Prayers for Cindy Teo and sharing her Church and Mission office experience


I had come to know Cindy Teo through facebook in January 2014 out of over a thousand people that I try to connect and stay in touch with on this most popular social media. She had served as the secretary to the Mission Presidents in Singapore from 1970 to 1977 and has personally shared with me faith promoting stories besides giving me good historical information and photographs acquired during her time of service. This would be from the time of President G Carlos Smith and his wife La Von P Smith (Oct 1969 - June 1972) to President  Miller F. Shurtleff and wife Alice (June 1972 - July 1975) and half way through the service years of President Soren F Cox and wife Fern (July 1975 - July 1978)

As facebook has limited bandwidth and would give you only limited notification of a post by a friend/family member close to you based on your relationship setting that you decide on, I've only in the past been receiving notification from family members only. I have also received notifications on those who clicked 'like' or make comments on my posts so that I can respond to it. As I myself have limited bandwidth of time and focus attention, I would always first respond to notifications received and would only randomly scan the newsfeed to see who had made a recent post. For some reason I was up at Malaysia/Singapore time and date of 5am 9 January 2015 checking on the facebook newsfeed to read the post from Cindy below:


I have shared this post to the returned missionaries facebook group to seek for sincere and earnest prayers for her as I've always known or have a strong testimony of the power of prayers.

Here are some pics she has shared with her original captions edited only for typing errors :

MIA nights and Elder Black is seen adjusting his cameras with July Ellis behind him and Brother Ellis behind July with his son, James.

RS reception...the sisters were helping themselves to the food 

A Church play -- in the pics were the Kunalans and me sitting next to Sis Kunalan

Maughn, Webb, Black at the old chapel (they were the last 3 before the old chapel were torn down)

A Saturday activity in the Church -- me sitting on the table, Hendry Chen, a young son of Sister Williams, Lily resting her hand, Alfred Chan

Elder Russell Snow (now a medical doctor) served in Singapore Mission


Elder Dideriksen and Elder Erickson (I took over his Mission Recorder job) were the last of the 48 missionaries who left for home not long after the Smiths employed me to be the Mission Recorder in 1971.)

Nanette Smith (the Smiths brought their youngest daughter along) was very active in many Church activities and very well-liked by those who knew her 

Elder Robert Stephenson who baptized me in May 1970 was one of the 48 missionaries and he is a successful surgeon working in one of the Utah hospitals - I spoke to him in May 2007 when i was there for a mini-reunions with many of the missionaries serving in Indonesia

Pics of The Coxes in the early days -- sons Paul and Dale (I taught Paul in the Primary)

At the new building where the missionary quarters were next to the mission office == Elders PJ Tan, Ross Swindlehurst (a successful Dentist), and ?? (cannot remember his name but PJ Tan may help you if he is still there) and myself (I was 19 when i joined the mission office)

Lawless from Canada


Cindy, Norene (eldest daughter), Alice Shurtleff, Kirstin (2nd daughter),Tom (only boy among the 5 daughters), Ashley (youngest daughter from Norene's unsuccessful 2nd marriage -- Norene has 6 children -- 3 from each marriage), Kathy (No. 3) -- Janice and Alison not in the pic...Alison took the pic. Sister Shurtleff was 91 when I last saw her in May 2007 and stayed with her for 3 days in Jacksonville, Florida. At her age she still wore super memory.

I had a nice stroll at the BYU in Provo too...see one of my mini-reunion pics here taken in April 2007 -- these were mostly from the Indonesia Mission -- I worked with the Indonesia Mission President as well even after leaving the Singapore Mission office. The current and last 2 were all RMs that I knew.

I was very active with RS before I left and was able to bring the attendance to over 70% during my calling as RS Supervisor and here is a nice memory of the sisters attending my final farewell at my folks' home

Douglas, Gwen Dean and children in April 73 - Penang -- active members from the Australia air force

Sister missionaries serving in Indonesia Mission having a hearty meal at my folks' home (my non-Mormon parents were Taoists but they respect the Mormons alot and contributed warmly)

Stranded and short of money -- so here is another fun time for time to BBQ at 2nd home of my late folks
The pic was taken behind the newly built building replacing the old pre-war building and the Shurtleff arrived to replace the Smith -- notice the names of the members from left to right == Kunalan, Harry Wee, Elizabeth Kunalan, Roy, Helen Ho, Cindy Teo, Sister William, Alice Shurtleff, LaVon Smith, Jeffry Koh, Sister William's oldest son, Brother Khoo Behind Roy was Francis Tan. PJ Tan, ?? (don't remember the gray hair sister), Pres Shurtleff and the last guy was ?? (I tried to recall his name but couldn't remember now...Roy knows him, Wally Chew)

Barbara Waterbury & her drama group.Sep 74. 

Another drama group directed by Barbara 

Visiting missionaries from Indonesia Mission at my bank office (I have lots of different groups but this is one of them)




To be continued or edited where necessary...... 


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