Week 25: Following Up

Happy last day of March!

So there was a tornado warning, and Hermana Stevenson and I took shelter in a bathtub. Bibble didn’t have a helmet. #prayforbibble

I already know nothing’s going to top last week’s … anything, so I’m not going to even try. Except for the fact that we literally had a tornado warning the day after P-Day. Which is when a tornado has touched the ground, so you have to go into the bathroom and sit around in anticipation that a tornado will come and wreck everything in your immediate vicinity. A tornado did not end up doing that to the Columbia Hermanas, but the entire zone was also freaking out right alongside me and Hermana Stevenson! Linden did actually did get a tornado, but the Linden Elders were all good and safe. No need to worry! The universe just knew I needed something to spice up this letter to you all, because if there wasn’t tornado warning drama, there wouldn’t be terribly much to talk about.

Just some of the district showing love to each other. You know how it is. <3

Good news! Hermana Dabb had to stay here a full week just to be safe, but she just got another negative test, so she flew home today! I sure will miss her, but she definitely needs to be back with her family. It’s literally a week overdue. I thank her and Hermana Likes for delivering food to us this entire week so that we could physically survive.

Since the whole district was on quarantine, we had an unofficial Official meme contest to lift our spirits. Sister Hess, who was supposed to leave the day we got quarantined, made this one. Truly S-tier. (Btw, Sister Hess got to fly home today, too!)

In way of news regarding physical survival: I am completely fine! As in, I do not feel sick anymore!!! It’s been that way for a few days, but still. One of our weekly goals as a companionship was to not be sick, so it looks like we’re hitting the mark.

Another district pic so Elder Myers and Elder Ward can shine in the spotlight too.

Now, I do love outside, but I’m sure this will surprise no one when I say that I’m perfectly fine staying indoors for a large portion of time. But something I learned is that having to stay in one room that you have to share with another person is a lot. Especially when you have to keep on being a missionary and lying around all day reading Saints isn’t an option (I wish!).

I realized that the best thing I could do was pray. And so I did. A lot. Alma 37 reads:

36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

I used to operate under the assumption that prayer only existed mornings, evenings and before meals. And it is important to have those times. My most powerful prayer this week was my personal evening prayer! But prayer is so much more constant than that. It is a persistent, consistent effort to turn your thoughts toward Heavenly Father. When I pray, I’m not demanding miracles or my will to be done. I’m seeking and gaining strength. I’m becoming better. I’m relying on Him and recognizing Him in a much bigger way that I wish I could sufficiently explain, but I’m not nearly accomplished enough of a writer to express that.

I got a surprise letter from Sister Gibson* slid under my door, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets-style. We love quarantine.
* One of Hermana Newton’s college roommates, serving a mission in Minnesota.

I encourage you, in moments when you think that something is too depressing, or too annoying, or in any way too hard — pray! If anything, because there’s always someone out there who’s willing to listen to you, even if you can’t see them face-to-face.

— All my love!,

Hermana Newton

Week 24: 2319!

I have COVID.

Live footage of me calling my parents to tell them I have COVID. This was after I broke the news and Dad cracked some jokes to make me feel better.

I know I normally have some witty preamble, but I figured this time around I’d just start out with the most important news and let everyone decide whether they want to read on. I honestly don’t have many cards to play that are much more dramatic than this.

To answer the general questions you might be having:

Two hermanas who have just been exposed to COVID and don’t know it yet!

1) Hermana Stevenson has it as well. The other hermanas in the apartment don’t. Both companionships are quarantining, but Hermana Stevenson and I are confined to our bedroom.

2) We most likely were exposed on Thursday at the shooting of an Easter video (which will be awesome!).

3) Not sure if anyone remembers this, but yeah, Hermana Dabb was scheduled to be home today. She has to wait until the end of this week to return to Colorado.

4) Since Hermana Dabb was supposed to be coming home, that means that this week was the end of the transfer, but because so many missionaries are sick (a portion of my zone [Franklin] and Nashville 1), those are being postponed indefinitely. #eightweektransfer?

5) Oh yeah, I’m fine.

^This is probably the one everyone was worrying about. (At least, I hope that’s the thing everyone was worrying about.)

Anyway, my symptoms are pretty mild. I have a sore throat, a slight fever, and a nose that’s a little stuffy. For the most part, standard cough medicine, lots of water, and sleep are helping me to feel just dandy. I really am so grateful for that. I’m also grateful that all the in-person contacts we had since getting exposed were socially distanced and masked,* and the only one that wasn’t distanced was when an old lady in our ward went up to Hermana Stevenson and hugged her. Thankfully, she’s vaccinated, but those old ladies. You never know when they’ll swoop in. I also wasn’t 6 feet away, but I was masked while talking to a youth about Saints. You’ve always got to plug Saints. Taking these precautions has helped me know that I kept the people I cared about safe, even when I was feeling perfectly fine! I cannot stress how much of a relief that is.

If any of you are still worrying about me, thank you so much, and know that I love you all deeply and dearly. Also keep in perspective that death is most definitely not imminent. Unless Hermana Stevenson gets tired of me reading Saints and slaps me across the head with Volume 2: No Unhallowed Hand. But I think she would have already done that at this point.

Some solid advice in the streets (while I was still on the streets).

But even though I’m OK, I think I’m stating the obvious when I say that being confined to your bedroom isn’t the most fun ordeal. Even with both volumes of Saints, a sudoku book, and friendship bracelet supplies. With this challenge, it’s important for any missionary to reflect on why they’re here, doing this work. I have so many scriptures to capture that, but I love what it says in Doctrine and Covenants 6:

33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.

34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

Don’t be afraid to go on just because things are hard. I often trick myself into believing I need to rely on my own strength. If I did, I most definitely wouldn’t accomplish anything. But when we build upon the rock of our Redeemer Jesus Christ, nothing can stop us, because nothing can stop Him. As another scripture says, “With God, all things are possible.” And it’s possible that these next couple of weeks are going to be hard, but it’s also more than possible that I will get through this! And you will too, wherever you are and whatever you’re dealing with.

— Checking out,

Hermana Newton

* There is no mask mandate in the county where Hermana Newton is serving, although missionaries are required to wear masks and observe other health protocols.

Week 23: Springing Forward

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

This week has really been the start of spring. I was happy to celebrate Pi Day and the Ides of March as well! Unfortunately, there must be opposition in all things, and Daylight Saving Time also occurred, which was news I had to break to Hermana Stevenson, an Arizona native. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. #unfortunate #stopdaylightsaving

A lovely tree!

In spite of that, the days have been beautiful in Columbia! I set foot outside and am in wonder of all the beauty around me! It’s such a happy time, but again, opposition, because the bugs have noticed this.

I’d like to state on the record that I’m not anti-bug by any means. I definitely don’t want them in my home, but I also understand that their brains are incapable of grasping the concept of trespassing private property, so I won’t punish them for that. I’m definitely a use-a-cup-to-show-them-out kind of person. But this week, there was some sort of huge winged insect that found its way into our home. I seriously have no clue what it was. I’m willing to give a report so someone can research all possible suspects so that the mystery can be solved. But regardless of what it was, it was inside instead of out. Hermana Stevenson is resolutely team anti-bug, so she was begging me to kill it, but she also wouldn’t go anywhere near it. I tried to just lure it into the cup, but it kept crawling away. Unfortunately, I had to use some bug spray to get it moving at the very least so that I could release it. I still feel guilty.

Fun fact: Bradford pears are an invasive species (editor’s note: And they smell like rotting flesh), but they’re pretty right now when they’re all white and look like … is that popcorn popping?

In the TNM, we have weekly Sunday devotionals that the entire mission gets on, and they’re always such spiritual powerhouses. This week was focused on overcoming adversity. If you haven’t tuned in to my weekly emails for a while, I’ve kind of been having a rough time, so everything discussed seemed specifically geared toward me. One thought that I loved that was shared revolved around the story of Abraham and Isaac. Quick rundown: Abraham is this prophet who’s commanded by God to sacrifice his son as a sign of obedience, and right before Abraham kills Isaac, God commands him to stop because his demonstration of obedience was sufficient.

Now, the Lord has a perfect knowledge. He would know if Abraham was willing to make such a big sacrifice without asking him to. Why would He make Abraham go through that? And the answer isn’t that God needed to learn something about Abraham. Abraham needed to learn something about himself.

How can we know the extent of our strength—the fullness of what we’re able to do—without putting it to the test? Obviously it’s going to be hard, but if we’re ever going to see our potential, we have to demonstrate it.

In 1 Peter 4, it says:

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Don’t be surprised if things aren’t easy. If they are, you’re not growing, and that’s what we’re meant to be doing right now. And that can be super hard. But we always have a reason to rejoice. Remember, someone is on your side. Look at 2 Nephi 22:

2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation.

Elder Myers asked me to hold his hat while he had his picture taken next to a mural last P-day, so I had a photo op of my own.

— Beyond lucky,

Hermana Newton

Week 22: A Turn for the Better

Well, this week sure did happen.

Out here in Columbia, the weather finally seems to be going in the direction the locals want, but don’t worry! We have lots of rain in this week's forecast! More on that next week.

Some evidence of how much I really do be loving Saints (ft. Bibble, the Columbia Quad mascot)

I tried to make last week's email as uplifting as possible, but truth be told, there were some points in the week where I was what some experts would describe as down in the dumps. I’m not quite sure why, since my physical copy of Saints: No Unhallowed Hand arrived on Thursday. If I’m anything, I’m a fan of Saints. Also, Hermana McConkie and Sister Brown from Spring Hill came here on exchanges. And they’re some of my favorite people!

Hermana Stevenson and me with Hermana McConkie (far left) and Sister Brown (far right). They are the coolest and I love them!

The real problem is that I have felt like none of the people we’re teaching are progressing, and as a missionary, it is really easy to get yourself to feel like that’s your fault. Obviously, we’re always trying to improve and to be better, but there is nothing we can do to persuade people to want the gospel. And that can really, really suck. Especially when you let yourself wallow, which I can be prone to do. Fortunately, as I was able to learn, there’s always hope.

The iconic Columbia B team at zone conference.

First case: Zone Conference!

I am blown away by how much more I love zone conference every time. This round, I wrote seven pages of notes! It is so fun to learn and grow and be edified. Seriously, I learned so much. Let’s try to  cover only a couple of those things.

1. God has a plan for us, and if we trust Him in it, we will help the people we need to help and be helped by the people who need to help us. This does not always go the way we envision it. It often never goes that way. But, even though there are times when I question, this is where I’m supposed to be.

2. We watched this video about David Whitmer’s involvement in the translation of the Book of Mormon. To summarize part of it: Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith asked if they could stay with David’s family to finish the translation of the plates. David’s parents were hesitant, feeling that David should wait until they finished plowing the fields before bringing these two extra mouths to feed into their home. Their sentiment was that if Joseph and Oliver were doing the work of the Lord, the Lord would find a way to make it happen. 

David went to work plowing, but the job was laborious. He constantly ran into rocks he had to toss aside, and as he looked out into the field he couldn’t seem to get close to finishing, he felt helpless. But the next morning, as David went out to work, the fields were completely plowed. He was able to start hastening the work of the Lord. It was a miracle. 

Missionary work is a lot like working that plow. Over and over again, a rock is in your way. It feels like all the odds are against you, and they will never swing in your favor. And even though the miracle does happen, you still have to be out there, working that field for hours on end. There will be moments when you feel helpless, and weak, and inadequate. You will only be able to see the obstacles. But you will find yourself on the other side. Which brings me to:

The Bartles gave us yummy food and we took this picture to thank them.

Second case: Literal Hope

We found someone new to teach whose name is Hope! Seriously! She is the kindest, most beautiful spirit. She’s gone through a lot of really hard trials in her family these last few months, but that doesn’t stop her from living up to her name. We’ve given her a Book of Mormon and extended a soft baptismal date, which she’s accepted! Her heart is so open, and she is eager and ready to commit. I am so excited for her and all of the joy this gospel has in store, if she only reaches out to receive it.

Me holding the beautiful cake made by Sister Bartle. I know I’m holding it as if I myself made it, but I wanted to clarify I am not that talented (surprisingly)

Third case: The Scripture of the Week

When it comes down to it, life is hard. But I know that it’s also unimaginably worth it. In 2 Nephi 31 (one of the best chapters ever, period), it says:

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

—Here’s to hoping,

Hermana Newton

Week 21: March Forth

¡Bienvenidos a todos!

I hope everybody is enjoying the first week of March! February is only a couple of days shorter than a normal month, but those few days make so much difference. This Sunday, I’ll be celebrating five months as a missionary. Also, today marks three months until my birthday, so you should all start prepping for how you’re going to commemorate the end of my teenage years if you haven’t done so already.

The nights are beautiful in Tennessee.

Wouldn’t you know it? So are the mornings. 

I really love Hermana Stevenson so much! We talk and laugh and learn about each other from when we wake up at 6:30 to when we're going to bed at 10:30. What I love the most about Hermana Stevenson is probably how she’s very low-key and chill, but how she’ll come out and say the silliest things, and it totally cracks me up. Like on Sunday when she walked into the room and pointed to her hair (which was a little frizzy) and proclaimed, “See what this is? It’s the humidity! I hate it here!” Don’t worry, though, I promise she loves it here.

How are we liking Hermana Likes’ earrings? I think they’re a little too big to be mission approved, but at least they’re focused on our purpose.

I’m going to be real—I was not having a good time at certain points in the week. I love being a missionary, but a few days ago, I was being really hard on myself, and I just didn’t feel like I was good at getting the job done. Sometimes, as we try to improve, we can feel swallowed up by our inadequacies. Or I do, at the very least. Everything I listened to and learned about seemed to come back to the idea that I just wasn’t cut out to be enough of a missionary.

The other day, I knew I needed some guidance, but I wasn’t sure where to look. I decided that I was just going to open up my scriptures at random and read in the chapter I happened to turn to. And, ladies and gents, I literally landed on Alma 32.

For those who don't spend all of their time proselytizing, Alma 32 is basically one of the best explanations of faith in all of scripture, especially in The Book of Mormon. There are countless nuggets and bits of wisdom in it, and I would encourage you to read the whole thing because it’s the definition of powerful. What I love about Alma 32, though, was when I landed on the last verse. After Alma has described what faith is and how we can come to have and build it, he tells us the next step. It says:

43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

Faith is not about an immediate result. It is not about getting something in exchange, or selfish fulfillment. It is about understanding what God wants for us and accepting what he gives. I love earlier in chapter 32, when it says:

16 Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.

I have learned so much in the time I’ve been out on a mission, and I’ve got a lot more to cover. One thing I am beginning to understand is grace. Huge stress on beginning. I’ve so often felt like I haven’t met enough to receive exaltation. Because in truth: no one has. That’s why we have a Savior. We wouldn’t call Him that if that weren’t the case.

Christ’s Atonement is ongoing. That sacrifice and the repercussions of it have not come to a halt. As long as we’re here, as long as we’re trying, as long as we believe, it evolves and covers everything we need it to. It is infinite, and it will never fail. The Atonement is the definition of charity; it’s the pure love of Christ.

I’m known to be artistic from time to time.

I have faith in His Atonement. For me. For you. For everyone. I hope you can keep on keeping on, and that you will see it work in your life.

— Ever faithful,

Hermana Newton