October 28th

First couple days of the week...awful. But I won't focus on those! Friday night was particularly hard, I went to bed miserable. When I woke up Saturday morning I didn't feel very good, but I pushed through exercising! Now...this might sound kind of weird, but I was really sad all morning, so while I was exercising I just kept praying. Finally, it just hit me. "Choose to be happy". I've told myself this a million times and now it's really time to apply it. My circumstances aren't going to change. I'm not going home and my mission will only improve if I choose to allow it. So instead of wallowing in self pity and forced a smile on my face and told myself I was going to be happy today. So I'm pretty sure I had a mild fever and chills and it was freezing cold outside. We didn't really have any plans so we weren't outside a lot. It would have been pretty easy to try and stay in because I wasn't feeling well, but I decided to just be diligent and make the most of it. It ended up being a pretty good day!

Mostly, I just want to tell you about yesterday. Ok wait first. Heidi is getting baptized on Saturday! Just in case you've forgotten, she's the one who has MS and only has movement of one of her arms. So she is getting baptized in a wheelchair at a medical facility. I'm very excited, it's been a long road for her. She started meeting with missionaries back in January.

Ok and then of coarse there is Don and Leah Ann. We finished teaching them the commandments this week. So when we were there Friday night, Jonathon (their grandson) told us as we were leaving that him, his dad, and mom were coming to church "we are going to be the smartest family!" His mom just laughed. Reminder, Carrie isn't too friendly towards the church. BUT! We walked into sacrament meeting she was there!!!! Leah Ann was so happy (Carrie is Leah Ann's daughter-sorry if you can't follow all the people I talk about). A less active we are working with also came to church so I was very excited! AND! A part member family shows up out of nowhere. We noticed them, didn't recognize them so we booked it over there the minute sacrament meeting was over. He's a very less active, was raised in the church but stopped going sometime in his teenage years. She's not a member. We got their phone number and set up a time to meet them this week! I was so excited!!

Next story. Earlier this week we tracted into a woman named Shelly. She didn't seem too interested but we were persistent because she mentioned growing up with some members in Columbus and invited ourselves back anyways. So she let us in yesterday afternoon. So the first time we met her, her daughter came home from school as we were wrapping up our conversation. Yesterday she told us that her daughter asked who we were and what we were doing. Shelly explained and then her daughter (she's nine) asked if they could be Mormon. Shelly told us that kids are able to sense good/bad spirits and she probably recognized that we were good people. So we taught her the Restoration, etc and set up another appointment. She hasn't found a church since she moved her to Franklin four years ago. She wants to come to church. She kept telling us how impressed she was with us because we seemed so solid for such a young age. She's golden! Anyways, I'm pretty excited about her.

Remember that time when I made fun of Mackenzie for having to speak in stake conference? Well I'm just busy with my personal studies last night and the phone starts ringing. Here's the conversation.

Me: "hello this is Sister Mayberry"

President Hill: "hello this is President Hill" - he's the stake president

the typical "how are you" exchange occurs

Me: "President Hill what can I do for you?"

President Hill: I heard that you are the best sister missionary out there"

Me:...."who did you hear that from?"

President Hill: "President Hilton told me" *President Hilton is in the missionary presidency and also in the Franklin ward.

Me thinking of course he did.

President Hill: "we would like you to speak at stake conference in three weeks"

Me: *pause*...."sure I'd love to"

Then he proceeds to tell me what to talk on....

Luckily it's only the Saturday night session, so they'll be less people. But at the same time there won't be any kids, so maybe people pay more attention? President Hilton called me this morning and said "I'm not you favorite person in the world right now am I". haha I told him he wasn't, but that I would forgive him. President Hill told President Hilton that he wanted a missionary to speak and I guess I was the first one that came to mind. He said especially because I've served in two wards in this stake. Anyways, I've been asked to speak on how members can help the full time missionaries. I'm speaking in sacrament meeting the week before, so I only have to prepare one talk really! Then sacrament meeting can be the practice one. So mother and father, your "special" stake conference is going to be on hastening the work of salvation. President Hilton was telling me that Salt Lake has specifically sent out a theme/program for each stake to use.

Sister Vanderveen sent me a quote this week by Elder Holland "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven, but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ they come". I've thought about it a lot. I've thought a lot about what I need to change about myself in order to make the most of my mission. I'm quickly approaching my half way mark. It's hard to believe it. Like I started out this e-mail, I just have to focus on choosing to be happy and learning all I can. Yesterday in relief society and member said how she almost didn't come to church that morning because it would have been easier to just stay home. As she was talking this thought came to my mind "what am I going to gain by going home?" Absolutely nothing, Satan will win. I can't run away just when things get hard. I could technically do it now, but I won't be able to later in life. So? "If the bitter cup doesn't pass, drink it and move on". I'm drinking!! haha. Anyways, I just wanted to focus on the positive this week, instead of all the negative.