Story Time

Section #2: Story Time

Story 1:

Hi :) My name is Shelby Roper and my missionary is Michael Odiorne. I'm from Marietta, Georgia and he's from Hilton Head, South Carolina. Here's our story :)

A few weeks prior I remember I had seen the August 2013 YSA Conference in Stone Mountain, Georiga event page on Facebook. In the past, I never specifed if I was "going" or "not attending" these events because I wasn't ever sure if I could attend due to the many other things I had going on in my life. But this time I chose to specify I was "going". To this day, I still don't truly know why I wanted to specify it but I just felt "It's the right thing to do" this time.

Here's Michael's side: "After I had finally got my mission call and had gotten a little better from my surgery I remembered about the YSA conference I had signed up for a few months previous. When the day came to drive up to ATL for it, I decided at the last second I wasn't going anymore. Had it not been for the fact that my brother was going to ride with me and that he had invited a friend to ride up with us, and my Dad talking to me for a couple hours about still going to the YSA Conference in ATL, I would not have gone. Why would I need or want to? I was leaving on a mission in less than a month. I had all the friends I needed, and it was the most pointless thing to me to hang around girls and go to dances and meet new girls. It was just a needless distraction, but at least I would be able to get something out of the conference and go for the spiritual things they would have."

Shelby: So I went to the conference. I was a little late on Friday night but I was there a few hours. I saw my friends from the Singles Ward and actually talked to them the rest of the night. With other things going on and my first day back to school being on Monday, I missed the Saturday portion of the conference, and then I attended Sunday's session. I loved Sunday. Hearing Elder Bednar was a really great experience. So I got home, and I was little disappointed I didn't meet anyone new. I really did want to meet new people or at least one person. But I couldn't spend too much time thinking about it, the next day was my first day back to school so I had plenty to still prepare for.

Michael: "So I went, and had a better time than I thought I would, even though the Braves 15 game winning streak was snapped while I was there LOL. After the conference was over, I returned home knowing I'd be in ATL a week later to go to the Temple and catch a Brave game. As I thought back on the conference I realized it might have been nice to at least have made one new friend, so I went through the Facebook attendance list. After going through the whole list, I could only come up with one that I was even interested in sending a friend request, and that person was a girl. She was blonde and blue eyed and I could only remember possibly partially glancing or seeing her out of the corner of my eye a couple of times. I could only really think of possibly seeing her on one or two of the days as well. So I sent the request, the only one I ever sent, and even debated sending one at all to this girl, but I did."

Shelby: On Monday morning I noticed I received a friend request from a 'Michael Odiorne'. I didn't know who this person was, but I noticed we had 3 mutual friends who were all from church. I think I also noticed he had attended the conference, because it had said so on his page. So I accepted his friend request thinking I'd probably get a message from him later. I didn't. So I took the friendly initiative to introduce myself.

Michael: "Next thing I knew I got a message back from her with a formal introduction. After a few more messages it seemed that, that might be that. After my ATL Temple trip we exchanged messages again. Then one message to led to another. Next thing I knew we were Skyping. Next thing I knew we were friends. Next thing I knew, we knew a lot about each other. Next thing I knew I was eating meals at her family's house, going to church with her, and spending the weekend at her house. She came in to my life as an unexpected source of strength that allowed me to make it the rest of the way to my mission. She has continued to write me while I've been gone and be a true friend. As a missionary I don't think too much about girls. However when I sometimes do, she usually is the one that comes to mind, probably because she is the only one worth remembering, and probably because she has always remembered me."

It's important to know that I really only knew him for a month before he left and went out with him twice. He's been on his mission in the Adriatic North (currently in Serbia) for about a year and it's been an amazing experience. We've really grown close and helped each other through some difficult times while also staying focused on putting the Lord first. I'm so thankful I put the Lord first, I truly believe the many choices I made were because of promptings from Heavenly Father. Being about a year through, I can't believe it but doing my best to continue to put the Lord first has really been the blessing to make it this far.  I do believe YSA Conferences are worth putting forth effort. I didn't actually meet Michael at that event, but I only met him because I did go. Many wonderful things and even a friendship with true feelings within, would never have happened without immense faith and trust in the Lord to attend that YSA Conference. I know Michael would feel the same way and agree with similar comments.

Thanks for asking to share my story :)

Shelby