Tuesday, October 21, 2014

HUZZAH FOR MISSIONS!

The post’s title came from Elder Eli’s own submission, and it seemed fitting. Apparently he and his comp can still go outside and meet people and not even see their breath. For about another hour.

20 October 2014 
Dear Ones,

I don’t think this week was exceptional enough to deserve that subject, but I get tired of thinking up subject lines. Love you all!

This was a good week. We’re seeing good things happen with our investigators! Jordan is on track for November 1st. He’s been doing a lot better with giving up his addictions. Only one is holding him up right now, and we feel strongly that he’ll be able to get that under control.

We didn’t see Travis this week since he was working, but we were texting him and he’s doing great. He’s set to have his baptismal interview this week, then he should be baptized on November 8th. He’s excited and making excellent strides.

Eric is still a bit tricky, but we’re doing well with him. We had a huge stake event this week called “Arts and Appies” (ouch). Each ward was to prepare an appetizer for the evening, then there would be live music and art displayed throughout the stake center. Eric agreed to play piano for one of the rooms displaying some art, so he came and did very well! He’s a very talented man. The stake center is in the same lot as the Edmonton temple, so once he finished his time slot for playing we were able to take him on the temple grounds and talk a little bit about what happens there. Hopefully he felt the Spirit enough to take some steps, but we’re being patient and he is moving in the right direction.

Within the last week we’ve also had some new potential investigators surface, and we’re set to be meeting with them this week! It’s funny, our recent chunk of investigators has been strictly men: Skyler, Eric, Travis, Vince, and Jordan. Our new potentials are women! All of them! This week we should have three new investigators, so if it pans out I’ll tell you about them. The church is true!

I love my mission. I’m so glad to be a part of this work. I love the people I serve and I’m blessed to be serving around so many stellar missionaries and leaders. The work is going to progress and move forward whether we help it or not, but why not help? We’ll get a lot more blessings if we do, and we’ll be so much happier. It is a commandment to share the Gospel, so do a self evaluation, repent if you need to, and climb aboard the Salvation Express. We are all enlisted. Love you!

Share the faith,
Elder Eli


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Thursday, October 9, 2014

FROM GENERAL CONFERENCE TO TAYLOR SWIFT

Here’s a splash of northern-Canada-cold water in the face: This Elder Webb has but 8 months of his mission remaining. (His dear father pointed out the 16 months served part, and Elder Eli furthered the math and came up with 2/3 done. Wow.) But the news is great from the Great (soon-to-be) White North:

At Skyler’s baptism. (Matching ties to mark the occasion.)
General Conference was fantastic! We watched every session at the home of a member named Alecia. She’s awesome. In the weeks leading up to Conference we planned to have a Conference party at her house. We told our investigators and less-actives and recent converts we’re working with so we could have it all in one place. Alecia’s house was a good setting because she’s got comfy couches, lots of blankets and a 70-something-inch TV. Blessed. It was also a good setting because she offered. Double-blessed. We planned meals and everything! It was a blast. What topped it off is that we had an investigator and less-active member watch every session with us, and we had our recent convert Skyler out to two of the sessions. Our investigator Eric said he wanted to come, but he didn’t end up making it. Travis was working, and Vince lived too far away to get to where we were. 
“General ‘Comf-erence’; not actually sleeping,” he reports.
Laughing —thinking this proves they were not actually sleeping.
The investigator we had with us was Jordan. I don’t remember if I told you about Jordan, but it’s a funny story. When we first met Jordan he was a less-active member. We met with him consistently for about three weeks and he even met with the Bishop! However, when he met with the Bishop he was informed that they were unable to find his records, so he’d need to be baptized again! Kind of a freebie! He’s now our new investigator, and he’s set to be baptized on the 1st of November. We aren’t sure what was wrong with the first time he was baptized, but we suspect that his parents didn’t sign off on it (neither is a member), so it might not have been entered. All a little bit shady, but Jordan wants to change and be happy, so we’re trying to help him with that. Good times!

Favorite talks from Conference off the top of my head: Lynn G. Robbins in the first session, Elder Cook and President Uchtdorf in Priesthood, Elder Christofferson in whichever session it was, Elder Scott, and Elder Holland. The Church is true!

We live with members currently. They are the Woodruffs, and they are fantastic. Brother Woodruff’s great-great-grandfather is Wilford Woodruff! We share their basement with two other missionaries. It’s a good time. Dad, Sister Woodruff served her mission in Ecuador! She was a bit before your time, though. She says hi.

Goodness, 16 months! That’s wild. I am done with two thirds of my mission! Hard to process. I’m happy with the changes I’m seeing in myself and with the changes I’ve been able to see in others. I can’t believe I’ve only got eight months left. It boggles the mind.
With President Manion
“Messy service,” it was labeled.
Happy birthday to Maxwell! I wish I could type it the same way we all say it, but it seems too tricky... “Ha’py burtday!” ‘Twill suffice. I hope your day is full of gladness and joy. I also hope you get the Taylor Swift song “22” stuck in your head all day, because now it applies to you. It’s awesome to hear your testimony and see you respond to the mission. It’s also awesome that I don’t have your apartment. Opposition in all things, amiright?

Thanks for all of y’all’s love and support. Continue to pray for me! The more I’m on my mission experiencing things, the more I realize how powerful prayer is. It’s kind of ookie but in a good way. Love ya!

Nurture the faith,
Elder Webb

P.S. Brutal news on BYU football. I’m not so bummed to be missing the season anymore.



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