Dear family and friends,

Well this week has been extra crazy. My new companion Elder Stinson is awesome. He is from Alabama and has been out for just a year. We are opening a new area called Cimarron. We are the newest edition to the ward with now 11 missionaries. (4 companionships and one trio) It seems like a lot for a small ward but there is definitely work to do.

My district is not large and it has us, one other companionship of elders and a pair of Visitor's Center sisters.  They seem like a great bunch and i am happy to serve them.  The area that we are working in has many challenges including not having any ward directory or map to work with, and not a lot of people to visit.  Today i don't have much time because i have to do service.

Because they were replacing palomino and me with sister missionaries, we had to get rid of a lot of stuff in the apartment and we also had to visit my recent convert for a last time, so we didn't have much time to really clean the apartment. President Baker decided to call us in to do service for our p-day instead of going back to the apartment and finishing cleaning the next day like they told us the rule was. soo long story short it is going to be a day short pressed for time.

We also had some surprises of our own when we arrived to our new apartment, as we were unpacking we realized we had no fridge or oven in our kitchen. luckily after many phone calls we had one delivered later that night. Along with that, Sunday night we got a phone call telling us that we will be receiving two new additions to our home.  The English elders. After some gang activity going on near their street, President decided they needed a new temporary place to stay.

One has been out for 6 months and is training the other who just got here. it is super cramped now and let's just say i love being hospitable but i hope this is extra temporary.  :) The experience has reminded me that if you want someone to change you have to invite and set an example and they use their agency to follow (rather than order and boss around). It helps me to keep myself in check because i never want do that. I would hate to be the district leader people remember as a tyrant.

We are going to continue working hard to find more people and get some investigators.

well, i love you all so much and i hope you keep the gospel your priorities.

Elder Channing Winterrose

Hey family!

well this week has been a rather crazy one and i am a little short on time this week cause i have some packing to do.  Long story short we got our call last night and I am getting transferred to the Los Angeles 6th ward, opening a new area as district leader with my new companion being elder Stinson. it is called the Cimmaron area and i have no idea where it is so far except that it is south of the LA 3rd ward i started in. Also, elder palomino is getting transfered out so this area is also getting whitewashed.

....By Sister Missionaries....

soooo i will have a lot of cleaning and packing to do to take my apartment from terrestrial to celestial status. hence the short letter.

Yesterday morning we got to go to do temple cleaning as a zone.  Since i missed my last opportunity 6 months ago because of transfers it has been a year since the last time i went. I enjoyed it a lot. We had the task of vacuuming the Sealing rooms as well as cleaning the carpets in the garden room. The paintings are sooo amazing in there. it was a great chance to get a close look and really appreciate them.

I have a lot of people here in this ward who i am going to miss very much and i was thinking it would be cool to be able to come visit them before school. Mom, i don't know if you got my ticket to Hawaii yet, but i was thinking maybe you could have like a 3 or 4 day layover in Los Angeles. if you can and i could visit a bunch of people down here. I mean, if i am flying down here to connect to hawaii anyways it could work out. plus i have a bunch of friends down here who i could stay with for a few nights. one being the cordovas, they always have an extra couch. :)

Anyways, Sunday i received a bright surprise! My recent convert, the one who just got baptized in January and went on her mini mission, came and told me her mom and dad were getting married this week and they are getting baptized in like 2 weeks! I am soo happy. :) I will be going to their baptism and i am super excited for it.

I have seen many many blessings this month and i am super excited for the progress that has happened and i just really really hope that the sisters who take over the area can keep it going.

Next week i will send pictures of my companion and the people we get to visit.

Mom keep your chin up it's all going to pay off.
Dad, I love you and know you're the best dad anyone could have. Those kids are lucky to have a coach like you.
Brothers, It goes without saying but behave and have fun. :)

I love you all,
Elder Channing Winterrose

 Congratulations Brady!!!!

That is awesome news man! I am so happy for you and I know you are going to do an awesome job out there! Brazil, what an awesome place!you, brycie and bax are going to be on fire in Portuguese when you get back! that is super crazy. Too bad you couldn't leave a week later! i will be getting home literally 7 days after! Maybe i will have to come down and abduct you and take you to the world cup or something hahaha.

This week has been a great one with a lot going on, As you all know the grammy's are held in Hollywood so for us this weekend we got to see the whole Hollywood boulevard get locked down and shut off for the event. Personally i don't take a lot of interest in the award ceremonies but it is crazy how everybody here watches them like it's the super bowl or something. I guess it is crazy how for people not from here the celebrities and their shindigs are just TV but down here it is like watching the daily news haha.

So this week we also had the Mini Mission for our stake. One of my recent converts decided to go and try it out! I havent had a chance to talk to her since but i am super happy she went. I know she loved it.she is also going to start her papers so she can go on her mission!And the craziest part is that she was baptized just last month. :)

We are still waiting on another one of my recent converts to receive news from BYU Hawaii because applying to that school was what originally got her interested in the church. I would love to see her get accepted.

last saturday we did a service project for a guy down the street and helped him make his tree significantly shorter haha.Today we are going to have a big relay race at the park with the whole zone for our zone goal activity so we have to be up there at 3 to set it up. it should be lots of fun. I will try and take lots of pictures!

Well, I love you all boatloads and I miss you even more.

Love,
Elder Channing Winterrose

Dear family and friends,

Dad! Happy birthday! I love you an I hope your birthday was awesome!  Britt!! Happy birthday bro, I know you're 'prolly on the most beautiful beach right now, but enjoy it more on you're special day. I can't believe you're 23 already man.

Sorry If this is a short letter this week but due to the holiday the libraries are all closed. :/ we did have a great holiday though. Today we were invited to the park to a barbecue with a few members in the ward. They have like 3 dogs who are all puppies and it was fun. 2 little white ones and a black lab. When we first showed up as we were setting up there was a coyote just walking around like 20 yards away. He wasn't bothering anyone and he looked super scrawny so we just let him be. I will send a picture if I get it to work on this thing. Anyways after eating we decided to hike up to the observatory and we brought the dogs along. Like half way up the little one, Bella, started crying so we threw her in my backpack for the rest of the hike. It was a funny sight to see with her little head peeking out of the zipper. Needless to say she was content and everybody we passed on the trail had a big smile. :)

I loved the valentines package and the cookies were to flipping die for! I think those are the best cookies I have had in the last year and a half.

So this week we had our zone conference and it went pretty well for a zone conference. I mean any meeting that long isn't something you really are dying to go to but it wasn't too bad. I think it's cause the APs did a really fun training.Anyways it was a good, successful week because we had a baptism in the ward and I love to see the members in my district doing work.

So last week we were feeling great about the work in our area because on Tuesday we committed a girl to baptism the first week of March. As the pattern goes though, when we are doing the Lord's work, we will encounter trials; this one is no different.  Hopefully we will have a chance to help those who love her have a better understanding of why she wants to get baptized and hopefully they will respect her decision.

I have really prayed about going to school and I feel Hawaii has always been my first choice. I feel like it will be a chance of a lifetime to go to school with britt.

I love you all soo much and pray for you.  Tell Kathy I send my best wishes and I'm praying for her.

Love,

Elder Channing Winterrose

I have decided to take my talents to the city of Laie, Hawaii.

I'M GOING TO HAWAIIIIIIIII!!!!!

I have been dying to know for weeks now and one of the members here saw what Britt posted on my facebook and contacted me to congratulate me! I was so dang excited. I have literally been dreaming of beaches and waves since i got the news. I think sean kerr is going up there too so it will be a blast! I have actually been praying for the opportunity to go to byu because it will be the best chance to be with people with the same standards as me - but who love to have fun. I think it is God's perfect playground :) oh yeah, on a side note, what is my ring size?? ;) just kidding mom, i wont need that for a while!

That is sweet mo can get into usu! Go for it bro!

Pootie boy, when i get home i will buy a slack line and teach you how to do it. .....we might have to plant some palm trees though hahaha. :) It is just like a truck strap thing that you strap around 2 trees, ratchet tight and walk across. i have only tried it twice and i got pretty good at it. I must have really good balance though cause i was the only one.

This week has been a little hard on me without any allergy meds. I think it really made me realize how dependent i am on them. :P So I told my recent convert about getting accepted to BYUH and she almost cried cause she was so happy for me! It is nice to know they really care about us. :) Her daughter applied as well but she had to retake the ACT so we will have to wait and see if she will go! i really hope she does so i can hang out with my recent convert! :)

This week we are working really hard to work with members as it is the focus of our zone goal. Today we have an activity where we are going to do a bunch of minute to win it games and make it a race. It should be a hit with the elders.  I am enjoying being a district leader... some days, and others it is not what i thought it would be but so far it hasn't been anything i cant tackle.

I love you all so very much and Happy Valentines Day!

Elder Channing Winterrose

Hey there family!

Well this week has been good. We had transfers this week and now we have 3 new missionaries in the ward. Elder Penrod is back in my district again. I haven't been around him since we started in downtown so it is cool to have him as my zone leader here.

My district is full of great missionaries and i am ready to have a bunch of success in this ward in the upcoming months. Although at times i feel like i have no idea what I'm doing, I figure it will get easier as time goes on.

Yesterday we had the confirmation of our investigator. last night we went to the visitor's center to share the art exhibit with her and her boyfriend. she also told us some great news which is that she is preparing to go on a mission! that is so amazing to hear. :) That is how you know you have someone who is truly converted to the gospel.

Last Tuesday we went slack lining again and i actually managed to make it all the way across the thing! It was dang hard but i put my mind to it and figured it out. :)

This week for our zone activity we are going up to the Hollywood sign, I thought it was cool like the first time but i think it is a little overrated now haha.  But if i enjoyed it my first time, my district will love it cause they're almost all new here. Oh yeah! I almost forgot, my companion is still Elder Palomino and we have 8 missionaries in my district, 2 districts in the zone and 9 zones in the mission.

I feel like president baker is a little different than other mission presidents i have met before cause he usually seems really busy. I haven't really had much of a chance to talk to him besides interviews and the occasional hello at zone conference so i don't really know how i would describe him.

As for  my Spanish, I speak it every day, on a rare occasion i only have the chance over the phone but that is only if we have a really really slow day with nobody to teach or visit. I don't really study it much anymore because it is hard to find things to improve on. usually i just read church books in Spanish and it works out. Is Dain taking any Spanish courses this year??

Anyways, not much has changed and not much is happening so i don't know what else to update on. :/

Same mission different week! :)

I love you all a ton! keep outta trouble,

Elder Channing Winterrose

Familia y Amigos,

Well this week has been an exciting and eventful week. There have been a lot of big changes leading up to this transfer. On Tuesday of last week during fundamentals we all received a paper that told us there were going to be a lot of changes this transfer to prepare us all for the new wave of missionaries coming into the field. The changes are, next transfer is going to only be 5 weeks making my scheduled return date July 10th.The week before transfers on Wednesday, if you are going to be assigned to be a district leader or zone leader or training, you will receive a phone call. Thursday, the next day, you will go to a meeting for training. Monday the week of transfers is a regular work day and Monday night we get transfer calls, Tuesday is Pday on transfer week and Wednesday we will all meet up at a chapel and do transfers all at once. Then we all ship out and go to our new homes.

So how transfers worked out for me:
Wednesday night i got a phone call telling me i am going to be a District Leader. Thursday i went to training. Monday we got the phone calls and I will be staying in Hollywood and be district leader here in Elder Walker's Place. Elder Walker is going back to our old zone in south bay to be a zone leader so I'm gonna miss him a ton! He was a great District leader and probably my best friend out here in the mission. I'm excited to be staying in this area for 5 more weeks. If I'm lucky maybe i can just finish my mission here haha. :)

Well, that was all the news and excitement for this week. Besides that we have just been looking and looking for new people to teach as well as keeping up on all of our referrals. We had a confirmation scheduled for this Sunday but the investigator was running late so we will be doing it this next week for sure.

The weather has been warming up a little bit more this week (not that it has even gotten cold yet) so we have been doing slack lining at the park in Hollywood and last week was the first time. I picked it up pretty well! I made it almost all the way across, but when you get like 10 feet into it you're in like the middle of the line and it is a lot more squirrelly, so i always fall off there. I am determined to make it all the way across this time tho so I will send you pictures. :)

This will be another good transfer with Elder Palomino so look forward to buenas noticias.

Love you all!

Elder Channing Winterrose