The Process of a True Conversion

Hey everyone!

How are you?? Did you have a great week?? I hope so! Well, as for us here in Universidad, things are amazing :) We're working hard and seeing the results little by little. I would love to mention Estefano this week :)

Estefano is a very quiet teenager that we have recently come in contact with. He's the younger brother of a very strong member and is actually very familiar with the Church. He has come many, many times to the Sunday meetings and says that more than anything he loves hearing people share their testimonies. He has received all the lessons from past missionaries, but still feels unsure about if the Church is true or not. However, he has accepted a baptismal date for about a month in the future and has many goals that are centered in helping him gain his very own testimony that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ.

Well, I would love to build my thought off of the experiences that we have had with Estefano. He has learned and understands all of the doctrines of the Church and has no problems with these things. Even though he likes what he has learned, he still doesn't feel that he knows that it is true. This is because gaining a testimony of the Gospel is not an intellectual procedure. Yes, it is necessary that we understand the doctrines, but that is NOT the way we gain a testimony. This comes only through diligent study, prayer, and church attendance, mixed with a good dose of putting the church doctrine in practice. This is how miracles happen. Now, for you all, do you feel that you really know that it is true? If the answer is no, do you want to know? If you really want to know, please follow the invitation found in Moroni 10:3-5 and read, ponder, and pray, putting in practice all that you learn in the transcourse of these events. If you do so, I promise without a doubt in my mind or heart that you will know that this is true. The same has happened with me. It will happen with you :)

I love you all so much! Thank you so much for your support! Have an amazing week!

Elder Wynn

Old Friends

Hey everyone!

How are you doing?? Did you have a good Valentine's Day?? Well, even as a missionary, I testify that a day of love can still be enjoyed! This week here in Universidad was great with the lovely people of Cochabamba :) I would love to talk about Gloria this week :)

Gloria is an investigator that we met at church yesterday. Her daughter is a member but lives in her home country of Brazil. Gloria heard about the Church from her daughter and decided to come, even though she doesn't speak any Spanish. My new companion, Elder Tellez, is amazing and started studying Portuguese a few months ago in Potosi due to an impression that he had. We were able to communicate with her, go to her house for a visit, and set up an appointment to begin teaching. She is AMAZING and has so much faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. We look forward to the great opportunity to teach her, even thought we're nervous about the language barrier, but we know that everything will go well if we just trust in the Lord and do the best we can :)

Well, I just want to share a quick thought :) Today, I had the opportunity to do something that I had looked forward to for a LONG time. As you may remember, I began my mission in the city of Quillacollo almost a year and a half ago and loved the opportunity to serve there. Well, today I got the chance to visit my area in Avaroa and see some of the people that I grew to love. It was so amazing for me to walk down the streets that I hadn't seen in almost a year and it was an amazing highlight to see the bright faces of loving people that helped me so much there. I learned about the importance of treasuring relationships that we have made in the journey that is our life. I loved the opportunity and look forward to treasuring these relationships with future visits. Well, as for you all, I want to invite you to look for those people that you have grown to love, even if you haven't seen them in a long time. You will find that you can bring a smile to the faces of old friends and brighten the eyes of family members that are far away. With today's technology, this isn't that hard, but I promise that as you do so that you will find more joy in your lives as you experience the spirit of ministering and the pure love of our Savior Jesus Christ.

I love you all so much! Thank you for the support that you always give me :) I hope that you have an amazing week!

Elder Wynn

Trabajemos Hoy en la Obra del Señor

Hey everyone!

How are you doing?? Did you have a great week?? I hope so! As for us here in Universidad, things are going really well! We organized a futsal tournament in the ward and worked as normal with some good results. I would love to talk about Jenny this week.

Jenny is the cousin of a very faithful member named Brother Loayza. Yesterday afternoon, we got a call from Brother Loayza asking us to come to his house so that we could meet Jenny. We assumed that he had explained to her that we would be there and that he was going to share the gospel with her, but that wasn't the case. We arrived before she did, and when she entered the room, she was quite surprised to see us there too. However, Brother Loayza did an amazing job of explaining how much the gospel had blessed him in his life and bore his testimony of the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel. Jenny decided to listen rather hesitantly, but what started as a surprise turned into a wonderful experience. She accepted our message and the invitation to read and pray about our message. We look forward to our upcoming appointment this week :)

My thought for this week has much to do with our experience with Jenny, so I'll just jump right in! :) Us as missionaries are taught to work and work and keep working to find, teach, and baptize people that are willing and ready to keep covenants with God. Yes, we knock lots of doors. Yes, we talk with lots of people in the street. However, I am very willing to say that this is NOT the most effective way to have progress in the glorious work of the Lord. In the experience, Brother Loayza took the time to invite a friend over, share his testimony with them, and invite them to listen to the message of the Restored Gospel. This is not only an easier way for the work to progress, but also the most effective way for people to not only get to know the Church but also progress towards baptism and a faithful life afterwards. The title of this email is the title of a Hymn in Spanish and means,"Let's work today in the work of the Lord." My invitation to you is exactly that, to work today in the blessed work of the Lord. I promise that your efforts to share the Gospel with others with not be wasted. You will see the Lord pour His blessings upon you and those that you take the time to share the Gospel with.

I love you all so much! I hope that you have an amazing week!

Elder Wynn

Eternal Reflections

Hey everyone!

How are you?? Did you have a great week? I really hope so! As for us here in Cochabamba, things are going really well :) We are working hard and seeing the progress come little by little. 

For this week, I would love to talk about Rosio Luque. About 2 weeks ago, we were door-knocking and were able to talk with Rosio. She said that she didn't have time (very common) but told us that we could come back a week from that day (slightly less common ;). We came back and she still didn't have time, but this time asked us to come back the next day (almost never happens), so we did, and we had an amazing visit. Rosio has been Catholic her whole life and has truly amazing faith in God. When we began talking, she only asked,"What motivates you Mormons to be here and talk with me?" We said that it was an amazing question and promptly jumped into the Restoration. She understood very well, accepted a Book of Mormon, and seemed very excited to take our challenge to read and pray. We're looking forward to the next appointment :)

Well, as a quick thought for you all this week, I want to start with a similar question to that which Rosio asked us this week: What motivates you to live how you live, do what you do, and think the way you think? I know that not everyone on this email group is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but know that this question is for all of you, no matter what religion you are from or what you believe. Now, I would love to share my personal response: I am a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints because I know that it is true. I testify that Jesus Christ really did bleed from every poor in His suffering for us, making it possible for us, imperfect beings, to be able to live with our Heavenly Father once again if we are baptized in His Church and follow His commandments. I testify that Joseph Smith really saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, in the Sacred Grove in 1820 and that he was the prophet of the restoration of God's true Church. I follow the Prophet and live the way I live because I know that due to this I will live with my Father in Heaven once again. That is why I am a missionary. I invite you all to answer this question very personally and to evaluate what you are doing NOW that will help you in this life and in the eternities to come.

I love you all so much! I hope that you have an amazing week!

Elder Wynn

Photos:

Elder Benancio and I in the Elevator of our appartment building

                    "             in front of the door of the Cochabamba Temple

The Christ Statue of Cochabamba next to the full moon