2nd letter from the Mission Training Center

Hello everyone,

Special shout out to Grandma Arnesen for sending the cookies! They were so good. Thank you to all those who sent me emails and DearElders, I appreciate it, they definitely help in the tough moments.

This week was a roller coaster I had some really big uplifting moments, and some moments that hit me hard. Overall, a huge week for my personal growth, both spiritually and mentally. Here we get a lot of time to study the scriptures. Its up to each missionary how they use it, for me I love to try to answer the questions that I have about the gospel. The teachers here give us a lot of great insights but when we ask a specific question about the gospel that isn't necessarily needed knowledge to effectively teach people, they tell us to search the scriptures and pray, at first I was a little annoyed because I wanted the answers right away, but as I have done what they said, and searched for the answers, I have had some amazing insights to questions that I didn't even know I had. I have gained a very strong testimony of personal revelation.

In one of my personal study times I really dove into the armour of God that is found in the bible, in Ecclesiastes chapter 6. The armour of God is something we put on spiritually as we make the right decisions and strengthen our faith. In verses 11 and 12 it says:

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  

This is saying that we need to strengthen this armour that we can't see because we are fighting an adversary that we can't see. Though I can't see it, I know it is there, it tries to drag us down, and make us less than what we can be.

The chapter talks about each piece of armour, I don't have the time to go through each piece, but I will go into one because It is an insight that I feel not enough people see. In verse 16 it says:

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

I have always read this and not thought much of it but this time I saw the "above all" and decided to pay extra attention. It was then that I realized that the fiery darts are those things that make us question our faith, whether it be something that someone says that sounds logical but may shake our belief, or as simple as discouragement within ourselves, that voice telling us we are no good. Too often we blame God or the church for this when really the problem is our shield. It is up to us to build our faith or strengthen our shield. If we get hit, it's because we have a hole in our shield and need to fill it with faith, prayer, and scripture study. I promise that as you decide to strengthen your faith, you will be blessed by God.     

I invite you all, on your own or with your families, to read Ecclesiastes chapter 6 and gain those precious insights on how to protect yourself.

I love you all, 

Elder McOmber 

To explain the pictures... there is one of me and my companion with the pies that his mom sent us for PI day, It was really cool for her to reach out to me like that when she doesn't even know me! There are a few that show me and my companion with the new elders that came into our zone in the past week. There is also one of a pringles can wrapper that has a face on it. The face was there when we opened it, it is impossible to wipe off so we think of it as our own little wilson that was sent to us (that was a Cast Away reference for those that missed it)