Sister Santa in the choir at the General Relief Society Broadcast.

the Church is true :)

I had a wonderful week and I just want to be able to say everything. Well let me start off by saying, thank you everyone for the Dear Elders. I love getting mail, so please write me! My new address for the rest of the time I'm in the MTC: 

Sister Rebecca Andrea Santa

OCT 21 PHI-URD Unit 927

2023 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84606

My favorite thing is teaching lessons. I love teaching lessons to our investigators. We are currently teaching two progressing investigators and one has just accepted an invitation to be baptized. Man, I cannot even describe how I feel. Our investigators are fake, but my companion and I receive real revelation for them and during the lesson of what to say. Our lessons are always lead by the Spirit. Everyone says that I'm really in tune with the Spirit, and I think I can agree with that. Our lessons are amazing. I love teaching. We're constantly testifying of everything from Joseph Smith, to the Atonement. I really have to figure out for myself if I really believe that we can have strength in the Atonement, because that's what I'm telling other people all the time. 

This Church is true, and I know it's true. I really want everyone to join the Church because I know the Gospel blesses families. Why are we always so afraid to share the truth, and something that makes us eternally happy? Satan wants us to keep our mouths shut. 

"Who's on the Lord's side, who? Now is the time to choose." (Hymn I just thought of)

My Heavenly Father has been so good to me. I had a rough couple of days this week and my companion and I shed a few tears. But last night I received a priesthood blessing and everything turned around. My Heavenly Father believes in me and I know he's proud of me. He knows I'm trying my best, and because I am, I have qualified for the gift of tongues. I have seen so many miracles and tender mercies of the Lord as I speak and understand and the language comes so natural for me. 

I am excited to get to the Philippines and love the people because it has been revealed to me that my compassion and service will touch the lives of thousands. I'm not saying this to brag or anything, I just think it's amazing that the Lord has chosen me and He trusts me. It's a huge honor. 

I want everyone to be a part of my mission. I want to include everyone as I study and learn and increase my faith. I have accepted an invitation to only write hone about spiritual things, so that is what I am going to go.

Last night I was studying Ether 6 with the Jaredites and I learned that the furious winds were blowing them toward the promised land. Their trials were making them who they needed to be. Then two verses later, verse 7 says that no matter what trials they had, they always prayed and thanked God and they were tight like unto a dish. It's amazing to me. That is some incredible faith. 

I know that we all face some hard trials in our lives. We can learn so much from the scriptures if we can read and liken them to ourselves.1 Nephi 19:23

I know that Heavenly Father is proud of us, and I know that we were chosen to come to the earth at this time because we were special and we have amazing potential. I think we forget just how glorious we are. My perspective has changed and I want to always focus on my purpose in life and giving everything I have to know God and help others know God and build His Kingdom. 

Family, Friends, please remember your purpose. Please remember the promises you made. 

I love you all and I hope that you will read and study Ether 6 and write me a letter and tell me what you thought as you read. Please teach me! Also, how can I explain repentance to an investigator. Send me your thoughts!

The missionaries going to my mission. Haha only 2 Elders

All the sisters going to my mission. We far outnumber the Elders.

My district. (some are going to a different mission)

Hey Friends and Family!

So things have been great this week and time always flys. It's crazy to think that I've been in the MTC for 11 days now. I'm learning a lot and the Tagalog is coming really easy for me. I'm learning a lot faster that anyone else and I try to keep myself humble by praying and thanking God. I've never had more sincere prayers in all my life. I am constantly changing and trying to become better. I now understand what repentance is and how it works in my life. Our fake investigator we've taught 4 times accepted the invitation to be baptized. My companion and I are doing amazingly with our lessons and studying and I'm so thankful for Sister Lau. 

So next Saturday I will be singing at the Conference Center for the Relief Society Broadcast and I'm so excited! It's a once in a lifetime opportunity so tell everyone and look out for me in blue. We'll be singing the entire program which is such a privilege. This also means that my P-day will be on Friday so make sure to email me before Friday. 

I am happy and tired all the time. So tired. I have to try to keep myself awake during class and switch things up. 

I love you all. I'll attach some photos. 

This is what it means to be a set-apart missionary. For 18 months I am set-apart from the world: John 15:18-19

Sister Santa

a plug for dear elder

a plug for letters:

In an effort to make sure that Sister Santa gets as much love as humanly possible while on her mission, we wanted to make sure that you are aware of dear elder.  On this site, you can e-mail Sister Santa letters that they print out every day.  If you message her before 10 am, she will get the message in her mailbox on the same day.  Basically, she can check her email on p-day but she can get dear elder messages from you any day.  :)

ALSO, dear elder offers a free service for missions that offer pouch mail that allows you to continue to send free messages to Sister Santa throughout her mission.  Once Sister Santa is in the Philippines, you will be able to send her messages that they will print out, include in the pouch from SLC and Sister Santa will receive an actual paper message from you.

My first week in the MTC

Hello everyone! I am just finishing my first week in the MTC. Well it's really only been 4 days but it counts as a week so I'm only 5 weeks away from being sent to the Philippines. We have a new departure date which is OCT 21 instead of the 23rd. This means that my MTC address is changed with that correction and (drum roll please) I am actually moving to West Campus. My district has been chosen to go to West Campus for the final 4 weeks of the MTC so this means I'll be sending a new address once I find out. It's really exciting and I'll be living in Wyview and apparently the food is a lot better on that campus so I'm excited. I don't really like the food here. It's all super processed and reheated stuff. I just eat it and deal, better than my companion who complains that she's bloated. But that's a different story. I like the MTC and I like that you're constantly drenched in the Spirit. Wow there is so much to tell you but so little time. Like I said, everything is crazy which means that we have no time to do anything. Everything we do is hurried. Showering, eating, walking, writing in my journal. The days are long but the weeks are short. I finally understand that. 

My kasama (companion) is Sister Lau and she's from Provo, Utah. She's 19 years old and she has no clue what she's doing, haha, in a good way. She is so soft spoken and she's like, should we be overbearing and have a prayer for the lesson with the investigator? And I'm like, "yes! we need to be bold with the Spirit. That's the only way they will feel it." So I'm patient with her and I learn a lot of things from her and I already know that we're together for a reason. Our district has 4 Elders and 8 Sisters. This is pretty similar with all the Districts going to the Philippines. So many sisters that we far outnumber the Elders! It's kinda awesome. Our District has goals to speak the language and say the words that we know but it's hard because it's so easy to just speak English and say everything that you want to say. We also have a goal to be exactly obedient and I'm already reaping the blessings of this. Our district is so fun and we just laugh and get along very well. It's hard to study in the same room because we start talking.  

It's been good in the MTC so far. By the way, my P day is Saturday so make sure to email me before then. It still doesn't seem real that I'm going to the Philippines. I heard a rumor that our flight plans had us going to Hong Kong so that's pretty cool! 

Bad news, I can't send pictures because apparently you have to use a card reader to do that and I have to buy it in the bookstore. Fail. No one told me. So, I'll send pictures next week!

Being a missionary is the hardest thing I've ever done. Our time is stretched thin and this language is a challenge and it's so easy to not use our study time and just talk or nap. I haven't been disobedient but I've already seen a lot of missionaries breaking the rules and I just have to remember that I only govern myself. I am grateful for a companion that strives to be obedient and live our life to the fullest while we are here. I have learned a lot, and I"m studying a lot and I'm beginning to learn this language. Sometimes when I'm in class I wonder: when is the gift of tongues going to step in?? I have had this promise and I just remind myself that it's all according to what I do. Work like everything depends on you; pray like everything depends on the Lord. That is the motto for my kasama and I. 

Last night we taught our first lesson in Tagalog with an investigator and we can't use notes or anything and we taught for like 10 minutes and it wasn't so bad. Well, it was bad but apparently we did a lot better than the other companionships. Haha. This language is fun but the words all sound the same and so I have to say them over and over again so I can hear them. I know that the Lord doesn't cal the qualified, He qualifies the called. And so, I keep going and keep trying and I don't let myself be negative at all because that means I'm doubting the power of God. 

I don't really know what else to say not. I still have another half hour for email, haha. I was trying to type really fast. I know that I know so much in Tagalog already because of the Spirit. It is not possible to already know how to pray, testify and teach, even though the messages are simple, unless it were through the power of God. 

Keep praying for me and I pray for you. I guess until next week. I have to go do laundry after this and then we're going to the temple for a session in Tagalog! Booyah! I wish I could send pictures but it's okay. I've only been gone 4 days, so ya'll can wait another week. I say ya'll now because we can't say guys or dude, which is still hard and we all have to correct ourselves all the time. 

I wake up at 6 am and workout and then shower at 6:30, class at 7 to meet and pray with the District, breakfast at 7:30. class from 8-11. Study time from 11-12:10. 

Lunch 12:10-12:55

1-4 we have class and more study time. 

4-5 more study (language study)

5-6 dinner

6-9 Class

9-9:30 Planning the next day and reviewing goals. 

Quiet time and settling down

sleep 10:30

It makes for long days but we sure get a lot done!

Alright, now that I've written a book. It's time for me to go. 

Love you all!

My time has come

OK, I think I'm ready. My suitcases are packed, I've said goodbye to mostly everyone, and I don't have much time left so I better be ready. I have butterflies in my stomach as I think about entering the MTC tomorrow morning because I know that means it'll be a test of endurance for the next 18 months and I'm just beginning the race tonight. I'll try to remember all of the wise words that have been shared with me, and I'll think of home often.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I know that I am doing the best thing for my life right now and I can't wait to discover the Philippines and determine if what people have said is correct. But, anyway, this is goodbye, but not really because you should write me because I love mail! Use my MTC address and DearElder.com and write me for the next 6 weeks until I"m in the field! Do it.

I love you all. 

Kapatid na babae Santa
Oh yeah, I almost forgot! I wanted to add my two-cents for this book that I just finished reading. It's amazing! It has changed the way I think of missionary work. I hope it will inspire everyone just as it has inspired and helped me. I read it and began putting it to use and I have been so blessed to really have a good gospel conversation with a coworker. I know that the power of missionary work lies within our everyday. Take it for what it's worth. Enjoy :)