Elder Daniel Winters - October 28, 2013 The week

Hey everybody, and a Happy Halloween to you all.  Needless to say, we're supposed to be indoors after 7 PM on Thursday.  The plan is that we're going to hand out candy with pass-along cards stapled to them, so the kids won't know what hit them.  I'm planning on dressing up as a missionary this year, though I'm wondering how my mission president would react to me painting on a Harry Potter™ lightning bolt scar on my forehead.  

Anyway, in other news, there was a real, live, legit, bona fide Shaolin kung fu monk at church yesterday.  He's a card-carrying kung fu master, too.  He gave us his business card.  We're hoping he converts so he can give us free instructions.  He may or may not be the coolest Chinese person to come to our branch in the four years of its existence.

We also had the stake trunk-or-treat activity this past week.  The missionaries duties included 1) making sure no little kids got run over by silent hybrid cars and 2) grilling and passing out hot dogs.  It was pretty special.  Especially the part when the missionaries got all the extra hot dogs and candy at the end.

As far as spiritual news goes, we've had a lot of good lessons.  I also am more aware that Heavenly Father guides us through very subtle promptings.  We plan our days the night beforehand, and we had several experiences when what we felt like we should plan for turned out exactly where God wanted us to be.  I know that the Lord is directing us in this work, and that He is at the head of it.  It's so nice to participate in some way.

Have a good and spooky week.

- Elder Daniel Winters

Elder Daniel Winters - October 21, 2013 Hey everyone!

First off, new companion.  His name is Elder Lu, from Hsinchiu, Taiwan, about two hours away from Taipei.  He's way legit, the missionaries knocked on his door twelve years ago and the whole fam got baptized.  He is a little shy and his English is not really all that hot, but he's still willing to work and be obedient.  Which is all I need, because I am entering sprint mode!! Seriously, it's dawning on me more and more that time is limited, so I'm really freaking out a bit, but things are still going really well.

Emily did get baptized on Saturday, and it was amazing.  She is so elect!  That was so spiritual.  I was freaking out a little bit because not too many members were showing up but then I relaxed when I remembered that Emily was making a covenant with the Lord, and He was watching for sure.  I once again felt a burning in my heart, witnessing to me that the ordinance performed was true. Sometimes I wonder if my investigators/converts have already achieved a higher level of faith than I have.  She passed her interview no sweat, no review at all, and then I was privileged to baptize her and then our branch mission leader who contacted her for the first time at her apartment complex did the confirmation yesterday.  The work is hastening!!  We attribute so much of her baptism to the members - it was way cool, whenever we had a dinner appointment we just asked the members if our investigator could come, they said yes, then it turned out that Emily went to like three dinner appointments every week.  She got to know the members and felt of their love, felt her Heavenly Father's love, then decided to act on the message we shared.  It's a miracle!!

Things are great here.  Now that I've attended four out of four general conferences on my mission, had all four phone calls to home on my mission, and am now approaching the second birthday on my mission, I realize my time is limited.  So I am entering sprint mode.  

Elder So and self got a new companion from Taiwan last week.  Elder Lu is cool, he's been in the military for a year (though does not look like it), and hardly speaks English.  It's his first time in the States, so it's a bit of an adjustment for him.  It's pretty funny because he has the exact accent that I made fun of Taiwanese people for having, so that's an adjustment for me.  But things are great, we'll do work this last transfer.

I love this work!  It is so true!

Have a great week!

- Elder Winters

Elder Daniel Winters - October 14, 2013 Amazing week!!

[Editor's note: Daniel's birthday is one month from today.  He does not get much mail anymore, now that his mission will be over in six weeks.  I know he would appreciate a card or a note!  If you have a few minutes please write to him:

Elder Daniel Winters

CA-Irvine Mission

23 Lake Rd.

Irvine, CA  92604

THANK YOU!!]

Hey everybody, how's it going?  This week has been as superb as they come.  Yes, there was a baptism this weekend, and it was, in a word, spiritual.  It was awesome.  As it says in D&C 84:20, "Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest."  That is so true!  Brother He is 82 years old and has been investigating for a while now.  In fact, I've been working with him on and off for my entire mission.  A lot of people never thought it would happen in this life, but Heavenly Father gave him a change of heart.  Literally and spiritually, because he got a pacemaker put in a few years ago.  I will never forget the feeling I had in my heart as I saw him come out of the water, completely clean.  

God is good.  He gives us these sacred ordinances and covenants that we might get closer to Him and feel of His Spirit more strongly.  I'm grateful for these ordinances and I know that the priesthood authority required to perform them has been restored by a prophet of God.  In other words, this work is true, and it is all for the salvation of God's precious children.  

I love you all!  Have a wonderful week.

- Elder Daniel Winters

Elder Daniel Winters - October 7, 2013

[Editor's note: Daniel has been working his entire mission with a man whose daughter is in the Mandarin branch.  This brother is finally getting baptized this Saturday after 20 years of many prayers and many missionaries!  The sister who lives in the branch emailed me about Daniel.  Here are a few of the things she wrote about him: 

He present himself as royal family so you will be proud  of him. And you should. I love the spirit of his prayer and calmness. He is a special to us. 

In one point I almost want to tell him that you don't need to waste your time on my dad because he is only using your kindness for his need.he will not join the church this life.but for sure the next life.
I express to him that I don't think my dad will join the church.All he said is you never know, he might join the church one day.
One day he told me if ok he help my dad do the garden work every week.I almost start to cry.....
And He was so happy he can do that.
He taught me about being obedience and rely on the spirit.
He taught me that we do not need to say many words but service will speak itself.
I will miss having him around. I know The Lord has great plan for him in the future and in His kingdom.
Thank you for sharing him with us the pass two years. 
He will bring you good report.]

Hey everybody, I hope it's been a great week.  I hope you all loved General Conference like I did.  I was so pumped to hear all the speakers speak and now I can't wait to read all the talks over and over again and then go out and do.  I felt sorry for poor Elder Vinson, though, who had a fly attack him during his very first general conference address.  The talk was powerful, nonetheless, and pretty entertaining to watch.  

The Santa Ana winds have started blowing in, so much that a tree in our apartment complex got blown over.  I guess I wished this to happen in a previous email when I said I wanted the weather to be something other than sunny.  So now it's windy and sunny.

The work here is moving.  I had the opportunity to interview a couple of people for baptism this past week, which is probably my favorite responsibility.  Preach My Gospel encourages interviewers to invite the baptism candidate to bear his or her testimony, and I like to do that by asking the candidate what changes have taken place in his or her life since meeting with the missionaries.  The responses I got were incredible.  My favorite was one that said he was now aware that Heavenly Father was watching him.  He said he didn't believe in God before but after meeting with the missionaries a few times there was no way to disregard or deny how he felt.  That was so special.  I know, with more certainty than ever after this past conference, that this work is true, that we have a prophet who leads and guides us by inspiration and revelation, that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are real and love us, and that this Church is true.

I love you all, have a great week.

- Elder Winters

In the brother's backyard where he has been working each week:

Elder Daniel Winters - September 30, 2013 Hey family!

[Editor's note: Again this week the section to the family was too good not to be included!  Sounds like he is doing so well.]

Hello family!  It's been another great week! We are really being blessed and this is one of the busiest times on my mission - just how I want it to be.  We are seeing miracles and we are being led to all sorts of people.  I also think we're working in greater unity with the members.  Just something simple as calling a member and seeing if we can have a lesson at their house brings great dividends.  It's also wonderful that so many members are willing to help out and give of their time freely to progress the work of salvation.  Thank you!  And we have found that having investigators over at members' houses for dinner is really amazing.  So next time you have the missionaries over for dinner, ask if they have any investigators they can invite!  They'll be so happy.  

Here's the update on the investigators!

The work in our area is going really well. The most exciting thing to report is that Ying Kuan's wife has consented to let him be baptized on October 12th!! It really is a miracle! Heavenly Father has heard our prayers to soften her heart. Emily is doing really well - she is progressing so quickly! The members are all embracing her and helping her out in understanding the gospel. We had a lesson with her at our branch president's house on Saturday and she basically taught us afterwards when she summarized what she had learned. She actually moved her date up to the 12th! She has attended two baptisms already and she talks about how she is excited for her own. She is truly elect! Other than that, there have been a few more people we have set up with so we'll see how things turn out after we teach them for the first time this week. 

The work is really cruising.  And I finally acquired my glasses on Friday, so I've had the following conversation many times in the past few days:

"I didn't know you wore glasses!"

"I didn't."

Okay, so many not that abrupt, but it's pretty amazing to see the world in sharper focus.  It's pretty cool also how looking at the world through the lens of the gospel allows us to see things with greater clarity and view them as they really are.  

We had an experience this last week wherein we taught a guy named Brother Thunder.  Well, at least that's what the translation is of his last name - pretty cool if you ask me.  Anyway, this guy wasn't interested in our message, but he was interested in us missionaries.  He kept talking about how great we were and how much effort and sacrifice we put into our work and how China doesn't have missionaries like us, etc.  It was a little disappointing for us, because missionaries don't want the attention focused on them.  We tried explaining to Brother Thunder that it was the message we share that has made us into the people we are and it is worth the sacrifice to share it, but with no avail.  I just want everyone to know that I know Jesus Christ and His gospel and Atonement have the power to transform hearts and people.  We see it on a daily basis and I have felt it in my own life as well.

Have a great week, don't do anything I wouldn't do unless it's P-day.

- Elder Winters

Photos taken by one of the members in the branch:

Elder Daniel Winters - September 23, 2013 Awesome week

 

[Editor's note: Daniel's first few paragraphs to the family were too good to not be included!  I am sure he would be mortified that his name was associated with such a lengthy email.]

Hello family!  It has been an amazing week, probably one of the most productive ones on my mission.  It's been one of those times when you just move from appointment to appointment, totally focused on the people you're going to teach.  It's awesome!  There are a lot of people coming out of the woodwork.  We're seeing so many blessings and we hope to see sustained and steady progress.  Here is an update on the investigators:

Niko is doing really well - we talked about his experience reading Alma 32 this week, and he really enjoyed it. He could sense Alma talking to him and he told us he believes the Book of Mormon is true! He came to church yesterday and enjoyed that as well. We were going to meet him tonight and confirm a baptismal date but it turns out he is in LA, and he might be there permanently because of work. So that is a bummer for us but we want to ensure he gets the best care from the Chinese missionaries in LA. Cindy is also doing well - we challenged her to read the Plan of Salvation pamphlet and to use both the Bible and Book of Mormon to find the answers to questions at the back. She is not sure about baptism yet - we will make sure to make that a main focus of our next lesson this week. Emily is making the most progress - we just taught her this past week and she has accepted every invitation including the invitation to be baptized on the 19th of October! She went to church yesterday and is quickly becoming acquainted with many members. We will have a lesson with her tonight at a member's house and will perhaps even move up her baptismal date to the 12th! That is so very exciting for both of us - it truly is a miracle. There is also progress with Ying Kuan! We reset a baptismal date for this Saturday - and it seems like his wife's heart is being softened! We're praying that we can make that date and that his wife will allow it.

The work is great, and I'm just trying to make the most out of my time left here.  You will continue to be in my prayers every day.

Love,

Daniel

Hey everybody, I hope all's well in whatever part of the world you're at.  Things are going super well out in the field here in SoCal.  There are actually clouds in the sky now, which is an indicator for autumn here, I believe.  So the season should be called "Cloudy" instead of "Fall."  Anyhow, it's still a perfect 75 degrees here, with still no signs of rain.  It's interesting because a year ago I said to my companion that I really missed the clouds and that I just wanted a storm once in a while.  He, being pretty new, said I was crazy and that this was perfect weather and how could I want anything other than this, etc.  Now, he being older and wiser, said the same thing I did a year ago, though he denies that I said any such thing.  That's my rant about the weather - I hope that's not a sign of sheer ingratitude for a blessing of two years' good weather.  

My mission is changing me in more ways than I thought.  I received a diagnosis from the optometrist this past week that I am becoming more Asian than I thought I ever would - that's right, I am getting glasses.  It turns out that reading all the squiggles that are Chinese in the Book of Mormon has accelerated the degeneration of my eyes' refractional abilities, something that I think was bound to happen because of my genes.  So I am now nearsighted and will be collecting my new, Clark Kent-type glasses this week.  Hopefully that will be more endearing to the Asian community here.  

The people we're working with are doing so well.  These are some of the most humble people I've taught in all of my mission.  They are willing to act in accordance with truth and the testimony they receive from the Holy Ghost.  I know we all can actively maintain that humility in our own lives to the blessing of others as we pray with real intent and look for opportunities to serve.

The work is true!  I love it so much.

Have a great week.

- Elder Daniel Winters

Elder Daniel Winters - September 18, 2013 Happy birthday, Sarah!

Hey everyone, how's it going? The work here is cruising.  We had our annual Moon Festival this past week, which includes eating a bunch of moon cakes with preserved egg yolks as the secret ingredient.  What will these Chinese think of next?  But it was great, there were about 140 people there total.  

We had the chance to meet this guy named Niko on Monday.  He has so much faith.  He is also incredibly humble.  He simply wants to follow Jesus Christ.  He also expressed to us how grateful he is to be here with full religious freedom.  I was reminded of 2 Nephi 1:6 and Father Lehi's prophecy:

Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

I know that's true.  I know so many people have been led to this land to receive the fulness of the Savior's gospel.  This work is so true!

Have a great week, everyone.

- Elder Daniel Winters