September 8, 2013

the fastest year of my life.

...And the only time I have ever dreaded Christmas coming. I have never wanted Christmas to not come so bad. Cause I know the end of March will come way too soon afterwards.

Anyways, I've decided that after this Thursday, the year mark, I'm gonna stop thinking about time. Cause it's gotten out of control. Like really, I'm a crazy person. Soeur Beagles and I were reading President Monson's discours from priesthood session, little did we know it was all about mish work, and there was a part in it where he says that in two years, all the missionaries in the field will be home, and what do I do? Start CRYING like a CRAZY bien sur. And Soeur Beagles did not even know ehat to do with me... But then she joined me in crying, cause it was a super good discours on mish work, so it was cool. Anyways, I love you family, but to say that time is flying does not explain the fastness of the mission. I've decided that after this Thursday, the year mark, I've just gotta stop thinking about it.

Anyways, this week. The most exciting part of this week was that Soeur Beagles did more than half of our lessons with members!! We've been really trying to work on that. I didn't realize how important the members were in the beginning of my mission. But now I am a believer. This work is theirs. We are simply here to teach, but their testimonies of how the gospel helps them in their normal, every day lives, in their culture are powerful!! I want Soeur Beagles to know that now, because I want her to be a better missionary than I am! 

And, I just needa talk about one of our amis really fast, cause he is incredible! His name is Orlando. He's Wallisien. He has been looking for the truth for many years now and he's soooo close to finding it! He LOVES the book of mormon and the plan du salut of salvation. They are his fave. The temoins witnesses came over a while ago, and he taught them the plan of salvation!! the crazy. haha. They were coming to teach his mom I think, and he taught them. Also, he paid his dime this Sunday!! It was sooo exciting. He's the best!! He needs to get married and stop smoking though. word of wisdom, I'm not worried about, but his femme girlfriend doesn't want to get married... So we're praying to know what we can do to further help him. But yah, keep him in your prayers! He's golden.

pics! really fast.

1.) la famille Tehanin, with Soeur Beagles and moi! Their 18 year old daughter, Honorine is gonna serve a mission!!

2.) Soeur Beagles et moi, on the beach in Bourail!

3.) And moi, on the beach! 

Well, That's all for this week!! I love youuuu all! You're the best! Thanks for all your love and support!! Work with the missionaries and pray for and take missionary opportunities that come!! I love you all!! Happy Birthday Lizzy!!

L'evangile est vraie!!

Love, Soeur Santos

September 2, 2013

I don't even knowwww

Ma ere famille, 

where do I start?! first of all, Heavenly Father LOVES Soeur Lamb and I because we BOTH reussied at our codesucceeded/passed our test this morning!! MIRACLE. Merci Pere Celeste. Thank you, Heavenly Father.  And that's only the beginning. We could miss 5 and I missed four. Heavenly Father is very kind. I am sooo blessed and OH SO HAPPY because PLUS JAMAIS NEVER EVER am I going back there. And I'm a little stoked about it. Just because before I started, Soeur Lamb and I prayed like twice before we even got in the room and then I think I said like ten literal prayers before I got started explaining to Heavenly Father that I would accept what He wanted to happen, but if possible, I would really really REALLY like to just reussir cette fois-ci, pass this time/now because I want to get back to Paita and stay with Soeur Beagles and work like I've never worked before! And so, I am walking on SUNSHINE this morning!! Also, Soeur Lamb and I saw a full rainbow before our test, and the end of it was like right before our eyes. Coincidence? I think not! Miracles are EVERYWHERE.

Ok, also, we did exchanges this week with the STLS, I was with Soeur Tupai in Dumbea and Soeur Lamb was in Paita with Soeur Beagles, and it was incredible! I learned soooo much. Soeur Tupai is probably the missionary I respect most in this mission, which is why I am happy that Soeur Beagles was half trained by her. But Soeur Lamb, the next day at auto ecole literally, 'car school', i.e. drivers ed said that Soeur Beagles is incredible! She made her do everything on the exchange, and she said that she felt like she was with a missionary that's been out for several months. I know that's more because of Heavenly Father and probs even Soeur Tupai more than me, but I was happy to here that my baby's doing amazingly!!

Bourail. Wow. It was actually a bittersweet experience, I mean, naturally, I was STOKED to be there, but we had a little extra time at the end of Saturday and I wanted to go find people, but then realized that there would be no missionaries to leave these names with, so we did our weekly planning instead. But wow, I am in love. But I also decided something else, I don't know when it's going to open, I hope soon, because the members are incredible and doing the work themselves since we are not there. But I know that when they open it, it's gonna EXPLODE. Anyways, I used to always think that that'd be cool for Bourail to open if I went there, selfish I know. But now, more than anything, I just want missionaries up there des que as soon as possible, but I know that HEavenly Father and President Brewer know what needs to be done and it will be open when it is right. 

Finally, I do not have a lot of time, we have a little less than an hour today, cause we got here a little late, but it closes for sieste, and we want to go home to Paita for the rest of the day. But! The reason that we did not have p-day yesterday was because we had a zone meeting, formation thing with President and Soeur Brewer and with Elder et Soeur Pearson!! of the 70. And oh wow. I don't think a 3 hour period of time has ever and maybe will never change my life more. It was INCREDIBLE. I was wiped after, cause it was just like revelation after revelation. It's like when Nephi talks at the end of 1 Nephi 17 about being sooo wiped because he's so filled with the Spirit. So much Spirit. And I'm sad that I have no time to talk about it, basically, he talked about a lot of stuff, but one thing that he said was the fact that pup and I are serving in the SURGE of missionaries. There may never be this many missionaries on the earth again because right now, there are all the missionaries the 21 and 19 year olds as well as the 18 and 19 year olds. And it's gonna keep growing for a while, he said that it may even hit 100,000, but after that, it'll probs drop to 75,000 ish. And he said that we are serving in extraordinary times, are we serving our missions in the same extraordinary manner? And there was beaucoup plus that I wish that I had the time to tell you about, but basically, LIFE CHANGING. I AM SOOOO HAPPY TO BE A MISSIONARY right now!! I can't even express how happy and blessed I am. I do not want to waste one more second being sad or discouraged because it's not even worth it! This is a time for miracles and joy and happiness and I have 6 more months left of it. I love this work. I will be a missionary for the rest of my life! 

I love you family!! Thank you for your jeune fast! It worked. Ca c'est sur. That's for sure. I love you so much! And thanks Mele and Elaine for your emails! Sorry, I didn't have time to respond back, but thank you!! I love you all!! You are in my prayers!

ch

L'evangile est vraie!!

Love, Soeur Santos