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.