Week 59: One Year in Houston!

This Hermana's been in Houston for a YEAR! 
 I love it!

I can't believe that Jair was baptized a year ago, it all feels like a dream.

4 more months

3 more transfers

2 more companions

1 more area

Ahh!

One word: tiwi.

You may have heard the horror stories from RM's, but let me be the first to say... they're all true. Allow me to explain: a "tiwi" is a little black box that is attached to the front windshield of your car and monitors every move you make. It flashes red and yells at you in a really creepy man voice if you drive too fast, start too fast, stop too fast, turn too fast, fail to use a blinker, or any other horribly sinful driving tactic. Not only that but it knows where you are and sends all of this information directly to the President {pretty sure it's bugged too, for good measure}. Welcome to Houston, tiwi, where you will find thee WORST drivers, aside from DF Mexico of course. I had 3 violations in the first five minutes, simply from driving defensively.

Let the fun begin.

The best part of this week was the baptism of Ramon Mesias {yes RMs, you read that right}. He was set to be baptized this time last year but it didn't work out and he's been striving for it all this year. He decided to surprise his wife and when she showed up for an "interview" at the church on her birthday she found him all in white! Next year on Valentine's day they are going to be sealed with their two little boys for time and all eternity.

Eliezer is really struggling. I've seen this over and over in my mission: the moment someone makes their goal the temple, Satan attacks. Spent the night kneeling in a little circle with him outside of his apartment in the middle of Plaza Verde with all of the sirens going off around us, praying and singing and bawling. I love him so much, and I am so proud of him.

Funnies of the Week:

Hermano Rosales loves to call Eliezer "my son" to everyone, to drive him everywhere, to talk about his conversion with everyone... until Eliezer starts dancing with his daughter at the Valentine's Day party... that was a VERY different Hermano Rosales {a.k.a. Papa Bear.} Bishop and I were dying laughing.

Went to visit a crazy family I love and the elderly brother had just had surgery on his shoulder and was dead set determined to explain how itchy he was to us in English, so Hermana Provost taught him the word "arm pit." He proceeded to shout it to the family members in the kitchen. They were all intrigued and said it over and over.

Everyone in Woodlands still calls me Hermana Barbie.

Thank you for your love and support. It means so much to me!

Hermana McOmber

Pictures from Edgar's baptism!

 (So sad I didn't get to go!)

Got to visit Woodlands on exchanges!  It was so much fun to surprise these families!

Fullness of Joy to see them again!

Got to see Hermana Mesias...

almost exactly one year later!

My companion made me a valentine when I was sick.

Bye Hermana Hill!

TIWIs

Met the cutest girl in the apartments!  Her dog's name is "Who Dat" and apparently likes to dance to Justin Timberlake!

One Year in Houston!!

We got a call at 7 am to help the Gulf Bank hermanas change their flat tire.  Thanks to Hermana Provost and a russian man in short shorts - they got to church on time!

Eliezer showed me how he keeps track of his tithing - so sweet!

Letter to all residents of our apartment complex.

Apartmentship

Gemelos!

Valentine's Ward Party!

Familia Acuna

Hermano BERRERA!!

Gotta love our cars!

Week 58: Best of the Best!

February 9, 2015

Just finished moving into my new apartment! HALLELUJIAH.

This week started out so hard. A..., one of my very best friends from the mission and our top progressing investigator, went back to Mexico... and she didn't even say goodbye. I had overheard her talking about getting her baby's passport, and getting a job as a nurse in Mexico, but I never imagined she would leave without telling us, and so soon! Her husband told me that she knew that it would have been too hard to tell us, that they thought it was better this way. It felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. I was so in shock I couldn't even cry. All week I've heard her voice in my head and it's so hard to walk by her apartment. We visited her every single day for two months! She fed us all the time, threw a birthday party for Hermana Provost, and bought us Christmas presents! It was such a miracle that we met her and she was so prepared for the Gospel! I am so scared that I am never, ever going to see her again. My heart was completely broken.

Heavenly Father is so aware of what we go through. Just at my lowest of lows, a woman came up to me after I taught the English class on Tuesday night and hugged me! She said that she had seen me walking around her apartments for the last seven months and had always wanted to talk to us, but never found the courage to do it, until she walked into our English class and realized I was the teacher! She had tears in her eyes and just kept repeating in her broken English, "I am so happy! I am so happy!"

An enormous blessing is that this weekend was Rosabel's baptism. 

A little bit of background story {I'm going to ask her to attatch it in her own words next week}: Rosabel works for a company based in Salt Lake. She was hired a month ago and went to a training in downtown SLC, where she saw the temple. Her boss, Brandon, was able to explain its significance to her, and the Spirit touched her heart. Before I had even received her referral she had read a lot of the Book of Mormon, watched General Conference, and arranged her life in a way to be able to be baptized. And the rest is history!

Her baptism was the best of the best. Let me tell you, it makes a huge difference being able to hug them. hahahaha! It was so tender to stand on the side of the font and hug her before she went in. Brandon flew all the way from Salt Lake to baptize her, and it was perfect. The Spirit was so strong, & after she came out of the water they embraced and she cried in his arms. SO TENDER! Then she came up and hugged me and it felt indescribable. Then she dried off and came back in and told her conversion story and bore her testimony- so sweet! Words are so inadequate to describe how perfect and special and amazing it was. After it ended Francisco came up to shake her hand, and I don't even remember what he said to her, but it was something about how I was his little angel too... I kept it together the whole baptism until that point, but I couldn't hold back the tears as the Spirit pierced my soul and confirmed that I had accomplished what Heavenly Father needed me to accomplish. I felt this little piece of my heart click into place, this little emptiness inside me was filled, and I felt pure joy. Every single hard thing in the process of serving a mission is worth it. I absolutely love being a missionary. I know that He has a perfect plan for each of us, that His timing is perfect. I am so humbled to know that He allows us to serve in this work and feel a little bit of His love for these people. Rosie is so special, and I am so grateful I chose to come on a mission & love her with my whole heart, to teach her and see her take her first few steps closer to her Savior. I am so proud of Brandon for being an example of what he believes, and for sharing the Gospel, he has changed many lives in the process. I think if we all could see and understand the ripple effect that occurs when we open our mouths and invite others to come unto Christ we would all try a little harder to be a little better. 

Thank you for your love and support! I feel it lifting me up and keeping me going!

God is Good.

Funnies of the Week:

Both Brandon & Hermano BerRios gave me dating advice this weekend. I don't come home THAT soon, people.

Everyone tells me I sound like a fairy when I speak in Spanish, & the Hermanita from Guatemala has started saying, "All you need is faith, trust, and McOmber dust!"

Ran into Carol in the laundry room at her apartments and she let us in to visit her and we walked into her living room with Francisco curled up on the couch eating dinner and watching a movie. He was so surprised/excited to see me he shouted, "HERMANA!!" {this coming from a VERY quiet, reserved man who whispers when he talks} I've never seen him so animated EVER! hahahahah I fell next to him on the couch and we just laughed & laughed.

Please send mail to the mission office!

Hermana McOmber

All of my planners from my mission!  Only 3 left!

Spanish street names - Only in Texas!

Rosabel's Baptism!

So relieved to be in our new apartment!

Week 57: Tu sabes

February 2, 2015

I'm going to start off this week's post with a joke my investigator Rosabel told me this week. Get a load of this...

"Por que tenian ropa arrugada los Lamanitas?

Porque los Nefitas tenian las planchas."

"Why did the Lamanites have wrinkled clothes?

 Because the Nephites had irons {planchas also means plates, as in the brass plates}."

In the words of Rosie... "yep."

First of all, Hermana Miller: PABLO {street fruit vendor} IS BACK! I literally slammed on the brakes and jumped out of the car in the middle of the road to run over and see him. He was SO happy to see us, and SO sad that you weren't there! When I asked him where in the world he's been for so long, he was like, "Well, duh! I'm not going to sell fruit when it's cold!" haha

Miracle: Planning for Saturdays always overwhelms me {50+ families in the ward to visit, plus 8 progressing investigators to teach, plus 40+ potential investigators to follow up on, plus a handful of referrals = STRESS}, so I prayed so hard to know where to go and what to do. We needed to fill up our car with gas and the idea popped into my mind to go to a really out of the way gas station to do it. Decided to try it and as we were filling up GUESS WHO PULLED UP in to the slot RIGHT NEXT TO US. Francisco, a potential investigator we had been trying to see for weeks! He was so excited to see us and wanted us to teach him right then and there!

Miracle: We got a referral from the English sisters and later that Saturday we went to try them. Turns out to be a giant family, and every single one of them is prepared for the gospel. Unbelievable! We started the lesson with just two, then another one came in, then a cousin showed up, then the mom, then the brother. It was one of the best lessons ever! Still can't believe it!

Ohh Eliezer! He kept going out with the Elders to teach, so we never got to see him! When we finally got to see him it was one of the best moments of my mission. It was the happiest I have EVER seen him. He was absolutely glowing. THAT was the real Eliezer. He was laughing and running around and smiling and singing and even got us presents. It made me feel so good! I'm learning on my mission that my personal search for happiness was so selfish, and that is the core reason for which I never fully attained it. As I've lost myself on my mission I've found true, lasting happiness that can't be duplicated by material things I left at home. My entire definition of happiness has changed. Happiness comes from the Spirit, it's as simple as that. 

This week we went to the Relief Society President's house for dinner. I asked her if there was anything we could do for her, and she broke down sobbing. I sat next to her on her little kitchen floor and held her, and cried with her for a long time. She took my hand and kissed my cheek and said "Don't cry little one, you are the angel I had been praying for." 

Funnies of the Week:

We watched the Restoration movie with our new investigator, this cute 23 year old from El Salvador with a little husband and brand new baby, and I brought popcorn... and she didn't know how to microwave it! She had never done it before! Blew my mind! She watched me so intently as I did it for her. haha

I am obsessed with Cuban accents. So funny! They ALL say, "Tu sabes" and "Me entiendes?" after everything they say. (You know. & You understand?) Like, "Today was the longest day at work, you know how it is." 

I thought it was going to be yet another uneventful Valentine's... boy was I wrong!

I love you all so much!

I'm moving apartments this next monday, so please send any mail to the mission office!

Hermanita McOmber

Eliezer!

My favorite from his baptism!

My present from him

Saying goodbye to the Bernals

Get us out of here!

(We are moving next week!)

Finding out my best friend is engaged!

Short sleeves - hair up - a popsicle - in JANUARY!