A Dream and an Email and Dark Chocolate

This week I had two dreams with Jack in them.
With the exception of two nightmares I have had in the last 18 months,
I love my Elder Winn dreams.
I like to think that they are tender mercies
from a loving Father.
Also an interesting fact about Jack,
When Jack lived in my house he hated chocolate,
(I know WEIRD, huh?)
Anyway I would have to be very creative at holiday times.
Often times Santa would bring wintergreen mints and tic tacs.
It was hard sometimes when passing by the aisles and aisles of chocolate.
When he was a little boy and we talked about a mission he would ask if I would send him things on his mission so he wouldn't miss home. I promised him then that I would send him a box of tic tacs every month.
Boxes and boxes.
So what is the ONLY thing that my son asks for?.......
Chocolate!!
DARK chocolate in fact.
Weird, huh?
Missions change our boys in many wonderful and mysterious ways.

Hey everyone!

Greetings from Guatemala! Thanks for all the emails. This week went by really quickly. I don't really know why. Time seems to go quicker and quicker by the week. There’s only two weeks left in the change. I’m hoping to stay with Elder Dunkley, because we get along really well.

                Well, the great news is that we had a baptism of Esperanza and Jasmin this past Sunday. It was a great baptism. A lot of missionaries came, but we didn't have much support from the members. That gets frustrating sometimes, but it was still special. I really enjoy baptisms, and they were both really happy to have been baptized.

                We’re looking for some new investigators. The ones we have now are progressing slowly, but i’m afraid now that then may stop at any second. That seems to happen frequently here, so it’s always better to have a lot of investigators. We took a man named Isidrio to church yesterday. He seemed to like it, but he left really quickly right after sacrament meeting. That’s actually always a game I like to play, seeing how many people I can get to Gospel Principles class rather than leaving. It’s pretty fun, but here in this ward I’m busy playing postlude music.

                Which is another interesting topic. Our ward has a really nice piano, and I am the new ward pianist. Usually I only play the songs I know when there’s a piano, but this time I’m reading all the hymns, even when I don’t know them. Anyways, I think that’s pretty cool, because I can almost read music now. I didn’t think I would get better at the piano on the mission, but I guess it’s happening.

                This week we had a very interesting interview with an Elder in our zone. Remind me to tell you guys about it when I call.

                Tomorrow is zone conference. I’m looking forward to it. I have to give a talk and Elder Dunkley and I have to give a few workshops. I hope everything turns out well. I am speaking about the 13^th article of faith. All of the attributes apply to us as missionaries. Last time I talked in a zone conference I talked about reverence. Supposedly the last time I spoke I spoke pretty strongly. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll try to be nice. In the zone Elder Dunkley and I are trying really hard to be nice and have everyone happy, but there have been quite a few problems so far this change. It’s unfortunate, because this mission is such a great opportunity to change for the better. I feel like I have changed a lot.

                Well, I guess we’ll do question time now!

1.       Aren't you getting sick of answering my lame questions and my question time? lol lol

Lol, no. but I bet you are running out of questions

2. Do they color easter eggs in Guatemala?

No, the color the streets with colored sawdust and have a lot of processions. It’s pretty interesting, and really pretty. Grandma and Grandpa would like it.

3. Are you going to color easter eggs with your gringo companion?

At least one! With a marker or something. I’ll send you a picture. =)

4. Can you even guess what is in your Easter package?

CHOCOLATE! I hope. =) Elder Dunkley already opened his, and we ate it all. =)

5. What is the weather like in Guatemala? Is is cold in the morning and night still?

It’s getting hot! This is the equivalent of summer here now, and I am burning hot.

6. Are you still cooking at all? What do you usually fix for dinner?

For dinner I usually eat beans and eggs, because it’s cheap and tasty. We aren't cooking a whole lot though.

7. So you were expecting a question about your awesome mother?  Fooled you then. Nerent

Lol i was. =)

This week i have been studying a lot about repentance. I think it is amazing that we can be washed clean from all of our sins. Repentance is one of my favorite gospel principles, mostly because here in the mission I have been able to see how it has changed soo many people.

OH! I remember what I was going to write. Remember Ana Garcia?  A while ago her nephew got baptized, and this last Sunday two of her direct family members got baptized. And 8 of them are going to church. Her nephew is now planning on going on a mission, and both of them went to the Temple to get baptized for their family members that have passed away. Anyways, I think that is awesome. Remind me to tell you guys about that when we get to call, because it’s an amazing story.

        Well, that’s about it for this week. Wish me luck with my talk. I think about you guys often, but I know that I’m in the right place. There’s nothing more important than what I am doing here. I have a strong testimony of my divine calling as a missionary.

I love you guys,

Elder Winn

6 months to go and I start a new blog....crazy missionary mom here!

I have fought the urge to create a blog for my son Jack for awhile now.
I forward all of his emails every week to a list of friends and family he created before he left.
But all of my missionary mom buddies have made a blog
And now I want one too.
(My nickname as a child was "fair share shelley" lol)
I kept telling myself that it was too late into the game to start one
But hey,
Better late than never.....right?
So since today is a special day I will
DRUM ROLL please.........
Jack has completed 3/4's of his mission.
TODAY!
I am such a proud mom that I decided to just go ahead and dive right in.
Here is his blog starting with this weeks email.

Hey everyone!

It’s great to hear from you, and i am glad you guys had fun on your LA trip. It sounded like a great time. I’m excited to see some pictures.

                Today we left really early to get here to the mall area to use internet. Supposedly there’s supposed to be a bunch of protests and they were supposed to be blocking off all the streets. So we left early fully expecting to have to walk the 9 miles to get here. Well, it turns out that there wasn't any protest, at least as far as i could tell. That was a little disappointing, because we got here wayyy early and walked around bored for an hour waiting for the internet place to open up.

                This week has been pretty good though. The Morales family is avoiding us at all costs, which is annoying. We finally got the chance to teach the mother yesterday. The lesson didn't go too well. She basically just stared at the ground for a long time. We are teaching the Flores family as well. The mother has a strong desire to get baptized but the father doesn't want to get married. We’re forming a plan to try and help him understand the importance of marriage.

                This Sunday after church we should have the baptism of Esperanza and her daughter Jasmin. They’re pretty excited. They like church and also like that there’s a deaf missionary to teach her daughter.

                This week came with the typical problems in the zone. Unfortunately one of the newer Elders has decided to go home. We talked a lot to him, trying to convince him to stay in the mission, and that it wasn't worth it to go home early, but he had already made up his mind. It’s kind of sad seeing things like that. I remember feeling a little homesick, or maybe not so much homesick as i was country sick or regular life sick. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to be in a far away country with a way different culture, not understanding a thing that’s being said, but it’s worth it to be here. I hit my 18 month mark on Wednesday, (he actually hit that mark this week, believe me I have been keeping count) and looking back on the time i’ve been here i can see how much i’ve grown, and how much i’ve learned, but perhaps more importantly, how much i have helped the people here. Missionaries have the great opportunity to help people change their lives for the better. It’s worth it.

                What else has happened… This has been a pretty normal week. I remember being in a lesson with this one lady who had not gone to church in a long time. As we were teaching she tried to tell us that she didn't have to go to church because she was too busy, and that God understood her situation, and that He grants her permission to not go to church. I thought that to be a little ridiculous so we took a good while explaining to her that that wasn't true. We explained it in about 5 different ways. As we left i had thought that she hadn't listened to a word we said, but to my surprise she and her nonmember husband came to church the next morning. I felt pretty good about that, because she came up to us and thanked us for the lesson, and told us that she would never miss another Sunday going to church.

Well, it looks like it’s question time!

1.     
2. What kind of cereal do you eat for breakfast in the morning? Is the milk like milk here? Is it whole milk or skim milk?

I eat choco krispis,  that’s the most popular cereal here. Anything else is way expensive. I drink whole milk if i’ve got money, and powdered soy milk if i don't. They’re both pretty good.  

3. How is your health?

Terrible.

Lol jk.

It’s very good

4. Are Guatemalan curious about the United States and do they ask you questions about home?

Sometimes. Actually, most of them think they know everything about the states. I often find them trying to tell me what my home is like. I think that’s funny.

5. Have you told that family in your ward that is not very nice to you that your awesome Mom will be there in less than 6 months and she is SCARY! (so they should be nice)

Lolol i should.

6. What is one of your favorite scriptures this week?

Isaiah ch 53. It’s one of my favorite chapters of scripture, and i was reading it a lot today.

7. Do you think that NERENT is pronounced the same in Spanish as it is in English?

Prolly, since it’s originally an English word. Lol

8. Do you understand any Kechi?

Not at all. =0

9. What is the best thing that you ate or cooked this week?

Beans and eggs. It’s my favorite here.

What is the best thing that happened to you this week?

               Hmm, we had a really good lesson with the Flores family, and i think that they will progress. I’m pretty excited for them.

Well, that’s about it for this week. I am loving my mission, and am excited to get to work this week. I know that what i’m doing is important, and i know that i am in the right place. I love you guys and pray for you always.

Love,

Elder Winn