Week of Adventures! - July 6, 2015

Hey family!

What a week of adventures!!! Let me just tell you this week had an adventure every day and I am exhausted! The worst part is trying to catch up on all of the sleep! I think I take naps everyday trying to catch up and it never helps! 

So, let me start on the adventures of the week. Last Monday we had the adventure on p-day to make snow in a can.. Haha that's right... We found some random can of fake snow and made it! It got all over our apartment and let's just say it was tricky to clean up! But we made a snow man!!! 

Later that night we had the funniest thing happen. So, when we got in that night we ended up letting a moth in the apartment.. I hate those things! Anyways it started flying around while we were planning and it ended up flying straight at me and wanted to go right down my shirt! Haha I started screaming at the top of my lungs and my arms were flying everywhere. Haha it was quite the sight! I then decided I needed to find something to kill it so I grabbed the broom... Haha yes, I started swinging the broom at it and trying to chase it out of the apartment! I succeeded! We both were laughing so hard cause I looked so ridiculous! 

On Tuesday our adventures got even better! So we were on our bikes and we were biking to our investigators house to teach a lesson. Well the rain storms hit so quickly here. Literally the skies will be sunny and clean and with in seconds the sky goes black and it starts pouring rain. Well this is exactly what happened to us. We had been biking for about 3 miles when all the sudden I just see the skies go black and a sheet of rain just starts racing towards us. Well it started pouring so hard that we couldn't even see.. So we decide that the church is about a 1/2 mile back so we attempted to bike back to the church.. The roads seriously started flooding and we were soaked and looked like a wet mess! Haha so here was the best part that made me laugh so hard because we just looked so pathetic and ridiculous. So, you know how in movies you see the cars drive past and hit the puddles of water and splash it up on people? Yeah that totally happened to us! Haha the streets were starting to fill up with water and every car that drove past would splash water all over us.. Hahaha I was dying laughing!! Just picture me trying to bike in a pouring rain thunderstorm and cars splashing water on us. Haha 

Later that day we were able to have a lesson with Heidi! It was great! We taught her about the Sabbath day and invited her to come to church. She didn't make it this week so we will have to push her baptism date back to the 26th... So keep your fingers crossed that she will be baptized that day! 

My next adventure that day was coming home from ward correlation. We didn't have a car and had walked to correlation so Brother Wink had us drive the Elder's car to our apartment and they just followed us there. While in their car I found a Cheetah Girls cd.. Haha I was laughing so hard. And the worst part was I couldn't tell anyone cause we were not suppose to be driving the Elder's car.

So this week I got hit on 2 different times while tracting... Haha one boy was Latino and when we were leaving he asked if he could give me a Latino goodbye.. Sadly I had to decline that.. Although a kiss did sound nice. The next boy asked for my name and then asked if I had Facebook.. Haha pretty sure he was going to try stalking me... 

On Friday we went to dinner at my new favorite Mexican restaurant it was great! We always play this game with our straw wrappers that you have to think of some one as you tie it in a knot and pull and if your knot breaks it means they are thinking of you.. Well my straw wrapper knot finally broke! Yay! Some one was thinking of me! Haha! It was such a great day! I got my taco fix and earlier that day one of the members gave me a pack of Oreos!! Mm my! I was in heaven! 

So, on Saturday I had the best 4th of July ever!! We started the morning off by going to the ward breakfast. We then went to dinner at the Matthew's home where a few families in the ward joined us. It was a lot of fun! 

After dinner we were invited by the mission president to go down town and go tracting and watch the fire works. It was awesome!! There were about 15 companion ships that were able to go! We all met at the mission office and took vans downtown. This was the start of our adventure. So we walk up to the van and there was a cat that ran up under the hood of the car. The elders didn't believe us so we made them check and they couldn't see it. They slammed the hood down and started the van when all the sudden there was a giant popping noise that hit the hood and all the sudden cat hair started falling to the ground.. Hahaha we totally killed the cat! 

We finally got to the landing down town and they had changed the rules that you must be 21 or older to enter... Sadly I was one of the only ones old enough to go in. So we drove to the other side of the river and started talking to people over there. We were able to pass out about 15 copies of the Book of Mormon and get a few return appointments from it! Success! They best part was we got to watch the fireworks!! Yay!! They were amazing! They put them on a tug boat in the water and shoot them off from there! They had two different sets of fireworks going off at the same time! It was gorgeous!! We didn't end up getting home that night until after midnight! I was so tired because the next morning was Sunday and we had to be up by six so we could walk to church by 7:30.. I am still trying to catch up on my sleep from that! Haha 

Oh I almost forgot to tell you my most awkward moment on the mission so far! It happened on Saturday at the fireworks. So we were out tracting and talking to people and we came across this drunk man who told me that I was very beautiful and then leaned in and just kissed me!! Ahhhh I was dying! Hahaha I was laughing so hard! 

Yesterday we were able to do some service at a dog park! The park was built on a land field so we mostly just dug up garbage! Haha it was fun! 

We then got to do some service for our investigator Leanne. It was the weirdest thing ever. We went to visit her and her boyfriend Eric was unloading some boxes from a truck. So we helped him because Leanne wasn't home. To make a long story short their dogs got out and he had to return the truck so we offered to catch them for him well he gave us the code to the house and some how we ended up cleaning their kitchen for him as well. It was weird because no one was home.  He told us that we can stop by anytime we need and gave us the code for the lock on the door. People really trust us! Haha 

That is about all I have been up to this week. Transfer calls were last night, I will be staying here in Mandarin with Sister Sorensen!

 Today was our p-day we went to the zoo with one of the inactive ladies we have been working with in our ward! It was such a blast!!! I finally saw my first alligator!! Yay!! 

Tonight we are having 3 of the new sisters sleep at our house so that's exciting! I'm finally not the new missionary!  

I thought I would end today's letter by sharing with you something I read in my personal studies. I was studying about the Book of Mormon this week. I was reading in the June 1988 Ensign: The Power of the Book of Mormon, given by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

President Hinckley talks about how Parley P. Pratt came to know of the Book of Mormon and its truthfulness. He talks about how a Baptist deacon told him "of a book, A STRANGE BOOK, A VERY STRANGE BOOK!" The deacon told him how it was originally written on plates of gold or brass, by tribes of Israel. The plates had been discovered and translated by a young man near Palmyra, New York. 

The next day Parley P. Pratt went to the deacons home where he said this about the Book of Mormon. "My eyes beheld the 'Book of Mormon' -that book of books..... Which was the principle means, in the hands of God, of directing the entire course of my life." 

He talks about how he could not put the book down once he began to read it. He said how eating became a burden and how he preferred reading to sleep. This brought me to think about my own relationship and desire to read the Book of Mormon. I had a question come to my head as I read this.

Have I made the Book of Mormon part of my life? Not just a study tool to learn and gain knowledge of gospel principles or just reading the book just to read it. Do I truly find answers to my questions and  am I able to apply the teachings to my life and feel the spirit every time I read it? 

Parley P. Pratt said this about reading the Book of Mormon. "As I read, the spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I knew and comprehended that the book was true, as plainly and manifestly as a man comprehends and knows he exists." 

I then thought of this question as I read. Am I having spiritual grounding experiences every time I read the Book of Mormon? As I read am I able to feel the spirit bear witness of the truthfulness of this book? 

I then started to think about what is truth? D&C 93:24 said this about truth:

"truth is knowledge of things as they are, as they were and as they are to come." 

So, I then asked myself what is it about the Book of Mormon that makes it true? I started thinking about how the things in the Book of Mormon are the same things Jesus Christ taught. They are the same things that were taught many years ago, as well as in times today. And I know they will be the same things being taught in the future. Nothing has changed from the time of Christ establishing his gospel and teaching it to people to the present day. They are all the same principles. That is truth! 

President Hinkley said this about inviting others to read the Book of Mormon: "Each time we encourage others to read the Book of Mormon, we do them a favor. If they read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, they will know by the power of the Holy Ghost that the book is true." He explains from that knowledge of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, everything else will fall into place. Then the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ will make sense and will be made know unto them.

I loved this! We can't convince someone that the Book of Mormon is true. They must read it on their own having that desire to know, having a sincere heart and praying while reading in order to find the truth for themselves. I was reading in Preach My Gospel about using the Book of Mormon to respond to objections. I found this quote in it that I loved! “Our main task is to declare the gospel and do it effectively. We are not obligated to answer every objection. Every man eventually is backed up to the wall of faith, and there he must make his stand” 

Truth comes individually, over time and through revelation. 

If we can bear testimony of the Book of Mormon and why it has blessed and changed our life, testifying we know this because we have read and prayed about it. Then, we have accomplished our purpose. 

President Hinkley promised us something at the end of his talk that stuck out to me and I loved. He said, "Brothers and Sisters, without reservation I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you previously have read it, there will come unto your hearts an added measure of the spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to his commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the son of God." 

I know this to be true! I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that as you read it with a sincere heart and pray about it I know you will receive an answer that it is true! I remember before my mission reading the scriptures only occasionally and usually when I really needed guidance in my life and even then I never read it with real intent and asking a question as I searched the pages for my answer. As I have truly read the Book of Mormon using President Hinkley's promise while I have been on my mission I truly have come to love the Book of Mormon! I challenge each one of you to read the Book of Mormon and take Pesident Hinkley up on that promise because I know it is true and I know you will find a stronger love for the Book of Mormon just like I did! :) 

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! I will email again on Monday! 

Love Sister Webb :)