Formula...Omar

Dear family!

I enjoyed hearing from you this week. I´m happy to hear about all these babies and Neil getting married and Knute and everything about the family! I´m sure everyone´s so happy! Tell Michelle, Sara, and Bay...super super super congratulations! :):):) and to take care.

Mariah, the 18 yr old girl, is doing ok! Not great, because while she wants to listen and learn, she doesn´t necesarily want to act, a little rebellious. One thing positive is that the other day we past by ( she always yells us down ha) and she was with all her¨guys friends. I think something has changed because she showed some embarrassment at the language her friends were using. Really was a little frustrated. We´ve seen changes in Mariah. It´s a little hard to track her down, but we always schedule sitas in the plaza. We´ll see how church goes this Sunday...

I think the day Omar is baptized will be one of the highlights of my whole mission. Omar in these 2 months has changed tremendously (I´ve been here 6 months! Blessings from staying in your area :) He´s ex-military, hard...just very hard. This joking, crude, sad man has changed. I feel blessed to be here and watch it all happen. I remember when we found him. Everday we´d pass his lonely house (it´s surrounded by fields) and there´d be Omar sitting on his chair outside. One day, we had other plans but I felt strongly we needed to stop and talk to him. Where it was a power struggle to get him to pray, he now prays everynight. He walks to church every sunday. (It´s far) However many jokes he tries to make about drinking his tea every morning (he likes to scare us. Not funny.)....he has not been drinking tea or alcohol for a month. He´s involved in lessons. Omar!...is involved in lessons! The other day he made a joke about how President Monson is basically God´s private secretary. I know that the the spirit has touched his heart. (Mosiah 5:2) I know this is God´s work. I´m praying for Omar to feel prepared and worthy for his baptism. I hope I can be here to see it, but if not, it´s still happening and that´s what counts!

One thing I´ve learned from the mission is that there is time for everything, when I´m working and doing all I can the Lord will bless our area. I know that the Lord loves all his children, but this doesn´t necesarily mean he trusts all of us. When we are obediente and diligent the we will see success. There´s no secret..the formula is plain straight! I´m trying to be worthy and strictly obediente. Those 5 minute late days matter! I´ve really learned to value this time...I know it´s not mine. I love my companion and my investigadores. The gospel continues to change my life.

Love you all!