CHANGES IN THE AIR

We’ve had a couple of short-ish messages from Elder Eli, and one a little longer. He’s now within sight of civilization now (if being near a mall counts as “civilized”). He’s promised pictures, so we’ll keep an eye out.

2 December 2013 

I miss you guys, but it's not to the point of being a hindrance. Not even close, actually. I know I'll see you all in about 18 months (crazy), so it's not so bad. My Thanksgiving didn't really happen until Saturday (although Canadian Thanksgiving happens before Halloween). Some members invited us over and gave us a Thanksgiving feast. Delicious. I think on American Thanksgiving day I actually ended up having pizza. Still pretty tasty!

I'm getting transferred! I've been here for about six months, so it's time for me to head out. Maybe I'm too much of a Northern Snowback (thank you Dean Diesel), but now I'm being sent down to the city! My area is called Coronation Park. West Edmonton Mall is in my area, and I'm like 10 minutes away from the temple! I'm super excited. I've got no idea about my new companion. I don't even know how to spell his name. So I guess I'll give an update next week.

I finished my deer antler knife, so I'll send pictures of that next week. Brace yourselves.

Love you all! Thanks for writing!

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25 November 2013 

Hello family! I love and miss you all.

[In response to his mother’s musings on this year’s Christmas tree] I've been sending serious vibes from Canada telling you not to get a fake tree. Don't you dare Berta! Honor my service by treating this Christmas with the respect it deserves! Hang in there. "I can do hard things!" I believe in you.

Yeah, we've seen some serious cold up here, but we're taking care of ourselves. I've got an excellent hat that doesn't let in any cold, and your head is the majority of the battle. I'm totally good for winter things for now. I think. Maybe.

I have not received my Halloween package yet, but I am expecting it within the week. Such is life. Sometimes the mail is super quick, and sometimes you just miss your window and you've got to wait ages. I honestly don't mind, though. Just knowing that I have one and that you care is good enough for the moment. I also like the fact that I'm not dying to get it, so it doesn't become a distraction. I consider that a blessing.

In regards to our teaching, we have not baptized the elderly woman. In fact, as of right now, she's dead set against it. But, she's still letting us come over and read the Book of Mormon with her, so that's nice.

The Jamaican family dropped us cold. Andrea (the mom) wasn't answering any of our calls and they wouldn't answer the door when we knocked, so I had the idea to call her using the church phone. She answered at the second ring, we told her we haven't been able to get a hold of her and that we missed her, then she just said she was in a bad place and that she couldn't do this right now. Then the call was over and we haven't spoken since.

I don't know how to get people to understand that this Gospel is the VERY BEST thing that can get you out of a bad spot. Sometimes, people get into tricky situations or something happens, and the Gospel is the first thing to go. That is the complete opposite of what should happen. This Gospel is the thing we should hold onto above all else. It's the one thing that will never let us down. Satan is very good at making it seem inconvenient. Don't let him!

Recognize that no matter what sort of problem you've got, you are entitled to receive comfort and strength through the Atonement. It's all-encompassing and eternal; no one is exempt. Jesus Christ suffered and died for ALL of us, regardless of whether or not we take advantage of that.

Ignoring the church and its teachings doesn't change the fact that you've been atoned for. Let's look at a trial like a flat tire, and the church like a jack. You're driving along, and you get a flat. You step out, survey the damage, then decide that you are going to try and lift the car and change the tire at the same time, even though you've got a perfectly good jack in the trunk. As you try to lift, you find that the car is a bit heavier than you expected, so you try to shed some weight. Instead of using the jack for what it was meant to do, you just see it as extra weight, and something that's maybe stopping you from getting the job done and dealing with the flat tire. So, you empty out the trunk, jack and all, and try to lift the car again. So many people are still at this point, trying to lift a car that is far beyond their strength, even though they've got a perfectly good jack a few feet away. The jack is still available to them, as the Gospel is to all of us, but whether it be through pride, ignorance, embarrassment or guilt, so many of us are unwilling to use the healing, strengthening power freely given to us through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Everyone is going to end up with flat tires. The difference lies in whether or not we're willing to use the jack of the gospel, fix what has been damaged, and continue on the road to our ultimate goal and destination: eternal life.

I know that whatever problems we may be put up against are for our experience and will make us better in the end, if we rely on our Savior and not on our own, inferior strength. If you see a loved one struggling to lift a car, help them realize that they've got help and support just a few feet away, and if they've maybe misplaced their jack, lend them yours. This Gospel is for everyone.

As always, thank you for reading! Write, if you feel so inclined.

Keep the faith,

Elder Webb

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