Being prepared

TEMPERLEY, Argentina —  Well, it’s the last week of May and I can hardly believe it! It’s a really nice day here in Temperley. Lots of sun, but it's pretty cold. Good thing I have warm clothes and boots to go out with :) 

Sara's best friend in an Argentine fall

This week has been pretty great. We had an activity on Saturday that turned out awesome. We had Family Home Evening and about 60 people more or less came! WAHOOO! We even had two investigators and a less active member there. It was a lot of fun.

We had an ice breaker activity and  got to know each other. Then we had a spiritual thought about prayer and ended with refreshments and a game. I was very impressed with how it turned out. Even better — we had two investigators at church the next day and the less active member is coming next week! :) I love it! So great is the work of God!

Cool story real quick: We have a new investigator this week. His name is Pablo. We found him through another investigator. We met him on Wednesday, he agreed to come to the activity Saturday, came to church Sunday. We had a lesson on Sunday, have a lesson on Wednesday and he is coming to the temple with us on Saturday this week. WOW!!! 

Sara and her companion get ready for the rain

I love how God prepares people. Seriously, we can’t do anything as missionaries unless the people are prepared. Just another testimony to me of how involved God is in our lives. 

I am so grateful that we were able to meet Pablo. He told us he is searching for God and for an answer. He told us he got down on his knees for the first time last night and prayed. I was so humbled to hear that experience and I know that God will answer and that we can help him find what he is looking for!

Our other investigators are doing great. We are working hard every day with them. I truly feel blessed to know the people I do here in Argentina. They are my friends and my family. I am sooo lucky to be here and am blessed every day. We have seen many miracles this week and I am excited to see even more in this next week!

A few of you have asked about the nursing side of my mission. Let me fill you in real quick. I am first and foremost a full-time missionary. And lucky me, I get to be a nurse on the side. I don’t really do much hands-on nursing because our mission is spread out. But I get to take phone calls from the missionaries every day. It’s pretty interesting. Sometimes, there are not many phone calls and other days I don’t know even how to keep up. 

The coolest thing I have learned from it all is that our Heavenly Father helps us in all aspects of life. He helps me daily in the Gospel, but also as a nurse here. There are times that I don’t know how to say medical words in Spanish and I find myself just talking and understanding everything. I know that I can only do this part of my calling with my Heavenly Father. I cannot be a nurse or a missionary without him! :) I LOVE being a missionary and a nurse. The best ever! What more could I ask for? :)

I truly feel blessed in every aspect. I do have hard times still, and sometimes I just have to push through, but I do know that every trial or hard time we have is to make us stronger and become more like our Heavenly Father. We just have to make sure we are doing everything we can to grow from these experiences. Remember to live life and be happy. Give it your all and choose the right! 

Love you all! Hope you have a great week. I better get to the district activity. Mmmmmm Brazilian food and Soccer! :)

-Hermana Newman

Nursing and missionary work

TEMPERLEY, Argentina — Hola mi famila querida! :)

Hello and happy Monday again. I hope you are all doing super great. I heard the good news about Natalie and her mission call. Wahoo congrats cousin! Yeah 3 Newmans Spanish speaking right now. That’s pretty cool!!

This week seemed forever and a day long, but short at the same time. I don’t understand time. But hey, all is well, so it doesn’t matter.  This week was super interesting because everyone was stressed about transfers. I have never had to think about transfers before, because in Maryland, I stayed in the same area. But here I have to think about them now. But... good news... I am staying here in Banfield 1 with Hermana Calderon! I am very excited because we have a lot of work still left to do here together.

This week was great and filled with miracles. We had some visitors (Sister Missionaries) come stay with us for a couple days because they live on the coast, but it is like 6 hours away from where we have transfers. Anyways, long story short, we had to divide the area between us 4 and do splits for two days. It was great, but a little bit stressful all at the same time. The best part was we were able to find some new people to teach and some of our other investigators started progressing, felt the Spirit and are on date to be baptized :) It's fun working with other missionaries, too, because you can learn new ways to teach or explain things. 

Sara's district in Argentina

I love my calling! It is so great to be a missionary and a nurse.

Funny story about nursing: I get lots of calls and so I get to help lots of missionaries every day. Sometimes in Castellano and sometimes in English, depending on who the missionary is. My favorite calls are from the elders because they are just so funny. 

Anyways, an elder called and first thing I hear is, ¨Hi hermana, do you speak English?" Why yes, yes I do, elder. They are always relieved to find that part out. I knew he had a question, but he was avoiding it, so finally I just asked him what he needed. 

I heard him sigh and say, "Well, it's a little embarrassing." 

Then, in the background, I hear an elder yell ¨Oh come on elder! She is a nurse, she can handle it just tell her!¨ 

I seriously about died laughing. Oh I love my life. So great, so fun! Hee hee good old elders. I had lots of stories that are funny this week, but me with my good brain forgot them! :( I need to figure out how to get my brain and memory working better because it is awful!

The work here is great. There are people who don’t want anything to do with us. and then some who are really excited to talk to us and learn more. It’s hard when people don’t want to listen. It breaks my heart when people yell at us, throw rocks and tell us they don’t want to listen, but all I can do is keep on working and pray for these people to soften their hearts so they can be ready for what God has in store for them. 

I love reading in the scriptures about the sons of Mosiah and the things they went through as missionaries. Before my mission, I thought I understood, but being a missionary now I can definitely understand. They were the best missionaries ever no matter what trials came to them. They were hard working, selfless, Christlike, truly full of desire to bring people unto Christ. That is something I am working on daily. One day I want to be a missionary like Alma, Amulek or the sons of Mosiah. :) Yep... new goal of mine! 

Well family, sorry this email is a little short this week, but I can't think of much to write. I hope you all are doing well. My prayers are with you. I love this Gospel. I know it is true and it is truer and truer every day. Have a good one and go tear it up!

Chau,

Hermana Newman :)