June 27, 2014

Dearest Alls, My visa has come so I should be leaving on Tuesday, super early in the morning. I'm not totally sure of all the travel information, but I probably have some long flying ahead. My two companions headed out to the field already, so I have a temporary one for this week. His name is Elder Carter from South Carolina. He is going to some French speaking island called New Calidonia but has to serve in Salt Lake until his visa gets here. Good guy. This week was a good one. There is a mission president seminar going on so I got to meet my new mission president and his wife. President and Sister Ulrich. He is really nice and so engaged to get a lot done out there. It was honestly a little overwhelming to meet them. They know what missionary work is but I still don't really understand it, so I imagine they will rope me in real fast. I kind of got stressed out about how much they want to impact me while I serve, knowing my authority/independence complex, but I think they will be awesome. I can tell President Ulrich knows a lot. With all the new mission presidents every apostle and the Prophet have been here. Elder Christofferson spoke to us on Tuesday, with Elder Ballard, Oaks, Nielsen, Bednar, and Anderson also at the meeting. They kept one building super tight on security with everyone in there. The missionaries didn't get to see all the General Authorities like the mission presidents. I guess because everything I write I have already experienced, everything seems like it should be so boring to you, but that can't be true because you don't know it happened or whatever. My MTC teachers were really awesome, I learned a lot from them. I am excited to head out to the field and figure out what it's really like to be a missionary. I can tell it will be hard in new ways and rewarding in new ways. It's so nice to not have to care about anything else while I'm here. It's just like this little journey of growth and development. I am really curious as to who my trainer will be. I've decided I can't bank on him being able to help me with all my questions, so I try to learn independence quickly. I don't think Chinese will be a struggle for very long. I've taught a few lessons here. It's pretty spotty and tough because I don't know what to say all the time in English, let alone in Mandarin. It will be cool when I can't tell the difference between speaking English and Chinese, if that ever happens. I've kind of heard that Mandarin elders are usually among the busiest in the mission. My mission president is really going to be big on using family history for contacting. It's kind of a new approach the church is using to use the spirit of Elijah as a converting tool. So by that I need stories to share! Mail 'em on over :) I don't know how this will be with teaching Chinese students, I will have to see. I wonder how much of a bubble it is like ASL was for Scott. It must be growing, though. I can't wait to share the Gospel with Chinese people. Things make sense to them I think in a very cool way that will probably teach me a lot. There is a series called the District that followed missionaries around in California. They taught a Chinese man and it got me so excited. I will have to explain every term so well, and teach everything so simply I think. That will be good to understand the doctrine of Christ in such a core way, though. MTC days are good, they are kind of slowing down now that we don't really have a class. Most only are in the Fast Track for two weeks, but with my mission's transfer schedule I have this awkward limbo week. I anticipate the field with so little understanding of what's ahead, but above all my testimony has grown of how much God cares for us and how much He will direct every aspect of our lives if we let Him. The Spirit is so essential as a missionary, you are practically incapable without it. This is a good reminder for when I come home to always seek out that divine companionship even when life is easy. I don't have a whole lot to say about the MTC. It is cool with all the foreign missionaries in my zone from all around. I get to practice Chinese on that note, which is nice. Today I will go to the temple for the fourth time. Once a week is a lot haha Love you all and tell me what is most interesting to hear about, Elder Webb