pictures of the mish

October 29th, 2012 - one move call!!

by the end of this week, i will have been in taiwan for 1 move call. this is unbelievable. 

family- thank you so much for the package. carli, i'm glad you didn't steal the shirt- it is very comfortable. i loved the package so much. i was showing it to everyone and just feeling so much love from you all. sister V says thanks for the treats. the chopsticks are so cute and i'm looking right now for a cute case for them haha. the granola might honestly be my favorite part. when i eat that in the morning with some soymilk, i just feel like i'm at home. it is so weird the little things that bring comfort. haha. it is delicious. thank you so much. i loved hearing from the family and it felt like christmas. i am so grateful. thank you so so much!! thank you dad for sending it from taoyuan. it was crazy this week thinking that you were on this little island with me. sometimes i forget how small taiwan is. it seems so big and busy and there are millions of people. i am so grateful that God has given us this little part of His kingdom to serve in. i had a realization while reading PMG this week where it says that "you are Christ's chosen representative in your area" i am honored and humbled by that calling and responsibility. it really helps to think about that when i'm not feeling 100%. Christ always put others before Himself and i have been striving to remember that when hard times come. Elder Bednar says that the character of Christ is to turn outward in love and service when the natural man would turn inward. i have seen Christ turn my hard days into wonderful days as i strive to not think about myself and just pray for chances to serve. i know that God will put opportunities in our path as we seek them and prepare ourselves. i was so excited to read Luke's talk about missionary work and hear the amazing opportunities the family is having. i am so grateful that i am a part of this family. keep seeking those missionary experiences!! God will trust you with His prepared children. i love the people here so much. street contacting is so much fun as we talk to people help them feel love and the spirit. the best is when they pull to the side and we are able to invite them to learn more (to come to Christ). as they act on that invitation and decide to set up a time with us, i am praying that they are feeling the spirit that what they are doing is right. this work is great. not everyone stops. not everyone sets up a time. and not everyone agrees to keep meeting with us. i am grateful for agency and any opportunity the Lord gives these people to interact with His missionaries and the gospel. it is preparing them to one day accept. this week, we had so many miracles. everyday there are small miracles. i have really been seeking to see the Lord's hand in my life and i am. To me, every time i speak in Chinese, it's a miracle. every time i have a scripture reference come to mind that is a miracle. i am nothing, but with God, i can be made strong. all good things come from Him and it is so wonderful to see those good things in life

ok, so this week was beyond crazy. we went on sister exchanges on Tuesday and it was so much fun!! i got to visit another area and help teach their investigators and spend the night with sister mitchell. it was really fun and interesting to work with another missionary. i was really happy to come back home and be with sister Vandegrift. we have been having a great time recently. just striving to become better missionaries and give it our all. and i am really enjoying this work. that's something i am so grateful for is just the love what i have been blessed with. so, on Thursday they announced that they would be doing a zone scramble this week. that's when all the elders and sisters just get jumbled up (elders with elders, sisters with sisters....of course) i just had this feeling that i would be left in my area and that sister V would be assigned to a different area. i have to say that i was really nervous. sister V is great with maps and directions and I AM NOT. haha i follow her lead and most of the time i'm pretty lost. so i was praying for peace and sister V was so patient to write out directions and help me feel better. Christ really gave me peace. and you know what, the day didn't go too badly. it was kind of fun :) we got slightly lost on the way home but made it to our lesson and it went great. she's a 25 Li JM studying dentistry and she has read through the Book of Mormon. She knows the church is true and knows so much but she doesn't really have a desire to be baptized. we gave her a triple combination and invited her to read it and think about covenants and how they can bless her life. it went really well. when we walked in, it kind of hit me that "ok, i am basically the senior companion right now" sister Cole was visiting from another area and i was "the senior" for two days. i was praying so hard for the spirit in that lesson. it went very well. so from exchanges i learned: sister V is amazing and i really love having her as my permanent companion; i am not ready to be a senior companion; the power of the spirit to guide and direct is real; missions are all about going out of your comfort zone and learning to rely on the Lord. it was a fun week and it wore me out. i learned so much and feel like i have become a better person from the challenges that God gave me. 

one investigator that we are SO excited about is Lin JM. she has a baptismal goal for November 17. we were so excited when she accepted. she's just feels like it is right and something that she wants in her life. she has 2 little kids and her husband. her husband doesn't fandui but he's not really interested. we're trying to set up a time for her family to come to another family's house and just talk. even if the husband isn't interested, we want him to be able to know about what his wife is learning and be able to support her. she is so sweet and just so prepared. i love her so much and her simple faith that is growing. she is a miracle and we love her. we're going to visit her today and drop off a picture of Christ. 

i loved hearing about your week of lessons and teaching and shopping. let the Welches and Farleys know that i love them :) they are awesome families and i am so grateful for the friends our family has. for sister exchanges, my old companion from the MTC, sister Chord,came to my area and spent the day with my trainer. they are VERY ALIKE and had a great time. i am so glad they got to meet one another. i think it's very funny how similar my first two companions are- God is teaching me something. anyway, sister Vandegrift told me that sister Chord said that our family is how she wants her future family to be. i have to say that i agree. we are not perfect but we are all active in the gospel. mom and dad teach us and have helped us establish habits. we have a lot of love and happiness. i am so grateful to be a part of our eternal family. i know that as you have investigators over and help teach them,they will feel something different and they will want it. the best lessons that we have are those with members and families present. they bring such a power and special feeling to the lesson. i am so grateful for our family. i love you all.

anyway, i should probably go :) i am still striving to be asian. i am learning so much from the amazing members and missionaries around me. i am so grateful for this opportunity. i am praying for you all and i'm so grateful for your prayers.

all my love to everyone. 

Sister Newman

da jia wu an

hello all!

it seems crazy how fast the weeks are already going by. i've been here a month and i am loving it! taiwan is wonderful and being a missionary is so wonderful. i am so grateful for this opportunity. i feel a deep connection with God through the Holy Ghost. scriptures or quotes will pop into my head and they will be directly applicable to a certain situation i am in. the Holy Ghost can guide us if we will let Him. i was thinking about Thomas S Monson's example. He has so many responsibilities in his calling and so many things that he needs to focus on. He is able to lead this church and serve so many people as he follows the promptings he receives. i think sometimes i think "i can handle this part of my life just fine on my own but i really need the Holy Ghost in this other part." as we rely wholly on the Lord and His guidance, we will be doing God's will. we will truly be a tool in His hands all the time and miracles can happen. we need the Holy Ghost's constant guidance. it is something i am working on and i have faith that as i seek, i can find. 

we had zone conference this week and we talked about working with the members in this great work. we have some amazing ward missionaries in our wards and it is great working with them. i am still trying to get to know the members and find ways to serve. we had a new member fireside last night at it was really fun to feel the strength of new members and their excitement. sister Vandegrift and I are in the process of organizing a thanksgiving activity. we are praying that this will be an opportunity for the members to bring their friends to an activity and invite them to meet us. we don't have many progressing investigators right now and i'm seeking the Lord's will to know what to do. missionary work needs the whole ward if it is going to succeed. i am so grateful that mom and dad get to be ward missionaries :) i love that we are both involved in this great work. sometimes we have rough lessons or feel really inadequate. but when we do things with charity, we do not fail. charity is key. i am praying so hard for more charity. i think of Christ. He was the greatest teacher and people still rejected Him. i don't think we would ever consider Him a failure though. He accomplished God's will and had charity, the greatest of all the gifts. i am learning that i need to change so much in order to be the person i believe God wants me to be. but i know that through Christ's atonement and because of His endless charity, i can change and become like Him.  it is through constant diligence that we build ourselves. the daily effort to be better and higher and more like Him. studying the Christ-like attributes in PMG (Preach My Gospel) is really helping. i want to devote more attention and time to that. ultimately, the only thing i have control over is my own development and growth- how am i going to let this change ME so that i can better help others change. i was studying 'a successful missionary" in PMG (pg 11?) and i felt some comfort.

this week we had the opportunity to go help a ward member move and clean her house. i couldn't help but think of my family and how i missed helping them move. i felt like this was a way to make up for missing that. as i was cleaning, i was just thinking about mom the whole time. i know i could be there to help you move but God gave me this chance to help another mom. we went and visited an LA this week and i had a tender moment as i talked about the love of a mother. i could feel the spirit there so strong as we talked about eternal families and love that is strong despite any distance. i feel that love for my family and i could feel it from this mom for her daughters. it's through moments like this that God lets me know He is aware of me.

there is a Zhan jeimei that might be calling our home phone. she is heading to shanghai and i told her to look you up!! her number is 0934148160. call and qing her. she has served us missionaries so much, as all the ward has here. every week, our members give us fruit and cakes and meals. they are wonderful. the taiwanese as so hospitable and giving. i truly think they are wonderful examples of seeing how everything we have is a gift from God. none of this really belongs to us. God gives us all things so that we can use that to bless others. our time on earth is our greatest gift from God and we should use it to do His will. i am seeking to do that.

i'm trying to be a preach my gospel missionary. i feel overwhelmed at times with how much i feel like i need to change and learn. recently i've been trying to become a better planner. planning my studying and our companion studies. and really planning our day. every day goes by quickly and i just feel like i don't have time to waste. i am praying that i can know if what we are doing is God's will. i feel lost sometimes- being a junior companion is hard in its own way sometimes. i'm seeking to have faith. i just remembered something sister Chord told me when we were at the MTC- just be better at one thing that day. you can't be perfect every day but you can seek to improve at least one thing. if we are seeking that, the Lord will see our efforts and magnify them through the atonement. right now i'm reading the Book of Mormon again and really seeking to better know my Savior. the promise in the beginning of the Book of Mormon is that it will bring us closer to Christ than any other book. i am loving what i am learning about God and His relationship with us. His constant character allows me to put complete faith in Him. He knows all things and is in all things. He has a plan and i'm seeking to follow it.

everyday here is amazing. we meet so many wonderful people. i think that what i love most. is just seeing the people the Lord puts in our path. even if they dont want to listen about the church, i am so grateful that i get to interact with them and just feel so much love. president Bishop told us that the most important thing is making sure they feel love, a fruit of the spirit. people will remember that feeling. I love it!!

on our way home last night, we got stopped by a parade. yup. lots of glowing, giant costumes of asian warriors. it was GREAT!! they had a very loud band playing and fireworks. and then us- the two clueless waiguo sisters just taking everything in. so funny. no pictures because it was too dark but it was great. haha

well, we have sister exchanges tomorrow. MY FIRST ONE!! i will let you know how it goes. i love you all very much. i am so grateful i get to email you weekly and get to feel your love and power.

all my love

sister newman

October 15th, 2012

hello everyone :)

happy birthday to blake! i love you so much and i will always be grateful for your example and love. you really are a wonderful older brother and you have taught me so much. you are an example of humility and diligence. i love you and miss you.

conference is the best thing in the world. we were inviting people to attend all week and many people told us they could come- they were busy or out of town. in my mind i was thinking- "why would you want to do anything besides attend conference? what could possibly be better than that? nothing. why doesn't your life revolve around conference like mine does?" haha we have a few investigators attend and we were so grateful for the power and testimony of the general authorities. they are so inspired. as i went with my questions, i had them all answered, in very personal ways. i truly feel like elder bednar's talk and elder uchtdorf's talk were both for me. i had written in my journal, seeking to know what weapon i need to bury. elder bednar directly addressed that question. i feel so touched to think that God is aware of me and my questions. I am not surprised that He CAN answer me and help me, but i am always amazed that He DOES. He is so aware of all of us. i felt that again and again as i was listening to conference. i felt an overall theme to be more aware of the one. i think as a missionary, we often seek to have amazing experiences where we baptize hundreds and help a whole ward get reactivated. i think this often makes us overlook the little things. the lesson that was able to help that one person feel the spirit. that one less active member we visited that she was able to feel comforted. president monson is a wonderful example of looking out for the one by doing the little things. he is a tool in God's hands and i am seeking to be like that. i have to say, my past few weeks, i have felt a lot of stress. i wanted things to be going a certain way, and they were and i was working but not really seeing anything come of it. president uchtdorf reminded me to slow down (keep working hard of course) and enjoy my time with people. Christ would not walk into a lesson with the thought of getting the lesson over with. He would cherish the time He got to spend with one of His sisters. i am loving this work and the people we get to interact. i do not want to become complacent, but i do want to just serve out of love. God will guide me as i seek to serve. i really want to start by serving my companion more. i want to enjoy this time with sister Vandegrift and develop a relationship with her. she is wonderful and i am excited to keep serving with her.

ok dad had some questions about life in taiwan. i took some pictures this morning. we go running at that track every other morning. the picture of the dalou and the the canal- that's our apartment building. there is a picture that epitomizes 'public' restroom. our church building is the big beautiful red one. there is one of a 7-11. NOT a gas station- these little stores are on about every corner and are full of so many good things to buy. they are these awesome convenience stores. go figure. they rock. my bike is adorable and teal with a basket and a sticker. love it. but it's killing my calves. the bike is guilty for the battle wounds on my legs. it's really not that bad. just one of those things :) i bought jelly-shoes! it's like an induction of sorts in the taizhong mission for sisters. for breakfast, we often make our own because we have no time to eat out in the morning. but i agree that taiwanese food is wonderful!! the douzhang is delicious and the fruit is incredible. we often eat out/get qinged lunch and dinner. fried rice, noodles, shuijiaos, this bean/gelatin soup thing that is so good. i want to eat all the things! the other missionaries in my district are elder peng, xu, george, and allen. elder george is the district leader and i have been working with him to pass off my lessons in mandarin. its really great to talk with him about different study methods and what has helped him. i again learned the value of planning this week. nightly language planning is so much easier when i have a weekly language plan. i think with goals and plans, we can accomplish so much more. i don't want to waste any time wondering, what should i do next. when we plan, we become an efficient tool in the Lords hands. we are in the taizhong south zone and we are having a zone conference tomorrow. i am really excited to receive more training. i am really trying to be the best missionary i can be. some days are harder than others and some days i wonder if i really did give it my all. the atonement lifts my spirits as i try to change. i pray that the Lord sees my efforts. i am so grateful to have received letters from austin and cameron. they wonderful cousins and examples. thank you for your emails- you do not know how much your advice means to me. i am very grateful. we have three wards. a singles ward, the nantun ward, and the zhongming ward. we had the opportunity to meet with all the bishops this week and discuss with them some assignments for us. one bishop gave us a list of members in the singles wards and we are working on contacting/visiting them. another bishop is working right now to get a list together of members to visit. i really want to work hard to show our wards that we are ready to serve. i love all the members in our wards and i'm excited to continue to work with them. sunday's for us is a little crazy. we attend all three wards and usually spend the whole day at the church. i strive to use that time effectively to build relationships with the individual members in the wards. i love them. we will probably get a chance to attend the temple next month around move-call time. i am very excited to go. i miss the temple very much. i am so grateful for this time that i have as a missionary to consecrate all my effort into serving the Lord. i have nothing else to worry about. it really clears my mind and helps me see what is important. i hope that the Lord can use this time to shape me into a lifelong missionary.

we went tracting the other night and i was praying so hard for hope and faith. i didn't want to look at it as 'killing an hour" tracting but as using this sacred time to work on blessing lives. the second door we knocked on, a lady called from the balcony and we asked to come in. her husband came and let us. ok- they are the nicest family ever. they fed us fruit and ended up giving us a bag of fruit. the daughter and father had attended english class before and the were familiar with the church. the son (no present) is christian. we just talked with them about the gospel and it felt like we were talking to old friends. i was so comfortable and i just felt so much love. we invited them to conference and the husband came! he left early but i am so grateful that he exercised his faith to come. i know he will be blessed for that. we have plans to meet with them again this week. i am trying not to be impatient in other's progress. i am excited for this opportunity that God has given me to meet a wonderful family and hopefully develop a relationship with them. i am acting with faith and hope that the little things i do can make a difference. when contacting on the street, it can be hard sometimes when no one gives you their number. but i have felt a sense of freedom as i realize that as long as i have helping them feel the spirit and feel loved, that is enough for now. Christ will take my small acts and eventually, lead God's children home.

this week has been great. i have almost been here a month. i can't believe it. i want to continue doing good. as i am praying earnestly, i hope to be able to serve the Lord like He needs me to. i love this work and this gospel. Christ is leading us through the men that spoke to us this past week. i am so excited to continue studying their words and then letting the Atonement help thier words become a part of who i am. as elder bednar taught, having a testimony is not enough. we need to be truly converted to this gospel and allow God's word to be who we are. it is a work of a life time that is accomplished one day at a time.

i love you all dearly.

all my love

sister newman

life in Taiwan

conference weekend!

hello all! 

conference weekend!! we don't get it till this weekend, but as i am preparing i am feeling the spirit with me so strong. i am thinking of what questions i have. i am so grateful that everyone is enjoying conference. the new news is amazing. i am so grateful for this call for more laborers. the first names that came to mind were kelly and kathryn and stephanie maynes. i am praying for all the women all over the world that are now seeking inspiration on serving missions. what an amazing experience. i am learning that so much i am doing on my mission is changing who i will be the rest of my life. being a missionary is going to help me be a better member of the church, more ready to fulfill my callings and keep my covenants. more ready to be a mom and raise another generation of missionaries. it is wonderful being a sister missionary. we are able to touch people and love people in a different way that is needed just as much as the elders service is needed. in relief society, we were reading from daughters of my kingdom (what a great book!!) about pioneers and the strength they received from their covenants. they had faith and hope because they knew the power of their covenants and they had trust in God. i could not help but relate a little to these women. all of us are on a journey- mine brought me to taiwan. the Lord called me to leave behind all personal affairs and serve Him, to travel to an unknown place and help establish Zion. missionaries and ward member all over the world are like these pioneer women. we can have faith in our callings and in the source of our callings, even Heavenly Father. the covenants to which we are true can enable us to complete anything He asks and nothing is impossible for us. we are pioneers and, even though the trials and challenges are different, the result is the same- eternal blessings. God loves us so much.

i have been seeking to be a better missionary. i am praying hard. we have many first lessons this week and i am striving to be a better teacher. i want to help these women see the power of God in their lives. and help them grow closer to Him. Christ has done so much with my life. i think back to the 12 year old sister Newman (...paige) and i think of how far i have come since then. carli, you didn't really know me back then, but you are a much better 13 year old than i was. you are my example of faith and dedication. i think about how Christ has shaped my life and helped me change. and the wonderful thing is that we are not done changing!! with Christ, we can have hope that we can be better daily. every day can be BETTER than the last. He can continue to change us and those things that we struggle with can be made light with Christ. I am praying for more faith. sometimes, it is easy to get discouraged or doubtful- but were those emotions are, faith cannot be. i am praying that Christ will help me be a better missionary and that as i strive to do His will, He will prepare me for what needs to be done. i am starting from the beginning of chapter 3 in pmg and treasuring up the doctrine in my heart. i know that as i do this, God will give me the words and the spirit that i need.

i am trying to get better at planning. there are so many different things we as missionaries could be focusing on. the key indicators give us some sense of reference but it is still hard. we have many responsibilities and we can only do so much in 16 hours. i am trying to relate everything i do back to my purpose- how is studying this/eating this/doing this helping me fulfill my purpose of helping others come unto Christ? Goals and plans are so important, especially when you only have 18 months to serve. i have been praying for how to help the wards- we have three. with one of the wards, we came up with a plan and we're working on it with the elders and ward missionaries. with the other ward, we were really having a hard time thinking of what to do. as i have been praying to know, the story of the Brother of Jared came into my head. the Lord asks BoJ what HE thinks God should do. im sure touching 16 stones was not perhaps the BEST way to light ships, but the Lord took the BoJ's idea and created a miracle. that story is full of faith and miracles. so with that in mind, we came up with a little plan and we're praying for the Lord to consecrate our efforts. we hope that through us, He can touch and bring 'light' into the lives of souls here in taiwan.

we are meeting with all the bishops in our ward this week. we are hoping to be able to serve them and help them build up the wards. we really want to use family history to help members come back to church and help them see the blessings of the temple. if we can help people get back on the road to salvation, then we have helped the Lord with His work. i have a desire to baptize but i also know that every soul is precious in the eyes of God. those that have made covenants but are no longer living them need our help too. i am learning how vital it is that we all work together. missionaries don't need to do everything alone- we can have the support and love of the members and leaders and as a team, we can do much good.

there is a line in pmg that use to make me laugh. it says that the best way to help people change is to invite them to change. before i kind of thought- well, duh. but i am realizing the truth of that statement. people dont know WHAT to do to help them draw closer to Christ or what to do to help them feel peace. as we teach them and guide them, they can learn for themselves the blessings that come from obedience to God's laws. but first, we must invite them!! so i have an invitation for all of you. for you home teachers and visiting teachers, prayerfully seek what more you can do to fulfill your callings. these methods are the way of the Lord in helping retain members. i know that as we are better home and visiting teachers, we can be the Lord's hands in serving and blessing those we have been given stewardship over. we can save souls. i have been thinking about the story of Ester. "who knows but that you were saved for such a time as this?" the Lord places us in certain places and gives us certain responsibilities because He KNOWS us. He knows the good we can do and all that we can learn from the opportunities He gives us.

one of my friends wrote me a letter this week and in it, it said " when we are doing good, when we are living worthy of the spirit, when we are striving to obey, we do not need to worry if the thought or impression we are having is from God or is just from us. when we are righteous, the first thought we will have will be from the spirit. but because there is opposition in all things, other thoughts follow. these might be good thoughts and ideas, but they are not what the Lord needs at that time. follow those righteous first impressions that you receive." i have been striving to follow the spirit and be obedient to that power within me. i am loving this missionary work. it is HARD but it is good. i am seeking to allow these next 18 months be the best years FOR my life. i am changing and i am seeking to let the Lord make weak things strong

davis- i am praying for you every day. i know that you are such a wonderful young man and i miss you everyday. let me know how rugby is going. are you going to be able to get any sports scholarships? you are good enough that i'm sure you could. BYU hawaii?? ;)

luke- send me more pictures when you get the chance. i want to see your skateboard that went into the canal. i want to see your friends, room, and school!! i loveyou and i'm grateful for your support.

carli- i have a written letter headed your way :) i love you very very much and i think about you everyday. tell me what you think about the announcement in general conference. i want to know your thoughts and ideas about missionary work.

mom and dad- i'm glad hong kong was such a great trip!! i love asia and all the opportunities we have been given to live and serve in asia. i keep thinking of the story of ammon, when he goes to serve the lamanites and says that he desires to serve and live there the rest of his days. dad, i bet you didn't know what you were getting into when you chose to accept a mission to taiwan. but you are a wonderful example of livelong dedication to your mission. you are still serving the people you started serving so many years ago. i am grateful everyday for your service. mom, you are always an example of getting involved in service where ever we go. i have seen you bless many people in every place we have lived. i am so grateful that the Lord needs you in china and that He is able to trust you there. how are the lessons with kitty and jim (?) going? i see in your service the fulfillment of the prophecy that this knowledge shall go to every nation and be proclaimed in every tongue. you are on the Lord's errand. i am so proud of you. 

blake- i love you very much. i miss hearing from you but i am sure that you are doing well. i am so grateful to think that i am here in taiwan, eating the same foods, riding the same streets that you were a couple months ago. that brings me comfort and strength. i am praying for you everyday. you are a wonderful example of hard work and service. tell kenzie hi/iloveher/imissher

wow- i am so overwhelmed with love for you all. our family is eternal. i am grateful for the prayers from EVERYONE and the love and confidence i feel from you. the Lord truly is blessing me because of your prayers\

Thomas S Monson is a prophet of God. His words are the words of God. we can know for ourselves that what He says is true through study, prayer, and application (1 nephi 10:17-19 i think...) We are able to receive personal revelation and guidance as we seek it. this church was established because one boy was seeking God's will, with faith and real intent. the gospel is restored and we are able to know God's will for us. i am so grateful for that. 

i love you all.

sister paige Newman (Li Jie Mei) my chinese name is beginning to sound more natural than sister newman to me. haha. i love this.  

hello all - 9/30/12

da jia hao

my week has been a crazy one. i feel a lot like mom in her last letter was saying- i feel like i need to know everything (doctrine, teaching skills, be perfect) right now in order to do this work well. i am learning patience with myself. the Lord does not give us callings necessarily because we are ready for them. but as we seek His will, He can guide us and we can become the means of doing much good among His children. i am just trying to plan well and be the means of bringing many to baptism. sister Vandegrift is saying this is the hardest she's gone her whole mission. but i really feel like i can go further. we don't have many progressing investigators right now. there is a 20-ish year old woman who works and is absolutely adorable. i really am seeking to know her needs. we also had a lesson with a woman lin JM and we were almost positive she would be there on sunday.....it was moon festival and i'm guessing that's why she didn't come. i am working on my faith and believing in myself and faith that God will provide the way. i have made a mission baptism goal and i feel like that goal was given to me by God. i am still learning the ins and outs of missionary work and my trainer is really good at providing an example. i seek daily to strengthen her faith. we will be a companionship that baptises, if that is the Lords will. i am working on being a better companion. mom, we talked about this before, how i was worried about working with others. i really need to develop more patience and love for her. she really is wonderful and sweet and fun. i want us to have a better relationship. i feel like it is so often me that creates the tension. i am seeking to develop christlike attributes.

we had a few miracles this week :) we got the phone number to an investigator that was dropped about 2 months ago. she is wonderful and qinged us for dinner on sat. she is so ready for baptism but her husband opposes. her story is really sad but we have seen the book of mormon and the gospel give her hope. we also had 2 women walk into the church one night while we were contacting referrals and they asked to learn more about the Godhead. i am hoping to develop their faith because right now they seem to be very focused on facts and proof. i hope we can be able to help them understand and believe.

the wards are great! its so fun meeting everyone and visiting them during the week. i am still seeking to serve them and follow the spirit. this work is hard. my emotions are on a roller coaster daily. but i know in whom i have trusted. Christ is my rock. I seek to serve Him. i really do need more patience- my family is all probably nodding in agreement. haha.

i was so excited to hear that you are all heading to hong kong and the temple. what a great opportunity! hong kong is beautiful and the temple is always a place that brings peace. no matter where we go, the gospel and the blessings are the same. i see so many moms in the ward and i just see how much love they have for their families. moms are the same everywhere. i can promise investigators universal blessings that are only offered through this gospel. the blessing of eternal families, peace in this life, and eternal life with God.

i am humbled many times every day. i try not to let it get to me. i am seeking to have more hope and more faith in God. i try to allow Christ to gently guide me and not let myself get frustrated or upset. my pride might be a reason i am struggling.

mission life wears me out! biking is so great and i love talking to people on the street. it's interesting who God puts in your path. i loved that in your last letter mom. i ask myself many times, why am i here right now? who can i talk to? what do i say? i am striving to let the spirit guide me. when biking gets a little hard or contacting isn't going that well, i start singing hymns. they have great power and bring the spirit

so as part of language study, i am working on phase one. i passed off the first lesson with the district leader this sunday. it went really well! i love this language and i'm trying to learn as fast as i can. i pray to have a native companion at least once on my mission- haha be careful what you wish for right? haha. sister vandegrift is really great. we teach well together and comp study is usually really great :) we have fun :) she is a great example of loving those we teach and helps me remember names. that is a specific place i am using the atonement right now- remembering names. everyday is an opportunity to use the atonement in our lives. seek to let the spirit tell you what you did well, where you can change, and how to make those changes. i am learning the importance of goals. we did weekly goal setting on friday and i am excited for this week. i hope to accomplish a lot as i strive to achieve the goals we have made with God. take one day at a time. have week goals and daily strive to let those goals motivate you to work hard.

i am striving to figure out what i need to change. what i need to improve. the time i have to serve is very short but i know i can do a lot of good. i think i need to forget myself more and work work work. gong zuo gong zuo gong zuo. those times when i am not working hard are those moments my mind wanders and satan is able to have greater influence. i am striving and praying to help sister V stay focused. i know these next two months might be hard for her- she goes home in january. keep her in your prayers. i was sitting with a member and talking about missionary work. it was a tender mercy when she leaned over and said- sister newman, you don't sound, look, act, or feel like a new missionary. you are doing a great job. i love Guan JM!! she is wonderful

i think i need to go back to my MTC notebooks and relearn all i was learning in the MTC. i am seeking to learn from the spirit. this week has been a little hard. i don't doubt that God- i am just wondering what more i can do to be open to the spirit.

luke thank you for your note. i love you very much and talk about you a lot. when i show people a picture of our family, questions always come up about you. i am so grateful you are a part of our family. carli- i have read your last letter every preperation day since i recieved it. i love reading your testimony and just feeling your light. have patience in yourself as you continue to adjust. davis- i love you so much!! i can only imagine all the lives you are touching with your love. strive to remember the important things in life. figure out what's most important to you and work towards that. goals are so important (as you probably know from scoring a million of them in rugby)

dad thank you for the note. you are daily my example as i try to learn and speak the language. i have seen how much your mission has blessed your life and i am seeking to serve these people as you did and you do. tell blake i say Hi and let me know how everything is going. i love him very much and think about him often.

mom- you are and always be my best friend. i love love love you. i pray for you daily and i want you to know how wonderful you are. i realize that more and more every day. i love you so much. thank you for your letters and pictures and prayers and love.

i love you all. christ lives and loves us. because He lives, He can help us daily. we will soon be able to hear His living prophet speak to us. i love general conference. i am so grateful to be working with my family in this wonderful mission work.

yours,

sister Paige Newman