9-16-13

Annie’s Letter

Funniest thing ever! We were with a group of missionaries, and the elders from our area said "Sister Webb, your dress is in our car." The elders that were there were all SO confused...it was funny. Let me explain. On Saturday we got to see 2 baptisms! One was for a little girl named Jasmine. She is so sweet! She wanted a dress to wear after she was baptized so we ran home and got some dresses. She chose my red and black one. Her clothes that she came in were wet so she couldn't change. The elders were going over to their house to do service later that day so they picked up my dress after. Baha.
Another funny thing... the first thing Sister Young said to me when she saw me yesterady was "your father is a brat!" Then Brother Young came up to me and said "I have a bone to pick with your father!" I was like... "man, what did he do!?" It was about the picture you sent them about camping. Haha. They thought it was great fun. Look out though...they'll get even :-) I love the Youngs. Yesterday they asked when I was going to the temple next because they want to go with us. And then they asked for my flight info because they want to come to the airport and see my off. How sweet is that!? I just adore that family!

I can't believe it's down to a month! Everytime we call one of the zone leaders we work with he says "Sister Webb, how close is that plane?" Punk. But we are working really hard! We have miracles to see before I leave!
One major miracle this week, we have been teaching a 15 year old young man, Ben. He is a great kid. He hadn't really connected with God or the atonement thus far and we were worried about what to do next. His parents are really supportive and will tell us (via a member) what Ben needs. So that's super awesome. Well, on Friday night Ben and his friend and fellowshipper, Matt, went to dinner and Gayle and Marty Hansen's house. Later, they went back to the church and just talked for hours. Well, they called us that night freaking out about something...when we called them back they were so excited to tell us the news! Ben got on the phone and said "I used the power of the atonement for the first time." He prayed and asked the Lord for forgiveness for some things in his past and he felt the weight of the world lift from his shoulders. Ever since then he has been on fire! He volunteered to pray 3 times and our next lesson and 2 times at the lesson after that. He now loves praying where before it was like pulling teeth to get him to pray. I remember the first time we met him, he didn't want to pray at all, he didn't have anything he was grateful for, but he is completely different now! The Atonement really does have an incredible effect on people! I love it! It is very exciting to see the changes that have come in him. He is happier, more loving, more service oriented, he learns better...the list goes on and on and on. It's fun to see.

As we have been going one exchanges iwth the Sisters in our zones, we have discovered that a major obstacle with the sisters is that they don't have enough fun! So we try really hard to help them enjoy the work while we are with them. Attitude really is everything! If it's going to be fun it will be! If it's going to be awful (whatever it is) it will be! We are both pretty competitive sisters...so we have been doing lots of challenges with our sisters (5 other companionships) but we can't win them...even though we will. We just won't get the prize :-) One for this week is the "1-2-3-4 challenge." If everyone gets 1 person to church, 2 new investigators, 3 member present lessons and 4 baptismal extensions this week, we will have a fun day! We're thinking we're going to go rollerskating but we'll have to see the details on skateland first... or we'll figure out something else fun, but it will be awesome! The other one we started this week I am super excited about! It is a fitness challenge. You get points based on cardio (which is the highest points) and pushups and crunches. The comapnionship that has the most points by the end of the transfer will also win an awesome prize! It's been really good for us, because some mornings we just want to stretch instead of do some good cardio but not we are like... go, go, go! We have to set the standard! So that's been really fun. I'm interested to see how the fitness challenge points compare with the key indicators for the rest of the week. The more you exercise (obedience) and especially do cardio, the more energy you have, and the more blessings you receive so I'm betting the the companionships with the highest fitness have the best key indicators as well. We shall see :-)

We also got to go on exchanges to Westerville this week. It was super fun! We found 2 new investigators! It was awesome becasue the things they wanted to focus on during the exchanges was finding and teaching specific groups of people (namely atheists and muslims). It was awesome because Sister Stewart and I taught an athiest man the restoration and then Sister Glaab and I taught a muslim who is one of their newest investigators! And Sister Arnell and Sister Glaab found a new investigator as well! Talk to everyone! :-) They also had a wedding that night. Michelle and Patrick were getting married Friday night and baptized Saturday morning. So we were helping getting things set up for the wedding. Patrick forgot a tie. And you can't get married without a tie! And if they didn't get married, they couldn't get baptized! So we had to find a tie! So we called all the elders in that area (there are 4 sets) and only one answered their phone. They had a member that lived close to the church, so we went to their house and asked them for a tie. They were very kind and allowed us to borrow one. It was even a red one! Which is what Patrick's daughters wanted! It was great. It was so fun to be a part of their wedding! They were baptized on Saturday and just beaming on Sunday when we saw them for Stake Conference. Yay for miracles! Yay for the gospel!

0573- Sister Arnell and I all dressud up for the Luau. It was super fun. Everyone loved our outfits! Thanks to the Youngs for providing Sister Arnell's lava lava and all the flowers and necklaces :-)

0577-The Young women blasted the Young Men in the missionary competition that we had. So we gave them a dessert party this week. The girl holding the poster was baptized during our competition :-)

0588- Ty-one of the kids that we taught that got baptized on Saturday...then went to a football game

0592-Jamsine, the girl that got baptized and wore my dress. After she came out of the font, Sister Arnell and I were waiting for her in the back and she just had the biggest grin on her face...it was awesome!

0597-yes that is me, yes that is a pole. Yes, that is me upside down on a pole. :-) We have fun in Mt. Vernon! :-) Oh the things I learn on my mission...

Well, I love you all! I'm glad to hear things are going well for all of you! See you in a month! :-)

Annie

Landon’s Letter

Yup Ba lute you know the partly developed duck egg. I had that this week. It tastes like an egg in general so it was first like drinking egg drop soup and then like eating a hard boiled egg. :) So that makes Ba lute, cow stomach, cow feet, and cow intestines on my mission. I think I have eaten some pretty exotic stuff  so it's not so bad haha.

This week we started out fantastic. We had 2 investigators with a baptismal date, look like we were going to pick up 3 new investigators, and also have a lot of success here in Windsor North/Downtown. Then it happened. Every person decided to not continue or learn anymore. So we again get to start from square 1 but I am not hanging my head one bit. ya it was a little discouraging but it just brought more determination. It is pretty easy to say now but when things get harder this week that will be the true test. On top of this as well our bikes are broken. Nothing we did but they just broke. One of the frames broke and the other wheel is toast. So we are now Windsor walk & bus area. :) So that will be good. That just means we get to talk to all the people on the bus now ;)

I have been studying a lot this week about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Not just what he went through but how it is the center of the gospel and Heavenly Fathers Plan for us, how it satisfies justice & extends mercy when we fall short, and also how it changes those who repent. It's been awesome to study about. It is amazing! The restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His church, and the Priesthood Authority allows us to have access to and utilize the Atonement of Jesus Christ into our very lives as we strive to change and progress. What an amazing plan, what an amazing blessing, what an amazing gift we have in our lives.

Rachel- That is awesome you are going to St. George. One of the missionaries here is from St. George. Elder Ganowsky. Just keep up the great work and it will pay off!

Natalie- Interesting but cool change. I have been learning about studying and how to make the best use of time. First set time aside for studying in a non distracting place, ask the teacher right then if you have questions, read the text book, and repetition.

Annie- Keep up the hard work you are doing great! That's an interesting thing to find out Annie. haha. Glad  you are having fun and working hard. Thanks for your example.

Megan & Justin- Camping I am so jealous I have said that like 4 times this year. I am glad you two are having fun. Is it cooling down in Wyoming? Did you plant a garden this year?

Mom- It's ok that you hit the raccoon. But I hope that it doesn't mean a hard winter. That will be fun to go down to St. George. I did send home both of those things when I sent home the stuff from Niagara Falls.

Dad- I hope you get better soon. Being sick is not fun when you have so much too do. sorry. I hope that you get a relief when you head down south. I have actually thought about Touacan and when we went down both of those times.
I love you all.

Love your favorite Elder, Son, and Brother,

Elder Landon Webb