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January 25, 2016

So I'll start off with the call I got from President Larson this week.

I was informed that I'd be staying with Elder Diaz and that we'd be getting sister missionaries in our district, and that Elder Fitzmorris would probably be leaving, meaning it would be me, Elder Diaz, Elder Carvallo, a new Elder, and two new Sisters.

Sisters? I've hardly seen a sister missionary in my whole mission! How am I supposed to work with them in my District? No one ever trained me on this.....

Anyway we set out placing as many baptismal goals for this coming month as we could among them:

Rosa B.- Feb 16th

Lupe- January 30th

Ricardo- Feb 16th

Jeffery- Feb 16th

Aldo- Feb 16th

Javier- ASAP.....but he needs to get married

Nayla- "  "

Domenico- Feb 16th

Eduardo- Feb 16th.

The best part is. THEY'RE ALL GOING TO CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We worked like crazy this week! And Last week!!! And all this change!!!!

Although none of that was because of us, I know that our diligence and our faith allowed the Lord to work miracles in our sector this change. enough so that I know that this upcoming change we'll truly reap what's been sowed.

Hahaha we've seen both great progress and setbacks with the O. family! (Javier-Nayla-Domenico(11)-Eduardo(9)). Despite several family problems, leaky roofs, and marital issues.......they are set on baptism....the only problem is.....They're not married.....which wouldn't be that big of of problem except.....Javier's not divorced from his previous wife.....so....that's a little bit of a problem......they said the didn't want to tell us because they were worried that if we knew we would stop visiting them.

But we told them that as long as they continued progressing towards their goal, we would never stop visiting them, no matter how slowly they progressed. And even if they stopped progressing we would never stop hoping, praying, and encouraging them.

Which made me think about God and his relation to us. Our direction is infinitely more important to him than our speed....We can get to the Celestial Kingdom by strides or by baby steps. But the important thing is that we get there. And even when we go a different way. We're never abandoned by him. He remains there encouraging us, helping us decide to make a change. He doesn't want to manipulate us. He wants us to choose the right.

....anyway....after some detective work we worked out a pretty low fee with a lawyer.....they should be divorced in a few months, and married soon after....Which would be lovely to see.

If what the President said didn't change.

In a different phone call a few days later I learned that I will be heading to Marranga with Elder Tonga! He's from Utah and will be my 3rd American companion! I'm certainly excited....although I will miss Elder Diaz a lot!!!

Looking forward to a bunch of new memories!!!

The gospel is true, and I love you.

Elder Winn

January 18, 2016

Ok.....well I'm deprived of my journal this week (my usual source of interesting stories) so it looks like this week I'll be writing just from memory....

Well I'll start off with the best thing I can think of.

Last week we met Ricardo. We talked to him in the street; he was mildly receptive and told us to pass by a different day. The days go by.....and then on Tuesday I see a small note in my agenda reminding me that we had a meeting with a fairly disinterested man who we had contacted in the street...(we talk to about 20 of them a day)....anyway....we go to his house......

He enthusiastically pulls us in and sits us down. He says we've got 30 minutes. We'd better make it good. We tell him we'll give the best message we've got. For 30 minutes we explain how much God loves us, and how he has shown his love by calling a prophet in these days.......He listens intently.

He asks where the church is, we tell him. He asks at what time, we tell him.

He says he'll be there. He says he'll get baptized. He just wants to know more.

We teach him again on Thursday, same result.

Sunday: We pass by all the investigators we can. No one's home.....We finally pass by Ricardo. No answer......

"But that's impossible" my companion says "he promised"....

"I know" I said. "A lot of people promise"......We get to church. A new investigator shakes our hand at the door. He's the nephew of the Elders Quorum president; he'll be visiting for a few months, and would like to know more. Lupe (who had her baptismal interview this week, and will get baptized on my birthday) came in as well.

"Well two came" I said to Elder Diaz.

Then Aldo came in. We also met Aldo this week. Saturday in fact. We gave him a blessing, pronounced him healed and he promised he'd come. He kept that promise.

Then our phone rang. It was Jorge B. (we reactivated him last month) he said he had a surprise. His girlfriend (Rosa) who we'd been teaching, but had never been able to attend church for work, had just quit her job, she'd be to church in 5 minutes.

So as we happily sat with our investigators, we partook of the emblems of the sacrament, later explaining their significance to them. It was an amazing meeting.

Then, at the second hour the second counselor came up to us. He handed me a note and said "Here, this is for you guys". It went more or less like this:

"Dear Elder Winn & Diaz

I apologize for not being present in the meeting today, it pains me to not complete with a promise I have made with you two, but something's come up. There's a family matter that has to be taken care of.

I pray that we can meet this Tuesday at 4, if not then Thursday at the same hour.

I apologize again. I thank our Heavenly Father for sending you two to meet with me. I look forward to learning more, and preparing myself for baptism. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Yours truly,

“Ricardo"

The hallway in that small chapel on Huascar St. Rosa will forever remain hallowed ground to me.

Those are the experiences I have to come adore out here.

So the work continues on!!! We're hoping for many miracles in the weeks that follow!! I'll keep you updated on all experiences!!! I love you guys!!!!

-Elder Winn

You don’t even know what “out of the loop” means!

While the title of this e-mail has nothing to do with 95% of the e-mail, I just figured it was worth telling you all that I have now learned the true meaning of "out of the loop".   Being in Peru and communicating on a weekly basis with family and friends (most of whom are no longer in the US) has finally caught up with me. I now have almost no idea what's going on back home.

And I love it. Hahahaha,  I've completely stopped trying to find out what's new back home, but it means I can be even more focused on Peru!

So this was a week of ups and downs.

We've met a lot of people.....unfortunately not a lot of them want to progress.

Highlights include:

Juan- a man who's life philosophy is that of Jon-kim-pun which, in the brief time we talked to him, I learned means that he believes in repeating the phrase "Jon-kim-pon" every time something goes wrong.....so the universe will try to fix it.......so that was interesting.

Dagoberto- He doesn't really count.....he's a hobo who picks up trash.....he's got insanely long ear hair and shouts profanities at me whenever I greet him.

Winston- He walks the streets selling ice-cream. He does not have strawberry flavored products. DO NOT ASK HIM FOR STRAWBERRY.....it was actually a really great contact until we asked if he had a different flavor. We honestly still don't know why he flipped out about that.

We've been focusing a lot on contacting as a mission....it's normally a really spiritual and uplifting experience.....in one minute we can share a message with people that will change their lives.....I've grown to love it....which is another big change in my life considering before my mission I didn't even like ordering food because it involved me talking with people I didn't know.

.....so......the contacts haven't been going great this week....... but the rest of the work has been!!!

I'm not actually sure that there'll be baptisms on my birthday....but there will be this month!!!!

Soon we should see the baptism of Lupe this week!!!

She's been an investigator for 4 years now.....the whole time she's just never prayed about Joseph Smith.   But now she has, so that's cool.

And that's about it there.....Elder Uceda is coming tomorrow I think.....or Wednesday, and that should be exciting too!

Ummm other than that.......I bought boxing gloves today. Not like I'm going to actually box or anything.....I just needed some form of motivation for exercise.

Anyway, life is good down here in Peru!!!! Love you guys!!!!

Elder Winn

Elder Diaz

Trip to the zoo

Hey guys!!!

So this week I just wanted to give you all an update on Elder Diaz!!!

He's great! We get along perfectly!!!

He likes to work. I like to work.

He likes to be obedient. I like to be obedient.

He likes to share the gospel. I like to share the gospel.

It's perfect!!! Hahahahaha, really though, we get along great!!! In a few ways he reminds me of Elder Slade!!!

We had a lot of fun this week!!! Elders Shupe and Vazquez came over to watch the fireworks with us because their zone was in a "State of emergency"....so that was fun!!!....also, I can't upload a video, so I'll have to send one home, but the fireworks were crazy.....like.....I don't even know....you could scarcely imagine how much they brightened up the sky!!!

And to those of you who know me, you can imagine how happy I was to see that many fireworks.

I now know why I was called to this mission.

Hahaha but really, seriously speaking. This week has had a lot of spiritual blessings as well.

As a companionship we placed a goal of 4 baptisms and 5 reactivations this month....and that probably sounds like a lot....because it is. Hahaha but we had a feeling that we could do it, and a lot of faith.

So this week as we were tracting we contacted a woman in the street, she told us her family lived close by and that we should share a brief message with them. We did. And 5 people accepted an invitation to be baptized on my birthday. With 3 more whom we'll have to visit a different day.

But wait, there's more.

We got a call from Sister M.

What's that sister? A family needs a blessing? Why, certainly!

Oh...They're not members! Even better!

We shared a brief message on the restoration. They shared with us a bit about their lives....Their son Gabriel was born with a malformed ventricle. He would need surgery very soon. They just wanted to make sure he would be ok.

We gave him a blessing....I suppose I should say my companion gave him a blessing....but not just one of those "You'll be ok blessings" but he actually said the words:

"In the name of Jesus Christ you are healed".

That was amazing. We've since returned to teach them. They're still doing great! And their son will be going in for a check-up this week.

So......that's what's going on work wise! We’ve got 6 people with a baptismal date for my birthday!!! With an expected 3 more this week!!! So that's exciting!!!

I'm doing great!!! And I love you guys so much!!!! Stay safe!!!

Elder Winn

I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.

 

While seeing some snow covered mountains would have been nice, I found myself wishing a lot harder to see the brilliant white of a baptismal robe this Christmas!!! We had been working a lot with Luis lately, and were hoping that everything would go well with his baptism the 19th.

It was really miraculous to see how much of a change could take place in his life in such a short time. His habits, thoughts, and even personality have changed (not like he wasn't great before....now he's just better).

We had a really cool experience with him just before his baptism...

He was nervous, as most people are, and he told us that he wasn't sure about the whole baptism thing....He told us he wasn't ready to forgive some people, and that repentance was a little too difficult for him to handle. After a few questions he told us his problem,

When he was very young, Luis had been abandoned by his parents....Just left on his Aunt's doorstep. All his life he had harbored a great animosity towards them, blaming them for all the resultant problems and inconveniences in his life. He had always felt unloved as a child. He said it was something he had taken very personally and internalized. His Mother lived not too far away.....and every time she tried to visit to explain her actions, he wouldn't hear it.

He would never forgive his parents.  EVER.

My companion used an arsenal of scriptures, talks, exhortations....but they fell on deaf ears....We began to worry a bit....and then the spirit whispered "You were in a similar position....the gospel helped"....

How had I forgotten? How had that not struck a chord before?

I immediately told Luis that I knew he could forgive. I told him that I was adopted, but due to the love my parents had shown me, and to the gospel of Jesus Christ that I had in my life.....I had never once harbored those feelings with which he was so familiar....

"You mean....you don't hate your birth-parents for what they did"? He asked.

"On the contrary" I said.

"I owe them a lot.....Thanks to one good decision they made, I have parents who love me, who provided for me. I have a Mom and Dad, who gave me the life I otherwise wouldn't have had"...

"Think about it Luis.....your mother was young when she had you....she wasn't married I bet....she couldn't have provided for you....She did the best she could. She knew your Aunt loved you and so she left you with her"......

Luis thought for a long moment...........He looked at me and said

"Wow.....I never looked at it that way......I.....I need to call her".

I was happier for him than I think I have been for anyone else in a long....long time.

That was truly a beautiful moment.

So.....I hope that all of you know that I have never once felt out of place in my family. I know that we were sealed together in a House of The Lord, and that nothing can ever sever that bond. I knew that growing up. That's a knowledge I've had in my heart since I was 8 years old. I've doubted in a lot of things over the years, but I have never, ever doubted in that knowledge.

......So Luis got baptized and it was great.

Hahahahaha, Christmas Eve we got to stay up until 12:30 and watch the fireworks. It was amazing. It's better than any fireworks show in the US. The Entire city of Lima (like 8 million people) all shoot fireworks into the air at midnight. For like a solid 30 minutes there's fireworks in every direction......I'll miss that a lot.....

But New Year is even better!!! They burn effigies in the street!!! It's so cool!!!!

So....that's what we've got to look forward to next week!!!!

Love you guys!!!!!!!

Elder Winn

Rooftop Christmas Eve 2015

 Luis

December 21, 2015

THEY GAVE ME 30 MINUTES TO WRITE BECAUSE I'LL BE SEEING YOUR FACES ON FRIDAY!!! 

I should be calling around 10-12 AM in Peruvian time....I think I'm 2 hours ahead so 8-10 there.....sorry....Elder Diaz has some problems with communicating the hour to his parents...so it's not that sure....I'll see if I can't call the day before or something.....

I got to go!!! I'll share some cool experiences next week.....and on skype!!! I love you guys!!!!

Love you!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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