My Nanny got baptized!! - June 20, 2016

Dearest family,

First things first, I completely forgot that it was Father's Day until halfway through the week when someone happened to mention it to us. By this point it was to late to do anything so I'm sorry I didn't get anything sent for you Dad but I hope you had a wonderful Father's Day and a Happy Anniversary!!

I'm not even sure how describe my week... We saw miracles, I got sick, I had a melt down, we had a baptism!!! That about sums up my week right there! The best part of my week was witnessing Nanny get baptized! It was so beautiful and brought tears to my eyes! Before I get to that though I will start at the beginning of my week.

I can't remember if I mentioned in last weeks email that we had a sister stay with us for the first half of the week until transfers. We had Sister Handy with us. It was good. We experienced the best miracle while she was with us. So I've been trying to seek and follow the spirit more in my work and one night it was about 8:40 and we had about 10 minutes before we had to start heading home. We decided to try this referral that we had not been able to get a hold of. Well Sister Ruesch said how she had tried a few times and no one was ever home but we should just try him so we could drop him if needed. I felt very strong that we needed to try him one more  time. When Sister Ruesch said the prayer she prayed that we would be able to set a baptism date during the lesson. We all thought it was kinda strange because we hadn't even been able to get a hold of this man but she said the spirit told her to pray for that. Anyways, we get to the door and a lady answers. She tells us that the referral we were looking for was her husband but they were going through a divorce so he no longer lived there. She then tells us how she is a member of the church but has been less active for years. What? She invites us right in and introduces us to her 3 children. 2 of them are old enough to be baptized! She lets us share a message so we start talking about Jesus and how we can follow him when one of the boys asks his mom if he can be baptized! Yes, the 9 year old and 11 year old want to be baptized and we were able to set a baptism date with them! Sadly the 3 child is only 6 so she has a few more years! What a miracle! They are planning for baptism on July 30th and are all going to start coming to church again!

We did some service earlier this week and oh boy, let me tell you about it. I've never dry heaved so much than I did helping one of the elder's investigators box up their house to move. This lady is a complete hoarder and there were cockroaches all over and old food and it was dirty... Yucky! I literally wanted to throw up! So the story was this. The lady was getting evicted out of her apartment and has known about it for about a month now. She had not done anything because she had lost all of her important identification cards so she could go get a new apartment.. Last week Sister Ruesch and I went to her house, said a prayer with her and started rummaging through piles of junk looking for her information. Luckily I found it! She was then able to get an apartment across the street from where she was living now. By the time this all happened she had until Wednesday to be out and it was Friday. On Tuesday we showed up to help box some things up and she had not even started... Remember grandma's boobie trap room? It was like 10 times worse then that! She was wanting to keep everything even garbage. Sister Ruesch and Handy were nice and boxed up the garbage for her. I just couldn't do it though.. I was throwing things in the garbage bags as quick as I could and every time she was not looking!  It reminded me a lot of Grandma Webb. Haha Luckily she is all moved in across the street and the elders can continue teaching her! Lesson learned: I will never in my life become a hoarder and let myself get to that point!

Wednesday was transfers and we took Sister Handy to the Mandarin building so that she could meet her new companion. It was nice to see all the missionaries there. I got to talk to Sister McGregor and Sister Rigby and a few other missionaries that I never get to see. It was great! After that I don't know what hit me but I got very sick. We had a lesson with Nanny and I could hardly keep my head up to teach her. My head hurt, my stomach felt like knots were in it and I was just exhausted. The mission nurse loves me so much she gave me permission to have a sick day. I went home and slept for about 2 hours and then it was time to get back to work. My headache never went away but it's manageable.

Thursday we had a crazy day. We decided that we would go to the Dunn Ave. district meeting. So we left early and we drove about 40 minutes to get there to find out we went to the wrong building... So we then turned around and drove even more until we got to the Fort Caroline building about 10 minutes outside our own area.. We were pretty sad about all the miles we wasted. We basically are out of miles and there is still 2 weeks left of the month. It wouldn't be so bad but we live about 5 miles from our area and we still have 2 zone conferences this week and one of them is in Kingsland Georgia! Basically we will be biking the remainder of the month. After we finally got to the district meeting it was really good. I just love going to them. We did service for Nanny and her grand-daughter after that. It was good. We cleaned their living room up for them.

By Friday it was weekly planning and that is always long. Especially the first one of the transfer because we have to sit down and set up all of the trade offs we will be going on. We got all the ones figured out with the sisters in our zone when we got a call from president asking us if we would also be the sister training leaders in charge of planning and carrying out the other sister training leader trade offs with all the sister training leaders. Just when I thought things were getting easy I got more to worry about. But all is good. We planned them all and it's going to be great!

Saturday was Nanny's baptism! Words can't even describe how happy that day was! Nothing was better then seeing my 83 year old grandma follow our Savior Jesus Christ and get baptized! The service was very special. Nanny lives with her grand-daughter and 2 great-grandchildren who are all members. Her grand-daughter was able to give the talk on baptism and then Ethan her great-grandson gave the talk on the Holy Ghost! Nanny had to be baptized 3 times and I think the best part was when she went under the first time her foot came up and she didn't realize it so after she come back up she throws her hands in the air and starts to do a little victory dance! Sadly we had to dunk her again! Haha it was funny though!

Sunday was such a wonderful day! Nanny was able to get confirmed and receive the holy ghost and it was just beautiful! In her blessing she was promised to live long enough to get herself to the temple to take out her endowments! I may have cried a little! After sacrament I was asking her how she felt and just listening to her describe it brought tears to my eyes! She made me promise her that I will always keep in touch with her. She is determined that I am going to go home and instantly get married and have children. And she threatened me if I don't send her pictures of her grand-kids and of my husband then I'm in big trouble and she will come hunt me down! Haha 

After Nanny's confirmation our recent convert John was able to get the priesthood!  He was ordained to the office of Priest! It was great! He was just beaming from ear to ear! This week on Saturday he is going to be going to the temple to do baptisms! And next week hopefully Nanny is going to be going! It just makes me so happy!

So y'all will get a kick out of my next story. So you know how midgets kinda freak me out? I don't know why because I'm basically one.. Haha anyways, last week we were driving down the street and I saw this midget... No they were not driving a car for y'all who think you have heard this story before.. Haha they were in their front yard. Well, basically I've been keeping tabs on the house all week and finally last night I noticed a car in the driveway so we stopped. I taught my first midget! Sadly she wasn't interested but hey, who knows maybe someday she will join!

Well, that's basically all that has happened this week! My companion and I have realized that we are total opposites and we butt heads most of the time but we are working it out. Most companionships learn this very quickly but it has taken us an entire transfer because last week was the first full week we have spent together. We realized that we both suck at communication and we both have our own way of doing things which usually gets on the other one's nerves. But don't worry, all is well and we still love each other!

This is our last week with President and Sister Craig. They will return home to Utah next Tuesday. It's going to be so sad to see them leave. They will always have a special place in my heart but I am so excited to be getting President and Sister Lee. It's going to be good!

I guess I will just end by saying how grateful I am for my father. Who would have guessed that it would take someone 24 years to realize how great of a dad they actually have! My Heavenly Father has blessed me with such a wonderful dad! My mission has taught me so much and it has helped my eyes open to how much I truly love my dad! He is the best example of a father, a husband and best friend that I could have asked for! I'm not sure what I miss more... Teasing you to death, constantly trying to scare you and give you a heat attack or pretending to laugh at all of your corny jokes! When I go to family home evening in other people's homes it's just not the same without dad being there to say, "'Welcome family, to family home evening." Or constantly telling the kids that he use to be part dog in another life and and then when they go to feel the marks having him scare them with his bark! I miss him just whistling nonsense tunes. His collection of cans because he thought he would strike it rich someday if he recycles!  Him falling asleep during family prayer even if he was the one saying it! Haha I miss being able to go out to the garage and just spend the evening with my dad. But get real, how many times did that actually happen! I miss making fun of you in your sweat pant outfit and wearing your safari hats! Most of all, I miss being able to say "papa" with my puppy dog eyes and being able to get what ever I want! Every kid in our family thinks your the coolest man ever and looks up to you so much! You are a fatherly figure to more then just your kids. You have helped raise many of your nieces and even made impression on their children! I mean, every time Hunter comes he has to go out to the garage to see what Uncle Tom has for him in his locked up treasure chest! Haha I was reading a conference talk this week from this last conference in April on fathers. It was by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. I loved when he quoted Mosiah 4:14-15 it said, "Ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another...“But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.” My dad is the best example of this! You might have some strange ways of doing things but you have taught all of your children truth and to love and serve one another.  

In John 15:13 Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  Elder Christofferson said, Fathers manifest that love as they lay down their lives day by day, laboring in the service and support of their families. I'm so thankful that I have a wonderful father who loves me and  loves our family! You work so hard to support all of us in everything we do! I remember when I told you I wanted to go on a mission and you freaked out because I didn't plan properly but you never once complained or told me I couldn't go In fact you have worked twice as hard to support me and my adventure of sharing the gospel to Heavenly Father's children here in Florida. Anytime I have needed anything all I have had to do is ask. I know there have been times in my life that I have not shown the love and respect to you that I should have but I'm so blessed and lucky that I get to be sealed to you for eternity! I'm thankful for eternal families and the knowledge I have that we will be a forever family!  

Thank you for raising me with the right standards and morals to get me to where I am today! I could not be at the point I am today with out your love and support! I love you with all of my heart! And I leave you my testimony that I know that this church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Jesus Christ's church and that it has been restored to the earth through a modern day prophet. I know that we have a prophet here upon the earth today to lead and guide us and as we listen to his counsel and direction we will be able to stay on the right course in life to make it back to our Heavenly Father. I have a testimony of the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that he suffered bled and died for all of us and was resurrection so that we would be able to be forgiven of our sins and someday be resurrected just as he was. I know with out a doubt in my mind that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that as we make the effort and study from it everyday we will be blessed beyond measure and we will be able to find the answers we are seeking for in life. I have a testimony of eternal families and I know that because of the priesthood power I will be sealed to my family forever. I can't wait for the day when I find my Prince Charming and can go to the temple to be sealed to him for time and all eternity. I know that no one is perfect and we all make mistakes and go through rough patches in our lives but I promise you that as you turn to our loving Heavenly Father and seek his guidance, help and forgiveness he will support us and guide us to our full potential. He is always there he is just waiting for us to seek him out, to reach out and to take hold of his hand. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

I hope y'all have a wonderful week! I love y'all so very much and miss y'all like crazy!

Love,

Sister Webb