"NOT" ME

This week has been beautiful!  Just BEAUTIFUL!

We were posed a question on Tuesday by our teacher. . . " Who is the most important person in the world today?" He told us there is only one correct answer and only one correct person. We were to study and think about it all week and make a list on the board, and on Friday, On Hing Diah (our teacher) would tell us what the answer was. So our district made a list on the board... "Yoda, On Hing Diah, God, Pooh Bear, Me, Thomas S. Monson, Master Chifu.." all sorts of things. On Friday On Hing Diah went around the class asking us who we thought it was. He writes on the board, "ME".  Then he turns to us, raises an eyebrow, turns back to the board and puts a HUGE "NOT" before the me.  It read, "NOT ME."

Last week I sent out a pretty depressing letter. It had been a couple of rough weeks.  I just need to say THANK YOU for your kind and loving responses I got from that letter!  I have felt so loved this week. SO LOVED! Thank you for the stories, the hope and everything else you sent to encourage and uplift me! You all made me realize one VERY important thing!

These next 17 months are NOT about ME. And the second I start to loose focus on God and my investigators and my companion and the people around me, is when I start to loose focus on my purpose. I was told in many of the letters I received this week that when I was starting to miss home, or friends, or family, to turn to the scriptures. So I have been! EVERY time I think of home and get that 'heart-falling-into-your-stomach'-feeling, I sing a hymn, or go through the articles of faith, or recite D&C 4, or recite my purpose as a missionary, or the First Vision (keep in mind I now only know some of these in Cantonese, so I do have a hard time understanding it as I say it..) but it's scripture. And It turns my thoughts away from myself, towards my investigators, and to my companion. I didn't come here to fail.  Honestly, I'm not sure I really knew what I came to the MTC to learn, but Boy Oh Boy am I grateful for the MTC. It has changed me in so many ways. . . and I still have 5 FULL WEEKS! YAY!!  

Elder Holland said, "The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine. We have three members of the Godhead—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost—helping us because of the covenants we have made."  My climb seems uphill these last few weeks, but I feel comfort that I'm on the right path and I'm receiving a lot of divine help!

I want to challenge all of you who read this to do something. If life is going down hill or you just want to cry, turn to the scriptures, turn to God, and turn to service. I can testify that if you do this, you will feel a difference. This gift of the Holy Ghost that was promised to all of us at baptism will surround us.  I have felt overcome with peace, hope and love this week!

Our district needed a bit of a refocus. We were chastised in an honest way by our teachers, and it humbled us.  They sat us down and said, "When we first met this group of missionaries, we were blown away by your power and strong spirits!  Lately as we have been walking in, we feel this gloom, like the Spirit is still here, but we've pushed Him to the corner of the room." Ouch!

Then they said, "Now, think about this . . .You are called to serve on the front lines of the greatest work on earth. You are called to represent the Lord in EVERYTHING you do. You NEED the spirit with you at all times!"  It made me a little sick inside to visualize shoving the Spirit into the corner of the classroom.  SO, we have recommitted ourselves to focus and work toward what we have been called to do!  I think this will be a better week.

Now back to 'Not me.' I realized this week how amazing and beautiful the Lord is. He is selfless, humble, kind, gentle, watchful, careful, and all-knowing. God is changing my life one minute at a time. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to go on a mission. I am even more grateful that this mission isn't about me. It is so much easier to focus on other people than on yourself.

Thank you again for all the encouragement this week. Here's another helpful quote for me from Elder Bednar: "Sometimes it's like walking into a fog. You can only see just far enough ahead of you to take a few steps, having faith that the further you go, the more you'll see."   I can testify this is so true when it comes to having faith. But if you never take that step into the fog, you'll never get anywhere. I promise the Lord is always there, even on really foggy days where you are to scared to take the next step. He will hold your hand through it all.  (Just make sure you eventually take that step..I don't think Christ wouldn't like sitting there for days holding your hand in the fog. . . it seems a tad selfish to me . . .but I honestly shouldn't be giving advice about the fog because two weeks ago when I saw it rolling in, I BOOKED IT THE OTHER WAY!!)  You can do better than me!! Think outside of yourselves this week and notice how evident the Lord is in every single persons life. And remember, when we focus on God and others, we find so much more peace and fulfillment that when we are selfish and self-absorbed!

Love you all!!

Have a beautiful week!

Love Sister Webb

Our District

Amanda sent this and I couldn't stop laughing!  For anyone who knows Amanda well, she can fall asleep ANYWHERE in just about ANY position!!

Our zone of Sisters