Loving Patos!❤️...our "Escape Room" experience

Hey y'all! This week was CRAZY!

Elder Rogoski and I are opening an area here in Patos, and the sisters that were here before us left almost no information (and also no food). I felt like I was in an escape room trying to find out all the leftover hints of how to live haha. It truly was crazy. I love it here so so so much though. Elder Rogoski is an absolute beast and we are already having a ton of success!!! I love seeing the hand of the Lord in the work. He always helps us with anything we need, even if it's just helping us not to be discouraged. I love the work so much!

Something cool that happened this week was in the house of a member. He told us that when the São Paulo temple was finished, he and a friend went and did 400 baptisms in the place of people who had passed away. This means that 800 people were able to accept their baptism and have the opportunity to follow their Savior!!! I love the work of the temple! (If anyone wants to know more about what exactly happens in the temple, you can talk to my mom!)

For something spiritual this week, I gave a blessing to a member completely in Portuguese!!! It was so awesome and the Holy Ghost was so strong! Guys, the gift of tongues is truly real and truly a huge blessing. The opportunity to have the help of God in learning a language is so cool and I love it! For all of you, God cares about you guys and will help you in whatever thing you are currently learning, whether it be a language, school, or work, He WILL help you!

With love from Brazil,

Elder Colton McOmber

(P.S. - I added pictures to last week's post if you want to go back to the previous post and see them!😊)

This is Irmão Igor, he and his wife are super awesome and he cuts our hair haha

This is Irmão Waldir, I love him with all my heart and I am SO sad to leave him here in Uberaba

Some landscapes during the bus ride to Patos

Patos de Minas at night

Transferred! Conversation of my family caught on video...

Hey y'all! I have almost no time because I got transferred haha, but I'll write a little.

This week was crazy and the miracles of God were amazing. I love seeing his hands in the work! I am super sad to leave this area because there are so many great people here, but God needs me in the land of the ducks haha (Patos de Minas means ducks of minas, the state I'm in).

As a quick challenge to everyone, read 3 Nephi 11 where Jesus Christ visits the Americas and think of how amazing it will be when He comes again.

With love from Brazil,

Elder Colton McOmber

My district!

A dinosaur with a santa hat lol

This was on our window when we went to sleep, it gave me nightmares haha

Some elders in our district that I love!(Elder Diel, Elder Queiroz, Me, Elder Motto)

People told me this was a queen ant, it's freaking HUGE!

O Evangelho de Jesus Cristo(The Gospel of Jesus Christ)

The sky is so cool here!

(Note from Danette: The following conversation is a snippet of all of us (minus Mark who was at work) getting to talk face to face on Google Hangouts! It was so fun to have Colton in Brazil, Morgan in Paris, and Bryan in Provo, Kyle and I here in Phoenix...all of us able to see, talk, and laugh together kind of in the same room! My kids were cracking me up...

(Click here to watch the video)

Uncle Colton!!!!

Hey y'all!

First off, I'm sure a lot of you know this, but I'm an uncle now!! I have been dubbed Uncle Colton for forever and to be honest it makes me feel SUPER happy (and also kinda old lol). I'm a little sad that I won't actually be able to hold little baby Hudson for a solid 20 or so months, but this work is worth the wait!

My week was FULL of walking. I walked about 50 km in 48 hours! My feet don't feel very great but all is well haha, my legs are much stronger because of it.

Something funny that happened this week wasn't too funny for me but for you guys it might be. So I do not know what happened, but as I have washed two pairs of pants they have slowly turned pinkish purple until now they are too discolored to wear (see attached picture). The funny part is I didn't notice for a while so I've been walking the streets of Uberaba with pink pants lol. 

To end, I want to share a scripture I found this week. It is Alma 34:41, ''...have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.'' God does not want us to be discouraged, but He does want us to grow. So what does He do? He has us bear affliction in order to become more like Him, and reveals His perfect plan to us to give us hope and a goal to work towards. Yes, we may be in a dark tunnel, but God has given us a light at the end (and also showed that it's not a train haha). I love the plan that God has given us, and I also love teaching others about it!

With love from Brazil,

Elder Colton McOmber

My zone leader, Elder Peek

SNAILLLL

Uberaba, my cityyyyyy

Cool looking bird

My poor pants

(Note from Danette: I sent the picture of the pants to the company and called them and they very kindly refunded our full purchase price😊)