July 28, 2010

Hey Family,
Another week gone by! Crazy! I have been out on my mission over 6 months! Can you believe how fast the time is flying by! I can't even believe I have almost been in Greenfield for 6 months! Transfers are next Thursday and I am sad because there is a likely chance Sister Whitney will be transferred out of Greenfield. I love the people here so much! They have become my family! It will be sad to leave but I am also ready for a change. But who knows if I am leaving yet.
This week has been a pretty great one! The reason I am emailing today is because we got the chance to go to the temple today! I love it there! It just is so amazing to be able to go to the temple. I wish we could go more but as my mission president says "We are on our missions to do work for the living, not for the dead." But I am just lucky that we get to go quarterly!
I got my blood results back this week and they are good:) The doctor told me to go down to 1 pill a day. And then on August 30th I will go up to OSU to see her. Going from 5 to 1 pill a day is awesome though!
Sister Parry did get the c.d. you sent her! Thank you for making that again! I got the plate from a member in the Mound builders ward. Sister Parry had got one from that area and said that I could get one for $10. That is crazy about the shower leaking into my bedroom...not Caleb’s. What did the insurance adjuster say. Do you get a new shower?It sounds like Brigham is in really good shape. That is cool that he runs 6 miles a day! I can barely do 1!
This week was a pretty good week for teaching. We were able to get into contact with some investigators that we hadn't been able to see. We are teaching these 2 great families who are best friends. Dawn and Shawn Smith and Beth, Emily, and Harley Penwell. They are great! We are giving them a tour of our church ( blue double-wide trailer) tonight so that they will feel comfortable on Sunday when they come to church. It was cool because we were able to get permission to go skating with them last night at the skating rink! It was such a blast! I love their families. They are sad I might be leaving next week and so on Tuesday they are throwing a BBQ Party thing for me, even though I may not leave! I love them! I love this work and being able to meet people! I have met so many amazing people that I will love forever! I have family here I will defiantly miss! Kayla and Rachel are not getting baptized on the 31st :( their dad has been in and out of the hospital for a couple weeks and we had to push the date back. It's sad because I wont be there. But it's not about me.
That is cool that you are going up to Springville this weekend! The Halls are out in Utah this weekend. I can't remember exactly where... I think Saratoga Springs. But they are the family that did all my dentist work and it would be way cool if you could go out there and meet them since you are going to be up in the area anyways. I will give you their cell numbers incase you have time or would like to do that. Their number is 937-876-9646 and 937-876-9813. Their names are LaVar and Sharon Hall.
I did try the hand sanitizer on my mosquito bites. It works pretty well. I do have anti itch cream that works good to.
My schedule:
I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and we exercise for 30 min. Then we get ready and eat breakfast from 7-8. At 8 we have personal study and at 9 we have companion study. Then at 10 a.m. we are out the door proselyting until 9 p.m. with a 1 hour lunch and dinner break.
But that's pretty much it. Ha-ha... Thanks again for everything! I am excited to get Brigham and Caleb's letters! :) I love you all so much! You are awesome! Thanks for the prays and the support!
Love, Sister Madison Whitney
p.s. Thank you for the Package Brent! It is being much enjoyed and appreciated! My companion and I are loving it:)

July 19, 2010

Hi Family! Another great week in the Ohio Columbus Mission! We had a few great experiences this week! We were able to go to Zone Conference which was amazing! I loved it! It is always so great hearing from President and Sister Jensen! They have so much knowledge! I feel the spirit so strong as they teach us. I always leave Zone Conference wanted to be better! I love it! We were also able to set up a booth in the Greenfield Festival on Saturday. We were there from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Crazy! We were able to contact 150 people though. I don't know how much we will actually see from it but I do know that we planted a lot of seeds that will hopefully blossom over the next years. It was really great! And we are still teaching some great people! Beulah is doing good, just taking it slow. Daniel girls Kayla and Rachel are still on for baptism on July 31st but it's just a hard situation right now because they are living with their mom for the time being. We will see what happens. Megan Southward is doing amazing! She came to church on Sunday and loved it! She is reading and praying and she really enjoys our lessons. We are going to hopefully commit her for baptism this week. She just needs to either get married to her boyfriend or move out. But we haven't talk her about that commandment yet and so we will see how that goes. Everyone one else is doing pretty good. We are just working hard trying to get people to recognize the truth! Sometimes I just want to ring peoples necks and say listen to us! We can help you so much! But the lord has his own timing for everyone!
Ha-ha... I am glad that you liked all my pictures. I do take a lot! I have another card that is almost full. I like taking pictures and I know I will never regret taking so many because I may only get to go on one mission. I haven't got my blood results back. I probably won't for another week or two. It takes a while because they have to look at them and then mail them to me through the mission office and it's just a pain. But I will let you know what is up when I get them. I haven't been getting as bad of headaches. I did buy some Excedrin migraine and that really helps when I do get them. I haven't seen chiggers but I know you are not supposed to sit on the grass or play in the fields. I don't really want to get bit or anything. I do have a lot of mosquito bites though. They are gross! But I got this stuff to put on them that really helps. And people have been telling me that if I put hand sanitizer on them it stops them from itching.
But everything is still going really good! I love it! But my time is up! Sorry this is kind of short! I love you and hope you have a great week! Love, Sister Madison Whitney

July 12, 2010

Hello Hello!
It's sounds like everything is going pretty well at home! I can't believe they had a earthquake! Crazy... that's good that is was small though!
It sounds like you are having a crazy fun summer! All the scout camps, hikes and then girls camp. That's really cool. The Greenfield branch just left for girls camp this morning! I am jealous that I don't get to go. But things here is Greenfield are going really good! I love it! We are so busy we are totally scheduled for the entire week. We have been having to tell people we can't see them for 2 weeks unless people cancel on us. But I love it! It's been great because we have some really great investigators!
We are teaching Beulah Hale an 83 year old women! She is hilarious! We have been reading the Restoration pamphlet with her just taking it really slow. But she gets it and says she knows its true and that the Holy Spirit is strong in her. We just need to get her to come to church. It's just hard with her being old and not being able to drive. We have also been working with a lot of less actives! Trying to rescue them! We are teaching Cherisa Lamb and her daughter who is 8 and wants to get baptized. We just need to get them to start coming to church again! We also have been able to help this less active Daniel Wells with a lot of problems he has been having. He has gotten robbed, been in the hospital numerous times, moved twice, and a bunch of other trials have come his way. But we just keep teaching him and trying to get him help. It was great though because when we were leaving the other day he told us that we have had such a positive impact on his life and he will never forget us and what we have helped him with. It just makes you feel so good! It's moments like those that makes the work all worth it! I love it! I love serving a mission!
Hmmm... I don't know what else has really been going on. We just have been working hard. We are going bowling today for p-day and so I am way excited about that! It's nice to be able to relax and have some fun! Mom, you should update my page thing. Get some pictures of Sister Parry and I on there! I know your busy though... I just want people to see my awesome new companion) .
You were wondering how much we get as missionaries and all of our expenses and stuff. Well we get $145 a month. That covers food, cleaning supplies, hygiene supplies, mailing supplies, well pretty much everything we buy. We don't have to pay rent or gas or anything like that. The mission covers it out of the money you pay every month.
That's cool that Caleb will be a teacher! I can't believe how old my baby brothers are getting! Crazy! Brigham going into high school... Scary! ha-ha... That's cool he is going to do cross country. I bet he will be really good at that. Is he going to run the marathon in October? I know that he wanted to when I left.
I hear from some of my friends. Kimber Clayton is amazing at writing me! I love her so much! Shanan writes me quite a bit! It's crazy that she has 2 little boys! They are so cute! I have gotten letters from a couple of other friends once in a while but not a ton. I mostly get mail from Lance and then a letter here and there from Rachel, Skyee, and some Elders that were in my Zone at the MTC. But that's pretty much it. I would love to hear from the aunts I wrote... Michelle, Barbara, Cheri. Even if you email me that would be okay! Hand written letters are always the best though! And I get mail from Brent and Ellen’s family. But not recently because I think they went out of town. That is cool about Rondee getting married in September! I expect a wedding invitation! I would love to hear from her! You should call her and personally tell her that I want a letter from her telling me how she is doing and to tell me the story about her engagement! Also mention how she told me she would write me every week and I haven't received a letter from her once! Kelsey Vernon is getting married July 31st! CRAZY! I am sad I am missing it! Her announcement was so cute! I am way happy for her!
I did get my blood drawn this week. They only checked 3 things and so it should be good. And I filled out this financial aid thing.
But time is up and I have to go! But I love you all very much! Thank you for all that you do for me! Your amazing! Have a great week! I love you!
Love, Sister Madison Whitney
P.S. Happy Birthday Caleb! I hope that you have fun at your scout camp! I love you!