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