New Jersey mission!!

New Jersey Morristown Mission

Oi familia e amigos!

fancy, eh? eu falou em portuguese sempre e eu sabou muito portuguese. entedem?

well, i wasnt assigned the portuguese speaking mission here in NJ but i still get the time ot study it!!

sad thing just happened. i had a good long letter typed out for yall - then i lost it. so, ill do my best to write what i can, but dont get upset if i leave lots out, ta bom?

So my companions are a lot different from sister puckett. but its been such a great learning experience for me. i have to study a lot about patience and charity. its been really good for me. sister shultz our trainer is from washington state the tricitites area. sister mclay is from gilbert az. so despite our differences, we are doing good. the morristown mission is almost the entire state of NJ. my area alone though is the beack side!! what up!! when president announced our area, everyone in the chapel gasped. they were all jealous :D my new address is 806 West Park Ave #8A Ocean, NJ 07712

i was tripled-in. meaning, i have two companions and the are that we are in is new to our trainer. that posed for a very difficult situation. she knows no one here and of course, we know no one. but, we have learned a whole lot. it helped us to grow in ways we didnt realize needed growing. but that is what is so great about a mission. God challenges you and shows you your weaknesses and then the end result of that, is a great missionary. lessons turn out the way God wants them to. people are put in your path who would otherwise scare you (we are teaching an ex-gang member. hard core guy. lost his leg and is blind in one eye. but he is so prepared for us. his name is Trevor or Brother Smith). and less actives come back to church.

this week, we taught 11 lessons. 4 of them being to less actives. 3 to investigators or contacts. the rest members. now listen here. we had the highest numbers in our zone. almost all of us were doubled in actually, or at least half. and it really makes for a hard time. adn get this: we really only taught 3 of the 5 days becasue we have been so busy with other unpacking, making a map, figuring out the area book, and such things. so that, is great!


sister kimball and i were tripled-in. meaning we have two companions and all three of us are new to the area. so that has been so hard in itself. also, we are in the same zone! so i get to see her once a week or so. i still get my language study everyday! on of my zone leaders is from mosambeak!!!! so whenever i text him i text it em portugues!! and he always replies in portuguese. and he told me any time i need to know somehting in portuguese, text him adn he will help. there is also a native brazilian in my ward!!! what are the odds?? oh yes, im a missionary and God loves me oh-so-much. so He always blesses me! i am very blessed. so we are going to set up a time where i can go over to her house once a week for about an hour and praticar minha portuguese!!

elder mcewen (one of the VISA waitors in the other zone from me at the MTC) had a batpism this week!! and get this: elder mcewen and elder priest both were sen to the portuguese speaking missions!! they are going to learn so much! i am very jealous so i try not to think about it (:

some of the lessons we have taught have been the most spiritual of any time here on my mission so far. there are so many people who are prepared but who dont know what for. we shared a message with this lady on the street named Lisa. she had met her handicapped son at the bus and was going back to her appartment when we asked to share a message with her. we shared Enos 3-6 i believe (i only have my portuguese Book of Mormon so i dont the exact verses). we told her how to pray with faith adn that God wants us to pray to him and that he will answer our prayers. she was almost in tears there on the street. we said a prayer for her and blessed her family and son. we hope to hear from her and if we dont, we are going back. i have learned how to better do things since then, like how to get their contact info and always set a date to return and teach them more.

we also taught our first investigator. Trevor like i said before. in his words he has more bullet wounds than 50 cent. he literally looks so beaten up. but his spirit is so strong and he knows his mistakes in life and is doing all he can fix them. his wife is a jehovahs witness. he says things work out just fine between the two of them (he's hard core catholic). we're going back this week. we had a great lesson with him. he is so excited to have us return. he nicknamed us the charm sisters. PAH! what a funny man!! dont be worried though, we aren't allowed to go into that neighborhood past seven without a member or other elders. we are very safe.

funny story: the other night we got a text from some elders serving in Newark that said we have been robbed. they go on to explain that nothing looks taken but the place is a mess adn the window wide open! we felt so sad for them - especially because it was the second time for one of the areas. the next day, they text us again and tell us it had be a joke. some other elders had forgotten their key in the appartment and had ot climb through the window to get in. when leaving, they thought it would be funny to make it look as such. it was really funny!!

dont worry, im a good hour away from that(:

ta bom, i think its time for me to jet!!!

Sister Webb

ps i cant figure out how to upload pics. sorry. maybe next week? (:

eu amo voces muito!!

Reassignment

Okay yall!

Here's the big news!
I have been reassigned to labor in the New Jersey, Morristown Mission!!
I leave Monday at 6 am!
It is a non-stop flight to NJ. SO STOKED!

Also, the rest of my district got their reassignments also.
Two sisters got their VISAs, Sister Marion and my companion, Sister Puckett. They hed out Monday morning as well and will be in Cuiaba on Tuesday.

All of the Cuiaba elders (6) were reassigned to the Montana, Billings Mission.

One elder to the Florida, Jacksonville Mission. he leaves tuesday

And the last elder to the Utah, Provo Mission (which is so exciting because now he can go on splits with our teacher, Irmao Whitaker!!!). He leaves tomorrow at 9 am

All of the other elders leave tomorrow at 4 am. ITS SO SAD!! We are all so very happy of course. Couldn't be more proud of them and their spirits!

So there it is!! Hopefully my VISA will get here soon
(:

Muito amor!

Amanda's new address!!

Sister Webb
MTC mailbox #175
BRA-CUI 0429
2005 N 900 E
Provo UT 84604

Mission!!

Amanda is in the MTC in Provo Utah right now! She went in yesterday and is already working every hard! In about a month she will be going to brazil!! How exciting!! She will be learning Portuguese and studying the gospel! She is very eager to know everything!! But, we all know she will do great!

Substitute

Hey there! While Amanda is on her mission I, Katie, her sister, will be posting her letters, and things about her mission!! So enjoy her missionary experience!!

Stop And Start

It is amazing what happens when you take fun notes in Church!  And not just any notes, but notes that can be pretty to look at and distracting to take.  BUT I did learn so much.  And in Relief Society.


















I titled the notes

It was like an epiphany! And it went something like this:

I'm coloring in my title and listening.  Suddenly, BAM!  The chills, the hot face, the "Oh dear, the Spirit is trying to talk to me" thought.  I stopped.  Looked up at who was talking and forgot myself.  Here it was, right in front of me.  The answer I needed in this very trying time of my life.

Background:  I have been feeling very...useless lately.  It's hard to see your purpose when all you seem to be doing is studying for no tests, cleaning for a family who is taller than you, and sleeping in a room without a roommate.  Can you even imagine how hard it might be for a person in that situation?  I didn't when I made this plan.  In fact, this plan presented in my mind like heavenly bliss here on earth.  And it's not that it is so terribly bad.  I just get bored and lonely.  I didn't realize how much my roommate meant to me.  Even when they were loud getting ready for school in the morning when I had another hour to sleep or when they cooked better food to eat than I did.  I LOVE them so much!!  And it only took THIS STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCE to see it.  For that, I apologize my dear roomies.

Okay, so now I have 12 days before I leave for Brazil and I'm looking back at my journal and see this entry,  "You will become what He wants you to become when you allow Him to mold you."  And there is the answer I was looking for.

I wasn't NOT studying for no tests, I was studying for those Brazilians waiting for me.  I was cleaning NOT JUST for a taller family, but for the skills that I had slacked on at college.  I honestly can't tell you the last time I really cleaned my apartment which is awful - sorry roomies.  And last but not least, I was NOT sleeping in a room with no roommate for NO reason.  I'll forever have someone in my room sharing my room making my room clean or dirty for the rest of my life.  I shoulda/woulda/coulda enjoyed being alone while I had the chance.

So I will.  I will to all the above.  I will stop making lists of what I need to do.  Rather I will take those to-do lists and see them as what they will help me become:

- eye exam
- packing
- eat

To-Be

- a missionary who can read
- an organized missionary
- a healthy missionary

This was sort of a silly post and crazily organized one.  But its intention is sincere all the same.  I really do want to become someone the Lord is proud of and I can do that by looking at my life from His perspective.  Understanding the why's of my doings and how's they will make me.

XOXO - amanda

My-Not Farewell Talk!

I have been called to serve as a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Cuiaba, Brazil. I'll be serving for 18 months starting March 19. This is the last time to see me before I am off to Brazil for 18 months! So come hear me talk! If you can't make it to see me then, come on over to my house at 6:00 pm Sunday night for an open house where we can chat, eat and laugh! See you then! (house address: 4810 Spring Lake Pkwy Mansfield, TX 76063)