September 15, 2014

Last Zone Conference

...is this Wednesday. It will be with Elder Claudio Zivic, of the seventy. And yeah, we're doing a musical number. My brain doesn't know how to recognize a lost cause, so I can't say whether or not this will work. I'll let you know!

Also, I can't help but remember when I wear my Seahawks shirt that we're in the regular season already. Somebody want to update me?

This week featured a few cool Sunday morning miracles. At 8am, I was just starting to study when the phone rang. Old investigator, someone we hadn't talked to in several weeks after he...well, it was a mutual break. But then, he called on Sunday and was like "hey, I want to come to church!" So, I frantically called everyone in our branch, and we got him to church! Then, right before the meeting starts, another investigator drives up, completely unexpected. He's an older man, his health is always up and down, and he usually says "I'll try" when we invite him to church. Well, in the past, "I'll try" has always meant no. Like, not just with him, but with any investigator in all of my mission. Up until this past Sunday! It was pretty chouette.

As another quick update, Jean-Yves is doing great. He got the Priesthood last Sunday (did I already say that?), and has been studying like crazy in his scriptures. I love seeing the gospel just change people's natures. Everything is different. In fact, he told us that he went to see his docter this past week, and she told him that "I've never ever seen you smile like that!". He then started talking to her about the church and his recent baptism.

Wish us luck! If you happen to think of it during your prayers, I would much appreciate your asking for help with our musical number. I would like it to be good.

Je vous aime tous!

-Elder Santos

August 31, 2014

Ok, so the bikes aren't that bad anymore.

But on an unfortunate side note, Elder Broadbent totally took a dive this week. We were going to a rendez-vous in the evening, and we had to go down a slight hill to get there. Easy grass slope, right? But no, he decides to go for the cement stairs. Quote from right before he started "Get on the train!" He then started to bunny hop down the stairs, and actually got all the way to the last step before losing control and flying, superman style, over his handlebars. It's okay, he broke his fall with his chin.

No, but he's fine. His bike, less so. It landed on the derailer, and he now can only go between second and fourth gear. He still passes me sometimes.

The moral of the story this week, though, is that the only real missionary work happens around members.

Oh! If I may be so bold, I'm actually going to request that this part be chosen for the missionary update.

Dear members of the Pine Lake Ward (back in my day we called it Issy-two),

Salutations! I wanted to write to tell you how incredibly indispensable you are in missionary work. This week, again, a person who we were teaching told us that "If it weren't for [member friend], I never would have agreed to meet with you!" This same person came to church this week and is incredibly excited to read the Book of Mormon. The fact of the matter is that even the elect will not receive the truth if it is not presented in the right way. Because, let's be honest, what would you do if two strangers came and yelled at your house while you were eating lunch, telling you to change your beliefs and your life? So, I testify to you that you know people, right now, who will receive eternal life because you had the faith to invite them. The Lord has already hastened His work; I pray that we will hasten ours. 

I don't know what the word count is for this thing, so hopefully that will work. If not, well, I dunno.

Yeah, I'll tell you more about that one another time. But I love you! Transfer calls this week!

-Elder Santos

August 16, 2014

"John-Eve"

Since it was pointed out to me that some people might not know how to pronounce his name. Incidentally, when I'm on the phone with other missionaries, I usually call him "John-wives".

But yes, Jean-Yves was baptized on Saturday. It was actually a little interesting this week.

So, the frequent visitors of the Elder Santos mission blog will know that, in the past, a baptism or two have fallen through very close to the planned date. Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I say that because I've become a bit...hesitant to count eggs. Basically, until their knees are wet, I'm not really sure if it's going to happen. As an interesting side note, I've fasted with the person being baptized these last two transfers, and so far that seems to work much better.

Jean-Yves was doing great at the beginning of this week and was right on track. That was made more exciting by a really good FHE that some of you have already heard about-basically, the man was as excited about temples as I have ever seen him before. The baptismal interview is always interesting. No matter how well the person is prepared, you always will have some nagging doubts. This one actually was pretty fun, because while District Leader Drennan was doing the interview, Desir-family-six-year-old-granddaughter was hanging out with me and her grandmother. Because I didn't know what else to do, I handed her my hymnbook and told her to pick her favorite song. I then spent the next 40 minutes singing every single hymn in the book. She opened up to the end, pointed to a page, and asked me to sing. I usually got through about the first line, and then she would flip the page and point to a different one. Lather, rinse, repeat 200 times. It worked out pretty well time-wise; we finished the book about three minutes before the interview was over.

Anyways, after that Elder Drennan explained that during the interview, he had shown a good understanding and acceptance of all the necessary principles, and seemed to be ready for baptism. He also said that they had read through the guide des écritures definition of a testimony, and Jean-Yves said afterwards "I don't have that". "He does," Elder Drennan said, "but he doesn't know it yet". He asked us to work on recognizing a testimony with him before the baptism.

Skip to Thursday night, about 36 hours later. We're in a branch meeting with President Desir (his good friend, and the one who referred him to us-have I already explained that?), who gets a phone call from...you guessed it, Jean-Yves. President said that he wanted to talk to him about a question he had during the baptismal interview.

...and the doubts start flowing.

I explained to him what Elder Drennan had said, without really having any idea what Jean-Yves wanted to talk about, and told him that I believed it to be a problem of recognition, not of preparation.

Saturday morning, 7:22am. The phone rings, it's President Desir. My heart drops. I answer the phone, preparing for the worst. He says that the two of them had talked, and that they wanted to speak with us, the missionaries, thirty minutes before the baptism. Gnnraaaah!

Well, they show up fifteen minutes before the baptism is supposed to start, and without saying a word they get into their baptismal clothes and sit down in the chapel. Song, prayer, two talks, and then he's baptized.

And that's the story! Probably a little bit more than you wanted, but hey. That was my week.

Oh, also I fell off my bike for the first time in my mission. I felt soo dumb. I don't even know why, that's the thing. It was as we were going to our first lesson with these people, and we had just barely gotten to the point where they could see us. Boom. I'm on the ground, hurting and feeling like an idiot. Yeah. But, I'm better now!

I love you all!

-Elder Santos

August 4, 2014

...ow...

Now, I'm not sure, because I don't have those emails from a year ago in reach right now, but I would feel pretty confident in betting that a lot of the things that I'm going to say in this email will mirror what I said in my first emails from Guadeloupe-back in June of last year.

So, the basic gist of it is that I've been four full days on bikes now (including a full day fast), and everything hurts. Neck, from craning up to see the road in front of me, shoulders, from holding myself up as I lean forward all day, lungs, because they're not used to having such a big order to fill, back, from the angle that I'm at when I'm sitting down on the bike, butt, for reasons that will be obvious to anyone that has ridden a bike before, knees, from bending more times than they have in the past year collectively, and calves, from having to push all day long. No joke, it's all sore.

But, I'm actually doing pretty well!

Elder Broadbent and I are having tons of fun. He's from Socal, very politically opinionated, and also very intelligent. We just have fun all day long. When I finish panting, that is.

The most exciting thing going on here is that we're teaching a member referral from our Elders's Quorum President, who is going to be baptized on the sixteenth of this month. Jean-Yves is super cool, and yesterday (while we were fasting together) during the sunday school lesson on the sabbath day, he shared a story about how his boss had insisted that he come to church that day, and that he had told him "no, I'm going to church". We're going to do a FHE with him tonight. Pray for us!

I also want to quickly thank everyone for their love and support, advice, encouragement, patience, and prayers. I'm not going to have the time to thank all of you individually right now, but know that you are amazing, and I'm so grateful to have you.

I love you all! A bientôt,

-Elder Santos

July 28, 2014

Transfers!

So, that's two records in the books. Longest I've ever been in an area is five transfers in Morne-à-l'eau, and longest I've ever been with a companion is three transfers with Elders Fraley, Harrison, and potentially Broadbent.

That's the name of my new companion, by the way. I'll tell the full story.

Saturday morning, I got a call from President Mehr (which, already is weird-normally he only does transfer calls for important things), and he started by telling me that he was looking at the transfer board and discovered that he had a lot of missionaries french side who were over one year and who had still never been in a leadership position, so he was going to release some zone leaders. He then told me that he was going to be releasing me and moving me out of Morne-à-l'eau, and thanked me for my service. I'm going allllll the way to Baie-Mahault, which is as short a distance as I could possibly travel and still change branches. Incidentally, this is the first time that I've been transferred without getting on a plane.

So, yeah. My mailing adress hasn't changed. In fact, now the senior couple lives in my area, so  it's actually even more accurate. I'm going to be with Elder Broadbent (don't know much about him yet) and will not be serving in any leadership position. I'll also be back on bikes. Pray for me. I don't even know wh

Dangit. Whoever put tab and "a" next to each other on the french keyboard is in trouble.

Sometimes it's really hard to get motivated for emails. Not that things don't happen, but come Monday…it's just gone.

Yeah.

July 21, 2014

Soo many conferences.

Oh, and a birthday. And a companionship exchange, and someone else's birthday...which brings us right back around to today! I'm in a cybercafé, on a rapidly ticking clock. 

Love you!

-Elder sAntos

July 16, 2014

Conferences and stuff.

District conference was first, on Saturday and Sunday, followed shortly by Zone conference on Tuesday. Equally exciting was having President Mehr come and play football with us for our P-day activity. For the record, this man, about to turn 60, is 6'4" and was an all-everything athlete back in the day; he's still as good as any of the missionaries.

But, I tell you what, I've actually decided that when I get home I'm going to go ahead and type up my notebook (my little composition notebook is dying), so I'll send you the interesting parts then.

My camera isn't working today, so I'll have to save pictures for next time.

I'm sorry, I'm really not in an emailing mood today. Hah, by the time I get back I'm only going to be capable of communicaiton on Mondays. Look forward to that!

I really do love you all,

-Elder Santos