Top priority
Okay. This NEEDS to be on the top of this week's email. GLA- YOU GOT INTO BYU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I weren't a missionary right this very moment I would be screaming inappropriately right now in this little internet cafe. I am so happy for you! I am so glad. I never doubted that God would answer our prayers. I always knew that He would take care of you. That's not to say, though, that if you didn't get into BYU that He wasn't watching out for you. I just mean to say that...He knows exactly what we need. And He is merciful and SO good. My testimony of that has been solidified a million times, over and over again, throughout the course of these 16-going-on-17 months. I am so HAPPY! We'll get to rock out COUGARTOWN together! And then in a year's time, Krystal will join us. AHHHHHHHHHHH! So happy. Now we just need to get Mommy and Daddy to move over. Yes? Maybe?
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"I fear no man"
Every week from now on deserves a paragraph about the Addurus. Sorry. It's just that they work with us two days a week as we proselyte and so we have become really close friends, and I just admire the two of them so much. Plus I secretly ALWAYS want to work with them because it makes me feel like I'm with you, Mom and Dad, and...it gives me GOOD FEELS... ;) BUT ANYWAYYYS...Elder Adduru is FEARLESS. He will talk to anyone and everyone about ANYTHING related to the Church. He is not afraid of anything. He is so wise. We were eating at Mang-Inasal this past week, and when you get to meet Elder Adduru you will realize that he speaks REALLY LOUD in public (no shame!), and well, we were eating together in the middle of this restaurant (that's where our table was) and he starts talking really loudly/explaining really loudly all about James E. Talmage's "Jesus The Christ," giving explanations on the deep doctrine in the book that I don't understand. Pre-mission Sister Teo would have cringed in discomfort and a little embarrassment, but now-mission Sister Teo EMBRACES IT ALL! Everyone in our area will come to know all about "THE MORMONS" soon enough. Everyone will know Elder and Sister Adduru. I love it. He fears no man. I need to fear no man, too.
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Three kingdoms...of cold showers
This needs to make the list on my email today.
Telestial kingdom of the cold shower: My 2nd area.
Terrestrial kingdom of cold shower: My last area (3rd area)
CELESTIAL KINGDOM OF COLD SHOWER: THIS CURRENT AREA
I can't even tell you how cold the water is. Oh my gosh. So cold. I wish I got a snapchat of all the faces I make whenever the water first hits my skin. SO COLD. The end.
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Fallen in love
You'll know when Sister Teo has fallen in love with an investigator/less-active family...when she starts packing snacks for the kids for church. I went and did it. I packed snacks for the kids of a less-active family that is "returning" status, and that started coming to church only when we got into this area.I don't think that missionaries are ever "prideful" about any of their converts/returns, but I know that missionaries definitely feel happy and accomplished, in a way, when they see that the Spirit works THROUGH them to touch these people's hearts. And so it is with this family. The Grafias. I love them so much. I tried my very best not to give them my heart..................but then I've prayed for them too much and wanted the best for them since the very beginning, that I couldn't help but...fall in love with them. I love this family. There is something about families. Whole families. Families that once knew of the joy of this gospel but that somehow got lost along the way...God loves families. I know that the highest order of heaven has everything to do with families. And the Grafias...I know that they can do it. I know that they can come back. I know that it is their time. And with my love, and Sister Kumari's love, and God's love, and the love of the ward, I know that they will. I gave them my heart, and I will use all of my heart (mightmindstrength) to serve them and help them.
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Finish-ing strong
The Finish Strong meeting this past week was very helpful. President and Sister Ostler offered a lot of words of wisdom. Our assignment is to think of what our goals are for our future. We have the First Week goals, then the First Month goals, then the First Year goals, and then the Five Year goals. If anything, this mission has taught me so much about the importance of goal-setting. So I am confident that I will not fail in this assignment! But the future is nigh. Not all that close yet, but it is nigh. This week marks the start of the new transfer. The last transfer. Are we really at this point...? I love you all so much. In this past couple of weeks, I have realized that I have prayed for fervently for all of you, all the time.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
With love,
Sister Teo
P.S. The weird picture of all of us in blue was when we had to go to the MTC to get our X-Rays done in order to make sure that none of us departing missionaries have tuberculosis.
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