Elder R: Se va. Yo: Me quedo‏...

...By which I mean "Elder R served a great mission and that Elder Ri... is going to be great by which I mean already is great," so that's what's up.

With Elder R gone, I began to think a lot about time, and how scarce a resource it really is. This doesn't last forever; time must be used in the best possible way to help out the most people possible. However, we shouldn't value time over people - something else that I learned last night. So yeah... who can be sad when one's doing the work of Salvation? It's fantastic! I love it! 

Yesterday, we had stake conference. And it was super powerful - the presiding authority, Elder Montoya, shared a story of when he saved his son from falling, then pulled that into the Atonement when the Savior cried, "Abba, Father!" then shared what James E. Talmage wrote about the physical cause of the Savior's death - a broken heart. Later, the choir, which was fantastic and accompanied by a violinist, sand "Abide with me, 'tis eventide." I threw the tears back, but they were threatening to come out because I felt the Spirit incredibly strongly. The closing prayer was fantastic as well. It was just an all around good day.

My newest companion is Elder Riveros, a Peruano. Meaning, he's from Peru. He can play the piano like a boss; we also have a lot in common. I'm super excited to work with him... and improve my Spanish accent with him as well. :D

Well, I've got a lot of other people to write, so this is going to have to be it. Sorry! Also, about dropbox, I already have a profile but I haven't asked President about it yet. Also, mail rarely makes it out here, so it'll be a while before I get all the packages. I'll prolly get them all at once.}

Well, be thankful for things and eat an extra pound of mashed potatoes for me! ...They're so uncommon out here... *sadface*

Thanks again for all your support, time, and e'mails!

11/11/13

We're going to see a baptism this week! A great brother with a lot of faith is going to be baptized this Friday. It's been a pretty long journey for him, but he's super excited about it. All we've got to do is make sure Satan doesn't have his way with him and he'll be cleansed from his sins in no time flat.

Also, we get to have a special Zone conference with Elder de Hoyos on Thursday, so I'm really excited for that. I'm gonna learn tons.

Well, that's it for this week. Thanks, everyone, for your support and prayers!

11/4/13

So Elder Ross and I are walking down the street at night to talk with one of our super chosen investigators. We walk past a dark driveway, and this insane chihuahua runs out at me, all yappin' and barking and whatnot. I'm just thinking, "Oh, great. Ignore it, and if it tries to attack me more, I'll-"

My thoughts are interrupted by four more Chihuahuas bolting out to the support of their zergling I mean chihuahua friend. At this point, I'm thinking, "OH NO WHY THIS IS BAD" and I pull off my backpack, swing it around, and start dancing-running around so the chihuahuas don't get their possibly rabid teeth on my heels. Swinging, running-dancing, and shouting, I eventually drive off the enemy player's zerg rush I mean attack and Elder Ross and I laugh on the way home.

Next time it happens, I'm shouting "COME AT ME, BRO!"

(I asked him about his first Day of the Dead holiday...) My Día de los Muertos was... quite unlike any of Dad´s, I imagine. Why? Simple - it was JUST LIKE HALLOWEEN. Just trick'or'treating lasted for... two? Three days? Yeah... so it wasn't really all that different for me. Maybe in the smaller pueblos it's a little more insane or interesting or something like that. So... yeah. Not much happened in regards to that.

In other things, however, a lot did happen this week! We had a zone conference, and President asked me to share what Elder Ross and I have been doing to find new people to teach, and as a result, the Bishop, who was also present, found out about it (drawing to get people to ask us"what's up?"). Then, during a very powerful testimony meeting, the Bishop bore his about the work of salvation, and shared about how he felt about Elder Ross leaving so soon and about my drawing ability. Soon after, everyone asked me about my drawings, and I gladly shared my own little gospel art library, composed of Christ coming to the Americas, Moses crossing the Red Sea, Mary in Front of the Empty Tomb, the Liahona, and the Armor of God.

10/28/13

The primary program was yesterday. It was really good, because it talked about the restoration, plan of salvation, the gospel, and it had some nice music. We managed to bring 5 people to church for the second time, and they're all fantastic. They want everything, and none of them want to miss church anymore.

And then while we were waiting for a family to bring us food, I was playing the piano.

And then the girl with the book in her hands (cropped out) takes her turn and completely destroys me at playing the thing. I mean, it doesn't take much, since I've never really focused on doing it over the past... what, 9, 10 years? ...I still like the photo, however.

But then other things happened.

By which I mean we've finally did the Fall Back thing down here in Southern Southern California - I mean Mexico (because really, sometimes I'm walking around and I feel like I'm back in SoCal) - so last night, at 8:00, it felt like we should've been heading back to the house but we still had an hour left. That was tiring.

And then that same morning, I'd woken up at 4:30, thinking it was 5:30, telling myself, "Yeah, I've got another hour of sleep. Thank goodness for time change." Then the alarm clock goes of at 5:30, us thinking it's 6:30 because the cell phone doesn't automatically change time. I go check the clock, thinking, "Hey, why don't I feel so rejuvinated like I thought I should?" Turns out, we still have another hour of sleep. I prove it to Elder Ross, and then we both fall asleep for another hour.

Ah, it was so nice.

Something that I'm looking forward to is when I finish the Book of Mormon - I'm about halfway through again, but what I wanted to do next time, is take a green pen and bracket in every reference to the Lord and count it up. Sometimes I want to start doing it right now, but I think it'd be more rewarding to do it later. So yeah, I'm excited for that.

The people in Atlaco are really nice. It was actually cold enough here some nights that I put on my jacket and gloves, and one night I slept with my hoodie. So that was a lot of fun. As for the surrounding pueblos, we usually travel to at least one each day. The furthest we've had to ride in bus so far is one hour, and that's the furthest pueblo we actually have work in out here. There are others that are further, but there's not even so much as a reference for anyone over there. So that's interesting.

FROM

Elder Newman, that crazy guy down south or up north depending on where you are

10/21/13

My lunch on Tuesday and Moses crossing the Red Sea. And yes, those are grasshoppers. They actually tasted pretty good, especially with some nice green salsa and meat.

Well, this week, I met the oldest brother of the Hnos. (Hermanos) Uribe from Naucalli (because there were two out there that lived down the street), and when that was established, we talked a lot about everyone that I've met in the Uribes.

So that was good.

Anyways, y'all are probably wondering what's up out here in the pueblos! To be honest, not much! But it does remind me a whole lot more of the other places I've lived, like Jenks or Meridian. Why? Because, at night when it's clear, I can see stars. I can look across the valley and see other pueblos in the distance, with a decent black space in between each one. Sometimes it's a little harder to understand the Spanish, but it's just another accent that I'll get used to.

DF reminded me of southern California. Atlaco's just beautiful, as are all the pueblos that we go to. We ride a lot more busses and taxis than in any of my previous areas, the house is about as nice as the one in Culturas, and there's still a lot to do. Since it's Elder Ross's last transfer, we're going to do a lot of sightseeing on P-Days and grabbing souvenirs. So that's going to be fun. Thankfully, he's not a trunky. That'd just make it miserable. He's just as alive as ever, and he, being in his last month, has tons of good advice, i.e. what makes a good district or zone leader, how to do things, and he's making sure I get the confidence of the ward and that I know the area.

Tell Brother Faber and the Bishop I said hi, please, and that I congratulate Andrew on his accomplishment! It's not really getting me cold at night out here - although the other day, Elder Ross and I thought we saw a little snow flurry while it was raining.

It wasn't really snow,
But it seemed to be, 

Frozen water coming down at me!

Lol, popcorn. But anyways, it was just rain that moved like snow. It's actually been raining a lot out here recently, but I like that. Cools things down.

So, about those drawings.

President Whitehead told me and my companion to do something with them. That something is going to the downtown part of the pueblos every day at the same time and same place and drawing for half an hour while my companion contacts some people. He more or less promised miracles. So we're basically getting everything else figured out as to how and when we want to do that.

You'll be hearing stories.

Well, that's about it. I think.

Well, thanks for all your support and love, and all that other great stuff that people think is cool and whatnot!

Elder Newman

10/14/13--"What's This?"

Fresh air? Buildings not plastered together? Clear skies? Burning sun? Taxis with a teal checker pattern? Several hours in bus? WHAT CAN IT ALL MEAN?

Well, it must mean that I have finally reached the pueblos (villages/towns/not cities) in the mission with the area of Atlacamulco! ...Still a mouthful for me, but one day I'll get it! So far, everything's great! The house is nice, I'm already out of transport money, and, well, I'm super excited to be out here! Although with the area being so big, and with my companion's back not being broken (long story), I'll need to get back to work at walking fast again. So more leg pains, but it's all good!

What else

Well, in my little farewelling to everyone in Culturas, Fernando, the Man of the Hamburgers, decided to give me not just one, but two free hamburgers last night. So that was delicious.

Also, I really love the busses down here - they're like super cool ground planes with in'ride movies (no I didn't watch), in'ride lunches, and all that delicious stuff.

And recliner chairs. That was nice, too. SO NICE.

Well, I'm still in the opposite situation as you, Dad - I just got another American companion, making it 1 Mexican, 4 Americans. He's Elder Ross, from Spanish Fork, Utah. It's his last change, so, as we say in the mission, I'll be "killing" him. <buahahahaha>  and it's his last change in the field. Also, I'm finally out in the pueblos!

BYU really is a great campus. I absolutely love the community, and the wards there are great as well.

But anyways, I don't really have many stories to share from the last week - we spent a lot of time looking for people and running around trying to get everything in order with some people. As well as trying to finish off the change with a blast - which we did.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand... yeah. For once I have extra time.

Weird.

Well, thanks, y'all! I love ya'll as a missionary does and I hope I don't get sunburnt!

DE

Elder Hombrenuevo I mean Newman

10/07/13

So yesterday, Elder McKinley's reporting the numbers and we're in the one dry place we can find (because it was raining). Then, some youths decide, "Hey, there are some güeros over there. LET'S HIT THEM WITH ROCKS!" So they start throwing some rocks that they find at as. At first, I see them and they try hiding, but they can't hit us. Clearly frustrated, they decide to blow their cover and start throwing more rocks at us. They never hit us, and they're trying for a good couple minutes. When my comp is done, we then go and talk about it a bit. In the end, we decide it's Samuel the Lamanite meets MC Hammer - CAN'T TOUCH THIS! (Insert tune right here) It was a nice little tender mercy from the Lord after a rough day of little to no success.

Also, my ship that I drew last week is now in the possession of the Mission President's wife because she absolutely loved it. And then I had to draw 14 more. It was... well, we can say fun. But now the President also knows about my talent and appreciates it, so that's all fun! I love knowing that I could help!

Sounds like things have been going pretty well up there in Idaho. Lots of little things happening to make big things happen. We were able to go to the last three sessions of General Conference, but not the first two. In order to go to the first two, we had to bring investigators - which we weren't able to do. So, as a natural response, we ran around for a total of four hours searching those people that might've been willing to come with us to listen to the voice of the Lord - unfortunately, we couldn't find anyone we'd committed to come nor anyone that was available for any session that day. So, naturally, I fall a little bit under the excitement weather and then I went "woe is me" mode.

And then I went to the Priesthood Session, and President Uchtdorf spoke straight at me, answering and more or less resolving every single time I'd ever felt down on myself. I can't wait to get the written copy of that talk. I absolutely love that man - he's a wonderful servant of the Lord. Just as you are, and as Dad is, and as my companion is. Me? I'm just trying my best.

And then I spent extra time on a drawing today, so that felt really good and lifted up my spirits. I have more to say about that in another e'mail though, to give others more to read.

Well, thanks for everything, Mom! We've got really no investigators right now, but it's all good - we've got plans to find more people to teach.

well, g2g. No more time. LAter!