Dear family and friends,

well, this has been a shaky week! Friday we were sitting in our kitchen having some dinner and all of a sudden the whole building had a large jolt. it felt like a huge truck had hit the apartment complex and just budged it. then 2 seconds later there was another one and im pretty sure it would be impossible to hit a building without any noise so we figured it was just another earthquake. It turns out it was like a 3.1 so no wonder we felt it haha.  later on saturday there was another one like a 2. something but i didnt feel it. i think we were on the move.

So Saturday we had Mormon helping hands, it was a really cool experience but i think the last one was a little more fun. this time we went to a neighborhood and pretty much just walked around and picked up trash in the streets and alleys. (it seemed a little pointless because the street sweepers come by like once a week) we also went down the alleys and they were quite possibly the nicest alleys i have seen in my whole mission. most of the ones you see around here are either dirt or decrepit roads with potholes and broken glass, as well as branches, truck loads of garbage dumped everywhere and an odd chicken running around. these ones were paved in cement and looked better than any driveway ive seen. so we all kinda felt like it was a little silly and pointless but nonetheless we were happy to be helping.

this week we got some rather disappointing news from one of our best investigator's family member. she is a member who helps us out with them. she informed us that their parents had kinda stopped supporting them in taking the lessons because they had come across some anti or something so that has been kinda a bummer. they were our best prospects for baptism and everything was depending on how the parents were going to be. So, we have turned our attention to working hard getting our less actives to church and working with formers to get our game back on. we will see what happens.

Sunday we had the confirmation of our investigator... luckily! i say luckily because out of all the seats in the chapel the only ones really open were right in front. we were going to just stand in the back but i thought we might as well sit up front. (not even as a missionary do i like being in the front hahaha) as the bishop went over the announcements he completely forgot about the confirmation (we were supposed to remind him Saturday but we couldn't make the meeting) so luckily, i whispered to him and reminded him so we still got to do it.  It always feels great to get that done.

The work continues!

I am super excited for mothers day so we gotta make sure to set up when to do that. it should be sometime in the afternoon because we got church till about 1. We should have beach p-day on the 13th so pray for good weather for me. ;)

I love you all and pray for you.

Hasta la proxima,
Elder Channing Winterrose

Dear family and friends,

well, this week has been a good one with a lot of success. just yesterday we had our stake conference as well as a baptism. the less actives we have been working with seem to really be getting more desire to attend and along with that there are actually a few who are doing just that! We have been making great strides with the family we have really been focusing on. 

Our baptism went great yesterday, the teaching of this investigator was mainly done by other missionaries but we had the task of preparing it. it went great except for one thing. the font was filling very slow and it wasn't very warm so i turned up the hot water expecting it to get warmer and fill faster but when i went to turn it off i realized i had turned the hot water completely off!!!  but luckily we live in sunny California, not Alaska, so the "cold" water was really just luke-warm. haha, now i know. Next week we are going to confirm her so we will have to decide between the three of us that were in her area last to see who does it. It would be a little easier if any of us had taught her but none of us really have haha. she is impartial though so we can have either one do it.

Today we went to the alley in downtown, it is one of the craziest places to get a deal. i finally got a couple more ties and a t shirt that says California. (I thought i would have had one by now) the shirt was only 4 bucks too. if the brothers want some i can get some and send them over.
anyways, this has been a good week, i got a few letters and they were greatly appreciated.

I miss you all and cant believe how much you have grown in the gospel and elsewhere.

Love
Elder Channing Winterrose

Dear family and friends,

This has been a good week overall. on Sunday we had a great success with getting people to attend church. It seems like all of our efforts have finally begun to pay off. This week we found two new investigators in the family we are teaching and one is planning on getting baptized. And to think all we had to do was invite them to sit in on our lesson! I love when things work out. It is always the small simple things that make the difference.

We also finally got a less-active family to church this Sunday who we have been working with for about a month now. We had a very powerful lesson and watched some conference talks about family and marriage on Saturday. And the craziest thing happened, the dad wanted to do a baby blessing for his son and we scheduled a meeting with the bishop Sunday morning and did it during sacrament the same day! (It's kinda rare that things work out that well) he also is brand new to the area and didn't know anybody so guess who he asked to do it! Us! It was a really cool experience. I am glad we got to be a part of it.

This week we also got transfer calls! Both of us are staying! Which is great cause I love my companion and we have been working really hard in this area and are finally starting to see everything come together.

It is always so great to hear from you all and don't be shy to ask for my email and send me a message!

I love you all and pray for you.

Con cariño,
Elder Winterrose

Hey there family and friends!

Well, this week was a great one with all that was going on. Conference was amazing! first i gotta say i can not believe how many missionaries there are out there! i think they said there were like 14 million or something. ;) Every member a missionary!! I love how they really got into the nitty gritty and talked to everyone about what a mission is like and stuff. I thought that was pretty sweet!
I think that everything they talked about really applied to me or at least will in the near future haha.

I think one of my favorite talks was the one by Russell m nelson, Catch the Wave. I thought it was really funny how he called it that because although i am almost done with my mission i will be catching waves when i get home haha. It was also an amazing talk that i think relates to the whole world because this effort/call to arms isn't just for those young men and women at the age to go and serve missions but it will rely upon the efforts of every member out there. in another talk it was expressed by a general authority that, when he served as a ward missionary, as a new officer in the airforce that he did nothing more than teach every night to the people the members introduced to him.
When he said this the entire room of missionaries was like "Whaaaaa???" followed by a long silence as we intently listened to see what his trick was, haha. there was no trick on the part of the missionaries though, and that was the best part! when the members took it upon themselves, it easily worked out, and with just a little effort from everyone it really increased the work!

I really enjoyed all the amazing conference talks about missionary work and families and the atonement. this week also had some great happenings in our area. we have been really working with a less-active family and now we are getting through to some more of the aunts and uncles. we feel like this is really the key with this family, because they all love us to death, but it is just hard to get them all involved in our lessons. Well, lately they have been sitting-in on them and they all say they will come to church! So now it's just a matter of getting them there!

Well, i wish i could talk more but i gotta go, I love you all sooo much and pray for you.
thanks for all the support!

Elder Channing winterrose

Haha sounds like home. well i will send off an email anyways.

well, this week has been a rewarding one. it seems like we find people only when we least expect it.
The other day we were out of people to visit and didn't know what to do so we decided to ride around and look for a street to tract. when we had just reached the bottom corner of our area we were waiting at the light to cross when a guy came up to us and started talking to us. Usually when this happens you kinda just smile and nod and when they are done talking you offer to visit them and try to give them a card.  In return they usually say no thanks and are on their way. but this one guy told us he came from miami where he knew the missionaries and actually took lessons and wants to continue. Anyways we taught him the commandments and he said he has no problems with any and would like to get baptized with his daughter as soon as possible.

it looks like our luck might slowly be turning in this area. as far as the ward goes it is still kinda distant just because the only one active family in our ward is still really attached to the missionaries that were here. when we get to church we kinda just sit by ourselves or by investigators.

I didn't get the Easter package but i did get a couple letters. Sorry i am not good at writing back with those. I just don't remember until it is too late and i am already busy again.

anyways, i love you all and if you wish to email me we can email friends and family now.  You can get my email address by messaging my mom.  I will be looking forward to your letters in my inbox haha.

love,
Elder Channing Winterrose