TWELVE WEEKS! Twelve weeks. I am officially out of my training. Bye-bye to the twelve-week program! I am no longer a "trainee"! These twelve weeks have been the most beautiful roller coaster of my life. The ups and the downs have scared me and at times I have wanted to get off of this ride - but I have stayed, and I know that I will stay on, and hold on, because it is the only sensible thing to do. Face your fears, isn't that what they tell you? Everyday I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and beg Heavenly Father to help me do this. To give me strength beyond my own. And I testify that that is exactly what He has done for me over these first twelve weeks on the field. I love my Heavenly Father.
AN 18-MONTH HIKE:
Before the mission I loved the times that I would be able to go hiking with my best friend. The Utah terrain is beautiful beyond words and there is still so much exploring left to do in that state. But this past week Sister Lockwood and I realized that our mission here in the Philippines...is an 18-month hike. We don't have the luxury of driving cars. We aren't serving in the Visitors' Centers. We walk. We walk. And we walk. Basically, we hike. And if we had ever complained about hiking before the mission...well, seems like we will be professional hikers with excellent stamina by the time we get home! Sis and I like to joke that we will climb up Y-mountain (by BYU) faster than the boys will.
THE ANASIS':
Brian and Fatima. They were the couple that came to Church three weeks ago with their two children. I love them. I think that I can safely say that they are the first investigator family that I fell in love with. And am still in love with. You meet these people, you pour our your heart in prayer for them, you talk about them all day with your companion, and you just love them. You love them more than you thought you would be able to. They become people you want to help. You know that things can be better for them. You WANT it for them. I love the Anasis'.
And yet this week was also the first time since being here that I truly felt my heart break. My heart broke, for them. For these people that I have come to love so, so much. Words cannot describe the sinking feeling in my stomach as Sis and I walked away from their house.
"Wait...so when you invited us to be baptized, it meant being becoming a Mormon? Wait a minute...we're fine being Catholic! We're Catholic, for SURE."
What do we say to that? Well. We didn't. We didn't really say anything. Because at first we started laughing, both Sister Lockwood and I, and then we just started crying. Tears of laughter turned into tears. Actual tears. Sis and I think that we must have just weirded them out completely. Two foreigner girls, sitting in front of them, crying. We just didn't know what to say except to tell them how much we love them. And I kept thinking, "Why isn't my Tagalog better? Why can't I tell them everything they need to know and tell them perfectly?" I remember thinking it was my fault for not helping them understand better.
But I have come to know that maybe it just isn't their time yet. Maybe they still have to wait. And maybe we still have to work on them, slowly. Little by little. There has to be SOMETHING about the gospel that they like. There has to be SOMETHING.
Walking away from them that day was hard. But I knew deep inside me that Sister Lockwood and I had touched their hearts that day, different from any of the other lessons that we had had with them previously. The Spirit was there. We had testified to them, through our tears, everything that we knew. And what surprised me was that the words came forth from us, in that moment. Right when we needed it, they came out of us. I know there is something for the Anasis'. We will keep trusting in God's plan for them.
ATE TESS:
(Preface: "Ate" is a respect word for "sister"/addressing someone older than you.)
TESS! Oh, Tess. 12 weeks I've been here. AND TESS WAS THE FIRST ONE TO ACCEPT MY BAPTISMAL INVITATION! The first time that I extended the invitation perfectly, and the first time someone said YES...without any struggle! I know I speak about the Spirit alot, and maybe before the mission I would've been one of those kids who thought, "Why are these missionaries so...religious? So into this 'Spirit' thing?" and maybe some of your reading this on the blog are thinking this too. But it's true. The Spirit drives this work. And I know that the Spirit testified to me in that moment that Tess said "Yes," that this work is moving forward. It won't stop. It'll go on forever.
NANAY AND HER FAITH:
Yesterday in Gospel Doctrine's class (where all the recent converts/ investigators attend during second hour), a Nanay shared her testimony about Heavenly Father answering prayers. I thought that her experience was really cool and just wanted to share it with y'all.
That morning before Church she'd had zero money on her to get to church. She had no money for fare. She was sad that she wouldn't be able to attend. And then as she said a prayer in her heart, all of a sudden her grandchild came into the room.
"Nanay! The jackfruit is ripe!"
They cut it open. Took a bite. It was so sweet. So good. Nanay knew that they could sell what little they had- ONE JACKFRUIT- to get the money she needed to come to church. And that's what she did. She sold a jackfruit. Sunday morning. A jackfruit that, out of nowhere, had ripened perfectly that morning to help her get to Church. Miracle? I think yes. These people teach me every day about what it means to be humble and to trust in our Savior.
J & A:
At the start of this email I told you guys how great these last 12 weeks have been. I would not trade any of the hard times for what it all boiled down to last night. Our two investigators at Church. J. And A. (For confidentiality's sake I'll just stick to initials.) "Husband and wife", though not legally married. Technically we would call that cohabitating before marriage. But here in the Philippines if they decide that they're going to live with each other they just go ahead and call each other husband and wife.
ANYWAYS. They came to Church. BY THEMSELVES! AND J! The brethren were SO impressed with him! After Church some of the brothers came up to Sis and I and told us that J had LED the discussion in Elders' Quorom! What! And he had done so too in Gospel Doctrine's class! WE LOVE when investigators PARTICIPATE. It makes Church SUCH a better experience for them.
Later that evening they'd also gone to an FHE with us. FHE at the Magbanua's. They were members. It was SO great that J&A were able to come. Once again they fit right into the scene and J was talking to everyone and before we left he said, "Mamaya na!", or in English, "Let's leave later!" He didn't want to go! I know that God has prepared these people to receive the gospel. There is still a ways ahead for the two of them but I know that they can get there. I don't want to jinx myself either, but I KNOW that J and A are prepared. We will keep working with them and family it'd be great if you could keep them in our prayers. They are definitely our friends.
+ + + + +
SO! WOW! Long email today. Better wrap up. Transfer day is this Wednesday and we still have NO idea what is going to happen. No word from the Zone Leader yet so I'm not sure if I will stay or not. Either way! The work is great. Heavenly Father is watching over us. And you guys too. Trust in Him. His timing and will is the only correct way to go. Things go so much better when we don't fight against Him.
I LOVE YOU ALL! I am so happy! Tired, but happy. Greatest paradox in the world. Who knew that work could be so much fun?
With love,
Sister Teo
P.S. Shout-out to Krystal! So proud of you and your performance in GREASE!
P.P.S JUST GOT WORD THAT SISTER LOCKWOOD IS LEAVING! I WILL HAVE A NEW COMPANION THIS WEEK! AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!! Sister Tee-mah-rah-gan. That's how you pronounce her name! Not sure how you spell it yet. BUT....I'M GOING TO HAVE A NEW COMPANION!
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