HELLO!!!

Okay sooo here's the brief synopsis of the past week.

Friday (July 9th)-

Okay, my travel plans! Our flight leaves on Tuesday at 8:30 and we have a layover in Minneapolis.  We have to meet at the travel place at 5:00 in the morning on my birthday.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE COOKIES FROM THE MARSTELLAS AND THE COOKIE BOUQUET!!! I got both of them on the same day and they totally made my day!

Oh, also, I found out the best news ever: IT IS NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR SISTERS TO WEAR NYLONS!!!!!!! It is the best rule ever :) I love having naked legs.

I watched this great talk by Elder Bednar....He talked about how to tell if its the Holy Ghost or me? Basically, he said QUIT WORRYING ABOUT IT. Be a good girl, honor your covenants, keep the commandments, press forward with faith in Jesus Christ and your steps will be guided, your utterances will be inspired, and you cannot go amiss.

Saturday (July 10)-

We had an incredible substitute teacher. Her name is Sister Maxfield and she is so powerful! We were talking about Christ's hands and how they bear the mark of His sacrifice for us, even in His perfect resurrected body. She was saying that when she sees Christ again, she wants to be able to say "Look, I have callouses on my hands from how tightly I was clinging to the iron rod." I LOVE THAT! I want to be able to say that too. I really don't like my hands in real life just because of how dry they are and everything but that doesn't even matter. They aren't my hands. They're Christ's hands and I should be using them to lift up and inspire and help and serve.

July 11- Sunday:

We talked about a painting by James Christenson (sen?). I would really like a copy of it if they have it in small prints :) Apparently they are funky looking...but it's a man holding worldly things in his hands..like a tv remote, his computer screen, his cell phone, money money money, etc. Both hands are full and he's looking up with a longing expression at an iron rod above his head. I love this image. Since being in the MTC, I've really felt the spirit more because I have zero distractions from the outside world. It's so worth it to drop some of your worldly things so that your hands are free to grab the rod!!!!!

Monday (July 12)-

Sis. Maxfield subbed for us again. She is so inspiring!!!! I love that woman. She basically told us NEVER SETTLE. Create the mission you want to have! I want to be a good missionary. I want to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I am going to work my hardest in order to do just that! Don't let the name deceive you...missionary work really is work!!

Tuesday (July 13)-

My district left :( SAD!!! I miss our elders and Sister Rogers. Mom, don't worry, by the end, things with Sister Rogers were very good. I do even miss her. She definitely taught me patience and charity, which was needed.

I heard this from someone at one of our meetings: I'm sacrificing 18 months with my family so someone else can spend eternity with theirs. Don't worry, these next 17 months are going to fly by. It's already been almost one! And if I can allow someone else to experience the joy that I have and they can have a forever family, it's SO worth it.

Thought from the devotional: If someone handed you a $20 bill that had been crumpled up, spit on, run over by a car, etc. you would still want it because you know how much its worth. ... Investigators may not come in the package you would expect them to....they may be pierced and tattooed and immodest out the wazoo...but they are still worth just as much to our Heavenly Father as we are. They are still His children....so we need to talk to everyone instead of judging who would or would not be a good candidate for the gospel! You just never know.

Cool moment...Sister McAlister and I were teaching elders from the other district that we're now adopted into about the word of wisdom. We hadn't really prepared much..just read through the pamphlet that we had on it. It was so cool because Sis McA started off teaching and then she looked at me and this scripture just came into my mind that totally applied to the topic! It was my mission scripture: Mosiah 2:41...if you keep the commandments of God, you're blessed in all things temporally and spiritually. It was one of the first moments that I've had like that at the MTC when I know that it was 100% pure inspiration. It was so cool!!!!! I'm realizing that I need to have greater faith that the Spirit is going to come through in all my lessons and give me what I need to say...

Wednesday (July 14)-

We started VC training. It's really good. We practiced assessing visitors' needs quickly and explored resources that are available in the VC. I love the 12 other sisters that are in here with me. 9 are going to Kirtland, 2 to Independence, Missouri and 1 to the LA Temple VC. Sister McAlister and I started focusing on finding scriptures that really apply to a certain topic....like trusting God, repenteance, baptism, etc. It's really useful and applicable when teaching those principles in lessons.

Thursday (July 15)-

We had a TA for the VC which went really well. We got to teach volunteers that were our age and it was really neat. Umm also we are practicing getting referrals because tomorrow we get to go to the Referral Center and call the ones we've got. Sis McA and I have a goal of 25 by tomorrow morning. So far, we're at 17. :) It's been really neat and we're already praying for the people that we're going to call that their hearts will be softened and they'll listen to our message.

Oh, and we got packets of stuff about the Newel K. Whitney store and home in Kirtland and the John Johnson home. I basically need all of it to be memorized by the time I get to Cleveland on Tuesday. CRAZYYYYYY!! It's going to be hard so pray for me!

Also, tomorrow we get to go to Temple Square and we're paired up with a missionary up there and we get to be a missionary on Temple Sqaure for about 4 hours!!!! I am so excited. It is going to be so fun!

That's basically my week! This experience in the MTC has been the most challenging thing of my life. I am drained every evening but I don't sleep well in these crappy beds so I'm tired all the time but it's so spiritually enlightening and uplifting! I really do love it. I cannot wait until Tuesday when I get out to the field!!!!! It's weird to think that I already have a companion and stuff....I just don't know who it is yet! Anyway, thank you for the letters, the love, and the support. Continue to pray for me...I'm always praying for you!!! I love all of you so much and hope to hear from you soon!!!!



Love, Leash aka Sister Webb