Week 32 - Repentance and Baptism

Buenos Dias!

How is everyone doing? I am doing great! I love being a missionary! This week, we had a worldwide training for all the missionaries. They talked a lot about repentance, baptism, and the Holy Ghost. The day after the training, we had interviews with President McGinn and he talked to me about how we need to be baptizing more. So with all of this consejo (counsel?), we went to work!

This week, we have been teaching Sonia and her daughter Alexandra. They have a lot of problems, but they also have a lot of faith. The other day, Sonia accepted the invitation to be baptized and is preparing for the 20th of February. Last night, we had a lesson with Alexandra alone and we could feel the spirit so strong the whole time. We also invited her to be baptized on the 20th and she said yes. They are both so amazing. They have a long ways to go, but they are already recognizing the Spirit and the change that's taking place. 

We have another investigator named Rosio who also accepted the baptismal invitation for February 20th. She's a little harder to find and didn't come to church yesterday, but she is really good! I just want to work as hard as I can to bring more people unto Christ and experience the great joy that comes through repentance and baptism.

I absolutely love being a missionary. Actually, I had a dream last night that I had finished my mission and it was the saddest thing ever...I want to be a missionary forever!!! I hope you all join this great work. Talk to everyone about the gospel and just invite them. He will put the words in our mouths. Just trust in HIm! 

I love you all sooooo much! Thank you for everything. I finally received Christmas letters and everything this week, and I loved them so much! Thank you all for your support! I hope you have a wonderful week!!!

Love, Hermana Winward 

Helaman 6:3

Week 31 - Hello San Juan!

Hey everyone!

How are you all doing? I am doing a lot better now. I'm trying to get used to my new area and the new people and everything. The people in Lima aren't as open and loving as they are in Cañete, but they are pretty great! 

Our area is smaller than my area before, so we walk everywhere. It's super hot because it's the middle of summer right now. We live on the 5th floor, so that's really fun! Haha. We have this window that I like to look out and see the city every night. There are some hills with all these houses on them, which is kind of what it was like in my area in Cañete, but even bigger hills. It's all part of a different area, but it's really beautiful. 

This week, we found a new investigator named Sonia. She has a daughter named Alexandra who is belimic. She throws up everything she eats and she is so skinny, it's really sad. Sonia is really stressed out because she just wants her daughter to be healthy and happy again. This gospel has brought a lot of peace and hope into her life so far. She came to church yesterday and they had a lesson in Relief Society about the scripture John 14:27 (my favorite scripture!) and how we can find peace through Jesus Christ. It was a really good lesson.

We have a training this week for all the missionaries and as I've been studying and preparing for it, I have learned a lot more about the Doctrine of Christ. This morning, I realized, again, that everything is centered on Love. This whole plan and gospel is centered on God's love for us and the love we have for Him. I love this gospel with my whole heart. I love my Father and My Savior Jesus Christ. I love serving Them. I love being a missionary!!! 

I hope you have a wonderful week and find some way to show your love for Christ. I love you all so much!!! Stay strong!

Love, Hermana Winward :)

Week 30 - Don't want to say goodbye

Hey everyone!

How are you all doing? I hope all is well wherever you are. I had cambios this week! I am now in San Juan, Lima with Hermana Trejo from Honduras. I am really excited to be working with her! Yesterday was our first day together and she told me that she thinks we will have a baptism together. So we're going to work hard so that happens!

Saying goodbye to Cañete was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my entire life. I left my heart there with those amazing people. We had barely gotten a new pensionista the week before I left and I already felt like they were my family. We had been teaching Ricardo a lot, the less active we found last week. Maria, our only investigator with a baptismal date, came to church on Sunday. It was a good way to end, which made it really hard to leave. 

I can't explain in words how I feel, but I've pretty much been crying non-stop since Sunday. I have found a lot of comfort as I think of Jesus Christ and knowing he's been through all of this for me. I know he will help me and bless me as I give it all I can here in San Juan. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week. I love you all so much!!! Thank you for the prayers and everything you do for me! Remember to rely on the plan that God has for you. Even though we don't understand it at times, He has great blessings in store for us.

Love, Hermana Winward 

Week 29 - Feliz Año Nuevo!!!

Buenos Dias Everyone!

How are you all doing? Heppy New Year!!! Do you want to hear my new year's experience? Well, I'm telling you anyway. So we went to bed at like 11 on new year's eve after we had talked about all the amazing people we've met here. Then about an hour later, I was startled awake with this panic. I'm pretty sure I thought I was dying. There were fireworks going off so loud, it was crazy! I went and looked out our window and I'm pretty sure our neighbors across the street were shooting off fireworks from their roof and there was a cardboard box on fire in the middle of the road. Peru is crazy. But I love it! 

So this week we had some miracles with finding less-actives to start working with. On new year's eve, we went to the young women president's house because no one else was home. We ate paneton and drank inca cola with them and shared a little message. Her sister Nadia was there and she hasn't been to church for a long time. We made goals for the new year and one of hers was to come back to church ''poco a poco''. Now she is going to be our new pensionista and it will be a great way to support her more and help her come back.

Last night, we went to visit a less-active (Angel) we have been teaching and also found his brother, Ricardo. We talked about repentance and a little about the Atonement. Angel was mostly laughing and not really paying attention, but Ricardo was understanding that he needs to change his life if he wants to receive blessings from being active in the church again. We could tell that he has a real desire to change. He gave the closing prayer and he promised God that he would change. I felt the spirit so strongly last night with their family.

I hope you all have an amazing week and continue seeking ways to feel the spirit. It is one of the greatest gifts we have from our Heavenly Father. I love you all soooooo much!!! Les amo un monton!

Love, Hermana Winward :)

Week 28 - Best Christmas Ever!

Hello Everyone! 

How are you all doing? How was your Christmas?!?! I hope everyone had a wonderful day and enjoyed the nice, cold snow :) It is starting to get really hot here in Cañete!

I had an amazing Christmas here in Peru! On Christmas Eve, all the hermanas got to sleep over at Elder and Hermana Tharp's house. We had an amazing testimony meeting as we each bore our testimonies of Jesus Christ. The spirit was so strong. After that, we exchanged letters and gifts. Then we got into our pajamas and went up to the roof to watch fireworks! So here in Peru, everyone stays up until midnight on Christmas Eve to put baby Jesus in his manger in all of their nativities. Then they set off a bunch of fireworks and they eat a giant meal. It's pretty crazy! 

Christmas day was amazing! Full of weekly planning and talking to my beautiful family. We also made oatmeal cookies with Hermana Tharp and watched an amazing sunset.

On Saturday, Hermana Araceli Luna was baptized!!! She is absolutely amazing. She is so strong. On Wednesday, her uncle (who is like her father) passed away. We hadn't been able to get a hold of her all week until Christmas. She told us she would come to the church two hours before her baptism so that we could have the last lesson we needed with her before her baptism. We waited for her for almost an hour and it was so stressful! But then she came and we were able to have the lesson. But then during the lesson, she told us she forgot the baptismal form that needed her guardian's signature. She lives kind of far, but Hermano Luis (who baptized her) drove her really fast to her house and back to get the signature. Satan was just working as hard as he could to do so that she wouldn't get baptized. But her strong testimony never failed and she is stronger than ever before. After her baptism, she bore the strongest testimony I had ever heard. ''Yo se que Dios y Jesucristo vive. Yo se que esta es la iglesia verdadera.'' She spoke with such power and surety. I absolutely love her! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week this week and do something to make your testimony stronger. Remember that it will grow as you share it. Keep sharing this good news! I love you all so much!!! 

Love, Hermana Winward

P.S. THANK YOU to everyone for all the letters, packages, emails, and prayers. You are all amazing!

Week 27 - Merry Christmas!!! Feliz Navidad!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

How are you all doing? How are the Christmas festivities going? I'm sure you are having a wonderful time :) Send me more pictures of all the great memories you're making! 

I am SO excited to talk to my amazing family on Friday! Christmas down here is definitely different, but so much fun! Last week, we went to Lima for a Multi-Zone meeting. We played a white elephant game and each of the zones performed a musical program. I felt the spirit so strongly while we were there.

So on the 26th, the day after Christmas, our investigator Araceli Luna will be getting baptized! She is so excited to be baptized and it has been a great experience teaching her and helping her come unto Christ. 

We have been having a lot more success in finding new investigators to teach, including new families. I'm so grateful with the ways the Lord blesses us as we do His work. He is watching over each one of us and blessing us in our effors. I know that as you all put in your strongest efforts to hasten His work, He will bless you with miracles. 

I hope you all search for miracles this week as we celebrate the birth of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. He is the gift! He is our miracle! Share that love with everyone!!! I love you all so much! Have an amazing Christmas!

Love, Hermana Winward :)

Isaiah 9:6