Jacob Winegar: November 2022

Oh hey…

It's you. Thanks for making it. And thanks for taking the time to hear me out.

Poor week for morale. I came down with sickness that seriously tanked our momentum. We still went out and worked (with health precautions of course) because I couldn't fathom just staying in, but our pace took some damage.

I love feeling the rhythm and rate at which the Lord's work rolls forth. It helps me realize I have something to contribute. It helps me see that I can make a difference in the world. It helps me feel like I belong.

In any stirring arrangement, changes in tempo and key, both faster and slower, both higher and lower, make the music meaningful. And so it is in life and in discipleship. The longer I experience the symphony that is my mission, the more I learn to appreciate the high and lows, the fast and slow. Truly it is the trial in opposition to the triumph that gives our mortal experience meaning.

So, this week was beautiful in its own way. I learned on a small scale that, "[My] best, [my] heav’nly Friend, Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end."

My body didn't feel particularly sickly as much as it did sore and tired. The activities the Lord provided me to accomplish were perfectly suited to my condition. Surely He is aware of His children and His servants.

We drove President Smith's brand new 2023 Toyota Highlander off the lot. It was luxurious to say the least.

Thanksgiving was quaint. A small number of people compared to the Whipple/Winegar family gatherings I'm accustomed to. And yet the generosity and kindness of the members of the Church won it a special space in my heart. Our dinner appointment lasted 4 hours, in part because of the hour and a half game of Uno Showdown. It was a happy occasion.

After a week of drudgery we had two very spiritual meetings,a figurative breaking of the dawn after a dark week. After both meetings, both individuals expressed the desire to be baptized and enter into the Lord's fold and enjoy the lovingkindness of the Good Shepherd. I am humbled to be a part of the work of exaltation. It is miraculous to me.

In my moments of despondency this week I began to study and understand the Lord's mercy. The very intent of Jesus Christ's Atonement is to provide each of us mercy (Alma 34:15). We each experience mercy most poignantly when we taste the sweet forgiving that follows repentance. But with the proper perspective, we can see the mercy of God in all things. We read, "...and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them" (Moroni 7:24). Without the Atoning power of Christ the bands of death would remain unbroken and all good works that we could render of ourselves would inevitably come to an end with the death of humankind. Our own personal goodness becomes futile without the infinite mercy of Christ who did break the bands of death and enable all good things we do to endure forever.

I testify that Christ the Lord is risen! He lives! And because He lives so too will we, even beyond the veil of death. I testify that our good works can follow us and provide everlasting joy to ourselves and others. I testify that Jesus Christ is merciful, meaning that He is kind, forgiving, benevolent, gentle, and loving far beyond what we deserve. That's Him.

Songs

Chinatown–Bleachers

Like or Like Like–Miniature Tigers

Godspeed the right,

Elder Winegar

Elder Winegar, weekly email

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

I truly, truly hope this finds you well. How are you? I wanna know! Shoot me an email sometime. I cannot guarantee a response (in fact, the odds are likely slim), nevertheless I do care very much about your well-being.

The Lord's gospel continues to "roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth."

You know me, just rolling along.

Met a goodly number of individuals this week. I'm astonished by the diversity and uniqueness of each one of God's children. Among the infinite multitude of God's creations truly there are none as magnificent as man.

We were able to participate in some studies with each companionship in our Zone, while President Smith conducted interviews with individual missionaries. I feared that the insights we planned to share would become redundant or disingenuous as we shared them again and again. Instead, I learned the truth of the Lord's word when He said, "...my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." Each study unfolded into completely unique instruction and discussion, so tailored to the needs of each companionship. And it was completely directed by the Lord. I have scarcely felt so certain as I was on this occasion that the thoughts that had entered into my mind were not my own.

We helped a woman unpack all of her Christmas decorations. 'Tis the season…

Some Baptist missionaries knocked on our door this week! We expounded the scriptures unto them and revealed to them the doctrine of the restoration. They felt the spirit, so we gave them a copy of the Book of Mormon and exhorted them to pray about it. Hopefully their discipleship will deepen with this additional knowledge about Jesus Christ! We wished them much success in their work and sent them on their way. Hopefully we didn't frighten them…

A really cool girl randomly showed up at Church this week and had gone to the Defense Language Institute, a school for military linguists that just so happened to be in one of my previous areas…she was rad. We have a good feeling about her, so stay tuned…

I once stumbled across some verses of scripture that changed my perception of myself, mortality, and God. The verses read:

"Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.

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."

Oftentimes when we make the same mistakes again and again and again, it becomes easy to despair. In our myopia we believe that because of our failures we cannot change. Because we aren't all that we want to be right now, we feel we never will be.

I witness and testify that God is never the source of these fears. It is not His plan that we despair. It is His divine plan that we become the perfect version of ourselves—eventually. He does not expect perfection now and neither should we.

Our Saviour looks upon us and our weaknesses as a parent would upon their "little children." Our failures do not cause Him to shun us, but to nurture us even more carefully with His endless mercy and patience. He also expects us to grow. But He does not expect us to do it alone. The Redeemer offers us power beyond our own, His perfect power, to help us change and become all that He knows we can become.

Are not these truths the most joyful of all? You are His. And because you are His you will never be lost. I know that to be true.

Songs

Clementine–grentperez

My Sunrise–Ruti

I'm so full of love for you. I hope you feel it.

Stay strong,

Elder Winegar

Elder Winegar, Weekly Schmeemail

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Greetings,

An unfortunately scanty report this week. Let me share a few things with you.

I had yet another privilege to drive a Sienna. This time a 2023, brand new, off the lot. If you can reasonably acquire one, I would highly recommend it.

I went on an exchange (the ol' switcheroo) with an Elder who was literally called Elder YONK. No jokes. And, let me tell you, he had sufficient power to support his namesake. He is one righteous fellow with a contagious desire to work. We had a jolly good time biking around town, jesting, joking, and spreading the good news.

On another day we saw one of our friends, who I'll call Zeke. It was about 7:30 PM, and quite dark for that hour, but we decided we'd go see Zeke. Last we had heard from him he was recovering from a head injury which he had received when he was bludgeoned with the dull side of an axe. When we arrived he had not expected to see us, but was in a very dire moment. Just having come out of rehab for a fentanyl addiction, he was encircled by temptations and anxieties, submerged in depression and darkness, and feeling completely, completely alone.

We asked if we could come in and sit with him. He agreed. As we were able to spend time with him many things transpired. Among them were ministration through prayer, the scriptures, and the Priesthood, as well as friendly conversation and empathetic silence. Though the truths of the gospel carry great comfort, we knew there was more we could offer him. Yes, Zeke desperately needed to be connected to the divine to receive strength and comfort beyond his own. But perhaps just as desperately, Zeke needed a friend.

Though we may not be able to remedy the complex challenges of morality, we can ensure that nobody has to face them alone. We can, "reach to lift hands which hang hopelessly down." After all, was this not the mission of Christ? Was it not He who suffered, "pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind…the sicknesses of His people…that he [would] know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

My dear friends, these truths I know. Jesus Christ lives, as sure as you or I. He is the best listener in the cosmos and He wants to listen to you. He wants to listen to your heartaches, your troubles, your fears. And then He wants to put them all to rest. On occasion He may deliver us from suffering. Most often He will say to us simply as He has to many before, "Be still, and know that I am God." But when we hear it from His mouth through His spirit, it will be enough. I am confident our sorrows will be thoroughly silenced.

Your Savior has said, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Let us not exclude ourselves from the best friendship eternity has to offer. Let us not exclude ourselves from the friendship of Jesus Christ.

And so, with the Prophet Joseph I say, "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

Song 🎵

Older Chests–Damien Rice

Farewell for now, with all my love,

Your Friend,

Elder Winegar

Greetings from Elder Winegar

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Happy Halloween spirits and spooks.

I've been slacking lately on the email game I know. But everything just goes so fast lately. Sometimes I feel kinda weird.

Things are good. We have pretty rad things happen to us every day. Here's the update:

Transfers struck once again. I remained in South San Jose, but with a tWiSt… 😮

I have a new companion. 🌛 Elder Kay is a farmer from Idaho. We call him gramps. He used to be the housing coordinator for our mission so he comes with some splendid perks, most notably a smooth lil' Tacoma (sorry dad no pics yet). She's a nice ride.

Let's see what else. Oh yeah. We got put in a trio for the week. That was spectacular. Spent some time helping Elder Searle prepare to return home from San Jose and start a service mission in Arizona. I get to testify with the word of my mouth. He gets to testify through being a stalwart example of Christlike service. I grew to care for Elder Searle very much. An interesting, and to me, quite enjoyable chap.

We had a ward trunk or treat. Don't know why everyone is so insistent on celebrating satan's holiday, but to each their own. Only joking. It was a grand time, especially watching the deacons get borderline concussed by their siblings in human whack-a-mole.

At times we are so eager to engage in the Lord's work, to join His battalion, that we forget that it's just that—a battalion! When things are going well we may not realize that,

"We a war 'gainst sin are waging" and that, "the fight with sin is real." But our mortal journey, and especially our discipleship, will inevitably lead us to the front lines where the battle is raging and the clamour of combat is deafening. The campaign of the adversary is very real and, sadly, very successful. Many of God's children, whether they realize they are enlisted or not, suffer great wounds at the hands of those enemies wielding weapons of temptation and wickedness. As is expected in wartime, what was once eagerness soon becomes weariness, then discouragement, then despair.

Recently I have felt the "fight" demanded of those who are a part of the cause of Christ. Some days it is difficult to go on and surrender sounds ever so restful.

On one of these particular days, after pleading with, no, crying out to the Lord for any strength beyond my own, these words came gently to my mind,

"Don't quit on a bad day!

We will always have bad days, you will always have failure, it will always be hard. But if we choose to give up as soon as things become challenging we will never accomplish great things. Greatness never has been and never will be easy.

And God wants us to be so much more than great, or marvelous, or even majestic. He wants us to be like Him.

Mortality coupled with discipleship never has been and never will be easy. But we are not alone. God is with us. We are His work and His glory. He will push us far beyond our limits into realms of pain or sorrow because He knows better than we do that to become better isn't comfortable. He understands that refinement takes fire, stormy seas make skilled sailors, and mortal experiences make heirs to eternity."

My dear friends, I testify that though the fight "will be long [it] must go on" if we are to obtain the glorious prize of victory. I testify that this is a fight well worth fighting, after all, our eternal destiny hangs in the balance! I testify that because Jesus Christ triumphed over Gethsemane and Calvary, over death and Hell, we can too. We must not doubt that truth! Christ is victorious! It doesn't matter what foe we are called face, "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

Songs 🎵

Nancy From Now On–Father John Misty

Humble Passenger–Dr. Dog

Additionally, the new Backseat Lovers album came out…please listen to it for me. Got it? Perfect. Now listen to it again. 🥴

Anyhow. I'll let you get on with it. Have fun.

Luh you.

Bye,

Elder Winegar.