Week 69: I love being a missionary!

Being a missionary is hard! This has turned out to be quite the area- it's like an iceberg, the more I am here, the more I find out and the more overwhelmed I get.  It is easy to get discouraged but Heavenly Father put angels in our lives named the Morgans and they wiped away our tears, gave us hugs and got us going again.   I know this work is hard and we are laying the groundwork for future missionaries, and if it means that one day something good will come of it, then it will be worth it. {and in the process I am learning a lot!}

I had my first exchange as Sister Training Leader this week! So fun! Miracles always happen on exchanges and it is so neat to see that Heavenly Father has such a perfect plan.

My favorite thing that happened this week was with our investigator Angelica. I saw her on Tuesday and she was so sad and felt hopeless. I gave her the "Currant Bush" talk to read as homework, and when I came back on Saturday, she had totally changed! It was the happiest I've ever seen her! I love being a missionary!

Funnies of the Week:

There are two brothers in the ward who are convinced I'm the actress from prison break. I don't even know who they're talking about because I never even saw it!

We totally crashed the prom this week! It was a blast, dancing by myself! haha brought back so many high school memories I tried so hard to suppress.

We helped an Hermana clean her trailer this week, I've never seen anyone sweep clothes, shoes, and toys before.

I did singing time in primary yesterday and the bishopric all asked me if I was going into children's education as a career- heck no! ...I mean, I don't think so?

Love you all so much! Pray for me!

Hermana McOmber

Left some pics for our member to find on her computer! Haha

Exchanges!

Making pupusas

Eating at the tacqueria "el nopalito"

Crashing the Prom!

Week 68: You win some - you lose some!

This week was ROUGH. haha!

Each day was really tough until 8 o'clock {en la noche}, when we would have a miracle or an amazing lesson. Every stinkin' day! This area is so hard, bless our grumpy little hearts.

We had one of our investigators drop us {hate that! worst feeling EVER}, but later that night we decided to knock a neighborhood for the last 15 minutes we had, and we ended up finding a whole family. You win some, you lose some. We tried so hard to see our top progressing investigators, but none of them were home and it was so discouraging, but that night we went finding and Hermana Larson made a bee-line for a specific, random trailer and it turned out this incredible young family lives there and they are so prepared! You may feel like you lose some, but when you do what Heavenly Father wants you to you'll always win some!

One of the neat miracles this week was the N--- family. They made us steak and potatoes and steamed vegtables {YUM}! We had an unreal lesson with them! They've had a complete change of heart and won't let anything get in the way of them going to the temple to be sealed! Their kitchen even caught on fire Sunday morning and they still made it to church on time! The power is within us to make a decision and stick with it!

Then R--- took us to his friends' house to meet them- the husband is atheist and the wife doesn't believe in organized religion, we had our work cut out for us. By the end of the lesson both of their countenances had completely changed, they looked like different people! The Spirit was so strong and when we introduced them to the Book of Mormon they fired this incessant stream of questions- it was great! They are so excited to read it and get an answer!

Then last night when we came home our cute next door neighbor ran out to see us. She was bawling and begged us to help her. Her mom had just gotten into a really serious accident in Houston {they have giant ditches on both sides of the road down there so that when the crazy rainstorms come the water has somewhere to go, but she hydroplaned and flipped and landed upside down in one of the ditches and her car filled up with water with her trapped inside and she would have drowned if someone hadn't have stopped and rescued her}. She begged us to say a prayer for her mom, so there in the door way of our two apartments, with her {also atheist} boyfriend, we said a simple, heartfelt prayer. It was such a sweet moment, she just hugged me and wouldn't let go.

I love being a missionary!

Funnies of the week:

We went and got snow cones with a girl we teach and hers was literally nothing but ice and pickle juice. bleh!

I had to wear my glasses this week because my allergies are killing me and one of the hermanas called me "fresa" {sassy} while the elders told me I looked like their second grade teacher.

Hermanita Larson convinced another family in the ward she spoke Chinese, I cried I was laughing so hard.

Yet another menos activo left us standing out in the rain {must run in the family, her sister did it to us too}.

Love y'all!

Hermana McOmber

Snow cones with our friends!

Elder Matt Gay will be here so soon!

We found huge fields of blue bonnets on our way back from leadership training in Houston! Ahhh....

Tracting....

Fajitas!

Our Young Women!  It was the President's birthday so they made her coco-flan.

Our District

Week 67: Con dios todo se puede. (With God Everything is Possible)

Con Dios todo se puede.

(With God Everything is Possible)

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. I love these people so much and I just want the best for them, but there are so many things out of my control and I don't know how to help them. & that's when prayer becomes your lifeline. & that's when the miracles come.

This week we went to visit an inactive young Hermana in our ward & she told us her {AMAZING} conversion story, and how because of a dream she had the night before she knew she needed to be sealed with her family in the temple as soon as possible. It was a total, complete 360, change of heart. Something completely out of my control, but because I did my part, Heavenly Father took care of the rest in His timing.

Then later that day we went to visit the sister of one of our investigators. We had one of the most powerful lessons of my mission and she is 100% ready to be baptized. Even though I've been stressed about the progress of her sister, the Lord put her in my path and showed me how He worked through me to bring about even more good in the lives of their family.

Then this weekend I was able to drive down to Houston for Marcela & Celine's baptism. It was such a tender moment to see them dressed in white. They all ran up and hugged me, and I felt that I caught a glimpse of heaven. The Spirit was SO powerful that entire night, and it just filled me up! My heart was so full and I felt whole and complete. "Remember, the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. And behold, how great is His joy in the soul that repenteth! Wherefore you are called to cry repentance unto this people. And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, HOW GREAT SHALL BE YOUR JOY WITH THEM in the kingdom of my Father!" {D&C 18}

The best part was the sweet little English family that came. It was the 13-year-old daughter that invited Celine to Young Womens that started this chain reaction and led to their baptism after more than ten years of meeting with missionaries. This family did more for Marcela and Celine than I am sure I even know; always visiting and supporting, answering questions, sitting by them, bringing them food, loving them! And they don't even speak each other's language!! The mother got up and bore her testimony during the baptismal service and I could not help but weep. THAT is missionary work. THAT is Christlike service. THAT is love.

I love being a missionary with my whole heart and soul. It is the blessing of my life.

God is good.

Funnies of the week:

I found a teaching record in our area book from 1999!

Church this week was... rough. All six of us missionaries ended up slumping against the wall in the hallway after it ended. & the brand new trainee asks {all chipper} "So, what are we doing for P-day??" We all just kind of looked at him.

Driving through Waller you see street names like "Kickapoo" and "Westward Ho."

A guy asked me where I was from and when I told him "Utah" he said, "Ohh, that makes a lot of sense, 'cause girl U-tahl!" -__-

I need to learn to say NO when men in English class innocently ask me, "May I ask you a personal question?" YES, these are my real eyes, and NO I will not marry you!

Serving in "Temptation Station" takes on a whole new meaning now that I found out we have a Freddy's Frozen Custard here...

When they say "I hope they call me on a mission, when I have grown a foot or two" they need to clarify which direction.

Hermana McOmber

There is a whole section of t-shirts just like this at WalMart (only in TX!) 

I love our investigator's house - I think it is so pretty!

Finding the teaching record from 1999 during planning!

Our district's new trainee - EPIC FAIL at self timer - elder!!!

Baby shower for Citially

Alfredo baptized his wife Marcela and daughter Celine

The English family that fellow shipped them.

Migente! (My people!)

Caught a frog!

Week 66: Conference!

Two words: GENERAL CONFERENCE.

Another two words: ...15 months.

This week was one for the books. First I had a great exchange to Hunstville {so pretty!} and had a blast! Then Thursday we went to a boot camp taught by one of the cute ladies in the English ward {couldn't move whatsoever afterwards}. Then Friday I got the flu... then Saturday Hermanita got the flu, but we couldn't find any members to watch conference with so we were slightly irreverent and layed down in the church to watch it {don't panic, we weren't totally apos! we had proselyting clothes on. haha}. And the best news of the week is that we got transfer calls and Hermanita is staying with me! YAY!!

My favorite lesson this week was with C----. We were reviewing the Plan of Happiness with her and I made a comment like, "I have so much peace and comfort in my life knowing that I can see my family members again after we die." Her head snapped up and she stared at me, and she told us that her only brother died of cancer ten years ago and she still hasn't gotten over it. We were able to teach her about temples and proxy work, and the Spirit was SO STRONG. It felt like someone was beating a drum inside of my chest as I testified to her that her brother lead us to her again after all of these years, so that he could have these blessings as well. {cue the waterworks}

Last night we decided to make cookies and bring them to our next door neighbor, the cute one we met when we were moving in. She was so excited and let us right in! She said, "It's been such a blessing in disguise because ever since you've moved in I've been able to be reminded of God every day! I love it!" We shared the "Because He Lives" video with her and it was like we lit a fuse... she started asking us so many deep questions! We ended up teaching her the Plan and she cried! She told us about her great grandma who had passed away and how much she loved her, and then she stopped and looked at me and said, "My sweet GG was someone I always said could make anyone believe in God. You remind me of her... you even wear gold glitter shoes like her!" Then I asked her if we could pray for her and she cried! AHHH! She's amazing!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! My life has been significantly, eternally changed by my decision to serve. I can honestly say I do not know who I would be or where I would be without my mission.

Funnies of the Week:

You can be baptized a Texan at the state fair.

Sick day #1 Hermanita got a little bored. "I sat on the couch for so long I saw the cactus move."

When President Pingree was called to be an Area Seventy, and Christensen and I were whisper screaming in the chapel.

We have a little gang of kids that loves to follow us as we teach in their neighborhood. We teach them to pray and play games with them, and then they all want us to meet their families. "Come meet my family!" "No, come meet MY family!" Our teaching pool has DOUBLED.

Love Y'all!

Hermana McOmber

Puppy in one hand - taco in another.... Happiness!!

At the end of the best day ever!

On Sam Houston campus in Huntsville on exchanges - so much fun!

I love teaching in English!  This is Darian - she is getting baptized soon!

Exchanges with Sister Lambright in Huntsville

So pretty!

I love Texas!

Dinner on the ranch

Our little gang!

I love serving in Tejas!

Conference!

I love getting packages and letters from home!

Exchanges!

Week 65: Milagros (Miracles)

"There can be miracles, when you believe!"

We've been working so hard to get the ball rolling in this little town, and Heavenly Father is blessing us so much! This is the happiest I have been in YEARS.

This week we went to visit our investigator S---. When the missionaries found her in November she had literally just been baptized into a Christian church, but she let them in and they taught her for a little while. Hermana Larson and I started teaching her again and she kept telling us that she knew the Book of Mormon was true, but that she wasn't going to get baptized again. This week we went to our appointment with her and I had to sing "A donde me mandes ire" because I had the feeling we might have to drop her. It was really neat because I felt the Spirit guiding me and giving me the things I should say and the questions I should ask her, when suddenly she interrupted and said, "I've been looking for the true church my entire life. I have let every kind of missionary sit on that couch and teach me, and I even got baptized. Then you came. You made me feel loved, and you made me feel something deep inside of me that I have never felt before. I know without a doubt that your church is the true church." ....uhhh. "Let me get this straight... you want to be baptized?" "As soon as possible." {Heavenly Father is so good to us!}

THEN we stopped by to visit our investigator C----. She had also been taught by the missionaries last fall and we recently started teaching her again. We followed the prompting to teach her the restoration again and even got her husband to sit in on the lesson. After the first vision she told us that she will never forget the time that two sister missionaries in mexico taught that to her and the feeling she had in her heart, and how she just felt it again. She told us she reads the Book of Mormon every day and it helps her depression more than her anti-depressant, and that she knows that every word is true. She committed to be baptized, with or without her husband's support. {WOW}

All y'all need to post "Because He Lives" {Gracias a que el Vive} to your facebooks... right now.

Funnies of the Week:

Hermana Larson and I ate Serrano Chiles at dinner one night. It didn't even burn my mouth! It was spicy, but I ate a chip with guac and I was fine! but Hermana Larson was sweating and had a runny nose and was crying- and we always talk about how she always at spicy down in Cali, but I never did in Utah. the members got such a kick out of it.

They called me the night before to wake up two hours early and cancel all of my plans to go to MLC the next day, even though I'm not a STL {yet}. 6 hours in the back of the car later I thought I was going to die. {#exiled}

An Hermana was making us carne asada and handed

a dirty, GIANT butcher knife to her eight-year-old daughter to rinse it off in the house and said, "Correle!" AHAHAHAHAH

Love y'all and hope to hear from you soon!

4475 Carter Creek Parkway #714

Bryan, TX 77802

Hermana McOmber

Downtown Bryan - basically looks like Logan, Utah

My District

I am Southern "Grace"

We helped a member remodel their upstairs

It's Spring!  There are fields of wild flowers and blue bonnets everywhere!

My zone!

These kids are literally launching off the couch to hug me before I leave!