Week 13

December 31, 2015

Thursday, Day 79

Day 66 in NY

It's January 12, and I'm trying to catch up in my journal that I haven't been able to write in since December 31st... So, just a quick over view of this day. From the little notes I took of this day it looks like we found some investigators.

LESSON:

Then we had a lesson with Ricky, we shared the scripture Ether 5:5. "5 And if it so be that they repent and come unto the Father in the name of Jesus, they shall be received into the kingdom of God." We all need to strive to be like Jesus, and this is how we can be like him. Humble our selves to repentance

January 1, 2016

Friday, Day 80

Day 67 in NY

CONFERENCE CALL:

Received a message that we would be having a conference call this morning. So we got on the call after studies. President Smith made the announcement that Elder Holland has decided to come to the New York New York North Mission to speak to us. Usually when an Apostle comes to speak to a mission, he usually does because he's got some other business or meeting he's taking care of in the area. This trip that Elder Holland was making for us, was inspiration. He had no other reason to come to New York than to speak to us. So we are all so stoked!!

LESSONS:

We went by and taught Jermaine and His buddy Kenneth in his shop. (I don't remember much of these lessons since I'm way behind in my writing) but after Jermaine and Kenneth we went down a few blocks to see Brother Ford.

After Brother Ford, we went home, and had lunch. When we finished lunch we went to look up a referral. Then we had a lesson with Aida.

AIDA:

This lady is so awesome! She really understands everything we teach her. She asks questions and she studies on her own after each appointment we have with her. She even set her own baptism date! February 13, 2016.

BLESSING:

Elder Nalaza has been really sick and just down in dumps from it... As much as he wants to go out and work his companion keeps him inside, because he throws up a lot. On top of his sickness, he hasn't been getting any sleep… With all of this happening, we received a call asking if we could come over and give Elder Nalaza a blessing. So after Aida's lesson, we left and went straight over to the Elder’s apartment. When we got to the apartment, they let us in and we talked about what was going on, then Elder Nalaza asked if I would give the blessing.

After the blessing he thanked us and he walked on into his room, into the dark, and laid in bed.

DIAZ'S:

Leaving the apartment hungry, we stopped by a near by 7-11 and grabbed a pizza. We ate on the way to the bus stop, and began waiting for a bus. Finally a bus came, we got on, and headed over to Sister Diaz's. The lady who's apartment caught fire. They still needed help. So of course Elder Tabor and I went and helped out. Sister Diaz's family is inactive. And her son gave us a ride home, which was super awesome. (It's been a while since I've been in a car, and didn't have to walk home). On the way home we talked to him and got to know him a little. We talked about our lives and being missionaries, we shared a little about our stories as to why we came out on a mission. His name is Gio and he's 21. He told us that he wanted to serve a mission and that he still would love to serve a mission. He was explaining how, his family just hadn't gone to church in a while, and this girlfriend of his isn't a member and he just doesn't think he'd be able to serve a mission still. (This guy is super awesome!) Elder Tabor and I, having similar insights and experience, we explained to him that he could still serve a mission. We talked him up about how cool and fun it is! He got super hyped about the idea and all the stories we told him. By the time we got home it was about 9:30. So we didn't have time to finish talking but we hopefully will see him again sometime.

MYSTERY NOTE:

While cleaning out the Diaz's home, I found some cassette tapes (if that's how you spell it) they were being thrown out so I took one. When we got home Elder Tabor and I wrote a note on it. "When found... Facebook us, Jordan Tabor & Tyler Newbold January 1, 2016" then I tapped it to the top of the doorframe inside the closet. Now I just have to wait till I leave the area and see how long it takes for someone to find it.

January 2, 2016

Saturday, Day 81

Day 68 in NY

WEEKLY PLANNING:

It usually takes about 2 1/2 - 3 hours, if you do it right haha. So sitting around planning for that long drains you! We can't wait to get out and do work! We have a really quick meal and take off to our appointments.

INVESTIGATORS:

Had some good work planned and found success! We met some people who became new investigators!

RED BULL

It's been 2 months! Finally got one! And yes, it was good! Elder Tabor and I celebrated for a good day.

RICKY:

After a long day we went on over to Uncle Ricky's. Ricky was going through the Mormon channel on his tv and came across Two Brothers Two. (I remember watching this movie years ago as a family) and I explained a little bit about it and he was interested. So we started watching a few episodes and it was super cool, Ricky liked it and it reminded me of my brothers and I. Ricky told us he was coming to church, he said "I can't miss the 1^st Sunday of the month, testimony meeting is my favorite part."

January 3, 2016

Sunday, Day 82

Day 69 in NY

Woke up this morning, worked out, got ready. Started our studies. And just after we finished personal studies we got a text. It said, "I'm not coming to church, I'll see you next Monday." ...guess who, Elder Tabor said. Ricky. I said no! Hurry up lets go, we will show up to his apartment and get him. We called him, he didn't answer. So we finished getting ready and took off over to his apartment. Then Ricky called us and said, "where are you?! I'm at the train station!" Haha He changed his mind, he told us he was laying in bed and God wouldn't let him lay there so he got up and got ready. We hurried over to the station and walked with Ricky to church.

TESTIMONY MEETING:

People one by one began testifying about how the devil is at work and all these evil things and it was super weird. Then all of a sudden Ruby, one of the recent converts in the ward, got up to the stand and began preaching to everyone about her testimony of Jesus. She called out everyone talking about the devil and said they needed to start testifying of Christ. It was so great!

JESUS IS THE WAY:

We were standing out side the chapel waiting for someone to come out of a meeting and this little Spanish girl was being a little irreverent and she wasn't listening to her mom. The little girl came my way and was making some noise and making weird faces, so I pulled out a picture of Jesus and handed it to her she stopped everything she was doing and held onto the picture. While she was staring at picture I asked her "who is that?" She responded "Jesu Cristo". It's so amazing to me, the impact that Jesus Christ has on us all. For a little girl she stopped the things she was doing and just stood in silence looking at Jesus.

January 4, 2016

Monday, Day 83

Day 70 in NY

DISTRICT MEETING:

Monday morning routines, get up, work out, get ready, and have studies. After studies then we head over to the church for district meeting. That's where Elder Tabor (the District Leader) would give a lesson or some kind of instruction to our district. When our meeting is over we then would go home and eat lunch.

CLEAN:

Sometime during the previous week, we received a phone call from one of the AP's (Assistant to the President) AP Leashman called and told us that we would be having 2 ASL missionaries moving into our apartment. They would be moving in on Tuesday. So we took Monday, today, off to prepare to house these 2 missionaries. (One of the missionaries would be a brand new missionary and the other is his trainer from the ASL program.) We didn't understand why this was happening but we just needed to accept it with out question. We finished up lunch and began tackling the apartment. We started in the living room and just threw out everything that we didn't need or use or that was left from previous missionaries. We vacuumed and arranged the furniture so that we could bring our bunk bed into the living room. Then we rearranged what was our room, and turned it into the new missionaries room/study room. It sounds easy but it literally

took all day... We had to take apart furniture and reassemble and etc. Finally we finished and then realized we planned a split on this day, so we rushed over to the train station and switched companionship switch the ZL's (Zone Leaders). Elder Tabor and I were exhausted... Completely drained, once again. And guess who was taking over the area... Me! So Elder Tabor was happy about that haha. It was a well planned day, but it was a busy one, so I wasn't too excited for the

morning.

January 5, 2016

Tuesday, Day 84

Day 71 in NY

SPLIT:

The split begins... Our first appointment was with Jermaine... 1. I love Jermaine, but he loves to talk, and he loves to talk about history of religion. 2. I don't understand 90% of the things he says because he studies so much about these religions. 3. Jermaine has a buddy named Kenneth and Kenneth is also knowledgeable in other religions and likes to add his input, which then get carried too far off subject. So I was hoping that Kenneth wouldn't be there this morning. (The last time we met with him, he told us he wasn't interested in baptism anymore).

JERMAINE:

So we get over to Jermaine’s shop and Kenneth wasn't there. So we got right into it. We answered some questions that he had. Then about half way into the lesson, Kenneth walks in. Now I'm just praying Kenneth is just hear to listen, because if he said anything we wouldn't finish our lesson. (Kenneth walked right in and sat right down without saying a word). When he came in I caught a hint of a lil something something. Towards the end of the lesson Kenneth finally looked up and made one comment. Right then, we knew. Kenneth was baked! Haha he was just chill’in. No questions asked, haha it was a good lesson!

MAIL:

Right after Jermaine we went over to the church and picked up mail and grabbed some more Book of Mormons.

NEW COMPANIONSHIP:

Around lunchtime we received a phone call while inside the apartment. It was the Mission office Elders, they called to see if we were home, and we were. They asked if we could come outside and help them because one of the ASL Elders was here. So we went outside helped him bring in his stuff. I guess only one came, because the NEW missionary was needing to be picked up from the airport, so they left to go get him and came back later on in the day.

NEXT APPOINTMENTS:

Nelson and Ricky were our next appointments; Elder Buckley and I showed them the New Years video. They both really liked it; it talks about how it's a new year and we need to forget about the past, forgive ourselves and move on, and try to be better. Then we went to go look up Grace, a referral who we've tried getting in contact with but hasn't been home. She was finally home and we were able to give her a bible. On our way to our next appointment we came across this pier. It was a beautiful view!

Sister Smith, the member we see each week for FHE (Family Home Evening) was our next appointment. We taught her and her kids about choosing the right.

That concluded our day, so we headed back to the station and split again back to our companions. When Elder Tabor and I got home that's when we met both the Elders. Elder Bell (the trainer) and Elder West (the trainee).

January 6, 2016

Wednesday, Day 85

Day 72 in NY

PDAY!

1 bathroom... 4 Guys...

We skipped the math and began our experiment. One companionship started the morning off in the bathroom, one in the shower and the other shaving at the sink, while the other companionship worked out. Then we switched. It worked out pretty well.

We then went on with the day, laundry, grocery shopping. Came home and had to reorganize the whole kitchen to accommodate for the division of our companionships. Then we went out and had to make a copy of our apartment key for the other Elders. It was so fast and cheap! It took maybe about 45 seconds after handing the key to man on the other end of the desk and it only cost $1.25 for the key.

1LESSON DAY:

This week has been rough; we only had one lesson today because we've just been so busy getting the apartment ready for the ASL Elders. After our only lesson, we headed home, and stopped at C-Town to see Carlito.

January 7, 2016

Thursday, Day 86

Day 73 in NY

Today also was a long day, we started off as usual, then had weekly planning which takes up most of the day after lunch. But it was a good day; we had 5 lessons after weekly planning. Long day, and not much to say about it.

January 8, 2016

Friday, Day 87

Day 74 in NY

STUDIES:

We have changed up our studies in a very effective way; I guess personal study isn't really supposed to be for yourself. Lol we started studying for our investigators and our lessons have been really good lately. We planned an awesome lesson about faith for Jermaine. Planned to ask some really great inspired questions and gave some really good insight.

LUNCH:

We had lunch, which is always great. Missionary work gets me hungry!

After lunch we took some time to finish up our weekly planning from yesterday.

After lunch we received a call from President, which was very uplifting! He was talking about how he picked up Elder Holland and that it was so cool to be in the car with him and talk to him! An Apostle of God! How cool! We get to hear from Elder Holland but President had the opportunity to talk to him!

January 9, 2016

Saturday, Day 88

Day 75 in NY

Oh man!!! Today was the best!!! We got up and went straight over too the Manhattan Temple! My first time ever seeing this temple! Oh it was soo awesome!! There's a chapel inside one top story of the temple. So we went in and sat down and waited for Elder Holland to show up.

I'm running out of time, but I hope I'll have an opportunity to share more about the experience. Here are my notes from this wonderful experience.

[Having the privilege to sit in the presence of an Apostle of God, I felt learned by the inspired words that were drawn from the lips of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. The items he spoke on; he spoke in such a way, sharing an abundance of passion, with heavy boldness, he touched my heart and allowed me to understand so much more of my calling.]

(We aren't just dedicating two years to BE a missionary, we are dedicating two years to BECOME a missionary, because once we become a missionary, you shouldn't want to go back to the life previous to your mission.)

My goal: to always be a missionary

Plan: Continue the habits I have formed. NEVER GO BACK to the life before.

Elder Holland’s words:

You do not have the right to damage the image of a missionary! Not now on your mission, not ever! Not even when you get home! You can never go back, you shouldn't want to! No matter how good you thought it was. You have to do it for those nieces and nephews, little brothers and sisters... They think you're superman and Wonder Woman out here.

My own:

We are all examples. To the children; we are superheroes, to the youth; we are role models, to adults and our parents; we are what they dreamed we would be.

We are where we need to be. We are doing what we need to be doing. Because of the example we have set up to this point. Why? Why, would we want to change that? We should only strive to perfect the examples that we are.

I hope you were able to get something from what I have shared; I took notes by pen and paper. So I haven't transferred all my notes to my iPad yet.

Love you all so much!! I'll again continue to try and make my journals better.

PS.

I received a call from President, the other day. He said, "Elder Newbold! How’s your mission?!" I said, "President, it's been the best experience of my life!" He then said, "oh good! Elder Newbold, you've been out about 3 months correct?" I said, "Yea, on the 14th it will be 3 months" President said, "Awesome, it's, amazing how time flies, well, Elder Newbold, the Lord is calling you to be a leader. You’re going to, be training!" I exclaimed, "Oh man! Really President?! That's so awesome!!" He said, "Isn't it?! Elder Newbold, will you accept this calling?" I responded, "Absolutely! Thank you President!" He then told me "Love you Elder, have a great night!"

That was the best phone call from him! It was so awesome! Next week I'll let you know about it! I go to training on Friday and find out more about it!

Enjoy your week! Can't wait till next week!

Patience. Love. Faith

Much love,

Elder Newbold

Sent from my iPad