20 Years

Dear family,

     Throughout the week I take down notes of what I want to share with you in my weekly emails. This week the list was really long. There were alot of bullet points. But as I sit here in front of the computer today, I don't feel like writing about the million and one things that happened this week. Instead, my heart is filled- almost bursting at the seams- with gratitude. I am so grateful for these 20 years. I am so grateful for how wonderful of a family I have. For all of my friends, for everyone that I love, for all my leaders and peers and teachers and people I've liked and people I haven't necessarily liked- all of whom have helped me to get to where I am. 

     All growing up, June was always my favorite month. Haha, of course- June 10 was my favorite day of the year. Birthdays were always about presents and the candles I'd get to blow out and for the birthday parties and for things that pretty much spelled M-A-T-E-R-I-A-L-I-S-T-I-C. But as with Christmas 2014, when Sister Lockwood and I were two young missionaries up in Santa Monica, Palawan, and on the eve of Christmas we literally trekked through a jungle...as with that special day where I once would've been obsessed with presents and not enough with the meaning behind that occasion, so it is with June 10 of this year. 

     Far from home, far from friends, not really having a say in who I spend that day with. But it doesn't really matter to me. It doesn't matter. It has been eight months since I started this journey, and I will be the first to say that these eight months...these eight months have changed me. And they are still changing me. 

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A Special Peace

     This week I got the chance to go to the temple twice. Once for a tour with one of our investigators- Anding; he is the young man in the pictures seated next to his girlfriend, Nina- (we have alot of boyfriend-girlfriend referrals, HAHA) that we have goaled for a baptism in July, and then the second time, earlier today. The first time we were just on temple grounds. It was peaceful and it was nice and it was beautiful. Anding said that he felt different. He felt a kind of feeling in his heart that he hadn't felt before. Temple grounds are sacred grounds. The second time, earlier, when we actually went in... (by the way Dad, that was NOT my third time there! I went like, FIVE times while we were at the MTC)...I cannot even tell you how SWEET it is to be in the house of the Lord. I would not exchange my times in the temple for ANYTHING. I probably wouldn't LIVE in it for ever because I need to hear some noise every now and then or I'd go crazy, BUT.

     With that said, I love the sacredness and the quietness of the temple. Recently, President Ostler newly goaled for the Manila Mission to raise its vision and see more people to the TEMPLE and NOT JUST to the waters of baptism. Baptizing is great. It gets people to the gate. But the temple. The temple. That's where it's at. What happens in the temple- it's not secret. It's SACRED.

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Headaches & Perseverance

     These last five weeks (or this transfer, in general) has seen a lot of sick days. Sick days shared between my companion and I. This last week - I think it was on a Wednesday or a Thursday - I woke up with a really bad sore throat (drank too much mango juice; darn mangoes). I didn't think too much of it but then mid-afternoon hit and suddenly this MIGRAINE PAIN just HIT ME like a brick wall. I had NO idea where it came from. All of a sudden I just felt SO bad. My head was going to explode. I was in TEARS. And I just felt so angry. Angry because of all these physical ailments that seem to keep coming, one after the other. (This morning, just today, I woke up and had no voice. #WOOHOO. A voiceless BIRTHDAY tomorrow!) I was angry because all I wanted to do was to serve these people, to go out and teach, to "be a missionary." And through my angry tears, as we went back to our apartment so I could lie down, I prayed and vented out my frustration to Heavenly Father. 

     I have come to realize, from that experience, that maybe the mission ISN'T just about teaching lessons. When I used to think of missionaries, I always thought of them sitting in a home, TEACHING. That was my pre-conception of missionaries. But that day, through angry tears and eventually a softened heart, I felt like Heavenly Father was trying to tell me something. This mission isn't just about teaching. This mission is about everything else as well. This place is a refiner's fire. God will do with me what He wants. And I? I will go through all of HIS lessons, made specifically just for me. 

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Numbers, Numbers, Numbers...

     At zone meeting yesterday, the zone leaders told us that our zone- BONIFACIO ZONE- is leading the mission with the SECOND HIGHEST numbers of baptisms in May! Nine! As a zone of 14 missionaries, we had NINE. #proud. But guess which zone is ACTUALLY leading? SANTA MONICA! SANTA MONICA ZONE had 11 baptisms in the month of May! Considering that I JUST came from SM...#doublepride!

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"Missionary Mom"

     Fast and testimony meeting was very interesting this past week because one of the sisters got up to bear her testimony and their family had just sent off their son on his mission this past week. He is serving in the Melbourne, Australia mission. 

     She bore her testimony about how she was now "officially a missionary mom." The minute she said that, surprisingly Sister Barrido and I started crying at the same time. (HAHA, OKAY, sounds like there were alot of tears this week- don't worry, it wasn't a bad week at all.) I miss you guys so much! Mom, I don't know all the things that you say at church or to your friends or to family, but I hope that you, too, feel pride that YOU are a missionary mom. 

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SHOUT-OUTS

1) KAEDE TAKESHIGE- YOU EMAILED ME! I LOVE YOU. HAHA. Your email made me laugh. You are going to KILL it at Temple Square. Super jealous that you'll get to see Zoe (Lau) alot, but I know that you've got this!! September 8! Email me again before you head in!
2) BETTY RYU- YOU EMAILED ME TOO! I MISS YOU! Will you send me your address? Your physical mailing address. I want to mail you!
3) ANNABELLE LIN- No words need to be said. Will be watching out for your letter :) 


20 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!! Not sure who else is excited, but I sure am! 

June 10 also marks 8 months. 8 months down; 10 more to go. We're almost halfway there.

With love,
Sister Teo