Elder Winters - April 22, 2013 Happy Anniversary/Becca coming home!!

[Editor's note: Dear all, sorry for the delay.  David was very excited yesterday because he was able to visit Daniel's branch president in Irvine.  He was even able to meet Elder Hui, an elder Daniel trained several months ago.  Daniel made it very clear that David was NOT to visit him; in fact, he told us to not tell him when David would be in California.  

This is such a lovely tribute to his sister, Rebecca.  Enjoy!]

Hey all, super short today.  I'm getting transferred into the English program, so that was kind of a bummer for me.  Well, I knew it would happen, but when it actually did, I was a lot sadder than I thought I would be.  Like, a lot sadder.  But after prayer and listening to church leaders and my mission president today, I feel an assurance that this is the Lord's will for me at this time.  I know that the Lord's servants can and do receive revelation for us in their callings, and I also know that we are blessed when we accept their counsel.

Last thing.  My sister Rebecca returns home from her mission this Saturday.  I would like to make a shout out to her for being the best example of a missionary as anyone could ever be.  She has influenced my mission in such a way that I cannot fully describe it.  I have felt her testimony, boldness, compassion, charity, and love for the Lord an ocean away, and I know that her mission has been a successful one, one that I hope to emulate in the months I have remaining.  I love this work, I love my family, and I love the Lord.  

Have a good one, everyone.

- Elder Daniel Winters

Elder Winters - April 15, 2013 大家好！

Hello all, I hope it's been a good week for you.  Things down in SoCal are cruising as usual.  It looked like it was going to storm today, but after the lightest five-minute shower ever, the clouds withdrew and the weather went back to its usual blue.  

Work among the Chinese continues to be fun. The people are as great as ever.  A benefit of the States is that there are people from all over Taiwan and China that live here.  We actually had the privilege of meeting a couple from northeast China who have no religious background whatsoever.  The reason they let us teach them was because they were curious about God and what He was like.  It was incredible to feel God witness of the truths we taught them, truths about Him and His plan for all of us, His children.  I know our Heavenly Father has prepared a way for us to have happiness in this life as well as in the life to come.  It is awesome to be able to teach others about it and share the joy that this knowledge brings.  

Have a super week, everyone.

- Elder Winters

Elder Winters - April 8, 2013 總會大會！！

Hello all, I hope you had a great General Conference weekend like I did.  Weren't those talks amazing?  They are all truly God's authorized servants.

One tender mercy I had in one of the sessions during a musical number was being able to be conducted by Sister Hall, my director at BYU.  Plus, I got to see a few familiar faces in the choir, which is always fun. 

I would say one of my favorite talks was that of Elder Kopischke, a member of the Seventy that actually visited our mission a few months ago.  He talked about being accepted of God and how we can know it.  That topic has been weighing on my mind recently, especially in relation to missionary work - particularly, how can I know if the work I done is acceptable to the Lord?  I know that I've definitely made my share of mistakes, even as a missionary (one might say especially as a missionary), but I know that because of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, every one of those mistakes can be overcome by exercising faith unto repentance.  In reading the Book of Mormon, I've been touched by how often the invitation to change and receive mercy has been extended, and I know that it is no accident.  Along with Elder Cardon, I affirm that the Savior wants to forgive, as well as help us in every step of the way of getting better.  I've seen it in my own life and I've seen it in the life of those I've been privileged to teach.

Have an awesome week, the Church is true, on, on to the victory!

- Elder Winters

Elder Winters - April 1, 2013 Hi! Happy Easter!

Hello everyone, and happy Easter slash April Fool's Day slash my sister's slash my father's slash my cousin's birthday.  Goodness, a lot happened this past weekend.  

This was a great week, culminating in a great Easter Sunday.  One day during this past week we did some super fun service, involving us taking out a bunch of roots, some of which were a foot in diameter.  As I hacked away with fury at the roots with my pickax, I was reminded of how bad shape I am, a point that was strongly reinforced when we recently took turns stepping onto a scale at a member's house and everyone, excluding myself, burst out into laughter when I stepped on.  Anyway, to those interested, I am newly committed to run every day and to not throw out my back at the ripe old age of 20.  

In spiritual news, this Easter season allowed me to reflect much on the Savior's resurrection.  "Easter" in Chinese is "復活節(Fuhuojie)," or "Resurrection Celebration," which is a nice reminder of what the holiday is all about.  After personal contemplation and prayer and receiving a witness from the Holy Ghost, I know that we will all live again because of Jesus Christ.  I witness that our Savior rose from the dead three days after being crucified, and I know that He still lives and He still leads His Church.  Teaching and testifying of this wonderful message at this time is a wonderful blessing in my life.

Have a great week, everyone.

- Elder Winters

Elder Winters - March 18, 2013 Jackie Chan lives in Irvine

Hello all, welcome to another week in the life.  Good things are happening in Irvine, there's no doubt.  There are two baptisms lined up for this weekend in the Yale Branch, so we're all pumped for the events.  Our branch mission leader set a goal of 30 baptisms for the branch this year, so fortunately we've got six elders and the Lord all combined to get the work done.  Of course, I've also heard that two people can do anything, as long as one of those persons is God.  

Another thing I've learned this past week is that my learning Chinese is improving my Jackie Chan abilities.  I think I am safe to say that at least two things that happened this past week are able to prove that: 1) I caught a living fly with chopsticks and 2) I arm wrestled the endurance weight lifter champion of the world, Dragan.  I am not making this up.  Google Dragan if you want (it's pronounced Dragon. Like the mythical creature).  Okay, so the fly was placated by some strawberries on the table and Dragan almost tore my arm off, but still, I feel like those two things merit some kind of attention.  

A disadvantage that learning Chinese has brought is that I have no capabilities to speak any other language other than English.  We tracted into this Vietnamese lady that only spoke French and Vietnamese (Vietnam was occupied by the French), and so I was like, "parlez-vous francais" and she looked all excited and was like, "Oui, oui" and then I was like "太棒了！我也會講法文！" and then I had to pause, because everything French flooded out of my brain and was replaced with Chinese.  So I said "merci beaucoup" and then we got out of there.  So, that dashed any hopes of me becoming tri-lingual.

One super cool thing happened this week.  We were tracting/street contacting in an apartment complex that we've visited a few times before, and we finished visiting all the potentials we knew in the area.  So then, we were clueless as to what to do for about a second, and then the thought came to mind that number 73 in the complex had a Chinese thing on the door last time (why did my brain not have these capabilities when I took calculus??), so we headed in that direction.  And then we met two Chinese girls taking out the garbage, and after starting a conversation, one of them was super interested and they both agreed to come to church the next day!  Awesome, right?  I think I have said this before, but the Holy Ghost absolutely can bring all things to our remembrance.  

Well, the work is awesome, I love it, it's true.  I hope you all have a great week.

- Elder Winters

Elder Winters - March 11, 2013 晚上好

Hello all, it's been an intense week this week.  Biggest news is my new companion, Elder Dahl from Taylorsville, Utah.  He's got awesome Chinese from being straight out of the MTC, so it'll be exciting to work with him.  

In terms of the work, it's going well.  We had an awesome member attend some of our lessons this week, and she just rocked house.  Literally, picture exactly what you think is perfect for a member to say to help someone who is striving to develop a relationship with God, and that is what she said.  Plus, having someone there who is actually fluent in Chinese is a real support.  

Some members invited us to attend their kids' piano recital this past week so we could talk to the Chinese families that would attend.  That wasn't a problem, mostly because outside of Church members and missionaries, everyone there was Asian.  Oh, the memories.  I talked to this thirteen-year old Chinese provincial gold medalist in piano who rocked a piece that I gave up on as a seventeen-year old because it was too hard (Chopin's "Polonaise," anyone?).  Yeah.

Another exciting change is that missionaries can now email non-family members.  I know that my reader base is less than the population of the Yukon in Canada, but if you'd like to shoot me an email I can now actually get back to you without procrastinating writing a letter for months.  So, my email is dwinters@myldsmail.net, for those that are interested.

Well, this week has been good.  I know that God has been in this work.  It is amazing to me that if we are praying for help and are living right, He will truly guide our paths, sometimes without us even knowing.  The work is true, I love this Church, and you all have a great week.

- Elder Daniel Winters

Elder Winters - March 4, 2013 只有百嘉可以懂這個句子！

[Editor's note: Just when you thought they couldn't get any shorter!  Daniel starts training a new missionary tomorrow and it looks like he will be moved into the California Irvine mission.  His mission president is trying to make it so that the Chinese elders will be able to teach in both the Anaheim and the Irvine missions.  Also, I have never, ever known Daniel to think he was awesome.]

Hey everyone, today you get a 60 second email.  This past week was awesome, mostly because our branch mission leader set up 5 appointments for us.  I'll just leave a thought with you.  I was reading in Alma 26 where Ammon talks about how wonderful God is in doing His work.  Sometimes if I ever think, "Oh man I can't believe how awesome I am," I always need to go back and look at how I am nothing, and it is God that has given me everything, including every success in the mission field.  The work is true, you guys are great, and have a great week.

- Elder DBW