Count Your Blessings

Wow, what a week! I'm going to start off with the boring things (aka the world) and then I'll finish with the miracles of this week and General Conference (aka the good stuff)

1. My new companion......is AWESOME! She is a super duper hard worker and she is so loving. Her name is Hermana Banaswevski and she's from Chicago. She graduated from BYU-Idaho in psychology. She came right in working like a maniac and for that I love her. It feels so good to give everything you have everyday. To go to bed at night and feel so exhausted.....mentally, physically, spiritually. Feeling like you gave your all that day. And Hermana B. helps me feel that way everyday! In the short time we've been together, I've already seen miracles brought about because of her faith.....she is a power-house!

2. Well, sometimes when you have that mental exhaustion as explained above, you do crazy things. What did I do this week? I cut all my sleeves off my shirts. I was so hot, I couldn't handle it! I only cut the sleeves off of my downeast shirts, cause they're going under sweaters anyway! But nevertheless, Mamon was laughing at me for quite some time. I was SO hot. I just went crazy with the scissors, in a frenzy to find anything cutable. But no worries, I feel a lot better now.

3. Regular life in NY #1. I was going to eat some toast the other day. So I popped two pieces of bread into the toaster. Then when it was cooked, I popped them out. With the toast, out crawled about ten cockroaches. But I was hungry. The dilemma: eat the cockroach infested toast or waste 2 pieces of bread which is all the food you have. I ate the toast. And I never looked back. And I've continued eating toast from that toaster everyday. I mean, it can't be all that bad for you.....I bless the food.

4. Well, J-Lo predictions are correct.....we may have bed bugs. Why do I say "may"? Because I get eaten alive outside by mosquitoes so much it's hard to tell which is which. So in another moment of rage that is unique to H Winfield, I sharpied all my bug bites before going to bed the other night so I could tell which ones were new in the morning. So I had black dots all over my legs......yeah, I got some weird looks at the church when I forgot to wear one of my longer skirts. But don't worry, we threw out our bed and have a new one now. And we've sprayed permethrin everywhere (see picture) and we've heat scorched everything. They don't stand a chance.

5. Claudia and Karen update. They are doing SO great and really growing in the gospel! Claudia is getting ready to go do baptisms at the temple and we're going to go with her. Partay! And Karen reads the children's Book of Mormon like no one I've ever seen. One day we came over and she said "Oh yeah, I read 10 chapters last night. Want to know what I learned?" And continued to expound on how to apply it in her life......she knows more than most adults.

6. We're working on learning this new curriculum and organization system that makes missionary work simplified and easier. It will be taught in the MTC next summer so we're adapting it here first. I LOVE it and it really helps everyone get back to the basics in teaching and focusing on the Savior.

7. Miracle of the week: 10 year old Alisa is someone we've been teaching the last few months and she has never been baptized although she's been taught by missionaries off and on for the last 2 years. Her mom always says that Alisa needs to learn more before she can get baptized; she wants her to wait until she turns 11 in March....but who knows even then. So on Thursday night Hermana B and I saw her at the church building with her 16 yr old sister Bernice and we asked her how she felt about baptism. And we told her 10/10/10 would be a super cool day to get baptized (this sunday). She said she really wants to get baptized that day (she's always wanted to be baptized so no big surprise).

Well fast forward to yesterday (Sunday). We were mixing and mingling with ward members in-between the session and I saw her mom and went up talked to her. I asked her if she'd talked to Alisa about being baptized and this is what she said: "Oh yeah Alisa told me she'd talked to you about getting baptized this Sunday. I told her she really should wait til her birthday at least but she told me she didn't want to wait any longer. So I guess you're right, she can get baptized on Sunday. I mean, I guess it's about time since she's wanted to for ever." Oh my goodness! I almost cried right in front of her! So, Alisa will be getting baptized this Sunday! I am SO happy for her and the decision she's made to follow our Savior Jesus Christ; it will change her life.

8. General Conference. AMAZING. Oh man, being a missionary and watching general conference is the best! I love it so much, I can't even explain it in words. I loved everything about it and every talk.....I can't even choose a favorite. But one highlight I will share is the immense amount of gratitude I felt, even before President Monson's talk.

And when we were singing one of the hymns, I just started bawling thinking about how much the Lord has blessed us with. Even if I had no family, no money, no house, no food, and no clothes I would be abundantly blessed because I have the gospel of Jesus Christ. So whatever else we don't have doesn't matter. Because we have the one thing that can soothe every heart and dry every tear. The one thing that can fill every hole and heal every heart. Jesus Christ is in reality Our Savior and as His representative I testify that He lives and that He loves us. With Nephi I give thanks that "My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness...He hath filled me with His love, even unto the consuming of my flesh...Behold, He hath heard my cry by day, and He hath given me knowledge my visions in the night-time." He is the Savior of the world. Not only the Savior of those who know Him, or the Savior of those who are worthy of Him, or those who are esteemed among men. He is the Savior of every person on the face of this earth, even those who don't know they can be redeemed through Him. And He is especially the Savior of those who don't think they are worthy of his redeeming power. There is no problem He cannot conquer, no weakness He cannot strengthen, no heartache He cannot cure. We are so blessed to know Him and His gospel. And I feel so blessed to be His disciple for these 18 months. This mission, as short as I've been out here, has changed my life. I do not say that lightly; I will never be the same again. Like Eliza R. Snow, I can say that my heart is fixed in the Lord. I will not waiver. How blessed we our to be children of a Heavenly Father and have a Brother that loves us enough to take all of our sins and pains upon Him!

9. With that said, I want everyone that ends up reading this email to put your gratitude into action and share the gospel with someone around you. All of you know one person that does not know of the happiness they could have in their lives. What right do we have to withhold such blessings from them! When you've done this, I would love to hear about your experience!

10. I LOVE you all! Thank you so much for your support!

Shout outs this week go to- Grandma as always, Maggie, Dad, Mom, Brenna, Aunt Di, Cait, Em, and Anna! Thank you all so much!

Mom and Dad- You have no idea how thankful I am for you. And for all the years you prayed for me and taught me. I may not have acted like it, but I was listening! Besides the Savior and Heavenly Father, no one has had a more lasting and eternal impact on my life than the two of you. And Mom, we were totally besties in the pre-existence! Woot woot! Dad, I am so sorry for all the trouble I caused and for how mean I was. Sometimes we don't realize how completely blessed we are until later. But your dedication to the gospel has helped me lay a foundation that I will build upon for the rest of my life. You are the best father anyone could ever ask for and exactly the type of man I want to marry. I've got to stop now cause I'm bawling in an internet cafe and that's embarrassing!

Girlies- I love you SO much and I am so thankful we're all friends AND sisters! Partay for eternity!

Anna- I love you so much and I think about you often and how your mission experience must have been. Thanks for being my favorite older sister!

Cait- Oh, be still my soul! I love you so much and I loved your life update! You are right, I never would have seen that romantic turn coming......but I like it! Keep me updated!

Aunt Di- Don't give up! Your mission experience sounds like every 5 minutes of my life so I agree with you that it can be discouraging. But you're a great example! I'm so blessed to have you as my aunt! Thank you so much for your emails every week.....I wish I could write you long long letters!

Grandma- My love for you is pretty undying....you could say it's eternal! Thank you for being such an amazing grandma and for raising such an amazing daughter!

Kori- Oh man I miss you. Please write me a letter in the mail. Seriously you brighten my day. Maybe give me one of those pep talks you're so good at. Tell Rhen I said hello and I LOVE you both!

Maggot- I got both of your emails, sorry I haven't written back! I LOVE your life right now, it's like a fairy tale I would love to live in! I am sad you're moving, but in a way you'll be closer to me :) Plus, I can come visit you when I get back.....in my yacht. I can't even explain to you how happy you make me....but it's a lot. Please continue to email me cause I'd be super sad if you didn't. I love you!

Brenna- You are by far and hands down my favorite Brenna in the whole wide world. Oh man, I'm so glad we get along now! Good things those teenage years are behind us.....they were rough! I LOVED your dearelder and I LOVE you! You brighten my day whenever I get something from you. I love the person you are and how hard you are working. Way to be the big sister the girls need! I did some scripture research for you as requested and here's what I got:

Prayer. Great topic and lots of scriptures. Start with....

Mosiah 24
Alma 22:15-18,
Alma 27:5-8
Alma 28:5-6 and 30:2
Alma 31: 8-10, 13-35, 38
Alma 32: 3-11
Alma 34:17-27
Alma 37:36-37

Em: I miss you SO much! You're like a mini me but 100 times better! Keep being strong and being the awesome woman you are! I love you so much!

Beth: I miss you too! Awwww! I am so excited to be with you forever! So keeping being good and being all the amazing things you are and working hard. I LOVE you so much. Write me!

Buggy- Hands down my favorite Hayley and Bug in the whole world. Wow you are the sweetest person alive and always make everyone happy. Continue being the angel you are and be a good example to your friends.

Love the mish. Be the mish.
Hermana Winfield