Miracles

HOLY MIRACLES! 

I don't know how many people in the world are praying for the missionaries at Christmas but we felt it.  We felt a lot of it!  This week we picked up 11 new investigators... OUR GOAL IS USUALLY 2 PER WEEK!! It takes about 10 new investigators to get 1 that will really progress, so we'll see what happens. 

To get a new investigator in our mission you have to say an opening and closing prayer, teach something, and set a return appointment.  Finding a new investigator is one of my favorite things.  It is so much fun to walk up to someone and pull crazy religious stuff out of your pocket that they have never heard.  

Some people don't talk to you at all though.  It seems like the younger people are willing to engage in conversation easier than older people.  I love talking with teenagers and it's fun to go up to a group of big college boys and talk about the Bible.  They think we are pretty funny . . . and I even had one of them tell me I was "super beautiful" (not gonna lie, that made my day)!

We had a really good Christmas. We spent it with some of our favorite investigators (M & L) and we went to a few member's homes.  We went caroling in the evening and watched a movie on Sister W's big couch on Christmas Eve.  That is the first time I've watched a movie since I've been out and the kissing scene was crazy uncomfortable.  I threw the pillow over Sister Similai's eyes :)

It was a good week.  Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers!

Love, Sister Webb

LOVED skyping with her!

They had Christmas breakfast with this family in their ward

Caroling with her zone on Christmas

Gifts from generous ward members

Merry Christmas Everyone

Merry Christmas!!!!

I'm not going to lie, I wish I was back home with my family for Christmas. I love my family a little too much, but the Christmas spirit as a missionary is almost tangible. I've never ever felt anything like it.  If you can remember, think back with me to those Christmas Eve nights when you were so excited for Santa to come :)  You had your stocking laid out, the carrots in the front yard for the reindeer, the cookies in the house for Santa Claus, and everything was perfect and exciting!  Every feeling associated with the Christmas spirit was hanging in the air, along with the lights and Santa's reindeer :)  Since I was little, I have missed that feeling.  As a missionary, I feel like I've felt that again, but it's different this time.  There is a pure sweet spirit that I would hope accompanies so many missionaries around Christmas.  It comes because our Heavenly Father loves his missionaries way too much, and it comes because we talk about Christ and share his glorious Christmas message all day every day.  

This feeling of Christmas can come to everyone though . . . not just the missionaries.  This feeling does not come from the music or decorated tree alone.  It does not come from gifts, boxes, or your favorite Christmas candy.  It only comes from Christ.  I can't give you an exact prescription on how to obtain this spirit- but I can point you to it's source - our Savior!  Perhaps it gives all of us a chance to reflect on where we are lacking and impressions will come of how we can make up the difference with a little more effort :)  

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.  I hope you enjoy the lighted trees, music, candy, and family, but I hope you find a way to put Christ above everything.  I promise that Christmas is better with Christ at the head.  I promise that He will refine your holidays.  

I love you all, thank you for the cards and emails!  

Love, Sister Webb

ON A SIDE NOTE . . .

Jessica has been staying in the home of an older single woman who is a member.  Last Thursday her grandson arrived for Christmas break.  Because of this, Jessica and her companion had to move out for two weeks.  The Bishop got up over the pulpit asked the ward members if anyone would be able to take in these two sisters missionaries.  A kind elderly woman from Finland came right up to Jessica after Sacrament meeting and offered her home.  She has a grand daughter living with her.  Here was Jessica's response to my inquiry about her move:

Our move went AMAZING!  We still have most of our stuff at Sis. L's but the new lady we live with has a nice house.  She has it all decorated for Christmas and she has a heater that WORKS!!!  Plus our beds aren't bunk beds so you don't wake up when someone moves and she has drawers in the bathroom.  We are pretty much living in paradise. 

Jessica spent most of Friday with Grandma & Grandpa at a zone conference! 

Nothing is by coincidence!

Merry Christmas Everyone!  I can't even remember what I did this week!  It's been busy, but I want to share an ongoing experience we have had.

About a month ago we went to see a inactive member.  The bishop asked for her address but we were having the hardest time in the world trying to find the house number.  A man walked out the house in front of the one with the hidden address and we asked him if he knew the number.  He did so we got it from him, said thank you, and started talking to him... because that is what missionaries do.  

Turns out he is a MACKAY!!!!  The Mackay's are legends in Cypress.  Everyone knows who the Mackay's are and they are well loved.  We know so many Mackay's because the majority of them are Mormon and they serve in leadership throughout the stake and in our ward.  We started talking to guy, and it turns out he was baptized when he was eight and went inactive around 12 years old.  He was so kind to us and his fiancee was too.  

Within the next two weeks we had two more miracle run-ins, and the next week J,.Mackay (his grandmother) passed away.  We kept visiting them and sharing spiritual thoughts, but the funeral really touched their hearts and as of LAST SUNDAY they are going to start taking the missionary discussions.  The stake president is a Mackay and wants to join us in the lessons, along with every other active Mackay in the boundaries:). 

We are really excited and we have grown to love them.  The most interesting part of our relationship with them though is that every time we have seen them, it has been unplanned.  It has just sort of happened.  We just sort of run into each other outside and we happen to have to time to sit and chat for a few minutes.  She is in culinary school and thinks it's really cool that I'm gluten free, and he is just the best.  They have a beautiful daughter and she loves softball.  We are excited to teach them.  

Anyway, I miss you all and I love getting letters (especially around Christmas).  I don't know how many people end up reading my letters but if you do read them, and if you want to write me back please do.  It is SO MUCH FUN to hear from everybody!  Even people I didn't get the chance to talk to as much.  

Have a good week everyone! 

Love, Sister Webb

Have Faith No Matter What!

So this week was okay.  Nothing too special, just a normal week with more Christmas lights than the last!

I guess I can share a personal experience.  On Saturday we were teaching one of our new investigators.  We had gone through the whole lesson and she had tons of questions so we ended up answering her questions instead of teaching.  It worked well though because we got to testify quite a bit.  The Spirit wasn't super strong though.  The end of the lesson rolled around, and she asked me to say the closing prayer.  I started to pray, and the Spirit just overwhelmed me.  I can't tell you what I said but I knew what to say.  It wasn't a really long prayer, in fact it was pretty short but when I finished I felt really elated.  I looked at our investigator and she was crying.  She started to apologize and I cut her off and said, "That's the Holy Ghost"!  That phrase  resonated in the room for a few silent seconds.  Then we stood to say goodbye and wish her a good week.  

Another experience, we taught a less active boy yesterday.  We were talking about the Savior and we actually read Isaiah 53.  It was kind of spiritual but not really because he's kind of a tease and it's hard to get him to take some things (everything) seriously.  Then all the sudden random facts about Christ's crucifixion came into my head and I started spouting them off.  It turned into a retelling of the crucifixion and a testimony.  I think he finally felt something and if he didn't then I sure did.  He's a really neat kid, he just needs to remember what life is about. 

I've learned that sometimes you can have tons and tons of faith, and things still don't go the way you wish they did.  This week we had problems finding people. We set a lofty goal with the zone, and didn't accomplish them at all.  It was depressing, and I kept wondering what I did wrong. Sometimes though, you haven't done anything wrong.  Sometimes when things fall through you just have to say, "I promise I have faith..." and then you should probably just take a nap, eat some ice cream, and try again later.  

I love you all! Have a good week!

Love, Jess

The Temple

THIS WEEK WAS INSANE! 

Today we woke up at 3 a.m. to drive to LA and go to the temple.  The Los Angeles Temple is gigantic and really really pretty. We left for the temple at 4 a.m.and we pulled in our driveway around 10:00 a.m. (I'm TIRED)   We only get to attend the temple once every 3 months.  I love the temple SO much.  There is no place like it anywhere.  It feels like home in the temple and the Spirit that you feel is really unprecedented.  There are only a few places where I've felt the Spirit so strongly.  I was actually nervous about having to wear the temple garments originally, but I've realized that I enjoy being able to take part of the temple with me everywhere I go.  

We had Thanksgiving with the J's and the W's.  The W's are Christian family that love the missionaries.  I had never met them before but I loved getting to know them. They are incredible.  We spent the rest of the night talking with members and playing board games.  Thanksgiving wasn't too bad away from family.  

We had a training this week on the, "A Savior is Born" initiative. I've been thinking a lot about Mary recently and the example that she set for other women to follow. She really was incredible and I wish the Bible talked more about her. 

We had a few really good lessons this week with both investigators and less active members.  We had fun looking at crazy Christmas lights, (the people here go ALL OUT compared to the people in Utah) and one member gave the 4 missionaries in our ward $100 to blow at Olive Garden.  That was the best.  We had a ton of fun.  

I think the hardest part about being a missionary is trying to find people to teach.  It's hard to walk around and get rejected consistently, but it's even harder to watch someone walk away from something that is so eternally significant.  I pray that a person's opportunity to hear the gospel is not limited to missionaries street contacting... mostly because I'm not very good at it :)  If any past missionaries or other members have tips for street contacting, I'm open to suggestions! 

Anyway, good luck with life this week.  Keep me in your prayers and I'll keep you in mine. 

Love, Sister Jessica Webb

                                                       

 Jessica at Zone Conference