5/21/2017 Lasting peace and happiness...

Happy Monday everyone! (or Sunday, depending on where you are in the world)

I can't believe how fast this week has flown, there was just so much awesome stuff packed into a short time! On Tuesday we headed up to Matsuyama to spend the day with the zone leaders, Elder Dahl and Elder Nakamura. I was with Elder Nakamura, and we had a great time together studying, serving others, and teaching together.

On Wednesday and Thursday we met with some new friends, a young family that we found the week before, and Jouko san, and old man we have been meeting with lately. We shared a short message with the mother of the family, and were able to give her a Book of Mormon, inviting her to read it. She said she would, and we decided together that we would come back next week and meet her again to see what she learned. I'm excited to see how her family will be blessed through her faith!
Jouko san is incredible, he met with us a few times this week and even came to church by surprise! He originally told us he couldn't come because of a cleaning project going on at his apartment, but he told us on Sunday that he woke up really early to clean his portion of the project, and then left to come to church. His faith is so strong, and we will continue to meet with him and teach him about Jesus Christ. He tells us that although he had always believed in Buddhism, he is now Christian at heart! He is so awesome!

We concluded our week in the best way I could imagine, as we were blessed to hear from an Apostle of God, Elder Dallin Oaks, this past Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday we had a special meeting for the missionaries, and Sunday was a devotional to the entire country of Japan. We had been looking forward to this meeting for a few months now, and it didn't disappoint! I first heard about him coming when I was in Wakayama, though, and I got more than I bargained for when I transferred to Uwajima. Fun fact about Uwajima, it is one of the furthest areas away from the place where the meeting was held, and from the mission office as well. Thus, we spent a total of 18 hours traveling to and from the meeting.

Despite all the traveling, it was totally worth it! We learned so much about joy, and Elder Oaks taught us that if we are not finding joy in the gospel and teachings of Jesus Christ, even in our most difficult trials and circumstances, we need to re-evaluate our lives. I know that the purpose of all of God's teachings are to bring to pass the eternal life of man, and to help us to feel joy as we go through life. Elder Oaks also talked about how the world is becoming more and more dangerous, with wars and rumors of wars in every country. He then taught an important principle about peace. Peace is a commonly promised blessing throughout the scriptures as we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, but people often think of peace as an absence of war or conflict. According to the words of Elder Oaks, there is a different kind of peace that we can have as a result of living a gospel-centered life. Amidst all the wars raging around us, and conflicts being started, the promise of the gospel is a continuous peace within our hearts. No matter what our situation is, or what we are called upon to do in the service of God, we can know that in the end our afflictions and pains will be for our good. This faith comes from knowing the character of our Father in Heaven, and knowing that He loves each of us and has a plan for each one of us.

I add my testimony to the words of Elder Oaks that the only way to lasting peace and happiness is through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. As we continually look to Him and pattern our lives after the way He would live, we will know for ourselves that we are not forgotten by our Savior, and that we will return to live with our Heavenly Father and our families in peace and happiness. I love the opportunity to teach others of these simple truths, and I feel the truth of it in my heart as I do so! I pray for the same peace to come to each of you, and invite you to remember the example of Jesus Christ even as you go about your busy lives and schedules!
Love from Japan,
Elder Winegar

5/8/2017 New Area--Uwajima!

Minnasan konnichiwa!

Sorry it's been awhile! Today I am writing from wonderful Uwajima! We had transfers last week and I was surprised to learn that both my companion, Johnson 長老, and I would be leaving Wakayama. I was so sad, especially after starting to see some of the results of our work and really having everything start to pick up.

I made it to Uwajima on Thursday in the afternoon, and met my new companion, Elder Anderson. He is super awesome, he has been in Japan for about 7 months now and is good at everything. He sings, plays guitar, ran track and played basketball in high school, and is a genius. He is going to Utah State when he gets home, too, so I will probably see him there! We spent the first few days going around to meet some friends to whom we are introducing the gospel and teachings of Jesus Christ. First I met Jouko san, a really nice older man that has had a lot of difficult experiences in his life. He says that he wants to feel the peace that we have promised will come through the love Christ has for him.

Next I met Taniwaki san, a really fun guy that just seems to love everyone and everything around him. He came to our English class, and we all had a fun time learning together. We still haven't gotten an opportunity to talk about the church with him since I have been here, but we are meeting with him this Wednesday to continue teaching him.

Finally, I got to meet all of the awesome members here in Uwajima on Sunday! There were about 40 people at church, and they are all incredibly friendly and welcoming. I also came at a great time, because this is the first week after moving from the old church to a new building! Everyone was so happy to be in the new building, it was so much fun to see everyone's smiles throughout church that day.

Before church we had a lesson with a recent convert, Brother Ishida, and the discussion that we had reminded me of something taught in the last General Conference. Brother Ishida brought up the fact that it is difficult for him to remember to pray every day. He can remember to pray before going to bed, but any other time he says that his mind is far from thoughts of God or prayer.

As he shared his difficulties with us, I remembered times where I had felt the same, that it was just too hard in my busy life to make time for prayer or scripture study, or time to spend with family members and friends. It is in those thoughts, however, that I am able to recognize where my priorities lie. If my goals in life are really to have a stronger relationship with God and with my own parents, brothers, and sisters, why do my actions not always reflect that? It is so easy to become caught up in all the little things that need to be done, but I am slowly learning what I should have known all along, that all things are not of equal importance. I know that over anything else, I desire to become more like my Savior Jesus Christ in loving and serving selflessly, and to help my family in any way possible.

As I thought about the sometimes difficult to overcome gap between what we want to do and what actually happens, I remembered the words of Elder Gary B. Sabin, saying the following, "If we are not able to be “all in” the way we are presently walking, then maybe we need to run; maybe we need to recalculate our route. We might even need to make a U-turn. We might need to study more intently, pray more earnestly, or just let some things go so we can hang on to those things that really matter. We may need to let go of the world so we can hang on to eternity."

I know that through all of these things that I am learning, I want to do exactly what was said by Elder Sabin. Even if it may require giving up things that I want, or even giving up being in situations and circumstances that I am comfortable in, I know that God has a plan for each one of us that goes far beyond what we are currently involved in, and what we are currently capable of or comfortable with. I invite you all to think about the same thing this week, if your actions are in line with your end goals, whatever they may be. And if you find out that you have strayed from your desired course, then change! I can promise that even simple acts can lead to great results!


Love from Japan,
Elder Winegar

4/17/2017 Happy Easter!

Hey everyone! Happy Easter!!!

The time is short and list of blessings from God is long, so I will do my best to keep it brief so that you can all go back to enjoying your day. This week we had zone Conference from our mission president, and we learned what our new Book of Mormon challenge is. I'm not allowed to say what we are focusing on yet, since some zones haven't had their conference yet, but I'm excited for the topic and for the chance to read the Book of Mormon again. 

After zone conference, we went to Sennan and worked with the other Elders in our district. I was with Elder Campbell, and we had some great discussions about what we learned the previous day. We also got a chance to talk to a lot of people on the street, and one family in particular that we ran into seemed to have a lot of interest in our message. As we explained what we do as missionaries, how we try to help everyone learn about Jesus Christ and receive the blessings of stronger families, she told us to come back again when we were in the area. 

Then, returning home, I spent the day with Elder McEwan. He is also a great missionary with solid teaching skills, he taught me a thing or two about teaching people with enthusiasm and boldness! We also met with a member that hasn't been coming to church lately, Itani kyodai, and had a great meeting. He was happy to see us, and we talked about following God's guidance and God's plan for us even when we have a hard time seeing past our own imperfections and the imperfections of others. He understood what we taught really well, and we hope that he will be at church next Sunday. 

Finally, a miracle to wrap up the week, as we were going out contacting people in our missionary records and going from house to house, we got a call from a young man that said he was close to the church and could meet us that night if we had time. Without hesitation, we took off for the church as fast as we could, telling him we would be there as soon as possible. We introduced ourselves, and went inside the church to talk together. The young man, Tooru, had met with missionaries before and wanted to follow Jesus, but hadn't been able to meet lately because he had been in the hospital. We talked about the doctrine and teachings of Jesus Christ, and invited him to be baptized if he learned that what we were teaching was true. He said yes! We are working now towards helping him make the first steps to following Jesus Christ and strengthening his relationship with God. He is a little busy with work, so we will have to work around that, but we are so excited for him! He told us that he wants the feeling of relief that he knows only can come from Jesus Christ, knowing that all of his past mistakes and guilt have been washed away, and that he is accepted by God. 

This week being Easter Sunday also gave me some time to reflect on the joy that I have felt from knowing that Jesus Christ is willing to forgive me of my sins and help me to be more than I could on my own, even when I can't see that value in myself. I know that I want to follow Him and His teachings forever, because of the peace and relief I have felt. I am thankful to know that He has overcome both sin and death, having been resurrected and now has the power to help each one of us if we just look to Him for assistance. I am so grateful to be a missionary for Him, and to teach others of this grace and mercy. I hope all of you take some time to reflect upon the joy and peace you have felt, the happiness in your family, and give thanks to God and Jesus Christ for the abundant blessings we have all been given. Have a lovely Easter!

Love from,
Elder Winegar

3/27/2017 God grants miracles according to our faith.

Minnasan konnichiwa!

Quick update on transfers: I and Johnson chourou both stayed in Wakayama! We are going to have another amazing transfer here together, and see so many miracles as we go. Not a lot of time this week, so I'm going to jump right into some of the miracles of the past week.

On Thursday we had a lesson with a member, and he told us as we talked that he was planning on saying some very hurtful things to another member the next time he saw him, because he believed that he wasn't following the example of Jesus Christ as well as he should have been. We taught and testified about God's love for each of His children, and we did everything we could to help this member to see that there was a better way to deal with his anger. We were guided in what we needed to say to him, and he said without any prompting from us that he felt it would be best to find a different way to share his feelings with the other member.

We were able to meet with a friend that is not part of our church later that week, and talk about the purpose of missionary lessons. He is living in Kobe, but for some reason has been coming all the way to Wakayama to meet with us. We explained the importance of going to the church in his area, because that is the way that God works. He has always, and always will be a God of order. At first our words were not greeted with much enthusiasm, but as we promised him of the happiness that would come from following God's laws, the Spirit filled the room and his whole demeanor began to change. By the end of our meeting, he decided that he would go to Kobe's church, and begin meeting with the missionaries there.

These, and hundreds of other small miracles throughout the days continually convince me that God grants miracles according to our faith. If we are willing to work to receive the blessings God offers to us, He will shower them upon us more than we have room to receive. I also know that we can't work on our own schedule, not just when it is convenient for us, but in the way God has shown us to find true happiness. I know that way is found only in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I love this gospel, and I am so thankful for the blessing to teach these simple principles to others every day.


Much love from Japan,
Elder Winegar

3/20/2017 God has specific plans

Minnasan konnichiwa!

This week is transfer week again, I just transferred 6 weeks ago so I will almost surely still be in the same area, but we will see what the Lord has in store for me and my companion. Elder Johnson has only been in the area for two transfers now, so we think that he will stay as well. If we both stay, it's going to turn into another amazing transfer!

Our last week was pretty eventful, but not very much of it was spent in Wakayama. We went on companion exchanges twice this week, traveling to the areas of Kawachinagano and then Gobo. I was first with Elder Hemi, and it was so much fun to work with him again after living in the same apartment for 6 weeks last transfer. We met some awesome people as well, the best was a young boy that we talked to about his belief in God. He thought that God exists, but he didn't know what kind of being God was. We introduced him to the Book of Mormon, telling him that it is a way to come to know God better. He took it with so much excitement, and walked off with the book in his hand, flipping through it as he left.

We also found some awesome people in Gobo, especially two young kids that played basketball with us. We talked to them about developing a relationship with God, and they seemed way interested.

Although that was most of our week, it was great to come back to Wakayama at the end of the week and be back in our own apartment. Experiences going to other areas and places just help me to have gratitude for the place that God has chosen for me to be, and for now that is Wakayama. I have seen how He has a specific plan for me, and a plan for each of His children. I know that as we trust in His timing, His ways, we will find the success that is waiting for us. I love being a missionary, and love all the things I am learning along the way.

Love from Japan,
Elder Winegar

Ping Pong night

Deguchi kyodai and Elder Hemi

3/12/2017 Baptism

Minnasan konnichiwa!

How is everyone doing? This week has been one of the craziest and busiest I have had in a while. Lots of appointments and plans, to the point that we looked at our schedule at the beginning of this week and wondered "how are we going to fit this all in?" It ended up being a lot of fun, and only thanks to the grace of God were we able to actually do everything we needed to.

On Monday we headed up to Kobe in preparation for a meeting with President Welch, and stopped on the way to have lunch with some really good friends. Tuesday was the meeting, and we received so much training, knowledge and strength from President Welch, Sister Welch and the assistants. My favorite takeaway from that meeting was a comment made that these people we meet and teach every day are our brothers and sisters. When we remember that, the difficulty of talking to people, of doing hard things goes away. The motive of our work should always be this love for our fellow man.

After getting back from Kobe, I got to go on a companion exchange with Elder Matsumoto! I can't believe how much has changed since I first met him a hear and a half ago in Kouchi, and I can't believe that he will be going home in just a few short weeks. I again learned so much from his example, he taught me this time about being bold and teaching people what they need to hear, doing so from the scriptures.

A few days later my companion and I got to meet another good friend from way back. Kosaka kyodai, our teacher that helped us learn Japanese before coming to Japan, came and visited us! He almost seemed a little disappointed that he didn't really need to speak English to us anymore, and kept remarking how weird it felt. It was so good to see him again, though, he is one of the best people ever.

After a week full of great meetings and old friends, we were blessed even more to have the baptism of our investigator, Okamoto san. He has progressed so much in the short time we have been meeting with him, and has a strong desire to repent and live the rest of his life following God's commandments. He has such a cool story, I can't even do it justice in one email. Suffice it to say that he came seeking out the missionaries, seeing that he wanted more happiness in his life. He is going to be a devoted member for the rest of his life, and the other members will be such a blessing to him.

I just want to end today with my feelings of gratitude towards all of you, family and friends. Seeing so many old friends this past week has shown me how blessed I have been by the Lord to have come into contact with each one of you, it has forever changed my life and who I am. Love you all so much, talk to you again next week!

Elder Winegar

The Good Guys

Some of my favorite people

Zone training meeting

Okamoto san's baptism

3/5/2017 Busy in Wakayama

Minnasan konnichiwa!

I apologize for the lack of frequent emails lately, luckily today we are heading up to Kobe for a meeting tomorrow and found ourselves with a good chunk of time on the train to make up for past weeks. Since coming to Wakayama, we have been pretty busy with trying to find new people to meet with us, as well as continuing to build up our other friends we have been meeting with. This past week was spent similarly, and we had some really great experiences come out of that.

Starting from Monday, we went early in the morning to a nearby zoo and did some volunteer work, raking leaves and picking up trash. From there, we biked over to a yakiniku restaurant (literally "cook meat" restaurant) with some church members and had lunch. Needless to say, we enjoyed that.

The next day, we met up for the second time with a new friend, Uzeki san. We first met him on the street, and he told us how he came from China about a year and a half ago, and loves to learn English. He even watches movies and tv shows in English. As we introduced ourselves and our church, he told us that it was destiny that we met that day. We agreed that it was definitely part of God's plan for us, and we got his phone number so that we could meet up again later. This second time we met up with him, we talked more about God's plan for us, comparing it to his life and how we are all searching for happiness. He loved it all, and when we invited him to church he said he would come if he was able to.

We then got to celebrate the birthday of the Bishop's wife, Vi shimai. She invited us over to her house on Wednesday, and we ate some delicious food from the Philippines with her. She and the Bishop kept us well entertained with jokes and fun the whole time we were there.

Another highlight of the week was meeting multiple times with Okamoto san. Since he lives in a senior citizen's home, we can meet with him pretty regularly, and he has really started to brighten up and change visibly from the time he was first met up until now. He knows that God exists, and that Jesus Christ is his Savior. He still has trouble understanding the Book of Mormon, but he really has faith to do what God wants him to, and he especially wants to feel forgiveness for past mistakes and sins in his life.

Finally, at church on Sunday we participated in the young men's class. They are all preparing to go on missions someday, and were all pretty confident in their ability to do everything that entails. We challenged one of them to teach everything they know about the Atonement, in 5 minutes or less. He started out pretty confidently, teaching how the through the power of Jesus Christ we can be forgiven of our sins and mistakes, and return to live with God. Then after about a minute of stalling and filler words, he realized he had nothing more to say. As he made it to a grand total of 2 and a half minutes, we asked his friend to continue for the next 2 and a half minutes, expanding on what was said already. He too stopped after about a minute, out of things to say. We talked about how it was unexpectedly difficult to teach about these concepts, even more so when someone has never heard it before. But then we asked the last young man what he thought about the exercise, and he bore a simple, sweet testimony about what he has been learning about the Atonement in his daily life. The Spirit was so present, all joking was put aside, and every person in the room was listening intently. It never ceases to amaze me the power that can come from following the teachings of Jesus Christ, the peace that will come to our hearts.

I want to leave you all with my own conviction of this principle, that through the Atonement we will be blessed with strength beyond our own, to become more than we ever could have on our own. The power of the Atonement saves us from our sins and mistakes, but also enables us to actually act as Christ would act, even to become as He is. I notice a profound difference in the times when I pray in faith, acting on the knowledge I have, in contrast with the times I doubt what I have learned to be true. I can say without a doubt that an effort to learn more about the life of Jesus Christ, followed by an application of what you learned will always provide greater access to this spiritual strength. I invite you all to try it and see if it isn't true!


Until next week,
Elder Winegar

Okonomiyaki (cabbage pancakes, better than it sounds in English) with the fam

Service at the Zoo

Vi shimai 's birthday