January 25, 2010

Hola Familia,
>
> Wow sounds like things are pretty crazy up in Arizona. I wish I could see that... tornado warnings?? Hmm. All I´ve seen down here in chile is sun sun and more sun. Its the dry season and so it doesnt rain for like 4 months straight. It hasn´t rained since November down here I don´t think. But its good because it rains quite a bit in the winter. Thanks for the package though! I think it´ll take a little bit longer. probably around 3 weeks. I warned you not to put stuff in there that weigh a lot because it costs a ton to send it. But I´ll be grateful when I get it :) And thanks Clayton for the camera, it makes up for the last 2 months of emails haha. jk. And whats this about him getting a plasma tv? I haven´t even seen a plasma tv down here. Not very many houses have a good tv. I´ve definitely learned a new definition of poor. I love it though, every night is an adventure in our tiny little house. Our toilet flusher broke and so we have to reach down in it and flush it by hand every time. We´re determined to fix it later today I hope. I got sick 2 days ago but i think its the water. Everynow and then us gringos feel sick from the water because it has more chlorine than what we´re used to. I haven´t felt any earthquakes yet. I am starting a quote of the day in my journal and I´ll start sharing some with you soon because the chilean people say the funniest things... I´ll have to share. But its good to hear about the family. And tell Benny congrats for the mission. I´ll be excited to hear where he goes.
>
> Well things down here are moving along. We will have two baptisms the sunday after this coming one. One is a niño that has about 11 years and his family was inactive but are becoming more active now. The other is the little sister of a recent convert who wants to be baptized. I don´t understand their mother though. During one of the lessons, she was helping us and testifying of joseph Smith and the church to here daughter but when we ask here what is impeding here she says she already found her path. We think eventually we will be able to help her understand and be baptized eventually too but I think she doesnt want to give up smoking. We´re working hard with a family thats going to be baptized the 14th of feb. The parents are going to get married the first part of feb and the father still needs to give up smoking. But its great to see their faith and that their willing to change. Also lately, we´ve been encouraged to work more with the members and so almost every day we go and teach some of the members the atonement. Presidente May has encouraged us to study it and teach it every day and we will become better missionaries. It really strengthens your testimony to testify of His atonement everyday. I know that he is my Savior and that he is there to help me change and repent. You guys are invited also, to study a little bit everyday of the atonement because it changes your perspective on everything.
>
> Well thanks alot for everything! I hope that you guys continue along well, and that Clayton uses his money wisely.. haha. Les amo, Chao
>
> Elder Webb
>

Monday, January 18, 2010

Buenas tardes familia Thanks for the news update. Yeah I´m in no hurry for the package don´t worry. You can put ´ropas usadas´on the outside, put also I think you have to fill out a customs form that says whats included. I´ve seen other elder´s packages that say whats included. Just write it simple like, camera, backpack, shirts. Or I´ve seen another elders package that said missionary supplies but inside it was definitely just candy. Put definitely put a picture of Christ on there. That solves everything. But yeah, this week was good. Today was transfers. I´m still in Recoleta but my trainer went to a different zone to be a zone leader. My new companion is Elder Coats from Salt Lake. He has only been out in the field for 1 more transfer more than me. In fact, he was in the MTC when I got there. So we´re both really new but its gonna be awesome to work together and learn a lot. I´ll stick in a couple pictures of us. This week was great though. We´ve had dificult times but in the end it always turns out good. This sunday, Nicolas, who was supposed to be baptized a while ago but couldnt because of his parents came up to us in church and said he can be baptized this Sunday! But we talked to his dad and he said it probably wont be this sunday because he has to finish these legal papers that makes him the legal father. But yeah, that was awesome, we knew that someday he would be able to be baptized. We´re continuing to teach and find new investigators. Spanish overall is getting a lot better. Everyday is different as I´ve been told though as I found out yesterday. It felt like I couldn´t understand anything all day long. But today its completely different again. Its because of how much we are humble and if we need to be humbled even more. But I´m loving it. Today is the first cloudy day I think the whole time I´ve been here. Its been nothing but sun. Its kinda strange because in the day its hot but at night its starting to get cold. But thanks for everything! I love the people down here, I´ve noticed how much they give us when it appears they have nothing to give. That helps me understand the humility of some of these people. Pero, les amo familia. ¡Cuidense! Elder Webb

Monday Jan 11, 2010

Buenas tardes familia,
>
> Thanks for the email mother. I will answer all your questions. First, I dont have a backpack, just claytons shoulder bag, which I like but its starting to rip at the seams because I´m always walking and stuff. I dont have a digital camera. I think they´re way expensive down here because the only one I saw was like 160 bucks. I am pretty positive that I can´t use that snapfish.com site. We have interviews with the president tomorrow because its almost transfers and I can ask him but my companion says he´s pretty sure we can´t. If you have to send another memory card and its expensive (which I don´t think it is) you should use my money. My campanion says he does the sending the chip back and forth with his parents and it works really good. but if not I cant send like 4 emails and attach 3 on or so. Depends on if you want to get another chip. I dont need more garments, I ordered five more pairs from the mission office down here and so I should get them tomorrow. I haven´t tried my debit card again because of the stupid $5 fee so I it´ll probably be a while. Thats why I took $50 out, so it would last me a while. I don´t need any candy or anything in the package. My companion still has a ton and I´m sick of it haha. I´ll eat a bunch in 2 years when I get back. I just need the camera, backpack, and talk tapes if clayton still wants to send them. That way the package will be light and not expensive to send. Oh and no I haven´t felt any earthquakes down here yet but my companion says I will feel a couple while I´m down here.
>
> But anyways, my week down here has been pretty good. We found some more people to teach and we´re progressing with this one family that isn´t married but we think they will get married and baptized before the end of february. Another family we´re teaching is so close to baptism but the father doesn´t want anything any more and the wife doesnt really want to be baptized without the support of her husband and so its really complicated but we´re working with her. We had to drop one family, which was really hard because they´re so good and always come to church... they just havent recognized the spirit yet because they say they haven´t felt anything during the lessons... but yet they feel good in church and our lessons. They just dont really that that is the spirit talking to them... and we´ve tried to explain it... but they´re not ready. But they still want to go to church. Which in the end doesn´t make much sense but we think that after a couple weeks or so, they will realize that they want to be baptized. And so we´ve been working hard and teaching. And the Spanish is coming along super fast thanks to the Spirit. All the members always wonder how the gringos learn spanish so fast. Well I know its because I´m called to serve this people in Spanish and the Spirit is on my side. This is the last week of this change, I can´t believe I´ve been in Chile for over a month. Time feels like its on fast forward in the mission. But its good. Its nice and warm here but really its not that hot... just highs in the 80s. I heard January is the hottest month so it should be downhill after this month.
>
> Its good to hear about all the lovely happenings back at home. I might get two calls from president this week, thats good. Wish Mitch good luck! I hope all goes well at home and you´re enjoying being empty nesters almost. Well I hope I covered all of your questions. You can send pictures to me over this email too if you want to send a couple. I´ll attach some to this email and send more in another I think. The first one is outside of our aparement room thing in the street. The other is me in the plaze de armas with a huge catholic cathedral of apostasy behind me. Anyways, Gracias por todo familia. Sea fuerte y sea feliz. Chao, les amo
>
> Elder Webb
>

Monday, Jan 4, 2010

Familia! Wow its 2010.. thats hard to believe.Thanks for the emails. I´m not sure if I´ll be able to look at the pictures but it should be ok because I´m still in myldsmail but I will check. Sorry I don´t have pictures today because we´re in the plaza de armas today at an internet cafe place. But next week. And if you guys are worried about the money to send me anything, you can use my money for now. I took out some money today to get contact solution and garments and maybe some gifts for you guys so I hope the bank doesnt freak out. I took out $25000 which is only about $50 so don´t worry. I love looking at the signs where it says that gas is $535 per liter, which looks ridiculous and still is pretty expensive being about 4 bucks a gallon. Oh and Dad, I like the backpack Clayton let me have and I thank him a lot for it, its just the wear and tear on it is already back from all the walking because I walk everywhere and its kinda ripping with the straps. I can make due with it for now but I´ll need one soon. Hmm sounds like people are on the brink of dying up there. Sister Wagner passed away and grandma soon. But at least we know whats up and what they have to look forward to. And thanks for the sports. Its good to hear just a recap, I´m not really gonna comment though unless the cards win the superbowl or something. Everyone down here is obsessed with jugando la pelota (fútbol). But believe it or not, I´m getting better! This week has been great though. Lots of tracting and contacting but finally in the end we found a family thats super bueno! They convive(which means live together without being married), its kinda shocking that so many people have live together for like 20 years and never got married. They´re just lazy I guess. But this family is really good and they have desires to get married. And the husband smokes but he also really wants to quite so we´re gonna work with them. Yesterday we went over to visit and the wife (aida) was sick because she´s pregnant so we gave a blessing of health. It was my second one in Spanish down here and its pretty cool. And last night we had a lesson with the family Espinoza and it was awesome. They are so close, they just need to say yes to making a commitment with God and I know they feel so comfortable with the ward and the members that they´re gonna do it in the next two weeks. Also it was the first time I could understand almost all of it. I still have trouble expressing myself exactly how I want to but at least I can express what I want to say so the language is coming pretty fast. It hasn´t really been an ear pop but it just feels like the people are talking slower because I can distinguish the words now. And plus because I try to spend my time thinking in Spanish, I´ve had some weird Spanish dreams... which I remember Clayton thought was really weird when dad told us about it. But anyways I´m loving the work and the people. I love contacting people and telling them about the Gospel. You can really tell the Lord is helping you with the gift of discernment because its so easy to tell if someone is prepared to hear the Gospel and when you find them, its amazing. I´m loving the summer. It really isn´t that hot but walking everywhere in a tie and pants.. we get pretty sweaty. New years eve was pretty calm for us.. We had to be asleep at 11:30 so I just slept through all the celebrations and fuegos artificiales (literally artificial fires, but its fire works). Anyways take care and enjoy the nice weather! Don´t stress out about sending me anything, take your time.. I got plenty. My comp has a camera so don´t worry right now. I love all of you and I hope you´re keeping the ward together. Tell Jarem and the kids I love them also. Talk to you next week! Les amo, Chao! -Elder Webb