Snippets

Dear family,

     There are some weeks on the mission that are filled with gazillion things that happened, and then there are other weeks where everything seemed like it all just happened all at once and all my memories of the week just meshed one into the other...and this week was that kind of a week! 

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It's in my blood

     I've been here long enough that I think I qualify to say this: it is in my blood to love pop culture. Period. The Filipinos live so humbly and yet everyone here seems to be able to afford a HUUUUUUGE sound system that blasts music for the entire street to hear. Not kidding. This past week Sister Kumari and I were waiting by the side of the street for the jeepney to pull up, and behind us was this pizza store that was blasting Drake really loud, and so I turned to her and said, "This is Drake playing," and she was like, "Wait what? How do you know?" and I just say, "I just know!" This week I have recognized Taylor Swift's voice on the radio, Drake's voice on the radio, Adele's voice on the radio, Selena Gomez's voice on the radio, JUSTIN BIEBER'S NEW SONGS on the radio, and Ellie Goulding on the radio. Just stating a fact. Daddy, when you married Mommy you married a woman that has music running in her blood. #THANKYOU

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All the way from Long Beach

     This week we received a new pair of senior couple missionaries- Elder and Sister Adurru. Yes, Adurru as in he-is-related-to-Elder-Adurru-of-the-Area-Seventy. This Elder Adurru serving in our mission was the first of his whole family to join the church 44 years ago. Through him came Elder-Adurru-the-Area-Seventy. Through him, 120 members of their family have joined the church, with 20+ having served missions. And best of all...President Ostler assigned Elder and Sister Adurru to serve in the Makati 1st ward for the next three, four months! Just the right amount of time that I have left here on the mission!

     I know with all my heart that the Adurrus are a blessing, and not just a blessing to this ward but more so a blessing to Sister Kumari and I. They were able to work with us in our area on Saturday and I know that God assigned them here so that they would be able to help this area out. We have a LOT of less-actives in this area and a bunch of investigators that like to listen to what we have to say but don't come to church...and I feel very strongly that Elder and Sister Adurru will be able to help invite the Spirit strong enough that these people will be compelled to act. To take a larger step forward, and to keep their commitments. So blessed. There is one line in Preach My Gospel that says that the relationships you develop with leaders while on your mission will bless you for the rest of your life. I know this to be true. 

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Marriage prep: communicating 101

     The mission is THE best place to learn so many of the skills needed for marriage. Sister Kumari is my last companion here and as I think back to when I first started out with Sister Lockwood, to Sister Himarangan, to Sister Quilicot, to Sister Barrido, to Sister Veras, to Sister Pamesa, to Sister Esmolo, and now to Sister Kumari...I think about how much I have learnt thus far about communication. And then I couple this with Ether's superb communication skills - we need to give Ether some points for how good he is with striving for communication in ANY friendship/relationship - and I think: WOW. I think that I have come SO far with learning how to be open and how to communicate what I am feeling. And I have learnt how to be humble. How to receive correction if needed. How to reprove, if needed. How to TALK. How to build a GOOD relationship with anyone you work with. The mission is the best place to prepare to be a better daughter, wife, and mother. (And sister!)

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Service softens 

      None of our investigators showed up at church this last week, BUT we had a family of less-actives come! The Grafias. We served them this last week- we washed their clothes and cleaned up the front of their house- and I felt the spirit of love all throughout that service project. I know that service softens hearts because this week they all came to church! Okay, granted they turned up because they just wanted their new baby to receive a baby's blessing from the Bishop...AND I am worried that they won't come back next week because they won't have a "legitimate" reason to...BUT. They still came! After we had served them! Service goes a long way. KINDNESS goes a long way. 


     It's February. I feel it in the air, you guys. I can feel it in my joints that this is the last leg of the race. I feel like the end is just as hard as the beginning. It is a different kind of hard, but I feel myself coming full circle. We are almost there. 


With love,
Sister Teo