Farewell Beautiful Hong Kong!

Hi family and friends!! Wow!! This is it! My last email to you from Hong Kong!  I can’t  believe how fast it goes!  My parents are coming here to play with me in Hong Kong and I’m so excited!  These last 6 weeks I’ve been studying Alma in the Book of Mormon and it’s been such a blessing in my life!  As you know Alma is all about missionary work and enduring with hope and a faithful attitude. Recently we have set apart time to go out finding and we have been rejected person after person, called a cult by so many passer-by’s and given looks of disgust.  We’ve hear people tell their friends, “Keep walking, keep walking, keep walking” and lie after lie and excuse after excuse. People say, “Can't talk, I'm in a rush” or “I'm not available,” or 'I don’t have time for Christ in my life.”

 But Alma reminds us, "And now Sister Webb, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them" (Alma 34:40)  Then He promises" But behold, Sister Webb, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land..." (Alma 36:30)  So no matter what situation God puts us in, He doesn't just want us to endure and have patience, he expects us to endure and have 'trust in God to support us through our trials.'
 

The best way I can explain my mission is in the words of Alma: " 24 Yea, and from the time I left Utah even until now, I have (tried my best to) labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.... 21 Yea, I say unto you, my friends and family back home, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my friends and family back home, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy." (Alma 36: 20)

Seriously the words of Alma were intended to be for the ears of missionaries! haha (:  There is so much hope in Alma voice, then just wait till you get to Moroni leading his armies! Wow!   A line that me and Sister Sam quote a lot from Moroni is that he never took offense.  When people reject us or something happens that could lead us to take offense we say to each other "Moroni wouldn't take offense.”

A mission is incredible! My testimony has not only become stronger, it is more solid and changed with deeper roots and lots of experience and a really strong trunk now to support it! I love being a missionary! I love the day to day stuff, personal, companionship and language study, waking up at 6:30 for exercise, falling on your knees morning and night, sometimes falling asleep mid-prayer and having to repent the next day, being rejected and accepted multiple times on just the walk home, testifying of Christ’s name at every and any given opportunity! One experience this week that sticks in my mind is this new investigator we have named Jerry. I have never seen a 16 year old SO excited about the Book of Mormon. It’s AMAZING!! We explain it to him, shared the first vision and he was just mind blown and beyond excited to read the book and receive his own witness. We also taught him the Holy Ghost and how the Holy Ghost can help you know if it’s true and his excitement alone flooded him with the spirit! It was so amazing!!

I’m so excited to come home and see you all!  I’m sad to be leaving such an amazing mission, but I'm ready to see you all! I love you and look forward to amazing homecoming with people I love!

Love Sister Webb

***Amanda's companion sent this email with some things she has learned and loves about Amanda.  I thought it was wonderful, so I'm including it!

There are some great lessons I have learned from Sis. Webb as she has trained me:

1. No need to fear, "You have the greatest man who ever lived standing by your side"

2. "The Savior shed blood for every single one of these people"- her mindset always

3. Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration- the greatest story to share with anyone who will listen.

4. Service service service.- Sister Webb doesn't think about herself- she thinks about other people always- it is incredible!