Familia, 

Pretty busy week for you guys huh? First week of school, aniversary, firesides, dances, games, sound like Alyssa had a great time with her first week of school. I am glad that you are all doing well.  Happy Anniversary! I thought about you during the week. And Happy Birthday Nate!! 25!! 

Wow what another great week. The weeks just seem like the blink of an eye. They go so very fast. This week was so busy, but it was great. Through the week we  were super busy with preparing all of our investigators for baptism and getting them ready for this weekend with planning the services and everything. 

So Elder McCusker and I teach an English Class. And it has been going pretty well. Lately we have had around 15 people come so it is starting to become really popular. Also one of the members from the ward brought her niece to the English class and we started to talk to her and become friends and then the Sister missionaries from our ward started to teach her and she was baptized this last weekend. She had a complete change and yesterday it was cool I saw her hug one of the sister missionaries and tell her that she wanted to be just like them.

Also one of the referrals that we have been working with is coming to the english class with her son this Wednesday so we have seen some great fruits from our class. We have a good time we teach the class and then at the end we will do some time of game with all of those who come. They come and laugh and have a good time. 

Thursday we got up at 4 am and got ready to go to Antofagasta. Our bus left at 6 am sharp and we told everyone to be at the bus terminal at 5:30. We told the sister missionaries that they could be there at 5:45 thinking its the hermanas and they will get there on time. So we get to the terminal and everyone is there except for a sister companionship. So they ended up missing the bus, and Elder McCusker and I traded our tickets with some people who had a later bus ticket and then we went and bought 2 more tickets. Luckily we still made it to Antofagasta on time. 

However we take a micro (bus) and I know Antofagasta pretty well but I wanted to make sure which bus we should take from the terminal to get to the chapel where the meeting was. So I make sure with this worker at the terminal, and we get on the bus with 20 missionaries on that bus. It was packed with all the other people ha ha. Anyway the bus ends up taking us to a wrong part of town and Elder McCusker and I have to get to a meeting with all of the zone leaders and Elder Viñas at 11:10 am and it was about 10:40. So then we had to book it all the way to the chapel.

We were walking and it was so humid and warm that morning and by the time we got there it was like 10:58 and I was just soaking in sweat and my legs were burning because the muscle where the shins are were so tired. My feet started flopping like a duck as we speed walked because the muscle in my shins was on fire. Haha Elder McCusker asked me if I was alright I responded ya fine bro. Anyway we got there and I was just all sweaty and soaked and we hurried and went to the bathroom washed off my face from the sweat and tried to dry my face off with a paper towel. Hahaha it was super funnny. Elder McCusker didnt even really sweat that much. Then about 2 min later Elder Viñas got there with President Dalton and their wives. It all worked out in the end and it was awesome.

In the meeting with the zone leaders he just let us ask questions and he talked to us a lot about when the people understand the doctrine they will change, our investigators, and our missionaries too. It was great. 

The conference was awesome. We talked about many things. We talked a lot about the atonement and real conversion. I learned so many things and i was amazed by the ability of Elder Viñas to quote the scriptures and use them. Almost everything we talked about he supported it with quoted scriptures the whole time but it was super powerful. 

Friday was super busy. Elder McCusker got to the church at 11 am and we didn't leave until 9:00. It was crazy. But we were there preparing everything for the baptismal service for José and Javier, the sons of sister Alina Muñoz. Elder McCusker and I prepared a musical number. We sang "Brillan Rayos del Clemencia" (Brightly Beams our Father´s Mercy). It was great. Our piano in the chapel can record, so I played it on the piano, and recorded it. And then for the baptismal service we just pressed the play button and then we sang along. It went really well.

The baptism was awesome. Elder McCusker and I baptized them and it went super well. It was great to feel a portion of the Spirit and that joy that comes with it. Their dad who is wasn't real receptive about the whole idea was very happy after the baptism.  He is our next project. We hope that the spirit will continue to soften his heart and with time change. That family has changed so much. Sister Alina thanked us so much for everything, tears of joy came to mine and Elder McCusker´s eyes as we listened to her. 

Saturday we also were preparing for the other baptisms. The baptismal service was at 7 pm. It was super busy and crazy but Everything worked out. Enrique was baptized by the bishop. It was so awesome. And Kattya and Karla were baptized by a preist in the ward. It was so great. 3 other people were baptized in the ward by the other 2 companionship's in the ward. It was so awesome. Such a great service. I love everyone of our converts and the people that we have worked with so much. The Lord has been blessing us so much in our ward. We have seen many great miracles as we have been working with our bishop and great things are happening down here in Calama. As we strive to help the people in a way that they can become converted through the spirit we see miracles. 

Anyway we are doing super well here. I have never been so happy. I am sad that Elder McCuker and I only have 2 more weeks together. I am loving being a missionary and serving among my fellow brother and sisters here in Chile. We have become dedicated to this work and there is nothing that makes me so happy. I know the savior lives. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and plays a key part in our own conversion and stability in these last days. I hope you have a great week. I love each and every one of you. 

Elder Newman