A message that blesses every kind of life

2/24/14

How are you all!?  I am so great!  We had such an amazing week!  I wish I could explain how happy I am!  I also had a good .... 'Wow! I really love and miss my family this week!'  Don´t worry: it was not actually a bad thing -- I just really like you guys!  I got to see you all singing to Sara at the Marshes and it made me really really happy!!  Happy birthday Sara!!!  I love the Marshes!  I also really love that singing plate! ... Classic!

This week was awesome! M____ is doing great!  He is still reading and progessing.  His last two problems are that he still believes in rencarnation and he can´t give up stinking smoking. The rencarnation thing is really funny.  I think it is almost a pride thing now.  He just does not want to "cave to" everythng.  He will get it.  It is actaully really fun to watch as God teaches him.  He wants to learn.  Everytime I go I can see something else changing in him.  He loves metaphors and so God always uses them to teach him.  Libro in spanish is book and libre is free.  So he just made this sweet connection that knowledge can make you free.   So God is good to him. 

B______ is also doing great!  There is this part in Preach my Gospel that says that people are like icebergs. That when you just get to know them you cannot know all that is under the surface.  I believe that more and more every day.  C_____ has had a really hard life!  His dad commited suicide when he was 14 and his mom died shortly after (I think of cancer.)  He had to raise his other siblings without parents.  Now he has a family that is falling apart again.  I had no idea.  I thought they were just a happy family but it looks like there are more problems than it seems.  This gospel is good!  We have the hope of having our families forever!!  They are ours!  Relations like that are worth fighting for.  To the world, they come and they go, and nothing can last forever, but God has a different plan!  A plan of progression and relationships that last forever and ever!  It feels so good to say that to people!  It helps them understand and remember why they got married in the first place.  This really is a message that blesses every kind of life. 

M____ A___ is a new investigator that is actually an old investigator.  She is the one that was a huge bummer like 6 months ago.  She had a date to get baptized and then she called us and told us she did not want us to come back.  She told us that she just could not live the life that we live and that she could never be enough.  It was a bummer when she was saying it because she was crying pretty hard.  After we left that lesson I cried for a long time.  But she let us back in this week!!!  It was awesome!  I was super happy!  We had a lesson that was pretty entertaining.  She thinks we are all perfect Mormons with perfect families.  She said that we are all perfect with a mom, a dad, kids, and a dog.  She said 'I am falta the dad and the dog so I just would not fit in!'  I felt so bad because that is totally what I was blessed with.  I did not know what to tell her except I know that God loves us all the same!  I know that He has a plan for her that is going to help her be the happiest possible.  We went with cute Hermana Mondaka who has not been able to have kids so she was able to convince her that we are not all robots or fit that description.  After all that she went to church on Sunday and she liked it!!  She was already planning with her cute daughter B____ that they are going to go again!  I am super excited!  They are a sweet family!

D_____ is our other miracle this week!  I am serious; I don´t know why we lucked out so much but we really did!  She is the sister of M_____.  D______ did not really want anything, but she is now progressing like crazy!  We went to her house on Tuesday and she asked us to come back again on Thursday which is a very good sign.  When we came back she said, 'Hermanas I have something to tell you. Yesterday I was crying at like 3 in the morning. I could not stop. So I said a prayer and the weirdest feeling came over me! It was total peace. I will never forget that feeling. And then even more, my friend texted me at three in the morning to find out how I was. It was awesome!!' She is so ready! L_____ was really happy!  That family is another one of those icebergs that Preach My Gospel told us about.  It makes me happy to try to help them!  L____ works so hard and she wants this so bad for her family! 

I think that is about it.  I am pretty happy!  God has been so good to us this week!  People are progressing and becoming better every week!  It is so fun to watch God work.  This week, God taught me peace.  We showed the video how to have faith in Christ a lot this week.  (It is a great video!)  And I found it really interesting that almost every miracle that Christ performed, he always declared peace first in some way.  He says 'be not afraid, or peace, or be of good cheer'.  Usually he would have to say that before he taught his apostles because their hearts jumped to fear.  I learned this week ... again ... that I have an anxious heart.  It often jumps to fear.  Which is why I find it really beautiful that God is teaching me how to have peace.  I asked Him to help me learn and my first step is to be at peace. There is something really beautiful about accepting the Savior as my Savior.  There are so many reasons to fill my heart with fear.  This world is full of them.  But that is why Christ told us so many times ... 'please, just know me!'  'Find me in everything so that satan does not even have the chance to fill your heart with doubt and fear!'  He wants us to be at peace!  He wants us to be of good cheer!  He wants us to trust in his guiding, loving hand and hope in a better tomorrow that becomes so strong that it is an anchor to our souls. (Ether 12:4)  I have so many questions and I get so anxious, but I know what I have felt!  God is good!  He loves us and He has a plan that means families are forever!  I love you all so much!  Thanks for all of the emails!  They really make me so happy!  I hope you all had a great week! 

Love Hermana Webb

His army on the front lines.

2/17/14

¿Como están? ¡Estoy super feliz aquí en Chile!

I don´t have a ton to report this week. It was a great week and I enjoyed it but we did not have anything ground breaking. Feburary is the month where EVERYONE travels!  We have few families that are still at home.  And the ones that are still home are working really hard to fill in the slots of other people who are on vacation.  It makes missionary work a little harder.  But the work must go on!!

To start off, the familia B____ is still doing well and still worrying me.  We keep running into them and they keep telling us that this is what they really want but then they keep flaking off.  I think it is because the dad is really into it and the mom still is not.  She will get there, they just need more time.  I am learning patience; which is good right? 

M____ continues to be.... M_____!  I love that nice old man.  Sometimes it is hard to know how to help him.  He has got his beliefs pretty set so it is hard to explain to him the truth.  satan has been so tricky with him.  He likes to think things out and find his beliefs but he has now got this little mess of truths and lies so tangled up that it is hard to help him untangle it.  That is why words of prophets and the scriptures are so important!  We need something that we know is the truth and then we can feel our way around the rest.  But if we just feel our way around everything we are going to get all tangled up in truths/lies.  The biggest one for M_____ is that 'I know God loves me and that He is going to help me get to heaven.'  'It does not matter how long it takes me or how many lives it takes me.'  'So after this life I am obviously going to get reincarnated.'  Do you see his train of thought?   It is nice to have the Book of Mormon and Bible that explains that nicely for us.  We don´t have to be confused. 

We have finally been able to talk to M_____ and her family more this week. L_____ is a convert that was converted just a year ago.  M______ got baptized about six months ago and her other sister and dad are not really interested.  But now suddenly the sister is!!  We have been teaching her and she has been reading and learning.  She is a sweetheart.  I am really excited to see what happens with her.  We have another appointment with her on Tuesday so it should be really good.  The dad is still pretty grumpy.  He is a good man but when we tried to share a scripture with him and his family after almuerzo, he started into this monolog about how they have a house that is where people can choose their religion.  The spirit left pretty quick.  It was cool though because I just started praying saying 'God, if we don´t have the spirit, this man won´t ever understand.'  I just felt like I should respond.  I did not really answer any of his questions, I just testified and it worked!  I told him that I know that families are forever and that God sacrificed for that! I told him that I knew that the temple is the house of God and that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer.  The spirit was suddenly really strong and finally L_____ said 'and if you don´t listen we can´t go to the temple together!'  It was really cool.  The spirit was really strong!  And .... he did not accept lessons, but I know he felt the spirit!  So at least we gave him the chance.  (Which is what God is all about!)

 

I think that is about it.  I am really loving my companion and I am really loving this whole mission thing!  We had this awesome stake conference where the stake president gave another slap in the face to the members who are not doing missionary work.  It was pretty intense.  ALL of the talks were about missionary work.  After, my zone stood and sang "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go."  We sang terrible, but the spirit was so strong it was so beautiful!  I just stood and cried and cried!  It was so cool.  After, the stake president told us to sit on the stand and told everyone to look at our faces and then he said things like "look at them!! look at what they are doing! Why are we not opening our doors!? Why are we not working harder with them in the work of the Lord!?"  It was AWESOME!  And me as my corney self, I just cried and cried.  I sat between Hermana Ramirez (the girl that lives in my house now for my entire mission that I LOVE!!) and my companion.  It was so beautiful because I realized what army I am a part of.  I thought of how many missionaries there are in the world and how much God trusts us!  I love being a part of His army on the front lines!  I love representing his church and telling everyone in the streets "hola, somos misionas de la iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los últimos días y tenemos una mensaje para compartir con usted sobre Jesucristo."  I love being counted as one of them working to bring about the salvation of men.  I love who I testify of!  I love telling everyone that God loves them so much that he has a plan for you that even required His son but it is worth it because He loves you!  What a blessing! 

I love you all! I hope you have a great week! 

Hermana Webb

The Miracle of the Sandia

Hey family!!

I can´t believe I am writing you all again. The weeks are flying by. This week was full of ups and downs. 

On Monday after I finished writing you guys, we went to Familia B______. They did not go to church two Sundays ago and I was worried. Our cita with them also fell through.  So we went there right after p-day was over and they were definitely in their house ... they just did not open the door. That is when Hermana Webb started freaking out!!  I called M____ and she hung up on me!  I was in a bad mood!  I was so worried.  We had lost this family and I thought that it was all my fault, because it happened right after my other comparnion left.  I pretty much did not talk all of the rest of that day and the next because I was so worried.  My companion suggested we use our "greatest weapon" and fast.  I was willing to try anything so we started our fast on Tuesday and ended it on Wednesday.  Shortly after lunch on Wednesday I felt strongly that we should go to B_____ house.  I rejected the idea but it came back.  So I told my companion what I was thinking -- I was sure she would reject it because we had made the deal that we would not worry until Friday.  But, she quickly agreed with my idea.  I hesitated again but finally decided it was a good idea.  C___ was home!  He opened the door and invited us in!  It was an obvious miracle.  He told us that a lot had been happening at work and that they had been super busy.  He invited us to say a prayer and told us that he continues to say his prayers every day.  He was the same good old C.B. that I am used to visiting and it made me super happy.  He was talking about his work - he is the boss and is trying to cooridinate a lot of different schedules and it has been a nightmare.  Then he looked at me and said "can you imagine what God has to do with all of us?" It was great!  Because it was like C____ was looking at me and saying: 'look! God coordinated it just right so I would be here when usually I am not so that he could answer your fast!'  It was really beautful. C_____ did not need the visit, I did!  And God gave it to me.

What made the story even cuter is just before we went to their house my companion interrupted her own sentence to tell me that she was dying for a watermelon (sandia.)  She told me that she was craving a cold sandia right at that moment and she would do anything to find one.  We laughed about it and went to their house instead.  After we talked to C____ for a second he offered us a sandia.  It was pretty fun. It made the miracle that much more obvious.  It was even cold!  So we call it the "Miracle of the Sandia". 

To continue the story, we thought everything would be fine after that ... it was not.  M_____ continues to hang up the phone on me and none of the family went to church.  AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I can´t even tell you how much that freaks me out!!  I was thinking a lot about our miracle of the sandia.  At first I thought that the answer to our fast was not a real answer.  I thought that it could not be fair because they are still not doing great.  I continued to worry about it until my companoin said "Hermana, El señor respondio a nuestras ayno todo va a ser bien. (The lord responded to our fast.  Everything will be good.) That is when I realized that God listens to and answers prayers, not just mine but everyones.  He loved me enough to send me to their house when C____ was home.  He listens to me freak out in all directions.  He listens to me when I am convinced I will never make it to heaven and He listens when I tell him I can do it by myself (both big lies).  He cries with me and laughs with me.  He holds me when I tell Him I can´t do it anymore and confirms to me when I understand what He is trying to teach me.  He is kind and all knowing.  He will do the same for M_____!  He will do the same for C_____, M_____, A____ and A___!  He will watch and care for P____ and E_____.  He will guide P_____, V_____ and J_____. He will be patient with them too.  He will love them and be there for them whether they want it or not.  He will use their talents and experiences to build them and help them understand just as He is doing with me!  I realized that no matter how much I love them and want them to follow the example of the Savior, the Savior wants it and loves them MORE!  He is the definition of loving MOST!  He will be there when they decide to follow Him. That is why the name below mine on my name tag is so much more important!  His is the only one that saves!  It is a good thing He loves them so much and He will continue to be here in Chile after this next change.  

So we will see what happens with them.  The good news is M____ is doing well.  He continues to battle against smoking, but he is fighting.  He did not go to church two Sundays ago either.  But he came yesterday.  I am like an open book (as you know) ... so he could see the relief in my face when I saluded him.  He leaned over and said "you were worried that I was never going to come back, weren´t you!?"  I told him the truth.  He was funny about it.  He told me 'No me conoces!' (you don´t know me!) many times throughout the day.  We have a cita with him on Wednesday so I am sure I will get more of a lecture about that.  I am just happy that he is in it and it it for good!  It feels good to know that investigators are not in it for the missionaries. 

C____ C____ is doing great!  She has not gone to church a lot and now has the goal for the temple!  She is so sweet!  I love listening to her when she prays. Her voice changes and it almost sounds like a child talking to her daddy.  Which is exactly what it is!  Her son died ten years ago and the anniversary was this week. She was pretty sad.  But she is a huge strength to us.  We love going to her house.  I love helping people make their family eternal!  It makes me happy! 

P____ and E_____ are as cute as they can be.  We have family night every Sunday and it is always a "fight" about who will give the lesson.  I try to get E____ to give it every week but it does not work well ;).  P____ told us it was our turn.  I laughed and said 'but this is family night of familia gasitua flores', so they had to give the lesson.  So P____ said: "Exactly!, so my oldest daughter Carlie is going to give the lesson!"  It made me very happy!  So I gave in;).  We watched this terribly corney video about families with them last night. P____ did not really watch much of it because she was a little distracted with her sister and her crazy dogs, but E_____ did!  He had his eyes glued to the TV.  We were able to rekindle that hope of them having an eternal family some day.  They walked us out of their house and E_____ fought to walk next to her and hold her hand ... and it made me very happy! 

I think that is it for the week.  We are happy!  My life is good!  I am learning so much!  I hope you all have a great week!  I miss you, but I really love being a missionary!  God is so good!  He loves us infinitely, and personally!  ... Which makes him quite the teacher!  I love learning from Him!  I love being in Chile!  And, I love being in His hands!  He is good!  Please keep familia B_____ in your prayers this week.  Love you all! 

Hermana Webb

We can't be a waste of time because "the most happy people are Mormons!!"

Misión Chile Santiago Este
Cristobal Colón 6824
Las Condes, Casilla 27.144
Santiago, Región Metropolitana
Chile

This week has been a great one!  First I will give a summary of my companion.  Her name is Hermana Martinez.  She is from Mexico.  She is a sweetheart!  She works hard, she is as loving as she could be, and the people in my sector already love her.  She is an amazing missionary and she is going to make it strong all of the way to the end.  We're already having a lot of fun!

This week was good!  It was a lot of introducing people to my new companion. I actually don't have a ton to report.  Everyone is healthy and happy and not really progressing the way I would like them to.  I guess that is part of mission life.  Practically no one went to church on Sunday which was a huge bummer but they all say they are going next week so we will see what happens. 

M_____ is a sweet heart.  I always tell him that we love him so much that he is like our dad.  I really do love that man.  He has changed so much and it is so fun to see his progression.  He is working so hard to quit smoking.  And I worry that that is why he did not go to the capilla on Sunday.  But we will keep trying and praying.  He continues to read the Book of Mormon and he continues with his weird sermons on feelings and the light.  But that is what we love about him. 

Familia B_____ are so great!  The dad was already asking me what time they are getting baptized because he wants to invite one of his friends who is a member that he has known forever.  He always has a cute story to tell us that is like a tender mercy and this week it was that his fridge broke and he prayed that it would be fixed because he did not have money to fix it and he said the next morning he woke up and it was fixed.  It was pretty cute how excited he was. 

We started teaching M_____´s sister this week! Her name is D____.  L____ (the mom) is super happy!  She is a sweetheart.  D____ told us that she likes all of the religions but she finds that the most happy people are Mormons.  So she basically told us that we can´t be a waste of time.  It was a great lesson.  I am excited that we have our new investigator. 

C____ is right about little tender mercies.  God is always sending them.  There was one day that there was NO ONE in their house!  February is terrible for Santiago because EVERYONE is on vacations.  So my comp told me that maybe we should pray and just do contacts.  So we said a short prayer and while we were praying it was so cool because this image of one of these streets popped up in my head.  I imagined it full of people.  We hurried to this street and there was NO ONE!!  I am serious.  It was kind of funny.  (And frustrating.)  We walked on that street for a little while until we came to a plaza with a cute man on the bench.  We talked to him for a while.  He had a lot of questions.  We left him with a Book of Mormon and he was happy to take it.  We set up a cita with him in the plaza again and he was there anxiously awaiting. That is when we got to hear his whole story.  He is this sweet man who has four kids.  He had been married to his wife for (I think) 30 years when she left him for her cousin!  Yeah you read that right!  Bummer!  She now lives with him and he lives in this extension of his sisters house.  Sad story!  He told us that that day he had been praying for help.  It was so cool to be His hands!  God listened to my prayer and than he listened to this man´s prayer.  And he answered both!  He is so good at what He does!  The only bummer is this day we learned that he lives barely out of our sector.  BUMMER!  Oh well the other sisters will take good care of him.  He will be in good hands. 

We have just recently started teaching an awesome menos activo family.  They have four kids.  The first one died tragically in a accident about six years ago.  The second was born with serious disabilities, and the last two are two sweet little girls with big brown eyes. I don´t know the little boy because he is in the hospital. The government took away their two little kids because their living conditions are so bad.  They are a sweet family that have a lot of beautiful stories, and some really hard ones too!  They left the church because they were tired of hearing that they should not cry over their oldest daughter and just think that she went away for a trip. (We have heard that one before!!!)  So it was nice to talk to them.  It was nice to tell them that is not our doctrine ... that they can cry! 

I think that is it!  I am happy!  God is good!  Being a missionary is hard.  I have to fight a lot to not freak out. I really love these people.  I had no idea what everyone was talking about until I got here. Now that I am experiencing it, I am so happy!  It feels so good!  I am becoming more and more aware everyday how very aware He is of me, and all of us.  He really does have a plan.  Not only a general plan but a plan that is personal.  I am crazy; I am an emotional mess.  (just ask any one of my companions ... they discover this out quick.)  But somehow God has already gotten that worked into His plan.  He knows I am crazy and He has actually figured out how to help me use that for good.  He knows how to use all my talants and abilites, and sometimes weaknesses for good because He loves me that much!  That makes me happy!  There is no joy greater than this!  Everyone should go on a mission!  It is so hard but it is the greatest thing ever! 

I love you all so much!  I hope you have great week!  Thanks for the prayers we need them!  Keep praying for Charity.  Moroni was right when he said we are nothing without it.  Through the grace of The Savior we can have that perfect gift inside our imperfect selves!  I love the process!  I am tired but I am happy. 

Love you all!

Love Hermana Webb