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 ;)

Week 37

Hello Everyone!

How are you all doing? Things are going so great here in San Juan with Hermana León! She is amazing! Haha I feel like she's the one training me, she is just so smart! We work really well together. And guess what? We had another baptism on Saturday! Alondra (10) and Celina (8) were baptized on Saturday night. Their dad is a less-active member and their mom is investigating the church. They aren't married, but their daughters come to church every sunday with their aunt. Yesterday we had a lesson with the whole family and read ''The Family: A Proclamation to the World''. It was really good! 

Everything else is going great! We witnessed a million miracles yesterday. I have been learning so much that as we have faith and put trust in the Lord, He will work miracles in our life. I have also been learning a lot about how the Atonement can help us turn our weaknesses into strengths. There's a really good talk in the Liahona from last year that talks about this. I know that I am weak and there are so many things I can't do, but I have the Savior on my side! He makes up for all my weaknesses. His grace makes me strong!

I hope you all can learn and apply something new from the Atonement this week. It is universal and you can never overuse it. I love you all with my whole heart! Have a wonderful week :)

Love, Hermana Winward :)

2 Corinthians 12:10

Week 36 - I'm a mom...again!

Buenas Tardes todos!

Como estan? Espero que muy bien :) Haha my Spanish still isn't that great, but it's getting there! So we had cambios this week! By the way, this cambio is going to be 8 weeks long, so it will end in April because they're changing the time in the MTC for those not learning a new language. Anywho, I thought Hermana Trejo would just stay here with me in San Juan, but they changed her to Cañete! I was really jealous but mostly excited for her to go there! Haha. And they told me that I would be training again!!! WHOOHOO!!! So I went to the office yesterday and we had our little meeting for everyone training and then we met our new companions. My new companion is Hermana Leon! She is from Trujillo/Chiclayo, Peru (her family moves a lot for her dad's work). Her mission is actully going to be California Sacramento, but she is waiting for her visa. She didn't even go to the MTC, she's just starting right here, right now! But she is absolutely amazing!!! She knows SO much already. I don't even feel like I have to train her because she's just perfect. But it will be super fun to learn from her and I'm going to teach her English and she's going to teach me Spanish and it will be perfect! I am super excited to be working with her.

So on Saturday, Sonia got baptized! It was so amazing! The Spirit was so strong during the meeting. She is going to be such a strong member of Christ's church. And now we are working with her daughters and husband so that they can get baptized too! Her husband was so happy on Saturday. They are going to be an eternal family :)

Well I hope all is going well in nice, cold Utah (or wherever you are)! I'll just say that I regret wanting this hot weather...hahaha. I have never sweated so much in my entire life! And I am so glad none of you are here to witness it. So enjoy the snow for me :) Have an amazing week! Remember that to God, all things are spiritual.

Love, Hermana Winward :)

Hebrews 4:16

Week 35 - Hope of Israel

Hey Everyone!

Time keeps flying by...Tomorrow will be 8 months on the mission. I just love being a missionary and I never want the time to end! 

This week was pretty good, not a lot has happened. We've been struggling to find new investigators, but yesterday we found two. They are both men who are from part-member families. One is named Jose and he was sharing what he wants for his family and everything he said went exactly with what we teach in the church. I am so excited to start working with him. The other was named Carlos and his kids are members, but less active. He said he has his own way of thinking and living and basically that he didn't need religion, but then he said that one day he will change. And I'm just praying that that day is today! :)

This Saturday, Hermana Sonia is getting baptized! She has been through so much, but she is one of the strongest women ever. She's already sharing the gospel with everyone she sees. She carries her Book of Mormon and all the little pamphlets with her all the time. I love it!!! 

I hope you are all doing wonderful. Happy Valentines Day!!! I love you all with my whole heart :) Have an amazing week and keep sharing the love of God with everyone! 

Love, Hermana Winward :)

Week 34 - ''Como esta?'' ''Trabajando'' :)

Hey Everyone!!!

How are you all doing? I hope everyone has had an amazing week! We have had a busy week full of a lot of work. I love being here and love being a missionary. It is the best thing ever!!!

So to start off, guess what I got to do on Thursday? Go to the temple!!! We all went to the Lima temple as a zone and it was so special. I LOVE the temple. I love being inside and feeling complete peace in my heart. If you haven't gone to the temple lately, GO! I promise you will feel God's love there.

Numero dos: so....for the first time in my life, I saw someone die. We went to sing hymns to this old lady once like a month ago. This week, her daughter told us she wasn't doing very good and wanted us to come sing again. Well, as we went I was just thinking ''I hope she doesn't pass away when we sing to her...'' and that's exactly what happened. Her name was Lorea and she was at least 90 years old. She passed away while we were singing ''Divina Luz'' (Lead Kindly Light), which is my favorite hymn in espanol. It was a very unique and special moment.

And to finish it all off, yesterday our investigator Sonia had her interview with the District Leader and it went very well! She will be getting baptized on February 20th! She is sooo excited. It has been amazing to see the change in her. When we first started teaching her, she was very hopeless. Now she has more hope and light in her life. She is going to be a powerful member of this church for the rest of her life! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Find some way to take part in the amazing work. We need to keep working hard and work together to keep God's plan going! I love you all with my whole heart! Tengan una buena semana :)

Con mucho amor, Hermana Winward :)

Week 33: I love the Atonement

Hey Everyone!

How are you all doing? This week has been so great! We've been witnessing so many miracles lately, it's amazing. 

We have been teaching this young less active brother named Editson. Last month, his wife left him and took their four kids with her to Chiclayo. He's been super depressed and it was really sad. A couple of weeks ago, his wife came back with all their kids for their cousin's wedding. My companion wanted to have a lesson with them and talk about ''The Family'' promclamation. It was really awkward at first because they were having marriage problems and I didn't want to get involved in it. But then we started talking about repentance. I shared Alma 36 with Editson and we invited him to repent and do what he could to change. Well, this week, we met with him and everything was so different. He said his wife left him again but she left all the kids with him. But he had talked to the bishop and done what he needed. He said on the inside, he was completely destroyed because he loves his wife and just wanted her back. But he said he was happy because he put his complete trust in God and knew that he had been forgiven. A couple of days after that, we were near his house and we ran into him. He had an Inca Kola (soda) in his hand and he told us it was for his wife. She had come back! We were so surprised and so happy. We wanted to just hug him, but we couldn't so we hugged each other! That night, we saw them together going on a walk and holding hands. Then they all came to church together yesterday. They are just so special!!! I love it! Tonight we are going to have a Family Home Evening with them and talk about being sealed in the temple. They are an amazing family and I have been so blessed to witness how the Atonement can heal their marriage.

I hope you all search for the healing power of the Atonement this week. It is the greatest power we have on this earth. I love you all so much. Stay faithful and true!!!

Love, Hermana Winward :)