Week 30: Baptism and Transfers!

Hey loves,

I'M BEING TRANSFERRED! Ahh! I am so excited! :)

It's hard to say goodbye when you feel as though you've found a home away from home, but I am ready for a new adventure!

I find out tomorrow morning where I'm going and who my new companion is! No more mail to my old address please- send any this week to the mission office!

This week was nuts. I've been so overwhelmed getting everything ready for Wilfredo's baptism. And then Wednesday night we had correlation with our ward mission leader and he asked me to prepare a 15 minute talk for Sunday in case the speaker didn't show up.  I was so stressed it was the last straw to hear that I had three days during my first baptism to prepare a 15 minute talk in Spanish... just in case. It turns out I had the flu - I was feeling so sick. Everyone had to step up to help because I was incapable of doing anything by myself. haha I kind of chuckled to myself, that Heavenly Father had to knock me out to humble me enough to ask for help. Bless my heart.

As fun as that has been, WILFREDO IS BAPTIZED! It was such a sweet moment to see how far he's come and see how calm and ready he was. It was the perfect day! He wrote me the SWEETEST note, it took him so long! A bunch of members came and supported him and helped take some of the burden off my shoulders.  The talks were so good, the baptism went smooth, and we did a musical number with Aaron, Braian and Beto. Wilfredo loves everyone so much (and he was very concerned that people with diabetes could potentially come) so he bought tons and tons of fruit and veggies to make fresh juice! The cutest thing I have ever seen was him in his baptismal suit makin' juice for us. haha! He got teary during his confirmation the next morning, and all of the speakers mentioned him in their talks. So happy! What a blessing to have had the privilege to not only find him, but teach him everything, AND baptize him! I am so blessed! I love being a missionary!

Funnies of the Week:

A boy told me I was the prettiest, most stylish nun he had ever seen.

Every Hispanic man I meet tells me I need to be a character in a novela.

Wilfredo got really upset about something silly and pounded his fist down on the table... but accidentally slammed his scriptures too. He was so panicked and immediately started praying for forgiveness. hahahahah

Rolando's parting words:

"Le quiero."

"Take it easy."

"Andale, pues."

A lot of Hispanics we visit don't use their dishwashers, they say that's what the sink and our hands are for. haha I asked one lady for a plastic bag, and she opened her dishwasher to find one- she had all of her kitchen supplies stuffed inside!

Text conversation with Carlos when he didn't come to church:

Me: ":("

Carlos: sin contenido (blank, our phone is so dumb it doesn't receive a lot of messages)

Me: "Su mensaje fue sin contendio... como su silla en la iglesia." (Your message was without content, like your seat at church.)

I love you all and would love to hear from you!

Hermana McOmber

Lunch with Joanne - love her!

Thank you Joanne!

We found a PhotoBooth - so happy!

Saying Goodbye to S and G

Wilfredo wearing his CTR ring!

M took us all to Olive Garden because Hermana McCleary is going home

Training - all the missionaries signed a banner

Found a sno-cone shack!

Goodbye River Oaks

"Welcome"

"God Bless Our Home"

"Home Sweet Home"

R wanted to make me tacos because he knows they are my favorite, but I had the flu so this is the taco I got.  haha - He tried to give me the cowboy hat too!

This guy grew up in Lehi and wanted a picture with me - haha - the funny part is the wife on the porch - she was not impressed!

Wildfredo's Baptism - he put us to work right away chopping healthy food for his refreshments.

Wilfredo was "juicing" in his baptismal suit!

What a beautiful day!!!

Wilfredo's note to me - I love it!

Love my boys!

Familia Fonseca - he baptized Wilfredo 

Ana

David and Ana

"J"

Familia Santiago

The Apartment:

the Park at Northgate Crossing

Week 29: I Love Texas...I Love Being A Missionary!!!

Hola!

WE FINALLY HEARD FROM SPENCER! Ahhh! That was the longest three weeks of my life! He is doing great! I am just so proud of him!

What a week, where do I start...

This week I realized it was my five month mark in Woodlands! I absolutely love it here! It has been so much fun to look back and see how much I've learned and progressed. My ability to speak Spanish has doubled this transfer! I keep catching myself thinking in Spanish! So fun!

So heartbreaking to hear about the family that was killed. It happened ten minutes away from me. All week everyone was talking about it, but I couldn't figure out what they were referring to, until finally a member that spoke English told us. It was like a cold dagger was shoved in my stomach to hear it, we could all barely keep back the tears. What a blessing to have the comfort of this gospel amidst this evil, evil world.

Finished True to the Faith- learned SO much!

SANG MY FIRST SOLO! Granted, it was only to six elderly patients in a rest home, and it was in Spanish, but I felt so accomplished!

This week was exchanges with Hermana McCleary. We picked berries, sang to everyone, talked to a lot of drunk men, and she hypnotized a chicken... yes, way. 

One night Hermana Chavez surprised us with spaghetti for dinner, and not just weird Spanish spaghetti, but good, healthy, home cooked, unreal good spaghetti. AND THEN as if I wasn't already in heaven, she brought out brownies and ice cream. I literally almost cried. haha

On Pday we went to the mall- so much fun! I got to talk to the cutest family from Mexico and then a man asked me what our views were on life after death. Success!

One day we contacted 27 people! We were over the moon about it! Our goal each day is 25, but depending on the appointments you have and the area you're in it can be more difficult, and we usually don't make it. But we prayed for the faith and courage to talk to everyone, and we got to work! It was so much fun! I loved it!

It is amazing to see that people really are being prepared. I remember multiple times we have had encounters with this one woman, and she seems to have taken baby steps in the right direction to be willing to talk to us, and one day we knocked and she let us in! We had the BEST lesson with her and she wants us to come back and teach her whole family, immediate AND extended! So neat! I've never seen someone light up like she did when I handed her a Book of Mormon.

There was one man we met this week who I didn't think was interested because he was so shy, but at the end of the lesson he literally took the Book of Mormon from my hands and started reading. We sat there quietly as he read to himself for five mintues! Then he looked up and said, "When can you come back?"

There is one menos activo (less active) woman we have knocked on her door twice a week for five months, and I've never met her... until this week! She was outside her house and I had to keep myself from running over to her. haha She invited us to sit down and we talked for over an hour! She and I just clicked and it was the neatest experience! Her daughter has talked to me a few times now and is really interested, and now her mom is willing to sit in on the lessons too! Miracle!

The best moment of the week, and one of the best moments of my mission, and possibly even my life, was when we got to talk to my friend Joanne. She rents a room with a member and I met her my first night in the mission field. She has had horrible, unspeakable things happen over and over in her life, so much death and sadness, and I met her around the time she found out her mother's cancer was terminal. She saw us praying and it made her weep. I've met with her a few times since that first night, always just letting her cry and let everything out. She doesn't speak Spanish, and she doesn't necessarily want to hear the lessons, but I always felt that our time with her was still important. The other day we got back in with her and were able to catch up with her. She told Hermana Clement a little bit about her story and ended it by saying, "In the lowest point of my life, when I had absolutely no one, God gave me Hermana McOmber. She was my only friend in the world. And she will never know what that means to me." Words cannot express how I felt in that moment.

Funnies of the Week:

Ate cactus for dinner last night!

There is this mean old man that lives on River Oaks that really doesn't like us. We visit his daughter and wife, and I just love that every time we walk through their garage he has his little corner that is filled with smoke, beer cans strewn in huge piles among the garbage and car parts lying around, and he's sitting in his rocking chair watching old black and white movies. This week was My Fair Lady. :)

I asked C how to say "the chills" in Spanish (like, "I have the chills") and he said,

"Calos frios"

and to me it sounded like he said "Carlos cold" in a Boston accent. Haha.

I love hearing from people that they read my blog! It always makes me laugh, like, "Ahh! Someone other than my mom reads this!"

Love you all so much!

Hermana McOmber

Dragonfly

I stood in this same place - in this same dress -

 exactly five months ago!

I love the Woodlands!

Woods and a Big Sky

I love singing at the Rest Home

Exchanges with Hermana McCleary - she hypnotized a chicken!

Letters from my friends and family!!

Thank you!

I love "C"

I love running into other missionaries!

"G" and "I" eating tamales

Cutest gifts from Hermana Clements family

I love Texas!

I love being a missionary!