March 16, 2014

The things of which I know.

Ma chere famille,

Well, here it is, the big finale. Which will probably not actually be a big finale, cause all I really want to do this week is rendre mon humble temoignage. bear my humble testimony I think President Hinckley gave a talk at conference that was entitled this. But I would just like to add my testimony to his and the things that he said in his talk. 

Ma chere famille, I love this work, and after 18 months of doing this work, I can truly testify that it is absolutely the work of salvation. The work for OUR salvation as well as our freres and soeurs. Cause wow. Doing this work changes everything. Your heart, your mind, your very insides. And it is incredible. And I will be a missionary for the rest of my life. Because I know that the Lord blesses His missionaries and their families. I know that Heavenly Father lives, and that He loves and knows us, not in a superficial, only knows our name kind of way, but in a very real and incredible way. He knows what's best for us. And He wants what is best for us. We are His children! How wonderful a truth! After being here and serving Him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength during this very short time, I have come to understand more profoundly the importance of this eternal truth. It means that we are eternal and that we have a grand potential. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and our Savoir. And, I know that thanks to His Atonement we can really repent and be cleansed and healed spiritually. But, that is not all that the Atonement does for us. We sometimes forget about its enabling power. We can do ALL THINGS with the Lord and His Atonement. I KNOW that this is true. We can love that person that we think is impossible to love, and we can forgive our enemy. Because of the Lord and the power of His infinite Atonement. I love this gospel, which was restored by Joseph Smith the prophet. And I love the Book of Mormon and the Bible, which teach us how to become as the Lord is. I know that as we study them and try to apply and plead with the Lord to help us apply these teachings He will help us. I know that the Lord is and will be at our sides and that He will never leave us. It is us that need to decide to stay at His side and to never leave Him. Oh how I love this work! Oh how I love these people of New Caledonia! My brothers and my sisters. They are precious to me. And I will be eternally grateful for this precious time that the Lord has given me to love and to serve his children and to really forget myself. 

I'm outta time. But! I love you all. And I will probs not email next week, cause we're dropping off Soeur Tupai at the airport. But! I will see you all in a week. I love you!

L'evangile est vraie!!

Love, Soeur Santos

March 9, 2014

at peace.

Ma chere famille!

Combien je vous aime! Ok, so just a warning. I just wrote President during more than 45 mins of internet time... So there's not a lot of time that rests. Luckily! I'm gonna see you all in two weeks, so it's ok if this ones a little on the shorter side. 

Anyways! This week flew by, faster than the last week even. And! President and Soeur Brewer came to eat lunch with Soeur Tupai, Soeur Teahe, Soeur LAmb, and I to say goodbye and we had our parting interviews and blessings. Sooo weird. And sad. I am going to miss President and Soeur Brewer, cause they are THE BEST! I know that President Brewer was called of God to lead and direct this mission. And he may be short in stature, but he is a giant of a spirit. I am privlidged to have worked with him during these last 18 months. 

The interview and blessing that he gave me were my favorite. More detes on that later. Like maybs when I see you all face to face, cause there's no time. But! The big difference between this email and the last one that I am no longer FREAKING OUT to come home. I'm ready. And not in a, I'm peacing out for the rest of the time that I have here, I'm gonna give all that I got to the end! But, I'm ready to come home. And I'm even excited about it. That was the big thing that changed with being with President and hearing his councel and my blessing. I feel at peace. I feel good. I know that my time is almost done and I know that it's good. And I'm happy.

Anyways, I love you all! That's it for this week! Thank you for all your love and support! And I will see you all in a couple weeks!

pics.

the gang!! with President and Soeur Brewer,

me with President and Soeur Brewer.

And we did an exchange with the soeurs of Magenta. (Me and all the Tahitian soeurs in the mission. And I've served with all of them.) DUCK FACE bien sur. 

JE VOUS AIME MA FAMILLE!! A bientot.I LOVE MY FAMILY! A soon.

L'evangile est vraie!

Love, Soeur Santos

March 3, 2014

prie pour Yvonne!!

Ma chere famille,

I am sooooo happy to be here in New Cal and to be a missionary for the Lord and His church. Qu'est ce que j'aime cette oeuvre, et mes freres et soeurs ici en Caledonie! Ils vont me manquer plus que je peux dire. Anyways, I'm gonna miss speaking french too, cause, "c'est la langue de mon coeur." Well, that and franglais. Soeur Tupai and I are grave. She speaks english like a champ, so we always swing in and out of french and english. haha. J'aime biennn.

Anyways! Famille, not much to raconte this week, cause Soeur Tupai and I were in the house all day Tuesday-Saturday cause she was malade. But! It was still a good week. We got to talk a lot, I tried to take care of her, and I read lots. It was good. But it's nice to be out and about again! hah. It's funny though. We're a little rusty. We realized it on Sunday when we taught again, after not teaching since Monday night. It's all coming back though, slowly but surely!

And!! One of the best things about this last week was that we had a lesson last night with Yvonne, one of our amis! And I've been teaching her since the beginning, december of 2012, when I got to Paita, cause she lives in Dumbea and Dumbea used to be a secteur for elders, so the Soeurs of Paita taught her until they put soeurs here about 6 months ago. Anyways, she's great. FANTASTIC, actually. And she does everything. She reads her scriptures everyday, prays, goes to church, etc. But she's not baptized yet. It's hard to explain... I've been analyzing for a year plus now, but! last lesson a week ago, we invited her to pray for a date, and she did! And the date is the 19 of mars. And that would be the BEST parting gift EVER. Because she is so ready and wonderful!! And I would love nothing more, because I know that she will be so blessed! Even more blessed than she is right now for all the things that she's doing. So yah. Soeur Tupai and I are STOKED. But we are going to be praying and fasting like crazy people jusqu'a la fin, for her specially. So, please pray for her that all will go well. 

Anyways. Miracles! Miracles are happening. And faith procedes the miracle, ALWAYS! Isn't it incredible that God is a God of miracles! I love it. And I know that it's true!! And I'm so happy!!

Also, mince, shout outs, really fast. I'm sorry everyone. I've given up on letter writing these last 2 transfers... And this one too. But! I just wanted to say thank you to Sister Larsen and J-dawg for the packages!! So kind! And the chocolate was delish, Sister Olson, Angie Cluff, Laura, Mai, Megan, and everyone else that has written letters to me lately. Des. I've been a slacker. But! I'll see you all soon! And thank you for your love and support!!

I LOVE this gospel!! It is the Lords. And I'm so happy and blessed to share it with all around me! I love you all! Open your mouths and they will be filled! 

I love you all!

L'evangile est vraie!

Love, Soeur Santos