Hello everyone! First week down!! It’s been awesome. The MTC is nothing like I expected. You have so much more fun here than everyone acts like you do. It's been really nice because Elder Parkinson that has been my friend since elementary sleeps in the bunk below me! It's been way nice to hang with him all day every day. On the second day I was made district leader which is cool but hard. It just means more stuff in an already super busy 16 hour day of studying and working.  

My companion is elder Edwards is like the perfect match for me. He’s literally a genius and does everything. He has already sewn my pants that I ripped doing a hand stand; taken control of the district when I don’t want to, and taught me so much about the gospel it’s amazing. The kid literally does everything. He just tells us how to do anything we can think of. It’s awesome because our strengths and weaknesses match up perfectly!

I have yet to make it through a class without falling asleep. Waking up at 6:30 then working straight until 10:30 is not easy and makes it hard to focus. I’ve learned so much though its insane. In just 6 days I’m like a completely different person. I just have scriptures pop into my head that relate to stuff all the time it’s awesome :) D/C 84:85 is for real :)

Our district is seriously so funny and has so much fun its awesome. I never would have thought i could get along so well with a bunch of random people from all over. 

Elder Parkinson got a nerf dunk ball hoop that we have in our room which is a great source of entertainment around here :) We haven’t gotten in trouble for anything yet so that’s good :) I’ve seen and caught up with all of the elders from back home which has been really nice :) 

I gave my first priesthood blessing the other day. 

I had the opportunity to teach a real investigator who had cerebral palsy which was really cool and a really unique experience. He’s an awesome guy that moved here from japan and is going to BYU because of how safe it is and wants to learn about what everyone there believes! We also went through the temple this morning which was an awesome experience!

Last night me and elder Parkinson used his electric razor and gave each other haircuts,  then gave like 10 more elders fresh cuts:) were seriously considering doing it long term. We went over into other residences and gave the elders over there cuts too! 

I know I’m not supposed to focus on this but there’s some way good looking sister here holy cow. Never would have expected to find such beautiful women in a place like this :) lol 

As you can see we are having lots of fun here, but we are having way more spiritual experiences and growing in the gospel and as men! I have learned so much in these past 6 days it’s crazy. i love it here and I love the gospel. And I love all of you<3 I’ll have more pics next week. One of the sisters in my district has a way nice camera and she took a bunch of pics of us so I’ll send those next week :)

Always remember to be a PRO :)

Pray

Read

Obey

Hebrews 11:1 

Galatians 5:25

Mosiah 2:41

See you all August 21, 2018!

Love, Elder Winn

1st Pic: Me and my companion :)

2nd Pic: My cousin Elder Lewis and I :)

3rd Pic:  My tags and my preacher card with my release date on it :) 

4th/5th: Me and Elder Parkinson cutting each other’s hair

August 18, 2016

Hello family! I was supposed to send this email yesterday but I have had hardly any free time. This email is also supposed to be just short and say hello and I'm safe, but I'm not very good at following the rules sometimes and this seems like something good to break rules for:) I am doing really well in here. The hardest things for me so far have been falling asleep last night and staying awake today. Other than that I am great! This really is a happy place and I like it here. The days are very long and hard but it’s been great so far. I've barely even been in here for 24 hours and I have already grown so much. I have read so much and for the first time I have really gotten into the scriptures and been able to use preach my gospel and the topical guide to find all kinds of awesome stuff. Today during one of our classes I started to read PMG and I found something saying explore the scriptures, so I went to topical guide and looked up prayer. I don't have my scriptures with me right now so I’m not positive but i think what i found was Mosiah 4:11-12. Awesome scripture I’m sure Dave knows all about it. It was really cool because it was the first time I felt guided to look somewhere and found something. Ever since then I have searched and found so much in the little time I’ve been here.

I’ve seen all of my friends that were already here and have had some awesome conversations and had the guys speak to me in their languages:) I had seen everyone but Connor up until breakfast this morning, when we walked in to the cafeteria we were greeted by good ol llama screaming our names and running to give us a big hug:) oh ya me and elder Parkinson share a bunk!!! its been so nice to have him because we are basically a companionship of four and it makes everything more fun. My companion is elder Edwards and he is from Provo. He went to a year of school at BYU and is a really nice guy:) he is a D1 and world class ballroom dancer lol he’s insane! He reminds me a lot of Keaton Wall and is super smart. He has been doing splits for the last year with a guy that had to come home because he got really sick so he knows a ton already. We work really well because he has a lot of good ideas and I’m good at speaking up so a lot of times i just say what he tells me to when we have to speak in front of a class of like 50 people. I really like him and we work really well together because our strengths complement our weaknesses. I already have a small list of things i would like you guys to send me but I don’t have it with me and I’ll just tell you when I email on Tuesday. that’s my P day:) this place isn’t as bad as I hoped but I’m already looking forward to leaving. Connor still has his sticker that you wear the first week, and I took mine off after like 10 minutes cause I was tired of EVERYONE saying welcome or bienvenidos. I have seen so many people from lacrosse and school its crazy. My companion tells everyone he thinks i have this place wired because everywhere we go i see someone i know. Guess bountiful just has a lot of people ready to serve!

I saw Preston, he was sprinting and screaming cause he left his laundry in the laundry room, great way to see him for the first time!! he seems to be enjoying it so that’s good:)

I know I’m not supposed to be focused on this but there are a lot of attractive girls here. too bad I’m only allowed to shake their hands and talk to them about the gospel, oh well ill change and get used to that soon:) love you guys so much.

Thanks for all the letters and gifts I have read all of them including all of Dave’s scriptures:)  love you guys see you soon!

Elder Winn