January 13th, 2013

Hello everyone!!

It has been another wonderful week here in tainan. being with sister park is so much fun!! she is seriously so so funny and she makes me laugh all the time. she yells encouraging words to me in korean as we're biking down the street. i don't understand most of it but my korean is improving. sister park is going to be senior companion next movecall and she's really excited. and so ready. i'm really trying to learn how to better help others learn how to take the lead. i'm really grateful for the love in our companionship. i think my companions have been one of the most influential factors of my mission and i'm grateful that Heavenly Father is teaching the power of surrounding myself with good friends. i'm so grateful for each of my companions and they are all doing pretty great. most of them are senior companions now, which makes me feel really old. well, i guess that happens.

we have an amazing progressing investigator named Lu JM. her english is perfect and she's always coming up with funny analogies that actually make SO MUCH SENSE. she told us how the Book of Mormon and the Bible are like overlapping teeth. she makes me laugh so much. she loves the law of chastity and she says that she keeps that pamphlet in her agenda because it is so precious to her. she told us how she has always had that standard in her life and she is so grateful that she has found others that share her same standard. she's been hurt in the past and i'm so grateful that she knows the importance of the commandments. she also hasn't been able to come to church this semester because she has a class every sunday from 9:00 to 12:00am. this past week, we shared with her about the word of wisdom. she loves her tea and coffee. BUT she committed to quit tea this week, and coffee next week! i am so grateful that i have been able to see her faith grow and we have been texting calling her daily to strengthen and encourage her. she is coming to church this sunday and bringing her son, whose name is aurthur and he's adorable
i had a really powerful experience this sunday at sacrament. i really tried to focus on the sacrament every day this past week and, in my prayers, prepare to be cleansed and renew my covenants. as i was in sacrament meeting this week, i could just really feel the sacredness of the ordinance and i felt more focused on the Savior than usual. i'm grateful that Heavenly Father allowed me to have this experience and i want to apply this pattern to every week.

this next week is going to be so great. i love being a part of the Lord's work in whatever way He needs, whether that means finding or teaching or being with the members, or visiting less active sisters. everything thing we do matters because we matter!! i really love the concept of small and simple things- no effort is wasted and we can be the Lord's hand to love and serve His children. i love it. He loves each of us so much and i'm so grateful that i have felt that love from all of you. thank you for your prayers and emails and love. keep the faith

love

sister Newman