Jesus

Bonjour tout le monde !

        So this week we had a rdv with a French woman named Suzy. I'm not used to teaching French women, but she was excited to learn and had heaps of questions so we just answered those. We gave her a Book of Mormon challenge and just like that she's off to the South to see family. Honestly, I'd ditch Paris for the South this time of year too. It's pretty nippy here.

       I also gave a formation on stress for district council. I brought my essential oil diffuser and we did some meditations HA it was great. I was so zen for the miles of finding we did after that. But truthfully it's pretty hard to accomplish things when you're stressed and the Spirit can't be with you so you have to take time to de-stress sometimes.

        This week, despite all it's difficulties, I felt so much love from my Savior. Every hard thing that happened, every rejection, all the cold and I just kept thinking of this scripture about Christ:

        Alma 7:12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

       I know that my problems right now are relatively small. But even then, I know that Christ cares about them. He is there for me and He understands my weaknesses and problems because He has felt them. I am so overwhelmed with love for Him and all He has done for me. I'm grateful for the opportunity this mission is to strengthen my relationship with Him. 

I love you all <3 have a happy turkey day!

Sœur McOmber 

The Guttierez family feat. The best flan I've ever had (so this is what it's like to eat them and not inhale them ) 

Friends at the temple 

Saint Germain en Laye

Fromage. I used to hate French cheese but now I crave it all the time? 

I thought it was the Tahitian that brought 4 ukuleles and a banjo but no it was Elder Bourroux HA just a French man full of surprises 

I'm a mess

Salut mes amis! 

     This week we had mission conference with Elder De Feo so I got to see all my homies outside of Paris!! And learn spiritual things of course.

      Elder De Feo talked a lot about how we need to be the message, we can't just talk about it. We talked about how we promise to stand as witnesses of God at all times - which means working and talking to people even when we don't have to. Basically, the key to everything in missionary life is work. If you want to find people, if you want to become a better missionary, if you want to have the power to teach, you have to work for it. When we're working hard and keeping the commandments, that is the ~miracle zone~ as Elder De Feo said. True true I so testify. 

       This week we met some cool people. I don't know what happened but the mission made me so soft and like I cry all the time now. There was one rendez-vous where this mom that got taught a long time ago was telling us about her son and how he took her Book of Mormon and started reading it all the time and sleeping with it under his pillow. He like begs her to go to the temple every time they walk by it. This kid is only 5 but you could tell he felt the Spirit that comes from the gospel. He didn't even need to understand it because he felt it. I don't know what happens between when we're kids and adults where we sometimes lose that ability to just trust. But I really admired his faith. I walked out of that rdv a bit of a mess. The church is true

I hope you all had a great week, 

Je vous aime  

Sœur McOmber

It rains every day 

Sœur Lai found this unicorn on the side of the road and it is still sitting in our apartment 

ELDER STREBE!! First time I've seen him in 10 months it's a Gilbert reunion!! (Josh Brown got lost somewhere but he was there too) 

My sisters in Metz !!!

Sœur Tulieva asked me what animal she was once and I said an Ewok because it's my favorite animal. I also made her this haiku

The translation squad! 6 straight hours of translating English to French just for Elder Bourroux HA

Sister Newsom !! Any sleepover party is instantly 10x more hype when she is there 

The megacroc

Boop

       We were at the temple a lot this week and had a few online rendez-vous. Sœur Tulieva is really good at Facebook finding, so right now we're teaching a man named Imara in Burundi. Burundi is so cool I've decided I'm going there for my senior mission. Every few months, the Stake President goes down there and baptizes everyone like a giant African pentecost...it's amazing. Sœur Frogley showed us pictures yesterday of this crocodile that they killed while they served there - it was literally the size of a bus and ate 300 people. It's a very different mission ça c'est sûr 

         We met so many interesting people at the Visitor's Center this week. Sometimes, I really don't know what to say to some of these people and the Spirit has to guide me. A quote from a French man that came in from the street: "If you melt cheese on a lamp it kind of looks like the Star of David." We did have some really cool visits from nonmembers and gave out tons of Book of Mormons though. We even had a giant tour bus of seniors come from Lille on vacation. Not even members and they came to the temple on vacation? It's definitely a stark contrast from most of the cathedrals in France. We had a lot of French people walk in from the street too. It's fun to answer their questions because most people that come to the Center genuinely want to learn. Anyway, really good week.

         Here's your scripture of the week ;)) It's part of the little constitution Mosiah made when he was trying to keep his people from fighting: 

Mosiah 27:4 That they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support.

It was after this proclamation that they started to have peace again in the land. I've been thinking about this a lot and how we can really esteem another person as ourselves. I've noticed that the most selfless people in my life give freely of their time. They listen more. They serve more. They just genuinely care. That's really one of the hardest things to give sometimes, but often all people really need is your presence. When we worry about the needs of others as much as our own, we start to forget our problems. Cliche as it sounds, I've found it to be really true 

         

I hope you all have a great week! 

Gros bisous 

Sœur McOmber 

Sœur U knows how much I love mushrooms to she picked me this beautiful one and left it on my desk 

Elders brought cereal for district meal. Cute lil Sœur Harmon was like "Oh this is lovely, I've never tried this one before." HA 

Apartment pic!! Living with Sœur U and Sœur Lai is great- I feel like I'm at the beach all the time 

They made us poisson cru!! (Raw fish) It looks scary but it is so so good 

Exchanges with Sœur Curtis !!! Feat. 3000 mini apples she picked off the temple trees HA 

Elder Thomas serenading everyone at the temple and Elder Parada making a great music stand

The Naylor family!! Sweet beautiful American family, love them 

...and their dog. He has asthma so he always follows us and breathes so loud it's so cute

L'automne 

French thrift stores are cool because the things in them are actually old- unlike Goodwill or DI. Also unlike Goodwill or DI, you can spend $200 on a candle 

Battle Plan 2.0 Feed the Missionaries

Salutations mes chers amis ! 

      Sœur Janda got her Visa this week so she's off to the MTC. We were sad for her to leave but she's really excited to go to America. She didn't want to leave her french cheeses but is excited to try real Mexican food so hopefully that doesn't disappoint. Also, the MTC is basically a party all the time where you have no responsibilities and everybody takes care of all your needs in a spiritual haven so I'm super excited for her. 

       Meanwhile, Sœur Tulieva and I spent so much time with the members this week I loved it. We had a rendez-vous with the Darguence family and they were the sweetest little French family. She shared her conversion story and fed us a lot of tasty rice. Sœur Tulieva was like "yeah this is great because sometimes at the end of the month we're broke so these meals are like heaven" and the member felt so bad for us she immediately packaged up all the rice and gave it to us HA... then on Sunday she showed up with mini quiches and the biggest Mason jar I've ever seen filled with soup. And suddenly all the ward is concerned for our welfare and showing up at our door leaving us meals HA I'm not upset about it, we got the first salmon I've eaten in about a year it was amazing.

         We also had a fabulous rendez-vous with some of my favorite Tahitians- the family Gourrat. I love Tahitians, they treat missionaries like royalty. We're just calmly talking and they see our plates are empty like "MANGE qu'est-ce que tu fait??" (Eat! What are you doing??) They also always tutoyer us which means you speak to everybody like they're family. As we left they gave us ice cream, chocolate mousse, and homemade soap (? Amazing) and Tahitian pearls. I also love Sœur Gourrat because we walk the same way to church and we always see her stopping and talking to random strangers about the gospel. Not to pat myself on the back or anything but that's not always easy in France. Basically I just love everything about their family and everything about Tahitians fin. 

       I feel like everything I've been hearing and sharing this week has been really focused on the Priesthood. As we've been listening to conversion stories, many members share that Priesthood blessings were something that made the truth of the church undeniable for them- and I have to agree. Priesthood blessings are such a simple thing, but we should never forget that God gave us access to that power not just to direct the church but to bless us. There is immediate help that comes when we ask God through those He has called. The Priesthood is for all of us, whether we're sick or sad or just need a little help. I'm grateful for the Priesthood and those that have lived worthy to hold it. It has blessed my life and many lives of those we are teaching. 

I love all of you and hope you all have a great week ❤️

Sister McOmber 

If anybody was wondering what the a capella men's choir sounds like on the keyboard (CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO)

me: Il est pas content (he doesn't look very happy)

Sœur Tulieva: If Jesus were here I think he would wear a santa hat

Me: *no comment*

Sœur Janda will be missed (GRos BiSouS xx)

Sœur Tulieva got excited because this tree looked like a rainbow. I like this one we will keep her.