1-7-13

Annie’s Letter

Good morning! I hope you have all had in INCREDIBLE week! What a wonderful week it has been! It has simply flown by! So this week, Sister Twitchell and I were singing Joy to the world by three dog night and decided that wasn't the best song to get stuck in our heads so we changed the lyrics... we really enjoy it.

Jeremiah was a 'gator

Was a good friend of mine

Never understood a single word he said

so we took away his wine.

He never drank anymore wine!

Joy to the world

all the boys and girls

joy to the fishies in the deep blue sea

joy to you and me!

If I was king of the world

I'll tell you what I'd do

Let the missionaries go everywhere

and teach the truth to you!

Joy to the world

all the boys and girls

joy to the fishies in the deep blue sea

joy to you and me!

(Key change)

Joy to the world

all the boys and girls

be with your families for eternity

joy to you and me!

yeah! we really enjoy that! It's true though, the message that we bear, the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ brings so much joy! To every creature! It's amazing! I am so grateful to be a part of this incredible work and to see the miracles and blessings that it brings! To my family, to me, and most importantly to the good people of the great Ohio! How great is my calling! (and don't worry, we will record it and it will be sent home on my SD card (I can record on Sis Twitchell's camera!))

I am so grateful to still be with Sister Twitchell! This week (year) has been amazing! We are having a hard time finding right now, but not because of a lack of diligence! One thing we have been doing is going through the area book and contacting the potentials...lists and lists of potentials form like 2005 on. We are working on mapping them out so that when we are in an area we can go and see the potentials there in addition to finding. It has been awesome! We have had some really good contacts and have some promising return appointments and we are just excited! So let's talk about breakfast. Every week we are to make breakfast for investigators to help them get to church. Yesterday, scratch that, Saturday night we were with Shelly she is getting ready to go on a mission to Japan at the end of the month! So she does a lot with us right now, it's amazing! Anyway, we had her call Mark and Olivia and invite them to church (harder to say no to people who aren't missionaries I guess) and so we had it all set up, Shelly, Sister Twitchell and I would go to Mark and Olivia's and make them breakfast and then they would go to church with Shelly. Sunday morning...as per usual, we get a text message "I'm sick. Don't come" but...we did anyway. We pretended that we didn't actually get the text messages and we show up with breakfast! Now, this week, she did actually look sick (I'm not convinced on other weeks) but despite that, after some hard convincing.... we made it to church! Yay! It was fantastic! Sister Twitchell was amazing! I don't think they would have come without her.... gentle... persuasion. haha. She was very sweet, but bold. it was great.

I am so excited about the upcoming year! It is going to be amazing! I'm excited for the goals and the work that is going to be done! It's a little hard sometimes, Satan is just plain rude. But as we warn people of his cunning antics and fight valiantly, we will overcome the foe! There is just NO other possible outcome. We WILL prevail! How awesome!

Dad: Thanks for being such an incredible example! I love you! Thanks for starting Rachel's car this morning. I know she appreciated it. I always did, I don't know if I told you that enough. Thanks for your emails. I always love them. And I've been told that the second half of your mission goes faster than the first half...but that's from the missionary perspective. So I'm not really sure how it will be for you!

Mom: I'm feeling much better. Still not perfect but SO MUCH BETTER! Also, just so you're aware I'm going to try to go to the dentist soon. It's been a year... I want to go. I WANT TO GO TO THE DENTIST! how many people actually say that? haha. and then I'll just go again when I get home. Thanks for being such a great mom! You always let us know how much we are loved and I really appreciate that!

Megan and Justin: Sorry you have the flu, meg. that's no fun :-( I hope you get feeling better soon. Thanks for getting up anyway and emailing us :-) Justin, hope work is going well. Still waiting for a letter. Your time is half gone, my friend.

Natalie and Jon: Nat, you're probably back in school this week... I hope you re enjoying it! Second semester! "I'm a big kid now!" Try not to spend too much time on your sewing machine. I know it's hard because it's SO MUCH MORE FUN THAN SCHOOL! But school is a little important! Jon, I hope school is going well for you also! I better get a graduation announcement! And then a wedding announcement! I hope you had fun fixing the water heater. sounded like a party lol. Also, your time to write me is half gone as well. Just sayin'. Also, to both of you I NEED PICTURES! My address is still the same, so please get right on that!

Rachel: I hope all is well with you this week! I'm sure you're crazy busy getting back into school and everything! Jazz band this morning! fun! I hope you are playing fun songs!

Landon! You thought I forgot you didn't you?! NEVER! I think about you all the time bud! I'm glad you're tracting now! haha. It's good fun. I'll have to write down "the secret to tracting" for you. It's 9 points that help a lot! We are still working on perfecting them! I'll tell you all about them. If I remember. I hope you're enjoying training. I'm sure you're doing awesome!

PS you read the Book of Mormon in 24 hours? Tell me about that!?

You guys are all so amazing! I love you!

So I still have some time (I'm so grateful I type fast!) let's talk about the Book of Mormon. MAN! it's super amazing! That's just all there is to it! I stand with Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon WILL bring you closer to God than any other book. Why? Because, now standing with Jeffrey R. Holland, it is NOT just a book. It is so much more than that! My testimony of the Book of Mormon has been strengthened so much! As I have delved into it and gotten to know the people in it and the stories and the lessons more... oh my goodness. It is seriously the GREATEST BOOK EVER! It is true. It contains what we need to do to be able to return to live with our Father in Heaven. Why would we NOT study that!? It would be so silly! It's like... well, not reading the instructions when you're building...a car! Or a house! Just not very smart! This year we are studying the Doctrine and Covenants in Sunday School, which is awesome! But don't neglect the Book of Mormon. Or the Bible. Study them together! The STANDARD WORKS! They're amazing. For a good Bible story, check out Nehemiah. (In the Old Testament) It's pretty fantastic!

We have been giving the members of the Marysville ward Family mission plans to fill out. Like Landon said in his email last week, missionary work doesn't have to be big! But have a plan, write it down, share it with someone so you are accountable. It can be as little as "I want to give away 5 pass along cards per month" or "I want to have 1 gospel discussion a month" whatever your goal is MAKE IT HAPPEN! The work is progressing! Are you helping? If you're not, WHY?! You never know what little step is going to make such a huge difference! Planting seeds, positive contacts. It may not come to anything now but it will eventually. Open your mouth, it will be filled. Listen to the spirit. He'll never lead you astray. Be bold, be brave, be brilliant!

Have a great week guys! Love you!

Annie

PS... I'M GOING TO BE IN MARYSVILLE FOR MY BIRTHDAY! YAY!!!!! :-D

Landon’s Letter

Hello my family

My mission president (President Scott) sent us this email this week and it absolutely astonishes me. It is all completely about the Book of Mormon and the events that took place during the translating of the Book of Mormon.

We have all just read the Book of Mormon in 24 hours. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon in 85 days from April 7-June 30, 1829. It is incredible to think that anyone could translate a document that large in that amount of time but the translation of the Book of Mormon is even more amazing if you take into account all of the other activities and distractions that were occurring in Joseph’s life during those 85 days. · He moved the location of the translation efforts 120 miles (193 kilometers) from Harmony, PA to Fayette, NY; · Applied for the copyright to the Book of Mormon; · Traveled 60 miles (96 kilometers) round trip to Colesville, NY for supplies...probably several times;· Recorded 12 sections of the Doctrine and Covenants; · Restored both the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods; and· Experienced divine manifestations with both the Three and Eight Witnesses to the Book of Mormon. It is estimated that this left only 60-65 days for the actual translation. That is a rate of approximately 9 manuscript pages per day. In contrast, the King James Version of the Bible was produced by 50 English scholars who accomplished their work in seven years, translating at the rate of about one page per day. The translators of the Bible also had the benefit of referring to earlier translations of the Bible that had been translated by William Tyndale and others. Elder Russell M. Nelson said that even today, with the aid of modern computers and other translating equipment; translators can still only translate scriptural text at the rate of about 1 page per day. Joseph Smith, who was an “uneducated farm boy”, was able to translate the Book of Mormon faster than most of us read it today. The Book of Mormon is true. It testifies of Christ. The Book of Mormon is organized into 6607 verses of which 3925 refer to Jesus Christ. There is some reference to the name of Christ for every 1.7 verses of the Book of Mormon.

Crazy right? That is absolutely amazing and awesome because it truely shows that there was no other way that the Book of Mormon could have been written by a man with a 3rd grade education. Or even translated by his own knowledge. This book was translated through the Prophet Joseph Smith by the Power of God! No if's, and's, or but's about it. Even more astonishing is that we don't even have to use this knowledge to prove that it is true or came about by the power of God. If any one person reads the Book of Mormon, ponders, and prays about it will come to know of it's truthfulness by the power of the Holy Ghost. The numbers are astonishing! But the true miracle is that we each can gain and have gained a testimony or the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon! I just want to add my testimony that I know that the Book of Mormon is true. There is no way that it can't be true. It is the word of God given to us for today, literally for TODAYS WORLD. How great is that. Here is a challenge to make Webb Family History. Try and read the Book of Mormon between 60-65 days. Ya that's 9 pages a day. I don't mean you have to sit down and read it in 60-65 consecutive days. (we didn't read the Book of Mormon in 24 consecutive hours). Even if that means reading every Sunday which leaves 51 Sundays and then that leaves 9-14 days. I hope that you take this challenge. What a great time it can be. Just sitting down and reading either together or individually 9 pages for 60-65 days. I believe we will become closer as a family even over the thousands of miles that distance us.

Rachel: Oh man I didn't get a letter from you this week :( That's ok I know you must be busy getting back to school. I hope that things go great for you and that you will have fun. Good luck with final if they are coming soon. When is the end of your semester? How is Jazz Band? How is Choir? How is work?

Natalie: It was great to talk with you! Good luck with this second and up coming semester. I hope that you have fun and keep doing good in school. Remember you also need a social life besides just studying and classes. Trust me. Continue to make friends and spend time with old friends. Like Danielle

Annie: Thanks for your great example. I hope that you are finding success in potential investigators and mapping them out. We are doing the same thing with part member families and also former investigators. Keep trying many and fun new ideas in your finding. Make it fun! I know you will!

Megan & Justin: I hope that things are still going great for the both of you! I hope you get better soon Megan. There are tones of people here that have been getting the flu. I am glad to hear that the puppies are doing great. They are almost a year old now right? Have fun this week!

Mom: Thanks for being such a great Mom! Really I do appreciate all that you do for me! We are still being fed. Also we are staying warm here. I hope that things start warming up in Lyman. I will send back my stockings and also other stuff that I need to send home.

Dad: ya sorry I did get your letter just before last week so I have read it and re-read it. Thank you so much it has helped out so much. I have lessoned my stress and not my work. There is no point in stressing over things that will take a little bit of time. Thanks for your encouragement and for your counsel!

I love each and everyone of you! I hope that your week goes great. Just remember you have a number 1 fan here in Stoney Creek Ontario. I was thinking the other day and I have had this thoughts a couple of times. I want to go to Niagra Falls! We were there 8 almost 9 years ago. I want to stand where we stood looking at those falls and say, "9 years ago I stood in my mission field" How cool would that be? So I hope that I can go and remember that crazy trip that the we took across the country with 7 people in a truck pulling a trailer for 32 days. Such a fun time.

Love your favorite Brother, Elder, and Missionary

Elder Landon Webb

1-2-13

Landon’s Letter

Happy New Year to my amazing family! Thank you so much for all that you have given to us! Elder Washburn says thanks for the book and I do to! It is great! I love it because it has trains! :D

This week has been pretty fun! We finished the Book of Mormon in less than a 24 hour time set period! It was so much fun! I have come to see just how the Lords hand is in our lives! You can see and feel it among the Nephites and Lamanites as they are righteous or when they are wicked. It is amazing to see that! Also you can just feel the power that the Book of Mormon has. The Spirit dwells in the pages and anyone who reads it, ponders it, and prays about it cannot say that it's not true. They will know that it is true, that the Book was translated by Joseph Smith for our day, that it is the word of God, and Another Testiment of Jesus Christ. There are a couple of time that they say in the Book of Mormon that they travel to the land northward with many great waters, rivers, and fountains. (Great waters, there are thousands of lakes here, great lakes), (rivers, yup each lake is connected with a river), and (fountains, there are small waterfalls but one great fountain that comes to mind, Niagra Falls). This is just me but I think that they came up around here around Annie's and my mission areas. They definately did when Moroni burried the plates in the Hill Camorah. In fact it is mentioned 3 times. Mormon hid the plates if I remember correctly in the Hill Camorah, Moroni burried them there, and also the Jaradite Nations had their great, many, and destroying battles around there. Crazy right. Look them up don't believe me. I thought it was so cool just to read.

The area here in Stoney Creek is pretty great! I guess I will tell you a little about it. You have talked with Brother Martlew. He is great! There are many great ward members here. the Stevens, the Shepards, the Shepards, the Ayers, the Ayers, (yes double) Kebicks, Verebs. They are all great members and there are more then 40 each week! So alot bigger then North Bay. It is really fun! There are 4 sets of missionaries in Hamilton. Downtown (Zone Leaders), The Mountain (which is up the escarpment. It's just another hill the size of the dugway), Stoney Creek (us :D), and all of Hamilton (Chinese Elders). This is just Hamilton we also include alot of the surrounding areas. Oakville, Burlington (Elder Harrell lives there who is awesome! He served in Sault St. Marie while I was in North Bay. Check out the train game we have it's on there), St. Catherines, and more that I don't even know. We have a good size Zone. In comparrison there were only 5 companionships in the North Zone. We have 6 in our district down here. We only get 1500 kilometers per month so we have to be wise in how we use them. Less then 44.6 kilometers per day. Yikes! We had 80 a day in North Bay. So almost half. But I like it here. It is pretty nice. It is right next to Lake Ontario which is huge. We can see Toronto across the Lake if it is a good clear day which there are not many of those. So we have only seen it once haha. The work here is slow right now. We are trying to find new investigators many different ways. We are stopping by Part Member Families then tracting 10 houses to the left and 10 to the right, same with Former Investigators, and Less-Active Families. So lots of tracting just to try and find the Lords elect and prepared which there are many out there. We just need to know what to say or how to let them see that this is what they need. Any suggestions?

Again thank you so much for the great presents! I wear my hats all the time either around the house or out tracting. Thanks for everything! I love each and every one of you!

Happy New Year! Let's make Webb Family History! Lets deepen our desire, strengthen our roots, and loose ourselves to the work of the Lord! I invite each of you to think about how you can help the work progress whether it be continue to fulfill your callings, talk with someone about the gospel, give them a Book of Mormon, or even just introducing them to the missionaries. No matter how small you think it is you are helping the work move forward! It's still a step, it's still moving forward. Let's make Webb Family History! Let's bring someone into or back into the Gospel! Why? Not because we want them to but because they need it in their lives! Let's make Webb Family History by becoming more converted to the Lord this year, right now. We are Normal People who will be striving for an Extraordinary Eternity! Who wants to give it a try? I know each of you are so busy right now with everything but even fulfilling your callings to the best of your ablity will do. You don't have to serve a mission to serve the Lord. We just need to serve now and choose to help this Marvalous and Great work continue! Let's make 2013 a year to remember that we became more converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Maybe it's just the missionary in my saying this but I know I will! haha. I know we can!

Thank's for all that you do to help me and Annie out! Thanks for all you do. Seriously thank you! I love each one of you!

Love your favorite Elder, Son, and Brother

Elder Landon Webb

12-27-2012

Landon’s Letter

Hey My Family

Wow I can't believe that it is almost 2013. But we SURVIVED! Remember that karioke song "I'm a survivor". Haha that definately went through my head that day. (Apostate I know, it was just funny) It was so great to hear from almost everyone. (Annie and Jon). But it was really great. I do agree with Annie though. I do want 2 letters from 2 people......................any guesses? haha just when ever you 2 have some free and extra time. So I guess I should tell you first off, I am having P-Day next week on Wednesday. Then the week after that we will be returning to the normal Monday P-Day. Just FYI. Well nothing new has happened since the 25th but I can tell you this Boxing Day is almost as crazy as Black Friday. On Christmas Day we had a dinner appointment with the Shepards and they told me that last year they went out shopping on Boxing Day and there was a line of 400 people to a store at 5:45 a.m. So I think I will stick with Black Friday. But everything but the stores were closed. Crazy huh?

The Book of Mormon reading was so much fun! I will talk more about that next week!

Rachel-I am sorry you were feeling sick :( that's no fun hopefully you get feeling better soon. You might even be feeling better already. I know around here there has been the 24 hour bug. Maybe it's that? Hopefully!

Natalie-Congradulations! That is good news! Sorry you can't be my only favorite sister because I have 4 favorite sisters ;) So how was your first semester at college? Was it what you expected?

Annie-I will try and write a letter really soon. Things have just been crazy! How have things been going for you? How was your Christmas? What did you do? I hope that I hear from you soon!

Megan & Justin- Keep smiling! :) It was great to see you two. I hope that you are seeing the joy of serving. You may not be serving like me and Annie but you are still building the Lords Kingdom and preparing future missionaries! Thanks for the Christmas Presents!

Mom-It was great to see you! Thank you so much for all that you have given especially for all the Christmas stuff! It was so exciting to get it! I have alot of stuff to be grateful for. I hope that your Christmas was great like mine!

Dad-Thanks for all that you do! You have helped me out so much! I hope that I get your letter today or soon. I still haven't gotten it. It was great to hear and talk with each of you! Maybe if and when you send the card you should send it to the mission office? I don't know about this new mailing place.

I love each and everyone of you and am deeply grateful for each of you in my life!

Love your favorite Elder, Brother, and Son

Landon Webb

Annie’s Letter (12-31-12)

Satanic Contortionists, that’s exciting…

...Don't ask me. I don't know. It's just something I said in my sleep... according to Sister Twitchell. haha.

SO OH MY GOSH! NATALIE AND JON!!! CONGRATULATIONS! i AM SO HAPPY! Like I already told Nat, I started bawling in the library. People are going to think missionaries are weird. BUT I'M SO EXCITED! Seriously, best. Christmas. present. ever.

Speaking of Christmas presents... THANKS! I love all my wonderful presents! The clothes are all so cute! They skirts are a little big...but that's okay, they still work. Good thing I have hips!

So, I have been thinking about Christy. Can someone tell me what is going on there? You said in an email a while ago that she looks lost and you didn't think she would ever come out of it? Come out of what? (also, please take this part out before you post this email. thanks.)

So I have to admit... I love the UW hat. Despite the fact that it is brown and gold and ... UW-ish. It's super fun and I wear it often. At home. With the cute penguin slippers. haha.

Seriously, thank you all so much. You are the best. It was a wonderful Christmas! We got up and studied like normal and then went downstairs and opened presents. Sister Twitchell says thank you for the book! Me too! I have been so excited about that book! I am glad we got it! You guys are stellar! Then we took a 3 hour nap and got to work! We did some awesome finding on Christmas night. We talked to some incredible people and have some return appointments we are excited about. It was really a wonderful Christmas. Plus, like Sister Skaggs told you... I GOT SHRIMP! It was so fun to share that tradition with them! it's amazing how fast 4 lbs of shrimp can disappear!

So here is a story about faith.

'Twas the Saturday before Christmas in Worthington Ward

Lindsay was getting baptized, making promises with the Lord.

The Marysville Sisters knew the spirit would be there,

so we took Brooklyn so the feeling could be shared.

After the ordinance was done and complete,

Brooklyn admitted she felt pretty neat.

She wasn't 100 % convinced it was true

But she had faith baptism was the thing she should do.

So we started making plans, for in just one week

Brooklyn would be baptized, isn't that sweet?

Now Christmas has come and Christmas has gone,

it's Monday and we meet Brooklyn, never a yawn.

She tells us she talked with her member friend, so dear

and they think she should wait and be baptized in the new year.

Even though the story doesn't end how we want

we know that we will be filling the font.

Taking steps of faith can be kind of scary,

but the results of such will always make us so merry.

The Lord will provide for us, for one and for all

as we try to come closer to him, he will not let us fall.

So yeah, Brooklyn decided to get baptized next year. Which is sad but it's okay. We learned that the Lord will always provide a way if we act in faith. We did everything we could, but we can't take away her agency. She will still get baptized so it's okay.

I have loved Christmas this year1 What a wonderful time of year it is to celebrate the birth of our Savior. It has been especially sweet this year to celebrate as a missionary and to feel the spirit so strongly. On Christmas Eve we were tracting and we got into this wonderful family. They have very strong faith. They allowed us to share a Christmas message with them and it was just wonderful. The spirit was so strong! I love Christ. I love this gospel. I love serving a mission! I can't believe how fast it goes! I love what Landon's zone leader said. "some people just serve the Lord for 24 months. Others just serve the Lord. Which one will you be? You get to choose." So I hope you all make the choice! Jospeh Smith said "the standard of truth has been erected NO UNHALLOWED HAND CAN STOP THE WORK FROM PROGRESSING. The work is going to go on. We just have to choose whether or not we want to be helping that work or not. What a wonderful thing! I have been so grateful this week to be on a mission. I love it. I love sharing the gospel, I really do. I love being in Ohio and getting to know all the wonderful people here. I am so thankful for the wonderful examples I have all around me!

This morning we got some very sad news. Danielle (a fairly recent convert, less active) lost her baby this morning. She was life flighted to children's and passed away. How sad. I am just heartbroken for this little family. :-( I am so grateful for the knowledge we have, not the belief or even the hope...the KNOWLEDGE of the Plan of Salvation. It is amazing. It is truly amazing. I just don't know know what we would do without that incredible gift. Shane and Danielle can forever have Aeon sealed to them and they will be with their precious little girl again.

We are working hard.. Knocking doors, talking to everyone, doing everything we can to keep the work moving forward. It's a little slow for us right now, but we are doing our best to press forward. We have some great plans for the new year! We are working on setting some plans so that can visit lots of potentials and formers and really kick it into high gear! In our area book we have 44 pages of potentials. We are writing them all down, mapping them out and we are going to visit all of them! We are excited! Also, we learned a lot of wonderful things from our exchange with the sisters in Reynoldsberg and it has been SO fun to apply what we have learned and see the difference that it is starting to make! Things can only go up! It's game time. Our wonderful assistants said... "let's make 2013 one for the history books!" yeah!

It was great to talk to you all on Christmas. I wish Justin could have been there too, but it's okay. Work and all. I'll get to talk to you soon! And pester you! haha. Talking to you all was such a wonderful present. I love my family! I love all the support you give! It was so fun to talk to you!

So transfers are this week. I know they are always inspired and I look forward to being wherever I am called to be. I know that President receive revelation for this mission and I am so grateful for that! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful leader calling us to action, like Moroni!

Also, I don't have the Rappleye's address on me right now... but I will get it and send it to you! And just so you're aware... I will be spending more home money. Sorry I'm so expensive :-( I try not to be! But it's cold outside! So today I'm going to buy boots that are better for this weather. On Wednesday we got a ton of snow. They called it a blizzard... I wouldn't but they did. It was a lot of snow though, it has been fun. But I discovered that my black boots that I thought would be okay in water...aren't. My feet get very wet and very cold very quickly. Sorry sorry sorry. :-(

Well, I love you all! I hope you have a wonderful new year! Please eat some crab for me! I'm sad I'll be missing it! But it's okay, because I am doing the work of the Lord. And I'll get crab next year (sorry Lando) and I get double next year. :-) That's the plan! haha.

Well I love you all! I'll have someone let you know about transfers! Who knows, if the Madsen's are at our house, Sister Madsen might just be able to tell you! Btw... her 16 year old son's name is Christain.

Not Christopher. :-) You guys are so amazing! Love you love you love you!

Tata!

Annie

ps... the other picture is our basement. Where the wall is definitely starting to bow out. It wasn't like that when I got here 6 months ago...scary! But the maintenance people are coming today. So that's good news! lol

12-17-12

Annie’s Letter

SOMEONE PLEASE GO WATCH SINGIN IN THE RAIN FOR ME!

Hi dearest family! I just love you guys! I love getting your emails and I am SO EXCITED TO TALK TO ALL OF YOU! I can't skype. I will be calling sometime after 7 here. (5 there) so if you have any last minute time requests or instructions... email me. I'll get in...maybe on Monday.. I'm not sure what the PDay situation is going to be next week since it's Christmas Eve... well... after 5. be there or be square! all of you! (JUSTIN AND JON ARE INCLUDED!) If possible. I want to talk to my WHOLE family! Because I love all of you! This week has just been a little crazy. Investigators, walking, Christmas Devotional, Crazy angry, GOLDEN BEAR, Shawn Bradley, walking, walking, walking... sick, happy, sad, confused, worried, excited, optimistic, basically, you name an adjective this week I felt it. So let's start at the beginning, a very good place to start! SO on Monday I experienced the joy and pure happiness that comes in a can with a GOLDEN BEAR label. What, you might ask, is this thing of which I speak? We had a similar question. The Elders assured us (constantly for the last month) that Golden Bear was basically liquid happiness and just the best thing ever! They also compared it to fine wine, which concerned us a bit. What do these NOT 21 year old boys know about fine wine? ...? Anyway, On Monday we went to Walgreens (basically the only place that sells Golden Bear) and got some. WOW. It is lemonade made by Arizona (it doesn't have tea in it don't worry) there is lemonade with honey and strawberry lemonade. It is really really good. We love Golden Bear. So Tuesday we went to the Christmas devotional. It was so fun! Shawn Bradley was there. He played for the 76ers, NJ Nets (yes, New Jersey) and a long time for the Dallas Mavriks. He is 7'6". I got to play the piano for a professional basketball player! He also played for BYU and went on a mission to Australia! He is so awesome! And SO TALL! seriously... I'll show you guys a picture when I get it. It's crazy. 7'6". That's more than 2 feet taller than me! I have never felt so short in my life! At lunch, we were sitting with President and Sister Nilsen and so then, naturally, Shawn Bradley came and sat there too. So I got to sit right next to him! He said "I just thought I'd sit by you so I could elbow you." something like that... and he elbowed me! Now, when most people elbow you it hits somewhere around your rib area... HIS ELBOW HIT MY HEAD! yeah, I go up to like... his stomach. Tall. 7"6"! WOW! The devotional was really fun! We had a talent show that was just so much fun! Sister Twitchell and I did Abbot and Costello's "Who's on first" IT was so fun! I was Costello. I wore a jersey from... THE ST LOUIS CARDINALS! Because Brother Smith (in my ward... was totally a pitcher for them! Until he got hurt so he never went to the majors) Still, awesome! And I got to be crazy angry! because Sister Twitchell (Abbot) just wouldn't answer my question! I feel for Costello. Poor guy. If you're not familiar with that sketch or if it has been more than...a month since you saw it, please go to youtube at the conclusion of reading this email and watch it. Oh. and President gave us all Golden Bears. haha.

So, moving forward a couple of days and to a much more serious note... we were devastated by the news that we heard about the shooting in Connecticut. How awful! It has made me really grateful for the wonderful blessing of the gospel in my life. What comfort it brings! On that night we were visiting a less active member. She had the TV on in the background (of course about that story) and we were singing. What were we singing you might ask? "JOY TO THE WORLD!" Guys, I was just struck with such comfort. It is so amazing that eve though we live in such a scary world where such terrible things can happen... MEN ARE THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE JOY! We can still find joy in the midst of all the tragedy that surrounds us because we have the Savior. Because He took upon Himself all of our sins, sadnesses, sorrows, illnesses...EVERYTHING! He did it all! That's so amazing! We have been talking a lot about Alma 31:38 where it talks about all affliction being swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Compare that to John 16:33 where the joy of Christ is defined. No matter what happens, everything is going to be okay! Because we have the Savior! It's just amazing!!!!!!

Fast forward another couple of days: we had an incredible miracle yesterday... 4 PEOPLE CAME TO CHURCH! It was such a wonderful blessing! We have been working so hard to get people to church and this week it was just awesome! We are doing everything we can to combat Satan. In the words of Sister Eby (who has more faith than ANYONE I know) "Get behind me Satan. Go to hell, it's where you're gonna be anyway!" HAHA! We are doing everything we can to send him away to where he belongs RIGHT NOW! He has no place in this work! "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" 2 Timothy 2:3 It's become a favorite scripture of mine. Satan is so against us, he places stumbling blocks in our way and in the way of our investigators but we just have to be good soldiers, endure hardness. And we can do it because... "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind" MAN! Timothy got all sorts of great advice! I'm so glad we get that too! Anyway... this letter is kind of babbly and scatter brained...sorry. I know the gospel is true! I do! "I know it, I live it, I love it!"...and I share it!

Mom, I'm willing to do anything to get past all this junk! So, I'll look for that stuff today. Will I be able to find it? Transfers are January 3.

I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the Forgotten Carols. We'll definitely have to go next year so Megan, Justin, and I can see it! That will be great!

Natalie, good job, you finished your first semester of college! Congratulations! I'm so proud of you! Relax!

Rachel, have fun at the work party! (I'd skip school too!) That's lame that you have that dumb schedule. No worries though. You have Christmas break! YAY!

Meg and Justin-thanks for the box! You guys are great! I hope all is going well for you! During 3 hour yesterday we had a combined youth, RS, Priesthood lesson about the new curriculum. It sounds amazing! I'm excited for it to start happening! It's going to make these youth become such better missionaries. The missionaries who will come from this program are just going to be amazing!` They are really going to understand how to teach by the spirit! It's going to be amazing! Missionary work is going to explode guys! Make sure you are all a part of it!

Dad, thanks for being my dad! I hope you keep going out with the missionaries! And feeding them! That's also really important!

Have a great day guys! Thanks for your prayers! They are felt! Also...pray for my fingers this week! I am accompanying the choir this week for church I've had the music for just a couple of days and I don't have a lot of time to practice it! Less time than I had when I played for Elder Maness in the MTC! Ah! It's a gorgeous arrangement of Oh Holy Night. The words, harmony, piano part and organ part are all just so beautiful. It's great. It's a really good reminder of what this season is all about. Our wonderful Savior. Thank goodness for Him! Well, I gotta go! I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week! Tata!

Annie

Landon’s Letter

Hi :)

So I have 13 minutes to write and the library says I have 3 hours so really I should have 2 more hours but I won't chance it. So this week it has been absolutely stressful and it is self stress pretty much. Anyway my son (Elder Washburn) is great. He is a hard worker and wants to serve the Lord. It has been fun and I do enjoy training because like Annie said over 3 months ago, "I think I am training because I need to go over all of this stuff again." It has been really fun though. Don't get me wrong, it is really fun to whitewash it is just hard and stressful. I do enjoy serving the Lord and there is no where else I would rather be then here serving the Lord. One of my favorite ZL's just went home. Before he left he wrote me a letter and it said "Some people just serve the Lord for 24 months, others just serve the Lord. Which one will you be? You get to choose." Such a great missionary. I will really miss him.

Rachel good luck with the party

Natalie ok I am waiting!

Annie short stuff ;) and I sang it. (Apostate)

Megan & Justin hope things are going well

Mom thanks for talking

Dad thanks for the advise

If I have more time I will write more.

Love your favorite Elder, Brother, and Son

Elder Webb

12-10-12

Annie’s Letter

That's right. No snow. Not even a little. To quote a wonderful movie... "What is Christmas with No (no) Snow (Snow)?" Someone...please go watch White Christmas for me. So let me tell you about how awesome this week has been!

We went out with members a lot! On Thursday we went out with 4! I think we went out with 7 or 8 total! It was awesome! Plus, two families signed up to feed us for the first time! (We went out with both of them this week). And so that means we are developing our relationships and they will trust us with their referrals! yay! We saw Mark and Olivia 3 times this week as well, they usually only let us come over once! But we went on Tuesday they told us to come back on Friday and then they were planning on coming to church, we were going to make them breakfast and then Drew Ellington was going to come pick them up and it was going to be awesome! But Saturday night...Olivia got the flu and couldn't keep anything down. Fine. So on Sunday we went with Drew in the evening and saw Mark and Olivia and set up plans for next Sunday. So we have a lesson with them on Tuesday, with the Hoyts and then on Thursday, with Sister VonNeiderhausen, and then on Sunday we are going to go over with Drew and Jordan Ellington and make a delicious breakfast and then go to church. It's happening. Plus, Olivia asked Drew for a priesthood blessing (we had an AMAZING lesson on the Priesthood with Sister Heap) and he went over with Brother Bates to give her one and she texted us last night and said it was amazing and that she has faith it will help her stay healthy so she can go to church on Sunday. It was great. We are trying to get them to know as many members of the ward as they can because we think that as they increase those relationships they will want to come to church more, even if they don't feel 100%. Once they are active we want them to get little assignments so they know they are needed and then next year when they get married and baptized it will just be the smoothest transition ever! Plus, they love it when we bring members. They always text us before our lessons and ask if we are bringing any friends. It's great. Also, Barb. Barb just had surgery so she is down with that. They cut her leg from ankle to thigh. But she is doing really well. We had a great lesson with her and she keeps saying things like "we're getting there." She has more of a testimony than she knows. She has been coming to church every week (except when she had surgery) for almost a year and it's going to happen. She will be getting baptized soon. And then Brooklyn. In the past, Brooklyn would only have lessons when Savannah Larkin was available but this week, Savannah couldn't go but she wanted one anyway! So we went and met her at her pastors house. (Her parents are in West Virginia so she is staying with him...and he is more of a parent to her than her parents are anyway) but I was so nervous if he answered the door because he has been telling her she shouldn't read the Book of Mormon and this and that... but of course he did answer the door and he was so nice! I told him I like the placement of his piano and he asked if I played and when i responded in the affirmative, he told me to sit down and we all sang Christmas songs for a a couple minutes. It was wonderful! He likes us! Not our church or beliefs, but us. So that's good. He had given Brooklyn "the truth" about Mormons...anti garbage. She was really open though and just had concerns about it (naturally). So we went through it and answered all her questions. She is praying and reading and just being awesome. She was going to come to church with the Larkins, but they ended up not being able to go. So she texted us Saturday night and asked if we could arrange a ride for her. OF COURSE! So Sister Parsons picked her up and she came to church and it was just grand. She is so sweet and faithful. She was on date but fell off so we are hoping to get her back on when we teach her on Wednesday...when we will be teaching her WITH SISTER NILSEN! so that will be super awesome. The church is true guys. Mom, I will get my testimony written and sent out to you...hopefully tomorrow. This week is kind of weird because today isn't really P-Day. Tomorrow is because it is the Christmas Devotional so they made that our PDay but we have our entire day booked tomorrow after the devotional so we don't really get a pday...so we get to email and go shopping today...and that's about it. Yeah, Sister Madsen is awesome and they are bringing my ukulele (I hope her son, Christain learns how to play it on the trip!) You might have to hook up with them in Utah because I don't think they'll get to Wyoming on the 21. It's a long drive. But I really prefer that method of shipping to mail. I love USPS...but don't trust it with an expensive ukulele. So you'll get to meet them The Madsen's are AWESOME! I just love them! And the Ellington's and the Skaggs! I will be making shrimp scampi for the Skaggs at some point this month. It's gonna be delicious! Speaking of delicous Christmas stuff. Wassail. Cranberries in a qt of water right and 6 cloves and 6 cinnamon sticks? and then 1 qt orange juice, 1 cup lemon juice and a cup of sugar? is that right? I can't remember exactly...but I want to make wassail too :-) If you don't remember, ask Johnson. I emailed the recipe to him last Christmas so I know he has it. :-) So tomorrow at the Christmas devotional: We will be with Shawn Bradley. BYU superstar,NBA, RM, and on Space Jam. He is like 7'6" or something... really tall. And we are going to be having DELICOUS food! (Ham, sweet potato souffle) The Marysville ward relief society is in charge. It's gonna be great. Sister Smith is actually in charge and she is like gourmet. I love eating at their house. Last time we were there we had like... Hibachi grill. It was so fun! and SO good! We are eating with them on Christmas so that will be fun as well. There is also a talent show at the thing tomorrow. No one was signing up and the poor assistants were just at their wits end so Sister Twitchell and I will be doing Abbott and Costello's famed "Who's on first?!" I am Costello and man... I really get into it! I have to take a second and calm down after we do it! I am really excited. It should be a lot of fun. Hopefully we're funny enough to pull it off! So that's really all I have to say... Funny, I still have 10 minutes. But I've pretty much caught you all up...So that's all for now folks! Go Christmas Caroling! Watch White Christmas! Get the missionaries at home presents! Go out with them! Pray for names you can give them! Tell everyone hello and I love them! I love you all and hope you all have a fantastic week!

Tata!

Love,

Annie

Landon’s Letter

Goodbye North Bay : ( Hello new area and trainee? AHH

Hey my wonderful family,

This week has been absolutely crazy. we received a total of 22 referrals this week from the members to do our Live Christmas Card. All we do is sing a song, read a couple of scriptures, and sing a closing song then end with a prayer. We have been absolutely blessed this week! The Lord is watching over this area and we are gaining the trust of the ward!

So as you can probably read from the title I am sadly leaving North Bay but I am also going to be whitewash training. Crazy! I don't know how that is going to go. So I am really praying that the Lord will guide us in our area and that He will guide me to help this new missionary. My thoughts are just scattered today so I don't know what else to say.

Rachel: Thanks for all the great letters. I am glad you are enjoying Jazz Band!

Natalie: Good luck with that 6 hour block. You are going to be exhausted. That really stinks.

Annie: I am so grateful for all you do! I hope that you have a great time!

Megan & Justin: That is awesome you get to teach by the Spirit. It will help you even more recognize it's promptings and it will bless you more in your life!

Mom: I am so grateful for all that you do! Don't worry no allergies. Everything has been normal. I am doing pretty good.

Dad: Thanks for all that you do! I hope that you continue to get to go out with the missionaries! I do not know if I will get to skype. I will have to wait until next week! I sure do hope so!

So I can't wait to see what chapter will be next in my life. I am excited to see. Oh and it is pretty close to Niagra Falls. I can be like hey I remember coming here! It will be awesome!

Sorry I am really scattered brained I slept 4 hours last night because I couldn't sleep. But I am not even tired. So haha.

I love you all and I am grateful for all you do!

Love your favorite Elder, Brother, and Son,

Elder Webb

12-3-12

Landon’s Letter

Hey my wonderful and awesome family

This week I have learned just how much Heavenly Father blesses us in our lives no matter what it is we are trying to do. I have learned this week that we need to rely on Him so much and when we do and submit to His will, we will be blessed. We have been trying out an idea that our Mission President inspired us to do! This was my letter to him today:

Live Christmas Cards. Wow it has been amazing. We have had huge success in doing these cards. They aren't huge successes in numbers but still we have been very very blessed. Our first one was to a family who has kind of given up on missionary work. They have so desperately tried in the past and have not seen the fruits of their efforts. Well we went into their home and presented this Christmas Card to them and the Spirit was so strong. It was great and they absolutely loved the Card and message of Christs birth. They felt prompted to share this card with another family who they have talked with before a long time ago and we were able to go and meet with this family. Even though we didn't get a return appointment exactly that family loved the card and let us know we were free to come over anytime. We reported to these members and they were excited to hear we had given them this christmas card and they loved it. We felt inspired to ask these members to invite this non-member family to the Christmas Breakfast later this month. They agreed that it would be a great idea so we will fallow up with them on that. We also gave this card to another member family and we were able to meet a non-member family (The Webbs :D) who loved this christmas card just as much. It has been some of the most fun missionary work I have ever done. It is absolutely fun and the best part is we are involving the members in their own missionary work. We are hoping that this will ignite this small frail little ward up here for the New Year. We are also trying to help the Bishop get the Ward Mission Process up and running. When I first came up the Ward Mission Process was up and running. We (The Ward and the Missionaries) had success reactivating a couple of less-active families and also a couple of younger children who were 8 being baptized from those less-active families. There will be a huge amount of struggles and hard work for this ward in the next year. I hope that the work Elder Kozak and I are doing up here will help them take that first step forward. Like I said before we have been so blessed this week. I have seen the hand of the Heavenly Fathers blessings in my life.

Yup we stopped by a family who's name is the Webbs. Another Webb family. I know that this ward before had another Webb family but they moved away. Crazy right? It has really been a great week, we have been blessed in our little area.

Rachel-I hope things are going good for you! How is life without playing basketball during this time of the year? When do you get out for Christmas break? I hope that you have a fantastic week!

Natalie-Wow that is awesome that you have been having so much fun at school. Keep it up. :) Good luck with your finals which ones are you taking and what days? Keep me updated! Have an amazing week!

Annie-That is so cool you are having awesome experiences of having your prayers answered! You are a great example! What are you doing to help people get to church? Have an awesome week!

Megan & Justin-I hope things have been going great for you two! Have you guys been snow mobiling yet? They call it skidooing here. Crazy Canadians Eh? haha I hope you have an amazing week! I got your package last Monday! I love the lights and Yankee Candle!

Mom-Thanks for your the packages! I greatly appreciate them! I will let you know next week what is happening with transfers. I probably won't get the address to you until 2 weeks if I am being shipped out so I will let you know. How are the lights looking? Have a fantastic week!

Dad-I don't know about any sisters except for that came out to here with us from the MTC. I will try and look for Sister Milburn. I don't know if I will find her though. How have things been at the new building at church? Thanks for all the support. That email last week was very much inspired by the Spirit. It is excatly what I needed and you didn't even have that letter I had sent yet. Thanks! Have an awesome week!

I love you all and thanks for all you do!

Love your favorite Elder, Son, and Brother,

Landon Webb

Annie’s Letter

Hello wonderful family! I don't have a lot of time today...so here we go.

I hope you had a wonderful week and will have a wonderful week coming up! This week has been a little hard for us. On paper, it doesn't look all that great, but we have learned a lot and it's still been pretty good. So first, let me tell you about the lesson I just learned about shooting. It's kind of silly, but it's what popped into my head as a result of this situation. So, on Saturday we were tracting and ran into Tito. He told us we could come back when his roommate was awake. So we went back when his roommate was awake and John said he wasn't interested. It was a bummer because we had arranged a member to go with us and brother merrill had left Columbus to come to marysville for the appointment. (The merrill's are AMAZING!) So we wrote Tito in the potentials log and that was that. Well, we are sitting at the library and there is this guy 3 computers down who kept looking at us, I felt like I really wanted to leave him a pass along card/Book of Mormon and just talk to him. Well, I hadn't yet when he started talking to us! He said "aren't you the ladies from church that came to my place?" I didn't recognize him because he chopped his hair off! It's TITO! So we have a return appointment with him tomorrow. Before we came into the library we prayed and asked Heavenly Father to help us be aware of teaching opportunities. Then I thought, I really should have prayed to have Him help us talk to people! Anyway... I was planning on talking to him, but he beat me to it. Good thing, because what if he leaves before we do and I missed the opportunity? I need to be better at jumping the gun. If you're gonna cock it, you better be planning on pulling the trigger or someone is likely to get hurt. Thank goodness Tito is listening to the spirit! :-)

As for the rest of the week last week... well, it was hard. Our numbers for the most part are low. But we worked hard and will continue to do so. We know the Lord wants to bless us. I was reading in Enos this morning and in verse 18 really stood out to me. "Require." I sometimes struggle with that because I don't feel like I have the right to "require" anything of the Lord. Who am I to do such a thing? I am a daughter of God. And He has given me the right to require things of Him as long as I have the faith to back it up. It's something I'm really working on. So one of the reasons it was so hard this week... 2 of our investigators Molly and Teanna, their mom, Sam, is less active. She texted us this week and told us she really likes us, but has major problems with the church because she knows it's part of the illumini. Sigh. She ran into some anti stuff and clung to it. Well, a couple days later we got a text from Gabby. We are teaching her two younger sisters Grace and Victoria. They are the daughters of Sam's twin sister Sabrina. Well... Sam told Sabrina what she had "learned" and Sabrina took it too. So now we have been asked to not return to any of their houses, they aren't interested in the church, and they are changing churches. Sad. It broke my heart. It was really hard for me because what ever happened to "by their fruits ye shall know them?" These people know us, they love us, they know and love the members of the ward, they have been to church and other activities they have been on the receiving end of a lot of help from the church. But as soon as they hear one thing, all of that goes out the window and they're done. But then yesterday I was reminded that if they are just converted to missionaries or members or stuff it's not enough. They must have a testimony of the gospel. 2 weeks ago, Sabrina called us her angels. She was so grateful that although she couldn't get Sunday's off yet, she has us coming to her house each week. Life changes fast. But I am full of hope for the girls we are teaching. It is their parents, not them, who have the problem. The girls are really sad. One day, when they are grown up, I hope (and hope is an abiding trust) that they will remember the things they felt as they were learning about the gospel. Everything will work out. The Lord has a plan and He will not let the decisions of parents ruin forever the lives of their children.

On the flip side, we did SO much better at getting referrals this week! Last Monday I got a letter from Nate! He and his companion have been doing what they (and now we) call "Power Hour." After dinner with members we share Alma 31:34-38. We talk about faith and then we kneel down together and say a prayer. Then the members, led by the spirit, plan the next hour (or if we already have an appointment we set aside a specific hour and tell them when it is). They tell us where to go finding and who to go see. It has been incredible. The spirit is always so strong. The first night the members actually came up with the same street (one drew a map and showed us where to go and the other gave us a name and then they ended up being the same!) The second night one said "Western Green Pastures" and then other said "Apple." She didn't even know Apple existed, but it does and it is in Western Green Pastures! The next night the son said "Dove" and the mom said "wow, I was thinking about this family, who lives on Dove!" The spirit is so strong and is directing us where to go and who to see. We are now working on being better at door approaches and contacting referrals: good, better, best. So that the referrals we are getting will become new investigators! So really, it's been a great week! Just a couple sad parts, but c'est la vie! The work will go on!

Have a great week guys! I love you all and I hope you have fun in beautiful Wyoming! I did get the package by the way, our Christmas tree is up and very pretty and even has presents under it! Yay! Landon, I'm excited to hear about transfers for you next week. I can't believe how fast transfers go! Actually, how fast missions go! 8 months! Wow! I'm almost half way! How does that even happen?! In only 10 months I'll see you all and be able to give you all hugs and see those cute dogs and get my back properly popped! In no time at all! Love you guys!!! :-) Tata!

Annie