Hermana in Houston: Week 3: Half Way Done with the CCM!

Mis Amores!

Can you believe that I am half way done with the CCM! Time is so strange out here, every day feels like a week and every week feels like a day, and before you know it I will be home! I tried really hard to respond to everyone´s emails today- I have a really hard time writing because I hold it all in during the week, but when I get online and see that I have 30 emails from sweet friends and family I am overcome with gratitude and, honestly, a little homesickness. I cannot thank you all enough for your love and support! IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. Last week I ran into Hermana Jones (one of our leaders) and she was so sweet because she could see how tender it is for me to write you, so she gave me a "mom hug," chocolate, and the promise of extra time. haha

Every week I am overwhelmed as I attempt to summarize seven sixteen-hour days and everything we pack into them. And now my Spanish is to the point that my English is suffering (and yes, that KILLS me). I keep misspelling things and I just laugh so hard at myself.

Last Tuesday night was a MTC devotional that was broadcast to us and I saw Becca McOmber singing in the choir! Such a sweet little miracle! She looked so happy! And then we watched a video in class about stress management and who should appear on the screen but Jordan Egbert! It was so nice to see people I recognized! And then the best part of this week was when Elder Blake Hansen walked into the comedor and found me! He is the sweetest kid and I was so excited to see him! He is doing so great! AND THEN Elder Burke Mccomb walked in and it was like the movies- we saw each other from across the comedor and literally ran to each other. haha He is one of my good friends from BYU and it was so hard not to hug each other! It was the best surprise ever! I am so much happier here having people I know! We also got a new district in our zone, and one of the girls reminds me so much of Aunt Dynah! Miss you!

There are ups and downs, and Thursday and Friday of this week were some pretty major downs. My system was seriously on overload and completely shut down. It was HARD. One of our lessons with our investigator went really poorly (the spirit was gone and suddenly the gift of tongues went with it and I COULDNT UNDERSTAND A SINGLE WORD. NOT A SINGLE WORD, and it was absolutely terrifying). And then I slipped in the comedor and fell (major ouch) and doused the nearest elder in the OJ that was in my hand (humiliating). But I was able to learn that there is "no use crying over spilled OJ" and pick myself back up.

The week started to get better when our other investigator said yes to our invitation to be baptized and it was hilarious because Hermana Jensen was so nervous she didn´t understand and kept asking him "Why are you feeling this way?" and "How can I help you understand the importance of baptism?" and questions like that. The investigator and I were trying so hard not to laugh as I said, "Hermana, he said yes." haha All we do here is learn, learn, learn, and then teach, teach, teach.

Saturday was the best day I have had yet! Our teacher Hermano Trejo is the cutest little guy on earth and he could tell that every single one of us was burnt out so we just played games and laughed our heads off. It was so much fun! Then we played tennis for gym and my collarbone didn´t hurt at all and we got really tan! Then we had a friend (hint for new missionaries: MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE NATIVES) snuck Krispie Kreme doughnuts into the CCM for us so we had a doughnut party before bed.

Sundays are my absolute favorite day, even more than PDay. You feel the spirit so strong and you are just recharged. We had leadership meeting before sacrement meeting and Presidente De Hoyos said something really powerful, "The three most important things to happen in this dispensation are 1) First Vision, 2) Book of Mormon, 3) Missionary Age Change." And then Sunday night we watched a rebroadcasted devotional from January 2013 with Elder Holland (we seriously cheered like it was the superbowl) and it was amazing to hear him speak on the same topic.

"What a delightful time to be a missionary! You are who the prophets of the Book of Mormon wrote and prophecied of! Everything they did was for this last dispensation, was for you! This is the generation that will not fail! You will not fail! YOU HAVE TO BE THE BEST MISSIONARIES THIS CHURCH HAS EVER HAD! You must not let them down. You must not let us down. You must not let the Savior down. If the Lord was at the door 200 years ago when Joseph Smith was prophet, where do you think he is now? I command you to come home with at least one convert, YOU! Every single thing I have, I owe to my mission. EVERY SINGLE THING I HAVE. (weeping)"

It was so powerful. They told us they will be dedicating the CCM on February 9th! I am so grateful I will have the opportunity to still be here! Elder Oaks is coming and we are already getting ready for it. So excited!

Monday we taught two new investigators, right on the spot (they do that to you a lot). It went soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo well. We felt the spirit so strong and it boosted my confidence. I totally know how to meet new people and make new friends, I just have to do it in Spanish and bear my testimony!

Today we went to the Mexico City Temple Visitor Center. It was so beautiful! I loved driving through the city to get there! It is a completely different world down here. Wow. I love every second of it. Driving is so scary! haha You are going so fast and then suddenly there is a speed bump in the middle of the freeway. They honk like crazy at each other. There are no lines separating lanes and no one signals (their signals are really weird anyways). People are walking right down the middle of the freeway, motorcycles zip in and out of gaps, and you literally drive with maybe an inch between you and the other cars. I could see the freckles of the man on the bus next to us (everyone here rides the bus or drives really old beetles). The Visitor Center is brand new and is SO HIGH TECH. Technology I have never even seen before! Absolutely amazing.

Life is so good. I am working hard and loving it. I am happy and healthy. I love you all more than I can say and miss you so much!

Te amo mucho!

Hermana McOmber