Week 66

[Elder Newman didn’t have time to write a group email this week, but he did send a BUNCH of pictures. Their Mission Christmas Conference was on December 20, and it looks like he got pictures with most of his former companions. He said the conference was fun. Sometime in the last week he saw, "Spirit of the Game", the movie about the missionaries in Australia that formed a basketball team, which he loved. On Christmas Eve they were allowed to watch "The Lion King", which he was pretty excited about. We talked with him over Skype on Christmas Eve (Christmas Day in Australia), and he is doing well. Having spent so much time in Merimbula, which is “the bush”, and now being back in the city, he has lost his gift of talking to random strangers. But his companion, Elder Cook, is helping him learn to have that gift again. He said it is a bit of struggle for him, but it is something that he is working on, and he is pushing himself to get out of his comfort zone again. After talking to us, he went to dinner with a Tongan family. He said that the Tongans always insist that they eat more, so he got a pretty full belly for Christmas.]

Elder Cook, Elder Famasasa, Elder Bagshaw, Elder Newman at the Sydney Temple.

First and second transfers (Camden), trainer Elder Iino from Japan (middle).

Third transfer (Camden), Elder Melville from Orem.

Fourth transfer (Hurstville), Elder Brown from Sandy (3rd from left); MTC Companion Elder Delahunty from Provo (on the right).

Sixth and seventh transfers (Merimbula), Elder Plata from the Philippines.

Eighth and ninth transfers (Merimbula), Elder Stott from Smithfield.

Transfer 10 and 11 (Villawood), Elder Cook from Arizona (his family has since moved to Pleasant Grove) on the left. Elder Rea is on the right. A lot of people think these three look like triplets.

 
President Back (middle) and Elder Famasasa, current flatmate in Villawood.

 

 

Elder Cook, Elder Famasasa, Elder Bagshaw, Elder Newman at the Sydney Australia Temple.

Christmas Eve movie/pizza night with the flatmates.. Elder Newman, Elder Famasasa, Elder Cook, Elder Bagshaw.

The Lion King.

 Christmas Day Skype with the family and Elder Newman in Neuquen, Argentina.

Yes it’s a pig head. We are going over today to try horse.

Week 65

Well this week has been the most successful week for finding people to teach so far in my mission. We have 7 new investigators this week, and they are now all on date, so we have a total of 8 baptisms that could happen in the month of January. It’s going to be a busy month.

We have just been finding heaps of less actives that nobody has been teaching, and it’s just like the members have gotten even more involved with the missionary efforts. I am loving this ward for missionary work. The only problem with this area is trying to find parking, haha. If that’s the only thing that I can find wrong with this area, then it’s going to be great serving here.

I love you all. I’m doing good. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! We will be having our Christmas Conference tomorrow, and then back to work as usual. I love you all, have a great week!

Love, Elder Newman.

The missionaries in our ward and our investigators..

We just made gift baskets for the widows in the ward.

Week 64

This week has been a busy week for finding. And guess what! All the finding that we did last week and this week, paid off. We got two new investigators this week and a member referral that we got yesterday, so our teaching pool tripled.

Also Emanuel is on date for Baptism for the 16th of January, so we are excited! Great things are happening in this area. Our Ward mission Leader said that we have been the best companionship at finding that he has ever seen in this ward.

Not a whole lot happened this week except for heaps of finding, but we did have a stake basketball tournament on Saturday, and it was a huge turnout. It was a lot of fun, heaps of people and only two fights that quickly burned out.

It’s funny to watch them play basketball in this ward because they play it more like rugby with how they pass the ball and how much contact there is when they play on the court. It was a lot of fun to watch. Our ward won the Women's division, and don't worry there was a lot of missionary work that was going on.

There was a lot of work this week, and we are now receiving blessings.

I love you all have a great week, talk to yous next time!
Elder Newman

 Happy birthday Bryant, enjoy it!


The one with all the missionaries is Lima Kafoa's setting apart. She is the one in the dark blue dress. Awesome family!

You know me mom. I love you, but I’m sorry I didn’t wait. Haha.

I love the flower tie, thanks mom!

 

Week 63

I don’t even know what to share with yous this week. It was a pretty average week, just heaps of finding and talking to random strangers. But it’s sometimes fun talking to random people because sometimes they just talk to you. Because you represent Jesus Christ, they just let you know what’s going on in their personal life and things that they are struggling with and some of their life questions, and you, as a missionary, have the responsibility to answer some of those questions. Sometimes they are really hard to answer, and sometimes they are easy to explain. But along with me getting asked questions, I get to ask questions back.

They told us in the MTC to ask inspired questions, and I never really understood how; and I wasn't very good at doing that until for some reason this past week, and it has made a difference in teaching and in finding. So I guess my tip for anyone preparing to serve is: learn how to ask good questions and learn how to talk to people. If you can do that, you will be a great missionary.

Also I saw the biggest cockroach of my life this week. This thing was 4 inches longs and 1 to 2 inches wide, the biggest one I have ever seen! It was just crazy big, and I thought that I would share that with you. Anyways have a great week, and I will talk to yous all next week!

Love, Elder Newman

Me and elder cook have on lava-lavas..

ZTM [zone training meeting]

Week 62

This week went by fast because p-day was Wednesday, but it’s been a great couple of days.

We got a new investigator. His name is Emanuel. He is from Ghana, Africa, and is really easy to teach and discuss doctrine. He is a great guy.

We also had an Elders Quorum activity at a park with a gigantic play ground and slide. I will send pictures. They will be on my blog (if my mom puts them on).

Also I had a great time at church. I had to give a talk this week, which wasn't hard at all because it only had to be 5 minutes. Everyone in this ward is very keen on missionary work.

That was my week. I love you all. Have a great week.
Elder Newman

Week 61

This week felt heaps long because we had our p day today because of the temple trip that we were able to do, which was great. I learned a lot today, and I even learned a lot this week as well. It’s a lot different coming back to the city. I have to get back in the groove with the way you talk to people here, but I am doing good and loving the work.

It has been getting really hot lately. Yesterday it got up to 38-39 degrees Celsius [100-102 F], but it’s all good because we have a car most of the time.

A couple cool experiences happened this week. We have had people take videos of us walking down the street, and the same day while at the train station a group took a picture of us. And then also that same day someone had fallen onto the tracks and got hurt, and the news cameras had arrived and so we might have been on the Australian news channel.

I can’t wait to see what this area has in store for us.

Love you all, have a great week!
Elder Newman

Elder Cook [new companion] is from Arizona and we were in the same intake so we came out together.

A member gave us milk, but it was all expired hahaa.

 Our ping pong table set up.

Two of our cats, their names are Lenny and Famous.

Temple trip...

Elder Delahunty, on the far right, was my MTC Companion.

Me, Elder Famisasa, Elder Cook, and Elder Bagshaw-from Canada.