Staying in Soundview!

Dear Family,

We had another great week, and transfer calls came in: I will be staying in the Soundview ward with Elder Anderson! This will be my second transfer in the beautiful Soundview ward. I am very happy about that. This is a great ward with wonderful, faithful members who teach me so much. I love our Ward Mission Leader, we call him and tell him about all our set appointments (usually between 3-5 each day) and he gets a member to come out with us! Given, all but one of those usually fall through, that's still a lesson with a member present each day! And those investigators have a connection to the church then. And when they come on a Sunday, they then know that person and can sit by them and ask them questions. When that person is baptized, they have a friend in the church and will keep coming. It makes a huge difference.

Staying in the Soundview ward with Elder Anderson!

We had interviews this week with President and Sister Weaver. It's funny how different they are yet how they work as such a team. President's interview was much shorter, but he asked me a few questions and I asked him some. I learned how to better work with the ward, and learn from this ward, to share ideas in others. Sister Weaver made mention that this was their last interviews :( but shared her love and asked about a favorite scripture of mine and my testimony. As I began to share it, I thought about what my mission means to me. Yes, mom, I did tear up. I began to remember how far I have come on my mission and from the months and years leading up to it. Like President Waver says, there are not really words that can describe the experience of serving a mission. But those who have served a mission can, with a smile, understand the blibbering babblings of us who try and mutter out something with the phrase "best two years" in it. There aren't good enough words to describe a mission. It simply means everything to me. I have changed and grown. I have repented and fortified faith. I know the testimony I have of this work is true. Jesus Christ lives
and leads it.

We worked very hard this week and had 3 days in a row where everything seemed to be falling through. We would drive around all day visiting people who weren't home and go back for return appointments of people who aren't home. Then, as a backup plan, we would knock and knock and knock. "Not interested," "not a good time," "I have my church," and even a crazy woman who came out in her pajamas and told us to go away and leave her apartment complex, then followed us back to our car a half mile to make sure we were leaving. We went back a few hours later and knocked the last 20 doors.

This does end well. And isn't it funny I share that after sharing how awesome this whole mission thing is? It's awesome because we were later blessed and one of the families we are teaching made it to church on Sunday! Avery and 4 of her 5 kids came to church!! I realized how much work it takes to get a whole family to church rather than just yourself. Bless her heart. And all the Mormon moms who do the same. Avery is a single mom with 5 kids. The fifth, Bobby, was born just 3 weeks ago! She has twin girls aged 3 and a 10 year old boy and 12 year old girl. It's actually the same age and gender order as our family! (if you switch the youngest boy with the twin girls). They even stayed for all 3 hours. We had great Relief Society moms help her during sacrament meeting and in classes, and show where her kids go to Sunday School. One even invited her to dinner on Thursday after signing up to feed us that night as well! These great women in the church have bought diapers and brought over meals for Avery. We just called the Relief Society President to tell her about our investigator and they did the rest! We have a teaching appointment on Wednesday and hope to invite her to baptism soon, she's very interested and loves the church!

Transfer meeting will be Tuesday, then Mission Leadership Council with the Mission President on  Friday, and another week to work hard and be happy. Elder Schaffner will be in my district now.
I also heard Raymond had another baptism this past weekend, but I didn't recognize the name. I'm Raymond's #1 fan :)

The spring is upon us, summer around the corner, and beautiful days ahead. Thanks for all your love and support and to all you who are still reading these letters ;)

Good luck at your baptism this weekend, Connor!

Love,
Elder Webber

Scripture: Doctrine & Covenants 58:42-43 and Moroni 6:9