3/11/13

Landon’s Letter

Hello my family!

I hope things are going great for you!

This week things here have been pretty well the same as it seems like any other week. We are still trying to increase our teaching pool. Those people that we are teaching right now are Kydia, Amber, Keith, Eva, and also Irene. None of them are progressing in the gospel right now but we are still helping them as best as we can to help them receive an answer that the Book of Mormon is true.

A really cool experience we had this week:

We stopped by last week at a guys house, his name is Michael. We were finally able to talk with him this week when we dropped by on Saturday night. As we started talking with him we realized that he didn't really believe in God but he wanted to learn more. He wants to find out for him self if God is there or not. So that is what we talked about. We talked with him and he has had a rough life and has made alot of improvement from where he was a while ago. We told him that if he would pray he could find out for himself whether or not God was there. He wouldn't do it. He absolutely wouldn't do it. He wouldn't even kneel because he said that was a sign of weakness. As we continued he told us that when he would get into trouble he would pray for his freedom and then he said that he would never really get it. We talked with him more and he was able to come to know that God did answer his prayer. He was now out of that situation that he was in. It was an amazing eye opening experience because it let me see just how powerful the Spirit teaches us. We didn't have anything prepared but we were able to teach by the Spirit to help him understand that God does hear and answer his prayers and that he can pray to know it He is there or not. To make a long story short for the first time in that mans life he knelt down before God during prayer. There is no way two 19 and 20 year old boys could have done that. The Spirit confirmed to him that what we were saying was true and he knelt down in prayer for the first time in his life.

I just thought I would share that with you guys. I know that prayer is powerful and that God does answer prayers. I hope to send back a talk I gave yesterday along with the goodies from Niagara Falls hopefully today if not next week.

Rachel I was actually thinking about Scotty and I even was telling my companion about Scotty and the song. So when I read your email today I was smiling the whole time. That is really awesome! I remember little fun demonstrations in Mr. Copleys class. We had some pretty cool things happen in that class.I am glad things are going good for you!

Natalie I hope things in school are not too crazy. Just remember your priorties. Institute, classes, homework, and then extra. Or what ever you have them marked as. Just remember that you need to have fun and find times to have fun but also stay focused on your school work. It will get even harder as the end of the year comes up. You will be more swamped if you don't keep up plus it gets harder to. You can do it! I just felt I should tell you that. Dont' ask me why cause I don't know.

Annie I hope that things have been going good for you! What do you do for finding? What are you standards of excellence for the mission? Do you have any? How is Cincinatti doing? When is your transfer? I have your late birthday gift but I want to sent it with safe time before or after transfers. If I remember you have them next week? You might not get it for a while still sorry.... :(

Megan and Justin I was actually thinking about you two this week. How have things been going? Do you have any plans for your house, lawn, garden, or anything this year? Justin are you and whoever it is that golfs with you going to enter that compatition in Evanston again in July. I know that is a long ways to think off but I was just wondering.

Mom thanks for your letter! I was really grateful to hear that you tried really hard to write a letter even though there were troubles. I know that there have been lots of times that you have done so much for us just so that we can hear from you or to help us with something. I am truely grateful that you are my mother! I love you. Really thanks for all that you do!

Dad thanks for all the sport updates this year. I really miss being able to play sports whenever I would like. I see people playing basketball in an apartment complex, so we really can't play basketball. I always look forward to playing ball with other Elders on P-day. Thanks for all that you have helped me with and all that you have given to me. I love you!

I just want to say I have an awesome family. 2 Amazing parents that do so much for me. 4 Fantastic sisters who are all my favorite ;) and 1 brother-in-law and 1 soon to be brother-in-law who are awesome. I was thinking this morning that this Gospel brings happiness. What does this Gospel do? It helps us to live a way so we can return to live with our Heavenly Father, lets us live better lives (ex. look at the world today and how we live. There is almost a 180 degree difference. Satan is at work and we will conquer him with this Gospel), and it bring families closer to be united forever for eternity. What a blessing! What a great blessing! I am grateful for this in my life and I am grateful for Jesus Chris! I am more grateful then ever to be out here serving Him. This is meaning more and more to me everyday that I get to serve the Lord. "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life." (3 Nephi 5:13)

I love you all

Love your favorite Elder, brother, and son

Landon Webb

Annie’s Letter

HELLO WONDERFUL FAMILY OF MINE! I totally agree with Landon. BEST FAMILY EVER! So, let me tell you what is going on in the GREAT OCM! Today, I am emailing late because we had a mission party! It was SO FUN To be with other missionaries! Just half of them (the Cincinnati areas and the Dayton areas). I didn't see the elders from Sidney, well I don't know who they are so couldn't tell them to tell ElDee hi. But tell her hi for me! I'm excited to get her letter! :-) Anyway, we had a party because President promised us a party if we got 500 baptisms in 2012. At the end of the year we had 499. But when we got the official report back from SLC... 500 BABY! So today was the day. We played games and just had a grand old time. It was weird to see 100 missionaries in normal clothes... haha. Also, this Friday we get to have a zone conference (again with the Cincy and Dayton zones) with Elder Bruce D. Porter of the Quorum of the 70. So that will be awesome! Super exciting!

This week we have been working on being exactly obedient. It is definitely a focus. Obedience brings blessings. Exact obedience brins miracles. We need miracles! So this week... we inadvertently ended up in a man's house where there wasn't a woman. And we didn't like it! We got out asap and are being more aware and bold in our surroundings so it doesn't happen again. Also, after we talked to on old man one night about family history he gave us a hug... ah! So we have set a determination to be more bold and brave in defending our rules! We are also working on being more bold in making sure that people understand that this is the only true church on the earth. No ifs ands or buts about it. This is IT! Then only ONE! We did some good finding this week but I know that as we strive to be more exactly obedient we will see the blessings of heaven poured down upon us. We are struggling to get member present lessons, partly because we have been struggling to get investigators to take members too! So this week we had one planned but it fell through. Jerry called and cancelled on us right as we got to the members house. :-( He also said he wasn't going to come to church. YIKES! We have set a tentative date of March 23 with him (that will be solid soon) but if he didn't come to church on Sunday that was NOT going to happen. "Not no way, not no how!" Anyway, I talked to him for a while and explained to him that he needed to be at church on Sunday! He said he would come. So we go there... and we waited and waited and waited. No Jerry. Sacrament Meeting started... so we went in. We were devastated! But then, wonder of wonder, miracle or miracles... JERRY WALKED IN! He stayed for sacrament meeting and Sunday school. Then he had to leave. :-( But he absolutely loved both of them and is excited to apply some of what he learned in Gospel Principles to his home and family! Next week he is planning on staying for all 3 hours! Yay!! So that was a huge miracle for us! Also, next week we already have 4 member present lessons scheduled! yay! We are still working hard and doing everything we can to find people, progressing people, to teach and baptize. It's so crazy how fast missions are. Talking to everyone today... it's crazy cuz like all the people that were here when I came out are gone or going. :-( I'm becoming an old missionary! Yikes! It's sad. You make such wonderful friends on missions. I'm gonna miss them all like crazy! Thankfully, a lot of them go to BYU so I'll see them sometimes! If I go back to BYU...maybe I'll transfer to UW! HA!! JUST KIDDING! Sorry dad, that would NEVER happen. ;-P

Landon, I'm glad you got to go to Niagra Falls! That's super fun! I bet it was a blast! My transfers are on the 21. But I think you have my office address. Either PO BOX 939 or 19 Clairedan Dr both in Powell, OH 43065. So you can just send stuff there and I'll get it. Don't worry about sending it to my apartment. Thankfully my mission is really good about forwarding mail. :-) Love them for that!

OH! I don't think I ever told you guys! Remember Kieran, he came to my farewell and left his shoes? Well... He is now Elder McGrath serving in the Denver South mission! So that's exciting! Yay for missionaries!

Natalie, good luck with wedding planning this week! How fun! I want to know all your plans and details! Flowers? colors? Dress (picture!) Cake? Center pieces? Location of reception? Decorations? When are you going through the temple? Also, when does track start? How is school going for Jon? Lucky you're on spring break! That's exciting! When is graduation?

Rachel, I still need a picture of your dress pretty girl! Congrats on getting into NHS! That's super awesome! You have some fun trips coming up! I'm glad you got a bit of a break for morning stuff. I guess I should stop complaining about waking up at 6:30 every day! haha. You're amazing chica! Keep being awesome!

Meg and Justin! Hi! Hope all is going well for you and your cute dogs! You guys are super great! I hope to hear from you soon! I'm still waiting for my letter Justin!

Mom and Dad. You guys are the best. For real. People tell me about their parents and I'm just like... man, mine are the best. No one else compares to you guys. Us 5 kids super lucked out! Thanks for all you do for us!

Oh! Something else cool... On Saturday we had dinner with the Mickelsens. Brother Mickelsen served his mission in Uruguay. At the same time as Shane Neiderer! So we're sitting down and I tell them I'm from Wyoming and he asks if I know the Neiderer's. OF COURSE! So ya, they were good friends and apparently Brother Mickelsen set up Shane and Sarah! Haha. It's a small world after all!

Another fun story! Sorry this email is super random! On Wednesday it snowed like a ton! So we weren't allowed to use our cars because there was a winter storm warning. So we walked and walked and walked. 9 miles in the snow. FUN! IT wasn't too cold but it was a lot of snow. And Ohio doesn't believe in sidewalks! So it was a lot of on the side of the road! And... I lost my name tag in the snow. It's the 3rd one I've lost in like no time at all. I lost my pin one a while ago and my new one... I actually would have got on Wednesday morning but zone meeting got cancelled because we couldn't use our cars. So I only had my magnet one and it falls off my coat sometimes. Well it did. Into the snow. And I couldn't find it. we looked for like 20 minutes and the space where it had to e was only like 10 feet long. Stupid. So I had to call Sister Wursten and tell her that I lost another tag...she just laughed and laughed! So maybe someday I'll have 2 tags again. We'll see. Sigh. Anyway... 9 miles in the snow! It was awesome! Sister Bergeson wasn't a huge fan... but I thoroughly enjoyed myself! We built a mini snowman and threw snow at eachother and took some fun pictures! So I attached some for you guys :-)

Well, I'm gonna jet. Love you guys! Thanks for all your amazingness! For real! I"m a super lucky hermana! Tata for now!

Annie