January 27, 2014

No letter today, only pictures.  And the mama ain't happy. 

 Snow in Texas!

January 21, 2014

3rd Transfer comes to an end

To every end of a transfer there is a new beginning and a possibility to be at a new area or even a new companion. But that's not the case with this transfers. We got a call Monday morning from the Zone leaders telling us where we will be serving and with who. Well great news!! I will be staying in Lampasas and I am still training Elder Brown. That's the big new this week. 

So this week we had 2 investigators attend church with us on Sunday. We don't have a baptismal date with them yet because they wanted to attend church first. The family is a part-member family. The mom, Jennifer, is less active and hasn't been to church in over eight years and the dad isn't a member but is taking big step and really looking into the church. They also have two girls that are 9 and 8. Julio, the dad, is the one we are working with and he has been doing that we ask him to do. We asked him to pray during church whether he should be baptized in this church. and in the middle a sacrament he leaned forward and prayed!! He is really searching! then the rest of sacrament all the speakers talked on baptism!!!! If that's not his answer then I don't know what is haha I'm excited to got back and talk with that family. They are even doing good together. They have been praying in the morning as a family and at night and even read together and talk about it. They are a great Family and is doing really well!!

 

Love

Elder Winterbottom

January 13, 2014

Bible Bash Week

The past week Elder Brown and I have been in two bible bashes with the same person. We meet him tracting and when we found him we thought he was solid. He had a Book of Mormon already and had a couple of questions that could be answered thought the lesson 1 which is the restoration. We were so excited to go there teach him because he seemed so solid.  But that quickly changed.  We got there and only into the 2nd principle he started to bible bash.... I know a little in the bible but not enough to bash. We ended up staying there for 3 hours and were late an hour to check into our apartments at night. Then during our studies the very next day he called us to apologize and invite us to dinner and the actually have a chance to share our message. We went back and he is a really cool guy and sweet family. we then started our lesson and we actually listened and we got through the lesson and that was probably the most heart-felt lesson I've had on my mission. But then went into bible bashing again....  again it was 2 hours. But at the end of that lesson he said I would love to come to church and he was at church too. Man this guys confuses me??? Next time we are going to have Brother Hawkins (2nd counselor in bishopric) come with us cause he is really smart in the bible. I hate bible bashes but i have learned so much from studying for them. 

I also went on exchange with my District leader, Elder Yourgason, this week and that was great. I look up to him and respect him a lot!  It was good because he has shown me how much I have grown in 4 months. he  told me, "I went from being quite but very positive to a trainer and showing so much love, encouragement, and want the best for all of our investigators." That means a lot coming from him.  He goes home after this transfer and I'm going to miss his guidance. 

 

January 6, 2014

This week has been really good and some pretty cool events happened!

First: We have been working with Brother and Sister Matheny and they are less active. They she cant go to church because she is bed-ridden and he hasn't been going because she cant. Well we had the bishop come out with us and talk to them about the sacrament and they haven't received the sacrament for over ten years. so the bishop interviewed him to see if he was worthy to pass the sacrament to her. And he is!!! so we went over there on Sunday and helped him and made sure everything was done properly and they both were crying and it  was just a great feeling to so that done and what it means for them. Brother Matheny has promised the bishop that he would come to church every other week too! And the Bishop has a goal for them to get to the temple within 2 years. It will be a challenge with her weight but I know they can make it. 

Second: there was a baptism for the Sisters in our ward on Saturday. That was great but the cool thing was I got to help and see the changes they made in their life. They were first in the Copperas cove 1st ward and the Elders were teaching them and I got to go on an exchange and teach them. They are a great family!! Then they move across the street and moved into the Copperas Cove 2nd ward and now I get to see them every Sunday and help them out when needed. 

Third: Everyone knows I love the Ice-cream down here and how much I love my hair. Well we are working with a family that has a hard time quitting smoking drinking. i have made a commitment with them that if they stop smoking I will stop eating ice-cream...... but every time they smoke and break the commitment I get to break it and have ice-cream for the day. And if they can stop drinking for a whole month I will buzz my head... I hope they can do it!!! Those are the sacrifices that I make for my investigators and families here. They are all great and I love all of them!!!

What are holidays on your mission?? For new years we were in bed and asleep by 10:30 and on new years day i was up at 3:30 to get ready to go to Fort Worth for a meeting. So I don't know what holidays are anymore haha I thought I would like the new set up and time change cause it would be more like back home but I don't. There is less people there at church because of it. 

Love Elder Winterbottom

 hey P!!

How was New Years?? Dang, That game looks so cool!!! Landen has no life if he beat it in 3 hours haha Ghost was my favorite guy in call of duty. My new years I was asleep by 10:30 haha How do you like the new church scheduled? I know my ravens didnt make it... I have people that keep me updated on my teams and all the sports. Who do you want to win the supper bowl? could you have mom send a picture of me with my long hair and then maybe one with it pulled back?

December 30, 2013

Landen wasn't the only one that had to give a talk. All the missionaries (Elder Brown, Sister Fielding, Sister Long and I) in our ward had to talk and it was about Christ's life and I was assigned his birth and the importance of it. And then our Gospel principles class Elder Brown and I had to teach. We taught on service. Sunday was a pretty busy day for us. Our ward is changing times too next week but we are going to have sacrament last so its going to be just like home. I'm pretty excited for this new change but not excited for Church to start at 1:50. But the time change will help us out because a lot of our investigators have work on Sunday mornings. 

We also had interviews with President Ames this past week. That was really good talking to him and getting some direction and guidance. I have finally opened up to him. I talked to him for 30 minutes and I camd back and everyone said you were in there forever! I took the longest out of my district.

I'm not sure what is going to happens on new years yet. then tend to tell us thing last minutes so we have learned to be very flexible. 

Hope Christmas was good and I enjoyed talking to the family! 

Love,

   Elder Winterbottom

 

 No, Josh doesn't need glasses. He just thought he looked good in them!

December 23, 2013

Key Indicators 

This week went really well!! This was the first time I had ever reached the goals that we have set. We had a goal to teach 16 lessons and find 2 new investigators. And at the end of the week we taught 17 lessons and found 9 new investigators and we found all of them tracting on Saturday. I love Elder Brown!! He loves to go tracting and so do I so Its great. He still has his greene fire and I'm starting to gain mine back because of him! We make it a game of how many people we can talk to! I love it!! I have a great feeling that this companionship!!! I Expect a lot of good thing to come. 

Merry Christmas!!! And remember the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas isn't just a season but it should state of mind! Think of how you spend it and who you spend it with. the first gift of Christmas was Christ John 3:16. Christ gave his life fro you. What can you give Christ this season? 

Love Elder Winterbottom

 Flooding outside my apartment

Almost to my knees

flooding in Lampasas

December 16, 2013

First week of training

Wow, can I just say that Wednesday morning I was so nerves for my new companion and the night before I picked him up I couldn't sleep. All I could think about was how can I help the new missionary be the best that he can be! What am I suppose to do has a trainer and am I really ready for this calling? All those questions crossed my mind has I was trying to sleep and going to pick him up. We left Lampasas at 4 in the morning to get to Hurst and pick him up. The ride I've ever been on because of the excitement and nerves. When i got to Hurst there was a little meeting for the new missionaries and then one for the trainers. then another one where we got to meet our new missionary. Elder Winterbottom.... You will be training..... Elder Brown. We both walked forward and gave each other a hug and then took a picture of where we will be serving. After that all the butterflies went away and i felt peace. Then the thought came into my head. If God has brought me to it god will get me through it. If God has given President Ames revaluation that I need to do this calling then I can do it. Philippians 4:13 I and do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. When we got back to Lampasas the frist thing we did was tract to get his nerves out and start talking to random people. It was good and he defiantly has greenie fire. and I love it because hes not afraid to talk to anyone and I'm the same way. This week was good and I see good thing in store for this companionship. 

Elder Winterbottom