10.30.2014

Week 43: Another Week of Miracles!





October 27, 2014

Howdy howdy howdy.

The leaves still haven't changed colors here... so weird! Doesn't feel like October!

It was another week of MIRACLES!

One night it was 8:30 but we felt like we should stop by and meet a menos activo on the ward list. We got in with her and read in the BOM with her. At the end of the lesson I told her that she could call us whenever she needed anything, and she started bawling! She told us she had just been praying for help and had even decided to fast when we knocked on the door. She came over and embraced me and wept. One of the sweetest moments of my life.

Another night we went to try a potential we had met, but only his dad was home. He invited us to sit down on the porch and we shared a scripture with him and his drunk friend. When we asked if we could leave with a prayer he was like, "Couldn't you stay for just a little longer?" So the drunk friend wandered off, and we taught this man the Restoration. It was such a powerful lesson, and you could see the Spirit working in him! I bore my testimony at the end and told him that the Book of Mormon has changed my life. He cut off what my companion said next to ask me what I meant! So I told him how much peace and comfort and guidance I have found from reading daily in the Book of Mormon. He was quiet for a few minutes and stared at the Book of Mormon in his hands before he said, "I want to know." 

One day we decided to try a referral we got from a member of another ward. It is a cute mom with her 8 year old son, and they are both so prepared! When I asked the little boy how he knew that God loves him, he teared up and said, "because He gave me such a wonderful mom." MI CORAZON! I am so in love with him! He wanted to read all of the scriptures and answer all of the questions, and when I told him the first vision he was a foot from my face and didn't blink once! haha 

One day we got a call from a guy who saw our poster for our english classes. We went to visit him that night and realized that we met him two months ago! We had an amazing lesson with him and he came to church yesterday! Heavenly Father led us back to him when he was ready!

One night all of our appointments fell through so we went to a member's house and watched the Joseph Smith movie with his mom {she has been investigating the church for a long time}. The Spirit was SO INCREDIBLY STRONG and it hit me like a ton of bricks that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. He did not suffer everything that he suffered and endure everything that he endured for a lie. {"THEY WOULD NOT DO THAT!" -Elder Holland}

We were teaching this sweet old woman with no education and she was having a hard time understanding what we were teaching, but she repeated over and over, "I just feel SO GOOD when you come." "I just feel SO MUCH PEACE when you come." "I just feel SO HAPPY when you come." The Spirit is the real teacher, we are the instruments in His hands.

THE BEST was last night at 8:30, we had a list of people that Bishop gave us and we were looking up the last address. I knocked on the door and this cute family opened the door, the son told me that the man we were looking for didn't live there anymore... and then I saw him glance behind me and he said, "...but that's him right there." We turn around and a car had just pulled into the driveway, and out comes the man we were looking for! He was on the verge of tears when he saw us, he has been wanting to come back to church for a long time and was so happy to see us! THEN as I was chatting with the family at the door, the mom told me that she met with Elders years ago and wants us to stop by and teach them again! 

It has been absolutely incredible to see that no matter our challenges or our weaknesses, no matter how hard it gets, that as we just keep going and follow little promptings we are in the right place at the right time to bless the lives of our brothers and sisters. Choosing to serve a mission is the single greatest decision I have ever made in my life. I will never forget {can never forget} the experiences I've had and the people I've met. Being a missionary is biggest blessing! 

Funnies of the Week:

Sunday morning we were running late for our ride to church so we had to run in our church clothes through the apartments, shouting "Buenos Dias" to everyone. {see "Two Weeks Notice" with Sandra Bullock. Scene where she's running in her pink bridesmaid dress... that was us.}

The Primary Program was on Sunday and Carol's little boy Adrian started to scream, so she tucked him under her arm like a football, covered his mouth, ducked under the pulpit and sprinted in her pumps down the aisle to the back door. Hermana Miller and I were laughing HYSTERICALLY.

Everyone asks if Hermana Miller and I are real sisters.

One of our investigators just got out of the hospital with his first kidney stone {I figured out what it was right away}. You should have seen his face when I told him how many my mom has passed {we lost count after 60}.


Les quiero muchisimo!

Que Dios les bendiga! {haha everyone says that to us}

Hermana McOmber




A ward member took us to downtown Houston on our P-day!










The huge Galleria Mall has an ice skating rink in the middle!





Taking over Houston with little miss Lexi



I was having a rough morning so Hermana Perry made me breakfast in bed.




Our investigator wanted to braid my hair, then she took a picture because we all had braided hair!




So much food!




I love doing family history!




Always a struggle!




Photo Booth




Herbalife



10.26.2014

Week 42: I love exchanges!





October 20, 2014

It was a week of miracles.

First I went on exchanges to Conroe! { that was a miracle because I already went there on exchanges this transfer } I LOVE Conroe, I really hope I get to serve there!

We went to visit M this week! Her husband was baptized in Argentina when he was young, but met her and left the church. The missionaries have always visited them, and M has known for a long time that this church is true but has always said that she and her daughter will get baptized when her husband comes back to church. When we saw her this week she told us that she and her daughter are ready to be baptized, whether or not he decides to come back yet! MIRACLE!

On Friday all of our appointments cancelled {even our backup plans!}, which is really out of the blue for this area. We have so many people to teach there usually isn't enough time in the day to see everyone! But suddenly there we were with four hours, so we decided to take advantage of the time to go to a new section of our area and go finding. We weren't having a ton of success, but we stopped for a minute to talk to a group of kids and one of the little girls said, "Are you Mormons??" She plays soccer at the park with her friends every weekend and the missionaries have started playing with them too, so she was so excited to see our tags! She ran us up to her apartment to meet her mom and we got to teach her! MIRACLE!

Then we walked back down and asked the group of kids where we should knock next, and they all pointed to the same row of apartments. We found a couple people to talk to and we decided to knock one more door... this cute young mom opened the door and was SO nice. Her husband called us in {pasen, pasen!} and pulled up chairs for us. He was so excited to listen to us and he was like, "So what is your purpose as missionaries?" {HAHA that is how we start all our lessons is by explaining our purpose!} We had a really good restoration lesson- they are so prepared!! Right before we left we invited them to the ward activity that night, not really thinking much of it because it is typically SO HARD to get people to church, let alone an activity.
...so two hours later we are at the church for the activity and GUESS WHO WALKS IN?? I could not believe my eyes! MIRACLE!

Now backtrack to Thursday night. We felt prompted to try a menos activo family for the last hour of the day, and they let us in! We invited them to the activity, again not thinking much of it. The next night GUESS WHO WALKS IN?? Mmm hmm. AND THEN GUESS WHO FELLOWSHIPS OUR NEW INVESTIGATORS?? Mmm hmm. MIRACLE!

The activity itself was UNBELIEVABLE! I didn't exactly have the highest expectations for it considering our last ward activity had a turnout I could count on one hand. This activity was a Noche de Hispanidad and everyone and all of their friends and family came! It was huge! Everyone set up tables for their countries and brought tons of food, and there was music and dancing. So much fun!

I almost forgot to tell y'all... I'm staying! We'll be the trio for another transfer until Millie goes home. SO HAPPY!

Funnies of the Week:

Hermana Perry made a quiet little comment at a member's house during dinner and the Hermana was shocked, "Habla? No sabia que habla!" {You talk? I didn't know you talk!}

One of the men we teach has a princess/ unicorn/ fairy rug in his living room... you take what you can get.

Met an 80-year-old Italian lady from New York and she was the cutest little thing! She started singing "You are my sunshine" with as much bravado as that little body could muster, and talking about her husband in her accent {he knows olives, ya know} I was dying.

Hermana Miller told me I would have the best Twitter... whatever that means. haha

Went to a dinner appointment with a member we didn't know and when we opened the door she didn't recognize us either! We sat there awkwardly staring at each other for a couple seconds before she let us in. hahaha

Our investigator "I" really  likes me {pobrecito} (poor thing) and last night he told me I have a heart of stone. HAHA No novios (boyfriends) on the mish, "I"! Lo siento! (sorry)



Hermana McOmber



Took a walk down Memory Lane!




Welcome to Texas!




Got to see the Barrera's!




Went to Freddie's while on exchanges - our Favorite!





Tracted into a man that is a welder - he had us try on his hat - haha!




Wonderful familia!




Finally got a letter from Spencer!!




Had a fun ward party - the kids always love to see us!





They built their porch around the tree!




I love Houston!




Wonderful hermana made us the BEST Sunday dinner!




The District





10.14.2014

Week 41: God is Good






Howdy.

Another hard week, but still truckin' along. So blessed to be a missionary. I LOVE IT. We have so many incredibly prepared people we are teaching and I love them so much. We are busy busy BUSY!

EDGAR from Woodlands was baptized this Saturday! So so so happy! And the Elders had a baptism on Friday, it was so sweet to see them both in white.

My favorite miracle this week was when all of our lessons cancelled, and we got a call right after from an Hermana in the ward that needed help moving. Usually we are so busy it would have been really hard to find the time to help, but Heavenly Father cleared the way and made it happen! I was so grateful we could help her, it was such a good experience to be reminded how much He really is involved in this work, and how we really are His hands.

We had a dinner and a lesson with M this week! She is so darling, I love her so much! She is in Mosiah 21! So proud of her!!!!! We taught her family history and set up a FamilySearch account and everything. So much fun! Everyone needs to be doing family history! There is ALWAYS more to do! 

One night we were teaching a menos activo man in his doorway, and as we were singing the hymn we could see all these little faces poke around the corner of the building. We asked the little kids if they wanted to pray with us, and 8 of them ran over and were SO excited to pray with us! It was such a sweet experience, for us and for the man. They were so ready and willing and excited to pray and talk about God. We really must become like little children!

Our new investigator I is so great. I absolutely love him. He is so prepared! I love visiting with him. He is such a character... anything I say he wholeheartedly believes, any scripture I show him is "his favorite," he thinks I know everything and asks me tons of questions. He is so cool! I marked a couple scriptures in the Book of Mormon for him and he memorized them!!!

Funny of the week:

Hermana Miller took hours to reenact Harry Potter 1 for Hermana Perry who hasn't read it or seen it. Complete with direct quotes {accent included} and props. HILARIOUS.

Hermana McOmber



Hermana Perry received bread and jam from her family!






Family Home Evening




Family History Training Certificates




Pretty Skies





Choco Taco - best kind of taco!





Gullies




Dinner Appointment





P-day with the Elders






Kim:  I received this picture from a ward member that the sister missionaries were doing a service project for.   I am so grateful for wonderful, loving people around the world looking out for each other!







10.09.2014

Week 40: I loved Conference!





Hasta la vista, babay! I am half way!

This week definitely had its ups and downs.

I got a blessing from my ward mission leader to help me and he gave me the most beautiful blessing in Spanish. & then at the end of my blessing he said, 

"Just be strong
Be happy
Spread the word."

{new favorite thing on earth}

The UP of this week was most definitely General Conference. I LOVE General Conference as a missionary! My district went to the stake center where they had set up a little tv in a classroom for us to watch it in English, and we all brought snacks and had the best time. I learned so much and received so many answers! We are so blessed! My favorite was Elder Klebingat's talk. Wow! It was so much fun to run into the chapel when they would speak in Spanish or Portugese and listen. LOVE that new change!

One of the ups this week was finding out that Francisco, our recent convert, is getting MARRIED to his novia, Carol! HAPPIEST DAY OF MY MISSION. 

Another up of this week was D's prayer at the end of one of our lessons, "Heavenly Father, thank you for this beautiful day. And thank you for my sisters who love me and teach me. Thank you for the Book of Mormons. and Thank you for my baptism coming up." We all looked up after the prayer with tears in our eyes. So precious!  

Did I ever tell you about the man we met walking down the street, who when we gave him a card told us he, in fact, was LDS with two sons on missions and he holds the Melchizedek Priesthood? Yeah. haha He's totally menos activo (less active), but we had the best talk with him and he said he felt the love of God for the first time in a long time when we were talking to him. There are no coincidences!

We meet a lot of single, working Hispanic men in the apartments we teach in, one of which is "I". We didn't think he was super serious about learning about the gospel, they are usually just really excited about our blue eyes and blonde hair, but we decided to visit him just in case. Turns out he is SO prepared! He and his best friend live together and we had a lesson with them with Hermana Bernal last night that was so good! They didn't have furniture, so we sat on the floor of their apartment and read the Book of Mormon together. We all had the best time and I felt so happy! I love being a missionary!


Funnies of the Week:

I shared Ephesians 2:20 with "I" when we were teaching him the Restoration to explain that Christ's true church is founded upon Prophets and Apostles with Priesthood Authority. After he read it he was like, "You are not going to believe this, but this verse is my favorite in the ENTIRE Bible." Hermana Miller was laughing so hard she could barely breath. Mentiroso (liar) haha


Houston road rage is unreal.



I love you all and am so grateful for your love and support!

Hermana McOmber




We went to my favorite tacqueria for lunch to celebrate my 1/2 way mark.





Torta con pollo y agua fresca de melon






I Love Texas!




Hump Day!  My family sent me a cute package to celebrate!





I love all the bumper stickers!




One of our investigators - I love her baby - cutest baby ever!





Our bishop showed us this facebook post of a newspaper article in Utah!  Can you find me?!!!






Conference!





Conference!





Some of my absolute favorite hermanas!






Fun with investigators!