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

7/14/13 HI EVERYBODY!

Thank you all SO much for your emails this week. They really do just make my whole day. Knowing that i have so much solid support back home has become such a priceless asset. This week has been SO great! To start off, Arvis is still doing so strong. He's halfway through Alma right now which is crazy because he's only been reading for a couple weeks. He's still progressing like crazy and if his step mom gives permission he'll be baptized at the end of this month! We're praying and fasting that his step mom's heart will be softened and we're going to be calling to meet with her today right after this, wish us luck! We don't have any other progressing investigators at the moment but we've talked to loads of potentials this week. On Saturday we were going through a really cool park and this young guy was standing on the corner smiling and it appeared that he was waiting for us.....This never happens! we of course go and start talking to him and it's all in Latvian and then halfway in the conversation he just switched over to English like it was his first language! You have to realize that the people here that speak English are always the young trouble makers and the reason they know it is because of school. needless to say but it really isn't all that good for the most part. This guy spoke FLAWLESS English. Honestly better than most people back home and he didn't even have a hint of an accent when he was speaking English. He told us that he really just wanted to talk to us because he figured we were American and because he loved English more than anything. He told us that it just stuck to him one day and he's been addicted to the language ever since. It was incredible to listen to this guy talk. Overall he wasn't super interested in our message but then again, most young aren't. The one thing that did come from it though was that I invited to come to our district language study which is a meeting with the missionaries that are in my district come to for the purpose of trying to learn the language better. I told him to come and that we could really use his help with him being a native of Latvia and a pro at English. He said yes and we're so excited to get him in the church with us. Sometimes people need to see what we're like first before they want to meet and find out more about the truth that we have. Missionary work is the greatest thing in the world and I'm so happy that I'm doing what I am! Last night we had a strange experience (actually is really wasn't that uncommon) that I wanted to share with you. My companion and i were walking down the street when a couple of hoolies (teenage trouble makers) across the street yelled at us about religion and then waved us down to come over. Of course i started walking over with my companion because where else do fun stories like this come from if not from moments like these right? ha  We went over and the three of them were pretty drunk but not super hammered. They asked us what we were doing and we gladly told them what we tell everyone. We're here in Latvia because we want to share the message we have about Christ's church on the earth again today. They all kind of laughed and smirked and started talking about useless things. I told them that we had things to do and that we didn't want to waste our time but they kept on talking to keep us there. We talked about their life they had at the moment and it was so eye opening for me. These guys were 23-25ish and literally had nothing better to do with their lives other than to sit around drunk and high. They went to their jobs everyday and drank every night. One of them was actually fairly receptive to what I was telling him and it really hit him hard that here he saw 2 young men that were using their life to actually do something worth while and hard. He told me that he didn't do much other than drink smoke and work. I tried to bear a simple testimony to him about how life should be so much more than that. Life isn't about going out, becoming dizzy, passing out, and then waking up the next morning with a killer headache. Satan has blurred people's dreams by alcohol and drugs to where he keeps them from gaining their full potential. After I was walking away from these guys I just thought to myself where I would be if it wasn't for my faith in Christ. Honestly I probably wouldn't be much different from them. Id be lost and smothered away y one of Satan's tools against young men today. I'm so grateful for the life I have and the reason I'm here is because I want to share this light we have with everyone. If people could just be aware of Satan destroying their lives piece by piece, I know that they would get out of the hole they may be in and try to better themselves through a better power, that being Christ of course. Anyway, sorry for my soap box but it just hit me very hard last night and wanted to share it. I really am doing so well here and I'm loving everyday more and more. bad news bears though...I think I'm getting chubby :( all this work and no time to work out and play. Mom, do you promise you'll still love me even if I'm a little plump?hahaha no I'm not that bad I promise but it is kinda funny haha

I miss you all like crazy and I hope everything is going great! Love you!

-Elder Connor Webb

P.S. in other news this week, I caught a pigeon in my house!

 

 

 

 

7/7/13

hey everybody! I'm down to my last couple minutes this week but I thought I'd share an experience with you. About a week ago my companion and I were at the church and we found a random number in our planner. My companion decided to call and set up an appointment and it turned out to be a young teenage guy named Arvis that wanted to meet the very next hour. This was Friday and we were just going to go contacting so we set up the appointment. He wasn't super enthusiastic the first time we met but wanted to meet again. The next day he came to a YSA BBQ thing we had all day and then even proceeded to come to church the next day for all 3 hours! We've met every day this week with him and he's getting baptized this month! The only hold up is that his parents really aren't supportive of us and refuse to allow him to be baptized but I feel really confident that their hearts will be softened. We're actually going to meet with his parents this week. The 17 year old kid is incredible. He's halfway through the book of Mormon already and comes to church every week. He texted us last night and sent a super long message telling us all about his new found faith in Christ. Definitely keep him in your prayers! Today I'm going biking with some missionaries out to the caves in the countryside and I'm sure there will be loads of pictures to follow. Thanks for all the support and I promise you that I can feel it here when I'm starting to have a rough day. I'll send a picture of something I've found that really helps. It was something Bryson Toth said in his homecoming talk years ago but it came to mind and now I absolutely love it. I love you all so much and you're smiles and prayers make me so happy!  You're the best! 

-Elder Webb

P.S. Learn how to cook while you can at home. Long story short, my companion and I almost burned down our house this week...hahaha oops! 

 

6/30/13

It's so nice to hear from you! you're a pretty good mom :) just kidding, you're the best! but really though, I find myself talking about you and Dad all the time here. MAN! I miss hoopfest!!!! those were crazy days back then but I'm looking forward to watching them again. I'm glad  to hear about everyone having jobs. Here in Latvia it really isn't all that common for people to have jobs and I know it really hurts them personally and with whatever family life they may have. My language is getting better and better everyday and I know that it's ONLY because of my prayers and studies. I'm meeting with a man named Mark Vanderhart who's from Chicago (teaches Hebrew, Greek, and the Bible...no big deal..) and I love him to death. He's about 60 years old and he's probably the smartest scriptorian I've ever known. Our lessons are so awesome 1 because they're in English (Tender mercy for sure) and 2 because he knows EVERYTHING about the bible. It was actually a super cool experience last week ill share with you. This is probably the 5th time meeting with him and meetings normally goes as follows. We meet and say hi of course and go into an open room. I always ask him to pray because he wont pray with us thanks to the fact that he wont pray with any non Christians (EVEN THOUGH WE ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) but in an incredibly respectful way. he says the prayer exactly like we do and we start with answering all his questions. he has a lot... This last week was super cool though because I was on an exchange with other elders when we were teaching and one asked, "Mark I don't know you very well but I'd just like to know why exactly you're meeting with Elder Webb if that's alright to ask?" he replied by saying, "Well I'm here because I truly do want to learn about your church but I never want to learn about the Mormons through anti material. I want it straight from the teachers. In short I guess I'm here to learn but also to challenge your doctrine a little bit to see if it can be put to the test (PERFECT!)" and then the coolest thing happened. he turned to me and asked my while looking right in my eyes " Elder Webb, Why in the world are you here? you know that I'm a pretty hard nut but why do you keep on wanting to meet?" I paused for a moment and held eye contact with him and said, "Mark I'm here because I feel a genuine love for you and I love meeting because we both learn so much. Granted I don't have 60 years of bible knowledge under my belt but this I do know without a doubt in my mind, Nothing has ever blessed my life more than the Book you're holding in your hands. I'm only 19 years old but I can tell you that I know with the utmost truthfulness that this book is directly from God and that along with the Bible, you can come to a full knowledge of your Savior Jesus Christ. I'm here because I love you mark and because I want this to bless your life like it's blessed mine." what he said next brought the strongest spirit we've ever had in a lesson so far. He looked at me and said after waiting for a moment, "I want you to know that i love you too. Not just as a missionary but I love you as a real person. I want you to know that I want to see you after this life. We may have some differences on doctrine but I want you to know that I love you Elder Webb. When I'm in my hotel room reading your Book of Mormon, I've asked myself many times....What if this book was true.."after he said that he paused holding the book of Mormon just staring at it we waited for a moment and gave the Holy Ghost a chance to flood the room and believe me it did. It was incredible! He flies back to Chicago this Thursday so I'm meeting with him one more time on Tuesday and I talked my mission president into coming with me. it's going to be an incredible lesson. I can already tell. I'm going to get his email and try to keep in touch with him but i think you should send him a message or a letter or something. you know, do what moms do :) anyway he's incredible and I cant wait to see him accept this gospel. Other than Mark, we have Martinš who's progressing in every way except for attending church! come on! people here have the custom that even if they live in the city, the family always owns a small home in the country side where they travel to every Sunday. It's called the Laoukous in Latvian English and I HATE IT. we also just found a new investigator names Arvis who's 17 and totally GOLDEN. We don't even know how we got his number but we've met with him everyday for the last 4 days and he came to church yesterday! he's reading the book of Mormon like crazy and told us yesterday that it brings him a strange feeling of hope that there's something better than just average life...YEAH BABY! ill keep you posted on him too. LIFE HERE ROCKS. it's way hard at times but I'm right in the heart of finding the lost tribes of Israel. We have branches here that have a member from every tribe. We literally are gathering Israel. Also, I started reading Jesus the Christ and it's changing my life. tell dad to give it a look. It's an incredible book all about the life of Christ that opens your mind to so many insights. well, I love you all of course and I love hearing from you. you're the best family in the world and because of the picture that we have together from the morning I left, I've been able to talk to so many people. I've kinda been showin you off :) love you loads!

-Elder Webb