January 9, 2018

Hello everyone! 

So sorry for the long wait, but this update is worth the wait!

Several weeks ago I received word that for my last 2 transfers I would be training a new missionary in another area, which meant we would be starting from scratch. I knew that it was most likely, that we wouldn’t see many of the fruits of our labor until after I had left the mission. I was willing to have that be the case but I still got on my knees and prayed that there would be a miracle in the area and that we would have people to work with when we got into the area. Now rewind 3 years there was an amazing missionary named Elder Garfield (one I knew well) who was contacting people in Bayonne, he found this amazing family and taught them for a time, unfortunately they did not feel the message was for them at that time but they were grateful for the efforts the missionaries gave. Nonetheless they stopped taking lessons from the missionaries. A few days before elder Gwilliam and I got to this area they were thinking about meeting with the missionaries again. By the hand of god, the elders who were in the area before felt prompted to give them a call. They then taught them a lesson. They came to church and then elder Gwilliam and I came to the area. They are seriously the family I had been praying for. My whole mission I prayed and fasted for the opportunity to teach a whole family and I am so grateful for the blessing that it is to teach this Farrell family.

Fritz Farrell (the father) was a Navy seal, he has amazing stories to tell. At the same time he is very humble and so willing to hear and apply what we have to say. It is needless to say he has been through a lot in this life and has definitely been prepared to hear this message.

Elenor Farrell (the mother) has been through so much, both of her parents died at a young age, which forced her to grow up fast. She has been through trial after trial, but is finally receiving the peace she has always been looking for. She is so kind and caring. She feeds us a full meal twice a week!

Christina and Shannon (the 2 daughters) are so helpful and submissive to their parents and are leaning and loving the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ as well.

We are also working with a 16 year old young man named Abel. He is awesome and preparing for baptism.

I love god and I love this work!

Elder McOmber

October 23, 2017

So I’ll start with the heavy hitter. Elder Rasband! It was honestly amazing! He gave a lot of insight on the back story behind his 2 most recent talks, he also talked a lot about his time that he spent as a missionary here in New Jersey, shaking his hand and hearing his voice, you could honestly feel that he truly was an apostle Of Jesus Christ. Just as if you were listening to peter, James, or John. It was amazing. I wish I could give you what he said word for word, but I can give you some quotes that I remember. If you have any questions feel free to email me! He said,  “Most often, our good works are known to only a few. They are, however, recorded in heaven. One day, we will stand as a witness of our whole-souled devotion to works of righteousness. No trial or calamity can derail God’s plan of happiness. Indeed, by “divine design,” “joy cometh in the morning.” “I came into the world to do the will of [the] Father,” Jesus taught. Dear brothers and sisters, so have we.” “The Lord’s hand is guiding you. By “divine design,” He is in the small details of your life as well as the major milestones. As it says in Proverbs, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; … and he shall direct thy paths.” I testify that He will bless you, sustain you, and bring you peace.” I love this church, and it’s chosen leaders. So,thing that he strongly testified of is that this church is not led by man, it is literally directed by our savior above. I love you all so much! Elder McOmberÂ

November 13, 2017

Hello everyone! 

Sorry there hasn’t been an update in a while!

Things have been going well here in Elizabeth! I am in my 5th transfer here and still loving it. We had a miracle. We felt like we should knock on this street in linden and a few doors in we knock on the door and a middle aged mother opens the door, she lets us in and we taught her, her son, and her sons friend. Fast forward a couple days we were sitting with them in church when a member of the branch testified of the love she has for this gospel and how it has blessed her and her families life. I love this work, I love this branch, and I love this opportunity I have to serve. 

This week is going to be a big week! We have Elder Gifford Nielsen of the seventy visiting the Mission. For those of you who do not know, in Jesus Christ church when he was on the earth their was a group of seventy men who were called to assist the apostles and were to represent him in testifying of him (Luke 10:1) I feel blessed because my companion and I will have the opportunity to sit down with him and President Hess and discuss a few things before he speaks with the Mission. Then he will hold an MLC with the Mission leaders. It is going to be a busy week! 

I just want to hear my testimony that I know that god lives and that he loves us all very much! Keep on keeping on!

Much love,

Elder McOmber

November 20, 2017

Hey everyone! This week was a really good week.

Update on Gabriel: He has now come to church 2 weeks in a row and he went to the ice skating activity this week. He is such a boss. We stayed for an hour of it and made sure that he was making connections with some of the other youth, which he did and had a great time. His mom stayed as well. She is less interested but loves how her son is so interested. We had some of the other adults go and make connections with her. One of the members, Sister Sartorie walked up and started talking to her. They really clicked. Sister Sartorie and Rosemary talked about the trials they are going through and then Sister Sartorie bore an amazing testimony about how the Book of Mormon is what made the difference in her life and brought her so much peace. Sister Sartorie gets it because she was in those same shoes 6 years ago. She wasn’t interested but she had missionaries that didn’t give up on her. She wouldn’t read, lesson after lesson, but then eventually she picked up the Book of Mormon and read on her own for the first time and then her “Life was never the same again.” Rosemary said that she knows that it was god who sent Sister Sartorie to her and she said she would read the Book of Mormon. So Sister Sartorie said she would give her a Book of Mormon at church. 

We had an awesome Lesson on the plan of Salvation with Gabriel. He had so many questions about where we came from and where we go after we die. We were happy to answer them. After we finished teaching he said, “now I understand why people get baptized”. We set a date with him to be baptized on the 9th of December which may be my last week in the area. Who knows 🤷🏼‍♂️

Meeting with Elder Gifford Nielsen of the Seventy was cool, Elder Feick and I got to meet with him and President Hess for a pre-Conference meeting and it was so cool. He told a football story of when he was in the NFL. It was really cool, but what was even cooler was hearing him speak and teach from the scriptures. He is an amazing teacher. 

I am so grateful for this gospel and the way it has changed my life. I know that I will never be the same again. When I return home, nothing can ever be the way it was before. 

I would like to testify of what my cousin (Ethan Thompson) said, if we do love him, our life will be be the proof.  We will manifest our love and loyalty to the savior by his feeding his sheep. 

Love you all!

Elder McOmber

 

November 28, 2017

Not a whole lot to report, and even less time! 

I had the opportunity to go to the temple today! To make things better, the new senior couple from Redmond Washington (the Woods) came with us! A lot of fun and very spiritual.

I love you all!

 

Deember 11, 2017

Hey Everyone!

I’ll start with the big news. I’m being transferred to Bayonne! I am really looking forward to spending my last 2 transfers there. The area covers part of the unit that I spent the first 8 months of my mission, so I will be in contact with some of the people that I taught before, but I have been asked to focus my efforts on helping the Bayonne Branch so I look forward to that!

Although that is good news it meant a lot of goodbyes. We were really busy yesterday but we were able to say a few. Rasheedah definitely wasn’t happy. The hardest goodbye was Sister Currence. My companion and I have been taking the sacrament to her for the past 8 months so we have grown pretty close, when I told her she started crying. I got her number and I will definitely call her regularly. 

Other news, we had 5 exchanges this week and I am beat. Englewood and Ceder Lakes had to reschedule theirs to this week and we already had Eatontown, Paterson, and Plainfield this week, and they are not close together. I am happy that it is over haha I have really loved my time here, especially my last 2 transfers, but I’m definitely looking forward to Bayonne haha

Gabriel is doing well! He came to church again and he is going to be baptized on the 24th! We also had a few more at church, things are rolling here in Elizabeth. 

That’s about it here love you all!

Elder McOmber 

December 28, 2017

Dear Brother and Sister McOmber, Just a quick email to let you know what a great missionary Elder McOmber is.  I have attached a copy of a letter that was sent to Elder McOmber after he accepted a call to serve as a Trainer here in the mission. We love and appreciate his good works so much here in the mission.  You can be proud of your son and all that he has accomplished here in New Jersey. Love, Sister Naylor   Hello everyone!  The first week here in Bayonne was amazing! I absolutely love it here and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It is a branch but it is pretty strong. The chapel itself is probably the size of the primary room in the Sammamish Chapel. But it works!  The people here are amazing! The branch president is this fired up, energetic, small Guatemalan. I love him to death and boy does he love missionary work. The primary program was yesterday. In the middle a young man who was about to turn 12 got up to give his line, because the entire program was in English it had to be translated into Spanish for those that only speak Spanish. The person translating happened to be the father of the young boy giving his part. After giving his part he said that he felt like he should give his testimony. He then went on to testify of how grateful he has been for the primary program in the church and how he has grown so much, he then started to cry as he explained how grateful he was for the church and this gospel. Then the father, with tears in his eyes, translated what his son had just said. Such a powerful moment, I am so grateful for all of the many people I have met here in New Jersey, and especially grateful for the time that I have been given to work with the members here in Bayonne, New Jersey. The church truly is the same everywhere you go. My companions name is Elder Gwilliam, though these have been his first few days in New Jersey. He is already a great instrument in the lords hands. I love you all, Elder McOmber