March 23, 2015 Weekly Report

Top of the Afternoon,

Unfortunately we didn't do anything to celebrate St. Patrick's Day here, but it wasn't a bad week. On Tuesday I conducted my second district meeting and then went on exchange with a missionary in my district. His name is Elder Van Bakel and he is from Holland! He made dubstep before his mission and loves free running. Anyway, we went to his area, a branch called Barrow, and had some fun. 

Then Wednesday we got to teach Louise again. She was in need of a big miracle with some family problems and we all fasted the next day with her. A recent convert in the Lancaster ward named Paul took us out for burritos to break our fast so that was good. Luckily we fasted on a planning day so we didn't have much hungry proselyting :) I think Louise will get baptized if we can keep at it with her.

Friday was funny. Elder Harris was completely sick of tracting and said it was never effective and he didn't want to do it anymore. So I told him we would pray really hard for a miracle and tract all day long and if nothing happened we never had to do it again. He prefers to speak with people on the streets, which I sort of do as well but you have to tract in the winter. So we knocked many doors that day. To be honest, not much happened anyway but he was fine with tracting after that so maybe that was the miracle.

On Saturday we ate some really good kebabs that are cooked in the town centre with all this live music. That was kind of fun, but I don't really remember the rest of the day. Sunday was a normal day at church. I realized I've only had investigators at church once since I served in the YSA ward so I've got to get cracking! It can be slow going sometimes, but I'm pretty used to it.

So that's a week! Pretty typical. Hope you are doing well.

Love,
Elder Webb

March 16, 2015 Cha Ching

Well folks,

It's been a good week! If you asked me what happened, I couldn't tell you too much but I know it's been good! I conducted my first district meeting and we've been visiting a few members to encourage them to do more missionary work. There are a few YSA in Lancaster ward who are thinking about serving missions and it's fun to see them all growing and encourage them.

Elder Harris and I visited Mr. Gao again this week and did more assessing on his interest level. We're thinking of bringing some Chinese recent converts over to tell their conversion stories. Hopefully that will help. It's easy to get Chinese people to feel the Spirit I think, but they don't always understand our purpose as missionaries. At least with English people they know we just want to baptize them haha!

We had a really great miracle yesterday as well. Last week we tried by this referral and found a less active lady and then called back yesterday. Her partner isn't a member and they said they would meet with us so we were both doing heel clicks yesterday. He is Atheist like the rest of Britain and so we'll need some miracles but I think Elder Harris and I were sent to them. Good feeling.

Can't think of too much else. I think my time in Lancaster will be a big turning point for my whole mission and I'm slowly engraining the characteristics I need to into my nature. It really is such a great opportunity to be here and completely dedicate myself to the Lord even though it can be tough at times. I think I've had to grow up a lot faster than I expected coming out on a mission and I really know that the Lord will walk with us each step of the way. Nothing makes me happier in my life right now than seeing people who need the Gospel start coming unto Christ and feeling the Spirit as we teach. It alleviates the burdens and melts away the slow times.

Love you all,

Elder Webb

February 16, 2015 Mom

Mom,

That's so funny Grandpa used to drive a car like that. The Sermon on the Mount completely changed the way I think when I first read it in seminary. No lice or mice these days, just a little mold around the windows but not much haha. Make sure among all the sad things you see that you never get discouraged by them. I love you emails and pictures :)

Love,

Elder Webb

March 9, 2015 I'm Running out of Titles

Folks in the USA (and some other places),

I never was a patriot before my mission, but boy oh boy how I've come to love America. This week we went to Manchester for some meetings and I got to eat at an authentic Mexican restaurant! It's called Poncho's and I felt a little at home there; they just don't do burritos right here. So I'll tell you the truth, as the lady was making my burrito behind the counter I literally almost got choked up. Wow. I love non-English burritos.

But anyway, we went to Manchester for a meeting with all the Chinese missionaries on Thursday and stayed the night at my old flat in the YSA ward! It was a weird feeling being there again and I've grown quite a bit since I served there. I really hope I don't go back to be honest, but what do you do? Then on Friday there was a big leadership meeting where we learned we are actually getting iPads now! Sometime in May I think.

As far as teaching people, this week was alright. We went by the Gao family that I found when I was here last, not sure if they're just polite or interested. And then we're going to start teaching an old investigator I taught with Elder DiPeri again, so that will be exciting. Springtime is coming and we don't have to work in suits anymore, so I'm excited to see what the transfer brings.

Oh yeah, and the best thing! There is an American family in our ward from California! I forgot how cute little American kids were and they had us over for tacos this week, something else the UK is mostly missing. 

This week went really fast and I think it's just faster from here. Spiritually I really reflected on the priesthood and how important service is this week. There really is no substance to life without serving other children of God and helping them on their path home. I truly know we are placed in the circumstances we need to be and that amazing things happen if we are diligent, but usually it's very gradual. 

Everything that my mission means to me is centered on Christ now. I've realized that the greatest thing I've learned in these first months is not how to succeed, but how to fail. It's something I've really never experienced in life, but I had to in order to feel the Master's touch, to see how penetrating and overwhelming His love truly is and the hope that it brings to mankind. I have been lifted up in Him and He is the only way I will ever finish this course. 

Love you all,

Elder Webb

February 23, 2015 Pictures

 It's got some amazing sites.

Menai Bridge over the Irish Strait.

 Spoof Selfy. Good thing I don't need glasses.

   My New Ride!  Haha just kidding. There is a member here from Cali that we did service for. They own a bed and breakfast and this nice little Lotus.

MMMM  The candy sushi turned out better.

February 23, 2015 Crazy News!

Pals around the block,

Well, another curveball for transfers! I am going back to Lancaster on Wednesday! I will take Elder DiPeri's place as District Leader as he is going home and my companion will be a Chinese speaking missionary named Elder Harris. While I was gone, Ming got baptized and they started teaching the Gao family weekly and they even came to church. So good things are happening there. Elder Lybbert is staying in Gaerwen to train a new missionary.

It will be fun to go back and I think I have some unfinished business there. The path of my mission is so crazy, I have still never served with the same companion for two whole transfers. I really have come to believe that the Lord has a plan for every trial and experience we have. I took the greatest dive of faith and hope in my entire life this transfer and had to hold onto bare threads for most of it, but I have come back with a stronger testimony of the Savior and His light than I have ever had. To quote a wonderful talk given this Sunday by an older member from Holyhead about the locusts and seagulls, "That is our job as Saints, to eat up our enemies." Hahahahahaha

Oh yeah and we'll be in a different flat than last time, one close to the University:

Elder James Webb

107 Court View House

Aalborg Place

Lancaster, LANCS

LA1 1AU

England, United Kingdom

I never thought I'd say it, but I actually missed England a lot so it will be good to go back. Also, my mission president asked me to get my driver's license so I'll be working on that. The procedure is a lot harder than in the states and holding one will actually lower my insurance rate! Hahaha but I may be driving in a few months.

Other fun news, I found out I am lactose intolerant. Ever since two Christmas's ago I have had these strange burp noises that anyone who knows me is familiar with. In Elder Lybbert and my diet we cut out milk and they completely went away. So I won't be much of a dairy man anymore unfortunately.

This week was pretty normal. We went proselyting in a town on the Isle of Anglesey with the most ridiculous Welsh name I have ever heard, let alone any language. It is called Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiligogogoch. Look it up if you don't believe me. It translates to "The church of St. Mary in the Hollow of the White Hazel Trees near the Rapid Whirlpool near St. Tysilio of the Red Cave." This place is like a dream world.

That's about it. I have a feeling that Gaerwen may be my last area come two years, not sure why. I've met a few people that have been fun to get to know and learned a lot of personal lessons. The attached picture is a meal some Chinese recent converts made for Elder Lybbert and I. It was sooooooooooooo goooooooooooooooood! Jason and Hong on the right are members.

Mom, I don't jog in the mornings anymore. Elder DiPeri just wanted me to be more disciplined and get used to the cold when we did.

Dad, Brother Kelson told me the ward never sees you anymore. I hope you still get hometaught!

Love,

Elder Webb

February 16, 2015 Fish Tacos

Elder Lybbert loves to cook. He also can't stand if someone tells him he can't do something. I wanted fish tacos for some reason, so I told him I didn't think he could make them haha. He could.