Week 56: Best moment of my life!

Best moment of my life...

Francisco baptized Eliezer. 

I could have died of happiness.

It was so darling! They were both SO nervous. Francisco couldn't remember the prayer so he peeked at a little paper in his pocket and started over, but Eliezer's elbow was poking out of the water, so he had to do it again. He was so nervous he dunked him without saying the prayer! So he started over two more times, and finally the last time was absolutely perfect. {the ward joked that Eliezer had to be baptized three times because he put me through so stinkin' much} Then after the baptism I was sitting at a table with Eliezer and the Elder's investigator and Eliezer starts teaching him a {super POWERFUL} lesson! Now this guy wants to be baptized! The best part was that in Eliezer's confirmation blessing it said that he will be a missionary. It was such a blessing to see a little bit of the chain reaction we have as missionaries. No effort is ever wasted in missionary work. Every single little thing we do is worth it, and we cannot comprehend how exponential of an impact we can and do have in the lives of others. 

Someone must have prayed for me on Wednesday because the entire day felt like I was being carried! I could literally feel the angels around me lifting me up and keeping me going. I had so much added strength and hope. Thank you for your love and support.

Funnies of the Week:

We were with our investigator Ivan and our phone was on the table, and a message popped up from a street contact that said, "Hola baby." Ivan LOST IT. He ranted for a good five minutes on how inappropriate that was and how boys should have more respect for us as missionaries.... and then he proceeds to ask me to be his girlfriend.

Our ward mission leader thought I was a sister training leader the last two transfers.

You drive past hubcaps in the tops of trees after a bad ice storm in Houston {worst drivers EVER}.

We followed a prompting to visit this hilarious elderly woman in our ward and when she opened the door she almost fainted her blood pressure was so low. Hermana Provost did her thang and helped her get stable again, and even completely out of it Hermana Galvan was still crackin' jokes.

I love you all so much and I am so grateful for your love and support.

I love being a missionary!

Hermanita McOmber

 

Week 55: "Footprints in the Sand"

January 19, 2015

Louetta is the area of miracles.

I absolutely love being a missionary and I am so grateful to be serving here! I love these people with my whole heart! I have grown so close with so many people and {although I would never choose to live in Houston} it has become a little piece of home. I am at the point in my mission where I am just loving it! I LOVE driving and tracting and teaching and studying and learning and speaking and growing and being a missionary! It has been really interesting to see how God qualifies the called, how even though huge obstacles come I am strengthened to overcome them. I am a completely different person than I was a year ago! I am becoming the best me I can be, and I love it. :)

We got a call from the other Hermana Misioneras in our ward and she was called to be a trainer! So until her trainee came we had to be with her and cover both of our {enormous} areas. Stress! but we had UNREAL miracles! Every single lesson we went to was so powerful, my favorite of which was with an old man in Denny's- one of the most spiritual lessons I've had. Then we got to pick up her brand new little trainee... straight from Guatemala! 

On this week's episode of "Fumigation: Nightmare from Heck" I learned exactly who to go with when I want a problem solved. That person would be none other than the mission president's wife. In less than two hours she had people looking for a new apartment for us and we will be moving this week.

I FINALLY got to talk to E---'s mom on the phone and get her permission to baptize him! Miracle of all miracles. We are literally bringing him to a member's house for safekeeping until his baptism this weekend {this kid has put me through the RINGER!}

Our zone leader gave me a bag of "lifesavors" and said that he thought I was being transferred {join the club} and wanted to thank me for everything. So sweet!

One night we were walking and I saw a man across the parking lot. I said hi to him and after chatting for a minute found out that he had met with missionaries and come to church in Mexico for six months. He started crying and when I asked him what was wrong he told me that his mother had passed away earlier that day and he had been praying for comfort, and that "God heard my prayer and sent me angels."

We had the mission president's fireside in Spanish this week! So amazing! I got to say the opening prayer! 

The Hermanas had a baptism this week... SO SPECIAL. Pedro: bawling. Bishop: bawling. Ward Mission Leader: bawling. The Spirit was so strong. Pedro bore his testimony about how when he was a kid and didn't have a family he would just talk to himself so he didn't feel so lonely, but now he has the Gift of the Holy Ghost and he isn't alone anymore and he has someone to talk to. AHH! I died.

Funnies of the Week:

My 2nd missionary haircut was a significantly better experience than the 1st.

There's a joke among missionaries that each zit on our face is named after the investigator from whence it came... if that's the case, all of my ulcers are named E----. 

Yesterday we were the first ones in the church building and... 12 hours later we were the last ones out.

A man asked me if he could help me with my bags as we were taking our stuff to the other Sisters' apartment for the night, and I got talking to him. Turns out he's from Pakistan! 1st funny: his face when I spoke the little Ordu I know. 2nd funny: when I told him I am a missionary he shouted, "I LOVE MORMONS!"

The new trainee learned English by watching tv and working in a call center... all week she's been swearing up a storm! HAHAHA {She had no idea she was saying swear words!}

Tried visiting a very mean menos activo in our ward, and after his very rude rejection I simply said, "We love you!" and walked away, and I heard him mumble/grumble "love you too." haha

I love you so much! Thank you for all of your love and support!

Hermana McOmber

My favorite!  L & G

Transfers!

  

Denney's with a member family!

I made a gold glitter scripture case for my military size- haha!

Love the gangsta cars out here - love the SPIKES!

New district!

Investigator

Sorry Hermana Miller - they took us to Madeline's!!

Rosabel!

I got to teach him so much I felt like he was mine - haha!

Happy Day!

Fireside!

P-day!

Fun package I got from Nick Shorts!

Heavenly Father has been bombarding my mind with the "Footprints in the Sand" poem this week.  First my idea for a planner cover, then found it on a Spanish bracelet, then an investigator gave the entire thing to me!

One Year Ago!

Week 54: I'm Staying!

We just got the call... I'm STAYING! 

Ahh! I am so happy and relieved. I absolutely LOVE this area! 

We went and saw M--- this week... she opened the door and stuck her hand out, and there was a WEDDING RING on her finger! Ahh! But she told us she wants to come to the Spanish ward instead of the English ward now {and her daughter refuses to go with her}... one step forward two steps back. haha

We were walking in the apartments one day and I saw a kid clear on the other side of the parking lot and felt that little kick in my pants to talk to him. So off I went, and it turns out he went to the church for FIVE YEARS in Honduras!

R---... there are no words to describe her. I love her so much! She calls us all the time; "I just finished 2 Nephi!" "I just shared the gospel with my cousin!" "I just sent a Book of Mormon to my friend in Chicago!" "I bought a piano so I can be ward pianist!" "What is my membership record number?" She cried during our lesson this week and said, "I'm just so happy!" Ahh! On Sunday the entire ward, including me, thought I was leaving the area, and when I explained it to R--- she started crying! Mi corazon!

Funny of the Week:

We will be fumigated for cockroaches and bed bugs this week... pray for us.

Why is it that I am always in the shower when I hear a man's voice in the apartment?   {exterminators, cleaning checks, random men that knock on the door and want to be taught...}

I love you!

Hermanita McOmber

E and A  (He will be an apostle someday!)

Temple with O and J!

Denny's!

Week 53: ONE YEAR!

I have been a missionary for ONE YEAR! Ahh!

It was the week from heck, but Heavenly Father blessed us with a lot of miracles.

It all started Wednesday morning. Got in the shower and found even more bites all over my body. Got out and checked my bed for the millionth time, found nothing. Called an apartmentship inventory and made all three of them scour my room with me.... and boy, did we find them. 50+ chinches {bed bugs} in the corners of my box spring. Called President immediately and {so funny} he said, "Do what you need to do." Spent the rest of the day throwing away my bed, and washing every stinkin' piece of fabric in our entire apartment and stuffing it into garbage bags. So I've been sleeping on the floor and living out of garbage bags for a week. Why a week? They were supposed to come fumigate our apartment on Friday, but no one showed up, so we have to wait until Tuesday. Luckily President found us some old mattresses to sleep on in the mean time, so it's been a sleepover with the English Sisters every night in our living room. 

But as completely miserable as it has been, Heavenly Father has blessed us! E--- AND R--- came to church on Sunday! And I am really close with one of the other Hermanas' investigators and I committed him to be baptized after Sunday School. haha {do what you gotta do!} We had an amazing zone meeting & I learned a lot! E--- told me he wants to serve a mission! We were teaching the mother of one of our investigators and she told us that he has read most of the Book of Mormon and loves watching Mormon Messages and that he knows it's true! 

We tracted into a man that really needed us and I felt so much love for him. We had a CRAZY POWERFUL lesson with the P--- {after I literally dragged him out of bed to listen} and they came to church!! & we had another crazy powerful lesson with a part member family and the Spirit was so strong they were all crying!

I love being a missionary!

Funnies of the Week:

We got to watch a clip of the Best Two Years in Zone Meeting... I cried I was laughing so hard.

Went to Freddie's to celebrate my one year mark with the best ice cream in the world, and a member paid for me! The crazy thing is that I recognized him! He had bought me ice cream in Woodlands once!

I love you and miss you!

Hermana McOmber

Reading family letters at the Christmas Conference

Wrote 18 letters last P-day!

Where are the bed bugs hiding????

Yuck - found 'em!

We went to colmena for lunch to try to take our minds off of things

Sleepover (while we wait for fumigation!)

ONE YEAR !!!

One year!  With E---

We have all been out for one year!

One year ago we were on the plane heading to the MEXICO MTC together!

Freddy's - My favorite chocolate ice cream!

My favorite apartments!

Alvaro Hernandez - watch him on ESPN!

Got this from Hermano Berrios this morning- haha - so cute!

Our Christmas Card!