My Sweet Ones,
I think by the time I get to P-day I can't take emailing seriously so you'll have to forgive me if I violate the White Handbook by using informal language. I am always excited to read emails from everyone. Life sounds so weird outside of a mission. I think I am more honest than most missionaries about what it feels like to be on a mission, but I am finally to the point that I would rather be out on the streets than emailing right now. No lack of love meant here, but nothing compares to hitting the streets with the swirling emotions of fear, excitement, frustration, peace, anger, sadness, power, and the Spirit that comes from contending in this battle of good and evil. I don't think people are meant to do this for more than two years, though :)
This was a good week with two baptisms. A kid named Felix and a girl named Jess entered the good waters this Saturday. The YSA ward is really a centre of growth for the church. Some apostle I can't remember said that the future of the church in Europe lies in YSA and younger aged people. The whole vision of the YSA building was to attract members from all over Europe as a beacon of light and truth. My area is pretty much expected to be the most successful and powerful in the mission, so there's loads of pressure to perform well here. Good thing we got rid of the head lice.
The only people that really stop on the street for us are Chinese or Nigerian or Muslim. We teach a recent convert that was Muslim. All of these crazy cultural experiences show me how white Utah really is! There are loads of Chinese students here because they are doing pre-requisites in English. I met like seven teenagers from Taiwan; it was so fun!!! I love Taiwanese people. I felt at home with them. Mainland Chinese people have very sweet spirits at the core, but they are so different. They don't really care if God exists or not. I have no mold to fit or example to follow with working with them, so I have a lot of learning to do to head out Chinese work in this mission. Only Elder Jin and I will remain that actually can carry on a conversation in Chinese by September, and he's in a totally different part of the mission.
Wow President Ulrich is a powerful man. I'll be saying how I knew him when he speaks in Conference in a few years, heavens! He doesn't mess around and he expects to double baptisms by the end of his time here. He is full of love and the Spirit and power and vision. He holds so little back from us on what the Lord is expecting of the mission.
I think during this week it really hit me that I am in the forefront of the spiritual battle of eternity out here. In Utah missions are characterized by crazy or funny stories or where your call is or all of these tangential points. The truth is as a missionary you see everyone around you in such a different way. It is so frustrating how much the devil has hold on people. And it takes so much to access God's power to help them see the light. It is draining and it makes you simply forget the little things that don't matter.
Elder Sidhu and I are getting along well. He is so INDIAN! He plays Indian music in the morning and we went out for some curry and naan bread the other day. It was on this stretch of Manchester called the Curry Mile that we can't proselyte on because of the deep-rooted Muslim and Indian aspect of it. I think that's the first time I felt scared of other people on my mission, just some white Christian missionary among a very different culture and belief. But we was safe and the food was good!
Marc and Chel, I got your package!!! Thank you so much. And Asher is seriously so cute in that picture on his birthday invite. And what was the deal with the Pie Pizzeria receipt in there for a "Marcus West?" Haha I'm glad to see things haven't changed. Thank you for the birthday wishes and thoughtfulness.
Scott and Julie, I need to hear more from you. That's my only call out :) I'm sure you're busy with moving though.
I can't think of anything else too exciting about the week I want to tell you all. I just know one thing and that's all that keeps me going out here. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. People will contend with it and have contended with it from the beginning. The search for truth is laced with scars, but we cannot wait in this time of Restoration. Jesus Christ is the only way to peace in this life and the belief you have in Him is a gift without comparison. The world needs Him, but just as the Jews we so often blindly reject Him. Let Him into your life and nothing will ever be the same. You will stand on the high ground you need to in order to overcome this fallen world.
I love you all!
Elder Webb
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