January 19, 2015 Cymru! (Wales in Welsh)

Heya!

Well, here's the news! Our mission president prayed about transfers again and I found out last P-day after emailing that I would be going down to Wales with Elder Lybbert!

Here's my new address:

Elder James Webb

Flat 6 Nantlys, 15 High Street

Bangor GWYND LL57 1NP

Wales, United Kingdom

So on Tuesday I packed and said goodbye to some of the investigators in Lancaster and on Wednesday after transfers bused down to Bangor. It was like a five hour journey and I feel a little banished from the rest of the mission. So our flat is in Bangor, but the ward is called Gaerwen after the town the chapel is in. If you google North Wales our area covers the Isle of Anglesey and towns of Bethesda, Caernarfon, Menai Bridge, Llanfair-something, and Mt. Snowdon, the highest peak in the UK.

Wales is seriously the most amazing place I've ever been. It's like a mixture of Utah, England, and Juneau, Alaska. We have white capped mountains behind us, the teal coloured Irish Sea between the mainland and the Isle, and old castles and cathedrals and churches at like every corner shrouded by wispy pines and green pastures. Bangor University is situated in a little valley and it's really clean and nice here. The sun is out more than in England and the sky is usually tinted orange and purple. Most of the roads in the countryside are one lane with like five foot hedges on either side, so it gets pretty intense driving. And the speed limit is like sixty haha. This sounds like I'm making it up but it's actually incredible here.

So there are Chinese students here and they just baptised one. The ward is pretty well split out among the little villages and we don't have a car, so I don't know how to work here properly yet. There are other elders in the ward with a car and we spend some time with them going to tea appointments and all that. I'm excited to be here, even though it's a little like being banished from the rest of the mission. Elder Lybbert went to the MTC with me and is a good, hard worker. I can hopefully help his Chinese and he can guide me on the area.

Welsh people are a little different than the English. They actually do speak Welsh and it sounds like something out of Lord of the Rings. The buses announce the stops in Welsh and all the signs have Welsh and English, so it's kind of surreal haha. But everyone is really, really polite and I think I will get pretty comfortable here. I actually do miss England, even though the two are similar. I didn't know if I'd ever say that haha. It's like Wales is the elves and England is the men. I think Tolkien was spot on. Let me just put what's on the mouse pad, whatever it means haha: "Dilynwch Gwasanaeth Llyfrgell Gwynedd ar Facebook a Twitter i gael gwybod be sy' mlaen!" I only recognize two words :)

But I'm proud to be a little Dan Jones out here. He is known in Preach My Gospel as one of the greatest missionaries of all time and is from either my area or one next to it, I'm not sure yet. It's an adjustment and I'm really grateful for Elder DiPeri teaching me so much in Lancaster. He became a true friend and really changed my mission. Coming out here honestly feels like my final step into manhood and I think I can only do it if I truly learn to come unto Christ. That has been the beckon of everyday of my mission, every trial and every step. I believe in a Balm in Gilead and await His deliverance as I undergo everything that I am called to. I love you all and thank you for your prayers.

Love,
Elder Webb