Raining miracles!

This week went so fast!!

Last Monday we had the most amazing miracle!!! We went tracting out in the boonies where the houses are far apart, and the roads are nice and twisty. Most of the people we talked to were pretty nice, but none were super interested. As we approached the end of the gravel road, we came to a very long driveway with "no trespassing" signs everywhere and old barns along the sides. We walked down it, sweating bullets (it was 100 degrees and probably 100% humidity)! The woman who answered the door was very nice. As we talked, we found that she has been SO prepared to receive the restored gospel! She is battling breast cancer, and has lost a few loved ones in the last year. She has been going to the cemetery praying for help, and for a sign to show her how she can make it. WE got to be that sign! What a powerful moment! I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. It's moments like these that make a mission so worth it! We are looking forward to teaching her more soon!

On Tuesday we got a "new" (new to us) car! Our last one was due to be sold. We also started back up on Facebook as a mission. We are to only talk to those who are living in our mission and to focus on those we are working with. :) ...Sister Thomson and I just LOVE getting back on Facebook... So much that we deleted the app off of our devices after the first time back on. Haha! We will still use it, just only when we go to the library. Sometimes it can be too much of a distraction on our iPads. It's great to be able to have this tool to communicate with recent converts, less-actives, and investigators from previous areas!

(Also, just a warning, if you live outside of my mission, I'll have to delete comments on my posts/pictures etc. Thanks for understanding!) :)

Wednesday we went to good ol' District Meeting! The lesson was focused on Family History and using it more in our finding methods. ....While we were looking at our own family trees, Sister Thomson discovered a Winterton on hers!! We are distant cousins!!! How crazy is that!? My great-great-great-great-grandpa is her (however many greats) grandma's brother! Who would have known? ;)

On Saturday evening we had a CRAZY experience. We were out tracting in the boonies again, and it started to lightly rain. We kept going, but then realized we left the phone in the car, so we went back. Right before getting in the car, it started POURING. I have never seen that much rain in my life!! The phone started ringing as soon as we got in. The woman who called was someone we had just met about 20 minutes ago on her porch! She told us there was a tornado watch in the area, and to come find safety in their basement! So, we ended up spending a little while with this really fun family with 3 cute little girls while we waited for the storm to calm. The girls were so sweet and showed us their toys and drawings. What a cool experience! They weren't very interested, but hopefully we can come do service in their big yard! :) Thank goodness for kind people.

Yesterday, Sister Thomson and I had the opportunity to teach Primary Sharing Time! It has been such a long time since I've even been in Primary. :) It was a blast! I love hearing all the kids sing and answer questions. We truly do need to become like little children!

Well, I can't believe this week is over. Transfer calls are coming soon! President Riggs is soon gone! We will all miss him so so much. We are also excited to welcome President Huntsman! I'm not sure what day he officially starts, but it will be great!

Thank you so much for all of your love. I wish you all the best this week!!

I'm so grateful for all the tender mercies Heavenly Father blesses us with daily.

Love you all,

Sister Winterton

♥

Picture: Us out tracting in the boonies...right before the torrential downpour!

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Dunked!!!

What a great week!!! :D

Last Monday we started the week off great with a fun Zone Activity!! We enjoyed the hot, humid air by playing a game of kick ball!! Let me tell ya, it was HOT. Everyone had a blast! :)

On Tuesday we had Zone Training. Always great to learn from our fellow missionary leaders! I love that the main focus of the meeting was charity. It is so important to not have selective charity! Sometimes it can be easy to judge someone at first glance, but it is so important to love everyone you see!! Having this on my mind has changed my perspective as I have been finding more people to teach. I never realized all of the mini judgments I make daily. As I am repenting and changing, I have an even bigger desire to share this marvelous gospel with everyone!! I invite each of you to look outward this week and seek those who may need some uplifting. :) YOU will be uplifted!

We found a new investigator on Wednesday!!! She is so prepared! She was in the Area book and let us right in when we knocked on the door. She has grown up around LDS people her entire life, and lives next door to some members in our ward. She even knows about FHE! Right now she is taking work off to help take care of her 90 year old mother, so she has plenty of time to read the Book of Mormon! Wonderful! :) We are so excited to start teaching her!!

Virginia has had some crazy weather lately! It will be insanely hot throughout the day, and then all of a sudden it will start POURING rain in the evening! (Only making it even more humid the rest of the night). It has been fun!

In the mornings, Sister Thomson and I have been playing basketball for exercise! It is so fun!! I'm teaching her all the basics. ;) I am so sore! Ha!

Drumroll..... The news you have all been waiting for!! Dun dun dunnnnn..... The Knights were baptized on Saturday the 13th!! :) Woooo!! After much planning and patience, Ayden and Caitlyn are now members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! It was such a great program! Nick (their 15 year old brother) gave such a great talk on the Holy Ghost. Ayden and Caitlyn bore powerful testimonies! Everything worked out perfectly. The Spirit was so strong!! I am so happy for their family. They can now receive more fully all the blessings of the restored gospel together. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to be a part of their journey.

Saturday was quite the busy day! After the baptisms, we had a mission-wide service project all day! We helped pack goodie bags for all the Fire Games Participants! That was a ton of fun!...Also very tiring! Later that evening, our ward had a Musical Fireside! So many members performed wonderful pieces. It was a great opportunity for the ward to bring non-member friends and neighbors! Whew! What a crazy day!! By the end of the night Sister Thomson and I were exhausted!! I don't think I have felt that tired since I got off the plane 7 months ago!

On Sunday morning, Ayden and Caitlyn were confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Such a powerful moment! I am just filled with so much happiness! We have all been waiting for this day to come! It was so fun to see their bright smiles!!

Luckily, today Sister Thomson and I are able to relax and take a breather! Thank goodness for Preparation Days. :)

Being a missionary is such a sweet experience. Congrats to all of my friends going on theirs soon!! It is the best!

I hope you all have a great week!!!

Thank you all so so much for your prayers and love.

Much love,

Sister Winterton

♥♥♥

Cleanliness is next to Godliness!

Hello everyone!

Well, there's not much left to talk about since my last Preparation Day was on Wednesday. We changed it to Wednesday so that Sister Thomson could go to the temple! I got to hang out with the Sister Training Leaders. It was fun! That morning we got to do service at the Methodist Church again! Making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with people of other faiths is great! Afterwards, when we got back together with Sister T and Sister Hill, we went to Café Rio for lunch! MY FAVORITE. :) That was fun!!

Later that night we visited a sweet African lady named Musuyah. She is a convert to the church and used to live in our ward boundaries, but we still have permission to go visit her. We are teaching her husband Robert! It is exciting!.. Even though he likes to argue and twist our words a lot of the time.. Ha! We're going to see if he is even ready to receive it yet. Musuyah made us some yummy, spicy African food! It is so cool to be learning about different cultures out here in VA! Also, their little baby Zach is SO cute. It is so hard not to hold him!.. That is one thing I miss now that I'm a missionary. :)

On Thursday, we had dinner with Sister Skeete from Kenya! (Remember her "Bun and Cheese" snack?) We were prepared for the worst, but dinner was outstanding!.. Just a LOT of food. She is so funny with all her fancy dishes, and the three-course meal.

Throughout the week we did a lot of deep cleaning! Our apartment is pretty much the cleanest in all of the Church's history of missionary housing we're pretty sure. We cleaned the base-boards, the scuff marks on the walls, the floors, the cupboards, etc etc. :) Let me tell ya, it feels GOOD in there. This morning we had an apartment inspection by one of the Senior Missionary couples.

These past few days Sister Thomson and I have kicked it into high gear and have been contacting every living soul we see! It has been so fun! I love meeting so many people!! Even though street contacting is kind of intimidating to me, I have learned that I just need to do what I'm asked, and everything will work out! I have started the Book of Mormon again, and I love 1 Nephi 3 where Lehi tells Nephi that the Lord doesn't require it of them to leave their home, but he COMMANDS them (Verse 5). It's not just a requirement that I go out and talk to people, but it is a commandment! As I have given my will to Him, I have found so much for joy and confidence!

For all of us, reading our scriptures is a good requirement, but it is also a commandment! Please remember the importance reading! :) Heavenly Father will bless you infinitely as you do.

Yesterday was Fast Sunday! As I've been on my mission, I have come to see the POWER in fasting. Sister Thomson and I have been praying and fasting for the Knights in their journey towards baptism. At church, Brother Knight came up to us and told us they were ready! They are now on date for this Saturday! We are so excited for them!!

Last night Sister Thomson and I had a mini dance party! Haha! We had a ton of fun dancing along to the Primary Song Remixes! Missionaries can still have fun! :) We are hilarious.

I hope you all have had a great week! I hope the summer life is treating you well. It is nice and humid over here!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and love. This past week has been WONDERFUL. I am so happy!! Being a missionary is so much fun!

Much love,

Sister Winterton

♥♥♥

Pictures:

1. Package from my wonderful family!!

2. New shirt from my mom♥

3. One view of our clean house!! ;)

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Fireflies, Frogs, and Freedom!

Happy June everyone!!

This past week has been quite the rollercoaster for me! So many ups and downs, but the ups definitely out rule the downs!  I cannot even believe how amazing things work out when you rely on the Lord and His will. I have come to learn so much about what it truly means to give your will to Him.

Well, to give a quick summary of this week...

Last Tuesday we had a great lesson on a potential's porch. He was so kind. Even though he did not accept the things we invited him to do, I could feel and see in his eyes that one day he would accept it. It is so cool to be an instrument in God's hands to help that happen! I love meeting so many nice people. If they only knew what they were rejecting. ;)

That night I had the great experience of seeing my first FIREFLY!!! They are so cool!!!!! Haha!!

The next day we had exchanges! So I went to go work with Sister Hill and Sister Waldron (Sister Training Leaders) and Sister Thomson stayed in our area with Sister Gray. (The STL's are in a trio). It was so wonderful to have a change of scenery!! I had so much fun with those Sisters. We taught so many cool people! They cover a Young Single Adult ward, so it was cool to work with people our age -- also kind of weird! ;) We had a fun picnic for dinner with a member and her non-member friend. It is so cool to see how receptive and open young people are towards the gospel.

I am so grateful to have been able to be with the STL's. They are so great! They helped me have a new view of what true charity is. When we learn about other attributes, we see that like things are attracted to like things. Virtue loveth virtue, light cleaveth to light, truth embraceth truth, etc. Like things attract like things... Except for charity. Charity seeketh not her own (1 Corinthians/Moroni 7). Charity loves all. ♥ I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have had this transfer to learn what true charity is.

On Friday we had a multi-zone training! Our mission now has "tiwi" devices in all of the vehicles. The devices track where the cars are, notify us when we are speeding, and when we drive aggressively. Those actions are reported to our Mission President! Pretty crazy stuff, right? ;) Extra safe! While they installed the devices, we had an awesome meeting in the church. President Riggs is just amazing! We will all miss him so much.

That night we had a great lesson with a recent convert. After, we found tons of teeny tiny frogs hopping around her neighborhood! They were EVERYWHERE! So cool!!! I had fun catching them. I also somehow got the bright idea to use them as revenge against an Elder who is in our District...(He is a prankster and also likes to tease Sis. T --ha!) So Sister T and I had fun collecting them. Yep! We kept them overnight at our house in a Tupperware.

Saturday was super fun.. :) After the usual morning routine, we got the frogs into a small Altoids container! All 22 frongs! (It was pretty hysterical trying to get them in there!) After, we met up with our District during lunch and distributed "gifts". We gave other Elders Altoids containers that had gift cards, and Elder P a container with frogs!! Ha! It was pretty great! I think we would have gotten a better reaction if we did it to a Sister... But it was still fun! :) Oh the things missionaries do to entertain themselves....

On Sunday we had our investigator from Lebanon come to church!! It was so exciting! He had to leave after Sacrament, but we're so glad he came! The whole situation was a little crazy (the topics of the speakers, getting a seat with members, etc) but I had an overwhelming feeling of peace. I knew everything would work out. I'm so grateful for the Comforter!

Monday and Tuesday have consisted of cleaning, organizing, and de-junking! As President Riggs is leaving soon, our mission is getting everything in order! It has been great! Our apartment is SO CLEAN. We got rid of a tonnnn of stuff! It is wonderful. :)

On Tuesday we had District Meeting in the park under a gazebo! It was awesome!

To close, I want to share a cool insight I found this morning during studies. I was reading Mosiah 24 (one of my faves!!) and I realized that Heavenly Father did not take away the people's super hard trial when they prayed for help. After pouring their souls to Him, He eased their burdens and strengthened them. It was only AFTER the people submitted CHEERFULLY and with PATIENCE that he completely delivered them out of bondage.

I have come to see this first-hand! Heavenly Father has given me strength to get through these hard times. As I have changed my mind-set of things --keeping an eternal perspective-- and submitted cheerfully, I have been delivered! I have come to find that when we are happy with God's will, we will be FREE from pain and sorrow! Let me tell ya, it feels so good to be FREE! :)

I hope you all have had a wonderful week and enjoying summer!!

Thank you for all you do to support and encourage me!

Love you all so much!!

♥Sister Winterton

Pictures:

1. Picnic on exchange!

2. Frog aquarium!!

3. District Meeting in the park!

4. Sister T and I at the park

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