Soundview: Chalk Drawing the Plan of Salvation, the Word of Wisdom, and a trip to the Family History Center!

Dear Family,

Thanks Charlotte and Claire for your e-mails!! I am so so proud of both of you for your hard work. It is so amazing to see all that you do in service projects and in church activities and temple trips and in AP summer homework. You are doing a lot better at that than I ever did! I send lots of love to you both as a proud older brother :)

And Connor, I thought your e-mail this week was awesome too. Not sure when you'll read this, but I'm flattered to hear that in your shout-outs, I come right after your family ha, ha.

It feel like so long ago that Elder Holt went home, and it's weird to think he is already starting school. It's also weird to think of Austin, Shane, and Taylor being home, and Travis and Dallin soon. I try not to think of when I will go home. As for this week, we had a few highlights:

On Saturday our district, with the APs also, went to Chamber's Bay. There is a huge park there. And a huge golf course, which is the location for next years PGA golf tour! University Place will be all on TV next summer. Past the park, right on the water is a bridge that goes over some train tracks and lands on the "beach" there. It is a popular spot for people to walk by. The mission has been focusing on new ways finding people to teach, and one suggestion given was to draw out the Plan of Salvation using chalk. President Blatter showed us all a video of some missionaries doing it in New York City I think. We decided to try it out! It took a while to draw it all out, but with 10 missionaries it went well. We all talked to a lot of people and it attracted the eye. Lots of people, throughout the day got to at least see the drawing, and think about where we came from, why we're here, and where we are going. We brought tons of pamphlets and Books of Mormon, and pass along cards. There were several interested people who gave us their information and became new investigators! Also, it was super fun.

Plan of Salvation using chalk

Elder Tommy Webber drawing mankind on Earth

Chalk outlines - Where did we come from? Where are we going to?

We went on an exchange and Elder DeLaigle came with me in Soundview. We taught Debra (that's the correct spelling of her name, I found out) and Cleo the Word of Wisdom. The lessons was one of my favorites on the Word of Wisdom. It seemed Cleo had just been waiting for us to ask her to quit coffee. After the lesson, she got up, went straight to the kitchen and started throwing all of her coffee stuff into trash bags for us to get rid of. That is visual repentance! We went home with a full Starbucks cafe in our hands. The challenge will be for Debra to quit smoking. She has tried for years, it is a tough addiction. We invited her to quit and be ready for baptism on the 30th. She was very excited for it. We think that she really struggled this week. So we're not sure if the baptism will go through this weekend, but we're still working with her. She can do it!!

Throwing out old habits - here is to a healthier you !

Tiffany came with us to the family history center on Saturday! Her mom (not a member of the LDS church) came also and they together were able to input Tiffany's parents and grandparents, and start on great grandparents. We are helping her prepare for our new member temple baptism trip on September 5th. Tiffany has her ups and downs though. She wasn't at church again yesterday. Elder Slavens and I were pretty disappointed, but honestly feel we are doing all that we can do.

Other than these, this week was pretty rough for us. We had nearly all of our other investigators drop us. 17/21 appointments fell through this week, as I look through my planner. We have never had so few people to teach. It is strange when that happens even when we are doing all we know how to do. That is why we are trying new ways to find, and working with the ward more than we have before. I know it will turn back around. It always does. It lead to us doing a lot of study on faith. The only thing/person that will never fail us or disappoint us or fall through is Jesus Christ. He is our unfailing source of hope and strength. He is perfect and all-knowing as His (and our) Father is perfect and all-knowing. Because of Their divine attributes we can exercise faith that will lead us to true peace and eternal life. The world will disappoint us, Christ will not. He loves us, and I testify this is true. I know because I am an example of one who has put it to the test. He has supported me in every trial and been patient with my weaknesses. I feel His forgiveness when I take the sacrament each Sunday. I cannot put into words my love for my Savior Jesus Christ.

Amazing that transfers are already next week. I am surprised that I am feeling like I do not want to leave Soundview. I thought 6 months here would be plenty, but I don't want to go! We will see what the Lord's plan is for me. Till next time,

With love,
Elder Webber

Scripture: Ether 12:4