Last Email!

Dear family and friends,
I’m feeling really grateful. I was trying to get my thoughts together
to bear my last testimony at zone conference last week and the
overwhelming impression that came to me that I can only be grateful.
I studied Timothy this morning. I want to be a lot more like Timothy.
He’s so trust worthy and diligent and like Paul says, he doesn’t seek
his own. I also like the older fatherly Paul who’s really wise.
Ah, so many wonderful things happened this week. We’ve been incredibly
busy and we had exchanges with 3 sets of sisters. I love new
missionaries. And old missionaries. They are changing so much in their
hearts.
We taught the Conde family this week- they’d been discouraged in
sharing the gospel and we felt we needed to go there. We read about
Abinadi and how Alma was the only one who even listened.. The look on
Sis. Conde’s face- “Wait, and he’s the Alma…!” I love the moments when
we get the plan a little better.
And Sis. Bateman and I had a moment where we were teaching this old
nanay that God loved her and we sort of expected the same responses,
and then it was half in Tagalog and we got confused. We didn’t know
what to do, so we prayed! And as Sis. Aguido prayed she broke down
into tears. As she looked up, she said, ‘sisters, He listens.” I will
never ever ever get tired of hearing people pray for the first time
for real.
We found Sis. Ate. I think she’s the one. She’s a kindergarten
teacher. Oh, I love her. She needs to come to church.
I gave a talk on Sunday about the filipino favorite- Lehi’s dream. I
used to laugh because it’s the first story, and usually the only one
they make it to (1 Nephi 8 lang gud!) But it’s become one of my
favorites, because it’s really true. The Agirs were beaming. I love
them. Hold to the rod- and it will bring true joy.
We keep finding more members of the Sabihon family. God has something
great in store for them.
My companion got shampoo in her eye, and it was this beautiful
companionship moment where we had to hold her eye open under the water
for 20 minutes. She is one of my favorite people in this world.
Like Paul reminds Timothy, we can continue in the things that we’ve
learned and been assured of, but essentially we must know of who we
have learned them (2 Tim 3:14). I certainly didn’t learn anything of
myself here.
I know it’s from wonderful companions. I have had the privelege to
serve with 10 of my sisters. I know with all of my heart and head and
dughan that God knows exactly what he is doing when he assigns
missionary companionships. And people truly can be instruments.
I’ve learned from wonderful leaders- not everyone gets to have 2
mission presidents, and I count myself lucky. Both President Schmutz
and President McCurdy have left indelible examples of faith and
revelation.
But of course, I’ve mostly been tutored really gently and sometimes
not so gently by the Spirit of God in the medium of prayer and
scriptures.
2 Tim 1:7
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and
oflove, and of a sound mind.
I read this the other day in a Liahona when I felt stressed.
This is from Alma Taylor, one of the first missionaries in Japan who
baptized no one and taught few lessons.
“It is the unique testimony of all the missionaires of our church that
their missionary days are the happiest of their lives… They hold such
testimony as a priceless pearl.”
I do expect that many more happy times are going to come and so I
won’t exclude that. But I just add my testimony that this is a
priceless pearl. I am incredibly happy.
This week, I’d love your prayers for the 8 investigators that we’ve
goaled to have at sacrament. It’s going to take all our effort, but I
know we can do it! And for the success of our branch activity- Siaton
is really really coming together.
I love you! Kitakitz… Pyr!
Sister Tueller