Many Hands

Dear Family and Loved Ones,

     The past week was one of our busiest and most exciting of the mission. We welcomed in 33 new missionaries!

     Sunday night was our departure fireside and Monday night was our departure dinner for the five outstanding missionaries who completed their missions this transfer. It was such a special group of missionaries and included one of our former assistants. Because we work so closely with the assistants our kids get to know them very well and are extra sad to see them go home. They all worked hard and were able to greet their families Tuesday knowing they had completed faithful missions. It was especially significant to see two of these Elders finish knowing the incredible challenges they had overcome in the early months of their missions.

     Tuesday was the day we have been anticipating for months, Thirty three missionaries arrived at the Long Beach Airport. Our senior missionary couples worked so hard to have everything in place for them. Ted worked so hard to make sure the right trainers were called and that there were enough areas available for them to serve in. Many members volunteered their homes, helped with transportation and anything else we needed help with. Even though we had done everything we could to be prepared we were still a bit concerned about how we would handle having so many missionaries arrive together. Everything went very smoothly! With the help of some of our members who have 15 passenger vans and trucks we got all of our new missionaries and their luggage to the mission office without any problems.

     We trained all of new arrivals and then had lunch at the mission office. Ted took some time to think about their temporary assignments, he matched them up with their temporary trainer and sent two-thirds of the new missionaries off to work. Ted then interviewed the third that remained and by early afternoon they were off working with their temporary companions too. I got a chance to contact each one of their families to let them know their missionary son or daughter (we only had one sister arrive in this group) arrived safely and that they would be writing an e-mail home on Monday (our p-day) to let them know who their trainer would be and where they would be serving. As I was looking over the temporary assignments I was amazed at how well they matched up and how perfect each companionship seemed to be. I wasn’t surprised that after Ted finished interviewing the rest of the new missionaries on Wednesday he decided that there weren’t any changes to be made – just as last transfer when we had temporary companionships for a few days all of the new missionaries stayed with their temporary trainer and all of them were very happy about it when the announcement was made on Thursday!

     We now have 198 missionaries serving in our mission! Along with interviewing and caring for our 33 new missionaries Ted had some very serious and difficult issues to deal with during the week. I honestly don’t know how he takes care of everything that only he can deal with but somehow he does it and does it in such an inspired way. He is truly amazing and there is no doubt that the Lord guides him in his assignment!

     Our mission nurse shared some great insights on her mission blog about the exciting times we are experiencing. This is a letter she received from the Mission Nurse Speciality Committee in Salt Lake:  "It seems that Moses 7:62 is truly coming to pass. We are seeing the Lord’s hand in ‘sweeping the earth’ with missionaries prepared to “bear testimony of mine Only Begotten”. The missionaries who attend training at the Provo MTC every year is usually 22,000. We are expecting an ADDITIONAL 25,000 this year. MTC capacity has been 2000 but will swell to 4800 by the end of April. Dr Woolley usually has about 10 – 15 international missionaries in the health class he teaches. But this month he had 75. All over the world, we have more elders, sisters and couples who are answering the call to serve. We will have many more qualified missionaries serving and 58 new missions in which to serve.

     We currently have 143 nurses serving in an advisory capacity to the mission president and his wife around the world. Some are full-time missionaries. Others are Church Service Volunteers (CSV’s) or Church Service Missionaries (CSM’s) who have been called and are serving from home. Returning Area Medical Advisers are pleading for more nurses to serve."

     We have gone from 347missions to 405 missions around the world.
On Dec. 27, 1832, in Kirtland, Ohio, the Lord provided us with a message of peace, including these words to ponder: "Behold, and lo, I will take care of your flocks, and will raise up elders and send unto them. Behold, I will hasten my work in its time" (Doctrine and Covenants 88: 72-73).... Sister McOmber added, “We see His hand in providing for these elders and sisters.  Only one set of 2 elders slept on the floor. They had bunk beds but no mattresses.   We thought we had ordered mattresses for all the new places, but one set did not get them. These are exciting times!”

     I would encourage you to check out our mission nurse's blog to see some great photos of our new missionaries arriving at www.mcombermm.blogspot.com

     In Daniel 2:34-35 we read of the stone cut out of the mountain without hands which will roll forth to fill the whole earth. We know that stone to be the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. In D&C 65:2 it says, “The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth. It occurred to me today that the stone is moving and the prophesies will be fulfilled but it will take many hands to keep the stone rolling and to help it gain the momentum required to fill the earth. It’s a blessing to be a witness to the miracles we are seeing. We are humbled by the many willing hands who are laboring diligently to move the Lord’s work forward here in Long Beach.



We love each of you and appreciate your continued prayers (which we need) for us and missionaries everywhere!



The Long Beach Buberts