Monday, November 24, 2014
November 24, 2014
Greetings,
I can't think of letter titles anymore! But hey, what do you do?!
This week we had a General Authority visit our mission. His name is Elder Dyches and he is in the Europe Area Presidency. He had just visited the Adriatic South Mission! He said the missionaries there have it really different than us because in the smaller branches they don't have ward mission leaders and things so the missionaries have to do a lot more. Sounds like an adventure. My mission is the longest running in the world I think! Crazy.
But anyway his training was good. He was a mission president in the Portland, Oregon, mission a while back. I guess our mission won't be getting iPads for a while now. I honestly don't even really want one because of the rain and weight and dropping my bag all of the time.
I had my first Stake Conference in England! They know how to do it here. It was really powerful. English saints are stalwart and there seems to be a greater sense of urgency to serve and repent here. You kind of lose that in Utah when everyone is a member. It's like Utah is the Nephites in the Book of Mormon, prospering among the Saints, and England is like a smaller people among the Lamanites.
Our foremost investigator Amanda is doing okay. We might drop her for a little bit since she's not really progressing. I think if I wasn't a member I would think like her. It's hard for her to believe anything but obedience is easy. It's weird. Our teaching pool sort of crumbled this week except for a few. Transfer calls are on Saturday and President Ulrich already told me I'm leaving so it's kind of tough to care anymore here haha but I'm going to pretend like I'm staying, especially if I actually do!
This week was not great as far as attitude and finding new investigators between Elder Curtis and I haha. It's good it's Thanksgiving so I can repent with the world! We kind of rollercoaster with the weather and our investigators. But I'm becoming stronger so it's worth it! We did meet a Chinese girl named Zoe though who had met loads of missionaries and loves the church who we hopefully will start teaching. I think at the very last minute when I am spent we get little miracles :)
The picture is of Elder Macmeikan and I. He's from Essex, England, and goes home soon. He was in my first district and I really like him, he sings amazingly and has a cool story of deciding to come on a mission. And not to be vain but isn't my British haircut crazy? They do things weird here.
I am grateful this week for all of you and the roles you played in helping me become ready for this little adventure. I wouldn't be able to do it without relying on your examples and support. I am grateful for the hope that Christ brings into others' lives, especially my own right now. I think a mission is hard mostly to show missionaries just how amazing the life He led was. I truly have learned that He has all power and knows us perfectly. I am grateful for His sacrifice to change eternity forever and invite you and myself to make Him a more active part of your day.
The Internet is really bad today so I'm going to stop here.
Love you all so much,
Elder Webb
Mom, I got the package to open on December 1! I am excited. And we ate all the Reese's Puffs. They were amazing. No one does cereal like the USA! Elder Curtis is making a scripture case out of the box. Glad what I sent home got there and thanks for sorting it all out :)
Monday, November 17, 2014
November 17, 2014
Beloveds,
What a fine week. To be honest I now sort of know why missionaries sometimes miss a few weeks writing home because everything feels the same to me so I don't know what to say, but there are a few highlights to send back!
The best part of the week was probably when our investigator Adam came to church. He is from the north part of China and is more like a Kenny rather than a Silas. He wears hipster boots and sweat pants and colorful coats and grows a thicker beard than any Chinese person I've ever met, so maybe I truly was called to teach him haha. We've been teaching him for a few weeks and he finally came to church. I think he's my favorite investigator.
But I think it made me realize better what missionary work is really about when he came to church. I have taken the Sacrament my whole life and take it for granted, but then to be able to see someone with no Christian background do so for the first time was really special. He's definitely not the first Chinese person we've had at church but we've put a lot into teaching him so for some reason it made all the work I've done in the YSA worth it.
I don't think while I am here in this area any of our investigators will get baptized, but it doesn't matter to me so much anymore. I can see small miracles happening everywhere and I really do see that the Lord's working through us to help people progress. There's just a singular happiness to working all day and finally laying down at night knowing you did the most important thing you could. I need to repent hardcore though, I am getting super tired of street contacting and I don't use enough Chinese at all haha.
There's a Chinese baptism this week in the YSA from one of the other companionships that I'm really excited for. His name is Ted and he is quite a vibrant personality. We are teaching one of his classmates so hopefully his faith gets her going too!
Keep up the good work back home, family. Whatever stage of your life you are in is just as important as the one I'm so blessed to live right now. It's interesting to me how strong my testimony of eternal families and fatherhood and the priesthood has grown as I've been here. I think the Lord is showing me why He's teaching me everything I am learning now. All of you inspire me in your examples of the everyday dedication to the Lord.
I love you all and I know that Christ is the way. Nothing stirs my heart more than learning more about Him. He is simply an example we cannot compare to. Elder Curtis and I have noticed how much more sensitive you become as a missionary. Anytime feeling the Spirit and I can pretty much cry. We were listing things we were grateful for in the spirit of Thanksgiving (partially in rebellion to England not celebrating this essential holiday) and we had to stop because we were getting choked up or something haha.
Mom and Dad, I am excited to read your talks. It sounds like you have your work truly cut out for you and maybe after all this you'll want to settle with a nice home in Tropic, Utah haha.
Matt, I missed it by like two weeks but Happy Birthday on the 5th! Are you 35 now? Get ready for a bishopric calling, I think this is when they usually come :) There is an Elder in my district from near Fillmore and everytime I'm around him it makes me think of the elk hunting trip there.
Marc, Happy Birthday this week! Are you turning 31? I hope you do something fun and try a new restaurant or something haha. And tell Kenny happy birthday for me too!
Love,
Elder Webb
Elder Webb
Monday, November 10, 2014
November 10, 2014
The Chinese Market sells frozen baozi that we cooked on Bonfire Night when we had to go in early to our flat. You should have seen how we rigged to cook them. #mandarinmissions
November 10, 2014
November 10, 2014
Beloved Family,
I feel like I have nothing to say this week. It went by so fast. Time is so warped!!! Let me try to think of some highlights.
We've had some good sun this week. By that I mean about three of the days this week had a few hours not completely submerged in clouds. I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining but it's actually crazy how little he comes out for us. It doesn't really rain that much and when it does it's only a little drizzle. I can't think of the temperature because they use Celsius so I'm still lost.
We heard that there is a Chinese man in another area that we are going to start teaching once a week. I hope that goes through! We have about five Chinese students that are investigating but none are too far along. It is easy to get them to come try Sacrament meeting but it's usually just a cultural curiosity and they don't want to be seriously taught. There's kind of a divide between the Chinese members and the British YSA so honestly none of them are that strong. It's sort of sad and I almost wish they would go back to China where church would be more comfortable for them and they would get the support they need from the branches.
This is the way teaching Chinese people works I think. They often don't really care if it's true as long as it has good principles and they look at the Book of Mormon maybe how we would look at Confucian writings. Prayer at first seems like meditation to them and most of them don't really care about what happens after they die. Unless you can connect the Gospel to something right there in their life that they want help with, it all seems irrelevant. And for some reason because it's taught in China that God doesn't exist they use that as an excuse for not believing and think that all belief is cultural. Those are some of the concerns that are often raised. But what is great about teaching them is that they are curious and have no Christian precedent and just have a natural humility to them even though sometimes you have to push them to do anything haha.
Sometimes when Elder Curtis and I go street contacting I find a random scripture that is supposed to predict our day. This week I was sitting in the building and didn't really feel like going out and I turned to Alma 60:22-23. You'll have to look it up, it was a good chastise! I think this will be my last transfer in the YSA though. That's what my mission president said but he might change his mind. So maybe I'll spend Christmas in a new place, weird. I realized, craziest thing, that I have been in this area longer than the time between getting my mission call and leaving for the MTC. It must feel like I've been out forever. Do you all still remember me? They say to remember who you are because when you go on a mission, no one else does. But then they say to forget yourself!
President Ulrich is really inspiring. He is a man of faith! He sort of feels like an Elder Holland when you're around him, but he's so simple and loving too. The mission is trying to have higher goals and things which is good I guess. Whenever a new mission president comes in it takes a while to readjust the mission. But hopefully it's all for the better. I realized that the missionaries I love the most are the really humble ones from places other than Utah that don't always have the most success or get all the glory but humbly serve their best. I think there is a great lesson to be learnt from them.
Dad, your mission is going to have some crazy adventures! Maybe you will have a father and son come home teach you and hear about it all and be blown away like Bishop and Sister Holt.
Love you all so much,
Elder Webb
I forgot to mention, you pray a lot on your knees as a missionary. Like an average of 13 times a day. And guess what? My knees look like my elbows now! I am so proud of it.
Monday, November 3, 2014
November 3, 2014
November 3, 2014
My Loved Ones,
I am unbelievably happy right now because we found a Chinese Market in Manchester and reminds me so much of Taiwan. They had Mochi and pineapple cakes and pocky sticks and lychee fruit drinks and everything and today it's really sunny so I'm the happiest missionary alive! So that's really all I'm thinking about if my email is otherwise unrelateable.
Halloween this week was fun. We went in at 5 pm and I'm pretty glad after we saw the city the next morning. Let's just say the university student life is not for me. But we bought a pumpkin and I got to carve it! Then we roasted a few seeds over tin foil and the candle which was so fun to think back. We didn't shop last week for who knows why so we kind of scavenged our meals this week. Lots of oatmeal, but we made sweet and sour chicken on Halloween.
England has so many old buildings. Sometimes I force myself to just stop and appreciate it. They look like super hipster taverns, but a lot are boarded up with loads of advertisements on them. So it has kind of a weird feel. Fall is definitely coming. It doesn't really rain as much as I expected, although I'm told that changes. But it's warmer than Utah in November if I remember correctly so I don't think I'll be too cold.
Our pool of Chinese investigators is growing a lot. None of them are really up to like baptismal dates, but they are interested. The hardest thing about teaching Chinese people is that they either are simply curious about the ideals or too polite to say no or they have a moral interest but don't really care if it is true. Missionary work feels like a game of the Spirit sometimes to recognize where to spend your efforts and time.
Elder Curtis and I will be good friends for the future I think. We probably have a few too many conversations about fly fishing and the outdoors that get us excited haha. He finds it hard to learn Chinese when no one really speaks it here, which I understand but not it's probably a lot more frustrating than I can see. It's interesting that Heavenly Father put so many Elders here who don't have Chinese backgrounds when no one can really train them. You need that gift of tongues in this mission!
I was told I don't sound American the other day. Someone thought I was Scottish so I think my voice is going all over the place. I met someone from America and her accent drove me crazy. I see why British people make fun of us haha. I guess I'm just getting too immersed. Haha just kidding but it's weird because I have to actively see if someone is speaking with an American or British or Irish or Scottish accent and then the accents in England change everywhere so now I can sort of tell like Manchester, Preston, Birmingham, London, and Jordy accents apart. Crazy, right?
Our most progressing investigator, Amanda from Brazil, is doing well I think. Later today we are going to see if she will commit to a baptismal date with the promise that her prayers over the Book of Mormon will be answered if she does. So hopefully that works out. It's funny to actually be a part of all the stories you hear from returned missionaries and see what it actually feels like. The same way I felt waking up for a day of school is like waking up to go do missionary work haha, it's bizarre how you can adjust. I still have so much to learn to really get this down though. Preach My Gospel is immense!
I think as far as the most spiritual thing this week it was yesterday at what we call the Mission Fireside. Every month all the recent converts from the mission gather in this chapel in Manchester and they speak and tell their conversion stories. We can go if we have an investigator, and luckily I've been able to go a few times. They are really inspiring and get me excited to find more people to teach. But the thing about this chapel, it's one of the biggest in the mission and it has thing really distinct old smell. It's in a place called Wythenshawe and all the transfer meetings and everything basically in the mission goes on in there. So every time I am there I get really nostalgic for the feelings I have had in there and am yet to have. This time just sitting and pondering, I realized I really know why I am here.
I can easily say the last few months have been the hardest of my life and at times I really do miss you all. It's been more terrifying than learning to ski, more anxious than any new school year, more hard work than all of my AP classes, more spiritually stretching than any study or prayer in the past, more discouraging than any fly fishing trip, more socially exhausting than any drama at school or in the family, and above all this it has been so hard to conceptualize doing it for two years and never seeing any of you. So sitting there I recognized in myself that the reason I've been able to do it is because I truly know that God lives. I know He stands at our side in all things. I know His Son is our Redeemer, the Great Healer of mankind. I have come to trust Him so much more on my mission, although the testimony I have hasn't really changed all that much. It is that He is there, and He is always aware. I have never been alone.
I love you all so much,
Elder Webb
Phill, I light-heartedly told our Brazilian investigator to add you on Facebook haha so if you get a random invite you will know why hahahaha
Scott, one of the two things happened you told me to tell you about. I woke up and some dumb song from high school that was played at assemblies was rolling through my head all day. I'll tell you when the second thing happens.
Mom, the mission asked if I want the flu shot and I said no. I don't really trust British medicine. Is that okay? I am taking my herbs and still have silver shield haha.
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