semana dos! 0‏2/23/11 Week 3

Hey family!

    Thanks so much for sending the package! i got it yesterday, and it was shweet.  You're the best, and its especially nice having that razor now, cuz i've been breaking out pretty bad with the old school shavin haha.  Anyway, it's pretty crazy that i've been out for 2 weeks, but at the same time it feels like i've been gone forever....kind of a weird feeling.  not really all that much new of stuff this week, just continuing to work hard.  We had a couple of devotionals this week that were amazing tho.  For one of them, we (all 2000 missionaries) basically just sang our favorite hymns for an hour, concluding with an arrangement of Called to Serve that was way powerful.  I'm so blessed to be here, and am having a good time, even though it's extremely difficult.  Last night we had a devotional where we heard from Elder Kearon from the 1st quorum of the seventy and his wife.  It was so good and it's amazing how powerful the spirit is when in presence of a general authority.  Anyway, they have been feeding us really good here, and I've been cleanin up shop.  Unfortunately, I've only gained like 2-3 pounds so far, but i'm hoping that will change :)  i'm going for the beer gut approach, so we'll see.  I just wanted to say thank you for everything, and I miss you and love you all so much.  I want to hear from all of you soon!  the dearelder.com is the way to go, cuz i get the letter in hardcopy the next day, that way i can plan out a response before i get on my email...then i don't waste my 30 minutes reading the letter ha.  I hope you got the pictures i sent as well, I'll work on sending more.  But i want to hear more about how everyone is doing back home, so keep me posted!  I love you all, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.  I know this church is true and I'm so so excited to get out and share the marvelous message with others.

Te Amo Siempre,

~Elder Winger

Hola mi familia! 0‏2/16/11 Week 1 & 2 MTC 02/09/11

Hola!  How is everyone doing there?  Sorry it's taken me a full week to write a letter, but my P-day is on Wednesdays, and I only get 30 minutes on email.  The MTC is amazing! My companion's name is Elder Smart from Cottonwood Heights, and he's a stud.  He played football in high school, and we've clicked ever since we first met.  Cute huh.  I have 3 other companionships in my district and I absolutely love all of them, I've been extremely blessed.  The other companionship that's in my room is Elder Faldmo from California and Elder Towns from Georgia, both also going to Rosario.  It's crazy how fast this first week has gone by, yet slow at the same time because it's kind of been a rollercoaster of emotions....understandable haha.  As far as spanish goes, i love the language, hate learning it.  I've learned how to bear my testimony and pray, but it's frustrating not being able to say everything that I want to, but I know that if I'm obedient the Lord will help me big time.  It's been kind of stressful too, because they start cramming it down your throat from day 1 and don't look back.  I'm in the beginner spanish class, and luckily i've taken a tad bit of spanish which has helped, but my companion hasn't ever before, so I'm doing my best to help him keep up.  On Monday, we had to teach the first discussion....in spanish....with nothing but spanish scriptures.  stressful much?  It went okay, and overall it was a good experience.  I've realized in the last week why I'm truly out to serve a mission.  As it says in 3 Nephi 5:13, to become a true disciple of Jesucristo.  We went to a wonderful devotional yesterday and got to hear from Elder Kevin Pearson from the 1st quorum of the 70, and he helped me become motivated on inviting others to come unto Christ.  I know I am on the Lord's time out here, and I'm going to have a wonderful time doing his work.  Anyway, the food here is impressively good...at least for a little while.  Once it starts becoming repetative it gets old, but good haha.  I eat ten times more than i did at home....which is gross...yet i havent gained any weight :( BOOOOO.     But anyway...i don't know what else to talk about, so I'll keep rambling on.  The two teachers that I have for spanish are Hermano Weist and Hermana Andrade.  Hermano Weist returned from his mission in Argentina about 4 weeks ago, so he's definitely been super helpful on teaching us the castillano or whatever dialect and the culture that we are going to be entering.  They definitely know how to keep you busy here, and I'm definitely ready to sleep when my head hits the pilla haha.  This is truly a great and marvelous work, and it's such a privilege to be able to serve our Master.  Entonces, I'm currently doing my laundry, and I'm way nervous that I messed it up hardcore....so we'll see. I just want to thank you for all that you've done for me and for the opportunity youve given me to serve a mission. It's definitely the hardest thing I've done.....even though its only been a week, but there's no other place I'd rather be. And if any of my friends read this, not too likely haha, then I want to thank you for the letters and packages you've sent! They truly mean so so so much, and it's always my goal everyday to get more mail than Elder Smart....so keep it up ;) haha jk, but I will be writing you all back as soon as I can, but since I only get one day to do it a week, it could take some time.  Some other highlights of the week have been being able to see Elder Carlsen and Elder Hansen pretty much everyday, so yeah, that's legit.  I also have seen Elder Perry (Landon's friend from salt lake), so thats cool.  I've also seen an Elder that looks exactly like David Archuleta. blegh, not a highlight.  But yeah, all is well here, I should be sending some stuff back that I don't need sometime in the future, cuz I heard that they supply us with a box.  I also might need you to mail me a couple of things:  an electric razor I can use, cuz i'm breaking out shaving the old school way, the picture book that Luiza bought me for Christmas....and I can't really remember what else.  Thanks!  Also, it's really nice if you are able to use the site dearelder.com while I'm in the MTC because I get the letter the next day, and that way I can ponder my response before P-day since I only get a half-hour on the computer.  But I'll also be sending a couple pictures home soon too, I have to get them developed, they won't let me upload them onto the computer, so be expecting that soon.  Just so you can get a feel for everyone in my district, their names are Elders Drennan from sacramento, Hudgens from Heber City, Smart from cottonwood heights, Whittle from Oakley Idaho, Towns from Georgia, Faldmo from California, Stromberg from somewhere on the planet i think, and that's it i hope.  Everyone is way nice here, so you don't have to worry about me getting bullied like in High School ;)  Anyway, the annoying red numbers in the corner say i only have a few minutes left, so I just want to close by bearing my testimony to you:  Yo quiero compartir mi testimonio a ustedes.  Yo se que Dios y Jesucristo vive.  Yo se que la iglesia de Jesucristo es verdadera y en la tierra hoy. Estoy agradecido por el Evangelio y Expiacion de nuestro Salvador Jesucristo.  Me encanta el evangelio con todo mi corazon.  Yo digo estas cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.  I love you all so much and miss you, you mean the world to me.  I'll talk to you again soon.  By the way, if Nate Heaps or Riley read this....the tree of life is just a myth :(

     ~Te amo!

                 Elder Winger