The Importance of the Spirit

Hey everyone!

How are you doing? Did you have a good week? I hope that life is treating you all well :) As for me, life couldn't be better! Working here in Sucre was amazing this past week, even though we weren't here for half of it. More on the other stuff that went on in a sec :) With our investigators, I would like to mention Nicole and Epson. Nicole is a great investigator that we've been teaching for all my time here. She has progressed amazingly fast and looks forward to being baptized this following Saturday. She has come to church for a LONG time with her friend Abril and just loves it. She is also going to seminary and doing so many other things that just blow us away. We look forward to seeing her be baptized this week :) Epson is an investigator that Elder Martinez found with his last companion here. He loves reading the scriptures, almost scarily so, and just loves learning. This whole transfer, we have been working really hard with him and trying to get him to come to church, but he never could. However, yesterday, he finally came. At first he sat in the back, but then, for the last talk, he walked all the way up to the front row. He loved his first time at church and said he wants to keep coming, so we're really excited to keep working with him :) Well, those are a couple of the people that we are working with here. Now, I would love to talk about the other thing that happened this week. Last week, I was writing from Cochabamba because I was there for a leadership counsel and it was amazing! We got to talk with th Mission President about problems that are going on in the mission and how we can improve. It was amazing :) Now, for my thought, I would love to share a part of what our Mission President shared as his message for us.

He started with John 16 and read a few verses that said that (forgive my crappy translation) it was convenient for us that Christ left. I was shocked by these verses as I had never thought much about that statement. It goes on to say that it is so convenient for us because it would allow the Holy Ghost to descend upon us. This got me thinking: How important is the Spirit? Is He really so important that it is better for us to have Him more than Jesus? After a discussion, we came to the conclusion that yes, the Holy Ghost is even more necessary on the earth than Christ, and here's why: Jesus is amazing, but has a body, meaning, even though He is perfect, that He can only be in one place at a time. He can make an unbelievable change in that one place, but only in that one place. However, the Holy Ghost does not have a body, so he can be in any number of places at once, confirming truth right to our hearts and helping us know whenever anything is true. I feel that often we are not that grateful for the amazing presence that is the Holy Ghost. In this following week, I invite you in your personal study to read about the Holy Ghost and all that he does for us. Then, I invite you to study how to have Him with you in every moment of every day. Then, I invite you to apply that so the Spirit can be with you more often in your lives. I promise you that you will be happier, you will find more success in your daily lives, and that you will feel more guided as you make decisions in your life. That's a promise :)

Well, I love all of you and hope that you have amazing weeks! You are so amazing! Talk to you next week!

Elder Wynn

Eternal Progression

Hey everyone!

How are you doing?? I hope that you are enjoying your September! Can you believe that it's already halfway over?? Well, I hope that this last week has treated you well adn that this next week is even better! As for me, it has been a normally amazing week here in Bolivia :) I continue getting used to Sucre (It has been a STRUGGLE!) but I am loving it more and more every day! Well, I would like to talk about a few of the amazing people here that we are visiting for just a moment. I would like to mention Jordan and Mayra. Jordan is a teenager (17ish) that we just love to visit. He loves learning about Jesus Christ and has so much desire to follow Him. This past week, we were able to talk with him and extend an invitation to be baptized in October. He truly is amazing and I am so happy for the opportunity to know him here in Sucre :) Mayra is a woman that has been familiar with the Church since she was a young girl. She has always loved the Church and was once meeting with the missionaries here in Sucre before she moved to Argentina and completely lost contact. However, she has moved back and a member referred us to visiting her and we have loved the experience. Mayra is someone that loves to learn, especially about God. We look forward to working with her in the weeks that come :)

Well, now that I've talked a bit about my week, I would like to share a small thought :) Here in the mission, there are so many amazing experiences that happen every day, but I would like to talk about one of my favorites. Having a leadership assignment here, I have the great opportunity to give baptismal interviews to amazing people that are making the choice to join the Church. Talking with these people is an unbelievable blessing. As you probably know, there are many standards that one must live inside of this church, and talking with people that have accepted these standards and lived them helps one learn the powerful change that this church brings to the lives of others. I have talked with people that were once drug-addicts or alcoholics. Others have even been imprisoned for some time. However, they all share on thing in common: a desire to change. These people have made the decision to completely abandon their old lives, deciding to live on a higher plane. I have an amazing respect for them and am so grateful for the opportunity to meet them in every interview that I give. And now, an invitation. These people have had to make very big changes in their lives as they have recently grown to know the Church. Many of you are members, and if you are not, you are at least familiar with the Church, and that brings changes. However, I invite you to never think that you have made all of the changes that you will ever have to make. We live in a church of eternal progression, so we need to be trying to improve each and every day. I invite you to think about ways you could improve, maybe as small as daily scripture study or as big as being baptized, because we can ALL make important changes in our lives today.

Well, I love you all and I thank you for your support of me here in Bolivia. I hope that you have an amazing week!

Elder Wynn

Photos:

A Sucre Sunset

A Selfie with my Compi :)

P-day Selfie with my companion and Elder Nelson

Hey everyone!

How are you doing?? Well, I don't have a huge amount of time today because, as you may have noticed, I'm writing on Tuesday instead of Monday. We went to the Uyuni salt flats as a zone yesterday and it was amazing! Well, quick update on the work here in Sucre. Our investigators are progressing alright and we have been happy to find more new investigators as well. We look forward to Nicole's baptism in a couple weeks and a couple others should follow as well. We have a lot of work to do here in Sucre. Well, I just want to share a quick thought with you all before I go. Yesterday, I once again had the opportunity to go to the Uyuni salt flats and it was once again a breath-taking experience. It is honestly so beautiful and impossible to describe. As many of you know, I am a HUGE fan of nature and love seeing beautiful desplays of God's creations. I honestly believe that we can experience the Spirit in such beautiful power as we take time to enjoy the beauty of the Earth. I invite all of you this week to take a day and make time to wake up early, go to a beautiful place, and watch the sunrise. I testify that this world is a work of divine creation and that the Spirit of God can be felt with special power as we look to appreciate what we have been given.

Well, I love all of you guys and hope that you have an amazing week!

Elder Wynn

Pictures:

Enjoying the Uyuni sunset with my companion, Elder Martinez

A fun pic at the train cemetery

A panoramic of the amazing Uyuni sunset :)

Crazy Changes

Hey everyone!

How are you all doing?? I can't believe that we are already in September! Time is FLYING! Well, I am now officially in Sucre, and it is WAY different than my other areas. It is a very large city and I honestly feel completely lost when we leave the house. I am hoping to learn my way around quickly, but we'll have to see, it is a huge area and a very confusing city for me. Luckily, I have an amazing companion! He is from Paraguay and his name is Elder Martinez. He is a great missionary that works hard and is also super funny. I really look forward to continuing working with him :) This last week we have mostly been looking for new investigators, but I have also had the opportunity to meet a few of the long time investigators here as well. I would like to introduce you all to Nicole, Epson, and Karina. Nicole is a friend of a young member here and is amazing. She has come to church every Sunday for many weeks and has also expressed a desire to be baptized. I look forward to working with her :) Epson and Karina are a couple that is absolutely amazing. Elder Martinez found them a couple weeks ago and they just LOVE to learn. They love reading the scriptures and have many, many great questions. It will be amazing to keep answering their questions and helping them progress. I really look forward to it :)

Well, now that I've talked about a few of the people that we are teaching, I would love to give a small thought that come right from the craziness here. This past week, with the new area, new responsibilities, etc. here, I have found myself really overwhelmed. There have been several moments that I have just been so confused, stressed, and frustrated that I have had no idea what to do. As hard as these moments are, they truly are the best moments to learn and grow. I have learned a lot about myself (mostly about how much of a big stress ball that I am ;), but even more important, I learned a lot about our Heavenly Father. We often say that God is always there to help us, but much less often are the times that we feel the absolute truth of this statement in it's full beauty. I have felt his comfort in these stressful times and have also seen his hand in helping me in these new adjustments. I have a new appreciation for prayer. I now invite all of you that are going through hard or difficult times to drop on your knees and ask for the help that you need. He truly does listen to you. He truly does give us what we need. He can strengthen you and help you through whatever you are doing. We truly can "do all things through Christ." I testify to all of these things and invite you to ask for any help that you might need. I promise that He will help you. Yes or yes :)

Well, I will now get back to work here in Sucre! I look forward to continuing to work with Elder Martinez in this amazing city with all of its amazing people! I love you all and hope that you have an amazing week!

Elder Wynn

Selfie in the Airport with Elder Martinez!

Watching the sunrise at the airport while waiting for a plane to take off

A great Bolivian dish! Fricasé! A spicy soup with chuño, móte, and beef! So good!

I hope that you enjoy the pics! Love you!

Love,

Elder Wynn