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.

Week 60

Transfers! I got moved to Villa wood, which is a city area with a lot of islanders, so it’s going to be a bit different from Merimbula. The members are mostly ysa age rm's, so they are super keen for missionary work. I am excited to get back into things here. I have a lot of hope for this area.

My new comp is Elder Cook. He is great. We have a lot in common, and the members say that we look alike. I will let you be the judges of that. I think they only say that because we are both white, and we both wear glasses.

We will see what this new area holds in store and find out why I got sent here. I love you all. Have a great week.

Love,
Elder Newman.

 

 
It’s an echidna, I think, and it was under our car at the flat.

This was a gift from the Shoobridges. They also gave me a builders pencil. I say it’s because I build testimonies, but it’s just to remember them.

Week 59

This week was great! Even though I got sick on Wednesday, but I recovered and we were able to get some teaching done as well as some service. We also got to play a little game of softball, which the Parker Family had, that the Shoobridges invited us to. It was a lot of fun.

We were able to catch up with Wendy this week. She had been sick as well, but she was able to come to church and we had a fantastic lesson with her. She is never scared to ask us questions which makes it a lot easier on us missionaries because then it is more of a discussion rather than us just throwing information at her, so that was great. Thanks to all that have been praying for her!

We were also contracted to do a little bit of cementing at Debbie P’s house on Saturday morning, which was great. We were able to finish that then quickly head over to the Shoobridges and finish the skirting along the floor and move the gym equipment into their gym room, which looks amazing!

Transfers are also this week. I have been here for 6 months, and that is usually how long President keeps people here in these far out areas, but I still don’t know if he will transfer me. I think he will keep me here for another one, but I don’t know.

I also want to tell you about a funny experience that me and Elder Stott had this week on Monday afternoon. We spend Monday afternoon doing activities with the Shoobridges, and this Monday we got dressed up. Me and Elder Stott went as missionaries as well as little Shoobridge. Also, Naomi wanted to paint Daniel’s face so he was Frankenstein. He looked good! So we got to the Halloween, to the trunk or treat, and I guess me and Elder Stott won the scariest costume contest, haha, because a lady came up to us (not knowing that we were actual missionaries), and said, “You two are hands down, by far, the creepiest ones here,” and we all started laughing. She found out later that night that we were "Actual Mormons” so she came up and apologized to us. She felt really bad about what she said, but to be honest I loved it. It made the night.

That’s all for this week. I love you all, have a great week!
Love, Elder Newman