Cooper Winegar: March 2022

Hey it's Elder Winegar, writing another weekly email about my weekly activities, isn't that crazy.

Good news bad news time: good news is that we had transfers this week and I'm staying here in Durango! Bad news is that my comp is leaving Durango. We were good buddies, but all good because now I'm with Elder Medrano who has a cool speaker.

Other cool highlights was that I taught an English class, went to a stake activity that showed Lehi's dream, and found an awesome family that we've started teaching!

Oh ya we also had a sweet baptism this week! Rafael was stoked and took the leap of faith to get baptized. The bag we put on his hurt arm worked like a charm, I just forgot to tell him to plug his nose so he was dying in the bathroom for like 5 minutues after. He's fine now, he was smiling tons after.

The change I saw in Rafael was so cool. I have watched him change from a pesimistic, sad old man into a happy old man that finds joy in reading the book of mormon. In one of our visits last week, his first comment was about the 3 nephites and how they would live forever and how that just made sense to him. We were blown away at this 75 year old that is reading, comprehending, and enjoying the scriptures.

During study this week, I was reading the story of Nephi and his brothers getting the bronze plates. After they got them and returned to their family, they celebrated and found joy in reading the scriptures. Eventually though, the night ended and they packed up camp. 1 Nephi 5:22 then says-

22 Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us (the bronze plates), as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise

Nephi and his family went on to struggle in the wilderness, but what I like is that they never forgot that they had the scriptures. It was easy for them to read the bronze plates when they were all together as a family having a good time, but I'm sure it got harder as more and more trials came up. But throughout their hardships, they continued to turn to the scriptures for help.

When times get hard, please don't turn away from the gospel. Like Nephi, we have the scriptures that we can turn to. If we read the scriptures diligently, we will receive the help and answers we need to make it towards our own "land of promise."

Deuces

-Elder Winegar

Loads of pics without context

Boolin

Monday, March 28, 2022

Hey hey what's good, hope you're all fantastic.

Yesterday there was a member that shook my hand for a very long time. He also said 'nice to meet you again.' I guess we were homies in the spirit world or something, idk I'll take his word for it.

At zone conference i got to eat food and play Jeopardy. It was good, except they made Jeopardy a draw. Still not over it.

Played stake volleyball this week. We were supposed to bring investigators, but no one came. So we just played volleyball. And lost. Volleyball manager skills have not translated into the mission yet.

We will also have a baptism this saturday. Rafael has been a good man and read his scriptures and said his prayers and now has a testimony. He is now okay with our bag with rubber band idea to protect his arm. 'I know I'll get blessings from my baptism.'

This week try to be like Rafael. Choose the Right and receive blessings.

Elder Winegar

A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore

Monday, March 21, 2022

Bueno bueno, hope everyone had a killer week! This week was honestly pretty boring, so if you wanna just skip to the pictures I wouldn't be upset lol.

First off, we have some bad news out here in barrio Mezquital. Our guy Rafael (Homie without skin on his arm from a bike accident) was super stoked to be baptized and we had him on date and everything. Unfortunately, that baptism date might fall this week because, even after we told him that we do baptism by immersion like 4 times, it didn't really sink in that his arm would have to go in the water until he came to a baptism with us this past Saturday.

He's now very scared, and doesn't really like our idea of putting a large bag with a rubber band on is arm. He'll be alright though, pray for us please lol.

Super fun story is that I got sneak attacked by a dog. I was just walking on the street, being a good missionary, when BOOM a dog bit me through a gate. It didn't even make a sound, just kinda say me and chose to be violent.

I wish I could say I had battle wounds to show for it, but sadly it was just a nip. Hopefully the next dog gets me better.

HARDCORE SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

Back in my first area like 2 months ago, there was a super old Witch lady investigator that also believed in reincarnation. While all those things impeded her progression in the gospel, the biggest obstacle was a question she could not get over:

If God loves us, then why does he let so many bad things happen?

For a while, this question stuck with me. I knew the answer, but had no clue how to share it. BUT, this week during companionship study, Elder Alejandro shared a scripture from Alma 14: 9-11, that says:

9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

On top of that, preach my gospel ties a nice little ribbon, saying something along the lines of that while we're here on Earth, we have experiences that will bring us joy.

However, we'll also have experienes that will bring us pain and burdens, some of which are the results of the sins of other people.

The world sucks right now. Pain, suffering, and all sorts of miseries are happening all around us. Sometimes, when the times are right, God takes away these pains and sufferings away. But at the end of the day, people have their agency. God will allow people to exercice this agency, which will inevitably lead to more suffering. Either outcome God still loves all us, he just can't always save us because otherwise no one would learn anything.

When bad things out of our control continue to happen, we can find comfort in Almas (paraphrased) words, that God will make things just.

At the end of this behemoth of a spiritual thought, I would like to extend an invitation to all of you. Please use your agency for good this week. Do whatever you can to save those people who are being "consumed by the fires" of mental health, social/physical problems, or even school.

When uncontrolable bad things continue to happen, we can find comfort in Almas (paraphrased) words: that God will make things just.

But, when we can do something about the bad stuff, let's go do it.

Go along now and Choose the Right. Also I really hope that someone got something out of my spiritual brainworm hahaha.

BYE❤

E. Winegar

Puppy pics, service, and Durango

All Your Contacts

Monday, March 14, 2022

Ayo what's good! Dunno what happened this week, but the bautizona here in Durango popped off. The past two weeks, the entire zone of 22 missionaries only got like 10 or 15 new people. Thanks to fasting and cool goal setting though, pretty much each companionship got like 7 new people this week, which I promise is a lot crazier than it sounds.

This week I had three more exchanges with E. Moody, Russel, and Pace. Always super fun to be able to see how all the other white people work, because sometimes we absolutely kill it or have no clue what we're doing lol. Learned lots tho and had fun showing them different dirt hills and such here in Mezquital lol.

Also saw my first car accident here in mexico, I was super suprised but everyone acted like it was super normal which made my laugh.

Highlight- we got a guy on date to be baptized! Rafael is a sweet 75 year old dude that's probably shorter than my sister maggie. There's a problem though. Rafael got in a bike accident in December and now has a super infected arm that is all black and purple. It hurts him a ton and he told us that it can't really get wet...

We'll probably just put a bag on his arm or something for his baptism, but his unquestioning faith hit me hard. I know that because Rafael is acting on this faith, he will be blessed and see miracles through his time of hardship.

I know that if we do the same, pressing forward with faith throughout whatever trial that we have, doing everything we possibly can, we will be blessed in the same way.

Read your scriptures. Say your prayers. Reap the rewards of heaven.

-Elder Winegar

1. Me dying from food poisoning last week

2. E. Moody sunset pic

3. Early morning gains

4. Releasing my inner photographer

5. Bomb pancakes with E. Moody

6. Cool dog