Well here's for my first crazy mission stories. My new flat has mice and giant spiders and disgusting mold in the rubbish bin. My companion got sick this Sunday and there was a head lice epidemic in the mission so our zone leaders had to shave their heads. I avoided it luckily. We have some cleaning and catching to do.
I think all of this is happening because our mission president said the work here is about to explode. So I think we're being tried to gain strength for the work ahead. The YSA ward is supposed to be the most successful area in the mission and I'M READY! Well actually I need to learn a foreign language first, but then I'll be ready.
So here's how things function down here in my new shack. We live in a nice little flat about 15 minutes away from the church's new YSA building on Oxford Road, Manchester. It's the busiest bus route in Europe and full of Nigerians, Middle Eastern people, Chinese students, and everything in between. There are three companionships that work on the road, with a new companionship coming soon. Our goal is to get people to tour the building. We teach all of our lessons here, church is here, email here, breathe here, and everything. One road, one building, one purpose. So it's pretty simple and a perfect opportunity to learn Chinese in a nice environment. Sister Mangelson's niece is serving here with me as well, so I can learn lots of Chinese from her.
The building is basically designed for missionary work. The first floor is a chapel and each progressing floor has a painting relating to the first lesson. We take people to the baptismal font in the basement at the end, hoping they are filled with the Spirit, and invite them to read the Book of Mormon or prayer or be baptised. You know, the usual. :) I'm excited to work here, I'll probably be here for a while.
We have a few investigators, but only one that is Chinese. I hope to find more! They're everywhere and it's loads of fun talking to them all. I think I have really been prepared to be here and will have some great experiences. The other companionship here is Elder Hotchkiss from Utah and Elder O'Brien from New Zealand. He's a big, friendly lad.
Elder Sidhu is great. He is very kind, a little old for a missionary. His culture is like half British and half Indian. He isn't too far out either so we are learning together. We are working with a few people with baptismal dates. There's some great shopping in Manchester so hopefully I can get some British wear for the ages. It's nice stuff, everything is already slim fit. Debenham's, Ted Baker, River Island, Burton's, Primark, Next, Marks and Spencer. All pretty cool. But that's not all I think about here!
I'm pretty tired today. Transferring around took a lot out of me and I'll miss my old area and companions. Elder Sidhu was out all yesterday with a cold so I had some slow time in the flat. It felt weird not having anything to do haha.
Lately I've been learning why missionaries become so powerful on their missions. It's because the only way to do this is rely completely upon the Lord. You really just break down if you don't have His strength, it's too much to handle. Sometimes I just can't believe the crazy things you feel as a missionary but it only makes sense that such an important work will have such intense opposition. It means more than ever to me now that Christ knows all my feelings and worries and weaknesses just as well as I do and that He suffered that to be able to lift me up. May we all rely upon this sacrifice, let Him truly take away our burdens because He has already felt them.
Dad, I can't believe Morgan's call. That will truly be crazy. That's so funny about Matt's eye, I remember that happened to Scott on the ATV.
Love you all family and I love pictures!
Elder Webb
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