Hello once again!
Alright, so I don´t have tons of time to write this week, because it´s a little hectic today. I will be going to Rosario later on this afternoon because I have to go do something with my Visa......I´m not really sure what it is, but I think there are 20 of us or so that are going, so there shouldn't be a problem with it or anything. Oh, and I'M AN UNCLE! Dang that's awesome. ha ha Alena Rose Winger. that just flows. Congratulations Nate and Shantra!! Make sure you show her a picture of me and whisper Tanner in her ear at least for 3 hours a day so I can become her favorite Uncle ;). Anyway, that's so awesome! Also mom, I will be going to the mission home today so I will be able to find out if my contacts have come or not. Also, thanks for sending part 1 of your childhood! I was very very entertained haha and its so nice to know about your life growing up. Also sounds like everyone is doing well at home, except the whole freaky cat experience sounds...messed up. Also, tell Nic Winn congratulations and also Jamison as well! Also, tell Nate Hanks that I wish I could come to his farewell but....yeah, ya know. Anyway, this week we worked super hard here in Parque del Sur. Me and Elder Bryce found 18 new investigators to teach, so hopefully at least some if not all will begin progressing towards baptism. Also, here´s my experience for the week: We were walking down a road last week and I saw a little pasillo, or alleyway?, that I felt we needed to walk down. We began contacting, and unfortunately got rejected four times out of the 5 on the street. Anyway, at the last house, it was already open, so as we began presenting ourselves "We are missionaries..." and before I could continue the lady just invited us in. She believed in God, but had never attended a church before. To make a long story short, she loved the message of the restoration, she has begun reading the book of Mormon and she feels that it is true, and attended church this past Sunday! and usually to get people to church we have to walk to their house and try to drag them out of bed ha, but she came completely on her own....oh, and she´s like 65 years old and walked probably 15 blocks. She said she usually would ride her bike, but it had busted that morning or something......anyway, it was such an amazing experience and another testimony builder that God has prepared many of his children here to receive the Gospel. At church, we introduced Zulema (is her name) to one of the sisters in the ward named Hermana Bustos. They seemed to really become great friends super quick...awkwardly quick actually ha. we came to find out that these two older ladies had been very very good friends as children but have not kept in contact or seen each other for many years!!! So now, they are going to read the book of Mormon at each others houses at drink mate together haha. All this happened within about 4 days haha. Anyway, we are going to continue Zulema towards baptism! I´m so grateful for this work and for the opportunity I have to share the gospel. as far as my teaching skills and Spanish go........still terrible, but the Lord has manifested to me that by the power of the spirit all weaknesses can be overcome. I truly testify that this is the Lords work and especially that the Gift of Tongues is SO REAL. Anyway, not much time to talk, but I love you all and I pray for you many times each day ha. I´ll let you know how the trip to Rosario goes and all. Look out adventure, here I come.
Love you all,
Elder Winger
Oh p.s. we had the COPA AMERICA again in town this week, and Argentina played Uruguay....unfortunately they lost. not. a. happy. people. when. Argentina. loses. Anyway, it was cool to be in the same town as Messi (greatest player in the world) and I actually had one of the biggest temptations of my life last week that I forgot to tell you about. We were walking by the stadium one evening and we saw just tons of people running down the streets to get into the stadium....yet we knew that there wasn´t a game until the next game. Turned out the Argentina national team was practicing inside and people (for free) were running inside to watch. It was so hard not to join them haha, talk about a dream that would come true....but, we continued on as Missionaries should. But i´ll tell you what, it wasn´t easy hahaha. Anyway, ciao.
Escritura: John chapter 14
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
EY! 0 7/11/11Week 23
Hello familia!! Here I am again, writing from Parque del Sur. First things first, I absolutely love my companion Elder Bryce!!! He is an absolute stud and he has already taught me so much in the 4 days that we´ve been together. He is from Arizona and is an amazing Spanish speaker and missionary. From the first day of this transfer we got right to work. We are currently teaching a lady named Laura that we haven´t been able to teach for 6 weeks or so.....cuz she´s always gone! That's one of the worst things haha, when you walk for a long time to go to an appointment and it ends up that the person is not even there, so we turn around and head to the next one...which is muy lejos haha. but I absolutely LOVE the people and the work that I´ve been having the privilege of doing in this area. We have a good pool of investigators that we are teaching right now, and its amazing to watch peoples lives literally change for the better as they begin to live the principles of the Gospel. So yesterday I had quite the experience....gave my first actual talk while here in Argentina! One of the Bishopric counselors called me on Saturday night and asked if I would give a 10 minute talk the following morning. And of course I accepted haha. But, I didn´t have time to prepare a talk except for a couple scriptures that I looked up while sitting in my chair during the meeting....and then I just relied completely on the Spirit and faith haha. I got up there and it definitely wasn´t a great talk, but it was a huge growing point in my mission. The language is coming along even better now, and I´ve learned something so valuable with Elder Bryce that is going to change my mission. Teach the people, not lessons. I´ve always heard this phrase, but it hasn´t actually hit me until this transfer. I´ve had experiences that have absolutely floored me when I´ve sincerely sincerely cared about the person we teach. The moment that I rely on the spirit, sincerely listening to the investigator so that I can help them, that is when something called the Gift of Tongues has kicked in. I know that the Lord is guiding this work and I know that as I do my best, keep the commandments, and allow myself to be changed into a better missionary day after day, the Lord will continue to perform miracles in my life and will perform miracles in the lives of the people that we have the humbling opportunity to help. When you love the people, confide in the Lord and his work, the words of what the Lord wants to tell his children become manifest. I´ve grown so much in the last 4 days, and I hope I can continue to become a better missionary than i was the day before. This week we got our new mission president as well! Presidente Giuliani!!!!! He is an absolutely amazing man and I had the opportunity to meet him briefly at the conference that we had last week for his arrival. He did change a couple of rules that I kind of enjoy.....we can listen to a wider variety of church music, which is awesome since I have songs on my ipod that I haven´t been able to listen to, and he is also allowing us to drink something called mate cocido.....which is a form of the infamous herbal drink of Argentina... :). Anyway, the work is absolutely amazing here, and I testify that this is the Lords work. As far as the spiritual thought for the week goes, I would like you to read if you have time "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" by Gene R. Cook. WOW! i could quote parts of it, but I think you just have to read it to get the full effect haha. Quick scripture is Enos verse 15. Ive realized how important it is to sincerely pray in faith to our father in Heaven and ask him for guidance and direction. Prayer is an act of faith, and the Lord always requires that we work for the many blessings that he is willing to grant us. I know that our Father in Heaven answers every prayer according to his will of what is going to make us the most happy, for that is his purpose. I love the scripture in 3 Nefi 19:24. I know the Lord knows my needs better than even I know my needs haha. So, one thing that I incorporate more in my prayers is to ask my Father in Heaven to help me know what to say in my prayer. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and he will help us with any and all righteous desires that we have. I'm also super happy to hear that Jamison will be going to the Argentina Mission!!!!!!!!! HE IS GOING TO LOVE IT!!!!! Well, I´m all out of time for this week, but I´ll talk to you the next. I love you all so much and I´m so grateful family that I am going to live with you all forever!!
Con amor,
Elder Winger
Con amor,
Elder Winger
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
¿Qué pasa? 07/05/11 Week 22
Well it sounds like there's plenty of fun going on there at home! maybe a little too much fun if you ask me huh? ;) I´m so happy to hear that everyone is doing so well. To Tiffani: you have to grow up eventually, play time should be over by now haha. And mom, i want to thank you first off for the wonderful testimony that you sent to me. I know you have an amazingly strong testimony mom, i´ve always known that :) Thank you so much for this opportunity you´ve given me to grow up in the Church of our God and the opportunity that I have now to share it with others. And Dad, I hope all goes well with the trip to Florida! By the way, who ended up winning the NBA finals? haha anyway, how long are you planning to be over there and what are you going to be working on? I hope you have a great trip and make it back soon to spend time with the fam and the new baby that's coming! WOO!! I´m super excited for you Nate and Shantra! I can´t wait to hear all about our new members of the family that are coming and to see pictures. Uncle Tanner? I'm old :( haha. Anyway, glad to hear that everyone is doing well, keep me posted as you have been.
So I found out this morning that I will be staying in Parque del Sur for another transfer :). My companion Elder Pixton is heading off to another place, and I´ll be welcoming my new companion Elder Bryce. I don´t know much about him, but I have heard really good things about him. I am super excited to work with him and to continue on in this wonderful work of the Lord. As far as Milagros bautismo went this week, it was great!! There were probably 30 people or so at the baptism, including 10 or so nonmembers!! So we were able to talk with a few of them and hopefully we will get a chance to teach some of them in the near future. But, as always, something ALWAYS has to no go as planned when a baptism comes along. The baptism was set to start at 5 o clock on Saturday, so we went to fill up the baptismal font at about 2 o'clock. We just turned on the water, and then were just going to return about 430 to turn it off and we´d be all set :). But, when we finally made it back around at around 4:45, with people beginning to show up, came to the pleasant surprise that the water had run out and there was only about 1.5 feet of water in the font. Entonces, we needed lots more water in 15 minutes....AGH! It was quite the experience haha, and after a lot of personal praying, we were able to figure out how the water system works and were able to fill up the font about 30 minutes later. The water was freezing cold for poor Milagros, but it didn´t matter for her, so that was good ha. Also yesterday, we passed by a man named Juan Carlos Vera that we´ve been teaching who's just awesome. he has a little trouble remembering everything that he reads and understanding everything, but he loves the gospel and has the desire to be baptized. We found his registry in the area book one day, and he hadn´t been visited by missionaries for 6 years, so i was super happy to find him and that we could teach him. We set him a baptism date for July 23, but after we left the appointment with him....we forgot to ask if he was married. He has kids and a wife, but we are not sure if he is married. So we are praying that he is so that we don´t have to work with that obstacle haha. Anyway, also another really cool thing has been happening this week. There´s this huge soccer tournament that happens every couple of years or so called the Copa America for south America and central America. Anyway, they are playing 4 games here in my area at the Futbol field of Colon! So tomorrow night, Argentina will be facing off against Columbia here in Santa Fe. Its going to get pretty wild here, I'm super excited. The field can fit about 30 000 people in it, but everyone in Argentina will be watching the game and its going to be pretty hectic around here. Ill keep you posted on how it goes. What a dream........I´ll actually be in the same city as the great Messi. Dream. come. True. haha.
Anyway, last Sunday we had an amazing testimony meeting in the ward. Milagros bore a powerful testimony of how the gift of the Spirit has already touched her life, and then her uncle that she lives with got up and bore an amazing testimony as well. He´s a seminary teacher that works in Cordoba too, so I love talking with him about the gospel ha. Anyway, he said one simple statement that really struck me"What´s true is true, and I cannot deny that." The gospel is such an amazing thing! Its literally the TRUTH about everything. A testimony is something that we have to harvest throughout our lives, but how much growth and happiness do we gain through it. I´ve realized something since i´ve been here, why we are separated from the world: We are a people that are constantly looking for ways to better ourselves. Christ was our perfect example, and it´s in this life that we strive to follow his example and become more like him everyday. How great it is that God has given us the chance to have eternal progression! It´s sad to see here in Argentina that a lot of people get to a certain point in life when they decide that what they are is good enough, and there´s no reason to change or to strive for something greater. I know that this Gospel gives hope, faith, and purpose in this life. It gives us the desire to become better individuals today than the day before. I´ve been so blessed to have this gospel in my life and ill always be in debt for what I've received. I know every person is a child of our Father in Heaven and desire the happiness and growth/progression that can only come from the Truths of God that have been restored to the Earth. I´m simply here to remind people of the reason they are here on the earth :) It´s so so hard to watch people reject the gospel, but with the gift of free agency, everyone has the choice to accept or reject. I'm definitely not a great teacher right now, and I'm still learning this language that has over a billion words i swear haha, but I'm striving to do my best to help my brothers and sisters here. I read a talk this week in the Liahona that was by Barbara Thompson about Love and Service. If you get a chance to read it, do it! Its awesome, and is really centered around John 13 when Christ washes the feet of his disciples. Anyway, that´s enough blabbering. hope all is going amazing and I love you all!
Scripture: Mosiah 24:14.
"And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions"
Random Facts of the week:
Ate at an Arabian Restaurant again today and ate something called Kebbe. It was good
Elder Pixton and I danced around with 2 sparklers for July 4th! HOORAY AMERICA
Got bit by a dog. almost.
One of my shoes has a hole in the bottom of it. still think its drying out from the rain from 3 weeks ago. shoes don´t last long haha.
The walls of Babylon were 56 miles in circumference, 335 ft high, and 85 ft wide.
I began writing in a Dream Journal (yeah) this week for no apparent reason, but its definitely weird.
Also about the weather here, it hasn´t rained a lot lately, its just cold because of the humidity. BRR
Love ya fam and friends!!
Talk to you next week :)
Elder Winger
Monday, June 27, 2011
Lunes 27 de Junio de 2011 Week 21
Hey fam!
It was so great to hear about your adventures in Florida! Can´t wait to see some pictures! I´m so happy that you all had a great time and it sounds like you had plenty of fun for me as well haha. Also, first things first, i must say that the name Nixon as a possibility for the name of the baby of Casey and Kari is awesome. I'm definitely a fan haha, so put my vote down for that one ha. Also, I´m sad to hear that the Alien ride at the parks is gone, i can remember how scared i was of that......oh the memories ha, but that´s too bad. Anyway, had another great week here down in Argentina. I´m super excited for the baptism that we have coming up this Saturday! Should be a great time. We ate with her family yesterday and had Polenta (basically cream of wheat, except corn) and it was good. I can´t believe this transfer is almost already over! I´m almost onto my third transfer here and I still don´t know Spanish ;) i´ve had a couple of amazing experiences this week where the language suddenly took off during lessons and i could literally sense the Gift of Tongues in the moment. It was a very special experience for me and it was definitely a huge reassurance of how this whole work is the work of our Savior and i´m simply an instrument. This week I actually did a little bit more cooking as well. Milanesas and rice. mm. That´s about the extent of my cooking right now besides cereal and toast haha since we don´t have much time to cook, and the members feed us the majority of days, which is a huge blessing. I don´t really have much time to write this week, but i want you to know that I'm doing great and am having the time of my life! I see the blessings of the lord everyday, and without the gifts of the spirit and his constant guidance, i could not do this work. My thought for you this week comes from M. Russell Ballard, which hit me like a tank and i couldn´t say it better myself "Many of our missionaries begin their missions thinking they are going to repay Heavenly Father for his goodness towards them by serving Him for 2 years. But, before long they learn an important eternal truth: You can never do more for the Lord than he can do for you." Honestly, I definitely started out as one of those missionaries, but I have come to know for a surety that the Lord has always done more for me than I can ever repay. What a privilege to serve him and bear his name on the plaque that i wear everyday. I´ve also realized the power of prayer in receiving revelation. My scripture for you this week is D&C 6, which is an amazing seccion, but i´m just going to quote verses 14-16. "Verily, verily, i say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time. Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten my mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth; Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart." As children of a loving heavenly Father, and members of his kingdom on the Earth, we have the opportunity to receive personal revelation for our lives through the gift of the Holy Ghost. I know that God hears every prayer, and I know that as we listen carefully for the promptings of the spirit, always looking to do good, he will guide our paths and as we look at where we are in our lives and the blessings we´ve received, we can know for a surety that we had been led by Him, even if we didn´t recognize it in the moment. Always seek to follow the guidance of the spirit, for I testify that it´s companionship is real, and the Lord really does know the best for us, and will help us if we simply ask and do. Thanks so much for your emails and words of encouragement! I´ve been so blessed here and will continue working and striving to be "the missionary my mother thinks i am" :). The work here in Parque del Sur has been a little slow lately, including one day where we had 45 rejections in a row haha, door to door contacting. But i know there are people that are here, prepared to hear the Gospel. Fun fact of the week: during lunch with Milagros and her family, they said Elder Pixton looked like the actor that plays voldemort and that I look like Lucus Gabreel or something...apparently a character from High School Musical named Ryan Evans.....anyway, officially we go by the names Elder Evans and Elder Voldemort. haha. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the weather is getting very cold here! Not cold enough to snow.....but the humidity is where it gets me ha, right to the bone. Makes getting up in the mornings a little less fun ;). Also mom, i´ll be looking forward to getting the contacts, and also, I hope that Elder Henriksen gets his Visa soon! He´s going to love Argentina!! Anyway, talk to you next week, love you all!!
Elder Winger
It was so great to hear about your adventures in Florida! Can´t wait to see some pictures! I´m so happy that you all had a great time and it sounds like you had plenty of fun for me as well haha. Also, first things first, i must say that the name Nixon as a possibility for the name of the baby of Casey and Kari is awesome. I'm definitely a fan haha, so put my vote down for that one ha. Also, I´m sad to hear that the Alien ride at the parks is gone, i can remember how scared i was of that......oh the memories ha, but that´s too bad. Anyway, had another great week here down in Argentina. I´m super excited for the baptism that we have coming up this Saturday! Should be a great time. We ate with her family yesterday and had Polenta (basically cream of wheat, except corn) and it was good. I can´t believe this transfer is almost already over! I´m almost onto my third transfer here and I still don´t know Spanish ;) i´ve had a couple of amazing experiences this week where the language suddenly took off during lessons and i could literally sense the Gift of Tongues in the moment. It was a very special experience for me and it was definitely a huge reassurance of how this whole work is the work of our Savior and i´m simply an instrument. This week I actually did a little bit more cooking as well. Milanesas and rice. mm. That´s about the extent of my cooking right now besides cereal and toast haha since we don´t have much time to cook, and the members feed us the majority of days, which is a huge blessing. I don´t really have much time to write this week, but i want you to know that I'm doing great and am having the time of my life! I see the blessings of the lord everyday, and without the gifts of the spirit and his constant guidance, i could not do this work. My thought for you this week comes from M. Russell Ballard, which hit me like a tank and i couldn´t say it better myself "Many of our missionaries begin their missions thinking they are going to repay Heavenly Father for his goodness towards them by serving Him for 2 years. But, before long they learn an important eternal truth: You can never do more for the Lord than he can do for you." Honestly, I definitely started out as one of those missionaries, but I have come to know for a surety that the Lord has always done more for me than I can ever repay. What a privilege to serve him and bear his name on the plaque that i wear everyday. I´ve also realized the power of prayer in receiving revelation. My scripture for you this week is D&C 6, which is an amazing seccion, but i´m just going to quote verses 14-16. "Verily, verily, i say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time. Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten my mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth; Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart." As children of a loving heavenly Father, and members of his kingdom on the Earth, we have the opportunity to receive personal revelation for our lives through the gift of the Holy Ghost. I know that God hears every prayer, and I know that as we listen carefully for the promptings of the spirit, always looking to do good, he will guide our paths and as we look at where we are in our lives and the blessings we´ve received, we can know for a surety that we had been led by Him, even if we didn´t recognize it in the moment. Always seek to follow the guidance of the spirit, for I testify that it´s companionship is real, and the Lord really does know the best for us, and will help us if we simply ask and do. Thanks so much for your emails and words of encouragement! I´ve been so blessed here and will continue working and striving to be "the missionary my mother thinks i am" :). The work here in Parque del Sur has been a little slow lately, including one day where we had 45 rejections in a row haha, door to door contacting. But i know there are people that are here, prepared to hear the Gospel. Fun fact of the week: during lunch with Milagros and her family, they said Elder Pixton looked like the actor that plays voldemort and that I look like Lucus Gabreel or something...apparently a character from High School Musical named Ryan Evans.....anyway, officially we go by the names Elder Evans and Elder Voldemort. haha. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the weather is getting very cold here! Not cold enough to snow.....but the humidity is where it gets me ha, right to the bone. Makes getting up in the mornings a little less fun ;). Also mom, i´ll be looking forward to getting the contacts, and also, I hope that Elder Henriksen gets his Visa soon! He´s going to love Argentina!! Anyway, talk to you next week, love you all!!
Elder Winger
Thursday, June 23, 2011
and the times keep flying 06/20/11 Week 20
Hola familia,
¿Cómo anda? How´s everyone been doing this week?? I hope that you´ve all been having a blast in Florida, and if you find the time I would love to hear all about it! It´s crazy that I´m already writing another email, the time just never slows down. Anyway, this week was pretty good! We´ve been teaching a girl named Milagros that is 15 years old, and shes going to be baptized on the 2nd of July, and I´ll keep you updated on that. Also, to Dad, I want to wish you un Feliz día del Padre!!! It was Fathers day yesterday in Argentina, and I wasn´t sure if its the same day there as well....but Happy Fathers Day! I hope it was amazing, and I would´ve given you a big hug if I could, but I guess this will have to do ha. Did you all do anything fun for the holiday? Also dad, I want to wish you a very very very Feliz Cumple! Happy birthday Pops!! ¡the big 50! Your life is only a 1/4 of the way done + ha, yes. Hope you have a amazing one. So, as I´ve been reading my Patriarchal Blessing and praying for guidance within, I´ve been impressed to ask you Mom and Dad more about your pasts. I wish I knew more about your childhoods and life growing up, and more about things like that. So, if you find time, I´d love to receive a little blurb about your lives growing up, activity in the church, memories, etc. I know I should´ve asked more about things like this a long time ago, but I´m asking now. Thanks mom and dad. Anyway, I´ve really been figuring out who I am the last 10 weeks. As I continue to study the words of God and given the opportunity to teach the message of the Restoration, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Plan of God for us has really been brought into a new life. My testimony has grown exponentially and I feel like I took a lot of the blessings of home, the church, friends, and the simple blessing of the gospel in my life for granted on occasions. I´m so grateful for all that God´s given me and for putting me into the family that I´m in. I have the best family in the whole world and I can´t imagine spending any less time then eternity with you. Anyway, my blurb for you this week has to do with "Quality of Life", something that I´ve found fascinating and I´ve been thinking a lot about. There´s an amazing portion in "Our Search for Happiness" that Elder M. Russell Ballard talks about how our choices affect our Quality of Life "The Quality of our Lives. It´s an interesting phrase. I suspect most people think of this concept in terms of the comforts and conveniences they enjoy. But I prefer to think that the quality of our lives has more to do with substance than style. A quality life is one that positively influences others and makes the world around it a better place in which to live. A quality life is one that is constantly growing, expanding its horizons and enlarging its borders. A quality life is one that is filled with love and loyalty, patience and perseverance, kindness and compassion. A quality life is one that is based on eternal potential and not confined to this life only. A quality life is a life well-lived." It seems like the days fly by faster and faster, like a blur. For me, I´ve recognized that it´s important to fill our lives with the wholesome things that are going to transform us. Every minute matters, and it´s our choice on how we use all of them. I know that if we fill our lives with these wonderful things, using our time helping others achieve a better quality of life, we will be blessed. This life is for us to be happy, to learn and progress. I know that Jesus Christ set the perfect example for us. And as we study his teachings in the scriptures and strive to live in the manner that he did, we will receive more joy in this life than we could ever imagine by ourselves. And overall, as we prepare in this life for eternal life, to become like God, we have the atoning sacrifice of our Savior to lift us from our own weaknesses. I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and how glorious the day will be when he comes again, and we can stand before him and know that we did our best. That we made our life a quality one. This is my thought for you this week, enjoy every minute of life and always give gratitude to our Father in Heaven.
In other news, the Spanish is still coming along!! I absolutely love the language, and I´ve been so blessed for how much I´ve learned! It´s quite the task, but i love a good challenge ha. Also, yesterday we went to a conference that was for all of the Young men and Young women yesterday, where Elder Aliaud (or something) from the area 70 came and talked. He gave some amazing guidance, and i especially enjoyed the parts i could understand ;). Then, all of the missionaries from Santa Fe and Santa Fe Norte walked to the front of the chapel and sang Called to Serve. It was amazing ha. Then, Presidente Villalba and his wife gave their testimonies, since they only have 2 weeks or so left in the mission as President. I was able to give Presidente Villalba a hug after, and the first thing he said to me was "¿un poco mas gorditoto no? yes, you read it right. I have been called fat. My face is apparently puggifying. Maybe when i come home I can be the official mascot for "Pudgie´s Lucky Buck" hahaha. Anyway, i also got it mentioned by another Elder.....so, there´s my first experiences of getting called fat. twice. :) haha que seol. Anyway, i am still having an amazing time here! Just doing my best and trying to overcome my many weaknesses to serve the Lord. I testify that he lives, and I know this is where I need to be. Hope to hear at least a little from you all soon! I need a little more to read during this hour so that I don´t spend the whole time typing ridiculously long emails that nobody wants to read because you all have lives to live. Anyway, love you all!! ¡MUCHISIMO GRACIAS POR TODO! ¡BESOS POR TODO USTEDES!
Con Amor,
Elder Winger
¿Cómo anda? How´s everyone been doing this week?? I hope that you´ve all been having a blast in Florida, and if you find the time I would love to hear all about it! It´s crazy that I´m already writing another email, the time just never slows down. Anyway, this week was pretty good! We´ve been teaching a girl named Milagros that is 15 years old, and shes going to be baptized on the 2nd of July, and I´ll keep you updated on that. Also, to Dad, I want to wish you un Feliz día del Padre!!! It was Fathers day yesterday in Argentina, and I wasn´t sure if its the same day there as well....but Happy Fathers Day! I hope it was amazing, and I would´ve given you a big hug if I could, but I guess this will have to do ha. Did you all do anything fun for the holiday? Also dad, I want to wish you a very very very Feliz Cumple! Happy birthday Pops!! ¡the big 50! Your life is only a 1/4 of the way done + ha, yes. Hope you have a amazing one. So, as I´ve been reading my Patriarchal Blessing and praying for guidance within, I´ve been impressed to ask you Mom and Dad more about your pasts. I wish I knew more about your childhoods and life growing up, and more about things like that. So, if you find time, I´d love to receive a little blurb about your lives growing up, activity in the church, memories, etc. I know I should´ve asked more about things like this a long time ago, but I´m asking now. Thanks mom and dad. Anyway, I´ve really been figuring out who I am the last 10 weeks. As I continue to study the words of God and given the opportunity to teach the message of the Restoration, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Plan of God for us has really been brought into a new life. My testimony has grown exponentially and I feel like I took a lot of the blessings of home, the church, friends, and the simple blessing of the gospel in my life for granted on occasions. I´m so grateful for all that God´s given me and for putting me into the family that I´m in. I have the best family in the whole world and I can´t imagine spending any less time then eternity with you. Anyway, my blurb for you this week has to do with "Quality of Life", something that I´ve found fascinating and I´ve been thinking a lot about. There´s an amazing portion in "Our Search for Happiness" that Elder M. Russell Ballard talks about how our choices affect our Quality of Life "The Quality of our Lives. It´s an interesting phrase. I suspect most people think of this concept in terms of the comforts and conveniences they enjoy. But I prefer to think that the quality of our lives has more to do with substance than style. A quality life is one that positively influences others and makes the world around it a better place in which to live. A quality life is one that is constantly growing, expanding its horizons and enlarging its borders. A quality life is one that is filled with love and loyalty, patience and perseverance, kindness and compassion. A quality life is one that is based on eternal potential and not confined to this life only. A quality life is a life well-lived." It seems like the days fly by faster and faster, like a blur. For me, I´ve recognized that it´s important to fill our lives with the wholesome things that are going to transform us. Every minute matters, and it´s our choice on how we use all of them. I know that if we fill our lives with these wonderful things, using our time helping others achieve a better quality of life, we will be blessed. This life is for us to be happy, to learn and progress. I know that Jesus Christ set the perfect example for us. And as we study his teachings in the scriptures and strive to live in the manner that he did, we will receive more joy in this life than we could ever imagine by ourselves. And overall, as we prepare in this life for eternal life, to become like God, we have the atoning sacrifice of our Savior to lift us from our own weaknesses. I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and how glorious the day will be when he comes again, and we can stand before him and know that we did our best. That we made our life a quality one. This is my thought for you this week, enjoy every minute of life and always give gratitude to our Father in Heaven.
In other news, the Spanish is still coming along!! I absolutely love the language, and I´ve been so blessed for how much I´ve learned! It´s quite the task, but i love a good challenge ha. Also, yesterday we went to a conference that was for all of the Young men and Young women yesterday, where Elder Aliaud (or something) from the area 70 came and talked. He gave some amazing guidance, and i especially enjoyed the parts i could understand ;). Then, all of the missionaries from Santa Fe and Santa Fe Norte walked to the front of the chapel and sang Called to Serve. It was amazing ha. Then, Presidente Villalba and his wife gave their testimonies, since they only have 2 weeks or so left in the mission as President. I was able to give Presidente Villalba a hug after, and the first thing he said to me was "¿un poco mas gorditoto no? yes, you read it right. I have been called fat. My face is apparently puggifying. Maybe when i come home I can be the official mascot for "Pudgie´s Lucky Buck" hahaha. Anyway, i also got it mentioned by another Elder.....so, there´s my first experiences of getting called fat. twice. :) haha que seol. Anyway, i am still having an amazing time here! Just doing my best and trying to overcome my many weaknesses to serve the Lord. I testify that he lives, and I know this is where I need to be. Hope to hear at least a little from you all soon! I need a little more to read during this hour so that I don´t spend the whole time typing ridiculously long emails that nobody wants to read because you all have lives to live. Anyway, love you all!! ¡MUCHISIMO GRACIAS POR TODO! ¡BESOS POR TODO USTEDES!
Con Amor,
Elder Winger
Sunday, June 19, 2011
¡FAMILA! 0 6/13/11 Week 19
¡HOLA! WEEEEEEEEHOOOOO. I´m super happy today, I´m so grateful to be serving the Lord!
How´s everyone doing? Can´t wait to hear all about the Florida adventure! I know you´re all going to have an amazing time. The work continues forth here in Parque del Sur. This week was a little bit of a roller coaster, and we didn´t get as much done as i planned, but we continue on. On Thursday, Elder Pixton got sick, so we couldn´t get out and work much...so i spent a lot of time just studying and just trying to stay sane inside the pension haha. But this past week a couple of awesome things happened! First of all, i got the package that you sent for me with all the goodies! Thank you so much, definitely was an amazing treat for me....and Elder Pixton since I ¨"have to share" with him jaja. Anyway, i was a little saddened though....i think you might have forgotten to put my contacts in box. oops. Oh well though, two months of contacts can easily last 20, no worries :) Anyway, also this past Sunday we had Stake Conference. It combined about 10 wards, which was probably equal to 1.5 Utah wards ha, and we all met together at the centro de Estaca. Anyway, Elder Pixton and I have had trouble getting people to commit to coming to the church on Sundays, but we managed to get a mom and daughter to come along with us this week! They are so amazing! But anyway, we got to hear from Elder Civic from the Quorum of the 70, Elder Anderson and Elder Packer from the Quorum of the 12! They did a broadcast to all the stakes in Argentina, so it was very cool. I didn´t exactly understand everything that they said, but I definitely felt the spirit super strong and took away some very powerful teachings that i can apply in my life. Anyway, it was a little bit of a rough first impression for our two investigators....we sat towards the very back and were surrounded by families with lots of little, young, little, kids. Stake Conference = 2 hours...time span of children =27.3 minutes. Entonces, it quickly got quite loud while we were trying to listen to the talks, and our investigators looked a little weirded out as a little kid sitting behind us kept nudging all of us and laughing....but it was a great experience ha. Its hard for me to remember everything that happens from week to week haha, i can´t believe how fast the time is flying. Anyway, one of my embarrassing stories for the week is that we were riding on the colectivo one day (bus) and i had gotten some change from a man at a kiosco, since on the colectivo you can only pay with change and not bills. Anyway, Elder Pixton and I got on the bus and as i began to pay i realized that i only had 4 pesos worth of change, and the colectivo costs 4.60. uh oh. So to make a long story short, i ended up causing a huge line behind me, a lady that was a good Samaritan gave me 60 centavos eventualmente, and finally after i dropped about half the coins, picked them up, apologized to the bus driver and the line, i finally was able to take a nice comfy seat on the bus. it was fun. Also, as you can imagine, I still make some pretty funny mistakes with the Spanish. Yesterday i was talking to a family and i asked where the husbands wife was. Well the word for husband is esposo or marido, and the word for wife is esposa.....but i clearly made the connection that wife should also be marida...with an a. Logical right? Anyway, when i formed the question ¿Donde está su marida? i had guessed wrong, and never really figured out what marida actually meant...or if it meant anything....but everyone just laughed ha. Anyway, the Spanish is coming along very well obviously ;) and I'm just having a blast and doing the best i can to be the Lord´s instrument. It´s crazy that 8 weeks have already passed by, and i still i have SOO much to learn, but I've been having the time of my life. My thought for you this week comes from Alma 7:7-16, talking about the everlasting Atonement of our Savior. Anyway, I want to read you a quote that I absolutely love from Bruce C. Hafen in the Apr. 1990 Ensign, addressing all members of the church. "Some Church members feel weighed down with discouragement about the circumstances of their personal lives, even when they are making sustained and admirable efforts. Frequently these feelings of self-disappointment come not from wrongdoing, but from stresses and troubles for which we may not be fully to blame. The Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to these experiences because it applies to all of life. The Savior can wipe away all of our fears, after all we can do....the Savior´s atonement is...the healing power not only for sin, but also for carelessness, inadequacy, and all mortal bitterness. The Atonement is not just for sinners." Jesus Christ is our Brother, Savior, and best friend. He´s overcome every obstacle and defeated every enemy. It is through him that we can experience the healing power for any test in our lives, big or small. I experience the blessings of the Atonement everyday in my life, and as i have my fair share of carelessness, inadequacy (definitely), and shortcomings, it is the love the Savior has for me and every one of us that can give us the strength to climb the wall of misery. He lives, and he will come again. So my message for you, always keep an eye single to the Savior. Our realistic objective in this life is simply to do the best we can to obey his commandments. Beautifully simple, simply beautiful. I hope you all are doing well my loving family and friends. I pray for you everyday, for the strength to continue on in FELICIDAD :) ;) now and forever. Another week gone by, and I know the next one will fly by as quickly as the last one went. Enjoy every minute! I love you all so much. Don´t have to much fun while i´m gone ;) Take care, and for all my friends that have written me....i´m working on it k haha, i know i´m a terrible friend, but i´ll send you a letter as soon as i get the time. ¡Ciao!
Elder Winger
P.S. Frase de la semana por Elder Pixton y yo: I am a man......and i can change.......if i have to......i guess
How´s everyone doing? Can´t wait to hear all about the Florida adventure! I know you´re all going to have an amazing time. The work continues forth here in Parque del Sur. This week was a little bit of a roller coaster, and we didn´t get as much done as i planned, but we continue on. On Thursday, Elder Pixton got sick, so we couldn´t get out and work much...so i spent a lot of time just studying and just trying to stay sane inside the pension haha. But this past week a couple of awesome things happened! First of all, i got the package that you sent for me with all the goodies! Thank you so much, definitely was an amazing treat for me....and Elder Pixton since I ¨"have to share" with him jaja. Anyway, i was a little saddened though....i think you might have forgotten to put my contacts in box. oops. Oh well though, two months of contacts can easily last 20, no worries :) Anyway, also this past Sunday we had Stake Conference. It combined about 10 wards, which was probably equal to 1.5 Utah wards ha, and we all met together at the centro de Estaca. Anyway, Elder Pixton and I have had trouble getting people to commit to coming to the church on Sundays, but we managed to get a mom and daughter to come along with us this week! They are so amazing! But anyway, we got to hear from Elder Civic from the Quorum of the 70, Elder Anderson and Elder Packer from the Quorum of the 12! They did a broadcast to all the stakes in Argentina, so it was very cool. I didn´t exactly understand everything that they said, but I definitely felt the spirit super strong and took away some very powerful teachings that i can apply in my life. Anyway, it was a little bit of a rough first impression for our two investigators....we sat towards the very back and were surrounded by families with lots of little, young, little, kids. Stake Conference = 2 hours...time span of children =27.3 minutes. Entonces, it quickly got quite loud while we were trying to listen to the talks, and our investigators looked a little weirded out as a little kid sitting behind us kept nudging all of us and laughing....but it was a great experience ha. Its hard for me to remember everything that happens from week to week haha, i can´t believe how fast the time is flying. Anyway, one of my embarrassing stories for the week is that we were riding on the colectivo one day (bus) and i had gotten some change from a man at a kiosco, since on the colectivo you can only pay with change and not bills. Anyway, Elder Pixton and I got on the bus and as i began to pay i realized that i only had 4 pesos worth of change, and the colectivo costs 4.60. uh oh. So to make a long story short, i ended up causing a huge line behind me, a lady that was a good Samaritan gave me 60 centavos eventualmente, and finally after i dropped about half the coins, picked them up, apologized to the bus driver and the line, i finally was able to take a nice comfy seat on the bus. it was fun. Also, as you can imagine, I still make some pretty funny mistakes with the Spanish. Yesterday i was talking to a family and i asked where the husbands wife was. Well the word for husband is esposo or marido, and the word for wife is esposa.....but i clearly made the connection that wife should also be marida...with an a. Logical right? Anyway, when i formed the question ¿Donde está su marida? i had guessed wrong, and never really figured out what marida actually meant...or if it meant anything....but everyone just laughed ha. Anyway, the Spanish is coming along very well obviously ;) and I'm just having a blast and doing the best i can to be the Lord´s instrument. It´s crazy that 8 weeks have already passed by, and i still i have SOO much to learn, but I've been having the time of my life. My thought for you this week comes from Alma 7:7-16, talking about the everlasting Atonement of our Savior. Anyway, I want to read you a quote that I absolutely love from Bruce C. Hafen in the Apr. 1990 Ensign, addressing all members of the church. "Some Church members feel weighed down with discouragement about the circumstances of their personal lives, even when they are making sustained and admirable efforts. Frequently these feelings of self-disappointment come not from wrongdoing, but from stresses and troubles for which we may not be fully to blame. The Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to these experiences because it applies to all of life. The Savior can wipe away all of our fears, after all we can do....the Savior´s atonement is...the healing power not only for sin, but also for carelessness, inadequacy, and all mortal bitterness. The Atonement is not just for sinners." Jesus Christ is our Brother, Savior, and best friend. He´s overcome every obstacle and defeated every enemy. It is through him that we can experience the healing power for any test in our lives, big or small. I experience the blessings of the Atonement everyday in my life, and as i have my fair share of carelessness, inadequacy (definitely), and shortcomings, it is the love the Savior has for me and every one of us that can give us the strength to climb the wall of misery. He lives, and he will come again. So my message for you, always keep an eye single to the Savior. Our realistic objective in this life is simply to do the best we can to obey his commandments. Beautifully simple, simply beautiful. I hope you all are doing well my loving family and friends. I pray for you everyday, for the strength to continue on in FELICIDAD :) ;) now and forever. Another week gone by, and I know the next one will fly by as quickly as the last one went. Enjoy every minute! I love you all so much. Don´t have to much fun while i´m gone ;) Take care, and for all my friends that have written me....i´m working on it k haha, i know i´m a terrible friend, but i´ll send you a letter as soon as i get the time. ¡Ciao!
Elder Winger
P.S. Frase de la semana por Elder Pixton y yo: I am a man......and i can change.......if i have to......i guess
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Good Morning! 0 6/06/11 Week 18
¡FAMILIA FAMILIA FAMILIA FAMILIA!
Hello. It´s so good to hear that everyone is doing well! Except mom....I'm super sorry about the pink eye, that's definitely a bummer. but i´m glad to hear that it´s getting better. I´m also super excited to hear that you all are getting prepared to go to Orlando this week! Que Cosa! that surely going to be a blast! You´ll have to email me some pictures of the trip. This week for me was good, but a little slow as far as the work goes. We continue to work hard everyday, but some days are just contact after contact, and lots of walking, but i know that as i push through these days with an upbeat attitude, looking for those prepared, the Lord will bless us with the opportunity to help his children. This week has been a little crazy! Last Wednesday my companion had to suddenly go to Buenos Aires to renew his Visa, so I got a new companion for the rest of the day. His name was Elder Luna from Mexico. We got along super well, and i think he was exactly what i needed at this time. Someone who didn´t speak any English haha. But I want to tell you a little about Elder Luna, even tho i knew him for only a day, he was such an inspiration to me and an example. Elder Luna has been in the field for 9 months. He had been a member of the church for exactly 1 year when he entered the MTC. pretty crazy huh? Also, he is the only member of the church in his family and he lived with his 104 year old great grandma before he came. Random yes, but crucial info ;). Anyway, when i asked how his family was doing, he said he didn´t really know.....his family doesn´t really email him all that often, and his mother refuses to talk to him. He hears sometimes from one of his 5 sisters, but that's it. But this Elder had no doubt for why he was here in the field and he kept that attitude of hope always. I know when he bore his testimony, to me and investigators, he meant every word of it. He was an amazing Elder and I´m so grateful for the opportunity i had to serve with him and meet him. He also helped me a lot with Spanish haha. Anyway, that was one of my amazing experiences this week. After Elder Pixton returned, we had divisions (Thursday afternoon) where I served with an Elder from Honduras/Guatemala. His name is Elder Argueta, and he speaks very good English, and knows more English slang than i do haha. He was awesome to work with to, and he´s only in his 3rd transfer, so we had a good time as you can imagine haha. He is exactly like Mason Cardon, Latin-edition. If you get a chance to talk to Kylie or someone in her family, mention this to them haha. He was so funny, and it was a great experience working hard with him. Anyway, we were able to find some new investigators this week, and i´m hoping that we can continue to help them progress. Also, to answer Dad´s question, we do more contacting then we do with referrals. It´s really hard to get referrals from the members in the area, and i´m not exactly sure why.....maybe i just need to do a little more sweet-talking ;) anyway, I hope that I´m doing the will of the Lord every moment that I'm here. I trying my best to overcome my many faults and weaknesses so that God´s children can come to know the truth of their Father. I´ve fallen on my face more than once, actually i´m probably on my face more than off of it, but I continue forward in the faith that this is God´s work. God lives, and Jesus is the Christ. My scripture for you this week is in Alma 37:37. It is a pretty common scripture i believe, but its really had an effect on me as I´ve applied it more throughout my mission. It simply says, "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good." The Lord knows each and every one of us more personally than we know ourselves. The will of him is for us to be happy and return to live with our Father, which is the reason he gave everything of himself for us when performing the atonement. If we can simply take the time every morning, every night, and go to him for all of our questions, decision making, and gratitude, he will direct us into a far more glorious path than we could ever pave ourselves. Entonces, I hope that this can help you. It has helped me so much to be able to kneel before our Father and ask him for guidance and direction. I receive blessings every moment, and I know he answers my prayers. I love you so much family and friends, for your love, support, and prayers. I assure you that I´m receiving them, more abundantly than i could ever deserve. The work of the Lord presses forward, and I hope that each of us can continue to shape our loves to conform with the attributes our Savior gave through example. These are the Last Days! If you see an opportunity to serve or share the gospel, do it! Everyone needs it :) Have a great week, and if you read this far through the letter, here´s an A+ for dedicated reading through my boring rambling. ¡Cuidense! ¡Les amo! ¡Tengan una semana linda!
Con Amor al fin de semana ocho en Argentina,
Elder Winger
Hello. It´s so good to hear that everyone is doing well! Except mom....I'm super sorry about the pink eye, that's definitely a bummer. but i´m glad to hear that it´s getting better. I´m also super excited to hear that you all are getting prepared to go to Orlando this week! Que Cosa! that surely going to be a blast! You´ll have to email me some pictures of the trip. This week for me was good, but a little slow as far as the work goes. We continue to work hard everyday, but some days are just contact after contact, and lots of walking, but i know that as i push through these days with an upbeat attitude, looking for those prepared, the Lord will bless us with the opportunity to help his children. This week has been a little crazy! Last Wednesday my companion had to suddenly go to Buenos Aires to renew his Visa, so I got a new companion for the rest of the day. His name was Elder Luna from Mexico. We got along super well, and i think he was exactly what i needed at this time. Someone who didn´t speak any English haha. But I want to tell you a little about Elder Luna, even tho i knew him for only a day, he was such an inspiration to me and an example. Elder Luna has been in the field for 9 months. He had been a member of the church for exactly 1 year when he entered the MTC. pretty crazy huh? Also, he is the only member of the church in his family and he lived with his 104 year old great grandma before he came. Random yes, but crucial info ;). Anyway, when i asked how his family was doing, he said he didn´t really know.....his family doesn´t really email him all that often, and his mother refuses to talk to him. He hears sometimes from one of his 5 sisters, but that's it. But this Elder had no doubt for why he was here in the field and he kept that attitude of hope always. I know when he bore his testimony, to me and investigators, he meant every word of it. He was an amazing Elder and I´m so grateful for the opportunity i had to serve with him and meet him. He also helped me a lot with Spanish haha. Anyway, that was one of my amazing experiences this week. After Elder Pixton returned, we had divisions (Thursday afternoon) where I served with an Elder from Honduras/Guatemala. His name is Elder Argueta, and he speaks very good English, and knows more English slang than i do haha. He was awesome to work with to, and he´s only in his 3rd transfer, so we had a good time as you can imagine haha. He is exactly like Mason Cardon, Latin-edition. If you get a chance to talk to Kylie or someone in her family, mention this to them haha. He was so funny, and it was a great experience working hard with him. Anyway, we were able to find some new investigators this week, and i´m hoping that we can continue to help them progress. Also, to answer Dad´s question, we do more contacting then we do with referrals. It´s really hard to get referrals from the members in the area, and i´m not exactly sure why.....maybe i just need to do a little more sweet-talking ;) anyway, I hope that I´m doing the will of the Lord every moment that I'm here. I trying my best to overcome my many faults and weaknesses so that God´s children can come to know the truth of their Father. I´ve fallen on my face more than once, actually i´m probably on my face more than off of it, but I continue forward in the faith that this is God´s work. God lives, and Jesus is the Christ. My scripture for you this week is in Alma 37:37. It is a pretty common scripture i believe, but its really had an effect on me as I´ve applied it more throughout my mission. It simply says, "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good." The Lord knows each and every one of us more personally than we know ourselves. The will of him is for us to be happy and return to live with our Father, which is the reason he gave everything of himself for us when performing the atonement. If we can simply take the time every morning, every night, and go to him for all of our questions, decision making, and gratitude, he will direct us into a far more glorious path than we could ever pave ourselves. Entonces, I hope that this can help you. It has helped me so much to be able to kneel before our Father and ask him for guidance and direction. I receive blessings every moment, and I know he answers my prayers. I love you so much family and friends, for your love, support, and prayers. I assure you that I´m receiving them, more abundantly than i could ever deserve. The work of the Lord presses forward, and I hope that each of us can continue to shape our loves to conform with the attributes our Savior gave through example. These are the Last Days! If you see an opportunity to serve or share the gospel, do it! Everyone needs it :) Have a great week, and if you read this far through the letter, here´s an A+ for dedicated reading through my boring rambling. ¡Cuidense! ¡Les amo! ¡Tengan una semana linda!
Con Amor al fin de semana ocho en Argentina,
Elder Winger
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