Teresa Jansje Marshall didn’t think twice when she posted a Church video on her Facebook page.
She had no idea it was about to change the life of someone half way across the world.
That someone was Andrea Demchy-Cooper who was born in New Zealand but is now living in Heathrow, London.
Andrea was not a member of the Church at the time, although she has fond memories as a child of going to church with her grandma.
It was also at this time Andrea had just found out a beloved childhood friend was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“It really struck me hard, I didn’t want to lose her,” she said.
“I was praying, and nothing seemed to be working. I didn’t know what to do.”
She started noticing a Latter- day Saint chapel every time she took her daughter to her orthodontist appointment.
And then she said her cousin Teresa from New Plymouth, New Zealand started posting Church videos and articles on her Facebook page.
“They were uplifting,” she said.
“I remember feeling that Heavenly Father was here for me. I started talking to Teresa and she sent the missionaries over.”
Teresa is a big fan of Facebook, using it as a tool to connect with family around the world. She is passionate about sharing the gospel online, after hearing a talk from an Apostle.
“There’s so many wrong things shared on social media and I just want to share the truth.”
Teresa noticed Andrea was “liking” a lot of the Church content she was posting.
“I had an impression come to my mind that said, ‘thank you for being Andrea’s friend, please share the gospel with her.’”
“I pondered on how I could do that, and I just started sharing more content aimed at Andrea.”
Teresa then asked Andrea if she went to church. She was shocked when Andrea told her no but she wanted to go to the Mormon church.
“I was completely gobsmacked, and I think I started crying. It was behind the computer, so she didn’t see me.
“I asked if it would be okay if missionaries could come to her house and visit her. She got excited! She was really happy.”
Andrea and her teenage son Joseph were baptised six weeks later in January 2017.
“I used to be scared about sharing the gospel with my family and what they would say,” Teresa said.
“But you never know what people are thinking. I had no idea Andrea had been thinking about the church all this time. We have no idea what is in people’s heart, we just need to have the courage to share. Nothing bad can come out of it.”
And as for Andrea, she said her life has “unbelievably” changed because Teresa had the courage to share the gospel online.
“I’m so blessed,” she said.
“I know that Heavenly Father is there, and He has a plan for us. I don’t have to worry about anything. I feel more at peace. I’ve become happier.”
