Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Elder Winters - September 3, 2012


Hey everyone and welcome to the shortened edition of the weekly email/blog/thing.  This week has been a blur, but a very long blur, if that makes sense.  That's how time feels like to me, anyway.

So, this week I went on a two day long exchange with the Korean elders in my district.   As it so happened, I was placed into the Korean program.  I think both my English and my Chinese suffered for a little while after the exchange.  Actually, it reminded me of my first day in the MTC when I couldn't understand anything at all.  The worst was in lessons when people started crying and I had no clue why and couldn't ask.  After one particular lesson my temporary companion told me, "She started crying because you weren't listening to her."  Okay, just kidding, she was crying about her family, but wouldn't that be hilarious if she did cry for the other reason?  Anyway, near the end of the exchange, as is customary in any Korean exchange, we went to an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ, paid for by the Korean branch's mission leader.  My personal favorite dish was the beef tongue.  The other elders piled about 4 or 5 on my plate (without my permission, I might add) and told me to just eat them and not think about what I was eating.  Unfortunately, when I was eating them, all I could think about was a year ago in Switzerland when I went up the the cows there and petted their heads and they would lick my hand......yeah.  

Elder Hui, our new Elder, has been playing some new music for us in the car.  One of these songs includes "Come, Come Ye Saints."  The line "And should we die before our labor's through...." takes on a lot more meaning when I'm driving.  

Now let's get down to the nitty-gritty.  So, we've had some finding trouble lately.  Needless to say, there have been many prayers in finding people to teach, because that's what missionaries really are - they're teachers.  On Sunday, the heavens opened up and we found two new investigators.  They both came to church on Sunday, and one of them came out of nowhere and has read stuff about the Church before, has been to SLC before, etc.  It was awesome.  And we're only getting started.  It was a testimony to me that Heavenly Father answers prayers in His own ways, and He is the one doing His work, no matter how hard we may try to do it.  It is a humbling thing to be His servant right now and to proclaim the truth that everyone needs to know.  That truth includes that Jesus is the Christ and salvation is available to all who embrace His gospel and Atonement.  The gospel's true, it has transformed my life, and it will continue to as long as I let it.  

Have an awesome week, everyone.

- Elder Winters

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