Witnessed First Baptism

Well this week was good! I had the opportunity to witness two people be baptized in the Gospel! What a great experience that was! I love it! They really enjoyed it. One of them said when he went into the font the water was cold but then when he was coming out from being baptized he didn't even realize he was cold. I am learning the language, but man does it get irritating when I don't fully understand what they are saying and then I don't know exactly what to say in Spanish. Things in my new location are good, it's different, but good. We have people that are progressing which is really nice! In my last area, we hardly had any people progressing, but we still shared the gospel with them, so they were at least aware of this great church. This week we had the opportunity to go and help two missionaries in the hospital. They just had visits, but each time they have to go to the hospital the nurse has to go with them. It's a two and a half hour bus ride to get to the hospital. The nurse is usually in a different area which is like a half hour away, but the President moved my companion a couple transfers ago to this area. I don't know if I will get moved closer later on or what will happen. It took up our whole P day. We got our grocery shopping done in 10 minutes and we were out the door by 5:00 to go teach people. The Lord really helped us to be able to do this work and be obedient. I have had a few times where I have answered the call for nursing and helping the missionaries. I am grateful for this opportunity that I have to serve and bring these people of Guatemala into the Gospel!

Transfer Time - Let the nursing training begin.

Well I transfered to an area closer to the capital and I am now with the other nurse. I answered calls today from missionaries who are sick and I just need to pray that I will be able to listen to the spirit for what things I can say to them. My companion though helps me and that is great. I am thankful that I get to be with her for 6 weeks to be able to learn nursing and to be able to learn from her on how she teaches this gospel. It was soo hard to say goodbye to the people I was serving in my last area. When I was saying bye to the ward mission leader he looked at me after I was done talking and said Hermana your spanish is wonderful. You really have improved a lot. We had the priviledge of hearing from ELDER COOK yesterday and boy was that AMAZING!!!!! He is an inspired man. He wanted to shake all of our hands so we had the opportunity to do so. There was about 700 missionaries there. Three different missions which meant that I got to see people from the CCM too which was great! He said you are where you are supposed to be right now in your life and that was soooo great to hear that from an apostle. Not that I was doubting that I am not supposed to be here but to hear that from an apostle was great. It was in English too so that was really nice to be able to understand everything instead of trying to understand a few words and then put them together into what exactly was being said. I LOVE THE GOSPEL!!!! Well grandma asked if I have spoken in church yet, well the answer is YES, this past week I did and that was fun. haha I prepared my talk the night before in like 20 minutes and of course I cried, but the members came up to me and said what a beautiful message you shared and your testimony. I thought that was really nice and they even said they understood it. haha extra blessing. This language is good, its tough at times, but its good. Everyday I learn more and my companion is teaching me more everyday. We have two baptisms this weekend so that will be great!!!!! The people in my last area were having a hard time actually progressing and here we actually have progressing investigators who want to be baptized. Its GREAT!!! THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!

Hot Birthday, Testimony, Dead Squirrels - What a week it has been.

Well this was my first birthday where it was hot in the day. I didn't do anything special for my birthday, just a regular day of teaching people. There is a member in the branch which it was his birthday as well so that was fun! He is the ward mission leader and is way nice! There is a older man that we go and read The Book of Mormon with because he can't read and it is nice to just sit down and read and explain The Book of Mormon with him. We were about to start and he pulls out of his bag two dead squirrels which was his dinner. My companion was about to run away when she saw them. haha. This past Sunday I decided to pray in the morning to have another assurance that Joseph Smith was a prophet and restored the gospel and then in Sacrament we sang Joseph Smith's First Prayer and WOW that was my answer. I definitely could have started crying then. The spirit was so strong and that night I was able to bear testimony of my experience that I had with people. We taught a family that we haven't taught since Christmas Eve and that was great to teach them again and afterwards the dad said that my Spanish was better which definitely makes me feel good. It's hard for me to really realize that it has progressed, but when I hear it from other people it tells me that I have progressed. Yesterday for Zone P day we went to church property and did some service and then hung out. It seriously felt like I was in the mountains of Utah. They have their camps there and EFY. I got to talk to a member who is from Canada, her family is building an orphanage. We got to talk in English which was sooo nice! Nice to have a conversation now and then in English.

Christmas Eve

Hello, this week was a pretty good week, it went by fast. I am starting to understand the language more and more each day. I understand words, its just hard to compile what they say fast and then put it into English for me to understand. My companion is helping me though learn and as I speak she is telling me what to say, it is helpful. I just need to remember it all. Our living conditions are great, haha Its good, I am getting used to it, although I am not a fan of mosquitoes and fleas. My legs are going to look bad when I come home. I put on bug repellant, but that doesnt always do it. The ward mission leader and I share the same birthday, he is soo great! I really like him and all the members of the branch here. He said he promises to make a cake for my birthday. haha It doesnt really feel like Christmas other than us singing Christmas songs and some people have Christmas trees in their house. Tonight we are going to the ward mission leaders house and having a party with them. Not entirely sure what it all will consist of, but it should be fun. I am looking forward to it. We contact on buses and knock on doors,it's hard when there are a ton of people on their, but our mission president says talk to everyone because it's their salvation. It's difficult, but I am doing my best and just trying to understand what they are saying to me. haha We have some progressing investigators, but not many set on a baptism date. I enjoy teaching the gospel to the people here, some want to learn and listen and some don't. Whats funny is that I will be talking and my companion understands me totally, but the person we are teaching doesn't understand me and says no entiende ella. My companion says it's their excuse to not understand me because I am not from here and they can tell this isn't my native language. I always ask my companion did you understand me and she says yes. haha Some people aren't prepared for the gospel yet. We had an activity last week with the mission, we were able to go to the temple and then we had a devotional and that was really good. The night before we came and stayed with four other Hermanas and went on divisions because we didn't know the area and I went with a girl from Lindon, Utah and it was so nice to talk to someone in English for a little bit. I talked in Spanish too but just to express myself about my first week in the field was good. This week was a good week. The people here are great!

First week in the Mission Field.

Well I survived a week in the mission field. What an experience this will be. I am in a little town and there are about 60 members in the branch. Its very different. The people live like they are camping every day. Some of them cook their food on a fire and others have nicer houses to cook on a stove. Our place is pretty nice except our sink, toilet, shower are outside. Its different but its something that I need to get used to here. The members are great and one is really trying to help me with my spanish which I really like. Spanish is hard, its difficult for me to try and express how I feel about this gospel when I dont know the words in Spanish. My companion is from Ecuador and is helping me learn Spanish, she doesnt know very much English. My Mission President put me with her because I need to learn the language FAST in order to be the nurse. It was great to meet him. Its good teaching the gospel. We have a member who cooks us lunch everyday which that is nice and then we eat dinner at 9:30 at night. My companion is ahead of me always, they said it takes time, but soon I will be running or walking really fast. The lessons we have taught have been great, I feel the spirit even though I can't totally understand what they are saying, I pick up on a few things here and there but can't completely understand it. Oh the dogs here are like ants, they are everywhere. Not sure if they have owners or what. They are everywhere though haha random fact. The gospel is great, the church is true and I am doing my best at teaching the gospel. We get to have a mission Christmas party on Thursday and are going to the TEMPLE. That should be fun!! Merry Christmas to everyone.

Mission Field here I come.

Hola! This week has been good. My Thanksgiving was good, they had a big dinner for us that was decorated. Made us feel like we were home only we weren't. It was really nice that they made it feel like Thanksgiving. We had everything that we usually have for Thanksgiving dinner. LOVED IT!! My teacher Hermano Lopez is AMAZING!! He is the greatest teacher and knows so much about the gospel. He told my companion and I that our Spanish has really progressed and that if we are diligent its going to come. He also told me that as I do nursing that God will provide me with rememberance of the knowledge and wisdom that I have studied in school and more with come as I do it. He is sooo uplifting and gives me hope and encouragement to keep pressing forward. Well this week being the Sister Training Leader has been interesting. These girls are not being obedient and just doing things to cause problems. I don't like going to the President or his wife but I have had to twice now and they came and talked to us all last night on obedience. Ya its been a good time. The Lord is teaching me to not be very nice to people and tell them how things are done if you want to obey. I have to go and turn off all the lights at night and some give me crazy looks, but thats what the Presidents wife has told me to do. Its crazy! I am definitely learning. The Presidents wife is really nice to me. Last night after talking to her I just looked at her and smiled and said thank you! It was nice! Another Hermana said to me you are doing a good job Newman. haha There is another leader with me now and she speaks both English and Spanish which is really helpful. I like it a lot because I can't get the message direct in Spanish. haha I haven't really had to do a lot with nursing besides giving some people medications stomach issues or one went to the dentist. I have talked to the Dr here and he is soo funny. He sent me some references which I thought was really nice of him. I will see him sometimes on Sunday. I don't know exactly yet what I will be doing. Its a surprise. haha Next week I go out in the mission field. CRAZY!!

Two more weeks in the CCM, then off to Teach & Preach like Missionaries Do.

This week was good. It went by soooo fast. I cant believe I have already been out here for four weeks and that I only have two more weeks in the CCM. We are going to be the viejos (oldest ones) here. Crazy! Sunday is always great. There was a story that one of the members of the Branch Presidency told and it was amazing. He told about how a man went to the Temple on Saturday to take out his endowments and that he brought a family card with him who it happened to be his wife who has already passed on but he was going to get sealed to her. I am so excited to go out and to be able to touch these peoples hearts. His wife talked about the Primary song I will go, I will do, the things the Lord commands, I know the Lord provides the way He wants me to obey. It was so great! I was crying haha. We also had the chance to hear from President Eyring, Elder Richard G Scott and Sister Rosemary Wixom for a Regional Conference. Apparently they are here in Guatemala. Elder Scott knows Spanish so he talked in Spanish which they had a translator for English and it was weird to not hear his actual voice, but President Eyring and Sister Wixom spoke in English so that was really cool. I had the chance to help out some sisters with my calling as the Sister Training Leader. Some have been sick, so at night one of them was throwing up and couldnt breathe so we had to go get the Zone Leader and District Leader and give her a blessing and got the Mission Presidents wife. Also, there were some girls who were scared so we all gathered around and said a prayer and they have been fine ever since. It is great to be able to help these girls out. I realize more each day why I have this calling and why I am here. I did talk to the nurse here and she said today that I am her favorite nurse. haha She gave me this packet of medications that I will tell the missionaries what to get if they call me. She said I will have a phone and the missionaries will call me if something is wrong and that I will discuss with them the options that we have. Thats about all that I know right now. She is so great though and a big help. She said when I am in the field I can call her anytime I need to if I have a quesiton. This week has been great, I have learned so much, and I know that I need to continue to STUDY STUDY STUDY!! I realize I dont know a whole lot about this doctrine and in order for me to teach it to the people here I really need to study. It is good though and I am study as much as I can. I really wish we had more personal study time because that hour goes by WAY too fast. My knowledge though is increasing and my Spanish is improving little by little.