Week 44 - Loving Life

Hello all of my lovely people!

Okay, so I think I just had the BEST day of my whole mission yesterday! I am so happy right now. So first of all, the ''Super Cambio'' of 8 weeks ended on Sunday. Hermana Martos and I are staying together here in San Juan, Whoohooo!!!! She is so fun, we're pretty much the same person but she's the Peruvian version and I'm the American one. Haha it's great :)

So here's the amazing story. Last Wednesday, we had a training with Elder Carlos Godoy and it was amazing! I learned a lot of great stuff. That afternoon, we were walking down the street and we saw a family--a husband, wife, and their son. My companion pulled out a little card with Christ on it and we gave it to them. Jennifer, the wife, was very interested. Her husband Oscar wasn't super interested, but he didn't reject us either, so that was good. Their son, Joshua, was just a happy little boy! I told Jennifer I liked her shirt and she was like ''I like your eyes!'' Haha the people here aren't used to hazel eyes :) Anyway, we tried to visit them on Sunday but they weren't home. On Sunday night, we went to bed and I was saying my prayers. I asked a special blessing to my Heavenly Father that He would help us find a family this week that is ready to be baptized in this cambio. I didn't know if it would be Jennifer and Oscar or another family, but I was willing to do whatever it takes to find this chosen family. I have already seen so many amazing miracles here, so I knew God would work more miracles. Well, yesterday morning, we went back to the house ofJennifer and Oscar. Jennifer came out and was really happy to see us. She asked us to come back in the afternoon so we could teach her and her husband together. She told us she wanted something to help her family come closer to God. It was a perfect situation :)

I was super excited all day to be able go visit them. We got to their house yesterday in the afternoon and they let us in. We started talking and getting to know them and began to teach the Restoration of the Gospel. They understood everything and they were both super receptive! When I invited them to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, Jennifer was like ''Of course! How are we not going to read it?'' It was like there was no other option for her. We told them how we felt that God had sent us there and everything. Jennifer said that the day we talked to them in the street, she had been praying for something that would help her marriage and family be stronger. Isn't it amazing how God works? He had every little thing planned out so that we could find them and talk to them in the street and find their house (it's pretty hidden and hard to find), but He made it all happen. I am just blown away by how perfect He is and this amazing miracle we have. 

I keep crying of complete joy for all that has happened. I cannot believe how amazing my Heavenly Father is. I was reading my mission calling yesterday and there's a part that says ''Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children.'' I know that this promise is true. I have never been more happy in my whole life. I love being a missionary!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

Well, that's my happy story :) I hope you all can find complete joy this week! I love you all!!!

Love, Hermana Winward :)

2 Nefi 27:23

P.S. Funny/really sad story: In Sunday School the other day, there was a bird that came into the room. It was flying back and forth from these little windows near the ceiling, but it couldn't find a way out (even though it was right next to the window!). Unfortunately, there are two ceiling fans in the room that were turned on and no one thought to turn them off. After flying back a forth a few times, the bird flew into the ceiling fan and feathers began flying around the room. The bird was on the ground, still alive, but its chest had been cut open. Someone picked it up and took it outside and told us later that it had died. One member said that it was a sign that the Holy Ghost had died in our class and my companion said it was our only investigator in church that day. Haha it was pretty sad... pobrecito. 

Week 43 - I'm officially 20!

Hello everyone!

Thank you sooooo much for the emails and letters and everything that you have sent to wish me a Happy Birthday. It was a wonderful day! Yesterday was elections day in Peru, so things were a little crazy. Here in Peru, it's mandatory to vote and it's against the law to hold any kind of reunion that day. So we didn't have our meetings in the church yesterday and we had to be in our houses at 7:30 pm to protect us from whatever crazy things might happen. They also gave us permission to sleep with other companionships to be in a safter area. Well, our area is full of schools and other places where they do voting, so we had permission to sleep with the sisters in the Jardin ward and the sisters from the Armonia ward came too. So last night, we just had a big slumber party with 6 sisters! It was so fun :) My companion made salchipapas (french fries and hotdogs). I also ate a lot of cake yesterday from the amazing members here. It was a great day!!!

So last week, I (finally) finished the Book of Mormon in English. I'm still working on it in Spanish. But I was able to strengthen my testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon. Honestly, in those moments when we feel down or depressed and we just want to feel God's love for us, all we need to do is open that sacred book and light will flow out of it. There are times when I just don't know what to do as a missionary to find new investigators or help them progress. Well I always am able to find those answers in the Book of Mormon. It truly changes lives. 

I hope you all make an extra effort this week to strenghten your testimony of the Book of Mormon. One of the best ways to do that is to share what you know! I hope you have wonderful experiences with it. I love you all so so so much and thanks again for all of your love and support! Que tengan una bonita semana :)

Love, Hermana Winward :)

Week 42 - Conferencia General 2

Hello Everyone! 

How are you doing? I hope you all enjoyed conference as much as I did. It was the best weekend ever! 

I really enjoyed President Uchtdorf's talk about how Christ can help us rebuild our lives. As he spoke, I thought of this couple we are teaching. Rudy and Yolanda are a young couple that we found a couple of weeks ago. We found Rudy one day when he was sitting outside his door, with sadness in his eyes and we knew we had to talk to them. We have only taught them once because it's been a little hard to find them. Anyway, Yolanda has 4 or 5 kids, almost all of them are from different partners. Rudy just moved in with her a few months ago. Last Sunday, we went to knock on the door and Yolanda's sister and partner were there, drunk, and said that Rudy wasn't there. We walked away (the house had a strong scent of alcohol) when Yolanda yelled out ''Hermanas!'' We went back and she said that Rudy didn't want to come out (I think he was embarrassed for being drunk), and told us to come back another day. We still haven't been able to find them again, but I know we will in God's time. I just want them to know the hope they can have through their Savior, Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful for this restored gospel in our lives. I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and I know that Christ is at the head of this, His church. I know that He lives and loves us. He knows each one of you and is there to lift you up. Just trust Him. Do what He asks of you and you will feel His precious love. 

I love you all soooo much and I hope you are able to apply everything you've learned in conference. Have a wonderful week and remember you are a loved child of God! 

Love, Hermana Winward :)

P.S. Lima is getting a new temple! Woohoo!!!!!!! :)

Week 41 - I love being a missonary!!!

Hello Everyone!!!

How are you all doing? I hope things are going great! This week has been absolutely wonderful. Andrea and Alexandrea were baptized on Saturday! It was a beautiful moment. I love them both so much!!! They are so strong. On Sunday, their whole family came to church! Their mom, Sonia, got baptized about a month ago and her son Diego has been coming. He's 8 years old. Sonia's husband Hernan and her brother Eduardo also came yesterday. It was so great!

Well, pictures say more than words do, so I'll just send more pictures! 

Have an amazing week! I love you all so much! Remember that Christ lives!!!

Love, Hermana Winward :)

Week 40 - And then there were two...

Hey Everyone!

How's it going? I hope all is great! This week has been pretty crazy! On Saturday morning, we received a call from President McGinn. He wanted to talk to Hermana Leon and we thought that maybe her visa had come and she was going to go to her mission in California. But she had an emergency transfer to Cañete! She went there with Hermana Jara because her companion had been sick and was going to go home. It was really sad because Hna Leon, Hna Martos and I have gotten really close in the one week we were together! 

In other news, we have two baptisms coming up this Saturday! Alexandra and Andrea, the daughters of Sonia are getting baptized! I am so excited and happy for them. I remember the first time I met them and they were both kind of hard-hearted, but now they have changed a lot. They are so excited. Andrea keeps saying she feels like it's her wedding day and she's getting married to Jesus...haha. She's a funny person :) 

Funny story: Last monday all of the hermanas went to the new mall that opened in our area. It's called Mall del Sur and they've been working on it for forever! So we all decided to go last week. We were in search for the food court. We had to go all the way to the 4th floor to find out that they've barely even started building the food court! It was a big disappointment but a really fun adventure :) 

I really hope you are all doing wonderful! Stay strong and remember that there is always someone who knows how you feel and that is Jesus Christ. He is our light and life! 

Have the best week ever!!! I love you sooooo much!

Love, Hermana Winward :)

Week 39 - Oh, we're halfway there...

Hello everyone!

So, can you believe it? On Wednesday I will have 9 months in the mission!!! WHAT?! The time passes waaaaaaay too fast. I'm just barely getting a hang of things. But I'm glad I still have 9 months (and two weeks) to keep learning and improving. Being a missionary is the BEST thing in the whole entire world!

This week we had the opportunity to hear from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in a ''Face to Face'' activity for the YSA, and from Elder Lynn G. Robbins from the presidency of the Seventy. He came and spoke to all of the missionaries in all of Lima. He spoke a lot about developing Christlike attributes and how it prepares us for marriage. Then he came to our Stake Conference we had this weekend. So I was able to learn a lot of great things from him this week! 

Oh and I have some exciting news! Hermana Leon and I gained a new companion! Haha, now we are in a trio with Hermana Martos from Trujillo, Peru! It is the best thing ever! It's kind of different at times, but it's nice. Hermana Martos was in the CCM with me, so she has some time in the mission. I learn so much from her everyday! Also, guess what's funny? All of our birthdays are in April! Mine is the 10th (yes, you still have time to send me something...hahah just kidding ;) ), Hna Leon's is the 12th and Hna Martos' is the 17th!!!

Well, in other news, we have our investigator Andrea who will be getting baptized on the 26th. She is so cute. Now we are just trying to find more and more people to teach so they can all be baptized! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week and remember how much God loves you!!! That love will never go away. Stay strong!!!

Love, Hermana Winward :)

Week 38 - A week of Revelation

Buenas Tardes! 

How are you all doing? I hope work and school and everything is going great! You are all amazing people and I love you so much!

So the most exciting thing that happened this week was teaching Alexandra and Andrea, the daughters of Sonia who got baptized two weeks ago. They are both super great and want to be baptized as well. We are helping them get ready for their baptism on March 26th. Haha, I decided 26 was my lucky number because Giorgino was baptized September 26th, Araceli on December 26th and now Alexandra and Andrea in March! 

Helping others come unto Christ and be baptized is the most amazing process I have ever experienced. I never expected to receive such great joy in preaching the gospel and helping others come unto Him. This week in our zone meeting, we watched this video called ''Missionary Work and the Atonement'' from a talk by Jeffrey R. Holland. I invite everyone to go watch it. I am so grateful for this opportunity to experience just a little tiny part of what the Savior did. Yesterday, we walked in the hot afternoon sun for two or three hours, looking for less actives (lost sheep) in our area. I was so happy to do that because I was able to appreciate even more what Christ did for me and does for me everytime I lose my way. The things I do as a missionary are just small tokens of my overwhelming sense of gratitude I have for Him. I could never do enough to repay Him. But I will do everything He asks of me with a smile on my face and love in my heart.

I love this gospel. I know it is true. I am so blessed and lucky to experience the things I am experiencing. I pray that you all have an opportunity to bring someone closer to Christ this week. Even if it's just a little message or smile, we can all do something to bring more souls unto Him so that He can heal them. 

I love you all so much and I am grateful for your examples and firmness in following Christ. Stay strong and keep smiling!

Love, Hermana Winward :)

P.S. This week, we get to hear from Elder Holland (Face to Face for YSA), and Elder Lynn G. Robbins (TWICE!) so I'll let you know how that goes next week ;)