last letter...its a good one!

Well, thanx for the advice Dad, after this week I REALLY need to thank Heavenly Father, and thank you so much for the scripture 3 nefi 20, the last verse was made this week, I am pretty sure you guys would not believe my last week even if I told you, but since I know Dad loves telling and hearing missionary stories I will try and sum it all up.  But sufficeth me to say, Heavenly Father LOVES ME!!  And he always keeps his promises, the last verse that my Heavenly Father gave to me was this one,  46 Verily, verily, I say unto you, all these things shall surely come, even as the Father hath commanded me. Then shall this covenant which the Father hath covenanted with his people be fulfilled; and then shall ^aJerusalem be inhabited again with my people, and it shall be the land of their inheritance. 

        I wish that I could tell you this story and you guys could feel the way I felt, the overwhelming love that I felt for Heavenly Father, and His people, I wish I could have filmed my last week, it was the best of my whole mission, I finally understand why I had to pass through all of this, Heavenly Father was planning a surprise for the end of my mission, and the sacrifice was necessary to appreciate all of it.  I can´t believe that I ever doubted!!!  Heavenly Father had been planning this week for forever!!!  This week was a week of miracles!

       Teusday: We discovered that the wedding of Marcio and Clauderí was moved to my last week, so I would be able to see their baptism!!! I taught them for my last 2 months!!

       Teusday night:  I received a call from President that I had a "special assignment", a missionary would be sent home early and I would need to take his place in the area...

The place was Rio Largo!!!!!!!!!  He also told me that I could plan with Elder Bonini to still go to my baptism in Farol, my current area.

I imediatidadely called Cristiano, and said "The High-King is coming back" I explained to him that I would be on a special assignment for my last week and would stay until sunday, he told everyone for me!!!

         Wednesday:  I arrived in Rio Largo with my new companion, Elder Clark, he was happy to see me, and so were his leaders, E. Sodré and E. Garozzi, they challenged me to baptize my last week in Rio Largo, and I accepted but asked for their prayers.  Eliene called me and told me that she wanted me to baptize her daughter Inglyde, her family loves me, but Eliene´s mom does NOT like the idea of Inglyde being baptized, Eliene was worried, but since I was coming it would be really important to her that I baptized her daughter, and so we united the neighborhood to help us!

         Thursday:  I received the news from Artur, one of my "young warriors" that there were some people in his extended family that were investigating the church and he wanted me to teach them.  We taught his cousin, Duanne, she had heard of me and wanted to hear what I had to say.  We taught her in a member´s house with a bunch of my recent converts which had been walking with me that day, she decided that Jesus Christ is what is most important to her and more than to "Say" that she loves Him, she wanted to SHOW Him her love, the spirit was SUPER STRONG.

          Friday:  The next day Elder Mark came to do interviews, when we went to do the interview we encountered Artur´s sister who explained to me that she had been frequenting church with Duanne and that she also wanted to hear what we had to say, we taught her and did her interview on the same day.

          Saturday:  All of the members and my recent converts came to the baptism, it was a little piece of Heaven, Duanne had some friends who she invited to her baptism, and we invited them to church the next day.

          Sunday:  The week was awesome, and I was happy to stay my last week in Narnia and spend all day with the people I love.  JR, Eliene, Rodrigo, Ándreia, Cristiano, Fabio, Dani, Tinha, Jhonny, etc.  My last sunday I was given time by the president of the branch to bear a "LAST TESTIMONY"   Sufficeth me to say, It was a Narnia moment.  After church Duanne´s friends came with us to take pictures, they were very emotioned by everything they had seen and also wanted to be baptized in the future.  After church I ate lunch with the first complete family I baptized in Rio Largo and then I went to one of my magic places, JR´s streat, I sat with the people I baptized and we just joked around and celebrated at the week´s victory against the adversary, we listened to The Call, it was sunday but we have decided that The Call is a "Celestial Song" so we can listen to it on sunday.  One of my recent converts said "Well, the first time we did the first film, you came back to win the battle again, I guess we will have to wait for "The dawn treddor" for you to come back" we all laughed.  Then at sunset I got on the bus to go to my area and I waved until I couldn´t see them anymore, but "´ll come back when He calls me, no need to say goodbye"  When I arrived in my area we had a miracle, a friend of the family that would be baptized who we had already been teaching decided to be baptized, we were shocked, but happy.  With her baptism it fulfilled the goal I had made at the beginning of my mission, and needless to say Heavenly Father has a better imagination than me, and His last week for me was way better than what I could have imagined.  I love you all, my beloved family, Thanx for making me a dreamer, an imaginer, and a missionary, I can´t imagine a better family to prepare me for this experience.  ahh I will leave Narnia, but I am leaving the way He wants me to leave, thanx for trusting me and letting me stay until e wanted me to go, I love you all!!!!

-Elder McOmber

p.s.  My feet are feeling better, the doctor told me that my feet were a result of walking a lot, whew*

I have received my moments here, how you guys want to receive me is up to you, I will just be happy to see you guys!!     

Elder McOmber honorable release, will be home in a week.

Christian will be coming home in a week.  He has been serving as an assistant to the president, and his mission president would love nothing more than to have him serving longer on his mission, but he has seen the pain Chrsitian is in, and his hand is not getting better, it has now spread to his shoulders, other hand, and now feet.  We already have a doctor appointment for the day after he returns next week.  This is very good, and his mission president mad the decision.  Christian would have stayed even longer, even though he has been battling this pain since March.  Christian served valiently, and with more effectiveness than most, and he is fine with this decision.  He knows it is what the Lord wants, and he has had many spiritual experiences that confirm that.  We look forward to next week!  WE LOVE ELDER MCOMBER!

I love you all so much, Dad, that is way cool that that women got sealed after we gave her that book of Mormon.  I think by now you guys have gotten the call from President Tanner, Presidente Gonzaga has seen my health get worse and this past week he sat me down right before I was going to give a training to the leaders in Sergipe, he told me that he has thought a lot about me and that he feels from God that now is my time, I will call you guys to let you guys know more, President knows how important my mission is to me, so he has arranged for me to end my mission as if it were normal, I will return having served an honorable full-time mission.  But I will be coming home next week, Heavenly Father has been preparing me little by little for this moment, I have felt from the spirit that Heavenly Father is happy with me and that he is happy with my sacrafice and my mission.  When I have more time I will tell you guys the whole story, but it sufficeth me to say that I know that Heavenly Father is happy with me and that personal revelation is very real,  I have had a moment this week that was very spiritual, I KNOW that this is my time to go and that Heavenly Father loves me.

       Today President said, "This game isn´t over, it is like football, I am going to take out my all-star player so that he can play in the championship game"  I am so glad that President has an eternal perspective and that he loves me so much.  Even though no one can replace Mom and Dad, President and Sister Gonzaga have treated me like their son.  Numerous ocasions President has called me Son in front of other missionaries and members, but President and I both have the same Heavenly Father, and even though we wanted to stay together a little longer, President feels like it is my time, and I trust his inspiration.

        But I wanted to thank my Dad and Mom for all of the love and support, and I wish you guys could see me here, I feel like the Gladiator of the Maceió mission, I feel sad that my Glory days are coming to an end, but this is not the first time I have fought for good alongside these mighty companions and Presidente and Sister, and I know that the battle between Good and Evil is far from over, when it comes time for the "championship game" I know that I will be alongside Presidente again, and we will take on the world!!

       But I also wanted to thank dad for inspiring me before my mission to ask Heavenly Father for a scripture, I prayed and opened the book of Mormon and opened to 3 Nefi 20, during my mission I have read this scripture.  It is amazing that something written thousands of years ago by a prophet of God has parralleled so clearly my mission, I can look at this chapter and see where I was transfered, which prophecy was written for which area.  Heavenly Father´s ability to plan and make goals never ceases to amaze me.  When I get home I will show you ma and Dad, when I tell you my stories, I love you both so much, but dad, if you want to get some closure, read the last 5 verses of 3 Nefi 20, I didn´t go home "with flight" when you guys asked me to go home 2 months ago because I still had to fulfill te last 4 verses, but now it is finished and verily all has come to pass, I love you all and am excited to see you all again!!!  

-Elder McOmber      

October 8, 2012

I loved conference!!!  But I thought a lot about you guys and everything that is happening and I just want you all to know how much I love you, and whatever happens I will always do my best to make you guys proud, and to make Heavenly Father proud.  Whatever happens I want you all to know how much I love you all, and how grateful I am that I was born in our family and for all of the experiences I have had with all of you, and all that you guys have taught me, I know that I am a product of the love of our family and I have always done my best to be strong and do the right thing.  I have been fast and immovable on the mission, everything that Heavenly Father and my mission president has asked of me I have completed and I have been used by God to help many people, including investigators, members, and even other missionaries, I have always done the best I can to be an example of excitement and joy in this work, I have seen God´s hand in my life, and I have seen Him do miracles.  There are days when I feel like dancing, days when I know that Heavenly Father wants me to be a trooper and days when I ask Heavenly Father if I can be safe in His wings.  In everything I know that I need to be as a child and submit myself to His will and be like a child.  I don´t know what the future will be, I am still waiting for my miracle, but if it doesn´t come I hope you guys will love me coming home, with my shield or upon it. 

-Elder McOmber

McDonalds in maceio!

Ma, can you be specific about what things I need to send you to be able to vote?  Like, which numbers from the driver´s license, or ID info, send it to me as soon as possible, I will look at my email, and next P-day I will send it to you...  As for my health, this thursday I will go to the doctor to try and recieve my 2nd cortizone injection, the first one didn´t make a difference, but maybe the 2nd will make a difference, but whatever happens, there is surgery when I get back;)  And I will ask the doctor what is going on with my other hand and my shoulders.  I will let you guys know how it went...

       But this week will be cool we will give a training to the mission tomorrow that we have been planning for a while.  I wish you guys could see it!!!  It will be awesome, also this week we will have a couple missionary come to the mission, I will go with President to meet them, I will treat them like i would treat G-ma and G-pa ;)  And McDonalds arrived in Maceió!!!!!!!!!  Ahhh I love life on the mission!!  In between trainings, analyzing numbers, divisions with zone leaders and dealing with problem missionaries we are BAPTIZiNG!!!  haha  Until now we have baptized a family of 3 and a teenage girl named Milena, she felt so special on the day of her baptism, she is a model so, needless to say all of the young men came to watch her baptism haha Note to Aunt Dany, Milena "catches the freeze," and yes my  brasilian companion now knows what that means, I told him that it is a McOmber thing.  In a few weeks we will baptise her parents, but first we need to help them get married.  But now I just have to baptise 15 more people to reach the Grandy goal!!!  WITH MY SHIELD OR UPON IT!!!!  I love you all!

-Elder McOmber
  

Justin ordained a priest today, Christian's comments

Thank you for all of the advice and scriptures and support. I love you guys so much! I am so proud of justin in his football experience. I am glad I have a brother like him and a family that raised me to be a missionary. My heart has been touched by the help of president and sister gonzaga and my companions; elder faria, elder cardoso, elder bonini, elder langlois, and elder douglas. They have been with me shoulder to shoulder in this trial and many missionaries and members and recent converts are praying for me. Their sacrifices touches my heart. 

I have felt pains in my other hand and my shoulders. It is comforting to know that heavenly father will not give me something i cant handle. Heavenly Father is with me. This week we welcomed the newbies into the mission. I remembered when I came to the mission, and my heart was filled with the desire to continue and filled with love for the new missionaries. This week, I will travel with president to Lagarto to strengthen the church there. I will get to see my recent converts there, I am excited! And I will go to penedo this sunday to see their chapel get dedicated, that a year ago i watched as it was anounced in a little house, in a little city, that I loved. Now i will return to see the new chapel get dedicated AKA heavenly father super loves me!!!! ;D

Tell Justin That I love him and that his choices make my sacrifice worth it. I know that me leaving the house put more weight on his shoulders. I know it is not easy for him to live his standards in a world of half truths, but I want him to know that even though I am half a world away, we are together. Many of my life decisions and even my smaller choices were made with him in mind. I have always seen great potential in my little brother. I am grateful that we were born into this gospel that gives us an eternal perspective. I believe that I chose my brother for a purpose. I was so excited to see him again, that I dressed up in my best vest to see him. He is amazing. He always looks out for those around him and is a leader. When its hard to go on, and I feel discouraged and tired, I imagine him as a missionary and it gives me strength. I know that we will have an eternity together but I am grateful for the moments that I have had with him: moments that I will never forget. He will receive a higher priesthood with this power he will have more capacity to serve those around him and to love them. 

Justin.   Always strive to magnify your calling and your priesthood. Behind every sacrifice there is an experience that only you will understand. My greatest desire is for you to have these experiences. Always serve with all your heart might mind and strength, and you will feel like heavenly father is holding you in his hands. 

I love you, my mighty little brother.

Elder Christian McOmber

another great day!

Ma, I love that you are a worker!!  And Dad, thanx for everything and all of the love, the trial of this hand will pass, this week Sister Gonzaga will mark a time to go to the specialist with me where we will mark the surgery, she is researching him right now to see if we can trust him, but if everything works out I will get the surgery and be happy!!!        We are being super blessed in our area, and I mean super blessed!!  We have encountered really excited investigators, one day we went to visit a family that we would teach and there were 5 people in the house with them, we went there and taught everyone, and all 5 of them escepted to prepare to be baptised, it wasn´t til afterwards that my companion said, "We marked a specific time with that family, those 5 other people were waiting for us..."  I know that this work is God´s work and when he wants to bless us He does!!!  It is awesome becaus in our area there is a street that everyone calls Mormon´s street because almost everyone on that street is baptised, it is like Utah in the middle of Brasil, we baptise young women who were working on personal progress before being baptised!!!  It is awesome, and we are teaching a bunch of people that live the next street over and opposition always happens, but for right now they are way excited to be baptised.        Thank you so much for all of your prayers and help, and I am so happy that I am in Maceió where the church is strong!!!  It is so much weight off your shoulders, and I love you all, I am almost finished with my afflictions, after this surgery I will say Victory to us!!!

Thanx for all of the prayers and love and support I love you guys so much!!!!  Ma, no worries, Sister Gonzaga is taking care of me, she payed from her own pocket for a specialist to look at my hand!!!  And that is how we knew what the problem with my hand was, she is organizing everything with the missionary doctor, today I talked to her on the phone, she reminds me so much of you it is crazy!!!  She said that she feels really responsible for me, I told her that I wanted to do the surgery, she said she won´t let me do it until she can find a doctor that she has certanty she can trust, the doctor that we used she is looking into, but she is going to call people that know him, people that were operated on, his references, and she is going to look around and see if there is a better option, she is a super go-getter, but ma, I just want you to know that every little thing is gonna be alright, but keep up the prayers!!!       But I wanted to talk to you guys about the work, 2 days ago we baptised a man named Genilson, he is way cool!!!  We found him knocking doors, he found what he was always searching for in other churches, before his baptism he recieved a really strong testimony and in his baptism he cried with joy, he said that even though there were a bunch of people watching his baptism, in the moment he felt like he was alone with God, it was really cool, and after his baptism we brought him to a members house where they were having a party with a bunch of people,from the church. As we were teaching him he voiced concerns that if he left with his friends to parties he would drink, and this past week he declined an invite to a party, but a member we brought with us said "You don´t need to sin to have a good time, after your baptism, come kick it at my place"        While we were at the party they brought out so much Coca cola, I bet Genilson was thinking "what they don´t drink in beer, they drink coca cola"  But it was cool to see the men of the ward gather around him and tell mission stories, talk about sports, and joke around, the next day at church my friends from Rio Largo came to church and whatched church with me, Eliene, Cristiano, Fabio, JR, and Dany, it was awesome, I love you guys so much, but when I go home I am going to have Saudades of everyone here, but I will keep in touch, I love you guys, keep up the prayers!!! Oh, Heather, my hand stays about the same, but if I can get this surgery figured out I can get better before I go home, please pray so that the doctors and sister Gonzaga can find a way to help my hand!!  Eu amo voces!!!! -Elder McOmber