Skype Baptism... :)

Hello everyone!!

Hope your week has been fun!! I'm so excited for my cousins! Congrats on getting your mission call Courtni!! And congrats to M&M getting married this week! :)

I seriously don't know where this last week has gone!! It's been pretty busy! So many fun Christmas parties in both wards, and with the mission! I had a blast with all the missionaries in the DC South mission! We had our Christmas conference on Friday! We had a fun talent show that consisted of bagpipes, piano, singing, and rapping! So much fun :) It was also wonderful to see my MTC roommates and friends! And guess what! There are SIX of us from Timpview here on this mission!! So cool! Anyway, it's been so fun to celebrate this season! I hope you are all enjoying it as well!

This past week I got to witness my first baptism while out here on the mission!! It was over Skype!!! How cool is that? Sister Cordner taught this man named Titus about a couple of months ago. He moved to Ohio just before he was going to get baptized. Our Bishop was able to contact the missionaries out there and set his baptism date up! It was so amazing to be able to feel like we were sitting in that room. The Spirit was felt so strongly through the screen! It was a very cool experience.

Well, as you know from my last email, I spoke in the Great Falls ward yesterday! It was great! What's funny is I was asked to speak in the McLean 2nd ward yesterday as well!!!! So I got to speak twice in one day! (That's what you get when you cover two wards!) The Bishop from McLean 2nd called me on Saturday morning and asked if I could speak on receiving revelation. I was excited to speak! But I had to write another talk... ha! It was a great experience. The Stake President was there for both meetings and told me, "What a privilege it is to hear from you twice in one day! And two different talks, too! You're ready to speak in General Conference!" Haha! Not quite :)

So I just want to share a scripture with you about receiving revelation (since I already shared in my last email about what I spoke on in the other ward). In D&C 8, we learn that the spirit of revelation is a gift from our Heavenly Father. Through the Holy Ghost, we can receive answers in our mind and in our heart from God. (verse 2) And in verse 9, we read "..whatsoever you shall ask me to tell you by that means, that will I grant unto you, and you shall have knowledge concerning it." I know that we are entitled to personal revelation! How awesome is it that we have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion?! He is absolutely amazing.

We haven't had much communication with Nevin and her husband this week, but we are hoping to this week!!

On Wednesday, Sister C and I got to do service in an Alternative House for troubled teens. Their basement flooded, so we mopped and swept. That was fun to do something different! The people say they are so amazed at how willing we are to serve and how we don't complain at all. They really do appreciate it. Service is great!! It makes you feel happy when you make others happy :)

I hope you are all having a fantastic holiday season!! TEN more days until Christmas!! :) I can't wait to talk to my family. I am missing you all more and more as the days go by!

Have a great week!!! (Last week of school for most of you ---so fun!!!)

I love you all so very much!!

♥♥Sister Winterton

P.S. I have been on my mission for ONE MONTH this week on the 19th!!! CRAYYZEE.

(For Sister missionaries, they don't count the MTC weeks as part of the 18 months)