Modest Is Safest
This past week while Sister Pamesa and I were walking to and from our teaching appointments (FYI: we live in Pasay but our area covers Makati), I was telling Sister Pamesa how there were a bunch of men out on the streets (oh, right, it was Friday night) and how it was and is so amazing that no one tries to do ANYTHING to the missionaries. And she said that in the Philippines (since people are SO religious) when they see young ladies wearing skirts that go below their knees, immediately they're like, "Oops, hands off, those people are church-going" and all. That's a really nice, comforting thought. There's a reason for why missionaries - especially the sisters - dress the way that they do! + + + + + + + + + +
City Livin'
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Yoked
This past week @ zone conference, President Ostler was teaching and in his remarks to the congregation he spoke about companionship unity. And he had with him a yoke. An actual yoke. The kind of yoke you put around oxen. A real yoke. And guess what? Yup, he had Sister Pamesa and I come up to the front and he put the yoke on us. And THEN he asked us to walk around the sacrament hall with the yoke still on us. It was a powerful object lesson about unity. I learnt a couple things: 1) yokes are heavy, but very efficient. 2) it's easier being the same height as your companion when you're trying to wear a yoke - trust me; President put the yoke on two elders who were as different as David and Goliath was and OBVIOUSLY that did not work out well! :) Companionship unity. That's the way to go. I love SIster Pamesa, though! She is so down-to-earth and so understanding, so mature. I am learning so much from her.
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Young, Weak... But Not Foolish
In one of our lessons this week with a new investigator we picked up (his name is Ronel and he is PROGRESSING!), he asked us at one point what our ages were. We told him 20 and 22 respectively, and he's a grown man in his 30s. At that point it hit me: How is it that people so much older than us...can sit and listen to us tell them about God? They trust us so completely with their lives. They trust us to teach them about salvation and exaltation. And they listen.
They believe.
They act.
The prophecies in the scriptures are definitely true that God uses the weak and simple things of this world to confound the wise!
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Weight
So speaking about these people who trust us so completely, this past week we picked up another new investigator. Her name is Candy. She's from Vietnam but she's basically Chinese and speaks Chinese. I love her so much. She is my sister. It's a little hard for her to understand everything in church because it is all in English, and I am still trying to figure out how to help her best because my head is a mess when I am trying to listen and translate on-the-go...but! The Spirit compensates for my weaknesses which is good. Anyhow. This week after zone conference we met with Candy and she laid everything on us. She told us her story and her struggles and all her downs (as well as ups, but mostly downs) and my heart just broke. We listened to her for a good hour and a half and my heart broke. I now know a little, just a little, of what bishops feel. Of what stake presidents feel.
I know a little of what they feel when people, so burdened and weighed down by the world and by their problems, come to their office and tell them EVERYTHING. I am not a bishop in any sense of the word, just a missionary, but that lesson with Candy. Man. I remember feeling SO spiritually drained afterwards. That was a LOT for a 20-year-old like myself to take in. I can't believe how trusting Candy was to let us into her life. How grateful I am that at the end of the day, Christ can take her burden and mine off of our shoulders!
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Earring Go, Wait... Earring Come Back?
Okay, that was not grammatically correct, but that was on purpose. JERRY! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. Jerry. Oh, Jerry. The first time we met with him again this week (after Sunday), he had his earring back on again. And he told us he had smoked the day before because his boss offered him a cigarette and wouldn't believe that he was trying to quit. (I'd like to meet this boss and give him a piece of my mind!!!) Anyhow. Jerry makes us laugh. He is so innocent. But SO willing...to follow. We went over again the reasons for why men don't wear earrings, and since then he hasn't put it back on. (Hopefully!!!) He's hoping so hard for his September baptism.
BTW Dad, we speak English to Jerry, as simply as we can. Sometimes when he can't find the right word in English, he says it in Chinese, and about 70% of the time I get it. (Thank you guys by the way for praying for my Chinese! It is COMING!!! It is Amazing! It doesn't sound like a broken tape anymore!)
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Marco, Carol and Sarah
On Saturday, I was able to return back to the Bonifacio ward. And I saw Marco, Carolyn, and Sarah. I almost cried. I love them. Seeing them just reminded me of how hard I loved them, how hard I prayed for them, how much I want for them all the happiness in the world. There is such a bond I feel with them. I didn't find Sarah; a TON of missionaries had taught her before I came along. But I pray that I did something, even a little, to help her. She is my friend. And then there's Marco and Carol. Found them, taught them, still waitin' for the glorious day of their baptism! I love them. Love, love, love them. Those three people held so much of my heart. They still do.
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Raff
And then here's the climax of the week, at least for me. Remember Raff? From my Bonifacio area? And how we had helped him prepare himself for baptism? Well. The reason why I saw Marco and Carol and Sarah on Saturday was because Raff... got baptized. As Sister-Training-Leader over Sister Veras' area now (President was SO kind...I love him. Another story in it of itself!) I can attend their baptisms.
And Raff got baptized. He did it. Raff did it. All of our sweat and tears and hard work...it paid off.
I didn't get to finish teaching him, but there is something SO special attending the baptism of someone you FOUND and started to teach. Raff did it. I remember as Elder Gallarde was saying the baptismal prayer, just closing my eyes real tight as tears started to well up in them, and praying and saying, "Thank you. Thank you Heavenly Father." Raff did it. Next step: TEMPLE (AND MISSION!) (He's only 20 years old!)
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With love,
Sister Teo
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