Snow is awesome...but it can stop now...please. Turkey baster in the ear? Handing our load over to God.

Hello people of Earth!

It has been quite a different week.

First, it has poured BUCKETS of snow. I have never seen so much snow in all my life. And it just keeps coming down. Also, the temperature is dropping a lot. Tomorrow it is supposed to be like -30 Celsius... which is like -(*insert large number here) Fahrenheit and that's not even counting wind chill. I don't know what temperature bones freeze at, but I'm fairly sure we're approaching it. 

I wish I could go back in time and slap some sense into the me who said, "I want to live in the snow when I grow up!" No, you imbecile! Snow is the WORST! You have to shovel it and you slip on it and it gets on your glasses and makes it so you can't see and it's like IMPOSSIBLE to drive in.

Okay. So maybe it's not the WORST. It is actually quite fun to play in the snow sometimes. But... we don't get a lot of time to just play in the snow. So... yes. Snow is... interesting.

I would have to say the funniest part of the week was when Elder Gutierrez said he felt like he had water in his ear and couldn't get it out. So... what was the immediate solution that came to my mind? Obviously, use a turkey baster! You know, that long plastic tube with a little squeezy thingy at the end that sucks up water and squirts it back out? Well, there we sat, laughing hysterically while I stuck a turkey baster in his ear. He said it worked... but I'm fairly sure it's not the healthiest way to get water out of one's ear, so I won't do that again. But... worth a shot. :P

For this letter, I want to say a little bit about Matthew 11:28-30. It's one of my favorite scriptures.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

I'll be the first one to tell you that missions aren't easy. Or I guess, that life isn't easy. Every human being that has ever lived has had trials and struggles and bitter moments. Most importantly, our Savior has endured all of those for each of us. He felt the crushing weight of sin; He endured the stinging whips of harsh words and criticisms; He knows what it's like to be knocked to one's knees by the bitter winds of discouragement and hopelessness. He performed an INFINITE Atonement for you, and for me, and for all of us.

So why do we refuse to use it?

I've met so many people who refuse His invitation to take His yoke upon them. I've been guilty of it myself. The thing is, His yoke is His gospel -- His commandments, His example. 

We're so funny. We live our lives as we wish, sometimes being obedient and holding to His gospel, and sometimes wandering from His path because we feel that we're responsible enough or smart enough to simply skip that commandment or ignore that advice. And when those difficult moments come, as they inevitably will... we find ourselves dropping to our knees, demanding of Him in all our ignorant naivete, "Why is this so difficult? Where art Thou when I need Thee the most? If Thou were there, Thou would not let me go through this! How am I supposed to do this on my own?"

His response remains the same. He's given us the way. He doesn't ask us to do it alone. He asks us to put the load on Him; to stop worrying so much about all our problems and trials and discouragements and to give it all to Him. All He asks is that we follow His gospel. That is the yoke He gives us; and if we focus on doing that, the load truly is easy, and the burden truly is light.

Keep the commandments. In this there is safety, in this there is peace.

I love and miss you all. You're in my prayers.

En avant!

Elder Bryan McOmber

That would be me sleeping on our couch. Also. The Labbe family gave my companion and I pantouffles - those are those knitted slipper things I'm wearing. They're the BEST and SUPER comfortable. I love them. :P And I also love the Labbe's!!

 

Our whole mission got together a couple days before Christmas to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.  We had an awesome lunch and a lot of fun!  I am in the 4th row from the bottom, on the far right end.