waiting for his mission call this week or next week. He is the son of our Ward mission Leader and he is a great kid. His dad Is also a wonderful member who reactivated in the fall and is becoming fully converted to the gospel and the work. It is great to have a Ward mission Leader who is excited and willing to help us with the work here in Arica. 

Tuesday I was with Jean all day. We finished the day at a Family Home Evening tradition that we have created with the ward while we are in Summertime. Every organization of the church takes a turn in planning and creating a noche de hogar. We have activities a message and food and it has been great for our ward with the recent converts and investigators to come to an activity where they feel comfortable and where they can create friendships quickly.

Wednesday morning we went to the terminal to pick up elder Stratford and when we got there he did not look so good. When we got there I could tell something was wrong and he had told me that he had a fever and that he felt a pain in his leg up by his hip flexer. So we went to the pension and he rested the morning and woke up and said that he felt better, and then he took some ibuprofen and then put some cream on his leg and then we kept working. The next morning he woke up and he said that he did not feel good again but he kept working. The other Elders from the pension left to the stake center to do planning with the zone but I stayed in the pension. I started to plan by myself and then I had a feeling that I had better go check on my companion and so then I went in and he had just woken up and I noticed that he looked like his fever had gone up, so i went and grabbed my thermometer and it was up to 103 and then he got out of bed and then as we were walking to the kitchen I noticed his leg! Yikes it did not look good. We knew something was up. Immediately we took action by calling and trying to get a hold of the mission doctor, I gave him a blessing, and then we went to the clinica arica. We knew that it was one of two things, that either it was a skin infection or it was a blot clot in his leg. But his leg was super swollen and it was red all over. After a long time and many tests the doctors told us that it was a skin infection from the blisters on his feet.  Elder Stratford would need to be hospitalized for some days. So Elder Stratford was in the hospital receiving antibiotics though IV since Thrusday. It was a very long 5 days and we so glad to be out of that clinic. 

Elder Martin the zone leader took a turn for me one night so that was a huge blessing. I was able to sleep in a normal bed, and throughout the whole process our mamita brought us food, and clothes and all of the things that we needed. Elder Stratford will have to rest in the pension for the next week without working while taking some pills. I am going to work with Jean and some other youth in the ward while Elder Stratford stays in the pension with another youth or priesthood holder from the ward. 

Sunday night while I was calling for numbers the hermanas who share the ward with us told me that they had some good news for me and to call them back a bit later. I later called them back and then they told me that they ran into one of our investigators and the hermanas had explained that we had been in the hospital but they went into the house with our investigators and they began to share a quick message. Our investigator Adela told them that she had met with missionaries before but had never felt like praying to ask if what they shared was true. But then she said that the other day she felt like she needed to pray and ask about the truth. She then told them that in her dream the next day she had a dream that She was getting ready and all of her kids ready to go to church, and that they were walking to our church! She recognized it that it was an answer to her prayers. I was so happy to receive that information from the Hermanas on Sunday night after a long 4 days in the hospital. It definitely lifted my spirits and I am excited to work with Adela and her family this week. 

While I was in the Hospital I had a lot of free time on my hands and I was able to study the book of Mormon a lot. I read all of Mosiah and I was able to study the profound impact that leaders have had in the Book of Mormon and on their society whether for good or for bad. The gospel leaders of the book of Mormon had such a profound impact not only on their generations, but those that would follow. As I studied in Mosiah these last few days, I was able to analyze the many leaders that came out of those chapters. Mosiah, King Benjamin, Mosiah, Zenif, Noah, Limhi, Alma, Amaron; all of these men were leaders in the Book of Mormon. Mosiah Chapter 2 I was amazed by all of the Christlike attributes that jumped out of the page of King Benjamin to me. Truly this man was a man of God, he strengthened the land of Zarahemla and prepared it for the future generations of people that would come to that city. The Lord led all of his people to Zarahemla! The mulekites, Alma and his people, Limhi and his people were all led to Zarahemla and the church spread like wildfire! On the other hand I noticed the leaders like Zeniff and king noah who seldom or never remembered the Lord and their people paid the consequences. I hope that we can all remember the impact that each of us can have in the lives of other people  We must never forget that our example and the work that we will do, will not only affect the people that we teach, but rather for generations and generations to come! That is the blessing of the gospel. I love you all so much and am continually grateful for your prayers in mine and my companions behalf. I know that this work is true. Have such a great week!

Elder Newman