Week 96

The Final Countdown - Europe

Amos's Baptism

Today was the beginning of my last transfer, leaving me with six weeks before I conclude my mission. It is crazy to think that it is almost over, but I have a long way to go before then and many goals yet to accomplish! It's even crazier to think that I have been waiting almost two years to use that email title!

Last week we had a wonderful Zone activity. It was a Fireside by the fire side! We had a

From Last Week's "Fireside by the Fireside"

nice little campfire devotional, with S'mores for dessert. Brother Daines who I talked about last week was the hero of the hour and was kind enough to bring the S'more fixings upon request from the Maughans. Everybody loved it.

Brother Amos was baptized this week. He is the oldest son of brother Reverien who we baptized a while back. Amos was there when we first met the family, but left for boarding school shortly thereafter. We sent Amos with a Book of Mormon and a set of pamphlets to read along with the promise that if he would have daily prayer and scripture study it would help him find greater success in school. He did it, and was ranked 2nd in his class! Brother Reverien said that each week when Amos would call he would want to talk about the Church. It was quite a sweet moment to watch him finally get baptized. I am so grateful to have been here still!

We are seeing a lot of progress among the people we teach, and the next six weeks look bright! I am grateful to be finishing my mission right here in Rwanda with Elder Falaula!

That about wraps up my week! I hope you all have a great one!

Love,

Elder Winn

Posing with Black Beauty

Week 95

The Man who can't be Moved -The Script

Zone Conference sent by the AP's from the week before

This has been an interesting week. It has been relatively mundane compared to the ones I've had over the past month or so, but all I can say is that I have loved being able to concentrate on teaching and testifying. Though I don't have any big stories this week (or pictures for that matter), it has been impressed upon me just how much I've changed over the past 22 months. As I testify of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ I feel the power of the spirit encompass me. If only everybody we teach could feel what I feel when we teach them. It has become an incontestable center of my entire being- I know it with every fibre! I wish I could place words to properly articulate the sweet feeling the spirit brings me in testimony of the gospel, but to a greater degree I yearn that every soul could just experience it for themselves and take courage to act. I am Immovable!

There is nothing that can take away my testimony that this is the truth, and I am willing to fight to the very end to bring this gospel to the world! I don't just mean the end of my mission... That's a meager seven or so weeks away. I would be a failure if it ended there! I mean THE end. I am grateful for the opportunity I have now to devote my all to this purpose. I am determined to use what's left completely. 

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Winn

Week 94

Ghosts of my home town -The Strike

Holding up the number of Transfers we have remaining on our missions.

What a wonderful birthday week it's been! We've been really busy with arrangements accompanying zone conference and it's related activites; bringing President Chatora (Our new Mission President) to Kigali for the weekend. Friday was a long night as our final Zone Conference preparations were interrupted by an emergency trip to the clinic... Somebody was sick but we got it under control and everything was put in place for our meeting the next day. Saturday was zone conference and it was a wonderful way to spend my 21st birthday. The missionaries in my district threw me a little surprise party, so that was fun! It was just great to be surrounded by all of the wonderful missionaries I have come to love dearly in our service together to celebrate.

Sunday was a great meeting. We had a brother join us who was visiting from my home town while doing some service work in the area. He has been a lot of fun to talk to as he has a lot of great stories from his life experiences serving the lord. I enjoyed his example of engaging himself in sharing the gospel throughout his travels. He has been actively inserting himself into the work as if this is his home. It's brought back a lot of memories of good examples I've had throughout my life at home and everywhere! I am greatful for them and the effect they have had in my life: To elevate my perspective of my own potential and the kind of influence one person can have! To many of them who may even be reading this email: Thank You! 

I know that each of us has eternal potential; and if we remember this fact, allowing our lives to reflect it, such eternal glory is within our reach through the Atonement of Jesus Christ! We must learn to center our lives around the principles of the gospel which will qualify us to receive such grace: Faith, Repentance, making and keeping covenants with God. Through such we can develop our relationship with God and prepare to live with him again! 

I hope all is well with you guys! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Winn

Waiting for a car wash... I can't help but make a dumb face!

Week 93

We're an American Band -Grand Funk Railroad

Elder Falaula on the Drums

Hey everybody!

It's been a great week. I am writing pretty fast because I have really enjoyed reading your emails and chatting with you! As far as day to day work has gone it has been a pretty standard week. We are preparing for Zone conference this coming Saturday which will be my Birthday! It will be great to have all of my zone family together for my Birthday since I can't have my real one!

I am still enjoying my time, and doing my best work. Enjoy some pictures of todays district Activity: We went to a Yamaha Outlet to play Real Life Rockband... No Console Needed! Two of us Are American, and Three from the Americas so that makes us majority enough to use this weeks title. Also Happy Fourth of July. It's my favorite Holiday!

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Winn

Myself trying to shred with unpracticed hands

Week 92

Change the World -Eric Clapton

Lunch with Brother Maurice

Wow! The weeks are flying by as fast as the days, but looking back It feels like we've had a Months worth of activity jammed into them! It's hard to recount all of the amazing experiences we are having, along with the subtle nuances of our daily work where tender mercies and great miracles are being woven into every passing hour. I have really been looking at things with a greater perspective this week as I draw closer to the end of my mission (Now don't get me wrong... Ten weeks is a long time and I plan to use it fully!). As I look at the world around me it is easy to see all the things I would love to change, but in doing so some familiar words posted in my high school commons room flash through my mind: "Be the change you want to see in the world". 

This concept is easily illustrated by a recent experience. I was driving through town as we were going about our usual business. It was about six in the evening and things were getting a bit dusky; There was still plenty of light in the sky, but it was just dark enough for the stage to be set up perfectly for the following to happen. As I made my way through the big roundabout near the middle of town I noticed a Motorcyclist driving a bit recklessly (nothing unusual), but what caught my attention about this particular driver was that he was driving without his lights on. As I verbally accused this guy of having a death wish I myself realized that my own headlights were off! Missionaries always drive with their headlights on to make things more embarrassing. I'm sure we've all heard reference to Christ's parable of the Beam and the Mote blurring our vision, this is a prime example of that principle in pointing out my hypocrisy. Tonight I'll take a slightly different spin with what I was taught in my Beam/Mote experience this week. 

I don't know about you, but I personally am the type of person who always has a vision especially of the potential I see in my surroundings. For instance, as a missionary I often wish I could perfectly teach everyone around me all at once so that everyone could apply and reflect the principles of the gospel; What amazing change this would make in society! Sadly this isn't such a simple endeavor, but it is the purpose we work towards every day. I guess what I've realized is the importance of being the change I want to see in the world around me; That is, the importance of constantly living in a way that emulates that vision. 

My thoughts are a bit maundered and rambley tonight but I'll try to cut straight to the point. As disciples of Christ we are "bearers of his light", and he has commanded us to let that light shine forth to the world! (3 Nephi 18:24, Mathew 5:16). Just like with my little moto-driving friend and I: you can't expect to see light/change in the world around you if you yourself do not have the lights on! "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change" (I wrote that line and then realized that it was an exact quote of Michael Jackson, but it's exactly what I am trying to say!). I know that the best I've ever been is when I've tried to be an example for those around me. I look to the example of the savior as the model that I would wish to see reflected in the world around me. I will do my best my whole life through to follow Him that one day I too may become like him, and glorify our heavenly father. (Moses 1:39)

So I haven't actually said that much about the week, but I guess that's an update on whatever scattered gospel thoughts have been running through my head this week. I hope you have a great week! Next week I'll send a picture in Black Beauty: The envy of all Mission vehicles!

Love,

Elder Winn

 My Haircut