picture to run the Torchlight Race with us

Great day!

Well family, I am so happy that you guys are doing awesome, I really hope that my service is helping you guys out too. I think it is wild to see how you guys are changing just through your letters. Heather is writing really well, with a good sense of humor, I laughed real hard when I saw the pickles comment at the end. kkk I am glad to see that Justin is going all out and even doing work in the paint with the pros;) I am real happy that you guys are happy, the work here is going real well, We are about to baptise 2 people this saturday, Euranha and Felipe. Felipe is a teenager that went to one of our baptisms a few weeks ago, he saw his friend get baptised, and it touched his heart, and so he said that he too wanted to be taught. We went to his house in the following days and spoke with him, while we were there we met his aunt, Euranha, she is also way awesome. I know that mom would love her, she has a baby who faz bagunsa during the lessons, he is hilarious, and she is so funny. The other day he fell over 8 times because he puts clothes on his face and jumps up and down, she finally said "Pronto, pronto, a festa já era!!" and she put the clothes up above , then he tried to climb on a chair to get to the clothes and we all just started to laugh. When she holds him on her lap, we will be talking about something very spiritual, then she will all the sudden say to her son, "Deixe sua mãe para conversar!!" and then continues talking, I wish you guys could see it, it is hilarious!! They are both amazing people, Euranha has been through a lot in her life but she is so excited to take these steps, and I know she will be such a force for good, and Felipe is such a sweet kid, he is so tranquil, but happy, i´ve never seen a kid quite like him, they are both such amazing people and I am so happy that I was able to play a part in their lives, I am so excited to see what will happen to them as they grow in this gospel. I know that Heavenly Father saved them for me and my companion and for that I am very grateful! I love you all, thanx for the support and love, -Elder McOmber

Run for Justin! Good story of a kindred dancer :)

Thanx for the letters Ma and Dad, I love you both so much!! I will try to get a running picture for you guys, I will send it to you on monday. The work is going awesome here, we have had a few divisions that fell through this past week, but it was fun to have some quality time with my companion, Elder Garrett is very wise and I have really loved learning from him as we serve together. We are coming close to tranfers, I would really love to stay here with Elder Garrett, but if the Lord has a better place for me, I am ready to go, I love my Pai Celestial and I will do whatever he asks of me.
I had an interview with my new mission President, Elder Gonzaga is an amazing servant of the Lord, and I know that he is called of God. This last week has been amazing. I just want to share a story with you all about my friend named Jeovanio. He is way cool, he is way into Capoeira, he went to a big meeting in Sergipe last week with some pros. He is very sincere and very straight forward. He has been to church a few times and he is reading the book of Mormon and praying for an answer, whenever he reads he said that he feels normal, but he is always able to tell us exactly what the chapter is about. So we left him to read the story of Ammon and pray to recieve a feeling in his heart. I told him that I would pray for his answer.

I prayed and thought a lot about his answer, then the morning before we went there I recieved a prompting in personal study to read Alma 32, I read and funny enough, verse 28 stood out to me, even though I was reading in Portuguese I read that verse and I thought a little about Ben Bleazard haha But I felt really strongly about sharing that scripture with him. When we got there Jeovanio told us that he read this chapter, he really liked Lamoni. I asked him if he felt something this time, he told me that he did, I asked him if he could explain it, he said that he couldn´t but that he knew that he felt something and he indicated across his chest to his heart. I told him that I had been praying with all of my heart that he would recieve that feeling and that I had been prompted to show him that scripture, Alma 32:28, I showed him that scripture and we talked about how he knows that the feeling in his heart is growing and getting stronger. We explained that that feeling is the spirit and that he can know through that feeling that this church is true.

I was so happy that Heavenly Father let me be a part of Jeovanio´s spiritual journey. I want to testify that I know that this church is true and that Heavenly Father really does tell His servants what He wants them to do, if they are listening.

I love all of you, and I promise to pray for Justin and his Eagle Projects, I am not really sure how this whole letter thing works, but it sounds like it goes to a blog where people read it, so for all of you blog readers, go run in my little brother´s Race!!! He is the man! Much love Family, and Justin, even though I am not in America, I promise you I will be running around over here, so you can believe I am running with you, my brother.

-Elder McOmber

Great Day in the Seattle/Brazilian Rain!

Hey family, I love you all and I am so proud of all of you!! I loved the package!!! I just got it this last week, I am loving the peanut butter pretzels and NUTELLA!!! Nutella is Sooo good with Brazilian bread!! Heather, I am sorry you had a rough sleepover experience, and I am glad you are skyping with Nickle, tell her I love her too and there have been times when I see 2 little girls playing in the street and I think about you two. This last week has been quite an experience, but to put it all in a few words it was a whirlwind, my companion and I have been literally running around doing divisions and working out everybody´s problems. But it has been a blast, I have thought a lot about a lot of advice everyone has given me and some things Dad has said to me, as I have been working to achieve one of the goals he set for himself during his mission. On sunday it was raining like crazy, but we had found a bunch of people to bring to church that week so we were running around trying to help all of our investigators get to church. It was real rough, but then as I was walking along the streat I herd a familiar song that I used to sing to ma, and for a second the rain stopped and the sun came out. I thought about my family at home praying for me and it gave me a moment of needed courage. In our outdoor font in our branch it started to rain when Eunisse was going to be baptised, Augusto really wanted me to baptise Eunisse, I have to admit there was something magical about baptising Eunisse in what to me felt like Seattle rain. I felt like in that moment my worlds were colliding and I was reminded of how Heavenly Father really plans every moment perfectly if we have the faith to do what he asks. I love you all, Bust, go hit someone for me out on the field. -Much Love, -Elder McOmber

wearing his shoes out in the service of the Lord! :)

Thanx a million Dad, I loved your letter. There are definately times when it is a tough race, this last transfer was real rough for me, I don´t want to go into details, but lets just say I am glad that I had Scott Cooper´s story for preperation. But, I honestly tried to love my companion, I read over and over again the advice from the letters binder, that helped me out a ton, but we baptised 2 people, I felt so happy, but I also felt the energy sucked out of me, my heart, might, mind, and soul was tired, but I didn´t want to be one of the missionaries that 'Die on the mission" So I told myself no matter what I was going to press on, and now I am here in Penedo, It is amazing how Heavenly Father does things, but now everything that I lost I am gaining here, it is me, 2 old missionaries that are doing the best they can, and a new brazilian to whom I am teaching English, my English class is going great here, we have baptised 8 people so far and we have 3 more this week if everything goes well, and each one of their stories is amazing!!!

I feel like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ gave me the oppurtunity to feel Christ´s pain and to stand alone for the love of others. i am so glad that I felt a small fraction of what it is like to carry the world on your shoulders for the love of others, and to be honest I cant imagine a better family to prepare me for these experiences. I love all of you, and I am so glad to be a part of this work, I was feeling so tired, but here I am working with valiant companions and amazing members. Not to mention these families that I am teaching are healing me as I teach them and we grow together, I know that it is a long race Dad, but keep going!! And don´t look back, you have to always know that what Jesus has for you is better than whatever you had going on before. I am honestly in Paradise, with a companion that is way valiant, I feel like we both arrived in Penedo after much suffering, but now we are getting stronger together, and Dad, I remember your goal of 25 from your mission, I always wanted to have that much faith, Elder Garrett and I are going for it.

I just want to testify that Heavenly Father is My Heavenly Father, he breaks me, and then he gives me everything i have ever dreamed, I can´t wait for you guys to see this place, it is more beautiful than I could have imagined, and pictures really don´t give the sunsets working justice. But, I love you, and my family,

Até próximo!

-Elder McOmber

Great Success!

Thanx for everythin ma, I am real grateful for the letters and all of the support that you guys give me. Penedo is exploding with success, I just want to tell you a little story real fast while I still have time. There was this family, Aloisio and Kelly and their 2 kids. We marked their baptism for this past saturday when we arrived in Penedo, they had been to church a few times and found a different feeling in our church. This past week we were preparing them for their baptisms, and let me tell you the faith they have can move mountains. On monday someone from another church stopped by before we got there and told Kelly that she wasn´t prepared for her baptism, how could she know that our church is true and tried to tell her a bunch of terrible things about our church, she bore her testimony and said that she knows that our church is true. Then after we passed by, she was cleaning through some things in her house and she found some music that reminded her of a different part of her life, she broke all of the CDs and said that she wanted to leave behind her past. Aloisio and Kelly were baptised this past saturday, when Elder Garrett and I stopped by the following monday Aloisio told us that he used to love São João, he use to drink like crazy, it was his life, but now he has left all of that behind to follow this new path. He told us that before his baptism, everything was (Hand slap sign that means whatever) but now he sees the difference in between right and wrong, and he wants nothing to do with the evil things of this world. He also told us that he is walking into a new world, and he wants that for all of his friends, the day after his baptism he invited his friend to church, and Kelly has a few friends that she wants to bring to church next week.

Aloisio and Kelly have tasted true joy, and now they want that for their friends, my brothers and sisters, my heart is full of joy for the righteous in this world who are willing to follow Jesus Christ. I want to bear my words that I know that God lives, and that through Jesus Christ we can live with Him someday, and I know that there are souls out there that are spiritually starving, and they need a friend to call to them. I wish that I had more time in a day to share this message, because I know that it is True!!!! I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.