Elder Winegar, Tour de Menlo Park

 So hey,

So much to say and so little time. It'll have to be the highlights of the highlights.

We started biking this week. No more car. It's actually been pretty refreshing and full of unique opportunities and struggles.

There's this one young stanford couple in our ward from New Zealand and I could talk to them FOREVER. Like holy…

We preached an impromptu sermon to a group of 30+ after they brought us in their garage to help with their family home evening. My mouth was filled with inspired words about overcoming opposition through faith in Christ. I found out afterwards from one individual that the reason their family had come together was because a relative who was central to the family had passed away. 

We were walking down the street and we met this Mexican family who were out cooking a family dinner and enjoying the pleasant evening weather. We offered prayer but they said they didn't speak English. One gentleman using the little English he did know, started making jokes asking if we wanted to buy some food for $3000. I replied that I would if I had the money because of how delicious it smelled. They then generously offered us some food free of charge. As we sat and ate with them I could hardly describe the profound joy, gratitude, and love I felt for these people that I had just met. It was a beloved experience to me. I quickly searched up an applicable scripture in Spanish and offered them my most heartfelt appreciation and prayed that they felt my sincerity. 

So how is it that I was able to feel such a sublime connection to these people I scarcely knew and could hardly communicate with?

One word. Charity. The pure love of Christ.

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

Though they may not have realized it, this family through their selfless service and compassion towards two oddly dressed strangers perfectly embodied what it means to be, "true followers of [The] Son, Jesus Christ." And so, together we enjoyed the exquisite hope, peace, and joy that comes from being filled with Christ's pure and perfect love. 

Brothers and Sisters, Let's each of us "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ." Let us follow the example of this family and our Redeemer so that all people might be feel for themselves the wondrous love of God in their lives.

It is my testimony and promise that as we do, we will change the world, just as Christ did. One by one.

songs

Half Moon–Blind Pilot

See you soon.

Elder Winegar

P.S.

I forgot about the cool women from Turkey!!!! Suffice it to say they were really, really cool. Pictured

 

Elder Winegar, Tour de Menlo Park

Friday, May 27, 2022

Elder Winegar, Let us all press on

 Hullo. 

Imma be real right here. This was a tough week for me. Missionary work and life I suppose have a lot of stressors and I haven't  learned how to manage them very well yet. The results were…overwhelming.

I said my farewells to Elder Beard this week. It has been one of the great joys of my mission to serve beside him. Not only is he an inspiring missionary, with a faith in Christ that truly works miracles, but he has become a dear friend to me. 

In his stead I picked up Elder Douglas! He is a brand new missionary who is from Lansing Michigan. He is a really unique chap and I am learning to love him, just as I have with each companion. Love is a process. It is continually growing in knowledge, understanding, magnitude, and strength. It is continually purified and refined in the furnace of opposition. And hopefully, our love is continually becoming more like Christ's, each and every day, a little at a time. Is this not what mortality is all about? Learning to love God and to love our fellowman? 

We had some struggles the next few days afterwards. It seemed it was just a never-ending string of bad events for days on end. But sometimes the greatest act of faith is simply to keep going. To not quit when the going gets tough. To always follow Christ even when it's really, really hard. 

When we do, we are all promised that, "whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions…"

You're enough. It's not always about you. Trust in God and trust in His perfect plan. He "will not leave you comfortless [He] will come to you."

song

Runaway Goliath–Mantaraybryn

I sure do miss you. And I sure do love you.

Let us all press on.

Elder Winegar 

Elder Winegar, Let us all press on

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Elder Winegar, darkest before the dawn

 

hey,

This week was oh so grand. Elder Beard and I went to work and we saw so much fruit.

Started the week off with a nice exchange. Super productive and instructive. We went out and talked to EVERYONE. I thought I had been talking to everyone but I was sorely mistaken. We handed out 7 Books of Mormon, each with a return appointment, in about two hours. So many people are searching for the direction and purpose that comes from the doctrine of Christ. What a joy it is to give them the opportunity to hear it.

We also did another temple tour with Marie, one of the most unique individuals I've met so far. She hails from Spain and is an architect who paints in her free time. I could've talked to her forever, but experiencing the temple grounds always brings a sweet spirit, so I was glad for her in that regard.

We had a fantastic lesson with a family we are teaching about women in the church, to which we brought a Sister of the congregation who is so, so cool. It was very spiritual and a dear experience in my heart. 

We stopped by a friend of ours who had received news earlier that day that his niece had unexpectedly passed away in a car accident. We tried our best to mourn with him, comfort him, and be there for him, but I have never seen someone as hysterical as this man was. One of the most difficult experiences of my mission.

It was followed by an amazing miracle. We went to visit a man who we had not seen in months due to some health issues that had left him hospitalized. He had finally made it home and we were overjoyed to see him. As we discussed how he'd been doing, he mentioned many of the challenges he had been recently facing. We taught him about the power and authority that we held to give blessings of guidance, counsel, and healing, just as Christ did during his ministry. After accepting an offer to receive such a blessing, we had the opportunity to administer that sacred power. Afterwards we asked him to describe how he was feeling at that moment. He took time to ponder our question and then simply described a relaxing, calm, and peaceful experience, which he concluded felt "really good." We identified to him that this feeling was the Holy Ghost testifying to him of the reality of what had occurred. We promised him that through the ordinance of Baptism, he could have those feelings with him in any place or circumstance he might find himself in for the remainder of his life. 

I am delighted to report that he will be preparing for Baptism on the 9th of June.

The sequence of events poignantly illustrates to me the truth behind the adage, "It's always darkest before the dawn." 

In those darkest hours of our lives we may sing,

"Where, when my aching grows, Where, when I languish,

Where, in my need to know, where can I run?

Where is the quiet hand, to calm my anguish 

Who, who can understand?"

But as the hymn goes, there is One who understands, "only One." Only One, who understands so perfectly that He knows with an equal measure of perfection how to rescue us.

"He answers privately, Reaches my reaching In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend. Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching Constant he is and kind,

Love without end."

I bear you my witness that Christ knows you. And He knows what you're going through. He knows better than anyone else and is focused wholly and completely on your welfare. He lives.

Sedona–Houndmouth

I miss you one and all.

Elder Winegar

 

Elder Winegar, darkest before the dawn

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Fwd: Elder Winegar, Sorry I'm late...

Wow. Life never slows down.

I put in some hard work this week in this woman's garden. The blue-collar worker within me emerged with flying colors. 

During one of our lessons, a member of our discussion left to engage in a drug deal. Very uncomfortable and saddening situation to watch unfold. 

I heard some of the most amazing music of my life when a member of our congregation, who is a talented pianist, and an exceptional violinist got together to play for a few of us after dinner. The visceral experiences I have in art testify to me that God's hand surely is in the creation of each one of us, that we are His children. I am grateful for the gifts he gives us to enable us to love and serve one another.

Our mission President gave us some vivid instruction about being "all-in," as he declared it. Would we rather wade halfway into the water, or completely commit ourselves by diving from the cliff? When following Jesus Christ and doing His work, we were counciled to be all in. 

Brothers, Sisters, and Friends, our Redeemer Jesus Christ has taught us "Love one another, as I have loved you." Our Savior's love for each of us is perfectly pure, unreserved, and merciful. Thus, to heed this commandment we must seek to love all in this way. The Lord has also taught us, "Verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me…Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away." To emulate the transformative and joyous love of God in our own lives, it is essential that we seek with all our might to eliminate contention in any form. 

I sustain and reaffirm the invitation of our Prophet, "My call today, dear brothers and sisters, is to end conflicts that are raging in your heart, your home, and your life. Bury any and all inclinations to hurt others—whether those inclinations be a temper, a sharp tongue, or a resentment for someone who has hurt you. The Savior commanded us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, and to pray for those who despitefully use us.

"It can be painfully difficult to let go of anger that feels so justified. It can seem impossible to forgive those whose destructive actions have hurt the innocent. And yet, the Savior admonished us to 'forgive all men.'"

I testify that unkindness and hatred have no valid justification. Our Heavenly Father loves each of us in spite of our foolish choices. In our journey to become like Him, let us love one another, whatever we choose to do, whomever we choose to follow, and whatever we choose to be.

🎶

Love Yourself–Justin Bieber🥴

Peace 🤙🏻

Elder Winegar

Fwd: Elder Winegar, Sorry I'm late...

Thursday, May 5, 2022