AWESOME Birthday! Can't wait to hear the prophet speak at General Conference THIS SUNDAY!

Hi guys!

So. Just so all of you know... I am not dead. We just had P-day on Tuesday this week because the Monday after Easter is a holiday here, so we were working. :) That's quite an interesting thing about being a missionary; we work hard every day except holidays. On those days, we work TWICE as hard. :P

This week has been eventful. For starters, I want to send my love and support to any who know those missionaries who were hurt in the attack in Belgium. I'm so glad no one was fatally injured. We have missionaries serving here in our zone from Belgium and I know they're really worried about it. It's a terrible thing when evil people commit acts of terrorism like this. I am very glad to know that justice will be done in the end; both on the end of the aggressors and on the end of the victims. All pain will be repaired by the Master, and all evil will be paid for. Death is not the end, and fear is not eternal. The Lord is in control.

I had an awesome birthday. Shoutout to Mom, Dad, Morgan, Colton and Kyle, as well as Uncle Del and Aunt Kari and their family; I loved your packages. :) I am going to gain a million pounds on my mission if I keep getting loved like this. :P The good news is the snow is melting (slowly but surely) so I'll be able to get out and run again.

Easter was cool. My companion and I sing in the choir here in the Quebec Ward, and we sang some really cool songs: "Seigneur, J'ai Tant Recu" and "Oui, Je Crois En Christ" were in French, and then we sang a beautiful song called "Consider The Lilies" in English. I love music, especially when I can sing for my Savior. It was an awesome Sunday.

Funny stuff that happened this week... well, yesterday, Elder Peery and I were about to get out of the car. He pulled the keys out of the ignition, but fumbled and dropped them between the middle console and the seat. He spent a good 3 or 4 minutes fishing around between the seat and the console to pull them out. I watched and waited for him to be done, and when he finally pulled them out, I asked for him to hand me our phone. He put it in my hand and I promptly dropped it into the same spot he'd dropped the keys. (I couldn't help it. :P) It took him a full few seconds to register what had happened, and then he just yelled, "YOU ARE SATAN!" and started fishing around for the phone. It was so perfect. XD I couldn't stop laughing for a full 5 minutes. Oh the joy of having a companion. Trust me, he dishes it out just as he takes it. :P

To finish, I just want to tell all of you how excited I am, and how excited you all should be, for this weekend! Think about it; a modern-day prophet, just like Moses or Elijah, and modern-day apostles, just like Peter and James and John and Paul, are going to "talk of Christ... rejoice in Christ... preach of Christ... [and] prophesy of Christ, that... [we] may know to what source [we] may look for a remission of [our] sins." (2 Nephi 25:26) Is that not the coolest thing EVER?!? What wouldn't you have given to sit at the feet of Peter and hear what he had to say about the Savior? Well, these prophets, seers and revelators fulfill the same roles; they are special witnesses of Christ, and their very existence testifies to the veracity of our claim that this IS The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Ephesians 4:11-14, speaking of the organization of Christ's church, states, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." This is the work these men do, and I know that they are men of God. I know that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ, and that He does lead it, through these prophets and apostles who will speak to us this Saturday and Sunday. I encourage all of you to watch General Conference this Saturday and Sunday (each of the four sessions), and to come to watch with a question in your mind, and that question WILL be answered through the Holy Ghost speaking to your heart, whether your question be, "Is this really Christ's Church?" or "How can I confront this latest struggle?" or anything else. You'll get your answer; I know it because I always get mine.

En avant!

Elder Bryan McOmber

P.S. If you don't know where to find the broadcasts, just go to LDS.org on Saturday morning. Or ask one of your Latter-Day Saint friends; I know they'll be happy to invite you to watch with them! :)

P.P.S. But seriously. A PROPHET will be speaking. Is that not worth watching??? :)

The ice on the streams is melting! And hey... DUCKS! :)

 

The skyline in the fog. J

AMAZING French home-cooked meal! LOVE this video! Feeling the love of my Savior.

Hey everyone!

I ATE WITH FRENCH PEOPLE YESTERDAY AND IT WAS AMAZING.

So. A family in our ward from France invited us to eat with them last night. The mom and one of the sons are like... professional chefs. No joke. They went to school and everything. And oh dang was that a good meal. It was probably the best meal I've eaten on my mission. Crazy good. We started with the appetizer, which was some sort of chips, and some bread with this really good spinach/garlic sauce. (I know. I didn't think it would be all that good either... then I tasted it.) Then they brought in the entree, which was a central European dish called "choucroute." That means "cabbage crust." Sounds weird, right? It was actually super duper good. It was like these sausages slow cooked with a mixture similar to sauerkraut. Then we poured it over some potatoes and ate it with Dijon mustard. And then we felt really full. That's when they told us it was time for cheese. Hahaha. I love French people. They literally set aside a time in the meal for cheese. It's beautiful. They brought out several long baguettes and like four types of cheese. You basically just reached out, tore off a piece of a baguette, took a knife, cut off a slice of whichever cheese you might prefer, and then ate it. It was really good. Then we had some really good cakes for dessert. I was SO FULL leaving their house. It was awesome.

Funny stories from this week... well, the sister missionaries in our ward made Elder Peery and I planners. And the back of our planners had pictures of squirrels on them. They told us the squirrels reflected our personalities. My squirrel is sitting on a rock, holding a nut, and looking around, very confused. Yup. Thank you sisters. That's pretty much me. Elder Peery's is really close to the camera and like looks into your soul. Didn't know how to take that one. I'll show you pictures (if I remember XD).

Well, this week I gotta share the message we're sharing with everyone we possibly can! And that message is #Allélujia! :) (follow this link for an explanation in more detail :) https://www.mormon.org/easter)

I'd explain the video... but that would deprive you of the joy of watching it. So... first, go watch the video (again if you've already seen it). Then read the rest of this email! :)

Every time I watch this video, it hits me harder and I love it more and more. These scriptures that they quote are some of my very favorites of all time. And they remind me so easily of what this is all about, of why I'm here and who I'm here for. So that's what I'll share today.

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that. With all of my heart and soul, I know that. He spent hours in agony in Gethsemane for me. He spent hours hanging on a cross for me. And after three days, His spirit rejoined His mortal body and He was resurrected. He lives today. And He is not far from any one of us.

And I love Him. I love Him so much. In every moment of trial, in every moment of fear or guilt or pain or suffering, He has been there for me. I have cried out with His disciples on the sea of Galilee, "Carest Thou not that I perish?" And I have felt His loving response of peace and calm in my own life. He cares for me. He is there for me. And He is there for every single one of His brothers and sisters here on the earth. You can NEVER fall farther than He can reach. His Atonement is perfect and incredible.

If you take anything out of this letter, let it be this:

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was, is, and ever will be the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind.

I know it.

En avant!

Elder Bryan McOmber

Baguettes and cheese. LE MEILLEUR!

Yup. That's just my personality.

Hahahaha. Perfect.

Signs of Spring! What I KNOW...and how.

Hey guys!

So... it's been a pretty good week. Spring is coming! It rained several times, and all of the birds are returning; we saw seagulls flying around our apartment complex yesterday! I'm really excited for all of the snow to be gone. Oh, the days when I loved the snow. They are now gone. Running on snow in the morning has actually messed up my feet so now I have to stop until the snow is gone. Stupid Arizona feet.

Something funny that happened... well, you know table tennis? Well, Elder Peery and I found some tennis racquets and tennis balls in our closet. So we cleared off our tiny table and started playing literal table tennis. Do you have any idea how hard it is to play table tennis with a regular size tennis racquet and ball on a mini-size table? It's pretty dang hard. We've gotten pretty good at it though. We look very silly, that's for sure.

I taught a couple this week who invited a friend over to hear us. Well, sort of. He was actually there to try and rip us apart. He knew the Bible extremely well, and the first thing out of his mouth as we started was the line from Revelation 22:18.

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book."

(For an apostle's words on this important subject, see this link:

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2008/05/my-words-never-cease?lang=eng)

This man then proceeded to tell us that the Bible is the only source of truth on the planet, and therefore we had no reason to be there. He continued to tell us that we were liars and unprepared to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

First. I need to make one thing clear.

I'm 18 years old. I'm practically a child still. I don't know this language perfectly and I don't know the scriptures perfectly and I don't know everything about the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

But I have been called of God, through a living prophet on the earth today. I am a servant of Jesus Christ and I wear His name on my chest every day from sunup to sundown. This gospel I teach as one of His missionaries is HIS gospel, and this church I represent is HIS church, built on the same foundation of prophets and apostles He built it on throughout all time. These things I KNOW.

That word - to know. Maybe we don't truly understand that. When I state that I know these things, it is not through some intense desire to build a belief into more than it is. It is because I really do know them. I have prayed to our Father in Heaven to ask questions about truths of which I want to really know. And I have felt the confirming power of the Spirit of God testify of these things which I will testify of now.

I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, providing a second witness along with the Holy Bible that Jesus is truly the Christ, that He lives and loves us and that He came to earth once and will come again, and soon. I know that God has called prophets and apostles in these latter days, just as Moses and Noah and Adam and Elijah and Peter and Paul and hundreds and thousands of others throughout the centuries. The prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ today is Thomas S. Monson, and he is the Lord's chosen prophet on the earth. I know it. But all of these truths of which I know are dwarfed by the greatest truth of all.

Jesus Christ is my Savior. He is my Redeemer. He is my Brother and my Friend. I KNOW HE LIVES. He loves me. He cares about me and He cares about you. He wants us all to come home to Him and our Father in Heaven. And we can do that through living His gospel as revealed and taught in His restored church.

Forgive me if I have been forceful in how I have spoken. But these are unalterable, unshakable facts of which I have come to know of myself through sincere study and prayer, and I cannot deny them. This is why I'm here. This is what I share, along with every other missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ the world over. And I urge every soul who reads this letter to see for themselves, to do as the Lord has taught and ask in faith.

It's true. I know it.

En avant!

Elder Bryan McOmber

Blizzard buried my car (pics)! Attitude. Beautiful Quebec frozen waterfalls!

Howdy ya'll!

What a lovely week.

Well, it was the "blizzard of the year" this past Thursday. Some of the missionary teams didn't even leave their apartments all day. The snow was blowing horizontally and there were HUGE piles of snow everywhere, even before the snowplows came around to push it all away. Insane.

So what did my companion and I do?

Business as usual.

We left the apartment at our normal time. It took a little while to get the car unstuck, and then we proceeded to drive around town to see people who were stuck at home because of the storm. I love the mission; the times when everyone else wouldn't DARE go outside are the best times for missionaries to go out, cause everybody's home! :) It was actually super fun (and I was warmly dressed, I promise Mom) and we had a blast. We started by visiting some of our members who were just chilling at home, and shared lessons with them. Then we went out around their homes to knock doors, shovel snow, or do whatever else seemed worthwhile. We also helped somebody move. THAT was hilarious. We were slipping and sliding down the truck ramp carrying furniture and it was probably on Canada's Funniest Home Videos. (Does that exist? Please tell me that exists.) So... great day. :)

Aside from that, nothing too major has gone on. We've spent a lot of our free time knocking doors, and I have really improved my ability to just start a conversation with a random person (even in French!). It's pretty dang fun to see how different people react! Some people just slam the door with a "not interested." Those can sometimes be fun... it's amazing to watch their reaction times. The fastest yet was this lady (probably in her 70's) who opened the door and shut it in seriously less than half a second. It was incredible. I was legitimately impressed. Other people have any number of responses, from being interested in who we represent, why we wear name tags, what these pamphlets we're holding are, if we're Jehovah's Witnesses (that's one we hear all the time), where we're from, how long we've been here, if we like the cold, etc, etc, etc. Finding people is fun! :)

I've been thinking about what to share this week and I think I'll talk about attitude.

This is a principle I have a REALLY hard time with. I've heard it said that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. I have ignored this idea for basically my whole life.

I was talking with another missionary the other day about how sometimes I can get a little bored out here. I mean, sometimes it seems like I'm just doing the same thing all day, every day, for two years, and not really seeing much come out of it. Which... was getting a little boring, a little frustrating, and a little annoying to me. I'd always heard returned missionaries talk about how much they've loved their missions, and so I knew I must be doing something wrong. And in talking to this elder, he told me that my problem is my perspective.

See, I've spent a lot of time looking ahead. It's been a great boost for me throughout my life; I worked hard at what I was doing as long as I could see the benefits in the long run. I've always been looking forward in my life, whether it be to a holiday, to the next year in school, to my mission, to college, or any number of other things; it's always been about the next big step, the next fun thing. Rarely, if ever, have I truly stepped back to enjoy the good things that surround me, to truly "stop and smell the roses."

Huge, huge, huge mistake.

Do we really take time to appreciate each day on this earth? To appreciate the fact that we're living, breathing souls, with friends and family and the ability to affect our surroundings with something as little as a smile? I've realized I've grown so used to solving problems I find around me so I can reach that next step that I've never really learned to enjoy the perfectly imperfect world I'm living in.

So one of my goals now is to take things day by day; to respond to each new setback with a smile and a laugh and a quick prayer of thanks for all of the things that ARE right about my life. And you know what? It's working already.

I love my mission. I love serving here. I love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I love this gospel I'm sharing and I know it's completely, utterly, and irrevocably true.

Is that not a cause for rejoicing?!?

En avant!

Elder Bryan McOmber

Sunglasses. Elder Peery had a huge crick in his neck when this photo was taken. He was in a rather large amount of pain. :P

Deer! They're like right next to these houses on the side of a mountain next to the river! Crazy!

"Quick, Dave, those missionaries saw us! Hide, let's pretend we're not home!"

This is a view of the St-Laurent River. It is almost completely frozen over. Quebec... you're insane.

EVEN WATERFALLS FREEZE. WHAT THE HECK.

This is Montmorency Falls. They are mostly frozen. It is pretty cool.

Frozen waterfalls look pretty sweet.

"Is this the high dive? That water looks warm."

That bridge goes right over the top of the waterfall. It's super sweet!

A picture from just over the waterfall.

"Uh. I think I hate my life."

This is Quebec in one picture.