MAY AT 4 GLANCES:

The countdown is on: about 5 more weeks! (Madre & Padre are a little more focused on it than Hijo, but that’s as it should be...)

He looks so stern!
(The grin-y one also was blur-y.)

May 23, 2016

CONGRATULATIONS!

I need you to read that with the same inflection and tone of voice as the announcer guy who says it on “Super Smash Brothers”. That “congrats” is for my little brother Eli, and his new wife, Hannah! I received lots of pictures today, you guys look great and I’m really happy for you both.

I’ve got a lot of stuff to talk about today! I felt like my letters had gotten kind of lame, so I redoubled my efforts to write all the stuff that happened to me in the week: 

- I was able to describe someone as “Fisher-Price-Adorable” (Elder Adams from Loa, Utah)

- A parrot sitting outside someone’s house said “Hola” to me, and when I didn’t respond, started shouting “HOLAAAAA!! HOLAAAAA!!” and got the dogs barking, too.

- I was chased down by a loosed pit bull (obviously trained for dogfights, which is totally legal here) who didn’t actually want to eat me, despite his very convincing sprint.

- Just today, while in the taxi on the way downtown, a guy passed us on a unicycle, drinking something from a 1-liter styrofoam cup.

- (This one’s my favorite:) A guy named Oscar who went to church for the first time yesterday and has a baptismal date for the 4th of June bore his testimony in the Gospel Principles class that he knew that this was the church for him and that he was going to get baptized on June 4th. So we’re so on top of that. His mom also went, but she’s not super convinced yet. We’re going to visit them tomorrow to try to help with whatever doubts she might have.

I love you guys. The Lord blesses us for being obedient.

Elder Webb

May 16, 2016

MEXICAN MOTHERS DAY

Here in Mexico, Mother’s Day is always on May 10th, so we got to celebrate like 3 times this week! Last Sunday I talked with my mommy, Tuesday we ate dinner with some members, and on Saturday was the ward activity for the Mamas in the area!

This week I was impressed by the importance of the covenants we make. Obviously my focus has been more on baptism for the last 2-ish years, and I haven’t been to the temple in at least the same time, but I’m going to try to speak in general:

A covenant is a sacred promise we make with God that we will obey Him and keep His commandments, and in return, he promises us to bless us with His spirit. Paraphrasing a talk I heard (about) by Elder Bednar, that means we promise to sacrifice our agency, the only thing we can really give to God, the only thing that is truly ours, to be obedient and live the Gospel. We can no longer choose between good and bad, only between good and better. This becomes more and more a commitment as we continue to make more covenants with our Father in Heaven. Let’s remember that and be better every day. We don’t have to be perfect tomorrow, but we have to try.

As for the work, we keep looking for people to teach, and we are finding a few people with success. We’re now looking to invite to baptism in June, so we’re working hard to make that happen. It’s weird to think that when these people we find will get baptized, I’ll only have a month left on the mission.

Anyway, enough of that. I have observed on my mission that few things are funnier than when a Mexican who doesn’t speak English tries all of a sudden. I have also observed that Mexican women are completely blind. It’s the most common thing in the world to see an absolutely gorgeous mexicana with a total dweeb. I asked my companion if he was aware of this fact, and he said, in English, “I have a perfect knowledge.” I don’t know where he picked that up, but it made me laugh for about 2 minutes straight.

Love you guys! See you in a few.

Elder Webb

Una rica chamoyada

May 9, 2016

CUMBRES

That’s what my last/current area is called.

So far, I like it a lot. It’s a really cool part of Reynosa (because all of the roads are paved) and the ward is great. My companion is Elder Cruz, from Veracruz, Mexico. He’s really funny, and we’ve shared the same really difficult companions, so we understand each other.

We currently have 0 investigators! But we’re working really hard to have some baptisms before we both go home (we arrived in Reynosa together almost 2 years ago, but because of my time in the MTC, I’m leaving July 8th and he the 2nd of August).

We’re excited and hopeful, and as a zone we have high goals for May, so we’re going to be working really hard. It’s going to be a solid finish.

Love you guys lots.

See you in less than two months.

Elder Webb

May 3, 2016

THEY GAVE ME A SHOVEL . . .

. . . to dig my grave.

I’m in my last area! Reynosa Cumbres will be my final resting place.

I’m going home on July 8th!

The other day I was walking and saw a bunch of old men eating grilled chicken and listening to “Rock Lobster”.

We had a baptism on Saturday! Denisse and Francisco were baptized. It was excellent. I’ll send pictures.

I’ll send pictures!

I’m writing on Tuesday because I was sick yesterday.

The church is true! See you in two!

Elder Webb