Hola! Que tal? Bien o que?
Solid week this week! Not a ton happening. Just running around the zone trying to help out missionaries and their investigators so that they could get baptized this last week of August! On Tuesday my comp went down to Tocopilla to help out the missionaries there and I stayed here in Calama all day with Elder Recca from Hawaii! He is in a trio right now so I was able to rob him as my comp. He is a really cool dude! He has a ton of different stories and everything. He is a native from Hawaii, had to go hunt food and all that type of stuff. But he has a ton of different stories. Then also on Wednesday I went and worked with him in his sector to go and do some interviews for a couple investigatores. So he was my comp for like 2 days. But we actually got closer. Invited me to go to "the rock" when he gets home to teach me how to hunt and make bows and arrows and a ton of different stuff. I might just have to go when he gets back home lol! It was a lot of fun to work with him though! He is really excited and works really hard, he´s a little crazy but a lot of fun! I don´t think I´ll be able to send pics this week I don´t want to get a virus. We are in a sketchy ciber right now so I don´t think I´m going to connect my camera. There is even a sign that says that they aren´t responsible if you lose data and stuff like that.... I´ll have to send them next week or something! But I have quite a lot from this week! Then also on Thursday Elder Shelton(the assistant) came down to help out as well doing interviews and everything to help out the zone. Because as a zone we haven´t been doing so hot. We only had 5 baptisms as a zone this month of August! But we are going to kill it this September and everyone is going to baptize! Si o si! We are just going to keep working hard and go with all the fire this next month! Also like no one came to church this Sunday which was lame. We had quite a few people promise to come to church this Sunday but no one ended up going. We only had 1 person in church who was Ingrid who has been going to church since I found her that day in the street. We have a lot of really good families and everything that are really good but Satan is also working hard. We are just going to work harder and keep working with the families that we have and find even more that are ready for the Gospel! Next week we should be getting wet in the waters of baptism! Definitely been a while and we need to baptize si o si!! We should of had a baptism this weekend but the investigator(his name is Roger) that was going to go to church last week got stabbed through his arm into his stomach and right into his artery. He lost a ton of blood and was pretty bad. Saturday night...... Freaking Satan! But now he´s going to go back to Bolivia where he can get better medical help so bye investigator... So that´s whats been happening to us. But we are just going to keep going with faith and keep working hard. Just have to lose myself in the work until the end!
Yeah fighting here in Chile is just normal. There are a lot of drunks in the street. The other week I met a dude that lived in the States for a while that now is just a drunk here in Chile. He was talking with me in English and saying just a ton of swear words. That was fun. But there are definitely a ton of experiences with stuff like that, that happens all the time. But everyone here is chill with the missionaries. Also because I´m double their size. Speaking of fights yeah I heard about the fight between Mcgregor and Mayweather. It was pretty big down here too. I heard about it. I really wanted to watch it lol. Sounded like a good fight!!
We also got the water heater fixed this week! No more ice cold showers!! Thanks to the showers I got pretty sick this week as well. I´ve been sick all week with a cold. But its all good. I´m already used to being sick. It seems like I get sick every transfer!
Nope just another normal P-day. We went and shopped around downtown today. We found some really cool panchos made out of llama which were really cool. My comp bought one and I think I might get one next week as well. Definitely not something easy that you can get in the States.
Also tomorrow we head down to Antofagasta for leadership council! Should be fun! I like the leadership councils a lot. Definitely learn a lot from President everytime!!
Other than that just going to keep working strong and hard to find all the people I can and lead them into the waters of baptism!! Thanks for everything! Love you guys a ton!! Have an amazing week!!
Love
Elder Newkirk
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Monday, August 21, 2017
week #86-- still working hard in Calama
Hey!
Another week down! Things went really well with Elder Jennings this week! He has definitely liven me up and we`ve been working hard here in Calama. Still haven`t seen a lot of fruits yet but soon we should be seeing some! Definitely have found soon really cool people this week! We found a lady that literally just got married last Friday and her husband is a less active member of the church, just by talking with her in the street! Also found another lady whos husband is also a member of the church less active that has been wanting to go back to church, he got baptized like 8 years ago in Bolivia and when he moved here like 2 years ago hasn`t gone to church but wants to go to church with all his family(wife isn`t a member). Also found another dude who is really cool that wanted to go to church and everything and even had a baptism date for this Saturday but Saturday night he cut his hand open and had to go to the hospital so he couldnt go to church. Stupid Satan. Also Hamlet didn`t get baptized this week. Tuesday we went to their house to invite him to have a baptism interview because he knows everything already. He told us that he was Catholic and didn`t want to change religion even though hes been coming to our church and isnt even going to the Catholic church. He says that he confirmed his faith and everything. Kinda weird... But we`re going to keep working hard with him so that he can get baptized thats for sure! Yesterday we also had a new family come to church as well. They are all from Bolivia. They are just a ton of young adults and the mom of a couple of them. None of them are married but we can change that jaja. We`re working though so that the mom can get baptized! She could even get baptized this week! But we`re just going to keep working hard to find the chosen people that the Lord is preparing!
As a zone right now we aren`t doing so hot either this month. In these 3 weeks as a zone we only have 3 baptisms which is pretty bad. Its been a while since Ive had problems baptizing but there is always things to learn and we`re just going to keep working hard and with animo! We`re going to work hard with the zone so that we can have more success and work a lot better. I know that the Lord expects a lot more from us! `
Sunday night was also pretty cool. We went around with the Bishop and visited a lot of converts and everyone. It was fun. Nice to be able to go around in a car and not have to walk everywhere. I really like the Bishop a lot here. Sometimes hes really hard with us but I really like him. Nice guy!
Also funny story for the week(well I dont know how funny it will be for you guys especially mom). But we were just walking along going down one street and just hear yelling coming from a house then all the sudden these 2 dude just come out fighting. There were just some giant ply wood on the ground and they picked it up and started to have a fight with just these 2 huge wooden sticks(I thought I was watching Star Wars live). But one of them missed real bad and hit the floor and his stick just went flying out of his hand and the other dude just started wackin him with the other stick. But then a huge group of people form the house just came out all shouting as well and everything. But it all ended up with the popo coming and stopping everything. (dont worry we were at a distance watching everything go down). That was a fun experience this week! Welcome to Chile! Drunks and Drug addicts!
Also our water heater broke this week and we have to wait until its fixed so weve been showering with ice cold water which has been fun! Literally the water here in Calama is soooo cold because its really cold here so it`s been fun hearing the screaming coming from the showers in the morning lol!
Elder Kirk also got his new comp. His name is Elder Christensen from North Carolina. Pretty cool kid, hes nice.
Sounds like a nice relaxing week that you guys had! Good luck with all the job stuff must suck to be in limbo!
Love ya guys a ton! Have a great week!!!
Love
Elder Newkirk
Pics:
Derpy Llama
Baptism of a good friend! Marcelo!
Another week down! Things went really well with Elder Jennings this week! He has definitely liven me up and we`ve been working hard here in Calama. Still haven`t seen a lot of fruits yet but soon we should be seeing some! Definitely have found soon really cool people this week! We found a lady that literally just got married last Friday and her husband is a less active member of the church, just by talking with her in the street! Also found another lady whos husband is also a member of the church less active that has been wanting to go back to church, he got baptized like 8 years ago in Bolivia and when he moved here like 2 years ago hasn`t gone to church but wants to go to church with all his family(wife isn`t a member). Also found another dude who is really cool that wanted to go to church and everything and even had a baptism date for this Saturday but Saturday night he cut his hand open and had to go to the hospital so he couldnt go to church. Stupid Satan. Also Hamlet didn`t get baptized this week. Tuesday we went to their house to invite him to have a baptism interview because he knows everything already. He told us that he was Catholic and didn`t want to change religion even though hes been coming to our church and isnt even going to the Catholic church. He says that he confirmed his faith and everything. Kinda weird... But we`re going to keep working hard with him so that he can get baptized thats for sure! Yesterday we also had a new family come to church as well. They are all from Bolivia. They are just a ton of young adults and the mom of a couple of them. None of them are married but we can change that jaja. We`re working though so that the mom can get baptized! She could even get baptized this week! But we`re just going to keep working hard to find the chosen people that the Lord is preparing!
As a zone right now we aren`t doing so hot either this month. In these 3 weeks as a zone we only have 3 baptisms which is pretty bad. Its been a while since Ive had problems baptizing but there is always things to learn and we`re just going to keep working hard and with animo! We`re going to work hard with the zone so that we can have more success and work a lot better. I know that the Lord expects a lot more from us! `
Sunday night was also pretty cool. We went around with the Bishop and visited a lot of converts and everyone. It was fun. Nice to be able to go around in a car and not have to walk everywhere. I really like the Bishop a lot here. Sometimes hes really hard with us but I really like him. Nice guy!
Also funny story for the week(well I dont know how funny it will be for you guys especially mom). But we were just walking along going down one street and just hear yelling coming from a house then all the sudden these 2 dude just come out fighting. There were just some giant ply wood on the ground and they picked it up and started to have a fight with just these 2 huge wooden sticks(I thought I was watching Star Wars live). But one of them missed real bad and hit the floor and his stick just went flying out of his hand and the other dude just started wackin him with the other stick. But then a huge group of people form the house just came out all shouting as well and everything. But it all ended up with the popo coming and stopping everything. (dont worry we were at a distance watching everything go down). That was a fun experience this week! Welcome to Chile! Drunks and Drug addicts!
Also our water heater broke this week and we have to wait until its fixed so weve been showering with ice cold water which has been fun! Literally the water here in Calama is soooo cold because its really cold here so it`s been fun hearing the screaming coming from the showers in the morning lol!
Elder Kirk also got his new comp. His name is Elder Christensen from North Carolina. Pretty cool kid, hes nice.
Sounds like a nice relaxing week that you guys had! Good luck with all the job stuff must suck to be in limbo!
Love ya guys a ton! Have a great week!!!
Love
Elder Newkirk
Pics:
Derpy Llama
Baptism of a good friend! Marcelo!
Monday, August 14, 2017
week #85 - new companion - Elder Jennings
Hey how`s it going?!
My week was pretty good. Just another chill week and last week of the transfer! Crazy transfer this time! I get a "new" comp, he`s also gringo. Elder Jennings! Pretty crazy! Going to get back together with him as my new comp but this time as zone leaders! So I guess you could say I got a "new" comp. The first gringo comp in the mission field. Haven`t been with a gringo since the MTC with Elder Jennings and Elder Wild! He gets here tonight at like 8pm, he`s coming from Arica. Elder Torrico went to Antofagasta to finish the mission because he only has 1 transfer left! Pretty crazy how fast time flys! I knew him when he only had like 8 months!! He went to finish the mission training and opening up a sector! But things should be fun with Elder Jennings again, should be interesting to see what happens to someone after 20 months in the mission! Other than that there weren`t any other huge transfers. Elder Kirk is going to go and train as well so we should be having a newbie in the pension!
Other than that this week has been pretty nice. Just working during the week and trying to find some new people. We actually found a couple people that are really cool and I think will progress fast! Only they didn`t come to church this week. It was a little hard to get people to come to church this week because we had a time change on Sunday. We went an hour ahead and lost an hour of sleep. Not going to lie I`m pretty tired right now lol. So not a lot of people came to church on Sunday. Seems like not a lot of people knew about the change of time but theres always next week! I feel like this new change will be really good because Elder Torrico was a little dead and wasn`t in a full machine mode to work so I`ve been going down a little bit as well but with this new change we`re going to work really hard and have a lot more baptisms! Si o si!
Ingrid is still progressing a ton! She is always going to church and everything. She has also read a ton of the Book of Mormon. But just needs to get married. I also want to baptize her daughter but she is really lazy and still hasn`t came to church. Even less with this time change! How do you guys get Hailey to church? lol! We`ve also got Hamlet who is Cleusa`s son who is 22. He is really cool as well and has gone to church 3 times already with his family. He actually has a baptism date for this weekend so we`re going to work hard with him this week and have his interview so that he can get baptized this weekend! Other than that there are a lot of other investigators that we`re going to work hard with so that they can progress more and be able to go to church and get baptized! It`s definitely possible to baptize every single week. I know that the Lord is preparing people every week for us but it just depends on us and our faith! Got to work hard to be able to find these people that He is preparing!!
On the weekend we were just running around saying bye to the people for Elder Torrico. I was camera man for the weekend lol. It was good, Elder Torrico has been here for a really long time so a lot of the members are going to miss him. He`s been here for like 7 1/2 months now so he knows a ton of people and had to say bye to a lot of them. I`ve got a couple where I took selfies as well!
But yeah I`m just going to keep working hard here in Calama! There isn`t anything else to do! I`ve been called here to work and to help out all the other missionaries here in the zone! We`ve got to work a little bit harder with the sisters because I feel like somethings going on over there as well but I`ll just keep it at that(shouldn`t go into details).
It`s crazy how fast the time has just been flying by! I can`t believe that another transfers has gone down! Only 3 more to go is super crazy! Never thought that I would be here with almost 20 months in the mission. But I have seriously loved every moment of it and I`m going to give it all for what`s left!
Well love you guys a ton! Looks like you guys had a great time in 6 flags, thanks for going without me....😜 Love ya a ton! I know the Lord will bless you guys if you keep living the gospel and keeping the commandments! Hope you guys have an awesome week!!
Love
Elder Newkirk
Pics: Our district!
Goodbyes with Elder Torrico
My week was pretty good. Just another chill week and last week of the transfer! Crazy transfer this time! I get a "new" comp, he`s also gringo. Elder Jennings! Pretty crazy! Going to get back together with him as my new comp but this time as zone leaders! So I guess you could say I got a "new" comp. The first gringo comp in the mission field. Haven`t been with a gringo since the MTC with Elder Jennings and Elder Wild! He gets here tonight at like 8pm, he`s coming from Arica. Elder Torrico went to Antofagasta to finish the mission because he only has 1 transfer left! Pretty crazy how fast time flys! I knew him when he only had like 8 months!! He went to finish the mission training and opening up a sector! But things should be fun with Elder Jennings again, should be interesting to see what happens to someone after 20 months in the mission! Other than that there weren`t any other huge transfers. Elder Kirk is going to go and train as well so we should be having a newbie in the pension!
Other than that this week has been pretty nice. Just working during the week and trying to find some new people. We actually found a couple people that are really cool and I think will progress fast! Only they didn`t come to church this week. It was a little hard to get people to come to church this week because we had a time change on Sunday. We went an hour ahead and lost an hour of sleep. Not going to lie I`m pretty tired right now lol. So not a lot of people came to church on Sunday. Seems like not a lot of people knew about the change of time but theres always next week! I feel like this new change will be really good because Elder Torrico was a little dead and wasn`t in a full machine mode to work so I`ve been going down a little bit as well but with this new change we`re going to work really hard and have a lot more baptisms! Si o si!
Ingrid is still progressing a ton! She is always going to church and everything. She has also read a ton of the Book of Mormon. But just needs to get married. I also want to baptize her daughter but she is really lazy and still hasn`t came to church. Even less with this time change! How do you guys get Hailey to church? lol! We`ve also got Hamlet who is Cleusa`s son who is 22. He is really cool as well and has gone to church 3 times already with his family. He actually has a baptism date for this weekend so we`re going to work hard with him this week and have his interview so that he can get baptized this weekend! Other than that there are a lot of other investigators that we`re going to work hard with so that they can progress more and be able to go to church and get baptized! It`s definitely possible to baptize every single week. I know that the Lord is preparing people every week for us but it just depends on us and our faith! Got to work hard to be able to find these people that He is preparing!!
On the weekend we were just running around saying bye to the people for Elder Torrico. I was camera man for the weekend lol. It was good, Elder Torrico has been here for a really long time so a lot of the members are going to miss him. He`s been here for like 7 1/2 months now so he knows a ton of people and had to say bye to a lot of them. I`ve got a couple where I took selfies as well!
But yeah I`m just going to keep working hard here in Calama! There isn`t anything else to do! I`ve been called here to work and to help out all the other missionaries here in the zone! We`ve got to work a little bit harder with the sisters because I feel like somethings going on over there as well but I`ll just keep it at that(shouldn`t go into details).
It`s crazy how fast the time has just been flying by! I can`t believe that another transfers has gone down! Only 3 more to go is super crazy! Never thought that I would be here with almost 20 months in the mission. But I have seriously loved every moment of it and I`m going to give it all for what`s left!
Well love you guys a ton! Looks like you guys had a great time in 6 flags, thanks for going without me....😜 Love ya a ton! I know the Lord will bless you guys if you keep living the gospel and keeping the commandments! Hope you guys have an awesome week!!
Love
Elder Newkirk
Pics: Our district!
Goodbyes with Elder Torrico
The last pic with the pension in the morning right before Elder Torrico and Elder Clark left(also with our Bishop)
Pic with glasses! Elder Clark gave them to me because he never uses them and someone gave them away to him. I actually like them! They don`t have all that of an increase so I`ve just been trying them out and wearing them a little bit.
Today`s Pday with the boys! I`ve been with Elder Kirk and Elder Recca for the day! We played some foosball in the house of our Papitos at lunch today! It was pretty fun lol! Also went and walked around the mall and checked some things out! I definitley wish I could have just bought a ton of clothes and stuff! I saw a ton of stuff that I liked! Shopping! lol. Now were going to walk a little bit around downtown to go and shop a little bit more. Thanks for the Birthday money Grandma and Grandpa Oldroyd!!
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
week #84 -- Happy Birthday Elder Newkirk!! Big "20"
Hey!
This week went by real fast! A ton of stuff happened this week! The leadership meeting went really really well. One of the best meetings that I´ve been in with President! Birthday also went really well! I´ll have to send all the photos and everything! A lot of photos this week!
But yeah on Tuesday we had the leadership meeting! President and Sister Ferreira talked a lot about the diligence and also the obedience. If we develop these two attributes of Christ then we will be able to have a lot of miracles and a lot more success. We also read a lot from Alma 26 which was a chapter pretty much written for our mission right now because we have also been reaching heights right now as a mission. This last month we had 157 baptisms as a mission! All of the other numbers have also gone way up which is really cool to see all the miracles happening and everything that is happening in the mission right now! Idk there is a ton that happened this leadership meeting that we had but it was really really good. We also learned who are going to be the new zone leaders this next transfer because we are now in the last week of transfers and I´m going to get one of them as my next comp. It will either be Elder Barney, Howe, Thomas, or Huarhua so there is a 3/4 chance that I´ll be getting a gringo as my first gringo comp in the mission field! But knowing my mission and everything I´ll probably get Elder Huarhua as my comp, he´s Latino so it wouldn´t surprise me lol. But we´ll see what happens this week!
But yeah my birthday went really well actually! We had zone training and all the missionaries in the zone did something for me and bought a cake and sang happy birthday which was nice. Then there was another family, the papitos of the missionaries which are really nice and one of the coolest families that I have met in my mission that invited me to their house at night and also bought me a cake for me and sang. Also in lunch on Saturday they family sang to me happy birthday and gave me a small treat. Also Sunday investigators invited me to their house to eat dinner as well and they wished me happy birthday. Also more cake.... So dont worry I had a good birthday and had a ton of cake. I´ve still got some cake saved in the fridge lol! But yeah really good birthday here this year! The people here in Calama are really nice! The shoes got here all good as well they are actually really nice I like them a lot! Also got the card from Grandma Oldroyd and also Dalton! Thanks guys for the cards!! I liked the drawing that Dalton did lol! (He drew a pic of us all playing Skum) But thanks for all the Bday wishes and for the package that you guys sent me!!
We havent been able to find Marisol or David all week long. Really sad. We've called them during the week and when we pass by they arent home or just dont open up. I´m pretty sure one time we knocked we heard a shhhhh on the other side. So theyre pretty much gone, sad story but not much that we can do now, free agency of people. But weve been able to work a few other families that are really nice. A lot of them have to go to church though! Also a ton of them have to get married which kinda sucks! In Alto Hospicio we were finding everyone that were just married and ready for the gospel and everything but here we have just been finding people that need more work to enter into the waters of baptism. For example with the family that I sent pics with is Ingrid and her family! The lady that was going to get baptized but we found out she isnt married with her husband(who is really funny and is pretty much always drunk because he drinks a lot of wine, he says since Jesus drank wine then he can). There is also a pretty funny pic with the husband because he is always crazy and listening to music really loud all the time as well. But yeah Ingrid has gone to church like 3 times now, we are trying to get her daughter to go to church but she reminds me a lot of Hailey. She stays up all night chatting and is lazy to get out of bed in the mornings to go to church. She promised us to go to church yesterday but she didnt wake up. She told us next week si o si! We also met their neighbors who also said that they were going to go to church with Ingrid next Sunday. So we should be having some more baptisms soon! We better!!! But we just have to get out there and find some more people who are ready for the gospel!
Well other than that, that was pretty much my week this week. Also got a little sick over the weekend but I´m already used to getting sick now lol. Just a cold over the weekend but I´m already getting over it. Hope all the job stuff works out and can get the pay your looking for! Also sounds like you guys had a good time celebrating my birthday in Cheesecake Factory without me! Thanks, lol! Love ya guys a ton and hope you have a great week!!
Love
Elder Newkirk
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