8/19/13

Hey!!!!!!

 

This week has been a crazy one to say the least so ill try to put it all in if i can. oh! we already got transfers! it was crazy because we got them on Friday night when we normally get them on Tuesday the next week so that was crazy. Ill be staying in Centre for my third! it's so crazy but nice at the same time. I'm in the nicest apartment in the world so I'm kind of getting spoiled but oh well! Elder Bland is going down to be a district leader in Jelgava which he's so excited for. I'm so excited to be done training! so much more time for real missionary work. My new companion is Elder Mckay Christenson and I love him to death. he'll get here in a couple days but because the Latvian missionaries are such a small group, you really get to know all of us ha he's an awesome guy and I'm so excited to start my third with him! I have some plans to change things up here in this area to get the work moving faster which I'm excited to do but ill let you know about those when the time comes. This area has been in a bit of a rut for the past little bit because of SO much monotony that the Elders follow that live here. As you know, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of monotony so that's going to get flipped upside down starting in a couple days. ill let you know how it goes!

 

It's crazy to think that ill hit my 6 month mark in this transfer but at the same time I've already learned so much. With Arvis, things have been going well but his parents still wont allow him to be baptized until he's 18 which is a big bummer seeing as how that wont happen until February. We had a meeting with him this week and we wanted to talk about things we could do to help his parents be more accepting. When I was explaining the importance of baptism I had the feeling like I needed to ask him if this was something he really wanted to do before he was 18, which brought a bit of a discouraging response. He told me that he feels like this waiting period is what God wants him to do to make sure he really knows this. He said that he really wouldn't be all that upset if he had to wait another 5-6 months. I sat and thought for a while trying to find a way to help him understand that that specifically is what Satan wants him to do. I didn't know how to say it and I didn't want to tear down his thought process in a harsh way so I resulted into asking him if he had prayed about a baptism date. He replied that he had not so we challenged him to do that and pay attention to his feelings. We told him that Heavenly Father was just waiting to pour out all these blessings to him and that all he needed to do was to be baptized. He agreed and now we've been praying like crazy for help and guidance. Ill keep you posted!

 

On a bit lighter note, GUESS WHAT!? so my apartment is 4 stories up and has an incredible view. This week I was in the study reading the scriptures and all the sudden there was a man directly outside our window!! Keep in mind we are a solid 50 ft (ish I cant really tell to be honest) up and there's just this man walking on air outside our window! I freaked out for a second and then realized they were doing construction on the outside of our building and had built a scaffolding directly outside our window. We went to see more of what they were doing and when the night time came they had built this tower about a foot and half outside our window and had built it all the way to the top of our building which is wicked tall. Now, I know what you're thinking. That's no big deal to put a stable tower directly outside an incredibly responsible 19 year old's window right?

 

There's not much else going on here yet but be looking for that to change. This transfer is going to be one for the books with Elder Christenson and I and you'll be able to be here for the whole thing! I love you all and I cant wait to hear more from you! you're the best!!!!!!!!

 

-Elder Webb

letter postmarked 8/2/13

Family! (and whoever else reads this)
Hey!  I'll say hi to Mom and Dad first because they always seem to sneak a peak before everyone else...Hey!  Man I miss all of you so much.  I know I say that all the time but I really do.  You guys are the most important people in my life and I honestly couldn't (and don't want to) imagine where I'd be in life without you.  I'm pretty sure in the premortal life we just grouped up with all our best friends and then God sent us down together.  I'M SO HAPPY WE'RE ALL TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
How are all of you?!  I feel like we never get to talk as much as we should which is why you should Dear Elder me!  Sometimes I wish I could just call you out of the blue and let you know just how much I love each and every one of you, but at the same time I think separation and distance brings a special realization of feelings you couldn't feel any other way.  But man, I really, really miss you guys.  I meet people who I talk with every day who end up always hearing about you guys.  I can't even tell you how many times I've shown some random person on the bus next to me our picture together and then follow it up by explaining that we can be together with our families forever if that's something we want and work for.  We're going to have the biggest party ever up in Heaven huh?  Dad will cook countless briskets for all the Heavenly Host and it'll be a blast.
How is life going for everyone?  As funny as it sounds, I'm waiting for someone to call out, "Family time!  Attendance required!" or walk out to the kitchen to find a fresh bowl of Lizzy-made popcorn that I can steal.  For some reason I have problems sleeping at night a couple of times a week and I end up just sitting in my window sill in the middle of beautiful Riga 4 stories up at around 12o'clock and every time I can't help but wonder what you're all doing.  It amazes me that I'm so far away and can see the night sky hours before you do.  It's like you guys still have the opportunity to make that day truly great and memorable.  I hope you all are using the time you have together in the right way.  What I'd give to go on the walk down the street with the dogs and everyone.  Buzzy would be trying to have Kota and Aspen pull him with that ancient pair of roller blades, Alex and Dad would be cuddling like always (wierdos), Lizzy and Mom would be talking about some sissy flowers or something like that, while Nate and I are trying to shoot signs with our beloved BB guns with a background of chastising and jokes coming from Court and Erin.  Goodness I can't wait to do that again!  Don't get me wrong, again, I don't want to be anywhere in the world more than Riga, Latvia right now but I do think about where I came from and what I'm going back to (waaaaaayyyyy down the line) because I feel like I owe that to myself.  If we recognize the beauty of the hike up the mountain, the hard climbs and eventual summit is always going to be better.  We could just focus on that one single view off the well travelled path and admire countless things, but at the same time, if we can recognize what helped us get there and where we came from, the view now becomes a panorama and a personal story we'll remember for the rest of our lives. 
Life here is still as great as ever and I'm loving and learning more and more every time I wake up for the next day.  I'm creating friendships here that will last a lifetime and I can't wait to bring you all back here and show you so many incredible people and places.  Missions are THE best thing you could ever do besides raise a family like ours with a relationship with a spouse like that of what we see Mom and Dad have.  Missions are so great!  Write me and let me know what I can do for you and please tell me how you are doing.  I still want to be in the loop.  Buzzy-I'll still kick your trash at COD so don't get any ideas.  Lizzy and Alex-NO BOYFRIENDS  Nate-go shave that nasty ferret off your face.  Court-quit hogging all the bathroom time in the morning.  Erin-HI!  How are you?  Dad-keep working out girl scout.  I'll still be able to take you.  Mommy-Love you Mom :)  You're the best.
-Elder Connor Webb

8/12/13

Hey everybody!!!!!!!

Goodness you guys are the best. Thank you all so much for your emails. One of the downsides to email is that I only get an hour and a half and that's it. If you write me a dear elder or a real letter I'll do my best to send back a personal letter. That's much easier to do. Anyway, HI! It was so nice to hear from you all this week. I love love love reading all of your letters.

Basically this week has been a quick one. I cant believe how fast time flies out here and before you know I'll be right back here emailing you guys again. Sorry I wasnt on earlier today but my schedule is a bit strange. Elder Bland and I are helping with a YSA BBQ all day and that's taking up a lot of time so President asked us to do our Monday morning like any other day and then start P-day later on. I'm super excited to go to this BBQ though because the youth here are incredible. Some of the strongest testimonies I've ever seen. The teenages here and young 20 year olds literally are the only Mormon's anyone else has ever seen here in Latvia and they get persecuted for it loads. Drinking and smoking are so rampant here that you're looked at like a weirdo. Honestly it's a bit horrifying when you see a young mother pushing her stroller with a beer in one hand and a cigerette in the other. It really is just a way of life here but I'm trying to fix that. I've found out that being bold is exactly what we need to do as missionaries. I've found that most people really do want to quit but just dont know how. Some of them have been smoking since they were 8 years old (no joke at all) and think that it's something that's just as needed as water. I HATE IT. No worries though, I'll have all of Latvia cigerette free probably by the end of this week...hahaha I can try at least.

We're still working with Arvis because he's incredible. His step mother still hasnt given permission but it'll come soon. I had him draw me one of my favorite scriptures last week (he's an incredidle artist) Alma 62:20. IT'S so SICK. I love it. He's almost finished the BOM now and he's just continuing to grow. Honestly he's teaching us the lesson.  Man I just love all the members here and I cant wait for you to meet them all.

My language is coming along really well I think but it still needs loads of work. I think at the start of this next transfer I'll start SYLing all day everyday as much as I can. It really helps so much.

IM SO GLAD THE HOUSE IS SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can check that one off of the prayer list!  We really needed that to happen so I'm super happy.

It sounds like you're all doing so great and I love it so much. :) love you guys

What else is new with life?  What are plans for school????  Who are everyone°s teachers?  Oh, Dad I did get your dear elder this week. Thank you so much!!!  You have a letter on the way.  Alex, you better write out that big long email in a dear elder this week!  no slacking!(bad doggy).  Nathan, quit being a bum and just writing "hey, you online?" I want to know how my older brother is doing!!!!!! Let me know!  Buzzy and Lizzy, come on :)  Mom, thanks a million for all the letters and packages and stuff!  I love getting all of them.  Court, thanks a million for the email and I cant wait to get your dear elder!  You're the best sister in law ever!  EMILY!!!!!! hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! send me an email so I can get your address!!!

Anyway, I love you all loads and I'll write another letter for you all today if I can. If not I will do it sometime this week. Thanks for all the support you give me!  I wouldnt be able to make it out here as happy as I am without you guys back home giving me that happiness. Best.Family.Ever!

 

-Elder Connor Webb

Letter postmarked 7/7/13-our first handwritten letter from Latvia!

Family!
Surprise!  Bet you didn't think you'd be getting a  letter from me huh?!?  Ha oh well, how in the world are you?  I guess I'm writing because as much as I love email time, one day a week is not enough time to write you especially when everyone else wants to talk too but don't worry, you ALWAYS come first.  Hmm...what to tell you.  Life here is still super great especially because I just finished my first transfer!  Basically every 6 weeks are transfer calls and we just got them on this last Thursday.  Nothing too crazy happened though.  I'm still in Riga with Elder Bland and it's great.  As far as Latvia goes, you can get transferred to Liepaja, Riga or Jelgava.  Not too many places to go.  I don't know if I told you already or not but there's only 13 Latvian Elders in the whole mission.  Man, I can't believe I'm actually one of them.  It makes me ponder sometimes just how much Heavenly Father really does know.  He sent me to one of the strangest missions on Earth to learn a language no one really knows and to be 1 of such a select few to teach the gospel to the people here.  I'm definitely getting humbled every single day out here.  The language is still coming along but of course it's the hardest thing I've ever had to do.  I'm finally starting to understand people more and more when they speak, which is the nicest thing ever.  The Latvian people, for the most part, aren't interested in interacting with anyone-but especially not missionaries.  Needless to say but...Challenge Accepted!  My favorite time ever is when we're on the bus and I'll start asking someone close how their day was, at which point they see my name tag and smirk and probably wave me off but they always forget one thing-we are on a bus.  They can't run away and I'm not going anywhere!  Haha, I promise I'm not a weird missionary but once they see that I'm just a normal kid with a beautiful family they almost always open up and start talking with me.  We teach as much as we can but sometimes I'll just have a nice chat with them and let them know we're real people with (kind of) normal lives.  It's wonderful to hear people say, "Wow, Mormons aren't as bad as I thought!"  SOOO rewarding.  We really are just working everyday, all day and sometimes I'm stupid and feel like all our work isn't doing anything real until I realize something very important that I want to share with you that I think everyone in our family could use.  Buzzy-listen up!  Nathan-put down the IPad!  Alex-stop cuddling with Dad!  just kidding.  Lizzy-no more homework!  Court-you too!   Mom...love you! 
Anyway, here it is.  There are always times where we have negative thoughts about ourselves.  Whether they be harsh or minor, they do occur.  When we don't do as well on a test as we'd like, or we feel like we don't measure up to what we "need" to be, whatever the position may be ie. Husband, Dad, Mom, Wife, Sibling, Friend or even Missionary.  These thoughts come and this is what I discovered.  Does your Father in Heaven, the all powerful and all loving God, really want you to think bad about His choice and precious child?  No.  He.  Doesn't.  If those thoughts aren't coming from Him, it's not too hard to figure out where they are coming from.  Satan, we know, wants all men to be miserable like unto himself.  If we allow ourselves to beat ourselves and think we're any less than a literal child of God, then we let him win.  I've come to understand that when I have any type of negative thought, sneaky little Satan is the one trying to pull the strings. Don't let him!  Just smile and he loses instantly.  Now don't get me wrong.  We need to be always striving for improvement in whatever field we are in, but this can ALWAYS be done in a positive and constructive way just like our Heavenly Father wants us to do.  God created us to be happy so why should we ever be anything else?  Granted, I know this isn't the easiest thing but consider this.  Would Satan try to throw a stumbling block in the path of someone already doing his will?  In my opinion, we receive temptations, feelings of doubt and insecurities, and taunts from Satan when he realizes we're on the Lord's path.  If he is trying to throw us off, we must already be on!  How big of a motivation push is that??  Satan, the great tempter, is so threatened by us and our potential that he feels the utmost need to try and knock us down from what he knows we can become.  He knows how great we can be and every time he tries to stop us just remember that it's because he wants you to switch teams.  It's so easy sometimes to find imperfections in ourselves but I want you to STOP.  Always strive to be better.  Always strive to be a better person than you were a day before.  Always strive to find opportunities to grow and enhance who you already are.  I love you all so much and I really want you to know that.  I think of all of you everyday and you're always in my prayers.  I miss you loads guys.  We really do have the very best family in the whole world and I wouldn't change it one bit.  Keep working hard back home because I promise I am here.  You all really are the best.  I'll talk with you soon!  Es Jus Milu
-Elder Connor Webb