Crazy Mission

Hello everyone!

    We have had a lot of rain here and suddenly the grass is visible again! I feel like Spring is on its way!!!!!! well....we can hope:)

      This week has been intense. So. Sis. Stack went home. After days and days of hospital visits, Call after call with Dr. Dunn, the area medical adviser for the mission, Sis. Vellinga, Pres. Vellinga, other Doctors, the hospital, insurance companies and who know who else. We finally all decided that it would be best if She just was home to figure out what is going on. She was so sad, and torn up about it but it really was for the best. She needed her family and she needs time to rest and be able to figure out what is wrong and you just don't have that luxury on the mission. Our area was really suffering for it and things have just been like a roller coaster ride. So she flew out on Saturday and is now safe at home in Utah getting the care she needs. In the meantime...I think I am in a bit over my head! I have been here for three weeks, and it was over the holidays so no one wanted to meet with us! My poor new companion Sis. Coontz is probably even more stressed,  but the reality of it, is that neither of us have met the majority of these investigators, Less actives and members and have no idea where to go with them! The area is really confusing, and all I can say is thank goodness Sis. Stack is letting us keep her GPS for a few weeks until we get a new one because otherwise we would get sooooo lost! The area book has been sadly neglected so we are missing a lot of information on people and it just is overwhelming! BUT, I love it. I love the challenge, I love the area, I love the people, I love my companion, I love what I am learning and I love knowing that God trusts me and I love learning to more fully rely on the Lord. Its overwhelming but I feel love the feeling of a challenge, I think this really is just what I needed to really force myself to step up and be better. I know I can give so much more and this certainly is requiring it of me!

   Sis Coontz and I had a long discussion on how we can be more exactly obedient and what we need to do to help this area get rollin'!  And I am so excited for it! We know what we need to do and we feel truly the guidance and inspiration we need from the Lord to help us.

    Sis. Coontz my new companion is absolutely wonderful! We actually came out together. We were roommates at the MTC and just really get along well!  She is like the companion I always wanted! When you envision what your wonderful companions will be like on the mission...yup that's her. She is so awesome and I know I am going to learn so much from her. She is from Saratoga Springs Utah and has a really beautiful voice, So I can finally sing with my companion! She is a really powerful and obedient missionary and I am so relieved! It just feels so good to be on the same page as your companion from day one and really have the same desires and goals and ways of doing things. So This really is going to be such a good thing. I hope we get to stay together for a while and really do some good here in this place!

      We went out tracting for a little bit yesterday and stopped by this guys house that we had found a few weeks ago. He we had just shared a brief message with him and had asked to come back and set up another appointment. Well because of all the craziness we couldn't make it to that appointment and when we called him to try and let him know his phone was disconnected (very normal out here...people are just really poor and their phones will be on one week and then disconnected for a time)  Well so I really was anxious to stop by and see him again. So we finally got over there and 4 kids were outside playing. They were soooo friendly (probably too friendly....don't talk to strangers kids!) but the cutest things and they said their dad was sleeping but that they remembered him talking about us....I said "oh what did he say?" zoe was like "I'm not telling:)" I said "well was it good or bad?" and she said "GOOD!" haha. She was so cute. Sis. Coontz and I were dying, They would be the perfect family. They went and told their mom and then came back asking "my mom wants to know if you can come back tomorrow?" so we said we definitely would try. We were about to leave when I said "would you like a picture?!" so they all come running up and I bring out a handful of pass-a-long cards, fan then all out and let them pick one "This one is with Jesus and some children, this one he is teaching, this is a temple where we go with our families so we can be together forever...etc. They all excitedly picked one and ran off yelling "bye, come again soon!" Well we were a few houses down and out of sight when we hear Zoe yelling "I got a TEMPLE!!!!!!" hahaha I am praying so hard that they are really interested and prepared to hear our message!

           Well I love you all and hope you have a marvelous week! Keep reading the Book of Mormon!
Love, Sis. Newren