10 MONTHS AND STILL ROLLIN'

Dear family, 

The District - Makati Version

     So I just have to start out this email expressing how grateful I am to always be placed in a district with wonderful missionaries! I know that some missionaries are exposed to disobedience a lot while on their missions but I have been blessed, thus far, over the past 10 months, to have been in districts where all the elders and sisters have been super focused on the work.

     My district right now consists of the APs, the Zone Leaders, the District Leaders, us STLs, the mission office elders, and then two other sisters who are shotgunning an area (those sisters like to joke that they are the odd ones out, but there is ZERO truth to that because the fact that they are shotgunning/"white-washing" an area also gives them a thousand kudos'!) 

     Also, one of the office elders is visa waiver-waiter missionary. His original mission is the India Bangalore mission (English-speaking), his name is Elder Wakefield....and he used to be in my ward back at BYU? Whaaaaat? Small world. Funny thing is we didn't even recognize each other until he said that his bishop (Bishop Plant) was the bishop that was missing a finger. All the keys clicked then.

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Deli

     One of our investigators in the 3rd ward is Deli Casinto.

She is a good, good woman. Super hard-working, super family-oriented. She is such a great woman. 

     There are so many great Filipina women in this country that do SO much for their families. If I could give a standing ovation for each Filipina that has worked and sweated and cried over their families, I would. Filipina women are resilient and strong. This past week was hard, however, for Deli, because of some unexpected family situations. Specifically in regards to her daughter, back in their province. As Deli cried (I feel like I use the word "cry" or "cried" or "crying" a lot) and told us about their story I told her and promised her that if she wouldn't give up on her daughter, she will one day see why they had to go through this challenge. I told her the impact of the love of a mother. I told her about how grateful - INFINITELY grateful - I am for my own mother and for how her prayers, her righteous, heartfelt prayers, were heard by God.

     To be honest, I REALLY don't know where I would be today if not for the prayers of my mother during the summer/fall/winter/forever of 2013. After I got back from EFY and told everyone I hated BYU and wasn't going to go there for school? Yeah. No idea where I would be now if Mom, you hadn't fasted/prayed/done your superpower stuff to ask God to help me. A mother's love is real.

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Caizy

     Caizy is also an investigator in the 3rd ward and she is going to get married to her Utahn (Utah or Utahn?) husband in a month! But before that, she's going to get baptized on the 29th of August! Caizy is so sweet. She is so innocent. So pure. She deserves the cleansing that comes only through baptism through proper authority (she is also really fashionable; Mom she's got a beautiful red Prada bag that's just...beautiful.)

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Smoke & Shots: Jerry

     Jerry is our Chinese investigator from the 4th ward! He is SO great (Mom you probably already know about his situation based off of what you've read from Sister Lockwood's blog). Jerry is really seeking the truth. His story is really long and so we'll save that for after the mission, but in short, he has really been striving to make the necessary changes in his life in order to get baptized in September. He can do this! He can do this. I believe in him. 

     He was able to go four days this past week without smoking/drinking........until his Chinese boss invited him to a company karaoke session and then they pressured him to drink and smoke because in the Chinese working culture (and Dad, I'm sure you know all about this) it's all about relationships. "Guan xi." 

     Jerry really sees that and that's actually one reason why he left China, because he didn't like the whole concept of the business world being dependent on "guan xi." ANYHOW, we were sad that he drank and smoked (even though just a little) - BUT I have to tell you guys that on the first day that we found out that he had managed to be clean for 24 hours? It was so much to take in. I was SO happy that first night, so, so happy. We rode home in a cab after the lesson and Taylor Swift's new songs were playing and again I wanted to cry-because I love Taylor Swift and also everyone knows how I feel about hearing pop music here on the mission- but I realized...none of this matters.

     I would go through ALL the hardships in this mission all over again (maybe except for living without water.............) to feel that happiness I felt that night when Jerry told us he'd did it for the first time, that he'd gone without smoking. There was hope, that night. And there still is hope. 

There will always be hope for those that want it.

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"No Earring... For A Wedding Ring" - Jerry, Again

     Jerry is also really cool and has a "cool guy" appearance. He has had an earring on his left ear for 14 years now, never having taken it off. When we told him that he'd have to stop wearing it - well, we can all imagine the million and one feelings he must have felt inside him. I don't think that we explained it to him correctly the first time, though, because after that lesson he still came back to us with the earring still on. He'd thought that we meant that AFTER his baptism he would have to remove it. Poor guy, when we told him that we meant NOW he'd have to remove it! It was an internal struggle, I could see. But yesterday, for the first time in 14 years, he came to church without his earring. 

     Leaving/removing something that has been a part of you for so long is not easy. I applaud Jerry for his willingness to change. I know it's not a big deal to the world. An earring, an earring on a guy - so what? It's just an earring. No, it's not just an earring. For Jerry, it means the difference between new life and old life. And he's doing it. He is earring-less, and one step closer towards his September baptism.

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Best Blessing

     There has to be a section in my email this week for Gladys and Krystal. I am so glad that you two were able to get your blessing. So. Glad. I am SO happy for the comfort you two received, for the knowledge you two gained, for the love that you two felt. My patriarchal blessing changed my life. It literally did. It gave me direction. I know that it will give you direction, too. I don't think I hold any blessing dearer to my heart than my patriarchal blessing. I am so proud of the two of you!

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     I love you all! The work is great. I am still praying really hard to love the people of this area, and the love is coming; charity is coming. There is no missionary work without charity.

     Also, sorry Mom. No pictures yet with Brother Tai ("Eruption") and Sister Marquez. Mom, it's awkward, okay, going up to them wanting a picture! They are just normal people! Celebrities, yes, BIG celebrities here in the Philippines. But come Sunday, they are just normal people. Good, normal people. Plus, I still have alot of time here. I'll make sure you get your picture before I leave.

Zone conferences are this week and Sister Pamesa and I will be teaching! Wish us luck!


With love,
Sister Teo

P.S. 10-MONTH MARK TODAY! We got this.