This week on Survivor......

The main reason I've got that as a header is because I just barely realized that I've missed an entire season of survivor....and am probably missing another right now....or will be soon.....

Also because I'm trying not to die out here.....

Let me explain.

So......going back to last Monday....I finished writing you guys, then we headed out to teach in my sector.

We visited the G. family, a family we had previously been trying to find without any luck. Anyway we found them, and they are amazing. The Mom is less active, her husband is an investigator, as well as her two kids.

Her two sons have a baptismal goal for the 14th of November.

Then we went to Johnny B, a contact we made the day before, he eagerly listened, briefly expressed his desire to follow Christ, and then happily accepted a Baptismal date for the 14th as well.

We then received a phone call from Christian...an investigator I met about 2 months ago, who came to church, but then fell off the face of the earth. His father passed away the day before, we taught him the plan of salvation. Probably one of the most spiritual lessons of my mission.

Baptismal date 7th of November.

Then we go to visit a less active family in the zone leaders sector....

A few minutes into the lesson I get a phone call.....The President talks to me a bit about Aroni....then starts telling me about a ward in Callao, "La Perla" (the pearl).....after about 5 minutes I think "Oh....duh, you're going to get changed there"....

The President then tells me that's where I'll be headed to finish out this change, as well as a few more to follow.

So I packed up my bags and Tuesday headed out to my new home in Callao.

My new companion is Elder Ramirez. He's great. He'll be going home next change, making him the third Elder I'll have "Killed".

I can't tell you that much about the sector yet....I'm still learning it.

But it's great!!!

Now I know why everyone says Callao's sketchy.....although it's not that bad.....so far just one shooting, one house fire, and about an ambulance a day.

My sector's right next to the ocean though!!! When we have to cross the entire sector and don't want to go through the sketchier parts we just walk on the road that passes the ocean. I love it.

And.....that's all I can thing of this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm staying safe!!! Things are going great!!!

I'll write more next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much love,

Elder Winn

So..... Things have calmed down.......

Things are much less weird now (sort of) and everything is on the path to going back to normal!!!

To resume where we left off, I am still with the zone leaders Elder Bean and Elder Escobar in a trio. It's looking like it will stay that way until the changes (November 3rd).

So, since the 9th I have been here with the zone leaders! It's been great! They're really fun guys, and really hard working! I already know I'm going to miss them!

I've been pretty well assimilated into their companionship! Hahaha they've certainly loved the extra cellphone and extra hands when they have to call the Elders Sunday and Thursday nights! When the give trainings or counsel to other Elders, they always ask me what else I would like to contribute. It's pretty cool!

The best part is that I feel as if they value what I have to say, it's great because it seems as if each one of us in the trio learns from the others as much as he teaches them. It's a really great experience.

In terms of the work, we have been working with two new goals as a mission recently. Which are:

1) 15 contacts daily

2) 15 invitations to baptism with a date daily.

It's certainly helping me to be able to talk to anyone about anything!

This past week we contacted 161 people, and invited 61 of them to get baptized the 14th of November, with about 1/3 of them accepting. These are incredible numbers considering the past weekly average was about 15 contacts and 6 invitations.

Contacting everyone, and inviting everyone to baptism are two things that have helped us a lot as missionaries to determine who will progress, and who won't right from the get-go.

As a result of these efforts, we've seen the number of new investigators found as a mission double over the past few weeks; our mission is now above average in 3 out of the 4 key indicators for the whole South America North-east Area. Which may not sound like much, but our mission is only a 9 mile by 9 mile by 9 mile triangle.

We've been teaching in both sectors,

In mine we've got a kid named Christan preparing to be baptized this Saturday and Teresa (the ice-cream lady) preparing for the 7th of November!

In the zone leaders sector we have:

Miguel and Julia- a mother and Son whom we found two weeks ago, preparing for the 7th as well

Veronica and Eduardo- A husband and Wife whom we found about the same time, also preparing for the 7th

Karla- an investigator they've been preparing for the past few weeks-this Saturday

And Yessenia-....pretty much in the same boat as Karla.

As well as many others who just don't quite have a date for their baptism just yet.

So as you can see, the work is moving along great!!!

I'm doing awesome and I am loving the work!!!!

Love you guys!

October 12, 2015

Hello Everyone!

So......This has been quite the week!!!

Everything started off normal.....even great!!!

People to teach, places to be, service to do.....

Things started out normal enough, with a long (and very hard) service project.

For about 5 hours we helped a family (the mechanic from last week) move the rest of their motors/kitchen appliances/results of a lifetime of hoarding to their other house; with repeated efforts the following day.

Then.....the new stuff.

I've been with the zone leaders since Friday night.....but it's been really cool!

Elder Bean is from Burley, Idaho, and he has one change more than me.

Elder Escobar is from Panama, and he goes home this change.

They're great Elders who LOVE talking to everyone, which is great.

These three days together have consisted of stopping about 50 people in the street and striking up conversations about Jesus Christ. It's actually incredibly effective.

To illustrate this point, I'll tell you about Miguel and Julia.

While walking in the street Saturday, we struck up a conversation with a man, and his brother, they asked a few questions, let us take down their names, addresses, and numbers for a future meeting, and we went our way. The very next day, we call them to invite them to church; one of the brothers (Miguel) says that he and his mother would love to go. We pick them up and take them to church.

After a lovely welcome by the bishop, we take them upstairs to the principles of the Gospel class.....but wait....Oh no! The lesson today is about baptisms for the dead and family history! Two things that some random dude who met us yesterday, and his sweet 95 year old (I think she's actually only like 65), probably aren't going to understand very well......

Anyway, they listen to the lesson.....ask a few questions....then say:  "Wow......that is so cool......I want to get baptized for the dead.....but I'm not a member so I can't enter into the temple.....what do I have to do to be a member".

Being the opportunistic missionaries we are, we promptly proceeded to give them a baptismal date for the 7th of November.

We really are just seeing tons of miracles talking to everyone out here!!! It's definitely something I'll take with me back to my sector once I get a companion again! Hahahaha

Anyway, I'm doing great!!! I'll let you all know next week what ended up happening!!!

Until next week!

-Elder Winn

-Elder Escobar

-Elder Bean

October 5, 2015

Hello again everyone!!!!!!!

I hope everyone's doing well!!!

As always! I'm doing great!!!!

So, getting right into this past week,

On Thursday, we had a service planned to help the "Gringo" move all his stuff from one house to another. He's not actually a Gringo though; he's just got really light skin compared to everyone else here, so they call him that.

Anyway, for about 5 Hours Elder Aroni, the Gringo, and I moved everything out of his 3rd floor apartment, strapped it to the top of a moto taxi (remember that lovely contraption I photographed a few months ago?), and then drive a mile or so to his new house where we then carried everything up the stairs to his new 4th floor apartment. Yippee.

Hahahaha upon returning (about 6 in the evening), we get a call from another ward member. He needs our help moving everything from HIS house to his other house, seeing as we were already in our service clothes; we told him we'd be there right away. Upon arriving, I remembered something I had forgotten when I first met him.....He was a mechanic.......a Peruvian mechanic. Meaning he kept all work materials (and did all his work) inside his house.

So the work commenced. Boat motors, car engines, oozing black stuff, at least  2000 pounds of tools, acetylene torches and gas tanks (because his wife makes jewelry), and a lot of things that looked like they came straight out of a sci-fi movie.

Ugh. We finished about 9 and he gave us some chicken to eat......not a bad day......although I was pretty sore for both of the conference sessions.

Also, remember that lady I bought an ice-cream from? She's got a baptismal date for next month! Her name is Teresa B, and she's about the sweetest lady I've ever met. Despite the fact that her husband's health is still declining, her faith is growing in incredible ways. Although it is difficult for her to attend church because she's always in the hospital, she has shown an incredible desire to follow Jesus Christ. She's incredible.

And lastly, I'll sign off with a few thoughts from General conference:

Well not really....I don't have any of the notes I wrote. But some things I do keenly remember were the talks of: Holland, Nelson, and the new apostles.

I hope each one of you reflects on what you have learned from conference. It is meant to help each one of us individually.

 

I'll never forget the thoughts expressed by Elder Renlund, as that husband and wife comforted HIM during THEIR great loss. That is who we need to be.

Those who in the midst of their own afflictions, serve others.

I love you all!!! I'm doing great!

Elder Winn