It's been a hard week.

Serving a mission, being in the Lord's service is the best thing you could do in this life. Every member is a missionary and I know that when we fill our lives with what really matters, the things that matter for eternity, we are actually happy. We have so little time in this life, so why would you ever want to waste it? I just want to be a missionary forever. 

The work is going, and I have lots of struggles and things that tear me down but I pick myself up and stay happy. Remember the important things. Pray, scriptures, church, family history, the temple, missionary work, and you can't go wrong!

this is a really rich house and it reminds me of America cuz it's the only house with Christmas lights. It's the owner of our apartments and so we see it every night as we walk home

   

So this is a bike and it really meant a lot to me yesterday. None of our investigators came to church and it was really sad because that means we have no progressing investigators right now. But this is the bike of a member and he biked for almost an hour to the church each way to come to church. He is really poor but he wore his best clothes and his son sat on the board on the frame of the bike. His dedication meant so much to me, and I wish there were more members like him. I was so touched and this alone made everything else okay. 

this is a tricycle, we ride these everyday between areas. 

This is a jeepney. we ride in these a couple times a week. So many people get in them. people will hang off the back and squish 20 people inside.

Wow! An amazing week!

I had a wonderful week and I've seen so much growth in myself as I've confronted my weaknesses. I'm beginning to understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ, repentance, and the power and love I can feel each day from my Savior. I am so happy now. So I've learned a lot about myself and what faith means and how I need stronger faith. I've experienced an incredible conversion this week and many miracles have followed. Last week we had a really slow week and the work was hard and we're still recovering from that, and having to drop all of our investigators that weren't progressing, and start again. I realized that my faith was lacking because we would make our schedules to go visit people and then no one would be home and I started thinking, why even make these plans because no one is ever home and then we don't know who to go teach. But with many sincere prayers, and an attitude change, the work picked up a bit. 

My Tagalog has rapidly improved as I've stopped comparing myself to others and just try my best each day. I am so much happier, I am experiencing the gift of tongues. Many times members will be talking and then afterwards I'll ask myself, "Was that English or Tagalog?" because it all sounds the same to me now. I can understand English and Tagalog and it's so natural for me. It's also a comfort that I'm at the point where it's easier for me to talk with my companion and express myself in Tagalog than English. I mean that sometimes she doesn't understand my English, and so I feel magaling in Tagalog because now I'm at that point that it's faster for us in Tagalog. I have been so blessed with the gift of tongues as I have worked for it. I can teach in Tagalog with few mistakes and I can talk with the members. I've really been pushing myself to work and study more diligently because if the Lord needs me to train at the end of my 12 weeks, I need to be ready.

I love being a missionary and I know that this is where I belong. Everything feels so right and I've received so much revelation for myself and with my personal life as I've been here. 

Yesterday we had a wonderful time contacting referrals and our lessons were really quality lessons. The Spirit was really strong in both lessons and we know that these people have been prepared for our message and so I'm excited to see how it all ends up. I can't even put into words everything that happened. I feel so close to the Spirit and that is what I pray for each day. 

Everything is getting a lot better. Sincere prayer really changes everything. I know that we can all be very close to our Heavenly Father through sincere prayer. I also encourage everyone to read Moroni 7:45-48 because I know that charity is the most precious and difficult attribute to develop. When we stop worrying about ourselves and start taking care of other people is when Heavenly Father will teach us the most through His Spirit. I testify of that. 

Mango float is my favorite dessert here. Graham crackers layered with condensed milk, and fresh mango sliced and then mango on top. 5 layers and then refridgerate over night and it's delicious. My very favorite.

So many funny stories but I am sorry that I'm out of time. 

Love, 
Sister Santa

Week 2 in the Philippines

I had a really hard week and I'm discovering all of my weaknesses. I'm realizing how awful I am, which is a good thing, but it's really painful. We had a good week, except that nothing went as planned. Our investigators aren't keeping their commitments or coming to church, and it hurts. But I have to remember that other people's agency shouldn't affect my happiness. 

The food is really good, but super weird. Filipinos pretty much fry everything. Tang is considered juice here and we eat rice and fish for breakfast. So different so I have to stop comparing everything to America and just have joy. For the most part the people are really loving. Sometimes the men are too loving, haha, I don't need to elaborate on that one. I'm safe though. 

I'm glad everyone is doing alright. Enjoy Christmas! 

The Filipino kids are the best because they run around us and want to carry my stuff and hold my arm. It's so great! But there are so many fat babies around and I want to hold them, haha, but it's against the rules. The kids are really fun though. Sorry if I never want to come home, but it's really fun here. 

Love, 

Sister Santa

first week in the Philippines

This week has been wonderful. We've seen a lot of miracles. We are teaching a lot and referrals keep coming and we can't even keep up with them. We are teaching a lot and staying busy. The hardest thing for me is to be patient with myself. 

I want to tell everyone all that I have learned but I could never have enough time. I guess I feel like Nephi because He only wrote the things that were most important because it was so hard to engrave on the plates, so imagine I'm Nephi. 

I have learned this week that faith is a deep belief that I'm being taken care of. The language is coming but I am frustrated and hard on myself because I'm not fluent yet. If you know me, you know that I'm an over achiever so I want to be fluent now. But I have learned that I have to be patient with everything and myself. I will learn here a little and there a little.

It always feels good when we are in the right place at the right time. I know we are being guided. My testimony is being strengthened and I know that I can become what Heavenly Father wants me to be if I turn my heart over to Him. That has been my focus the last few days. I can control that and ultimately I need to be converted to the Lord. 

I love being a missionary. I love teaching even though it's hard because the greatest miracles that have come have come as were teaching and my language is amazing and we feel guided and people's hearts are softened. I love the food (mostly), it's kinda weird. I love serving. I love being busy and tired. I love that it's just me and the Lord because I hardly have time to think about anyone back home.

Love always,
Sister Santa

Me and two sisters that are wonderful. Their family are converts and they help the most with missionary work. They always go with us and teach. The mom on the left does my laundry twice a week. She is so sweet. She cleaned my shoes when we were out contacting and I stepped in dog poop. She is 42 and the daughter is 17. 

Our first baptism was this past Saturday! She is 18 years old and her husband is a member.