Email #6: She is thirsting for the gospel.

So I forgot to grab my paper that had what I want to tell you on it.  But that’s okay! I’M SO SO SO SORRY!!!! I was going to take pictures of my apartment today and forgot. I did take them and deleted them the week I thought I sent them to you. I will next week I promise.  I hate this -- I can’t remember what to tell you!!! I’ll try.

So after we emailed on Monday we went to the SM (Which is just a mall like the ones we have at home.)  I bought a planner. They are kinda the thing here in my mission. It holds your planner and has spots for pens and your money and cards. It is great.  Everything I need is in it. But they only had one left at the store and it is purple and pink and grey. WAY too girly for me. But I had to have one so I had to get it. I will be buying a new one ASAP though haha.   At the mall there was cotton candy and my roommate from Tonga has never eaten it so I bought some and it was so good!!!

We have this investigator that SIster Jenny introduced us to. It is her neighbor. Her name is Christy (not sure if I told you about her last week) but we taught her 3 times I think this week. And she is great!!! She just wants to know about the church.  She is thirsting for the gospel.  I can see it in her. And when we go she has questions and

listens so carefully to the lessons. It is great to see!!! Her husband won’t listen to the lessons but she does.  That’s like all I can say because it is just great!!! And she just wants to know everything!!!!  She helps with my Tagalog.  When I say something wrong she will correct me. And I LOVE THAT!!!! I can see things progressing with her.

And Jenny’s step children. Xhryus and Russel are great!!! They had a date for April 26 but we still have more lessons to teach.  So now it is May 4. I am so excited for them. Xhyrus is more into it than Russel but they both are getting baptized. Russel did stop drinking tea though -- which is great!! They come to church every week and have that

desire.   They both keep the commitments. I love watching them because I can see the change in both of them.  We have a lot of lessons with them. They are our focus people right now. I am so excited for them!!!!

I had my first companion exchange this week. I went to Molino and the sister training leader came to Novelta. I was with Sister Sarena. She is great.  She’s Filipino. So nice and she pushed me in the lessons because she only spoke Tagalog.  It made me feel like I had to too. It was great!!! I learned so much from her about being missionaries. It was that night and we only spent like 3 hours together and already I had learned so much. It was so good for me. I learned so much and grew and went home and was like,  “Okay Sister Sevia.  We have to change some things or we need to add some things.” She said I helped her alot too. To remember to always be obedient and have a goal and accomplish it. That when we say we’re going to do something we do it.  And have a desire. She said she could see my desire to teach and can’t wait for the day I can do it in Tagalog because I will be so powerful.  It made me feel good.  I’m anxious for that day.  I am so sick of not being able to speak!!!!! But I know that will come but it could come faster if it would like to haha.  Wednesday was Sister Sevia’s birthday!!! So I only spent half of it with her. But that was okay because the sister training leader that came to work with her was her trainer so they are super close.   It was great for her. Her anak (child) during the day and her nanay (mother) at night.  She had alot of fun but everyone fed them cake!!! I was like -- of course because I’m not there you get cake.  Haha!

The zipper broke on my red skirt.  : (  We got out of a trike and Sister goes, “Sister,  your skirt,”  and the zipper was broken.  So we had to go home and change.  I am hoping I can find someone to fix it!!!

So there is a food here called ube. IT IS SO DELICIOUS. I guess it comes from a plant. But they use it for dessert and it is purple. It is indescribable. I have no clue how I could describe it to you but it’s delicious! There is a bakery we walk past that has ube filled bread!!! I buy it everyday!!! It is so good!!! You will love it!!!!  Are you ready for this?!?!?!?   I eat oatmeal!!! I LOVE IT!!!! I eat it every day -- like 2 times a day!!!! It is so good!!!!!  Sister Sevia makes fun of me because I eat it so much now! Haha.

So today we are going bowling!!!! As a zone! I feel like Lena --always doing something haha. I am so excited! And I am wearing JEANS!!! I haven’t worn jeans in about 3 months. I love them!!!! Haha. Wednesday is my 3 month mark!! It went so fast. I am convinced that I will be home in about 2 months because this past 3 months felt like 2 weeks --  If that! Time goes so fast here. And once I start understanding Tagalog It will go even faster.  It went so fast I feel like I haven’t done enough for being gone for 3 months already! Time is weird.

No I am gaining weight!!!    That whole, "I’ll come home super skinny" is a lie. Rice makes you gain weight!!! And I eat it all the time. I am trying to buy healthier food now. I was going to stop buying rice but then Michael Kornegay emailed me and he said everything got better when he turned into a Filipino. His language, his lessons, how happy he was. So he started doing everything like a Filipino and that includes rice. So I was like okay I can do that.  I LOVE RICE!!! It is delicious.  Oh and my feet -- ya they are worse.  So Sister Tye is trying to figure something out for me.  People just put a lot of salt in the food. I have pictures -- just wait.  It’s annoying. I took that medicine for 5 days and then it came back so she told me to take it for 2 weeks so I did that and it didn’t help. I am drinking lots of water hoping it helps and then we will see what she finds out from the doctor. She said that supportive hose will help but it is so hot here I do not want to wear hose and she doesn’t want me to either. So maybe I can wear them at night and not during the day.  This whole thing will just be experimenting.

Oh and the chick picture was at maricriz salud house. Brother Marlon

was in the background.

I love you all so much!!! I love you momma and dad!!!

Eating like a Filipino --  using my hands

OUCHIE!!!  No ankle bone.

Not sure how she walks so much
with these things !!

Email #5: So this week was a lot of OYM (open your mouth)

Cactus in the Philippines -- what????

Momma!!!! How are you? So this week has been up and down again. I feel as if it will be like that all my mission. So Monday I took your advice and I cleaned. The other sisters were gone and SIster Sevia was asleep. So I was tired of the mess and cleaned. I cleaned the bathroom and mopped the kitchen. Sister Sevia woke up while I was sweeping and decided to help me. Then last night I asked the sisters if we could clean today like we are suppose to and they said yes. So this morning we all cleaned!!! And it is clean!!!!!! It was great haha.  Hopefully it will stay clean.

On Monday we received a challenge from President Tye:   For each companionship to get 14 new investigators this week. A NI is someone who had a lesson with a commitment and accepted a return date. Our mission’s goal is to get 14 per companionship a week. And we average like 3.5 so it is not very good. So the zone that wins gets to go to the mission home for dinner.  Our zone wanted to win!!!!   So this week was a lot of OYM (open your mouth). And Sister Sevia and I got 14!!!!! (I’ll tell you about some as my email goes on.)

So Tuesday was zone meeting. It was fun.  We practiced OYM. It’s hard because I didn't understand what they were saying because I don’t understand Tagalog yet. But it was Taglish so it was okay. haha. I left feeling so discouraged though. Sister Sevia was chosen to go up in front of everyone and practice an OYM. She started and wanted me to go next but I had no clue what to say.  I just blanked out. It wasn't embarrassing or anything.  The girl before me did the same thing and it wasn't bad either. But after -- everyone was talking to ALL the foreigners because there are alot of us that are pretty new. But Elder Ritter (who is in my batch) came up to me and said, “Sister Mayberry you just have to try.”  It made me a little discouraged. With investigators it is easy to try. With members and missionaries it is hard. I don’t know why. So I’m like, “I do try and with Sister Sevia I do try.”  I know that I need to try more. I do. I’ll admit that but it is hard!!!  So after the meeting I was just irritated, and it was one of those days where all the comments from strangers bug me. But we had a lesson with an investigator named Sister Francisco. She is so nice. She has been taught for a long time. Her husband, who was a less active, passed away a few years ago. And I for some reason just kept talking in the lesson. She had questions about the Book Of Mormon. I said what I could in Tagalog and spoke some English. But I tried. THE SPIRIT WAS SO STRONG!!!! I could definitely feel a difference when I try hard. Then we went to Brother Jamie and the same thing happened. It was great!!! I still didn't understand what they were saying though. That is hard!!!

And so we got home and SIster Au'aue said that she bought us balut!! I was freaking out!!!!! Sister Sevia had a hard time eating it but she did. So then it was my turn. They blind folded me. It was so gross!! I looked at it before and I definitely shouldn't have. So I took a bit and I was chewing and trying to swallow it when Sister Sevia shoves more of it in my mouth. I was done. You know how am.  If I do it—I can eat it.  Someone forces me -- I cant;. So I spit it up and didn’t end up eating it.  I told Sister Au'aue that I will eat it before she gets

transferred next week. So I was close, but no I didn’t eat it yet. Everything here is weird haha. I don’t know what I eat --I just eat it. I bet whatever meat I eat is weird. But we HARDLY ever get fed so that’s hard.

Wednesday was follow-up training. (There should be pictures up on the blog soon). It was fun to see everyone. And I got to hear that no one understands anything yet!!! Minus Elder Ritter.  But his companion speaks very little English so he is forced to understand. It made me feel better about where I am. It was good. And we got to eat cake which was so good!!!!!! After, we went to long beach. That was great!!! We got 8 NEW INVESTIGATORS that night!!!!! Some referrals and some OYM. It was crazy!!! Definitely an answer to prayer.  One is named Christian. His mom is a member and she actually was endowed 2 weeks

ago. I am so shocked he listened. She has been telling us for a month how she wants him to be taught. He has been pretty receptive and I think it will be great! And another (they are family somehow) is Jasper. He told us from the start he wants to just know the truth. And

he’s willing to listen. He was really receptive. I am so excited to start teaching him. But that is hard because their cousin, who is always in the lessons, makes me feel like crap about my Tagalog. Everytime I say something, she will laugh or something. It just makes me

discouraged so it is hard to give lessons there for me. But I have to get over it I know.

So Thursday was great!!!!  We did a zone service project in Cavite city.  It was so funny! We were waiting for our leaders at the Jollibee (like McDonalds) and this lady comes up and says hi. We say hi and talk for a bit. She asked me about America and then Sister Sevia said we are missionaries... and she was like, “No you’re not coming to my house.” It was so funny!!!!! Everyone knows who we are here! We picked up trash off of a beach. I’m pretty sure the whole beach was just trash. We would pick some up and more would be there. It was like a foot deep. We worked for like 3 hours and didn’t even make a dent. But it was fun

and all the little kids helped us out and it was great!!!!

Saturday -- Conference was great. Did Chad’s mission Prez speak on Saturday? I have no clue who he was haha. It was so nice because our Stake Center has air con!!!!! SO nice!!!! And our investigator Jamie (the diabetic) came!!! Only one session because he was getting sick but he did come!!!! So after, we had planned to go to a NI house (who we haven’t had a lesson with yet so she isn’t one yet) and have a lesson but she wasn’t home. Her neighborhood is by Sister Francisco. So we went and saw her. We were going to anyway but just super short. It was definitely inspired to have the other lesson cancel. We got done with the lesson and she said, "Is it okay with you if I am not wiling to be baptized? " My heart like dropped!!!! We talked to her about why and all this stuff and then I was like, “Sister -- We are not forcing anything on you. But we want to help you. We don’t just get baptized to get baptized but to be able to return to Heavenly Father. And I know that

through baptism you can live with your husband forever.” She was silent. She started to cry a little bit and it was still silent. So I asked her sister,  “What are you thinking?”  And she said, “okaylang” (the answer to everything here). So then it was silent again for a long time. And then Sister Sevia started to say something and  she we talked and cried and talked. She said how she misses her husband so much and stuff. We were able to testify of the truthfulness of the plan of salvation and how she can be with him forever. The spirit was so

strong. I think it was a break though lesson. And I’m so excited to see her again. It was such a good experience.

Yesterday was great too for conference. It was SO SO  SO funny!!!  A Filipino asked me if I get freckles in the sun. I said,  “Ya - my face kinda turns into one big freckle.”  He said that because after the service project my face had so many and it still does. And then some asked me if they go away and I said they fade. And then he said, “Hahahahah!  You’re a true American -- you have freckles.”  Haha it was great!!!

Well guess what?  One day,  IDK which,  we went to Jenny and Marlon (the recent converts) who by the way their sons are getting baptized soon!!!  He has another son.  They’re visiting him. He is 10 and he’s autistic and the cutest thing ever. We gave him a book of Mormon because he loves to read it so when he is at his mom’s he has one. And he wants to be baptized. He is so cute I love him!!!!  

There was a fire last night super close to our house. Not sure if  it was planned or not because it was a grass fire. But it was so big and we left our house and there was smoke everywhere!!! We were like -- we can walk fast and brave the smoke. But we made it about four steps into the smoke and walked back to where there was no smoke because it was bad. So we tried getting a trike to drive us but no luck. So we grabbed shirts and covered our faces so we could walk through the smoke. It was so bad!! We waited a little bit until we decided it was okay to leave and go to our appointment.

Well ya --  I love you all so much!!!!!!! I love getting emails every week!!!! Oh and by the way I have been getting impressions to talk to you about grandpa’s temple work. You guys should do it. I think it is time. Talk to dad about it.

MAHAL KO KAYO!!!!

Sister Mayberry

Balute - ugh!!  I knew
it would happen sometime.

Zone Service Project -
Picking up trash on the beach

The E. family

A fire near our apartment

Email #4: I had this impression to visit the less active

I totally thought that I already sent you pictures of the inside of the apartment. I took them like the second day. So I could send them to you.

So all of your questions I already planned to answer in my email so I will just send them to you like I was planning on it.  Minus the walking question. Ya -- we walk all day. We can if we want to take a trike but then we have to walk to the house. So ya we walk ALL day. Alot!!!

So Monday’s District Meeting was so much fun!!!  We all took a mini bus to the beach. It was pretty far away. But we get there and it is like a military base with a beach and to get in you have to have your passport. But we don't have them.  They have them in Manila. So we couldn't get in. We had to turn back around and the bus couldn't make it up some of the hills we had to drive up.  So at one point all the elders got out of the bus so there wasn't as much weight on the bus. Then the bus made it up the hill but all of us sisters were laughing. We looked behind us and there was a hoard of missionaries running up a hill. It was great!!  Then we went to another beach, which was way better because it was like pesos cheaper. Which we were all for. It was beautiful and we were able to TOUCH the water!!!! The whole time I was like,  “I cannot wait to tell Chad!!” Haha so it was funny!!  Sister Mitsvotie and I were walking to the little bunk table thing that we all bought to share and this lady starts talking to us. Sister M had been here for months so she understands Tagalog and I was thankful for that. The lady wanted us to go swimming with her. We told her it was bawal (forbidden) and she asked us why and we told her that we are missionaries. So then she tried pulling us in the water. We were like no!!!! We cant!!! She grabbed our waists trying to push us in. I thought that I was gonna have to go swimming --like seriously I was worried. Then we got away and ran up the beach and she followed us and did it again. But we finally got away because she wanted a picture and said we will get out cameras. She was SO DRUNK!!! You could tell -- you could smell it. It was bad. So we got out cameras and we got pictures. Then she tried kissing my face.  It was weird. I got us soaked because she went swimming. Then she wanted one with elders and she touched Elder Ritter’s butt. It was so funny!!!!!!!! It was great!!!! It was so much fun! It really did make me love it here more. I loved it here before but just driving around made me feel at home here. It was great!!!   

So Tuesday we met with Brother Bobbitt the one with lots of  questions. His mother was there too. I know where he gets it from now because she asked a lot of questions too!! We haven't taught them a single principle because when we started and he asked questions. It is hard because if he would let us teach him,  ALL his questions would be answered. It is kinda frustrating but okaylang.

On Wednesday we had the recently baptized member Jenny come and work with us. And HOLY COW she can talk. We went to a recent convert’s home and she told a story for  MINUTES!!! That was the whole lesson time because it was so long!!! Then the mom was like okay so what’s your message for us and then Jenny talked again and it was like time for the closing prayer. I gave part of the lesson.  I am starting to give actual parts of the lesson. It is fun. I know ALOT of words I am realizing. In lessons, when Sister Sevia doesn't know a word in Tagalog she says it in English because they understand English too. And I am like – “Wait,  I know that word. I can read Tagalog too! When I translate my BOM or preach my gospel into English I can do it  with only looking up a few words. And I know the grammar of words. I just can’t understand when natives say them to me. And I have a hard time using all of that that’s in my head into a sentence. It is frustrating because I know the words!!! I just have to keep trying and it will come. But I am getting it and it is fun!!!!

So medical update!!    Weeks ago my feet were so swollen!!! You couldn't even see my ankle bone. It was bad. So I called Sister Tye and she said it was water retention because here they put ALOT of salt in their food. So I took this medicine for days and it went away. Well, it came back this week,  So now I am taking that medicine for  weeks and hopefully it will help. I might have to take it alot over my time here but that’s okay. As long as it helps.  In the MTC we get two name badges.  One is a magnet and the other is a clip. Well I wore the clip this week and it GAVE me a rash on my skin.  I was mad! I took a picture for you haha..

So Thursday we discovered that our gas to our stove was leaking and broken. So the senior missionaries in charge of our area told us to not cook and they will come fix it.  So we had to go out to get lunch. We are supposed to be out working at 1pm but we didn’t leave the house until 12:45 and we still had to get lunch and eat it. I was so mad. So I confronted Sister Sevia and told her that I was a little ticked and she didn’t understand why. She asked me why and I had courage and told her. We are ALWAYS late and I want to be obedient and she makes it hard for me to do that. Man I guess I need to work on patience because she just didn't say anything.  She doesn’t talk things out when I try. I think I need to learn something because it is hard!! Also on Thursday I was sick of how gross our apartment was.  So I made a sign. I will send you a picture of it. I made two of them and put them in our apartment. It said things like “Wash your own dishes.  Throw your trash away.  And clean up any spills .”  Well within hours one of the sisters broke ALL THREE OF THEM!!! I was like -- Are you kidding me? So I said, “Hey, next time will you please clean it up.”  I didn’t want a fight so I just asked her and she said yes. But man I was so MAD!!! But whatever -- maybe hopefully the signs will help. And no -- Sister Tye didn't visit our apartment yet. Good thing too! Haha. 

So conference is weird here. Saturday we watched the women’s session. And it is in English  -- so I UNDERSTAND IT!!!   Haha. We will watch the Saturday and Sunday sessions this week. So we haven’t watched them yet..

So the DelaCruz family is awesome! They came to church last Sunday and also this Sunday. On Saturday we went and visited them and the little girl was waiting outside for us. It was great. And the sister said that she felt so welcomed at church and that it was different than other churches. She made us this soup that had more veggies than noodles in it and I ate it!!! And it was so good!! You would have been so proud!!!  Such a cool thing because before we met with them all week I had this impression to visit the less active. I just new that we HAD to and now look at what it came to. And yesterday at church the little girl who is ten was so shy she went to the first hour of Primary which was class but she didn’t want to go to the one with everyone because she is shy. In Tagalog I asked her why and if she wanted to go. So we went with her and sat with her for a bit and then she left and she came out after and was SO SO happy. It made me so happy.  I see changes in their family already.  They are all so happy. It was a great feeling. And another investigator, Jamie, came to church. We have been teaching him since I came here. He has bad diabetes so he doesn’t come to church because it is hard to walk. But he came and GOT A BLESSING!! It was so cool. We meet with him tomorrow so I am excited to see how he felt about it!!

This morning we had  an activity with the youth. We played volleyball. It was fun! Then we went to the palengke (market) so I got a shirt because I need one with shorter sleeves.  It is so hot !!

Well Momma I love you!!!!!  LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!! i I took time to write the letters in the MTC. I did them all in about  1.5 weeks. I’d do them before devotional.  I would write one at lunch, dinner, p-day , everywhere.  I always had my paper.  Haha! I hope you got them all!!

LOVE YOU SISTER MAYBERRY

On the beach with my MTC companion, Sister Dryer

Cori Jane -- representing in the Philippines

The drunk lady

My apartment sign

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A note from Mom:

Mom's letters

The letters that she’s talking about:  A couple weeks ago I received about 6 letters.  They were all sealed with a date for me to open them.  They ranged from March 2014 to July 2015.  (I’ve since received all the ones in between.)  She wrote me a letter to read every Fast Sunday.  Chad and Ken had these Fast Sunday ties that they would each wear.  She wanted something special for us too.  Well…..  this is pretty dang PERFECT !!  They are the sweetest letters.  Each one has been an entire page full of love.  We have been laughing because everyone in the family will get a letter and it is full of, “Oh….  I love you so much.  You are the best (dad, brother, sister) in the whole world.  I miss you so much !!”  And EVERY letter I get starts….  “Mom,  I need…..”  It’s become the family joke.  So – these letters are my payback.  It has meant a lot to me. 

Those of you who know McKenna well are probably as ABSOLUTELY  SHOCKED  as we are that McKenna is the “clean one” in that apartment.  HA!  Some miracles and changes are happening to that girl.