The Future Is Always Bright For The Faithful

Pretty spectacular.
Sunrise in San Jose Peten Guatemala
It is amazing to me that I can receive a picture of a
sunrise that my son watched this morning
from a small city
in a jungle region
of a different country.
Isn't technology something?
My mom reminds me that all she got was a letter that would take two or three weeks to get
to her with news that was long since past.
And by the time her answers to that letter were sent a month would have gone by.
I'm sure she thinks I'm spoiled.
Well I am.
And I am grateful for every megabyte of technology
I receive.
I am a thankful missionary mom.
I only wonder what Jack's son will have access to in the future.
What amazing things will help the work
and connect our hearts.
I hope that I can call him spoiled and talk about how hard it was for me
with only emails and pictures
in the good ole days.

Hey guys! 
Thanks for your emails. It looks like we’re all moving on to different chapters of our lives. It can be sad at times, but it’s also exciting. I know that the end of my mission is coming up, even though i don't think about it that often. Even though its coming, and even though it’s sad, it’s also exciting to be able to move on. The future is always bright for the faithful.

                Well, this morning we woke up early, when it was still dark, quickly got dressed, and made the small hike to a cliff that overlooks Lake Itza so see the sunrise. Of course this was all done in my new area in the beautiful town of San Jose Peten! What an amazing place to be in. After having been in the capital for 14 months it makes this place look even more amazing. I don't know why i love this place so much, but i do. I started my mission here, and now i get to end my mission here. The sunrise was absolutely beautiful.

                We left Wednesday at about 2, and got to peten pretty late in the night. We went in a bus, and it was not bad at all. It was air conditioned, and it had comfortable seats, and it was a charter bus. It costs 20 dollars a person, and i was able to sleep. I bet if we went in a bus we would be able to sleep, and we would save alot of money. The bus wasn't even very full either, and there's alot of gringos that go on them.

                Thursday morning we packed our bags in the micro bus that goes to San Andres, and we got there in about 45 minutes. I remember every bit of the ride there. Once I got to San Jose I was flooded with memories. I was here about 19 months ago, and it was such a great experience for me.

                I’ve visited all the members that i knew, and they couldn't believe that i was back in San Jose. They were all very excited to see me and i was very excited to see them. Being here again is probably one of the strangest experiences that i have been through in my mission. I have so many great memories of this place. We visited alot of the people that i taught.

                We also visited my old converts. That has been a happy and sad experience. They are inactive. I hope to be able to take some time here to help them out. I love them all, and to see them fallen away from the Church is a sad thing for me. It’s almost difficult for me to teach them, now as inactive members, but i am trying to stay happy when i am teaching them. They are not as happy as they were when they accepted the Gospel. My converts here were the following/  Luki, Juanita, Edwin, Clara, Seidel, and the Ax Family.  Some of them are more receptive than others. Some of them ignore me. Others have fallen bitterly away from the church. There will be some challenges, but i am here to do all that i can.

                There’s so many cool stories to tell, and so little time to tell them in these emails. The good news is that you guys will be able to see what this place is like when you come here in a little more than 5 weeks. =)

                Well, Question time! And Schedule planning time!

What is your companion's name? 

Elder Rivera

Where is he from? 
El Salvador.

How long has he been on his mission?
This is his second change. He is pretty new on the mission. We get along very well, and its fun to be with a new missionary because it reminds me of when i first came here. He speaks English fluently, and we go in and out of talking English and Spanish during the day.

Describe your living conditions there?  Are you living in a member's home, or in an apartment?

We’re living in a members home. The living conditions have notably dropped compared to the capital. First, it is WAY WAY HOT HERE! I’m drinking about 3.5 liters of water a day, and i sweat it all out. The house is made of cement, and is 1 room, including the bathroom. I am used to it though because its the same house i was living in when i first got here. There is no hot water, but there isn't a need for hot water anyways. There's actually a need for a water cooler. The water comes out pretty hot because of the sun.

Is there a lot of walking in your area, or are there buses for transportation?

There is alot of walking. Theoretically the border of Mexico is in my area, but i don't think we will be able to make it up there. Yesterday we talked about 15 kilometers. We walk alot.

Are there fast food restaurants there, or are you on your own for all of your cooking now?

In my area no. In Flores there is burger king, and pizza hut. We are going to eat pizza after this. =)

Who are you teaching?  Tell us a little about them.

Other than all my less active converts, we are teaching a family. Their names are Alfredo and Candy. They like the message but don't want to go to church. We also are teaching a mother names Marili, who has been going to church, but says she isn't ready for baptism. I'm still pretty new to the area, so i am getting to know all the people that the other missionaries were teaching.

8. What about the proposed schedule I just wrote?

 Sounds great! I think it will work

9. Best food/worst food? (as if I wouldn't ask that!! nerent)

Best food wassssss Taco Bell!! Big surprise. Worst food. Some rice we made. It came out hard and gross.

10. What words of advice and counsel can you give your favorite mother?

Other than nerent! I would say that you should pursue some of your interests, because you have alot of talent, like in photography. You would make a very good photographer. =)

Well, My time went out very quickly today! I have alot more to write, but i will have to write it next week. I am recording all my experiences in my journal. =) Thanks for all the emails and love. Stay happy, even when there are changes. We kids love you guys alot, and just because we aren't living in the house anymore, doesn'tisn't our home. It will always be. =) mean that 8110 myrtle lane
I love you guys very much, and am very happy to be in Peten again.
I have a strong testimony of the Gospel. I know it is true.

Love,
Elder Winn

So we started to sing hymns.

The final 6 weeks..
The last change.
On my good days I dreamed about and planned for it.
On my bad days it seemed as if it would never come.
And ironically and beautifully it will end where it began.
With people that Jack has reserved a special place for in his heart.
When a beloved family in our ward who are from Guatemala and own land in Peten
went there this month, they were introduced  as
a family  from Elder Winn's home ward in the United States.
Our friends told the bishop that Elder Winn's mom and dad would be coming to visit them.
They said they are very excited to meet us.
I can't tell you how excited I am to meet them.
To meet the people who Jack has grown to care so much about.
I cannot believe that it will really happen in just 6 short weeks.
And they do seem short now.
I never thought that I would EVER say that.

Hey everyone!

            Well, this should be my last email from the capital! I say should, because you never know about the changes thing. Sometimes President says something, and then changes it, so I have kind of been preparing myself for that. I think I will be going though, after all, he did tell me.

            The thought of going to Peten again makes me very happy, but almost a little nervous. I have so many memories from that place, and so many people that I love very dearly, but have inactivated from the church. That makes me a little sad, so I think it will be a very interesting experience to see them again, and to work with them again. My goal is to have them all active before I leave.

            Well, this was my last week in Llano Largo. I have officially been there for 6 months. I’m not going to lie, they have been a challenging 6 months, but I have learned a lot, and am very grateful for all the experiences that I have had here. I have had some great companions and some great lessons with our investigators.

            This week we contacted a lot by the church, even though it isn’t in our area. We figured that if people have a hard time going to church, why not contact the people who live right next to it? We found a few people that were mildly interested. This week we’re going to try and teach them while the whole family is there.

            This week my companion has been pretty sick. I think he has parasites, because he has the same symptoms that I had when I was in Coban. Remember that? I sure do. That was a fun experience. Today he is feeling better.            

            Yesterday we had an interesting experience. We were teaching a new family that was a reference of the Gonzalez family. The mother recently got hit by a bus, and broke many of her bones. They halfway operated her, and then put her on hold for a few months, until they find time to finish. Anyways, she is in a lot of pain. Well, yesterday we were teaching, and she began to have a lot of pain, and began to panic. We tried to explain that she needed to keep calm, or it would just be more painful, but she didn’t really listen. I said a silent prayer, as well as my companion, and he turned to me and said. ´´you know what we should do right now?´´   and I said ´´yes, we should sing her some hymns.´´ That was the same idea that my companion had. So we started to sing hymns. We sang a lot! And as we started singing she was able to calm down. We didn’t get to teach much, but the Spirit was felt.

            My scripture memorizing activity is going well. I am now up to 51 scriptures.

            This morning I spent some time packing. I am going to leave a lot of my stuff with Sister Cristy. That way I don’t have to bring soo much stuff up with me to peten. This week I made her lunch. I cooked chicken and rice, or at least I tried to. I think it came out pretty well. She really liked it. She gives us meals almost twice a week, and they are always very tasty. Last Sunday she gave us a steak lunch, for my farewell Sunday. She is a nice lady.

            Well I think it is question time.

Is it still raining down there?  I heard from Brother Stone, who was down there a few weeks ago and from the Vanegas's who were there last week, that it has been raining like crazy in Guatemala.  Is the rainy season coming to an end?
            It is still raining, and will rain untill the end of September. I think. It rains a lot here.

Is there danger of mudslides or flooding during the rainy season?
            Yes, but not too much. The ground is used to all the moisture. Only when there are tropical storms.

Did you have any particularly spiritual teaching moments this week?  Tell me about it
            We had an interesting experience with my convert Esperanza. She had accepted work on Sunday, and was not going to be able to go to church for quite some time. We talked about sacrifice, and putting our trust in God. She listened attentively, but didn’t commit to leaving her work. However, to my surprise, we saw her walk in to church yesterday. I think that lesson really helped her to put the important things first in her life. That made me happy.

When will you be leaving for Peten?

Wednesday night, like at 8 or 9.

I assume you will be traveling by bus on the 8 hour ride there.  Do you ever have to travel by yourself during transfers?  Or are you always with another missionary?

We always travel with another missionary. There´s always more than one leaving for peten.

I soccer the most popular sport in that country?  Do you see kids playing soccer a lot?

Yes, it is. All people play here is soccer. You guys should have been here when it was the World Cup. The country went crazy.

Do you know of any LDS taxi drivers who we can arrange to pick us up at the airport and drive us to the mission home?  or do you think we'll be just as well to pick a random taxi driver at the airport?
             Well, I might be at the airport to meet you guys. Ill have to ask and see how that works.

As we go around the capital with you, we were thinking we could just go by taxi.  Maybe if you know someone who we could hire, you can get his phone number, and let him know we will be calling him after we pick you up.  Just try to get his phone number before you leave the area.  What do you think of that?  Or shall we just call any random taxi driver?

              I know a few guys that can take us. To rent a taxi driver for the whole day is very expensive.

2. Can you get much sleep on the bus ride or is it pretty uncomfortable?
I can sleep pretty well. It’s a double decker charter bus, and I think there’s even a first class. I can look into that. Because 15 dollars each is a lot cheaper than 600. =0

2.       How long should we plan on staying in Peten?

Good question. You should send me a revised travel plan.

4. Final vote!! Bus or Plane to Peten?
I think a plane would be cool. But 600 is a lot. It all depends on if you guys think you can sleep on a charter bus.

5. What is something that you missed about being in Peten that you did not get in the capital?
All the nature, and the people, and the lack of crime, and… well the list goes on. =)

6. DID YOU GET YOUR DEBIT CARD???

Yes!

7. Best food/worst food....had to ask it...HAD TO! nerent
The best would be the steak dinner, and the worst would be a juice that I bought today for 12 quets. Its supposed to be grapefruit juice, but it tastes like baking soda. Bad purchase.

8. Did you know that your awesome mother is so proud of you that it is nauseating?

Nerent to her!
9. What will you miss most about Llano Largo?

Well, there's a lot of people here that I love, and the buses are incredibly cheap.

Well, it looks like time is almost up.

Thanks for the emails! I love you guys, and cant wait to be in Peten.

Love,

Elder Winn

I will be a witness (and I have a stomach of steel)

This is one of the first pictures I received from Elder Winn on his mission.
It was taken in his first area of the Peten.
He looks so young and so fresh and clean.
A contrast to the scenery behind him.
It meant so much to me to see this picture...
To see where my son was visually and to see that he looked eager and happy.
It is still one of my all time favorite pictures of his mission.
(Don't you love the dog all curled up and looking at him in the background. It actually looks a little like his beloved dog Sadie who I am trying to keep alive until he comes home)
Jack was so excited to email today..
to tell us that he is going back to his favorite place.
Peten..
He has been asking the mission president for this for awhile now.
In his sweet gentle Jack-like way.
I am happy for him.
I hope he will take a picture standing in that exact spot.
A picture to show the changes I know have occured.
A dingy shirt, sunburned skin, tattered tie and worn out shoes,
And the smile of two years worth of spiritual experience.
(and maybe the dog will be there too.)

Hey everyone!

                Thanks for all your emails. Like always I love hearing from you guys. Yesterday I didn’t write because we had interviews with President, and we also went to the Temple today, which makes today our p day. Today we had to get up at 3 50 to be able to make it to the first session. I am a little tired, but I love going to the Temple. Somehow being here in this country makes going to the Temple more special for me, considering the danger and evil that often prevails here. The Temple is a very literal refuge from the world here, and I feel most at home when I am able to go there.

                Well, are you ready for some exciting news? Yesterday in my interview I learned that my last area will be San Jose Peten! That was my first, and by far, my favorite area. I don’t know why, but I am really attached to that place. President asked me last change where I wanted to end my mission, and I explained that I wanted to go to San Jose to activate some of my converts there, and to and baptize some of my older investigators. Yesterday he told me that I would be ending my mission there, and that I had much to do there before I left. I am ecstatic. I can’t wait to get up there. I will be there next Wednesday.

                This week in Llano Largo was challenging! A lot of our appointments fell, and some of our investigators told us not to come by anymore, and we were limited in our working time, because we had ZL council and zone conference. I’m enduring to the end here in Llano Largo. I like the area, but it is really hard. It’s been my hardest area, and I have worked very  hard here. All i can say is that alot of people have had the chance to accept the only true and everlasting Gospel here, but have denied themselves the opportunity to be saved in the Kingdom of God, and I will be a witness. I know that I have been here for a reason, and that may have been a reason. I have 2 converts here, Esperanza and Jasmin. They are still active, even though they have been going through some financial problems lately. Esperanza started working Sundays and wasn’t able to go to church for awhile, but we taught her, and helped her understand the commandments again, and last Sunday she decided to come to church instead of going to work. That made me happy. I care a lot for my investigators.

                It´s raining right now. It rains all the time here. Ive gotten wet many times.

                Let’s see, what else can I write about. The highlight of my week was knowing that I am going to Petén to finish my mission.

                Well, lets do Question Time as I think.

Are you teaching any new families this week?

We had a hard time finding families this week, because we didn’t have too much time to work. We keep trying though.

What is your favorite lesson to teach?
                That´s a hard question. I really like teaching the Plan of Salvation, but I also like teaching the Restoration. Both are really good lessons.

Is there a particular lesson that you find seems to touch the hearts of people any more than the others?
                I find that some of our most effective lessons are reading in chapters of the Book of Mormon with our investigators. That seems to help them a lot, and you can feel the Spirit very strongly.

Do you teach English lessons to people?  Seems like that might be a way to get in the door with some people.
                We were doing that for awhile, but there was very little attendance, so we had to stop. Sometimes it works though. It depends on where you are, and how close the Church is to people.

Are you still running each morning?  Does Elder Vasquez like to do that?
                Elder Vasquez isn’t much of a runner, so I run stairs in the morning along with my sit-ups and push-ups. That’s my normal routine.

You have about 7 more weeks in your mission.  What's your gut feeling about where you will serve in your last area?  Stay in the Guatemala City?  Are you still hoping to go back to Peten to finish up?

Peten!!! =)

How's your goal of memorizing 1 scripture per day coming along?  How do you select the scriptures?

                It’s going quite well. I really enjoy doing it and I have a system to help me. Right now I have over 40 verses memorized, and even though I am memorizing them in English, it helps me when I teach, because I have the reference in my mind, and I can pull out scriptures much faster. The goals of the activity are to learn more about the scriptures, and to be able to have a better memory, which will really help me as I study, and I plan on studying for quite some time.

1.       Is it change week this coming Saturday?

Wednesday is change day now. That’s the reason they extended my mission. I’m serving for almost 2 years and 1 week now.

2. When will you be told? Do ZL's know sooner than everybody?
I only know my change. We figure out the changes about 5 minutes before everyone else. =) what a privilege

.

2.       How do you feel about this being your last change?
In some ways strange, and in some ways I feel the same. Sometimes it makes me very happy to know that I will be home soon, and in other ways it makes me very sad that I will be leaving this country that I love so much. There are lots of mixed feelings.

3.        

4.       I need a name of a hotel in Peten. I don't want to wait until we are there. Remember Muleshoe?
I stayed at a really cheap one once. Lol I don’t think you guys would like it. =)

5. Do you and the other Elders talk about or know about all of the Guatemala North Moms blogs?
Nope. =)

6. Is there anything that you need?
Not really. I’ll be home soon. =0

7. Did you know that Rick Stone was on business in Guatemala last week? He said it rained the whole time he was there. Do I need a rain poncho or a bunch of those disposable rain baggie things. Can I just buy an umbrella there?
Well, we can probably buy umbrellas there. The rain season wraps up right when you guys get up here.

8. Is your awesome mom possibly excited at the prospect of seeing her son?
Prolly. =)

9. FOOD!! Best/worst?
Best food was Carnitas, wich is a Guatemalan dish here. Its basically chuncks of fried pork meat. Its really good. The worst was… Some meat we had in our refrigerator that I think went bad. Lol.  I didn’t get sick though. I have a stomach of steel.

10. Knowing that I ask that question every week, does it make you try to eat something great or bad so you can answer that?
Lol, sometimes. =)

Well, it looks like my time is running out. I’ll still be in the capital for my next email. But soon enough I will be in Peten! I hope you guys have a great week!

Love,

Elder Winn

I will always take a part of this country with me.

Elder Winn climbed a mountain today on his P-day
(short for preparation day; the half day they have to email, shop, clean and laundry)
Why?
Because it was there.
He took his machete with him.
(There's a sentence I never thought I would write about one of my children)
The best part is that he took a little video clip on top of the mountain.
( where it was safe to take out his camera)
I laughed, I cried, I worried a little.
(I still haven't decided on one emotion yet.)
The best part is that I got to hear his voice.
(with just a hint of a Guatemalan accent)
I really miss that.

So I thought I'd share with you.
Enjoy.
I know that I will
over and over and over and
over.

Hey everyone!

How’s it going? Thanks for the emails! That was pretty funny about dad asking how the refrigerator works. Lol. You just have to plug it in. =)

                 Well, this morning started with an adventure. There is a big mountain close to our area that I have been looking at for the past 5 months. I have always wondered if I could climb it, and today we decided to take the challenge. We woke up at 4 30 and started the climb. We got lost many times, and there wasn’t a trail, just Guatemalan jungle, so we brought my machete and hacked a path up. It took four hours, but was well worth it, because the view was beautiful. You could see almost all the Capital, and all of my area. Guatemala is a really beautiful country.

                 This week went be really fast. I did some baptismal interviews, but they didn’t pass because they were drinking coffee. They seemed to understand though, and they didn’t get upset. They should be baptized this coming week. I’ve been in some awkward baptism interviews. Some people don’t really don’t like getting their baptism postponed.

                 This week we found 24 people to teach, which was great, because usually we only find 10. Most of them were references from the Gonzalez family. They are progressing nicely. We invited them to baptism. They didn’t accept, but they didn’t reject either. This week they weren’t able to go to church because they had to visit sick family out of town.

                 We have a baptismal date with Miguel and Jesus, who are two sons of Leonardo and Araceli. They are progressing well, and should be baptized this month.

What helped us find all these people was service. That was one of the things we learned about in the training meeting. We talked about how Ammon gave service, and how it helped him with success. It is a great way of finding people.

For the last few weeks I have memorized a scripture each day. Supposedly if I do it for 2 years I will have a photographic memory. We’ll see how it goes. I write the scriptures on a note card, and usually memorize them on the bus. I enjoy the activity.

Lets see, what else. I have 8 weeks left of my mission, and this change has gone by really quickly. I feel both excited, and nervous about going home. Not that I am worried about what I am going to do, or life at home, but I am concerned that I will be able to do everything I need to do here in Guatemala. I really love my mission, and to have it end is something that is a little sad. But I will always take a part of this country with me. I have learned so much here, and I have put in all my effort. I haven’t been perfect, but I have really tried to serve the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind and strength. These next couple of weeks will be great. I am excited, because I know that I can still do a lot in 8 weeks.

Well, I am running out of time, so it is Question Time!

1. Did you ever ask the President which hotel he stays in Peten?

No I forgot to ask. We can just get there and book a room there. I'm sure it doesn’t fill up. Not too many people brave Guatemala.

2. I have been reading the daily blog for the Royals Peru trip to pick up David and have thought about what gifts to bring. I will get the candle for Sister Christy and some CTR rings and some oil vial key chains but how many of each?

CTR rings?: Hmm. I still have a few, but you could bring some. I don’t know how many. =0
Oil vials: Like, 5
Gospel Picture books: Um. Like 5 or 10. =0

Possibly coloring books and crayons for kids?: Yes, good idea

Someone said that the primary children needed colored pencils?: maybe

Any other gift ideas?:

Temple recommend holders. Pictures of Christ, and the Temple. It can be Guatemala or Salt Lake. They like the both of them.,

3. Does you awesome amazing mother ask too many questions within a question?

Nerent to her!

4. Best thing you ate/worst....you know I HAVE to ask it every week it is my favorite....

Best thing I ate was a tub of cream cheese with some caramel sauce on it. It was almost like a cheese cake. =)

Worst thing, was Chow Mein. I hate that dish here.

 5. How come you were outside at 9pm in Zone 18 but you didn't think that that RM and his parents should be...hmmmmmmmmm....nerent to you.

I’m always out at that time…. Lol. Usually not actually, but sometimes. =)

Well, thanks for all your love. I think you guys are awesome.

I want you to know that I have a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have seen it change lives, and I know that the Church is true, and that it is directed by Christ Himself. The Book of Mormon is true. I know that what I am doing here is the work of the Lord.

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Winn