Monday, November 2, 2015

Sabbath Day Blessings, Baptisms, and the Best 18 Months of my Life

Well this is it... my final letter home. This is just completely surreal. I don't even know how to describe what I'm feeling right now haha.
We had an amazing week this week. Probably one of the best, and I'm grateful because it was my last. We were in a lesson with Kenisha, one of our investigators. Man I love that lady. Last week when she came to church, she had just barely gotten about a block away from her house when her shoe broke. She knew she would be late for church if she turned around, and she knew she had to go to church, so she kept going with a broken shoe. She told us that on the way home after church, she was limping along with one shoe when a lady selling shoes called out to her. Kenisha told her she didn't have any money to buy shoes and she was just coming from church. The woman selling shoes told her that they were free of cost and gave her a pair of brand new shoes. When Kenisha told us this, she was just beaming... she told us that she knew that it was a blessing from God because she chose to keep the Sabbath Day holy.
This weekend was one of the best weekends of my life... because Joe got baptized!!!
We woke up at 4:30 in the morning on Saturday to get ready... and then we rode with some members to a completely different parish to go to a place called Salt River. Old Harbour doesn't have its own font because we meet for church in a rented place, so we had to go find somewhere with enough water to do a baptism. The baptism was amazing. It was absolutely beautiful. Joe was just glowing. And then at church on Sunday, he not only received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, but he took the sacrament for the first time, got the Aaronic Priesthood, and he paid his tithing. It was a very big weekend for him and he was just so happy all weekend... which made me happy!!!
This weekend pretty much sums up why we come on missions. I didn't come on this mission to see the world and to have a good time. Now that I'm coming to the end of my mission, I realize that the whole reason I came on a mission was to learn about serving others. By serving and learning to love, I have come to know for myself that everything I was taught growing up is true. I've seen the blessings that the gospel brings in my life and I've seen the gospel bless the lives of so many people over the course of these 18 months. Joe is now a completely different person than he was when we met him six weeks ago.  And it's because of the gospel. I'm a completely different person than I was 18 months ago. And it's because of the gospel. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. He's your Savior... He is everyone's Savior. And I know that this is His church restored to the earth. I am so grateful for that knowledge. This has been the hardest, but the best year and a half of my life. I have absolutely no regrets. I will always remember and cherish this experience... I owe Heavenly Father everything for trusting me enough to come out here and to meet all these amazing people.
Well... my final scripture to share with you all as a missionary comes from the Bible. 3 John 1:13-14.
"I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee: But I trust that I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name."
I love you all. I'll see you soon. Never forget... the church is true!!
Signing off for the last time,
xoxoxoxo,
Sister Oman



Sister Williams and I....we went on trade off's together.


I love these kids with all my heart!!

Sister Tebo and I


6:00 in the morning baptism on Saturday.  I was so happy!!!

No bicycles on the highway...this guy is a rebel.  Ha ha!!


Sister Blake, Zenadine, and me.

Some of the most amazing people I've ever met...I love these people.   I love this branch...man I just love Old Harbour.

Sister Phillips, Kyrie and me.

Our district, oh dear!

Sister Irving and Taveen

The view from our back door this morning.

Our gratitude door, where we write things we are grateful for every day!!

The baptism

The sky!!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

18 Months and Flying Bag Juice

Hey everyone :)

This week we were walking on the road at the same time school had just let out. So there were a ton of high school students on the sidewalk with us. For some reason, one of them decided it would be funny to throw a bag juice at us. It hit Sister Tebo's shoulder, and then bounced off and soaked my leg. We just ignored it and kept walking until we got out of sight and then stopped to clean up. I'm not going to lie, at first I was a bit annoyed. But then I started to think about everything that Christ went through for us, and I realized that having a bag juice thrown at us really isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. So that was an adventure.
We went to an appointment with our investigator and we were talking about prayer. She shared an amazing story with us. She said that when she woke up this morning, there was no food in the house, and no money to buy food. She and her daughter were the only ones home, so she knelt down and said a prayer. She told God that they were really hungry and they had no money to buy food. She asked Him to please help her and her daughter get something to eat that day. Then she got up and went about her morning routine. She went outside for a little bit, and when she came back in she saw $100 sitting on the bed. (That's a little less than a dollar at home.) It was just enough to buy a little food for her and her daughter. When she told us about it, she was almost in tears because she was so grateful to God for answering her prayer. Nobody else was home... she still doesn't know where the money came from, but she does know it was an answer to her prayer. I'm grateful for the opportunity that I have to hear amazing, testimony building experiences of others every day.
Friday was my 18 month mark! I can't believe it's been a year and a half already!!! It's just a surreal feeling. Anyways... Friday morning, we went for a run right when we woke up. When we got home, I went in the bathroom for a minute. When I came back out, Sister Tebo was standing with her back to me by the kitchen counter. I started to say something, and all of the sudden she whips around and lets out what sounded like a Native American war cry, and then next thing you know I'm covered in flour. Thank you, Sister Tebo. I love being covered in flour before 7:15 in the morning. Haha. I joke. It was a fun surprise. :)
We had EIGHT people at church on Sunday!!! Woohoo!!! I was looking around in Gospel Principles class, and I was like "We're teaching her, and her, and him, and him... and wow! Half the class is our investigators!" It's a great thing to see those you love choose to do the right thing.
You know what else is a great feeling? When the people you're teaching start teaching others about the things they're learning. We have a couple different investigators that are just on fire with sharing the gospel. They're inviting their friends to lessons with us, telling them what they learn with us, and bringing people to church with them. I love it. It makes my heart happy :)
Well I think that's it for this week!! These weeks go by so fast I never know what to say in my emails.
But anyways. I love you all :) Have a superb week!!
xoxoxo,
Sister Oman
 
M.S.G. on your food anyone?!?

The skies!!  It's like Lion King, everyday!  Ha Ha

Kenisha!  She came to church yesterday.  She was able to get the day off from her job at KFC. 

I made the world's best pasta salad last week so I thought I'd share. 

Sister Tebo floured me to celebrate my 18 months mark!!!  Sneaky Girl!!1


Our dinner on Friday night.  I'm grateful for members who feed us!!


We taught Young Women's at church yesterday.  I love these girls!!!




This is Sister Tebo and I during our studies!!!