Living After the Manner of Happiness!

So. MUCH. Joy.

This past week was transfers! I'm still in Leesburg with Sister Goodwin and life is so great! Our goals this transfer are: progression (in ourselves and in our area) and having JOY in the journey. Joy has been a big focus in the entire mission too. Life is meant to be enjoyed - not endured. And what a joyful week it has been!

Our new investigator from Cambodia - Vanthan - is getting baptized on May 28th!! She is SO thrilled. She has been waiting for months to get back from Cambodia so she could get baptized. On Friday evening we taught her the Restoration using the pamphlet in her language. Moment of silence for this lesson!

I have gained the strongest testimony of the power and simplicity of the pamphlets. We would show her the pictures and Sidony (her daughter who is a member) would explain it to her in their language. Sidony would also translate our few sentences to introduce each new principle. We also had Vanthan read small paragraphs from the pamphlet - and we knew exactly what she was reading. It was incredible to see her eyes light up as she came to understand things. The best part was when she saw the picture of the First Vision. Her understanding of who God is and how He can communicate with us was perfect. The Spirit truly is the teacher. I'm so grateful that I get to be a part of this. God loves us all so so much and He understands each of us.

Before church yesterday, we had another amazing lesson! To start, we showed her a clip of the First Vision and played the piano version of Praise to the Man. The presence of the Spirit was undeniable. Sidony, Sister Goodwin and I all wept tears of joy. Vanthan's expressions were ones I'll never forget. She kept grinning from ear to ear. Just as Vanthan knows, I know that God and His Son appeared to Joseph Smith. He answers our prayers.

What an incredible experience it is to teach so simply and watch the Spirit testify. So much joy!!!

At Church it was so fun to hear Vanthan try to sing along to the hymns. :) So much sweetness! For Gospel Principles we prepared a copy of the lesson in her language so she could somewhat understand. Such a neat experience! Everyone was thrilled to meet her!

As for the rest of the week, we continued to find joy in meeting cool people tracting, eating dinner with fun people, singing in the car, and serving with the ward members. Life is so good! We have started a "joy wall" in our kitchen and have been writing things that have brought us joy during the day. It's so fun to keep track!

I hope you all find the simple things that make life joyful - and that you create joy in every moment this week.

Love you all!

♥Sister Winterton

This is Peter! He got baptized on my first day serving here in
Leesburg (with the trio) back a couple of months ago. He took us out
for Mexican! He is HILARIOUS. :)

What a Week! :)

What a FULL week! So many exciting, awkward, crazy, weird, awesome, hilarious things!! I wish I could have the time to tell you all about it. Apologies in advance for the long letter!

Last preparation day's activity with the Zone was super fun. We enjoyed those chicken launchers! ;) Later that evening we got to have a wonderful FHE lesson with a family in the ward. We continued the twins' preparation for baptism. They're so fun!

On Tuesday afternoon I finally got registered for college! Whoop whoop! Finally. So much relief! At the library we also met a man named Bob the Prophet. ..yup. He legitimately calls himself a prophet! He sure does know the Bible. :) We sure meet some pretty fun people! Later that day we drove past an old woman trying to saw off thick vines off of a tree. We were a bit concerned because she had a pretty big knife looking tool and she looked ancient! Plus, it wasn't too far from the home for mentally handicapped people. We asked a good friend of ours in the ward to come check it out with us. We had a good time meeting the woman from Russia. She was saving the trees. :)

That night we had the most spiritual member dinner I've ever had probably. It was so powerful! After dinner we talked to the family about Joseph Smith's testimony. We then asked when they had a time where they felt God's love and could not deny it. Everyone bore powerful testimony! I know that our Heavenly Father loves each of us so so much.

Man, there are so many funny stories from this week that it's hard to keep track! On Wednesday we had lunch at Panera Bread. Our cashier was a young adult guy who knew exactly who we were! He was super friendly and very much accepted our invitation to look at the Hallelujah link on our card. Later that night we got a text from him! ..sadly he had to make things awkward by asking us to be his "friend" on Facebook. We are hoping to get a lesson with him and a guy from the YSA ward soon. Wish us luck!

On Thursday we had a mighty miracle!! A member that we have been visiting has a mom who just returned from a long trip. They are both from Cambodia. Her mom is so sweet and probably in her early 80's. She hardly speaks English and has the sweetest smile you've ever seen. Before her long visit to Cambodia she had met with missionaries! Her daughter told us that she wants to get baptized!!! When I asked her why she wanted to get baptized she said, "HAPPY!" as she put her hand on her chest. :) It was an incredible moment! In her few times of going to church she knew that it was right. She felt happy when she was there. I am so grateful for the Spirit and I know that He is can speak to all people - even when they can't understand anything around them. We're so excited to teach her! (Of course, with a translator)

We had a wonderful dinner with a woman in our ward on Friday. When we showed up she was all frazzled and wasn't even close to starting to make the food. She was frustrated with other things and was so sad she hadn't prepared the meal before we got there. Sister Goodwin and I got the opportunity to help clean all the dishes and help make the food! By the end of the meal she was beaming from ear to ear. She was so happy and couldn't stop thanking us for coming over. I LOVE serving others. It truly brings the most joy! I told her that we'd have to make it a tradition to help cook every time. By the time she walked us out the door she was almost jumping she was so  full of joy. :)

On Saturday our Stake did a Youth Mission Conference! It was AWESOME. All the 16-18 year olds got to be missionaries for the weekend. I got to be companions with two young women from our ward for Saturday morning and took them out tracting! They did such a great job talking to people. They also came to the conclusion that working with members and their friends would be a lot more effective than knocking on strangers doors. ;) It was such a great experience for all of them!

Sister Goodwin and I got to teach the fourteen year old class Sunday School and the Relief Society! We also got to be a part of the ward choir again. It's so fun to be working with the ward side by side! It is also such an incredible thing to be lead by the Spirit as you teach. No matter how long you've been teaching you still get nervous! We also had all the 16-18 year old girls bear their testimonies throughout the lesson. It was awesome!

Later that night we got to listen to one of the recent converts in our ward (Venencia from Zimbabwe) give a talk at the New and Returning Member Fireside! She did such a great job. I love those meetings! It was so cool to hear from all the recently new members in our mission. I also got to see Sister Archibald, John and other Shenandoah buddies! So many great reunions.

Well, this week I start my last transfer in my mission. I am sure going to miss all these funny stories and awesome opportunities. I can't believe how fast time is going. I am SO grateful to be serving as a full time missionary. How great is my calling!

Love you all,
Sister Winterton


Pictures-
1. All registered for college!
2. My companions on Saturday morning. :)
3. Sis. A and Hillary at the New member fireside!
4. Happy Birthday to our Mom's this week!!

5. Sometimes I like to go a little crazy after our weekly planning sessions. :)

6. Some of our area is empty farm land! Pretty cool!

7. It is so warm these days!! Loving the sunshine.

The Shining Moments

Missionary life is the best kind of life! Sorry this week's letter is a little longer.. There's just so many good things!

Last Monday evening we got to do FHE with a cute family in our ward. They have twin boys who are preparing to get baptized. We have been helping them understand baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. It has been so much fun to teach them simply and creatively. :) I love little kiddos!

We had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders on Tuesday. So many miracles! I got to be with Sister O'Donnal. It was fun to be in my last area! Shenandoah rocks. We got to teach their new investigator that evening. She is so cool! She has so many great questions and is willing to open her heart to what God wants for her. That made for the most amazing lesson. The Spirit was so powerful it brought tears to my eyes. I love teaching the restored gospel!

On Wednesday we had dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. :) Our ward members are so nice to give us so many gift cards. We're very well taken care of here in Leesburg!

Our returning member who we've been visiting has been having the best week of her life! She is absolutely amazing. I am amazed at how willing she is to give her whole self to God. Our lesson was filled with tears of joy! She said she hadn't felt this happy since the 1990's - and even then she didn't have the "FULL" gospel yet. As she continues to listen to conference talks on her way to work, only listens to gospel music, and reads her scriptures daily she feels so happy! Her happiness sure is contagious!

Well, truth be told, tracting hasn't gotten any less nerve-racking.. But! Over the course of my mission I have been able to understand how to more fully trust in the Lord. I know for a fact that He will help me know what to say and that He will touch the hearts of those I meet. I'm so grateful to know that God will take care of ALL things when we ask Him and keep trusting.

We had a blitz with all the Sisters in our Zone on Friday! We got to go tracting in everyone's areas and help each other find new investigators. Sister Goodwin and I BOTH were able to find a new investigator! The man I met let us right in and is excited for us to teach him again. He had met missionaries in the 1970's and has read some of the Book of Mormon before. I know that God is preparing people! I'm grateful that He is guiding us to them.

On Saturday we got to go help clean the church again! It was awesome! Nothing like cleaning toilets. :) After, we went to Chick-Fil-A to get some free breakfast with some coupons! Long story short, they messed up our order and ended up giving us TONS of free food. Hahaha we love our Chick-Fil-A.

Yesterday we got to *unexpectedly* teach the Gospel Principles class again! It was awesome. :) We've taught a class every Sunday this transfer except for one! ..and that one I got to speak in Sacrament Meeting. I love it! I learn so much when I get to teach.

What a great week.

I love you all!!
♥Sister Winterton

Unconditional Love

What a wonderful week filled with service opportunities!

Our ward had a mulch fundraiser this past weekend. On Friday evening and Saturday morning we got to help load bags of mulch onto trailers and trucks for delivery. They're raising money for the youth camps this summer. It was such a blast helping and being with the members of the ward! Plus, it was a bunch of fun getting a little dirty for once! One of the young women even brought a friend!

We have been focusing on the less active members in the ward lately and have been finding so many miracles. While teaching a sweet Cambodian lady we have been able to make good contact with her non-member husband. He hasn't chosen to sit in on the lessons, but he has been listening in while in the next room. He has been asking great questions and has even given up some of his church activities for ours!

We got to watch Conference with a less active woman in the ward. She has been having a harder time recently with word of wisdom habits. She is amazing! She knows what she needs to do and is seeking for help. She is excited to get reading the Book of Mormon daily again for added strength.

It is so incredible to know so many great people who are seeking to improve their lives. Their stories are so motivating and make me want to become a better person. I know that through the Lord we can do all things! He loves us NO MATTER WHAT. Unconditionally. (One of my favorite talks was by Elder Hallstrom!)

I loved listening to General Conference this weekend! We got to watch it with some wonderful ward members. We got to spend all of yesterday's sessions with the Chamberlins. They're so much fun! Great people, great food, and great Conference! It was fun to end the activities with a nice "bean-bag" fight with hilarious Brother Chamberlin! :)

What a wonderful week! I'm so grateful for all the small tender mercies of every day. Getting to meet super nice people while tracting is always a bonus!

Love you all!
Sister Winterton


Pictures:
-All the Sisters went to Old Town Leesburg to the shops!
-Some houses in Old Town
-One of the many mansions in our area!
-Watching Conference














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