week #100 -- Dressed in white for the prom!

Hey!

Hey imma make this email real quick this week. It was a great week! We had 2 baptisms this weekend! Jocelyn and Thabianny got baptized this weekend! Thabianny we thought that she was a member of the church less active who is Jocelyn`s cousin because all of the teaching records and everything from the missionaries said that she was less active. But we found out this week that she isn`t a member! Miracles that the Lord just puts in our path! I was just sitting talking with her when Jocelyn was in her baptism interview and we got to the point where we talked about the church and about baptism and all that good stuff. Well I found out that she got baptized when she was 8 years old, but... she got baptized in the Catholic church with her little brother. I couldn`t believe it lol. The next day we called the mission office to look up her information and everything just to double check and make sure because we were almost 100% that she was a member. But the office couldn`t find anything. So that same day we went and talked with her and explained to her everything and invited here to get baptized with her cousin but at first she didn`t really want to because she said that she`s already gotten baptized and all that but we talked a little bit more and explained the doctrine of Christ and hyped her up to get baptized. She had her baptism interview that same day and got baptized!! Actually Elder Wild came back down during the week to be able to do interviews for the zone again and did my interviews again! But its funny how the Lord works and everything but we definitely recieved blessings this week! So we had 2 baptisms! Also the other Elders from Tierra Amarilla(Elder Gordon and Elder Davis) had 2 baptisms! It was just pure young women. The title of the pic that I`m going to send is "they all choose white for the Prom" hahahaha! Because we all got in white to baptized! But that that`s the success that we had this week! Also had crazy exchanged this week where in the whole zone gets mixed up to work with a new comp. I got to work with one of the zone leaders in their sector which was fun! With Elder Thomas. Other than that just another normal week of working! We actually didn`t have any investigators in church yesterday which sucked. We had quite a few people promise to come to church but the attendance was pretty low as well. The other Elders as well didn`t have anyone in church. It was just a weird Sunday. I had to do a ton yesterday lol. Lets see I baptized, confirmed, gave a long talk about the Book of Mormon because there was only 2 speakers including me, also did a special number with my comp, fransico, matias, and mamitas daughter kimberly, then i had the gospel principles class like usual. So just a jam packed Sunday meeting for me haha. But its all good I like to participate. I`m also like always ready to give a talk about something having to study the gospel every single day. But yeah that was pretty much my week this week!

Also the cut in my head is already better. Friday I got the stitches taken out. It weird part is when the doctor took off the scab that had a couple hairs in it lol. Hurt a little bit and felt weird but we`re all good now. Got a scar when I got the cut but its on top of my head so the hair just covers it which is the good part! Oh I also didn`t have to pay for anything. Here in Chile they have a decent system. Depends on a couple things but they did it for free. Seeing me as a missionary and everything I think they just did it for free. I didn`t have to give like anything just my Chilean ID and that was about it.

Looks like you guys had a good Thanksgiving! Nice and quiet!

Yeah just another normal Pday. We played soccer as a zone, watched Moana and then went to go eat lunch. Now were here writing in a cyber place, then we`ll head off and buy food for the week and then head home to finish the day. Thats just about all that we can do. There isn`t like anything here in Copiapo to do...

Hope that you guys have a great week! Love you guys a ton!! See ya soon!

Love
Elder Newkirk

Oh I forgot to mention that it was Elder Davis`s birthday on Thanksgiving! We celebrated in Franciscos house. The other Elders had to go and do the interview for Thabianny so thats why they werent there but the members wanted to do something for Elder Davis so I stayed with him there. Selfie with everyone, pic with Paulina(Francisco`s cousin that got baptized this weekend), and pic with Francisco! 

Oh I forgot to mention that it was Elder Davis`s birthday on Thanksgiving! We celebrated in Franciscos house. The other Elders had to go and do the interview for Thabianny so thats why they werent there but the members wanted to do something for Elder Davis so I stayed with him there. Selfie with everyone, pic with Paulina(Francisco`s cousin that got baptized this weekend), and pic with Francisco! 

Oh I forgot to mention that it was Elder Davis`s birthday on Thanksgiving! We celebrated in Franciscos house. The other Elders had to go and do the interview for Thabianny so thats why they werent there but the members wanted to do something for Elder Davis so I stayed with him there. Selfie with everyone, pic with Paulina(Francisco`s cousin that got baptized this weekend), and pic with Francisco! 

On the crazy exchange day we bought Sushi at night with the boys. The flash was just a little too bright right in front of my face. But its all good I look japanese while eating Sushi.

The best decoration from Chile... Baby in a tree

"They all decided to wear white to Prom" 

Pic with Francisco, Elder Davis, and Elder Riquez

week #99 -- baptism of Priscila

Hey hows it going??

Well my week has been pretty crazy. Good but also lame because I might have cut my head and had to get stitches... We´ll get to that part in just a sec. But the week was good. On Wednesday Elder Wild, who is now the traveling assistant, came to our zone to do interviews for some of the investigators that we are teaching. He interviewed Priscila for us and she got baptized on Saturday! We almost didn´t get permission from her mom but finally we got her permission! Then on Thursday we had a conference with President where he talked with the zone about a couple of things because our zone isn´t doing so great before this weekend we only had 1 baptism in the month as a zone which is really low. But he came and talked with us and talked about a couple things and the spirit of urgency and how we need to look at things half full and not half empty. Then we had interviews with President afterwards. My interview was real quick, he didn´t really tell me all that much only that I have to start thinking about plans after the mission Sunday nights haha. So I´m going to start doing that to make a couple plans for when I get back. And now that I have the flight plan and everything, time is just passing faster and faster everyday... Then afterwards we set up an interview with President with David. President talked with David for a little bit but David won. President told us that he was ready and that he should be getting baptized soon. So we are going to keep working with David but I have faith that he is going to get baptized soon! But then on Friday it was just another good day and while we were working I hit my head on a electric box... We were just talking and walking and I hit my head on a post... I have hit my head a couple times here in Chile because they make everything shorter here and I´m a little too big here. But I hit my head pretty hard and touched my head and there was just a lot of blood.... So we hurried and went to Francisco´s house because we were close, cleaned my head and but some pressure on the cut. Then we called another member who came and picked us up and took us to the hospital where I got a couple stitches in my head... Theres always a first time for everything... But everything has been fine. After that first day everything has pretty much been normal. Just that first day my head was a little sore and hurt lol. But after that things have been fine. A little pain here and there but all good. A little weird to shower and also to do my hair in the morning. Then on Saturday we had a baptism! Priscila got baptized! She chose me to baptize her right after the accident haha but everything when well and she got baptized!! This week we should also have a baptism. Yocelin should get baptized this weekend as well. She has the baptism date for this weekend and she has came to church like 2 times and she has been progressing as well so she should be getting baptized this weekend. I also did a couple interviews for the other Elders here in Tierra Amarilla and she should be baptizing as well so here we should be having a couple of baptisms!

But yeah thats crazy that the flight plan is already here! Now you know exactly when I´m getting home. Its crazy how fast the time has been flying by. I never thought I would get to this point lol. But now I feel like the time is just passing by really slow but when we get to the date I know it will feel like it flew by really fast. But I´m definitely excited as well!

No but we didnt do anything too special for pday today. Just another normal day of just hanging out and going to Copiapo. Right now we´re in Francisco´s house just chilling, I´m using his computer to write. But yeah just another normal day of just hanging out not doing anything too special.. Pdays are kinda boring because there isn´t a ton to do here in Tierra Amarilla or Copiapo. Just go around downtown to see what they have or just hang out with members or whatever. But I only have like 3 more Pdays after this one haha.

Well I hope that you guys have a great week! Have a great Thanksgiving!! Love you guys a ton!

Love
Elder Newkirk

The only photos that I have from the baptism of this weekend... I didn´t take any photos because I thought that someone was taking pics with the camera of my comp and the person that was suppose to take pics didnt take any pics...... So this is the only one that I got. But Priscilas baptism!!

week #96 - baptism of Aida

Hey!! Happy 17th Hailey!!!! Have a great day!!

This week actually went pretty well! Aida got baptized!! We definitely had a miracle as well! She has been ready for her baptism and everything but this weekend her family went to another city and she didn't want to get baptized without her family present in the baptism... But we put a little pressure on the family to get here Saturday earlier than planned so that she could get baptized. Well they got here Saturday afternoon and she got baptized!! It was actually a really good baptism because we had the "Open Church" activity in our branch this Saturday as well so there were already a lot of members there! It was a good baptism. Also the other Elders here had 2 baptisms as well so we were all able to baptize together this weekend! We are still working with David as well. We haven't really been able to see him ths week he has been pretty busy. But I did play a little bit of ping pong with him and his friends when we found them. It was pretty fun. I beat them all like 3 rounds which was fun haha. But we are good friends and everything with David but he`s a little different. In the sense that his faith isn`t that big but we`re trying to help him prepare and everything to get baptized. He didn't come to church yesterday either. We actually had quite a few people promise to come to church this Sunday but we only had 1 investigator in church. A lady called Elia. She was the one who came to the general conference a few weeks ago. She finally had time to come to church. She is really cool but whats hard is that she works all the time and hardly has any time. If she had more time to share with us she definitely would be a member already. Stupid work here! Takes peoples lives! But we still have a couple sold investigators that we have found in the week but we just have to find them and teach them more and get them to come to church!  Other than that everything's going well here in Tierra Amarilla with my comp and everything! I`m pretty sure we wont have any transfers this week, but you never know. Transfers are always crazy!

A lot of people here for the summer just go to the beach and pretty much just camp out there. Others will also take vacations and everything to like southern Chile and all that. But just depends. But summer here doesn't like officially start until like December so we still have like another month of school and everything. But even more crazy now finishing school with all the tests and homework and everything. The educational system here is a lot different! It`s a lot of studying!

Also this week we had a urgent skype video call with our mission president. He made us the promise that we can baptize weekly now. Before as a mission he always said that we can baptize monthly and now he told us weekly! I`ve always talked with him and asked why he hasn't just told missionaries why not weekly because it is definitely possible to baptize every week. But he always said that the Lord still hasn`t told him that. So I guess that Lord told him now! Now we going to do everything to baptize weekly! Right when I`m finishing as well he gives us the promise of being able to baptize weekly haha!

But just another good solid week of just working hard! I dont think we`ll have any transfers this week. I`ll probably just stay here with Elder Riquez to finish things out! But you never know transfers are always crazy and sometimes things happen that you never thought so we`ll see but I`m almost positive that nothing is going to happen! Yeah, but hope you guys have a great week! Love you guys a ton!

Love
Elder Newkirk

Pics: Photos of Aida`s Baptism!!!

Photo with the boys! Francisco and Matias. They are a couple members from here in Tierra Amarilla. Francisco actually got baptized in Utah last year when he went down there to visit his cousin who is a member in Utah to visit the states. And while he was there he got baptized. They are both really cool, they usually come out with us a lot. We hang out a lot with them as well. Last Pday we went around Copiapo with them and then afterwards we made food. Heres the pic!

week #95 baptism for Maruja

Hey!

This week was pretty solid! We had a baptism this week! Maruja got baptized this week! Nicole pulled the same thing this week as well so I think we are just going to drop her...... Anda a laar(lavar)... But yeah Marujas baptism was really good. A lot of members already know her and everything so a lot of members came to the baptism! Pretty much all her family are members active in the church and now it was her time to get baptized in the church! Also Aida was super good to get baptized this weekend but she was really busy with a ton of stuff and couldn`t make it so we are planning her baptism this weekend! We also have a youth that came to church this Sunday. His name is David and is 17. His sister is a convert whos like 19 who actually got baptized secretly in the church without her parents knowing because they wouldnt have supported her. But her brother came to church and we have started to share with him more because before he shared a lot with missionaries as well. But he is really cool and likes the church as well but we have to go to get to know the parents more as well to see if they`ll let him get baptized or not. But that happenes a lot here. Find a really cool youth that progresses a ton but their parents wont let them get baptized. The same is passing with the other Elders here in Tierra Amarilla, they have a chick coming to church and all the activities and everything but her mom doesnt give her permission to get baptized....lame.

Other than that this week has actually been pretty slow. Not a ton happened this week. Seems like no one was home and there was like no one in the streets either. All the kids are entering into the last downhill of school and all that here before summer vacations. Also there was like a huge stop of school here for like a month and a half without classes so the kids are making up all that time now with a ton of homework and school on Saturday as well. So seems like the whole city is pretty much dead which kinda sucks. A little slow the work here but we are just going to keep working hard. The Lord always puts people in our way that are ready to receive the Gospel in their lives!

Looks like you had some fun at the concert that you went too! I feel like if I dont go a day here in Chile without smelling marijuana then it feels like I`m not in Chile. So I definitely feel you there haha.

Yeah still have 2 more weeks in this transfer and then we head into the last one. Its a weird feeling because I never thought that I would honestly get to this point but the time has just been going fast and I cant believe it. I still feel like I`m just starting the mission and am still learning things every day! Its a weird feeling, I want to get back home to just get back into life but I also want to stay here and be a missionary! Its weird but the best thing to do is just to accept it and turn the chapter when the time comes!

Other than that things are going well here in Tierra Amarilla! Love you guys a ton! Hope you have an amazing week!

Love
Elder Newkirk

A few photos from the baptism from this weekend! 

I found on the camera that it has a time lapse feature so I used it from our trip from Copiapo to Tierra Amarilla which turned out kinda cool!

week #90 Chile Independance day! Lots of photos and some videos!

Hola como estamos?

Bueno me dijo que quería que escribiera un poco en Español entonces voy a hacerlo jaja. Bueno como ustedes pueden ver he tomado muchas fotos esta semana. Enserio esta semana ha sido uno de los mejores semanas de mi mision! Fue tan bakan!! Muchas cosas ha pasado esta semana y con no mucho tiempo para poder escribir todo pero voy a hacer mi mayor esfuerzo para poder escribir todo pero vamos a cambiar a Ingles ahora para que usteds pueden entender lo que paso esta semana!

Yeah back to English. Well this week was crazy good. So on Monday we ended up going bowling which was a ton of fun. Elder Kirk taught me how to spin the ball and throw some crazy spins to strike it. It was a ton of fun. Then on Tuesday I headed off to Tocopilla to go and do interviews there. They had 4 baptisms in Tocopilla so they had a good week. Also while I was there I took a lot of photos as well as you can see with the district there, Elder Taylor and Vicente and also the Sisters Cortes and Llanca. Also they have there in Tocopilla like a shrine of Alexis Sanchez who is a really popular soccer player that is from Tocopilla but its a pretty cool shrine that they got going on down there. Also I got those graffiti photos that you asked for! A lot of them. Ask and ye shall recieve. Then on Wednesday we had another comp exchange with Ascotan with Elder Kirk. I was with him all day working which was a lot of fun! He is a lot of fun to work with. Then the rest of the week we were just working running around helping out the zone as well. We are with 14 baptisms right now as a zone and we are working really well. Our goal this month is 16 baptisms as a zone and we are going to reach it si o si! But everything is going good. Also all weekend we´ve been going crazy doing stuff with the holidays going on right now for the independence of Chile which you can see a couple things that we did. The activity with the ward on Saturday. Also Gaspar got baptized which was really cool!! He is really cool and was really ready for it as well! We also have some other people that we are teaching. There is family of Columbians that we are teaching that are progressing a lot as well and hopefully they should get baptized soon as well. But we are in the last week of transfers so there is a possibility that I might get moved to finish the mission in my last sector but we´ll see what happens this week! Also Sunday we had interviews with President which was cool as well. We talked a little bit about a couple things but not a ton. Then today is the official independence day for Chile which has been a ton of fun. As a zone we went to a giant fair to look at things I also bought a couple things which are really cool. Couple gifts as well! Then we have been in the house with a member all day long eating and writing and they had up put on traditional Chile queca clothes for their national dance. But just all in all a really fun and solid week here in Chile. Probably one of the best weeks of my mission! Well I wish I had a little more time to write but I don´t! Hopefully you guys enjoy the pics and videos that I took this week. Quite a lot! Well love you guys a ton and hope you have a great week!!

Love

Elder Newkirk