Hermana in Houston: Week 2!

¡Mis Amores!

Here I am, drowning my keyboard in tears again. I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH! Thank you for your love and support, I really need it and am sincerely grateful that so many of you are taking the time to write me! I wish I could write back to you all but between no time, slow internet, and a Spanish keyboard it is a struggle!

I had such a good week! I feel so bad for the RM´s who described the Provo MTC as prison, because the Mexico CCM is paradise! It is absolutely stunning here, and everyone is so happy and kind! I love being surrounded by the sweet, teeny little natives! My teachers are so adorable. Hermano Trejo reminds me of a quiet little mouse, and he´s got this huge smile and hilarious personality. His classes are the best stress reliever! We gave him a gingerbread cookie (my companion´s mom sent her here with two dozen) and he was so excited- he had never had one before! So he took a million pictures of it and put it on facebook. haha! Our fake investigator Jorge is now our night teacher Hermano Cruz. He is really strict, but I love his structured teaching style and learn so much from him! I love that their English is as bad as our Spanish. The other day, Hermano Trejo was giving a lesson on connecting with investigators and he said "Open your hair and say your feels." (Open your heart and say your feelings) hahah! Hermano Oritz is the leader of another district, but he loves to hover and control everyone. He has a super gravelly voice and he always peeks his head into our classroom and asks "¿Tienes un plan?" (Are we being productive?) And so we say it all the time now, and the other teachers laugh so hard because they know exactly who we are talking about. I love them all so much!

Trey Madsen got here on Wednesday and is doing great! It´s so fun to have someone here that I know! And there´s a boy I recognize from BYU from my roommate´s group of friends - Ty something!

Some days here feel like I´m in the Hunger games:

-We are in this circular, enclosed "arena" with a "cornucopia" in the middle

-We hear these cannons go off everyday

-Katniss braids are everywhere

-We are in Districts

-There are birds here that sound like Mockingjays

-We "volunteered as tribute" to serve a mission

-Every Sunday is a "reaping"- they randomly call you up to give a talk

And some days are more like Nacho Libre:

-The accents

-My Branch President is literally the grown version of Chancho

-Those hilarious bikes are everywhere

-The food

I had totally wrong misconceptions about the CCM. I thought that you would have spanish classes, gospel classes, classes on teaching... nope! Your classes are gospel classes in spanish. And your teaching classes are throwing you into a room with a real or fake investigator and making you figure it out on your own. haha! The CCM is not a spanish school, it is a gospel school in spanish. So my recommendation would be to learn spanish before you get here. hahah

I have been so blessed! No anxiety when I have to wake up early anymore (MIRACLE), not as fatigued as I usually am when I am this busy (MIRACLE), my stomach is slowly adjusting to the food and I´m not sick as a dog every time I eat, it´s not humid enough to ruin my hair and makeup (WIN), my companion is fantastic, I love my district, I haven´t been really sick yet (flu and strep going around), and I am in paradise! I am the happiest I think I have ever been.

By the end of the first week I could bear my testimony and say a prayer in Spanish, and now I can do that even better as well as teach a lesson off the top of my head and give an impromptu talk, and I understand most of what is being said! Talk about exponential learning curve! The gift of tongues is most definitely real.

Hermana Zamora and I had the most epic game of ping pong during gym the other day. We were playing off the walls and ceiling and diving around to get it! The natives got a huge kick out of it.

I was picked to give a talk on Sunday! I didn´t think it went well because I was so nervous I didn´t pronounce everything totally right, but as I was walking back to my seat I could see that everyone had tears in their eyes, so I guess I did better than I thought!

I am so sad we can´t go to the temple here! Look up a picture of it! It looks like a huge, clean ancient ruin! They closed it for remodeling 3 days after we got here. But hopefully we get to visit the Visitor´s center!

We watched an amazing rebroadcasted MTC devotional by Elder Holland on Sunday!

He said to be the very best missionary you can be! "Don´t let those beehives down!" I definitely cried. I miss my young women!

It was so funny...

Elder Holland: "What happened when Lehi told people to repent or Jerusalem would be destroyed?"

Stupid Elder: "They didn´t like it."

Elder Holland: (laughing histerically) "That is the greatest scriptural understatement of all. I need to remember to use that in General Conference. They wanted to kill him, kid."

I finished the BOM under the palm trees yesterday afternoon and I prayed for a reconfirmation of the truth so I could more effectively teach investigators of the truth of it. Right after I prayed, Elder Bradshaw said, "Read D&C 6." I said okay, and sat and tried to ponder and see if I felt an answer. He was like, "Seriously, right now!" So I read it...

14 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done, for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldnst not have come to the place where thou art at this time.

15 Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten they mind, and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the spirit of truth.

16 yea, I tell thee that thou mayest know that there is none else, save God that knowest thy thoughts and intents of thy heart.

20 I have spoken unto thee because of thy desired, therefore treasure up these words in thy heart. Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love

22Verily, verily I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart that you might know concerning the truth of these things.

23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?

36 Look unto me in every thought, Doubt not, Fear not."

Wow.

It was amazing!

Every day is a good day. Some days are longer than others, some days are harder than others, , but every day is a good day.

Funny of the week:

Indigo Montoya from the Princess Bride trying to explain the gospel to an investigator:

"Let me ´splain... no, there is too much. Let me sum up." *articles of faith*

I LOVE YOU!

Hermana McOmber