Que BONITA this work is!!

(Donating her hair again ..... Love this girl!!)

 

Hey family!!

I love you all! Can I tell you how very much I love you letters?! I laugh and cry a lot when I read them. It feels weird because you guys always seem to know just what to say to make me really happy or really excited to be a missionary. 

First of all, Sara I can´t believe Utah State did it again! I am so tired off them being almost awesome!

Second, I am sad to say I have not gotten any mail from you guys yet but I am really excited for the day when it all comes flooding in. You are right there was a strike -- I did not know they got it figured out though. 

Third, Dad I love you so much!  I loved your story of the temple and it was just what I needed.  I want to go to the temple possibly this week.

So this week was awesome!  I love my life!  First of all and most exciting, we had another baptism.  It was so nice! Marianna is the hija de Lourdes, a converso recenté. She is such a sweet heart!  When she was baptized I was flooded with the reminder that I am here for a really sweet reason and I am really blessed!  Que BONITA this work is!  I love that now she has access to the same blessings that I have access to.  It felt so good to have another reminder that this work is true and this dunking under the water is not just another crazy ritual we humans have made up. 

 

 

I wish that I ran into more drunk people but sadly no. It was a pretty normal week other than of course the baptism. We are working really hard to find menos activos todavía and it is working really well.  Now that we have found them, we just need to get them to church.   That is the tricky part. 

I have been thinking a lot about the idea of siempre!  I have been called on a full time mission.  The rules are so strict -- there is literally no time to not be a missionary.  I was at first a little frustrated with it.  I like having my breaks.  As a student or in my job there are breaks.  During the summer I am not really a student.  I don´t have to study.  I look forward to the weekends when I don´t have to go to class.  To the surprise of everyone here, we don´t get breaks as missionaries.  We are always called and set apart for this year and a half and then never again.  When I write you guys I am supposed to be a missionary too.  I am supposed to bear my testimony and stuff.  Every second of every day should be used for something awesome for one year and a half.  Do you have any idea how tiring that is? (don´t worry I am not stressing myself out.)  I have discovered that this can be super intense. When I do not have the Spirit, I can´t talk.  So I quickly notice when something needs to change (We all know how much I love to talk;)).   I am discovering something about God.  He wants all of me! His jobs do not stop.  A lot of the menos activos here when we find them say yeah I am Mormon but I am super inactivo.  They say that as if that means that they don´t need to go to church anymore.  But turns out God has a different plan.  Once we are baptized, God does not forget that covenant and we always should be followers of Jesus Christ.  I have been thinking about a funny meme quote thing with a women that looks super stressed and it says "Why do they want dinner EVERY night?¨ (referring to her hijos.)  The calling of a mother never ends.  Mom will always be our mom.   Now that she has had us she will always be our mom and there are no pauses.  Heather talked a little about this with me.  She said it is kind of weird because it is the first thing where there are literally NO breaks.  Obviously Alden needs to eat EVERY day;).  There is never a day when I leave the apartment without a badge that says I am a missionary.   It does not matter if I am tired, if it is raining, or if it is Christmas; I am always, always a missionary (for this precious time that is).  But are we not soooooooo grateful that God NEVER takes a break!?  Are we not so grateful that we never have to worry that He is sleeping, or went on a trip for a while and we don´t have access to Him through prayers.  Because God never takes a break from us, we should never take a break from Him! We have this sweet mom that we are teaching.  She is a menos activo that would do anything for her sweet kids.  She claims that she can smoke at work and it won´t affect anything because her kids don´t watch.  Turns out her kids do know and it is changing them. She is still their mom even when she is at work.  I love that even though you guys are far away you are still my family!  It does not matter if it is Christmas or you guys are super tired you are always my family; stuck to me for good!  I love that this means that Lauren is stuck with us forever too!  God does not take half measures! Look at the scriptures: everyone who was ever in trouble and was trying to follow God was because they did not give it all.  (Mark:3,7,9, Lahonti) I love the quote by C.S. Lewis: look it up it is about giving it all.  God wants all of us.

(C.S. Lewis said, talking as if he was the Savior, “Give me all of you!!!  I don’t want so much of your time, . . . your talents and your money, and so much of your work.  I want YOU!!!  ALL OF YOU!!  I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT!  No half measures will do. . . . give me yourself and I will make of you a new self- - - in my image.  Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself.  My will shall become your will.  My heart shall become your heart”.)

My Spanish is getting better each day!  I love it so much!  I had divisiones this week and it was so fun! It was me and a Latina who had been in the field for two weeks.  That was intense.  We were so cool though!  We contacted like crazy and found a lot of menos activos! 

Paola and her family are doing so well!  Eduardo did not go to church this week because he did not want to pray in Sunday School.  I love him so much!  We told him he definitely did not have to pray if he did not feel comfortable in public.  He is going to come to church again.. hopefully!  Josefa is reading a ton better and I love reading with her!  Vania is as cute as she can be!  She made it four hours in her first fast.  I am so proud of her!  Juan Pablo and Richard are still pretty crazy but I love them! 

I am trying to think of what other exciting things. We had a party in our apartment this morning because it was the first day we wore pants in forever! (We went bowling today.)  There are mushrooms growing in my apartment!  And as you all know, I cut my hair!  (So, the story of the hair is that I really miss Lauren!  It is another addition to that "always" thing.  Things that God does not have breaks... ever.  Sadly, when God takes someone to heaven, that does not have breaks either...  This whole not ever having a break from not seeing her is getting really annoying.  I just really want a break from this whole not seeing her thing.  So, I thought I would celebrate her a little bit!  And, besides, I was hot ... so I cut it!!)

 

It was a good week!  I love you all!

Have a great week! Remember how very much I love you and that you are all in my prayers!

Love Hermana Webb