Another Week

Dear family, 

Carol, Jerry & Ronel

     Let's start this email off good and happy: Carol, Jerry, and Ronel are ALL set for their October 17th baptisms! They are scheduled for their interview with the District Leader this Saturday, in between General Conference sessions and maybe even after. I am so, so, SO happy! Sister Pamesa and I are making sure to fast for them tomorrow because you never know what can go wrong (or right!) in two weeks. 

     Carol has gained this NEW courage about her that is so touching to witness. She has grown so much in faith. Jerry has 

a new light about him, 

too, and he even came to shirt with a WHITE SHIRT AND TIE yesterday! And Ronel is awesome. Full stop. He is super deep. Super. He's a writer, and so as he goes through the Book of Mormon he tells us all these insights that he has and it's DEEP. So deep. My mind is blown away by how great these two sons and one daughter of God are. Fingers crossed for October 17! It has been a GIFT to see them change over these months...

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Can't Be Seperated

     I just have a word to say about the "No-divorce" thing here in the Philippines.........Okay, nevermind, I won't say it. I have to be polite about the laws here. Even though we all know that it is SUPER BA...LO...NEY..............SUPER! So many of our investigators/ recent converts can't EVER go into the temple to be endowed/sealed because of this law! Because they can't get "divorced" from their previous husband/wife and the annulment, as they call it here, costs a BOMB for these people. WHY?!?!?!?!

     It broke my heart this past week as we sat down with one of our investigators who was supposed to be baptized really soon, but then told us that...he would rather not, because he just CAN'T live apart from his "now-wife-but-not-really-wife-because-legally-she-is-still-married-to-another-man." This really troubled me the entire week. He made up his mind so fast that he would put off baptism/salvation/being saved...because of love. I don't doubt that he loves her. But talking with President this week...how much of it is really love, and how much of it is lust? President told me that if he really wanted to be baptized, he would overcome ANYTHING to be baptized, even if it meant going his whole life not living with this woman UNTIL the annulment happens. Ladies and gentlemen, salvation is not easy! 

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Families

     This past week I also got a letter from one of my investigators from a previous area telling me that she wants to run away from her live-in-partner/"husband"/(not really husband because they aren't married yet either), which ALSO broke my heart. (Okay, it was just a really heavy week, dealing with all of my investigators' problems!) 

Families are SO important. 

I've learnt that SO much over this last year. Families, families, families. It all starts in a family. It all starts with husband and wife, and the kind of life that they decide TOGETHER, to build. It isn't all husband. It isn't all wife. It is husband and wife. And then there are the children too. If a family is happy, the world is just that much happier. It all starts in the home. I cannot wait to take all these lessons and apply them in my future family! 

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October 10th

     Okay, so I haven't technically hit my one-year mark yet so I'm not going to comment on that too much...YET. I will save all of my long, joyous "HOOORRAAAAYYY!!!!" rants for next week, but thank you all for remembering and for your happy wishes!!!!! I can't believe that October 10 is just right around the corner! And I get to celebrate it with watching General Conference! Best gift ever. I cannot describe the journey that I have experienced. Wow. Everyone should serve a mission. It's like, life school. #nokidding

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    Pictures this week are of me eating durian - I LOVE DURIAN!!!!!!!!! The durians here (from Davao) are WAY better than the ones in Singapore! - and then there are a couple of pictures from MLC (Missionary Leadership Council) this past week. Sister Veras is an STL now too and we were reunited this past week! I love her!!!!!!!!!!!! 

     Have a great week everyone! This last week went by so fast but so slow. Let's see how this next one goes :) 

I love you all so much.

With love,
Sister Teo