Combrink Missions: 2015

N's email 12/28/2015

area: Lake Houston YSA Branch (Humble, Texas)

zone: Summerwood

companions: Elder Keech and Elder Edward

I absolutely love the YSA Branch! I think it's partially because Elder Edward and Elder Keech are the best of the best. But also the members are so involved in missionary work, coming to lessons, and bringing their friends to church.

Christmas was great! I loved Skyping my family and being able to ask and respond to questions without a week of lag time like emails work. I love my family! I'm so grateful for the Plan of Salvation!

My favorite part of this last week was Tuesday night. We drove by some basketball courts and there were a bunch of people playing so we went over and asked if we could play a game. They laughed at us and after we got teams situated (the three of us and two guys who were playing against five of the rest of them) one of the guys from the other team came over and said "we're gonna whoop your butts. It's gonna be a blowout, 12-0!" We just smiled at him. Then Elder Keech during the first minute of the game made two lay ups and a three pointer. When we got to 12 one of the other guys on our team said we'd play to 16 to give them a chance. We ended up winning 16-11. Afterwards we said we'd like to share a message and 9 of them sat down on the court and we taught them the restoration and gave them all "Christmas presents" in the form of Book of Mormons.

Christmas Day we went caroling as a zone and that was fantastic! Everyone was so cheerful and everyone we carol led to received it so well. It really lifted the missionaries spirits to be unified in inviting others to come unto Christ.

Also! Sister Rivers got baptized! it was such a great baptismal service! the Spirit was so strong and she was so ready!

I love being a missionary.

I love all of you. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me to be. So this is where I want to be.

Merry Christmas! A Savior Is Born

N's email 12/21/2015

area: Lake Houston YSA Ward (Humble, Texas)

zone: Summerwood

companions: Elder Edward and Elder Keech

I love this area! The YSA is the best! There's always members available to come to lessons. And our investigators, being YSA's, are nearly always available to meet so we don't have to deal with having to convince them to set aside time to meet with us. It's awesome!

Also, Elder Edward and Elder Keech Are my best friends! I'm sooooo grateful for them!

We went on an exchange this week, Elder Anderson came to our area with Elder Keech and I. It was awesome! The most memorable part was when we went to see a member who struggles with life. Before we got out of the car Elder Keech suggested we say a prayer asking for miracles. I offered the prayer and I asked for miracles, asked that we would recognize them, and asked that they would start as soon as we left the car. We got out of the car, read about Samuel the Lamanite prophesying about the sign of Christ's birth and then about the righteous being saved because the sign came. Then we gave him a blessing. Then he said, "I also have a neighbor who would like a blessing. Can I take you there?" We asked a few questions about his neighbor and found out that he's a son of a less active and the member said, "let's just say he's a golden investigator." So we hurried over, had a member present lesson, gave the neighbor a blessing, and then he gave us a referral of another neighbor. We went over there and that referral wasn't home, but his mom was so we got her info and passed it on to the Woodforest elders. Then as we got ready to leave, the member we were with had a friend over so we got his info and set up a time to watch the Restoration movie with them. Miracles!!!

We saw many other miracles this week too! I can't remember all of them and I left my journal in our apartment but there were many!

I love all of you. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

N's email 12/14/2015

area: Lake Houston YSA Branch (Humble, Texas)

zone: Summerwood

companions: Elder Keech and Elder Edward

I love my companions! They're so great! Elder Keech doesn't fear anyone. He talks with everybody. He's such a good example to me. And Elder Edward always keeps a joyful spirit around and helps us laugh when we feel down.

Serving in the Young Single Adult branch is awesome! I love the activities and working with the member, but my favorite part is contacting. We search for YSA's and there's been many times when we've parked our car, jumped out, and chased down someone who looked like a young single adult. I love being a missionary!

We saw a bunch of miracles this week. I only have time to share one.

This weekend was Stake Conference and there was an adult session Saturday night. We didn't have any investigators going so we weren't going to go. However, we were in our car in the parking lot deciding where to go find some people to teach and a few members and other missionaries pulled up next to us to talk to us. Then right when we decided where to go a lady pulled up next to us and said some missionaries had invited her but she was scared to go in because she was wearing flip flops. We comforted her and brought her inside and sat next to her. The meeting was great and she loved it. If we had left 20 seconds earlier we would've never seen her.

I love being a missionary!

I love all of you. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

N's email 12/8/2015

area: Lake Houston YSA Branch (Humble, Texas)

zone: Summerwood

companion: Elder Edward and Elder Keech

I am now serving as a Summerwood Zone Leader in the Lake Houston YSA (Young Single Adult) Branch. My new companions are Elder Edward (he's been here for 2 transfers) and Elder Keech (he's a new Zone Leader this transfer too). I'm sooooo excited!!! We cover 3 stakes geographical boundaries! Including Kingwood 2nd Ward, Broadway Ward, Baytown Ward, and Pine Trails Ward!!!!!! I'm so excited! I love being a missionary!

The new address is:

15100 Golden Eagle Drive, Apt # 904

Humble, TX (I don't know the zip code, sorry)

and it's super nice so it's definitely ok to send packages to

N's pictures from Transfer #9 - Pine Trails / Lee - 10/27/2015 to 12/7/2015

area: Pine Trails Ward, Houston Texas Summerwood Stake
zone: Pine Trails
companion: Elder Lee

entering THE Mission 10/26/2015

leaving THE Mission 10/28/2015

"They weren't kidnapping me. Just giving me a haircut."

Pine Trails Zone Conference

other zones in THE Mission

Beaumont Zone

"my Pine Trails District"

(N has been the District Leader)
back: Elder Goettsche, Elder Combrink, Elder Lee, Elder
front: Elder Otterson, Elder Knebel, Sister, Sister, Hermana Hurst, Hermana Hull, Sister, Sister

entering THE Mission 12/7/2015

leaving THE Mission 12/9/2015

N's email 12/7/2015

area: Pine Trails Ward (Houston, Texas)

zone: Pine Trails

companion: Elder Lee

Hi! This has been one crazy week! Everything went well though. We are the only elders with a car besides the Zone Leaders so we end up driving 3 other companionships around and it seemed like everyday someone needed to go somewhere. That's ok though, I liked being the Zone Taxi because I got to spend time with the other elders and learn from them.

I love December! It's finally not hot here!

I'm being transferred though. I'm super sad I only got to spend one transfer with Elder Lee and with this area but "I'll go where He wants me to go." I have been called to be a Zone Leader. I don't know where I'm going yet though, I'll get my address to you as soon as possible.

I love being a missionary. I love serving Jesus Christ by serving my fellow man. Time is going by so quick, but that's ok because it's way better than time going by way too slow.

I love all of you. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

P.S. Please check out christmas.mormon.org and watch "A Savior is Born" it's only 2 minutes long. And I challenge you that if it makes you feel good and helps you want to come closer to Christ, then share it with a friend or two.

(I left most of the Christmas stuff in Kingwood but I kept the nativity. When I get to my new apartment, I'll let you know what decorations it already has.)

N's email 11/30/2015

area: Pine Trails Ward (Houston, Texas)

zone: Pine Trails

companion: Elder Lee

Hello! I love being a missionary! First off, Thanksgiving was wonderful! We had dinner with a Philopino family who didn't make us a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but they did make a bunch of Philopino food: roast pork, baked fish, angel hair pasta mixed with a bunch of kinds of meat, rice, pineapple, cantaloupe, and roasted chicken. SO GOOD! They also sent us home with practically all the leftovers. That was a wonderful day!

Sister River's daughter is a member and wants to be here for the baptism super bad so she's waiting to be baptized until Christmas time when her daughter will be here. She's progressing like crazy though and we're so excited for her.

I'd like to share what I learned/taught at District Meeting. We learned about sheep... We drew a pendulum on the board and on one side we wrote “numbers” and on the other we wrote “mindful” and in the middle we wrote “Christlike.” See, there's people who are so focused on numbers that they forget they're working with people. Then there's other people who are so focused on making sure the people they are working with are comfortable that they never invite or help them to progress. Then there's Jesus Christ who knows His people by name and loves them so much and helps them progress and repent. We compared the numbers mindset to a sheep herder, the mindful mindset to a pet owner, and theChristlike mindset to a "Good Shepherd". It was really great!

I love all of you. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where he wants me. So this is where I want to be.

Happy Thanksgiving

N's email 11/23/2015

area: Pine Trails Ward (Houston, Texas)

zone: Pine Trails

companion: Elder Lee

Hello! This week was interesting. We're doing good though.

I have a quick story. So there's all of these taco trucks in Houston. And there's one that's called the "Pupusaria" and it makes pupusas. Pupusas are celestial! They are 2 handmade corn tortillas with cheese and pork in between all fried together into a little bundle of greatness. We got a few of them this week!

That's all!

I love all of you. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

N's email 11/16/2015

area: Pine Trails Ward (Houston, Texas)

zone: Pine Trails

companion: Elder Lee

So I have some horrible news... Missionaries speaking their native language will be spending 3 weeks in the MTC starting in March. This causes our mission to change our transfer dates. The transfer after next will only be 4 weeks rather than 6 weeks. This means all missionaries going home after next transfer will be returning 2 weeks earlier than originally expected... including me... They already took away 5 days from "24 months" and now they took another 14 days off… I'm quite sad about this. So I've decided that I'll get picked up at the airport by my mom and then she will drive me to the Sacramento Mission Office where I will serve as an office missionary until November 12, 2016 in order to fulfill my call.

We have an awesome investigator, Dorothy. She's been so prepared throughout her life to receive the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm so glad I get to teach her and help her progress to baptism.

I love all of you. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be

N's email 11/9/2015

area: Pine Trails Ward (Houston, Texas)

zone: Pine Trails

companion: Elder Lee

How has time gone so fast? I distinctly remember writing in my journal at my 1 month mark and how surprised I was about how fast time was going... now 11 months later it still only feels like 1 day. Life

sometimes...

This week was good. We've had a couple people really progress! One is Sister Rivers, her daughter has been a member of the Church for years, and Sister Rivers has attended often but never joined. This week she decided to be baptized on December 6!

We also had a couple interesting lessons where the people we were teaching presented a few complex questions and I didn't seem to be explaining the answers clearly. I didn't really know how to answer

their questions in a way they would understand and it was racking my brain for the last few days. Then yesterday all of the answers came when we had a regional conference and some General Authorities spoke.

One of the questions was about how we discern truth. And Elder Corbridge, who came and visited our mission in August, spoke in the Conference Sunday about finding out what is true and what is false and

answered the question so exactly and in a way I know this investigator will understand. Elder Corbridge was over 1500 miles away and had no idea what I was going through, yet he answered my questions with

exactness. I know that's a miracle.

Let me tell you a little about my companion, Elder Lee. He was born in South Korea and moved to New Zealand when he was about 12. Lived there a few months and then moved to Arizona. Then back to South Korea for a little while, then to Provo, UT. He lived there until he left on his mission. He spent 2 semesters at BYU between high school and his mission. He speaks Korean, English, and enough Mandarin and Spanish to carry a conversation. He loves food! When we go to Walmart to shop he skips and hops around the food section with a huge smile on his face. He's been a member his whole life. He's super awesome!

In case anybody is wondering, I'm doing well. I love being a missionary, especially in T.H.E. Mission of the Church!

Please keep sending letters and emails!

I love all of you. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

N's email 11/2/2015

area: Pine Trails Ward (Houston, Texas)

zone: Pine Trails

companion: Elder Lee

Hello!

I'm so grateful to be in the city again! I will never want to live in the city after my mission but it's much easier to be a missionary in the city. There's never ending people to talk to and you have 4 Spanish missionary companionships covering our same area so we get referrals all day every day! I love being a missionary!

I don't have too much to say this week. Just that I know God lives. He's our Father. He loves us. He's given us His Son so we can live, and breathe, and work, and have hope. He's given us His Gospel so we can know what we need to do to be happy. This Gospel is revealed through prophets. Men like Adam, Noah, and Moses. Unfortunately, the people in their day rejected the prophets. Jesus Christ came Himself to teach the Gospel and perform the Atonement. However the people rejected Him too. His 12 Apostles continued to teach the fullness of the Gospel, but they were also murdered, imprisoned, or exiled. The Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness was lost for nearly 2000 years.

Our Loving Heavenly Father and our Savior have again reached out to their children in love and called another prophet in the year 1820. His name was Joseph Smith. I have evidence of this. You can hold it in your hand, read it, ponder its message, and then pray, asking God if what you've read is true. I have received my answer. It is true. I know it. And God knows it.

I love this message. I love the hope and understanding it brings to the people I get to talk to everyday.

I love all of you. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

N's email 10/27/2015

area: Pine Trails Ward (Houston, Texas)

zone: Pine Trails

companion: Elder Lee

This has been one surprising week!

First, we heard there was a hurricane coming towards us, from the PACIFIC OCEAN. It wasn't too bad here. No flooding or major winds in Jennings area.

Then we got a call saying I was going to be transferred, which was expected.

Then on Sunday, we got a call from President Drake. I thought, "Oh, no. He's going to ask me to be a Zone Leader... I'm not ready for that. Please be a misdial, please be a misdial." (Because I'm super prideful and always just think about myself. I need to repent.) Anyways, we answered the phone, but President Drake asked to speak with Elder Hobbs, NOT ME! And he asked him to train! I'm so happy! He's going to do great!

Then on Monday we drove from Welsh to Houston and I got a haircut at the Croft's again (unfortunately, the Crofts are moving, but the good thing is is that they are seriously considering going to Utah which means I'll be able to see them like all the time after my mission!)

Then on our way from the Croft's to the chapel in Kingwood, we got stopped at a red light, and the car that was next to us had CHRIS WAUGH in the driver's seat!!! I was so happy to see him again. Let me tell you what's happened in his life. He had been working as a cook in a bar and grill making about $10 per hour and he had to live with his grandparent (who raised him) and he wasn't going to be able to go before a court to get full custody of his two children because he wouldn't have won because he wouldn't be able to support them. But then he found a new job teaching H VAC at a local junior college (or technical school or something), and he's the department chair, and he's making about $26 per hour, so he was able to move out of his grandparents house (which was really good because his grandpa has Alzheimer's and it was getting really, really bad, especially for his son who lived with him), and get full custody of both of his children! The Gospel works!

Then we went to Transfer Meeting and I am now in the Woodforest area. It's near downtown Houston, in the Pine Trails Ward.

My new companion is Elder Lee. He's from Provo, UT but that's ok because he was born in South Korea and spent the first 12 years of his life there. Then he lived in New Zealand and Arizona too. He's been on his mission about 6 months.

I'm still District Leader and I have 10 missionaries in this district, 6 elders and 4 hermanas.

Our address is:

555 Normandy Street #326

Houston, TX 77015

I'm so excited to serve here and with Elder Lee!

I love all of you. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.