Lesson Learned: Have Faith in Yourself!

Friday, July 9, 2011
Missionary Training Center
Provo, Utah

Dear family,
Because I am in my visitor center training, my P-day got changed to today! I am not sure what day my P-day is in San Diego, so I guess you will just have to wait and see for my next letter to come! I hope you are all doing well, and I hope you know how much I love you. I wanted to thank you for all of the prayers on my behalf, they are definitely being answered. The MTC is amazing, I am learning so much!


Joke of the day:
Why do they not have fish at the MTC? Because it is the empty (MT) Sea (C)! My teacher made that up when he was like four. I thought it was pretty cute.

So, it sounds like you are all doing well:

Chris, I am so glad you got to go fishing with gramps, that sounds so much fun!

Sara, thanks for telling me about the cabin, I am glad you all had a blast. I hope you had a wonderful birthday too! I just sent you a letter and then I got your letter, so I am a little bit behind in things you asked me. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your experience about prayer. You strengthened my testimony so much today reading your letter. You are such a strong chica! Thanks for teaching me what it means to have Faith in Heavenly Father. You have always been such a great example of that. Oh, P.S.-When they get the new scripture mastery done, you should send them to me!

Dad - Thanks for the package; you are a lifesaver! The labels are saving my life and thanks for the envelopes.

Mom – Thank you for sending my stuff to the mission home. I’m glad you are having a great time with the kiddos, you are such a great grandma! I love you so much! I can’t wait until my kids get to play with the two most amazing people I know!:)

Think these two are excited to leave the MTC?

Question and Answer:

Visitor Center training is like a week of learning how to use pictures, the Christus, kiosks, pamphlets and everything in aiding us to testify of Christ. It is pretty fun. It is just three of us in a class, so kind of small, but I love it. I can’t wait to get to the Mormon Battalion site. I actually am not learning anything specific to that site, so hopefully i get some training when I get there.

I don’t know what my schedule is like in San Diego yet, but I will let you know as soon as I can.
I get to wear three pioneer dresses. The lady picked the colors- 2 pink and 1 green. They are pretty fun. But Sara, you will appreciate this: I HATE wearing the skirts half way up my belly button, it drives me CRAZY! I will send pictures soon:)

Let me know if you get tired of my Journal thing. Its the best thing I can think of to tell you about what is going on here. IF it is too long and boring or if you want something else, someone just tell me, I don’t mind at all.

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Journal
July 7, 2011

It is funny how the Lord teaches us lessons in places we least expect it. For the past three weeks, I have been learning more about what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, about what a truly amazing gift Heavenly Father has given us to be able to return to him again, and that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ indeed appeared to Joseph Smith.

I have always had a strong testimony of these things, but there is something about teaching and testifying of the Gospel that has rooted my testimony deep within my soul. I guess I didn’t expect to learn the lesson I did today because my whole focus is supposed to be on other people this next year and a half. I promised God I would give my whole self to Him in furthering His work, so I have been trying to "forget myself and get to work!".

I think, however, I need a reminder of who I am. Part of Visitor Center training is that we practice how to use the media, pictures, pamphlets, the Christus, kiosks and other things to aid us in testifying of Jesus Christ. There are volunteers that come in and we practice teaching as if we were in a real visitor center. After we finished tonight, Sister Maxfield (my teacher) sat us down and told us we had some things she felt like we needed to hear. She opened up the Young women personal progress booklet and read us the first paragraph.

"You are a beloved daughter (or son) of Heavenly Father, prepared to come to the earth at this particular time for a sacred and glorious purpose. You have a noble responsibility to use your strength and influence for good. Your loving Heavenly Father has blessed you with talents and abilities that will help you fulfill your divine mission."

If you flip to the scripture under individual worth in the personal progress pamphlet, it says, "remember, the worth of souls is great in the sight of God."

Sis. Maxfield shared a story with us from a book that Sheri Dew wrote, I think it is called: No One Can Take Your Place. Sister Dew was going to BYU and she described herself at the time as being "skinny and wussy looking" She walked up to the gym, looked inside and got too scared to go in, so she told herself she would walk around and go back in ten minutes. Over and over she went up to the door and got too scared until it was too late and tryouts were over. She said that not trying out was one of the biggest regrets she has. Later, she got to speak to the athletes at BYU and she related the previous story. Afterwards, the women’s basketball coach came up to her and told her that she was the coach during that time and that that year was the only year she could not fill the roster, and they had to play a person short all season. Sister Dew’s spot could not be filled.

I know my spot on earth cannot be filled either. I know sometimes it seems like we are insignificant in this world, but then I realize what a difference one person can make. I think of this fight against Satan as a stream of water eroding a crevice into the earth. (We being the stream and Satan the earth). Every individual drop of water makes a huge difference at cutting deeper and deeper and eroding away the hard, craggy rocks. I know I have a place in this fight and I am so grateful for it. I truly have a testimony that no one can take our place. An amazing gift that Heavenly Father gives his missionaries is the ability to see His children through heaven’s eyes. I have seen and felt the way He loves and cares individually about his sons and daughters. We are his creations — princes and princesses in His kingdom. We each have a spot in this world and NO ONE can take our place.

I wanted to share this part of my journal with you all because I know with all my heart that each of you, have a part in this plan — Go forward with faith. Ask Heavenly Father what it is, and I promise He will answer. We fought to come here to earth, now fight your hardest to show Heavenly Father how hard you will fight to return to Him.

I love you all so much. You each have individual worth, and though you are all spread out and I cannot individually talk with you, I have felt the love Heavenly Father has for you. Don’t doubt yourself for one second. You are God’s creations — It hurts him so much when you put yourselves down, or tell yourselves you can do this or that: He made you. He knows what you are capable of and the potential you have. Don’t get tricked by Satan in letting him tell you that you are less than you are. Turn to Heavenly Father. Ask him. What a better person to ask than the Father that created you?

K, My timer is blinking, I only have a few seconds to send this off. Love you all to the moon and back!

Love,






P.S. Mom and dad- we get to call from the SLC airport, so I think I will get to call you Tuesday morning between 7-9 I think. Mom I will call your phone so have it on! Sorry, I don’t know the exact time!

Reflecting on Joseph's Sacrifice and other Spiritual Nuggets

Missionary Training Center
Provo, Utah
Monday, July 4, 2011

Hello Moms, Pops and everyone else!

What a week it has been! I love the MTC so much, I can’t believe I will be starting Visitor Center training this week! On Saturday, we get to go to the Salt Lake Temple [Square] to practice. I’m so excited! I got my departure date for San Diego — I leave Tuesday, July 12, FYI. So mom, if you could send my bedding to the Mission Home this week, that would be great!
Mom, Thank you so much for the package, my whole district loved the treats! I am so happy that school is out for you; I bet that’s a relief! What are your plans for summer? I’m sorry I won't be there to help you with the garden. Just remember when the rototiller doesn’t work in the fall, make dad pray: prayer works! I've lost so many things here, every time I pray, Heavenly Father helps me out. Dad would be laughing at me so bad with all the things I have had to pray to find!

Dad, Thanks for the Jimmer update. You saved my elders from escaping the MTC to find out where he was drafted! How was trek? I loved your BYU alumni letter. Great job! Did you get the camera card I sent? Let me know so I can stop worrying about it:)

Sara, Happy Birthday in 2 days! I sent you a card, but forgot that the 4th of July there is no mail, so you might get it late, sorry! I can’t believe you are almost halfway done with school. CONGRATS SIS! You rock my world! I want to hear more stories from your psych rotation! How is it? What's it like? Tell me everything!

Nick- Congrats on getting your story on MSNBC! You are such a great writer-thank you for writing me so much. Your letter was the first I got at the MTC and I needed it so much. And thanks for the letter on June 27. I cried reading about Joseph Smith I almost forgot that that day was the day of his Martyrdom. Good luck with school, keep telling me how things are going if you have time — sure do love you brother!

Chris. Thank you so much for your letter!!! I loved hearing from you so much. I needed that letter! I wrote you back, but you didn’t put an apt number on your address so I don’t know if it got to you? Let me know!

Grammy Morgan, Thank you so much for all of your love support and all the letters you send. You are such a great sister to Aunt Lori, I hope you had a great time! You are an even greater grandma, I don’t know what I did to deserve you! Will you tell grandpa happy birthday on Wednesday and that I love him to the moon and back? I forgot to get a birthday card to send him, so I guess this will have to do.

Maureen- Congratulations! I'm so excited for you to be a mommy; you are going to be so fantastic! I was jumping up and down when I found out! YAY!!!!!!

Kim and Ray- Hope you are having a great time in Hawaii!

Well, I thought for today, I would write you another page of my journal and then answer some questions you all have been sending. If you want me to write something else, or you have other questions, just let me know. As a missionary, it's hard to remember what I write and how detailed I am. I’m so used to how things go here that I don’t even think about the things you may wonder about.

Journal
June 27, 2011

Wow, what a day.

You know, as hard as I try not to be homesick or miss my family, it is so hard when my whole message, what I am learning to teach, is based on how families can be happy and live together forever. It’s not a bad homesick — I am grateful for it, for being away from home has reminded me once again what an amazing family I have, and it has helped me to rely on my Heavenly Father one hundred percent.

It was funny, tonight I got some "dear elders"(Letters sent through DearElder.com) from family and just started crying. I wasn’t even sad at all, but I feel so much love all around me, it leaks out of my eyes sometimes. I feel love from my family, from my teachers and leaders and especially from my Heavenly Father.

I used to think I knew what love meant, but I realize I have barely skimmed the surface. I don’t think my heart can even understand how much love my brother, Jesus Christ, and Father in Heaven have for me. After I got out of the temple this morning, I was standing up and looked across into the mirror and the reflection of Jesus Christ with His arms stretched out towards me was right there — right in front of me! I felt his loving arms around me and the comfort of His spirit telling me that He was proud of me. I really needed to be reminded of that today.

My thoughts have also been thinking about Joseph Smith today, as this is the anniversary of his martyrdom. What an amazing man he was: to have enough faith, courage, diligence, long suffering and love for Christ and His church that he would endure trial after trial, heartache after heartache, and still lay down his life for the building up of Zion.

I know that Heavenly Father is not asking me to die for His gospel, but I want Him and anyone else to know that I will give my all to live everyday for it. I am a servant in His kingdom. I wear His Son's name literally everyday on my shirt, and I have promised to serve Him with all my might, mind, heart and strength. Being on a mission has helped me realize what a great work this is. There are God's children all around us hungering and thirsting for something they cannot remember. Helping God’s children remember who they are and where they are meant to be brings me a joy I cannot describe in words. It fills my heart and my soul with happiness.

If Adam could bear facing a lone and dreary world; if Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni would leave their lands to serve a people who hated and despised them; if the pioneers could face trials and hardship to find a place they could worship in peace, I know that I, Sister Newman, can be a warrior in this wicked world to fight Satan with the truth. I know that just as Adam, the sons of Mosiah and the pioneers did what they did, I too can do this. Because they had just as I do, my Savior walking by me every step of the way. What a comfort that is and something I know to be true with all my heart — that with my Savior walking right beside me, I CAN DO ALL THINGS!


Okay, Just for some random questions and answers:

• I play volleyball with the San Diego Elders- Sis, you would be so proud, I actually served and made it over the net three times in row!
• My favorite foods here at the MTC would have to be the tortilla wraps and the oatmeal raisin cookies-yum:)
• Sister Brandley and I got our investigator (not real) to commit to baptism! It was our teacher acting as his dad and he told us we were the only missionaries he has had get his dad to commit to baptism in three weeks. I’m so grateful for Sister Brandley and for the guidance of the spirit!

• We had an awesome Fourth of July celebration, and the MTC president, President Brown, let us all go outside and watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks —IT was a blast!
• I got my pioneer clothes fitted today. They are so cool! I’ll have to send pictures soon:)

Something I learned today:

We talked about making church worthwhile. We talked about how we teach our investigators the importance of getting revelation at church. Our teacher asked us how we did that, and I honestly could not tell him. I think I have been lazy in that category. So this week, I tried it. I prepared with prayer and wrote down two questions that I was wondering about. Heavenly Father answered those prayers through the speakers and testimonies shared. I love these principles. If you don’t already, here is a challenge for the week. Prepare to receive revelation at church next Sunday. Prepare with prayer, and ask Heavenly father to answer some questions you might have. I promise he will answer! Let me know how it goes!

Well, my two-minute timer is going off. I just want you all to know how much I love and appreciate you. You are all such an inspiration in my life. Keep being amazing and sharing your light with the world.

I don’t know the next time I will get to write or anything, but I promise I will once my new P-day comes!

Love ya to the moon and back!

Roller Coasters and Dancing -Week 2 at the MTC

Monday, June 27, 2011

Missionary Training Center

Provo, Utah

Dear Mom and Dad and everyone else I love,

It is so true what everyone says here about time — the days drag on like weeks and the weeks go by like days! Thank you all for sending me letters — I will try to write you back today. I thought I would first answer some of the questions you asked me:

Have you met any other San Diego Missionaries?

Yes. Last week the new district came in and six of the elders are going to San Diego. It’s funny though; I’m the only sister. So we were laughing about how funny it will be at the airport in 2 weeks when I am walking around with six elders in black suits. They are all great though and I’m getting to know them all, and I can’t wait to be in San Diego with them!

Have you met your mission president?

Yes. This week has been mission president week; the First Presidency and 11 of the apostles have been on campus all week. There is a different spirit here on campus when they are here.

Elder Holland was driving up the other day and let Sis. Brandley and I cross the street on the way to gym. It was pretty fun to see him. Elder Bednar gave our devotional on Friday; I love him!

Anyway because of all that, I got to meet my new mission president, President (Paul N.) Clayton. They have 6 children, 8 grandchildren. He is an anesthesiologist for Alta View hospital. They are assigned Spanish speaking. Sis. Clayton’s father is Elder Ballard. (She didn’t tell me that, but my MTC supervisor did). President Clayton served his mission in either Peru or Paraguay (I can’t remember). They are so nice, and Sis. Clayton is the best mom/grandma ever, (Next to my mom) so it will be nice to have a friendly face. I did meet one Spanish-speaking sister going to the Mormon Battalion site, but so far I am the only English-speaking Sister here. There are only 20 sisters that work at the site.

Do you have some tips about teaching from Preach my Gospel?

I would say read through a lesson and then practice with someone who is pretending to be a real investigator. At first, it will seem like just a memorized script but as you practice, try to teach the person not the lesson.

Don’t do all the talking! President Holland says there should be a question, a break, or anything like that about every 2 minutes when teaching an investigator. Also, keep it simple as if you were teaching someone in primary.

The best piece of advice I would give you is to get to know your Heavenly Father. Don’t worry if you don’t know Preach My Gospel super well or if you cant teach very well: That is what the MTC is for. However, developing a relationship between you and Heavenly Father will be a constant support and comfort to you on your mission and throughout your life.

How is the language coming?

;-) Well, you know how hard this English can be — I don’t know why the Russian and Chinese Elders complain so much: They have it EASY! Just kidding. It is really nice to be able to speak English. I love that I can focus on teaching and not have to worry about that. I think Heavenly Father knew how frustrated I would be not being able to bear my testimony very well in another language. I know I was meant for San Diego, I can’t wait to get there!

What do you want to hear from home?

I want to hear everything! What’s going on? Have you learned anything from The Book of Mormon, any spiritual insights for me? Any jokes? Any questions? I promise, I am not homesick or anything Like that. I love you all and I want to hear how you are doing. DON'T HOLD BACK!

I thought for this letter I would write down a page out of my journal this week. If you ever want to know anything else, let me know. The schedule is always the same- class, study, class more study, class.... So things don’t change very much here.

Journal Entry for June 23, 2011

Missionary Training Center

Provo, Utah

I'm not sure I can even describe what happened today. Being at the MTC is like a roller coaster ride. It never slows down, it gives you ups and downs, twists and turns and lots of the unexpected, yet it is the most thrilling and joyful rides ever I have ever been on. I have to admit, this afternoon I was at one of the dips in this experience. I have been teaching four investigators: Dave, Tony, Hely, and Richard. Honestly Sis. Brandley and I walk out of each lesson not really knowing what happened. Heavenly Father has a certain way He wants us to teach His gospel that touches people's spirits and invites them to change. I feel like I am being forced to learn a dance and right now I am tripping over my feet A LOT and am not quite dancing to the beat of the music. However, Heavenly Father makes weak things become strong and I know He will do that for me.

As I was sitting in class tonight, tears kept coming to my eyes because I was so frustrated with my teaching and my inability to teach Heavenly Father’s gospel in His way. The funny thing is, the investigators are not even real. They are either actors at the Teaching Resource Center (TRC) or my teachers pretending to be a person they know from real life and yet, I still have so much love for them and desperately want them to have what I have. I realize that Heavenly Father has given me a big responsibility —Salvation is a BIG DEAL — and I don’t want to miss a single soul I am meant to teach.

Tonight we taught Richard again. Heavenly Father gave me a tender mercy and answered my prayers. Our lesson went so well. Sis. Brandley and I asked him if he would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. He said yes! Sis. Brandley and I are finally figuring out our "dance". My heart is so happy. No wonder no one ever wants to leave his or her mission. This is a gospel of happiness I wish I had time to share with the world!

I just want you to know how much I love it here. There are so many ups and downs and I am not going to lie: This is HARD WORK! But it wouldn’t mean anything if it wasn’t hard. I am Sister Newman, a daughter of Heavenly Father and I know that I can do hard things.

Before I go, I have a couple questions for all of you:

1. If you have time and can “dear elder” me the answer that would be great. (Editor’s Note: See dearelder.com or our "letters" page for instructions on how to send free same-day messages to the Provo MTC) One of my investigators asked all of us what makes us tick as a Mormon. What makes you get up every morning wanting to follow the gospel? I’m just interested in what you have to say.

2. Also, if you could I would love some quotes or inspirational sayings to write on the board every morning for our district. That is one of our goals, but I don’t have very many to write down.

Love you all to the moon and back, talk to you next week!

Love,

A Day in My Life at the MTC

Monday, June 20, 2011

Missionary Training Center

Provo, Utah

Dear Mom, Dad, and everyone else I love!,

These first few days at the MTC have been the best, most humbling, exciting, crazy days of my life! I thought I would kind of let you know how things work here at the MTC, especially for sisters.

A typical day starts out waking up at 5:50 a.m. to get to gym at 6. They do a special gym time for the sisters so we don’t have to do gym time with the Elders if we don’t want to. I just like it because it’s an exercise class and we have an instructor telling us what to do. You know how much I just hate running, so getting up earlier is definitely worth it! I've done Pilates and kick boxing so far. The rest of our day consists of about 6 or so hours of class, 45 minutes to an hour for meals, half an hour of planning for our day.

Companion study times and personal study times, and we get lots and lots of practice teaching the lessons to the investigators.

There is a new pilot program that the English missionaries are finishing up and then the real thing starts in August for the whole MTC. The brethren wanted us to get more practice teaching. They are concerned that the missionaries are teaching whatever they want in whatever order now that Preach My Gospel came out, so they want us to balance between teaching by the spirit and teaching the fundamental doctrines of the gospel in order and what not. Usually missionaries got to teach seven lessons at the MTC. With this new program we teach 22. I already have three investigators, (two are my teacher pretending to be someone he knows, but he never breaks character when we are teaching) and one real investigator. We have taught two lessons to the investigators and probably like 7-10 times each other. It is great. I LOVE it!

We also prepare a talk each Sunday and then they randomly pick who is going to talk on Sunday. They give us no notice, which is good practice I guess! Oh right now, I am learning the first lesson about the Restoration. I have memorized the First Vision, my missionary purpose and how to invite someone to baptism, its SO GREAT!

A little about my district: So my companion's name is Sister Brandley, from Alberta, Canada and she is going to the Oakland Temple Visitors Center. She is the sweetest, most caring girl I know. We get along like peanut butter and jelly!

Seriously though, you know how much I was praying for a great companion before I got here. Once again, Heavenly Father answered my prayers! The other two sisters are amazing too! Sister Murray is from Provo and Sister Humphries is from Enterprise, Utah and they are both going to San Antonio, Texas. It is just us four in our room — they seriously are a blessing to me. I hear that some sisters don’t get along, but we get along so great.

The Elders in our district are awesome as well! Elders Draper, Jones and Reynolds are going to Omaha, Nebraska and Elders Anderson and Hutchings are going to San Antonio, Texas. (They just got made DL's this Sunday. ) They really are stellar missionaries. The only time I remember they are 19 year old boys is when Sister Brandley and I listen to their conversation about girls and football and pretty much any other boy topics you can think of. It is actually very entertaining.

Some Random and Funnies:

· Our Old zone leaders are so funny. They are exactly the same height and even look alike. Our first time we met them they were wearing complimenting ties. They even act the same, I love it. Sister Brandley calls them Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. It’s our District Inside joke:)

· We were fasting for one of the Elders (who actually had to go home to figure some things out), and Sis Brandley and I were talking about how weird it was that we had so much time on our hands that day. We figured it out- If you want time at the MTC just stop eating! (totally joking mom!)

· Ice cream is on Sundays and Wednesdays- SO SO good!

· My P-day is on Monday

· I get to go to the temple once a week and have temple walks on Sunday.

· We had our first fireside on Sunday and we sang Called to Serve. It was amazing to look up at the screen with the words and a picture of Helaman’s Army and look back at a room filled with two thousand missionaries singing that song. The spirit was so strong, and I feel so honored that Heavenly Father trusts me to be his warrior!

Anyway, That is all I can think of right now, let me know if you want to know anything else. Thank you for your love and support, I really appreciate it. Mom, don’t worry about me, I have everything I need. Heavenly Father is taking care of me. All I need is to hear how you and the family are!

I love you all much, I hope you know that! I will write you next Monday! You are all in my prayers.

Love you to the moon and back.