Welcome to the Philippines!

Hi everyone!

First few days in the Philippines has been pretty crazy.It's amazing but it's really really hard. I'm not sure if I can do it. I guess that's what I am supposed to learn. That I can't do it and I need my Savior to help me. I need a lot of help. My language feels like I'm really struggling and being a missionary is the hardest thing I've ever done. Opposition in all things but I have my testimony that I'm doing the right thing. 

I am happy. The people are amazing and fun. The food is weird but I'm getting used to it. I've already lost some weight and it's so hot. I'm constantly wet and sweating. But it's not about me and I have to remind myself that all the time. It's not about me at all. This work is true. The Spirit is with me always and He helps me during the lessons.I am so grateful for help. 

Love Sister Santa

•For another peek at Sister Santa's happenings, check out their mission blog:http://urdanetanet.blogspot.com/2013/10/october-2013-transfer-day.html?m=1

Philippines bound

So I leave on Monday morning at 4:30 am and I am so excited. Before I say anything else, I want everyone to know that there is actually a storm in the Philippines right now. My teacher told me about it and there is an earthquake and tropical storm that has killed several dozens of people. Don't worry about me. I know that the Lord will always protect me because I am a missionary. I am actually really excited to go and serve the people with disaster clean-up. The reason I say this though is because you can probably search some information on the internet or news about it. So we've been warned that we won't have electricity or water for probably 2 weeks at least. This means no showers, and no emailing. Sorry everyone, but don't be worried when you don't hear from me for a couple weeks. But please send your prayers, because I'm worried about not showering for two weeks. I guess if I can handle this, I can pretty much handle anything else during the mission, right? :) I'm hoping to find a head lamp in one of the airports or once I get into the Philippines. 

I'm starting to feel a little nervous about the unknown, but super excited to use my Tagalog I've learned. I'm also really excited to find all of the deaf and people with learning disabilities in the Philippines so I can love them! 

I've really realized how the Lord is taking care of me. I know that He is looking out for all of us. He has nothing better to do than to take care of His children. Missionary work is also super amazing and so important. I wish I could be a missionary for the rest of my life because it is probably the closest that I will ever be to my Savior. I already don't want to give up being a missionary. 

As I prepare to leave in two days, I want to share my testimony with anyone that this blog may find. I know that this Gospel is true. There is no doubt in my mind. Why would so many young people give 18 months or two years of their life, pay $10,000, leave the family, go across the world to strange places that are uncomfortable, feel alone in a new place where you don't speak the language, if this Church weren't true. I know that it's the actual, living Church of Jesus Christ on the Earth. But just knowing that isn't enough. We all need to act on our faith by doing what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ ask of us. It's really that simple. Just do it. Just live how you know that you should. Remember to serve others and do what is needed! Just invite your friend to church and share the Gospel with everyone by how you live. I would never want to stand in front of my friend in heaven and try to explain why I didn't share the Gospel with them. Even more, I wouldn't want to try to explain to God why I was ashamed of the truth. 

I know that I am going to the Philippines for a reason that only God knows. I am so happy and so joyous. 1 Nephi 4:6

Pray for me and I'll pray for you. Take care everyone! 

Love always, 

Sister Santa

prepare for take off!

Hello Everyone!

Only one more week in the MTC and then I board a plane on Monday morning, OCT 21 and begin my 30 hours of travel time to the Philippines. I'm so excited and so ready. Each day I realize just how ready I am. I have been so incredibly blessed with the language that I understand and speak so well, I can't even imagine how quickly I'll be fluent once I'm in the Philippines. 

I read a talk this week that my best friend, Elder Snelgrove sent me in a package. "The Miracle of a Mission" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. It's so amazing and stirring and it's changed my life and attitude about a mission. Sure, missionary work is hard, that's how it's supposed to be. "Nothing worth doing, was ever done without effort" (Elder Snelgrove). I would encourage everyone to find this talk on google or lds.org and read it! 

This week I learned a lot about repentance. I love repentance because it's not a bad thing. It is coming closer to Jesus Christ and trying every day to be more like Him and give up our natural man attributes. I have also been studying charity and my mind is blown with how important is it to have charity. Charity is the single most important virtue a person could ever develop. 

So I have so much I want to say but I can't even think of everything because my time is almost up. But I know that being a missionary is the most important work since the existence of man. Wow. I know that this Church and Gospel blesses families. I know that I am the Lord's servant and I am excited to share what I know with the Filipinos. 

On another note, I saw a tender mercy of the Lord this week. I found someone in the MTC who is from my mission. He is Filipino and he's learning English and he's going to Toronto, Canada. But anyway, we were talking and what not and we decided that our meeting wasn't by chance. He gave me his information and told me to go back and find his family. He wants me to teach his family and baptize his mom and reactive his father and brothers. He is also giving me letters and a few things to take to them because he misses them and he hasn't heard from them. I'm so excited for this miracle and service opportunity. I know it wasn't by chance and I am so humble and grateful. I can't wait to find his family!

My time is up and I hope I have inspired you. Remember that God is acutely aware of our lives and every detail. He loves you. 

Love always, mahal kita, 

Sister Santa

only two weeks left in the mtc!

Hello Everyone! 

I have learned so much this week about humility and relying on the Lord to guide me. Being in the MTC is such a blessing but missionary work is really exhausting. I wonder if it will ever be less tiring! I really am thankful for all that I have learned. Teaching investigators in the MTC is also a blessing and it's an incredible experience. Just thinking that I've been learning this language for 4 weeks, but I've been teaching actual lessons with investigators since day 4 is a miracle.

When we come closer to the Savior we realize how many weaknesses we have, and then we are to learn to rely on our Savior. Ether 12:27 I finally understand what this means. I finally understand what it means to have weaknesses to make us strong and to keep us humble. Being a missionary is the hardest thing I have ever done, or may do in my entire life. Self-discipline, obedience, humility, love, service, and working hard is a challenge but I know that God makes it possible for us to do all that He asks of us.

Taking the last 15 minutes of my day to inventory my soul in prayer and humility asking for help and telling my Heavenly Father what I've been doing has been a huge blessings. Sometimes I do that multiple times a day because I need it. I would encourage everyone reading this blog to make a 15 minute appointment with Heavenly Father and just talk and listen to Him and you will receive greater understanding and love. I know it keeps me sane and that's how we can progress as humans.

Last night my companion and I broke down into tears after our lesson. We were teaching and it was 8-9 so right at the end of our day and we were exhausted and emotional but we had the hardest lesson we've ever had. For me I couldn't understand how I had prepared so much and then I go into the lesson and I can't remember or say anything that I've studied. I didn't feel like I could feel the Spirit and I felt so lost and stupid because I couldn't say anything in Tagalog. We are preparing an investigator for baptism and we were going to teach the Restoration of the Gospel and I couldn't understand why God wouldn't want us to be able to teach this. I was flustered during the lesson with broken Tagalog and I just wanted it to end. After my companion and I were talking about it and I started crying and explaining what happened and she started crying too. This is what she told me: "I have never been more in tune with the Spirit, or have felt so much love for our investigator than I did in that lesson." I was shocked. Were we in the same lesson? Afterwards the investigator told us that he felt an incredible Spirit even though he couldn't understand us at all. 

I had to be humbled and I poured myself out to the Lord. I don't really know what happened or why, but I refocused myself and I'm trying to have more faith.

Work like everything depends on you, pray like everything depends on the Lord. 

Those are the words that I have lived by and even though things don't always work out like I would expect, I know that if we are doing our very best, things will always work out in God's hands.

I love you all. I wish I could tell you everything that I have learned. 

I bear testimony that this Gospel blesses families and everyone needs it.

Excuse my English, I don't write a whole lot in English so I've noticed that my Tagalog has been messing up my grammar. :)

Sister Santa