Even When It's Not Easy...

October 19, 2015

Buenos dias! 

So this week, Monday started off well! We had the branch president come with us to visit a less-active lady. Her husband is not a member, and neither are her kids, so we are trying to start working with all of them. It was funny because when we got there, her husband offered us something to drink and we all said "no, thanks." (thinking it would be water.) Then he says "I have jamica (no, not jamaica) juice!" And all three of us say "Ohh! Ok, yeah, we'll take some of that." Haha so yummy!

Then we drove to Neida and Daise's house. We watched the Restoration video with them and they loved it! Hermana Amparo was crying of course. Haha- I love that woman! The Spirit is always so strong- no matter how many times you have watched it!

On Tuesday, Sister Packard came to Monroe with me. We practiced saying a prayer in Spanish during language study. So when we went to the Milian's for dinner, I volunteered her to say the last prayer. She scooches over right next to me and I basically had to whisper the whole thing to her again. Haha. I felt like I was training again! She is just starting her mission, but is already a power house! I love her.

We also got to teach Maria again with her 2 daughters. We had a member come with us who turned out to be a perfect friend for her. We shared the Book of Mormon and we told her how it was a tool to receive personal revelation for her life. We asked what sources of guidance she has had up to this point in her life and she looked at us and said "Honestly, I had nothing. Before you two showed up, I had no guidance." We shared the promise in Moroni 10 and she told us that she knows it is true. She seems happier and happier every time we meet with her! 

On Wednesday, we had zone meeting and our zone leaders had us all write down our biggest sin and then fold it up, put our names on it, and tack it up on the board where they had written our missionary purpose. They explained how disobedience can cover up our efforts as disciples of Jesus Christ. It was intense. And then they flipped it over to show us that on the back was a picture of Jesus Christ. You could see all the holes from the pushpins and it was a powerful lesson on the effect of sin in our lives and the power of the Atonement.

Speaking of which, if you get the chance, look up a video called: 

"The Role of the Atonement in Missionary Work" or something like that

It's Elder Holland and this is what he says: 

"Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?
I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary."
So if you feel frustrated or discouraged as I have this week, just remember that this wasn't meant to be easy. That we can rejoice in knowing that all that we suffer is for Him.
I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. May we always show our love for him.

-Hermana Webb

Dinner with Hermano Araujo!

He always takes selfies of himself reading the el Libro de Mormon. Haha.

My professional french toast breakfast for my companion

People gave us so many apples this week. I'm in heaven.

Covenants Are Being Made!

October 13, 2015

Neida and Daise got baptized!!! It was such a cool experience, and the scriptures are true: "Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness ismanifest."

They both shared their testimonies after they got baptized and said "After I came up out the water, I felt like a new person. I felt different." It was crazy because we thought there would be about 20 people so we decided to set up in the primary room. But people just kept coming and coming. Lots of their family showed up and other investigators (including Javier and Hugo :)). So by the time we got started, people were out in the hallway because there wasn't enough room for everyone! Their mom was soo happy and it was neat because during their confirmations, it was said to both that they would enter the temple some day to be sealed. We were able to complete an eternal family and they will both serve missions and help create more eternal families.

And a miracles came out of their baptism. While we were teaching another part member family, a few of their neighbors were over and listened as we taught about the Book of Mormon. They seemed mildly interested, but we didn't think much of it. Later, we found two of the daughters outside and read the book of Enos with them. The next week, we started teaching the daughters again, but this time their mom came out and invited us to come in and teach her too! And that ended up being one of the most powerful teaching experiences of my whole mission. The mom, Maria, told us that she is a single mom raising 4 kids and she just got laid off from her job. As we talked, it was as if the Spirit brought everything to my mind of what to say. We listened with love, and when we taught them about the Apostasy and the Restoration, Maria paused and said:

 "I spend so many years searching for the truth. I went to so many different churches, but it never felt right. So 20 years ago, I gave up. I stopped searching and I distanced myself from all of them. But THIS, this is right. This is true." I felt prompted in that moment to invite Maria and her kids to be baptized. Maria looked at us with a new light in her eyes and said "Could I do that? Could I be baptized again?" We testified of the priesthood authority that has been restored to the Earth and she accepted it without question. She is amazing! And her daughter, Cynthia, is actually in the same class as Neida at school. So Cynthia found out Neida was getting baptized, and she came to the baptism. Afterwords, she kept asking "when can I get baptized!?" And then the next day, she came to church and loved it. This family is so prepared!!

So a good week- super busy. On an exchange this week while working with English sisters, Hermana Bagley and I came to a new appreciation for our call to work with Hispanics. We went tracting with them and got some very rude responses, some threats thrown our way from the Americans we met. But seriously, I can count on one hand the mean Hispanics that I have met! The Hispanic culture is sooo loving and accepting and have such open hearts. They are good neighbors and actually know their neighbors. They live like one big family. And I don't feel like I belong to my own culture anymore. Haha. I want to work with these people my whole life! 

Have a great week! Keep studying conference- there's lots more to learn as we review all the talks given!

-HERMANA WEBB

They are the cutest!!

The whole family!

We walked up to Angel's house to find this...they were just
boiling this giant pig!! Haha. Making carnitas!!

PONDERIZE!!

October 5, 2015

General conference, though!? Talk about an outpouring of the spirit/revelation!!!  

#PONDERIZE. My scripture this week is Luke 22:32: "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

I hope you all choose a scripture to ponder on this week and every week from here on out! What a great challenge! Send me your scripture and insights you have from this challenge! 

So Javier came to the Saturday morning conference, and he loved it, he was taking notes the whole time. Haha! And that night we taught him about fasting and how to fast for specific purposes. So we go over Sunday night and it turns out he had fasted the whole day on Sunday to clear up all his doubts and to get more clarity!! We were so surprised that he had taken the initiative to do it! He's doing great, and right now has a baptismal date for the 17th of October. Keep him in your prayers! Speaking of prayers, he told us that every night he prayers that his 5-year-old son will grow up and be a missionary too! :)

Another miraculous investigator is Angel! (a boy, it is proncounced differently in Spanish..haha). Anyway, the first time we talked with him he had all these crazy ideas about God and has read so much crazy stuff about Egyptian history. He truly had no real concept of who Jesus Christ is. So we had to prepare and pray a lot to teach him in a different way and pace than we teach most other people. So that's what we've been doing. He came to conference on Sunday morning, and really loved all the testimonies. And then Hugo helped us give him a church tour after. As we walked into the chapel, he stopped and said "Wow, I really feel a lot of peace in this room." He immediately could recognize the Spirit and it was amazingly strong. We read 2 Nephi 31 with him and he accepted the invitation to be baptized on November 9th. He's so excited that the Book of Mormon contains an account of Christ in the Americas. Basically everything we teach him, he is amazed and says "wow!"

Ok- funny story! Yes! So every Tuesday night we have dinner with the branch president's family. The sweetest people you ever did meet! And converts of only a few years. So we were over there eating on Tuesday, and one of the Elders was trying to describe the movie Over the Hedge to tell them about this funny scene in it. So he says "yeah, you know, the one with the torta.." We all just DIED laughing because a torta is a Mexican sandwich, and the word he was looking for was "Tortuga" to tell them about the turtle that is the main character. Hahaha. The funniest things happen when you're constantly trying to overcome a language barrier!

Daise and Neida (turns out I've been spelling BOTH of their names wrong for weeks. whoops, haha) are doing great! They are getting so excited for their baptism. They asked Hermana Bagley and I to give our testimonies at the baptismal service :) We were teaching them about the Law of Chastity this week and so we said "We are going to teach the kid's version of this commandment today." Their mom just starts laughing and so we had a great time talking about modesty and no dating until we're 16! They were telling us how everyone in their class already has a "boyfriend" and Neida pipes in an exasperated voice "We're all just supposed to be friends right now!" Haha. They are the cutest. We also taught them about serving a mission and a temple marriage. I showed them the picture of Ally and Skyler outside the temple and they couldn't stop looking at it! They all agreed that they will ARE going there someday :)

I know that we are guided by prophets and apostles in these latter days! Following their counsel will keep us safe against the storms of this world!

I love you all! SO MUCH!  

-Hermana Webb

"What I Need Are Disciples - And I Need Them Forever"

September 28, 2015

Where to begin?!

 

This week was so full of miracles and we are starting to get super busy again! We are over 5 companionships this transfer as Sister Training Leaders, so it's going to be a crazy transfer!

So the highlight of the week was Sunday! The 10 and 11-yr old girls- Daisy and Naeda- came to church with their whole family and it was actually the primary program so they got to be up on the stand participating, and they were so excited!!!! We're almost through the lessons with them and they are getting excited for their baptism on October 10th!

We also started teaching the daughter of the recent convert who lost her sight recently. She's 9 and is so cute! Oh my gosh, she went around all week telling her mom and dad (who is not a member and not interested in changing that) "I'm going to be part of something very important on Sunday and I need you both to be there!" She had practiced for the primary program once, and she got there on Sunday and sang every single word of the songs and bore her little testimony! Her mom started crying during the first song, and pretty much continued to do so throughout the entire hour-long program! Such a proud mom moment for her. It was precious. Little kids are pure vehicles for the Spirit to touch peoples hearts! We love of all of our little investigator girls! (:

Javier wasn't able to come to church- but he did come to the Come, See for Yourself fireside with us last night in Marysville. He loved it! And I got to see some of my very favorite people from Marysville that I haven't seen for so long! It was a fun little reunion! :)

Also, remember Lyli and Elvin? The coolest Guatemalans ever? They are meeting with the branch president in Lynnwood to get sealed in the temple soon!! I was soo excited when I heard the news! The cutest little eternal family you ever did see 

And Avelino- remember him? From Marysville? Just got the Melchizedek priesthood after his 1-year mark as a member of the church!

So lots of progress and good things are happening in all parts of the mission!

I've never been so happy in my life as I am now! Like ever. I feel like just as you really learn to love your mission and are getting the hang of it is when it starts to wind down to the end. But these are eternal principles- I can always serve others and trust in the Lord to guide me. And I can always be a disciple of Jesus Christ! We must never stop growing, learning, changing, and praying. As a beloved Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ puts it while speaking to his apostle, Peter, after finding him back fishing instead of out preaching the gospel:

“Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having thissame conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish?What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and savemy lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me,truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do."

(I would strongly encourage y'all to read the rest of this talk: The first and great commandment by Elder Holland. Yep, actually, I'm assigning that as your homework this week! :) It's amazing!!)

-Hermana Webb

Reunited with Esperanza!

Showing off our matching CTR rings!

With some of my favorite members before the women's session

Our Taco Truck!

Eating at the Taco Truck!!

A yummy tostada!

God Hears Your Prayers!!

September 21, 2015

This week was amazing! We hit standards (after many prayers for many weeks!!)

So the 10 and 11-yr-old are doing amazing!! We taught them about the Plan of Salvation. We taught about the pre-earth life saying "We lived with Heavenly Father for a really long time before we even came here. You are literally His daughters and He knows you and loves you so much." They both just sat there, amazed. They had never known where they came from. Daisy said "That is so amazing," in such a reverent voice. It really is special to teach and see missing pieces filled in in others lives. Their whole family came to church on Sunday and it was actually practice  for the Primary Program next week, so they are so excited to be up there and singing! Ha. Can't wait!

As far as food goes, my Hispanic variety has expanded! We were walking to visit a potential, and saw a lady outside cooking. So we walk over to talk to her and it turns out she's from El Salvador, and was making pupusas!!! These things are legend! We just sat there watching her, mesmerized by her skills. She was cooking like 15 at a time on this big grill. It is actually like super hard to hand-make tortillas. She let us have one as we taught her the Book of Mormon. SO YUMMY. Oh my,  I want to visit El Salvador. The Hispanic culture is fascinating- and don't be freaked out when I try to kiss everyone on the cheek when I get back- it's going to take a while to break that tradition. Haha.

Oh, and, guess who else came to church! Javier! I don't know if I already told you about him, but he is the best friend of Hugo, who just got baptized a few months ago.We taught him for a while, but he never came to church, so we stopped teaching him. Then, yesterday, we walk into sacrament meeting and there he was! Sitting next to Hugo, a big smile on his face. I couldn't believe my eyes, and I just stared at him for a few minutes with my mouth hanging open. Ha. Anyway, he seemed to really like it and he got to watch his friend pass the sacrament. He was very reverent and seemed to feel the power of the ordinance during the sacrament. Super cool surprise!!

And the best news of all!!!!! Carolina! I found out yesterday that Carolina is doing great! She got to her new house, settled in, and her new neighbors came over. Turns out they are members! (NOT a coincidence) and that they invited her to church and she's like "I'm already baptized!" haha. So she went to her new ward and LOVED IT! She is already best friends with her new bishop and they are getting ready to take her to the temple. And she has a new boyfriend who was pretty skeptical about the church, especially about Joseph Smith. So she made him go to church with her and she said:
 "Ok. How many times did you hear the name Joseph Smith in church today? 
Him: Zero
Carolina: "Exactly. We believe in and worship Jesus Christ. And I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God."
Goooo Carolina! Best member missionary ever! :D
This whole time I have been pleading in prayer that Heavenly Father would help her and He has answered my prayers!

Miracles happen, people!

Prayers are answered!

People are changed!

-Hna Webb

Surprise pizza delivery from my mom!!

Curled my hair for the first time in months!!

The Real Teacher

September 14, 2015

This week was GREAT! Let me tell you why!

1. I got to go on an exchange back to my old area for a day! It was so great, we got to see Alberto, and Patty, and lots of other friends. And we got to play tennis in the morning. I literally almost went to go put my stuff away in my old closet, and then I was like- whoops! I don't live here anymore. Ha.

2. We found 6 new investigators! One of them is the guy I wrote about last week- who invited himself to be baptized!? Yeah, so we taught him twice this past week and he is like a sponge, just absorbing everything. He came to church for the first time on Sunday, and he even said the last prayer in gospel principles. He looks at me kind of panicked and was like "how do you start again?" He said a really nice prayer, and almost did it all right, just forgot to end in the name of Jesus Christ, but he's workin on it! Ha- so he's going back to Mexico pretty soon, but I'll have him forward me a pic of his baptism down there and the missionaries down there are about to get a really sweet referral! Ha.

3. On Thursday, we set baptismal dates with 4 people! It was such a Spirit-filled day! My goodness! The parents of the family with 3 kids who were baptized a while ago accepted a baptismal date and we're supeeer excited for them!!

4. The other family that I wrote about- the one where the mom is a member and her girls aren't- well her daughters are amazing- especially the 10-year-old! Her mom told us that she literally counts down the days and the hours until we come over. Ha. She takes her reading assignments more seriously than any other investigator. Ha. Her prayers are more sincere, specific, and powerful than any others. And her ability to understand the message we teach is deeper than all the others. And she's 10! Man, kids are just so much more receptive to the Spirit. After we taught the Restoration, we asked her to pray to know if it was true. We went back and she told us that she had prayed, but she wasn't sure if she had gotten an answer. (So cute, right!?) So we taught her about the Book of Mormon, and her aunt shared a powerful testimony. I looked at our little friend and said "How did you feel when your aunt was talking?" She said and I quote "The Spirit just hit me like a wall. It makes me feel faithful." She is so incredible!!!!

I've learned the importance this week of bearing testimony powerfully, and then letting it be silent so the Spirit can really teach. And then as you ask others who they are feeling, they learn to recognize just exactly how the Spirit works with them. I heard something cool that "The Light of Christ leads people to receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost." The Spirit testifies of all truth- He is the real teacher and converter of souls! So cool! I can see that happening all the time as a missionary and I love it!

-Hermana Webb

Last exchange for this transfer! With
Hermana Spackman! Back in Lynwood!

Reunited with Herman Fifita!!
Of course there was food involved!

Sporting our BYU gear in support of the winning team!
Of course we always hear about it at church!

It is soooo beautiful here!!

Hello!!!

September 7, 2015

Hello!!!!!

This week was sooo busy! Busiest of my whole mission! We went on an exchange on Saturday, went to mission leader council, and a bunch of appointments that kept us running the whole week long! It was crazy. We are working with 2 new part-member families. 

One of them has 7 kids! 3 of them were baptized a few years ago, but the parents were not! So we're super excited to be teaching them. 

The other one is the niece of a member who just moved here with her three little girls. The mom was less-active for a long time, and now she's coming back strong!! We're having a family night with them tonight, and the three girls are so excited! :D They've been waiting all week and have already been to church twice. They are so sweet. 

AND! The biggest miracle! We got a call from a member in our branch and he told us that the English Elders had been teaching a family that has a man that just got here from Mexico. So the member went over to translate, and he ended up teaching the whole Restoration to him and the guy invited himself to be baptized and set his own date!! Craziest thing! So now, we're going to start teaching him starting Tuesday, and he's going to progress nicely! Can't wait! It's a huge testimony builder of the importance of members in finding. Go members go! You are the key! 

So yeah, we just keep sprinting to the end! Using every day to it's fullest, and I'm loving it! 

-Hermana Webb

Pic: Our exchange on Saturday! Back to Lynnwood <3