Merry Christmas!

Hey Friends and Family!!!

Can you believe that it is Christmas!!? I sure cant. I feel so much joy that i get to be one of the few lucky ones who are called to preform the work of the savior who everyone is celebrating!

Sooo How is everyone??=)

Well this week was good =) Work has been hard because no one wants to meet with us until after Christmas, but it is ok because Christmas is almost over and then no one will have an excuse=) This week We walked more than I have ever walked in my entire life! It was awesome!=) I finally have callused feet=)

This week we did a lot of member work. If you haven't noticed there has been a huge push on members and missionary working together, so we did a lot of planning on how we could help the members. We were also with a lot of members this week. We have awesome members!!! One lady we have been teaching took us to get pizza this week and baked everyone we are teaching cookies! =) She is amazing. Another eventful thing that happened this week was Tony got baptized!! He is a man the elders have been working with and he kept backing out then on Tuesday he called them and said he wanted to get baptized that day. So we threw together a baptism for that night and so many people came and supported him!! I was so happy for him and for the Elders. However, he wasn't getting confirmed until Sunday. Saturday night I had a dream that he didnt want to get confirmed so we were all running around looking for him. I woke up super worried so I just prayed and prayed all night that he would come. Haha of course he came and it was a wonderful Sunday.(granted I was extremely sleepy from my lack of sleep=)) The Christmas program was great=) I even sang in the choir. =) OH did I tell you we got volunteered to do a special musical number next week? we are singing and a sister in our ward is playing a harp... this is going to be interesting. Dad you arent the only one who is going make the angels plug their ears this year.=)

Christmas: ok here is low down on Christmas. I will be skyping mom and all them @ 12:30 my time. I will probably call first to get everything set up. Mission Pres has asked us to only skype for about 35 min. Then after that I will call dad and Chris=) I am so so so excited to talk/see everyone!!! The rest of the day We are going to go to work=) we will be visiting people who we are teaching who have no one and sharing messages with them. I am excited to spend Christmas understanding it more this year than every other year. I was wondering if you could have ben and Mckayla up on face time so i can see them cause im dying to see my bug and them =)

Last night was an amazing night and here is why. It was pretty cold here last night and we had a bunch of Christmas cards to drop off. So Sister Straatman and me were out walking and when you looked up all you could see were the stars and palm trees. We talked about how that is probably what it looked like in Bethlehem the night the savior was born. It hit me really hard. We walked in the dark singing Christmas hymns together walking past a ton of houses where you could see family parties going on inside and my heart was so full of love for our savior. Not to mention we have a ton of olive trees here. There was no place I would have rather been last night then with numb cold hands, aching feet, sore shoulders, hearing nothing but our footsteps and singing silent night under the star lit sky. I am so thankful that I get to spend Christmas with the savior this year and , instead of just celebrating him. 

This is my Christmas thought for all of you this year. Please take time to think about the Atonement and Resurrection this Christmas. He birth was wonderful, but his Atonement and Resurrection is the key to our Salvation!! I have thought so much about the Atonement and have been studying it like crazy. There is so much to it ! The Atonement is the least understood doctrine in the church. I feel I have only begun to scratch the surface of understanding. Please think about your life and think if you are allowing yourself to "walk with the savior" and take full advantage of the best gift ever given. His Atonement and it is free for all men. He is begging us to use it. He is freely handing us eternal life to come unto him and change. Mom I finally got my plaque scripture for bishop and I will end with this, 3 Nephi 18: 32 "Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall Heal them; and ye shall be the means for bringing salvation unto them." please use the atonement in your life so that he can heal you and bring others to him so that he can heal them. There are two things I am committing you to do this month to be missionary. 1st before Christmas please post the Mormon message, OH come, Emmanuel- Christmas version from the Mormon channel on your Facebook. 2nd, Invite and nonmember family or friend to your house for dinner where you open with a prayer and have pictures of the temple and Christ there. There will fell a difference in you home I promise. I love you all so much and I hope you have such a merry Christmas!!

Also, I sent packages out to Mom, Dad, and Ben and Mckayla last Monday and i don’t think anyone has gotten them yet... I’m a little worried because sister straatmans parents got hers! but i did send stuff for Christmas i promise. Also I love my comp so so so much!!!!

Merry Christmas love you

sister Webb

It's begining to look a lot like summer‏

Hey Family and Friends! 

Wow it sounds like everyone is so busy! I' m so glad to hear that everyone is doing so well. Dad and Chris that is so awesome what you did for the YSA activity! Man my family is awesome! Mom you sound as busy as ever! Im so glad you get to spend some time with Aniston=) I’m so glad she loved doing Ginger bread houses! I wish i could see all the pictures but this computer wont let me open things sent from i phones! 

This week was Great!! Tuesday was moving day we moved into a little apartment on the other side of town. It was for sure an Elders apartment =) I love the things you find in a missionary apartment! my desk is even complete with Anime =) I love how dumpy it is=) Sister Straatman has been having some stomach issues so we spent some time at the doc this week. I sure hope we can figure it out. I feel so bad for her. On Tuesday night we taught E_____ again...and she got an answer to her prayers!!!! It was the first time she has recognized Gods hand in her life! I was so happy I just wanted to start running! Me and sister Straatman couldn't stop giggling the whole way home after. Its so funny how your investigators become like your dating life and you get on such a high after and awesome lesson! 

Wednesday was a lot of contacting and rejection but you just have those days. It’s all about patience diligence and finding joy even when things are rough. We have been praying our guts out for more people to talk to and man Heavenly Father is listening. We talked to so many people! and were able to be bold. We have also been praying for ways to use the Book Of Mormon more in our teaching, our companionship, and in our finding. Guys do you know how awesome The Book Of Mormon is?!!!! read it! However, I am still trying to figure out what Isaiah is trying to say. This day something happened that I didn't think I would have to deal with on the mish. We met a guy and we talked to him for a while and gave him a pass a long card. Well he texted me that night and wanted to take me out. It was the awkward conversation ever because he didn't get why I couldn't and i didn't know how to not talk to him without turning him off from the church. We handled it but it stressed me right out.  We also helped a guy push his mustang to a gas station that day. I bet it look weird two girls in skirts and a guy pushing a car! What a blessing it is that i am so buff.... jk i wish, I was so sore the next day!!!!

Thursday we met C____. C_____ is Awesome. He as worked with members and around members his whole life. However, no one has ever really told him what the gospel is and what it is all about. It was a huge eye opener to me! We need to let people know! This day something super embarrassing happened. So I fall asleep with my retainer in every night and then when I wake up the next morning it is never in my mouth and a lot of times it falls under my bed. Well after we moved I could not find my retainer. So I had to call the elders who moved into our old apartment who just happen to be the AP's. Elder M____ found it under his bed... They then brought it me. I was mortified. 

Friday!!! Friday was soo great!! I learned a Few valuable life lessons this day. To start off we had a lesson with Sister B_______. Her husband is a member and and they have been married for 25 years and she has been investigating for 5 years. We have been praying like crazy about what to teach her. She comes to church every Sunday she just doesn't want to get baptized. Well when we left last time we left her with the commitment to think about what she wanted in the eternities and what she was willing to do to get there. We both felt such a strong prompting to explain again what baptism is. I find that right before we have a super awesome lesson or contact I am so nervous before I want to throw up. Well before  this lesson I felt so sick because I was so nervous and it was such an amazing Lesson. The spirit was so strong! it was unlike anything I have ever been a part of before! She turned a huge corner!! she just broke down and started to cry after we had her read a part of the Book Of Mormon. The Book Of Mormon is So powerful! we talked about how Christ never said to worship him he always said to follow him. She will get baptized!!! She will I know it! and the thing is I know that she knows it too =) We had to be very bold and I was scared but Heavenly Father knows his children so much better than we do. After that lesson We were on such a spiritual high!  We were walking and all of the sudden this little dog comes up from behind us and is running down the side walk. I made a stupid joke like " run Benji run" Just then it ran in the road and I watched it "give up the ghost".  It was terrible and I regretted my joke! That put a little damper on the day but we had a couple pretty sweet lessons. Then that night during weekly planning we got a knock on the door. Our Zone leaders were there with huge packages for both of us. Dad and Chris!!! Thank you so much!! I loved it!!!! We both got the 12 days of Christmas Packages! I have been so proud of my self for hardly crying on my mission but i have to admit tears of joy may have fled from my eyes!!! I loved the count down chain and all you did!!!!! Thank you so so much!! I loved it!! Once again we sat there giggling like little school girls! I have the best family in the world. Chris I could tell how much time you spent on it. thank you so so much!! and I got a package from weaves one and only girl Shaylee!! Weave she is a saint!! I love her tell her i love her and thank you so much! and my letter from doozer just made me laugh!!! There was a lot of joy in our run down apartment that night! it was such a great day

Saturday was also way sweet! we didn't have any lessons, but we did a lot of contacts. People were not so nice this day but that’s okay because I love them anyways. That night was the ward Christmas party. So apparently President VannCott is in our ward. It's just funny because he is so busy I have never seen him. Well He was there that night. I am terrified of President for some reason. I love him to death! He is such a great man but im afraid of him! ha-ha anyways we got called up to sing Rudolph the red nose ... me, Sister Straatman, and President..=) I will never forget hearing him sing  " ho ho ho" It was a great night. 

Sunday! We had 2 investigators at church!!! I was so pumped. I also participated in the ward choir....and i loved it!! I'm for sure signing up for it when i get home. We also met Colleen in the park. man talk about someone who has a rough life. I have never had so much love for people. Sometimes I feel so sad and so heavy for all these people. I am so blessed and I don't deserve it. I have met so many amazing people. This truly is the Lord’s work. We are his warriors. I have grown so much appreciation for prayer this past week. Prayer is amazing and so powerful! You are a child of god and he wants and needs to hear from us. Christ still prays. I never knew that until I came on my mission. Every day I pray to be worthy enough to have the holy messiah pray for me. I know I can’t do anything without him. WE are so blessed to have him.

Anyway I love you all!! Continue to be a missionary!!!!! it will bless you!! Mom im so stoked that you bought a preach my gospel!! that is so neat!! and Chris you invited that lady! look at my family being missionary's!!! I love it ! i have the best family ever!

The address you have is for the mission home so if you send it there i will for sure get it.

My physical address is 1400 Barton Rd. Redlands Ca, 92373

Mom sister straatman doesn’t go home until next febuary!  but i will get her e mail address to you!

I'm sorry but I dont know about skype yet I will let you know on Monday! 

Dad and chris I need your skype info!!

Anyways I love you all so much!! You’re the best!! I love this work so much!! I love being a missionary!!!!

Love your one and only sister Webb

back to December - t swift‏

Hey Family and Friends,

I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing great! I love hearing from you all each week. I can’t believe that we are already this far in December. Christmas time in Cali is weird. it got down to a whopping 56 degrees last week and I thought i was going to freeze! What has happened to me? I took it upon myself to deck the halls in our apartment! I went all out... well we got transfer calls yesterday and we are moving, we are still companions and in the same area but we are moving apartments so I’m going to have to find time to re deck the halls =) However, We were informed that our new apartment comes fully equipped with a wheel chair and a ghetto table.=) I’m pretty stoked.

The work was slow this week, ok really slow but there are just weeks that are like that. I know that if we are persistent and obedient the lord will bless us because these are his children and he wants them to return to him. I have had several special moments this week where I know the savior was "carrying" me and he truly let me know that he loved me. I have really been thinking a lot about true conversion this week and what I promised to do when I was baptized. I found myself reading Mosiah 18: 8-9 over and over and really thinking about it. ( you should look it up and think about it a lot too) I am desirous to be called one of Gods people and i had to ask myself if throughout my life if i truly have been willing to mourn with those that mourn and help lift my my brothers and sisters burdens. I have been praying for so much more compassion in my life. The savior has so much compassion for all of us. i just want to be so much more like him. I truly want to love like I have never loved before and to trust him like I never have before. I find that so many times in my life I have been too darn stubborn. I just wish I could express to all of you what he means to me. He has allowed me to see things the past couple months of my life that have forever changed me. He walks with me all day everyday showing me where to go and what to say, even when I let fear overcome me he still guides me and always offers me a second chance. He is always beckoning for me and everyone else to come unto to him. We are en graven upon his hands and his feet. Is he engraven upon our hearts? Please slow down for a minute and truly think about him and allow him to show you where he needs you to be and who he needs you to become. There are so many times while i am out here that I think of my future kids... haha i know i know=) but really, I'm so thankful that I am here and that my Father in Heaven is allowing me change to become the woman he wants me to be for my children. I already love them so much and want to be the best i can for them and I want them to be able to return to our father in heaven. That is what our loving eternal Father wants for all of us. Thats why I am here, to help bring his children home to him by inviting them. Thats our job! we have the responsibility to invite, all of us. however it is their choice to come or not. We cannot allow our agency to stand in the way of someone else s. We must invite. well thats my spheeel for the week=)

People in Cali have super sweet shoes! mostly the guys, but still they are all classy shoes and i love them. i need nephew I can buy sweet shoes for.. hint hint =) Oh the post office here is so great! it is a super old train station or something and I love it because of the way everyone's shoes sound when they walk in there. I have found someone with perfect hands! Her name is sister L_______ and i have some serious hand envy. (kylee they are comparable to the girls in charly.) Sister F_______=) words can not even describe how much I love this lady! She is so funny, she is one of those members who tries and makes us break the rules because she wants to have fun with us so we always have to tell her no but she just loves us so much!! she has already delivered us each two Christmas presents. The other night she opened up to us about her life. She lost both of her parents unexpectedly within 3 months of each other when she was 19 and then her sister a year later. She said she has been bitter and angry for a long time. Then she told us how we have changed her life, she said she feels love for us like she hasn’t felt in years. I feel like we haven't done anything for her! It just shows me how the lord will always help those who need him and will never give up on them. She also is making us a key to her beach house in  new port so when we get home from our missions we can go any time we want. Sister F_______ is the best =) 

I thought i found a dead person this week.... i was so scared! It was pouring rain one day and we were walking in this back ally to get to a house and then lying there in the middle of the road was a man and he wasn't moving. he was soaking wet. We didn’t know what to do so I started to yell at him from afar. He didn’t move... and he didn’t look like he was breathing. I just kept yelling at him. I was about to pick up a little pebble a throw it at his feet. Then we heard him start snoring. i think he was a little bit wasted, but at least he wasn’t dead! Terry didn't come to church this week. i was super sad but i will keep praying and I hope she comes next week. Mom that sounds so funny about the tree!! you are right I would have loved that!!! I would have been laughing way hard! I vote we make that a tradish=) That is so crazy about the bed bugs! Tell Ben, Mckayla and bug hi and that I glad they get to be back home! It is so weird to me that there is snow there!

Well family and friends. I just want you all to know that I love you and I love the lord! I love this work! thanks for all your support!

                                                                                                                              sista Webb

Nearer My God to thee

Family and Friends!!!

What an amazing week!!! I am so blessed it is unreal! It was for sure a crazy/amazing/fun/spiritual week!

 Caution: Sorry this is going to be another long e-mail you can’t skip it if ya want =)

Kylee the shoe story about dad made me (lol). I literally "laughed out loud". OH dad you are the best =) and thanks for the Pocahontas? song in my email=) its funny because I have been telling sister straatman all week how bad i want to be an Indian. I love my comp! She lives in Logan and went to school with trevor we will be friends for a long time =) That story about aniston is to dang cute. watch out Ben she is going to be fun =) and  Mom and clair! I am worried about you two!  Please dont kill yourselves! i pray for you all the time! 

Tuesday: Tuesday morning we had the opportunity to go do a zone service project at the food bank. It was so great to help bring thanksgiving to those families who had nothing. One thing I am so grateful for is how blessed I am. I have seen so many out here who have so little and yet they are so happy. It truly is the small and spiritual matters in out lives that we should focus on to bring us joy. We were able to teach Helen. She is Amazing. She is the little Philippine lady we are teaching. She is so open and whole heartily accepted everything we were saying. However, I think there was a little confusion. At one point she called my companion and me prophets. We had to do some clarifying. There may be a slight language barrier there. However, the spirit was for sure strong. Her sister who never wants anything to do with us came and sat in at the end and by the time we left she had committed to reading the Book Of Mormon!! I was soo happy!! We take the Book Of Mormon for granted so many times! It truly changes people and lives for the better. I want to change so much more and I know I can learn how through the Book Of Mormon.  We also taught Evalyn she was the investigator we asked to pray about baptism. she has kind of hit a wall and doesn't feel ready and she didnt come to church yesterday. I pray so hard for her. I just want her to be with her family forever. Funny story about Tuesday. So it poured rain again. Well during our lunch break we were at the apartment and we realized that we left the phone in the car. so my comp stood on the porch while i dashed out to what i though was our car and began to jump in the car to get out of the rain and grab the phone. Well as i started to jump into the car i heard a scream!! It was not our car and i was about to sit on a lady! We both just started to laugh =)

Wednesday: Wednesday Was Amazing!! We had such a great lesson! I have truly seen the miracles that can be happen when you plan. We had dinner with a lady an our ward and she invited two of her non-member friends. Family!! This is huge!! Please invite people into your home so they can feel the spirit! well we had dinner and they started to ask us questions about what we do and it led into a lesson on the restoration! It was so great! One of the ladies didn’t want to learn more but the other one sure did=) the spirit was so strong. Her name is Terry. She is absolutely amazing. She has lost 3 of her 4 children. She set up a lesson with us to teach her yesterday. We found out before we left that the day we were teaching her the plan of Salvation was the anniversary of her daughter’s death. She is also in love with family history=) I love this woman so much! I don’t even know how to describe it. The lord is so great!! I also received my first "hommie hug"=) We were our walking and we went up to a guy named Dannie. Oh Dannie=) he made me smile a lot that is for sure! we invited him to church=) He said he would come and and gave us his phone number. Next thing I know I am being smothered by a big big man. At first i wouldn't hug back because that is a no no! But then we wouldn't let go until i patted him on the back... as we were leaving he yelled i hope you enjoyed your first " hommie hug" =) It was funny. His number was a fake and he didnt come to church=( This is also the day that I received Tons and Tons of mail!!!!!! I got back to the apt and it was so great! MOM! Thanks so much for the Tree and package!! You have no idea how much we are all loving it! I love having a little bit of Christmas here! Christmas is my favorite item of year and its so great to have some stuff! The other sisters just love you soooo much!! I may have shed a tear of joy=) Weav!!!! your letter was so great! it made me laugh! You should get a letter soon. Stac and Paul! you two are seriously the best! Your letter was amazing and i loved the advice!=) I will send you a letter this week=) Brookie Boo! you letter just melted my heart! I miss you kylee brooke and i am also sending you a letter this week! and moms card was great! Grandma! You are the best and I hope that your hip gets better. Mckayla! I loved the turkey from aniston=) I have the best sister in law i the world. and Grandma and Grampa kirby. Thanks for the card! I love you guys so much! Before I went to bed on Wednesday I was a little nervous about the next day. I just didn’t know how I would feel but it was great.

Thursday: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! This year was the best thanksgiving I have ever had in my entire life. The day started off normal. We then went to a members home where they fed us breakfast and we were able to hear their conversion story. It was so great! We then went to the palmers to help them prepare food for a ton of people. They had the most adorable puppies ever!! Somehow I was selected to carve the turkey.... Yea a lot of pressure. It was rough=) After that we went to deliver some of that food to a family. While on the way there i had an issue with the cranberry's.... that is why you will notice in pictures that I am wearing a different outfit in the morning than the afternoon. We then went to do spiritual thoughts. My favorite part of the whole day happened during this. We went to talk to albert and Verra. They are recent converts who live in the most humble of circumstances I have ever seen. When we walked in her face lit up. The elders got there at the same time as us and we all just thought we were there to share a little spiritual thought. She had been slaving away to make us all dinner. We ate Mac and Cheese and a little turkey( somehow I was volunteered to carve that turkey as well) with instant mashed potatoes. She was so excited. There wasnt room for all of us in the house So we sat outside and ate. She even had me a doctor pepper. I was super happy to be able to continue my tradition of having 1 doc pep on thanksgiving. They sat and told us their conversion process. I am so blessed and privileged to know them. The lord loves all his children no matter what and is not a respecter of persons. I felt the spirit and love of god so strong. before we left we all sang nearer My God to thee. tears just streamed down my cheeks and all of ours. Their neighbors came out side to hear. It was the best experience ever. We then went and delivered thank you notes to our investigators. We tried to be sneaky but I ended up ruining it. I also embarrassed myself in front of President Vancott. They were visiting a lady who lives next to one of our investigators. So after we dropped off a note at our investigators we just went to stop real fast and say happy thanksgiving. Well I popped my head in and there were all theses members and people and before i know it a very loud HAPPY BIRTHDAY popped out. they all just looked at me for a second and then I had to correct myself. I was so embarrassed. Later that night we went to sister Montgomery. She really is Martha Stewart on steroids. I was so nervous I was going to break something. and the aunt lori ceral effect start all over again. It was great though. I was so blessed. Of course I thought about you all but just know I had an amazing thanksgiving. I wouldn't trade it. 

Friday and Saturday were great too.

Sunday: Sunday came. It was the day we were to teach Terry about the Plan of Salvation. I woke up so heavy. ( part of that is because I turn into such a Grinch when i don't eat. poor sister straatman) The part was I just hurt so much for Terry I couldnt take it. All during studies and during church I just felt so sad for her and all that she has had to go through. I did not feel adequate to teach her on this day that is so hard for her. I didn't know what i could say or do. I prayed so so so much to help her and to help us be able to teach this, I didn't feel like i could do it...NO actually I knew i couldn't but i knew HE could. before we left to teach her we said one the most sincere prayers for her I have ever given. When we got to lesson she started to tell us how for some reason when she woke up this morning the uncontrollable tears that come ever year didn't come, and that she felt that today was the start of something new. Family, It was the start of something new. The spirit taught that lesson so amazingly. I will never forget it. It will forever be one of my most sacred experiences. I will never forget the look on her face when she received the answer that her children who were not baptized were not lost. I was so blessed to be able to watch the lord teach her. She is coming to church with us this Sunday!!

I want you all to know that i know the church is true! I have no doubt. I have no doubt in my savior. He walks with me all day everyday. Dont worry about me. I am in the best care I could ever possibly be in. He is bears me up daily. MY savior is my everything. Through him and only through him are all things possible. It's so weird how things that i wanted are changing and I can feel myself changing. I still have so far to go and i so glad like Moroni I can make weak things become strong. How Amazing in our Father in Heaven!!!!!! How can we not go on in such a work?

I love you all so much!

love sister webb