Learning to Trust God

Learning to Trust God

01/06/2020

Hey everyone!! Hope you all are having a good start for the new year!! Sorry I didn't show up last week, some things came up and I didn't have much time. District P-days are a thing now and I absolutely love it. Anyways, I hope you are making those famous new year resolutions to become a better individual, sibbling, son/daughter, parent, spouce, all of the above, really. Those are important to make and keep accountable to yourself and to the Lord 😉

The mission is great, I can't complain. There is too much to be learned and not enough time. I talked to my mission president and he said I am going home on December 16th!! I can't believe I have less than a year now. It's crazy to think about it. But it's ok. The Lord is preparing me, teaching me.

That's something I am starting to learn more about my relationship with the Holy Ghost. I've been struggling trying to work on a few things in this area and it has been a really hard couple of weeks, not gonna lie. It's complicated to do missionary work when you feel like you are constanlty hitting a wall because you are the only one trying to get to the other side. That's how I feel in a nutshell. I know I can do better and more in this area but my efforts are always blocked after taking a couple of steps. Working through it though. I've been learning to have the Holy Ghost guide me to the things I need to be focusing on and doing to share the load I've been carrying by myself. I am learning the hard way to trust in the Lord more fully in my life.

I can testify that I have been feeling the power of the atonement and how it is so much more than just the fact that Christ payed for my sins, therefore I am saved. So much more than that! I've heard people talk about it but never felt it in my life to testify of this power. I think I am starting to see it and it is such a beautiful thing. I can now bare witness that Christ's atonement takes my heartaches away. It doesn't take problems away because I still need to make an effort to work through them, but he makes it so much lighter. Even when I feel like I am sinking emotionally, I can feel the strong spiritual support I have in my life that I know to be divine. It comes from my Savior. I just feel blessed for having these experiences to help shape me to be who I need to become and who God needs me to become. I feel humbled. Whenever anyone says they can see a light in my eyes, I know where it comes from. I am happy. Finding joy in hard moments is hard but it is possible.

Anyhoo, the Lord has been blessing my every effort. Even when we have no time to find people in Morrisville, the Lord finds them for us haha. We had 4 different self referrals, a member referral and a recent convert who just moved in from a different ward to ours.

So, one of these referrals was actually from the elders in our neighboring mission in New Jersey who had a pass along card with their number on it but he lives in our area. He seems more interested in learnng more about our religion by reading the Book of Mormon but not so much in having the end goal of being baptized, but hey, you never know. We are going back this week to set some expectations and explain a little bit more of what we do as missionaries. Another self referral was from Saturday night that we are still trying to work with him to ge him a Book of Mormon. Pray for Shawn my friends!

My favorite from these referrals is Katrina. She is a single parent of 4 children in between the ages 8-18 and wants to have religion back in her life. Fun fact about her though is that a friend of hers, who is a member, found our phone number at the church's website for this area. She is from Virginia!!! Super excited about them. I want to be working closely with her friend to get Katrina and her family closer to Christ.

Exciting times. Everytime I make new plans and goals to be better the Lord finds a way to bless me for my small efforts. I Know he is aware of me. I can't deny it. He guides me and loves me unconditionally.

Before I go, I gotta share a fun fact: We had exchanges and I got to be with my favorite trainer for a day once again. It was fun to see some improvements I've made since I was being trained by Sister Monson and how much more relaxed she is now that she's not training anymore haha I love that woman!

The Mummers Parade was happening while we were there so we got to talk to some people. I felt like taking a picture with some guys in their costumes so I went ahead and asked this lady to take the picture for us. We talked to her afterwards and she mentioned she went to the Philadelphia Temple openhouse before it was dedicated! She loved how different and beautiful it was inside and out of the temple. Crazy crazy. I love being in Philly and it was special to be with my beautiful trainer again ❤

Anyways, I love you all and I hope you have a great and warm week!

Sister Santos.

1702 Sweet Briar Drive, Morrisville, PA 19067

1-4: my beautiful trainer and I on Exchanges ❤❤

5: Abby Hludzinski's farewell party. This Chicago is leaving tomorrow for the MTC in Mexico before serving her mission in Argentina for the next 18 months!! So happy for her!

6-7: That's how district P-day starts with three balls stuck in the first 10 minutes we got there lol