Elder Winegar can be reached directly at jacob.winegar@missionary.org
Short one this week it seems.
Never does the pace slow.
As life continually moves faster around us we must increase our pace to keep up. But we need not fear that we will fall behind. The faithful are promised that they "shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint."
However, I also learned the valuable lesson this week "that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength."
I experienced an unfortunate bout of bad health that seriously shortened my stride. Do not fear, I was not hospitalized like my dear cousin in Mexico, but to me it felt a great burden. But with the people of Alma I can now stand as a witness that the Lord God will visit His people in their afflictions and ease the burdens laid upon their backs. (Mosiah 24)
We met a woman whose Sister and Father had both passed in recent years. Amidst these personal tragedies she felt she had lost her sense of self. She was not interested in hearing our message to the world, nevertheless we talked with her, mourned with her, and prayed for her. As we left her, she wept and thanked us for our compassion. Her burdens too were made lighter as we shouldered them together, even if just for a moment.
In short, "every man shall bear his own burden." It has been said, "the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labours." Each of us will have a labor to perform, a burden to bear, or a cross to carry along our own calvary. It is my humble prayer that as we shoulder the weights of life we would remember the Saviors admonition,
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light"
I testify that there is no burden we will experience that is too heavy to bear with Christ. Even with Christ there will still be work to do, suffering to be had, and thorny crowns to wear. But we can be assured that we arenever alone. There will always be at least one set of feet who have walked our same road and they promise rest to our weary souls. As we increase our proximity to the Savior our afflictions may stay the same, but they will be "swallowed up in the joy of Christ."
Song
Dream of Mickey Mantle–Bleachers
I love my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ.
And I also love you hehe. :)
Have a good week,
Elder Winegar
Gave a little training about sharing the scriptures with others in a little missionary conference. I have such a testimony in The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, and the rest of the Standard works. I know they are the word of God to His children. Not only are they foundational in my faith and conversion but they have the profound ability to "heal the wounded soul." Sharing such healing with those I love is one of my favorite parts of this work.
I met a marvelous family from India who practice Hinduism but invited us into their home to share our message about the restoration of Christ's church. As we discussed what it means to be truly good, they taught me so much about what it means to be a disciple and my faith
was greatly increased.
We had interviews with President Smith. I am in awe of that man. He simply radiates the light and love of Jesus Christ. Though we are commanded to be perfect even as the Savior is perfect, it can often feel like a tall order. I am grateful for the righteous people in my life who I can look to for an example of one trying to be like Jesus. It is invigorating and encouraging to see other imperfect people succeeding in emulating in some small part the perfection of the Son of Man.
On the Sabbath we studied the Psalms, which according to the Bible Dictionary, "breathe the highest spirit of prayer." I was particularly struck by David's poetic and raw petition for mercy from the Lord. As I pondered upon this man stricken by the grief and even agony of his own mistakes, my appreciation for the gift of repentance and the Lord's perfect mercy grew.
We are taught, "Repentance is one of the first principles of the gospel and is essential to our temporal and eternal happiness. It is much more than just acknowledging wrongdoings. It is a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, about ourselves, and about the world."
To repent is to change. I know that as we show Christ our desire to be better He will help us become better. I know that in His redemptive might He will fix those mistakes that to us are unfixable. And I know that most importantly He will heal us of our deepest guilt and shame to help us find relief and true joy. He cries to us all, "...Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?"
The Master Physician is waiting, even now, to heal us. But He will not force us to be healed if we choose not to let him. To repent, to change, to accept Christ's perfect help takes great humility.
The greatest joy of my life thus far has been experiencing the joy of daily repentance and the soothe that comes from The Balm of Gilead. I know and bear witness that all can partake of this same joy.
"Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness."
Enjoy a couple songs for me,
Growing/Dying–The Backseat Lovers 
More Life (clean version ofc)–Cordae
The General–Dispatch
I sure do love you all. I pray you're living the dream. If not, keep chasing.
Elder Winegar
Shout out from Elder Winegar
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
I've been thinking about you a lot this week. I hope that you are all doing well.
This week seemed like kind of a drag to me. Lots of meetings and unfortunate things like that. But methinks I heard the desert singing, "Carry on, carry on, carry on!" Contrary to what we might trick ourselves into believing, life (including missionary work) is not always deeply meaningful or even exciting. But when life becomes dull, truly, what else can we do but "Carry On?"
We visited this family from Georgia (the country) and they were some of the coolest people that I’ve ever met. I’m also getting to know the ward a lot better and they are all super fantastic individuals as well.
Sunday evening we were talking to the Sisters through their window and we watched another companionship of Elders’ car get towed away. It was too astonishing to stop the driver and we didn’t realize that we probably should have until after he already drove away. A sad night indeed…
Interesting food experiences this week. On one occasion we were served chicken that was still bloody in the middle. But we tossed 'er down the hatch like champs and the Lord provided by prospering our health. Additionally I can now say I've eaten a Mod Pizza with every single topping, save Jalapeños. And I mean it, every single topping. From rather damp vegan imitation meat to gorgonzola cheese to fig dressing, we had it all. And we had it all on one pizza. Twas an experience to say the very least.
In a world with so many voices coaxing us in so many directions, with heights and depths of all varieties, and with so many strange roads to wander, there may well come a time in our lives when we find ourselves lost.
There are many ways we might find ourselves lost. We may not quite know where we are going. We may be unsure of where we have been. We might stray from our morals and find ourselves in personal darkness. As we repeatedly make the same mistakes, we can feel like we are walking in disorienting circles, passing familiar landmarks over and over. Perhaps we can't recall where to turn for peace. Worst of all, in our wanderings we may find that we have even lost our sense of self. Through it all, we may have forgotten who we are.
But to all us vagabonds The Good Shepherd calls,
"Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me"
"And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost."
"For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."
I testify that we need not wonder who or where we are. We are children of a loving Heavenly Father and we are each on a journey home to Him. And in His perfect love for us, He provided a Savior to come and find us when we rove.
I testify that there is not now, nor has there ever been at any time, anyone who is too lost to be found by Jesus Christ. He will hasten to our rescue to the ends of eternity. His sheep are numbered and He knows them. He knows you.I know that if we let him, He will lead us home to those beautiful, greener pastures.
Song 
Darwin Derby–Vulfpeck
I love you all heaps.
Bye,
Elder Winegar
update from Elder Winegar
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Hey there,
Well. What a week getting all settled in. Something of a whirlwind by my estimation. Quite a lot I want to talk about and not many pictures this week, so if you don't make it through, I'm not offended ;)
San Jose is way different than anywhere else I've served. We only cover one ward and our area feels tiny in comparison to others I've served in. We mostly just work in a bunch of little neighborhoods that all look pretty much the same. But so far the people have been fairly nice…stay tuned I suppose.
My new companion and I taught these little kids (not pictured) who were literally so cute and so nice. I understand Christ's admonition to become as a child in a much more real way. Children are exemplary disciples. Their inclination towards others, the world, and God is not one of doubt and skepticism, but of faith and optimism! They believe so easily! They always find the best in any circumstance. They are humble and are always accepting of knowledge and learning. And most importantly they love without hesitation. Regardless of who or what the world thinks of us or even what we may think of ourselves, a child sees through judgements and limiting labels in an instant, choosing to see, appreciate, and love who we really are. Sounds like an awful lot like what a follower of Christ should be.
Had a nice little companion swap with the assistants to the President. I was with Elder Schill (pictured). He is quite the tank. The boost of momentum was just what I needed. I had a pretty profound little moment but more on that later.
Tomorrow, August 9, marks one year as a missionary. It's staggering to me. It feels as if I just began but also like I've been here a lifetime. It has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life thus far.
The past month or so has been very difficult for me. I found myself facing very real emotional and spiritual apathy. There were times I didn't even see the point in trying. But I remembered that, "Waiting upon the Lord can be a sacred place—a place of polishing and refining where we can come to know the Savior in a deeply personal way. Waiting upon the Lord may also be a place where we find ourselves asking, 'O God, where art thou?'—a place where spiritual perseverance requires us to exercise faith in Christ by intentionally choosing Him again and again and again." And so I made the choice to trust in God's vision for me rather than in my own myopia. I, often painstakingly, stoked my hope in the Lord's promise; "the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am."
Then, just this last week, came a sacred moment while on my exchange with Elder Schill. We had seen some miracles, but we were mostly just plugging along, working hard. We were walking to our next contact and while we walked, in a seemingly insignificant moment, my heart swelled with joy. I had found again my love for this work. As if dawn broke, every shadow of doubt fled from before me and I was finally at peace.
Missions are a lot like life. We will have our struggles. They are unavoidable. But when we wait on the Lord through them, we are polished and eventually perfected,if we choose to be. I am infinitely grateful to my Heavenly Father and His Son for letting me suffer the things that I have, especially on my mission. It is because of my hardship that my faith has grown so explosively.
And so, having been out for a year, and having polished my own faith for that time, I'd like to bear my simple testimony on a few truths I've learned and hold deep in my heart.
I testify that our Heavenly Father loves His children, or in other words, all of us. He hears and answers every single prayer. Sometimes He answers immediately just how we want and sometimes He answers over the course of a long, long time in almost unrecognizable ways. I testify that obedience to God's commandments, gratitude, serving and uplifting others, humility, and love fill our lives with tangible light, joy, and peace, even if our outward circumstances remain the same. I testify that the Book of Mormon is a true witness of Jesus Christ and helps us more fully understand "what manner of [people we] ought to be." I testify that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. He was a man, he made many mistakes, but he was a prophet and a sincere follower of Christ.
Most importantly I know with a surety and testify with all my soul that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of us all! I joyfully proclaim that He lives! He took upon himself all the pain of the world, including death, so that He could help us reach our potential. I testify that through His matchless power, His mercy, and His grace, we too will live again! Through Him our guilt and shame can be washed away. Through Him our weaknesses can become our strengths. Through Him we can find peace in this life and dwell in never-ending happiness in the life to come.
These truths I know. I do what I do because I know they are the truth. Not just for me but for everyone! I invite all to come and partake of the hope, peace, joy, of Jesus Christ's gospel. The Plan works for you! You can be forgiven! Youcan be whole!Youcan be happy!
And now, your songs.
Half of the Way–Vulfpeck
August (Acoustic)–Flipturn
Amsterdam–Gregory Alan Isakov and the Colorado Symphony
Be Still–Luke Spenhar (one of my favorite songs as a missionary, I think that you'll love it!)
I love you. Thank you for supporting me in the greatest of all works. It means the world.
See you in 1.
Elder Winegar
Elder Winegar, 1 year of Weekly Emails...Haven't missed baby
Tuesday, August 9, 2022
In short, I'm leaving Menlo Park. I am bound for San Jose. As for what awaits me there, I know very little, but oh how I trust in the Lord my God! Surely He has prepared a great work for me there and I joyfully anticipate engaging in it.
Saying goodbye to the beautiful places and wonderful people I have come to know and deeply love always wrenches my heart. But my heart rejoices knowing that I will meet them again, if not along my journey then, as the hymn says, "at Jesus' feet."
As for me, the work rolls forward. It is not always easy work, but I could not be more humbled and grateful to be a part of it. It is my life's great joy to serve the Lord.
I apologize for being brief in my words today, but I will compensate with loads of pictures. Look for a separate email…
A song
Old Love–Joe Hertler and The Rainbow Seekers
I love you dearly,
Elder Winegar
Elder Winegar, transfer time
Wednesday, August 3, 2022
hello
Welcome! Here you'll find Elder Winegar's experiences and thoughts while serving our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the San Jose California Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. For Letters 📝 & Packages📦. The Mission Office address is: 1336 Cherry Ave., San Jose, CA 95125
