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
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