Crazy in Cavite: Email #10: It is interesting how I had that hard of a morning and then Heavenly Father reminds me of why I am here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! MAHAL KITA!!!

So to answer your questions first. Yes that was the right investigator whose husband died. And Jamie the one with diabetes is still super sick. Like about to get a limb cut off any day but he isn’t in the hospital anymore. He was there for 2 days I think. It is so sad we give him lessons and he just cringes during them.

So this week was an interesting week. On Monday I found out that my package arrived. So because I will see the zone leaders tonight I will get it tonight! I am so excited!!!!! After pday was over we went to find out some information about this recent convert. We ended up giving lessons with 2 less active families. Which was great! They were both on our list of people to find. The ward has SO many less actives -- so that is a focus. We were so excited!!! Then we went to a member’s house. They are wealthy here. When we walked in on their flat screen (What?!?!?!? you don’t see those here) was the voice. Adam Levine died his hair!!!!!! YUCK!!!!! I was shocked haha. They said they watch Survivor and Amazing Race every year! From Season 1. Haha. And she gave us lemonade!!! That was nice to have ahh. And cupcakes from her business. So delicious!

Tuesday we went to Jamie’s. He is so sick like I said. But man realized how much people respect missionaries. They fed us dinner. They are the family that always gives us food. If they are about to eat they make us eat before them. If we come after they eat they buy us muffins and soda. SO this time we came before they ate. And they made us eat after the lesson. Jamie ate with us. And when we was done he looked at me cringing in pain. And he said, “May I please?” In regards to leaving the dinner table. I was like wow this old man who is in severe pain asking my permission to leave. I was like, “Of course -- go rest!” They respect us here so much!

So the ward mission leader is a trike driver. And he offers us rides. SO on Thursday he went and he drove us around and we didn’t have to walk! It was great!!!! We met this man named Kenny. He is so good at English. He only spoke English. He is a stoke victim. He is open to religion. But he just kept going off. It was like him sharing thoughts and then random talking from us. And at one point he asked us, well telling us, other missionaries (from other churches) he asked them -- if someone was going to kill you and there was a gun and a bible -- you are telling me that you would chose the Bible over the gun. And the missionaries just walked away and said we will pray for you. Then he was talking about this guy that after reading about Daniel and the lion’s den decided to try it because he thought god would save him -- but he died. I said you have to be realistic with your faith. Yes God could have saved him but you have to be realistic. Then about the gun I said that I would choose the gun. But if the choice was to deny my religion or get shot - I would get shot and die. I know it is true so I won’t deny it. But if it is just a random gun and a random Bible and a random guy -- choose the gun. He said, “You know what Sister Mayberry? I respect you because you are honest. Who ever taught you did a good job because you are honest and realistic. Your preachers did a good job.” I really liked him haha. I want to go back. He has been taught by MANY missionaries though.

We went to a member’s house Wednesday for her little son’s birthday. He loves us missionaries. After dinner we google mapped Arizona because they wanted to see what it looks like. Did you know that they have pictures of the houses now?!?!?!?!? I was like what?!?! That is a picture of my house. WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!? They were shocked at how brown it is. Haha It was super funny.

So Russel got baptized this week!!! It was great but oh my heck. SO the water turned off at the church. But they have a big tank of water outside. So my whole district had to take buckets and bucket by bucket fill up the tank. It took an hour and it was tiring. BUCKET BY BUCKET!!!!! It was crazy!!! But fun haha! I am such a clutz. By the end the tile was so slippery. So I had two buckets in my hand and I slipped and got soaked and everyone was laughing. It was super funny. I was like -- of course it would be me. I always have to embarrass myself. It was great. And this week I fell down the stairs....... well slipped. Only like 4 stairs but I fell hard and I had a HUGE bruise on my butt!!! Like every color of the rainbow!!! It was bad an hurt so bad!!! I am such a clutz!!! SO that night we went to go see Russel and guess what?!?!?! His younger brother decided he wanted to be taught. His name is Webster. He is so hard headed. We invited him every lesson and he refused every time. He would come to family home evening but that’s all. SO hard headed. But HE IS LISTENING NOW AND HAS A BAPTISMAL DATE !!!! We are so excited!!!! I can’t even stand it!!! And the rest of the neighborhood (all family) said that if Webster gets baptized they would listen and get baptized to. They have bets on if Webster would get baptized because he is so hard headed. It is great! I am so excited!

SO yesterday hahahahahahahahhaaha --so we thought we lost our key to our house. We looked everywhere. SO the senior couple came over and gave us a new lock for the gate. He looked at the door lock but said he didn’t want to mess it up. So he kept it on. So we had a problem -- one key for two sisters and the other sisters were leaving before us. So we took the key but first I climbed up the house to see if we could make it because we were going to give the sisters the key and we would just climb up haha. Well I made it. It was fun! So we ended up just taking the key. But then we found our key!!!! So when we left we were trying to lock the door and it wouldn’t lock or twist. It was messed up from when Elder Rigby came and looked at it. So we locked it from the inside and Sister Sevia went to the balcony door, kept it open and climbed down the house. When we got home I climbed up! Haha it was funny. So the senior couple has to come fix it today because the door doesn't shut if it isn’t locked. So I’ll send you the picture of the ghetto lock. It’s great!

This week I had a really bad day. I don’t know what day it was. But I was crying and it was probably the hardest since the first few days. It was hard. But you know -- it is interesting how I had that hard of a morning and then Heavenly Father reminds me of why I am here. Sister Boulabon, the other sister, is going home this week because of homesickness. So we will have a threesome until June 4 which is transfers. But the same day as my meltdown I talked to her and told her that it is hard. I have had the same thoughts as you. But told her why I am staying and all this stuff and it was a reminder to me why I am here. Why I am staying and all that stuff. So it was good for me because the same day that was hard, I was reminded why I am here. It was great!!!

SO MY LANGUAGE IS GETTING BETTER. Still so hard and still don’t feel like it is but Sister Jenny said my pronunciation is getting better. The first day I met her it was hard to understand me and now I say things how they are supposed to be. And they sound so much better. It is great haha. I got a kindergarten lesson from her this week on how to pronounce things too. So when I learn new words I can say them right haha. It was fun. Russel was making fun of me because it was like I was in kindergarten haha.

Well momma I love you tons!!!!!!!! Have a good last week of school.

LOVE YOU!!!

Sister Mayberry!!