August 27th

Hola family,

Well, we just had changes and Elder Evans is leaving and I’m staying here in Artigas. I’m going to finish my mission here in Artigas. I’m pretty excited about that. This has been my favorite area so far. I am a little sad that Elder Evans is leaving. I’m going to miss him a lot. Training was really fun and I feel like I learned a lot more this time as a trainer, and I can’t believe that these two transfers have gone by so fast.

We helped two inactive families come back to church this weekend. We were so happy to see that the first people at church that day were these two families…even though it was on the coldest day that we have seen here in Artigas. I love the mission. I’ve been doing a lot of jump rope these past two changes and I really feel like I’m in a lot better shape now.

Right now, we are working with three different families. I’m really hoping that one of these progresses. They are all reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. This week we are going to do a tour of the church with all three of these families. It should be great. People always feel the spirit when they take a tour of the church. We show them the different rooms and the baptismal font and the sacrament room and the different things that we do there. We also explain the sacrament and why we take it every week.

That’s awesome what Lauren is doing to help her friend. I’m very proud of her. I’m glad that she is enjoying high school.

Elder Evans was showing me some of the pictures that he had from the MTC in Buenos Aires. In one of the pictures I saw Courtney Weeks (volley ball player from DHHS) its one of the friends of Berkley Bundy. I guess she is serving in Paraguay. I had no idea. I guess I’m really out of touch with a lot of my friends.

Well thanks family, I love you all.

Elder Webster

August 19th

Dear Family,

This was one of the best Weeks that I’ve had in the mission. We had Zone Conference and we also had Stake Conference.

First With Zone Conference. I was completely blown away with all of the things that President Smith taught. He talked a lot about ¨Hoy es el Dia¨ Today is the Day in that the Lord is quickening his work and that we as missionaries need to have this testimony. We also talked about practicing and practicing and re-practicing. He also showed us a completely new way in presenting the 1st lesson about the restoration and about presenting the Book of Mormon…that we don’t just teach lessons…we teach people. You need to help them have an experience the first time that you go to visit them…and it’s true. The president Smith also talked about doubling the attendance in all of our wards by 100%. He said so much that I’ll need to write a letter to you guys.

At the end of Zone Conference, we always get to hear the testimonies of the “greenie” missionaries (the new missionaries) and the “faithful” (missionaries ending their missions). I got to hear my son, Elder Evans, give his first testimony. He did an awesome job. He has a very strong testimony for being in the mission only 3 months. After that, me and 3 other missionaries had to share our testimony for the last time. I was chosen last to share being a Webster, W. They asked us to bear our testimonies based on using 3 words. ¨Yo sè que...” or “I know that...”

After Sharing my testimony, President Smith thanked the faithful missionaries for their testimonies and then said, “I didn’t know Elder Webster was going home, it’s too bad because we are going to miss him.¨ I was surprised to hear that. I wasn’t really sure what President was trying to say.

I remember praying with Elder Evans about really knowing if “today really is the day that the Lord is quickening his work.” We decided to pray together, so that together we could receive this testimony. I remember praying first, and pleading and asking for a response, when I said amen we stopped to listen for a little while. I felt peace and comfort but I needed more. I asked Elder Evans to pray. during his prayer he knew that I felt doubt in my heart and he prayed for me asking that I would be helped to receive an answer. When I heard those words, the spirit touched me and I knew what President Smith had taught us were true.

We had Stake Conference and President Smith and a Seventy both spoke. Later that day we received a reference from President Smith. He and the Seventy both stayed at the same hotel and they stopped to talk with one of the receptionists named Patricia. She had talked to President Heaton a couple of times in the past. President Smith said that he felt something when he talked to her and he told her that she had a strong spirit about her. He asked if he could write her name and direction down and give it to the missionaries. She said yes.

We went to the reference later that very same day. We Found Patricia and her family, her dad Leonel, her mom, Raquel, and her brother, Leonel Jr. We had one of the strongest lessons that I have ever had in my mission. I felt the spirit. At the end of the lesson, Patricia asked an interesting question. She asked if we believed if we all had a body and a spirit. Because she had talked to Jehovahs Witnesses and they taught her that we don’t have spirits, only a body. That had always bothered her. When President Smith told her that she felt something and felt like that, she needed to talk to the missionaries. We are going today to talk to them again.

PLEASE pray for this family. The Suarez Family.

I was so happy to hear that Laurens week went so well. I was praying very hard for her. I’m also very happy that she is inviting friends to talk to the missionaries. THAT’S MY SISTER!

Love you guys. I’m praying for all of you. Especially you Steve, keep working hard.

Thanks so much for everything. Love you guys.

August 5th

Hello family,

Well it’s been another exciting week in Artigas, Uruguay. I’ve been doing well just trying to do my best. The mission president called this last Thursday when we were eating lunch with the bishop. He extended a challenge to us to double the attendance in our ward from 100 to 200. Our ward has over 1000 members, but only about 100 attend. He gave us the challenge to double that number. He talked to us and the bishop and we both agreed that it was possible and that if we worked hard and had great faith we could achieve that goal by years end.  We had a few special experiences this week with less active members and helping them come back to church. One was with the husband of the 1st counselor of the relief society. We went with the bishop to his house and told him that the Lord needed him and that his family needed them…and that we needed to set goals for him so that he and his family could go to the temple. He accepted and said that our visit was what he needed. He came to church this last Sunday.

Another experience that we had was with a less active member that lives in the area that assists our Branch. It’s been about 6 weeks since she’s gone to church. Her name is Teresa, but we convinced her to come this week and she came. To our shock, we only had 3 people show up to the meeting, five in total with us. That’s the smallest number of people that I’ve seen in a sacrament meeting. In the end, Teresa gave her testimony for the first time in public, and she felt so honored to be member of the church and that she knew that it was true, and that she promised that she would work harder to bring other people to the church so that they can feel her same joy. Teresa is horrified of talking public, but she over came her fear and bore a powerful testimony.

Gabriela once again could not go to church. I feel frustrated for her and upset that her parents and other family members don’t show her more support. They are always telling her “why would you want to go to a church?” It’s frustrating, but I know with time she’ll be able to be baptized.

1. My debit card is now working. Hooray!

2. Lauren’s situation reminds me of John Bytheway’s situation when he wanted to get married. He said, “I will go and do, not sit and stew.” And that he did not get his spiritual conformation until long after the time that he made his decision to get married. He always said, “I’m going forward but stop me if I’m wrong.” I like that thought. I feel like Lauren will make the best decision.

3. I’m fine but I feel a little reckless. I feel like I don’t have enough time to do all the things that I would like to do before I end my mission.

Thanks so much for everything. Love you guys