WEEK 5 - MTC

This was a great week at the MTC! On Wednesday, I got a package from grandma and grandpa Hathaway, and it turned out that Aunt Teilani got me an amazing leather sketchbook, and I love it!

Thursday was great. During our study time, I asked elder west if he wanted to study in the entrance building, where there are nice, comfy sofas. He said "Let's see how cold it is outside." It was burning hot, but we stayed outside. We then saw élderes Hanks, Perkins, Tauai, and Stevens standing near the rocks at the front. I started going there, but Elder west didn't want to from what I could tell (I can understand because we could possibly be distracted fairly easily). But we did, and sat with Elders Hanks and Perkins, Tauai and Stevens were a little further than we were. We were just reading the scriptures, and this Hispanic man passed by, and I waved and said "Hi, how are you?" He then turned and asked us where we were going, and after finding that we were going to speak Spanish in the US, he started talking to us about teaching Spanish people in America. He got such large tears in his eyes and was almost shaking. His tears filled the brims of his eyes, literally, I could see it, and they filled up into little bowls above his puffy cheeks. I'm being so descriptive because of how amazing this experience was. We gave him hugs twice during the conversation, and we no doubt all love him like a brother. Here are the notes I took from what he said. 

" Most of the people you are going to teach will have lost many of their own things: Their culture, their family -for most of them- and their homes. They do not want to be here where they are. They do not want to be where they were. They have learned to read people very quickly, and they cannot or don't want to trust quickly because they get abused by bosses or just other people in general. They need to know that you love them so much. They need to hear the following: "Can we return/ come to your home again soon?" They need to be able to trust us before they'll trust the church. They will see us and think we have it made. Love, and then trust. They will think that we do not care, and are only there to take advantage of them. In order for them to open their hearts, they need to trust you. They feel like they've been promised things that haven't been upheld. They are looking for the truth. They are looking for happiness, and they have lost trust too often. They want to be somewhere other than where they've been and where they are. When you just teach your lessons, and they don't feel that you really care, will they want you to return? That sounds more like you want something from them. 

"I don't know anything personally about the Lord, and that shows me that it was never about Him. They need to know it's not about you."

They need to know why you're serving. What you have struggled with is so easy for them, but you've both suffered. You have to be their friend. Are they going to want to hear you again when you've made no friendship at all? Nope"

Those are my notes from that guy, brother Molena. 

That night we taught Esteban. What we've started doing is, when we hug at the end of class with hermano Kinghorn or Powell, we pat their back twice, their head once, and their back once more. 

We taught Patricia Moura again, and while studying outside, I thought the following "She needs to have the desire to have a relationship with God if she wants to learn anything from this gospel, and if your only desire in these lessons is to understand your friends, you won't understand them because their relationship is real with Him." I asked Elder West what he thought, and he said "I think we need to open her heart with scriptures first!" We shared Ether 12:6 with her, and she said it was very hard to believe in things unseen. She is very kind, but I thought she didn't really desire to know if God exists, or that He exists, but that He doesn't. I felt like that was what she looked for. We taught a little about the restoration, and we were running out of time. She asked what happened to those who died during the apostasy, and we explained that God would give an equal chance for everyone to accept it. She said, as we left "I feel something every time you say "I testify" or "I know". On Friday, we taught Patricia Moura again, and we didn't finish the restoration- again. I've noticed something a little sad, that she has worn the same clothes every day. She's from Uruguay, and we ended by giving her a Book of Mormon, and asked her to read Alma 32. It's that chapter that compares faith to a seed. 

On Saturday, I learned the following quote "If we knew who we truly were, we would have no desire to sin!" 

For our dorm room, we have a password to get in (Mis ojos ya perceben la gran gloria del Señor) and someone knocked on our door. Elder Tauai ran to it, and cracked it slightly ajar, said "Que es el passwor- Hey, President!" It was our branch president, hahahaha. Face palm. Also, on Saturday I got my flight plans too. 

On Sunday, Elder M. Russel Ballard spoke! It was awesome. He mentioned Louisiana, and he loves the people there. He has 45 grandchildren and 75 great grandchildren! He said "I wish I knew when I was your age what I know now. I'd be dynamite! He said "The Lord Jesus Christ comes to know you as you serve." That was the second apostle in a row! 

Last week D. Todd Christofferson taught on Tuesday. We studied for most of Monday, and on Tuesday we taught Patricia Moura again, and she did read chapter 32 of Alma! She wanted to know how it was that in order to have hope in life, faith was necessary. I told her that if you have faith in something, you'll have hope that it'll happen. I told her that Heavenly Father has faith and hope that she'll see Him again, and live with Him, just as I have the same hope for when I come back from my mission, that I'll see my family again. She explained that she missed her father, and she started crying. The Spirit was in the room! We took a skype lesson with a member from Argentina and she said we answered her prayers and started crying, and grabbed a roll of toilet paper as tissue. I'm sure miracles happen as a missionary! That was my miraculous week! 

Oh, also my flight plans say that I'm flying to Arizona first, and then a 3 hour delay at the airport, and then off to Bakersfield. I guess we'll have a lot of time to talk to people, then. 

I love all of you, and thank you all for your love and support!

Love,

Elder Daniel J. Sant

Week 4 - MTC

Hola, mi familia y mis amigos amados!

This was a great week, an extremely difficult week, but great in all. On Wednesday, after having finished my hour of email time, my teacher, whom I love, hermano Powell, opened his heart to us. He explained that his whole life, his family was just a checklist family. They did everything just to do it because they'd be looked down upon otherwise. Then, just after his mission, his parents got divorced. He then said that his father explained, after telling their children of the horrid news, that if he followed this PRO symbol (meaning Pray, Read, Obey), their marriage would have been saved. He then said that he would do his best not to be a checklist family. He said that on his mission, he had a sheet of paper where, after finishing a day, he'd mark everything he followed from the white handbook. That's how it was for him. What he taught was very eyeopening. On Thursday our class gave each other goof names. Mine is Dilbert, my companion's is Reginald. My favorite is Kurble, Elder Wallace. At night, our teacher came and said that we'd be teaching someone immediately and to go follow him. We were terrified. But then it turned out that we were just teaching each other(our teacher got us). In the lessons, we could only ask questions, and only take turns with each other. It was fun. On Friday we got our information for our first real investigator, and her name is Patricia Moura. Everything about her was very unclear. She is an Odontologa, but I'm not sure what that is. I'll explain the lesson in a moment. We found out that if you put your scripture marking pen (the one you can pull the lead out super far with) really close to the camera lens with the flash on, and connect it with someone's hand, it becomes a lightsaber. We took a lot of lightsaber battle photos with it! We taught Diego, and took longer than we meant. I was in Alma 32 on that day. On Saturday we learned from Hermano Kinghorn, and he taught about keeping your lesson focused on the commitment. We asked him to be baptized today and he said yes(again, this is just a practice guy). He also said that Sunday is not a time to hang out with members, which is what I've always imagined, to be honest, because Sundays are usually when families are together. Hermana Ellison taught us, and we've started memorizing D&C 4. I have the first 2 verses in Español, and thank you mom and dad for helping me get it in English. We had a great conversation together about just spiritual things. It was cool. On Sunday Elder West and I fasted for Hermana Moura, our real investigator, for fast Sunday. We had a devotional where brother Chad Lewis came and taught. He played in the NFL. He is such an adult Jeaux! When he and his wife went on a date, he was on BYU's team but barely played. One of the first things he said to her was "I had a dream that I jumped over a guy in a football game. I want to do that so bad." While they went shopping he leaped over her shopping cart and said "YES! I've almost got it!" without any warning at all. He then jumped over her car perfectly and had the same reaction. He said some great things. "You are blessed with His Spirit which has no fear," and "The veil is so thin. I can hear His voice". He was an awesome guy. "This is the law of life: As you serve, you will love." He also said "Do we have faith in the one we're teaching about? "Don't let anything discourage you from thinking about and working for and loving those you see." "My superbowl is my family. Superbowls last three hours. Families last forever." After he spoke, we watched "Joseph Smith:The Prophet of the Restoration." It was really good. Here are some awesome quotes from that. "The trials I had passed through seemed but a small thing; we learned first to trust in God." It was great. On Monday we taught Diego about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On Tuesday we taught Hma Moura, the real investigator. She said she didn't believe in God, and I tried to convince her to pray. She said she only took these lessons to make friends here. I'm trying my best with her though. She kept saying that Elder West and I were young and basically that believing in God was childlike and that I didn't know reality. That night Elder D. Todd Christofferson came and taught us. It was awesome. Some of the significant things he said were " Repentance is the testimony of Jesus Christ. When you teach repentance, you are testifying of Christ. The original Greek word for repentance is "A change of heart or a fresh view, or turning our hearts to God. It is greater to be trusted than loved. Can we be trusted? The Lord can look at you at any time and say "I can trust him and can send Him anywhere: That should be our goal. He then said something that really fortifies my faith from what Patricia Moura said about me being too young and not knowing reality. He said "It doesn't matter how young or inexperienced you are. It is still just as true." This has been a great week, and it sounds like everything is awesome at home. I love all of you guys, and I hope the best. Of all that you've read, remember that the Lord has a plan for all of us.

I can't work my SD card so these are random copies from other missionaries.

Love, Elder Daniel Jacob Sant
Go and Do

 

 

Week 3 - MTC

Hola, mis familias! This has been a fantastic week. I have learned and grown a lot. On Thursday last week, we taught our investigator Esteban before entering, we said a prayer and I explained that we tried our best to prepare, and needed Him to cover what we miss. We went in, and we asked how he was doing, and he said "more or less". My companion elder West said "More or less? Why?"  Elder West then got up and started drawing the tree of life on the chalkboard.  I explained it to Esteban for him, and explained that when Lehi partook of the tree of life, he wanted his family to do the same, and connected it with him and his daughter. If he came closer and found the Love of God, he could help his daughter find it as well. Inspiration, I say. He wants us to teach his daughter, and I so wish that this were a real investigator ('tis but my teacher acting as one), because that would be stupendous. On Friday we taught Diego (our other teacher, Hermano Kinghorn) and he kept going to his priest for answers about our church, then coming to us to clarify. At one point Diego said "I don't need any more of the word of God or continuing revelation. He said "I have Jesus, the bible, and baptism. I don't need anything more than that. I asked him if he truly loved God. He said yes. I then said in essence, "Then why settle for the basics? The full truth is here as it was when Jesus was on the earth. On Saturday we thought it would be a good idea to use pamphlets to explain the restoration of the gospel, and it was much more animated than like a conversation. I got a package from my family, and thank you guys so much for that. I love anything I get in the mail. I shared with everyone, and we still have stuff left. On Sunday we had a great sacrament meeting. On Monday we practiced a lot, and for lessons, we're always supposed to leave with a challenge to the investigator, and use future tense Español, such as "Leerá...(will you read)" or "Orará...(will you pray)", and we've been doing that for a while. Hermano Powell, our teacher who plays Esteban, was talking to us and Elder Tuaui asked if he had seen Nacho Libre, and Hermano Powell admitted that he hadn't for 4 years, and élder tuaui was like "Mirará Nacho Libre está noche? (Will you watch nacho libre tonight?)" It was pretty funny. On Tuesday, after the devotional at night, we had a discussion about the gospel, and it was really good. Elder Jarvis said that anytime he bore his testimony of the Savior, he cried. And Elder Hadley explained that his brother died while on a mission, and that his other brother didn't go and he had to serve for him. It was sad, but very inspiring. Also on Tuesday we Alma 29:9 and 13 are my favorite scriptures now. We gave some members some real lessons, and one girl was from Guatemala, the other guy was old and talked really old and cool. I think Elder West and I did well. Today was good. I came to the temple today, as we do on every P-day, and I was really down, and I was like "Okay, temple, it's time to heal me." And towards the end I felt far better. I really am glad that Heavenly Father loves me so much. I am really excited to go out and serve real people and change there lives. Three weeks more! I'm super glad I'm a missionary now. At the Sunday night devotional the speaker, Richard J. Maynes, explained that you need to be "sweetly bold". Also, it's comforting to know that Heavenly Father, even now, is preparing people for when I teach them. In Joseph Smith's journal, he wrote, after misspelling words and starting over a lot, "Oh may God grant that I may be directed in all my thoughts oh bless my servant Amen". I wrote that at the front of my journal. Also, I learned that we don't have the authority to baptize people who are not  converts. Elder Holland said something I think is hilarious. He said 'If you leave your mission early unworthily you better not find me in a dark alleyway"! Hahaha. Also I learned that I need to be bold. If I ask my investigator to pray, and they say "no, how about you do it", and they never pray, then I'll look them in the eye and say "Diego, you need to pray. I'm only here to help you, and I will testify that this message is for you, because you're a child of God. Talk to Him." I'm so glad to serve a mission, and I hope to make the grandest effect I can, not wasting a moment! I love you all!

Week 2 - Provo MTC

HOLA! Como están? I cannot believe what has been going on since I left! I am so glad that you guys have had so many miracles in the Lord. This has been a great week. So, first, from last week, I was writing in my email as I watched my laundry get done in the same room, and I saw someone take their white clothes from a dryer right next to mine, so I checked to see if he was taking my stuff on accident. He wasn't and I was a little embarrassed, so I sat back down and kept typing. Another guy came and got his whites, and I was like "That must be my clothes", but I ignored it that time and kept typing. Then, when I was finished typing, I went to my dryer and couldn't find my clothes. All of my garments and white shirts were gone.  I checked all of the dryers- and washers in case- and couldn't find my whites. I had to go to class, and the next day I went back to the laundry area again. There was a sign that said that if you lost something, go to this room on this floor of this building. I did so, and no one was in there. I came back later and found a lady who refused to look at me, and just looked at the computer the whole time. She said that the sign may say that, but it wasn't actually correct??? She then asked if I had checked the lost and found, and I already did, and she said to go check every dryer. I realized she didn't really want to help, so I left and wore the same garments for 6 days, and I had two pairs of shirts. I ordered more garments and got five more, haha. Then, last night, I found that I had 4 pairs of shirts and 3 garment pairs in my suitcase the whole time! I fear I am as the Jaredites who were cursed to lose everything they lost. So, this was a good week. On that day I was so down on myself because I lost my garments, but that day was good nonetheless.

  
That Thursday we taught Lorenzo for the last time, and we taught persevering to the end, and that baptism isn't the destination, but the path to get on. On Friday I memorized the first vision in Español, along with James 1:5.  We got another teacher that night, named Brother Peery, who did awesome. He just brought the spirit. By the way, my district composes of Elders Hanks, Perkins, Tuau, West (my companion), Stevens, Bateman, and Wallace. They are awesome!  Elder Tuau is an enormous football player, but really the humblest person. And Elder Hanks brings such profound insight to everything he says. 

  
On Saturday, our district was talking, and someone said "When we get to the judgement, God will beg for us to stay." Apparently, and this is interesting, but when the Savior suffered the Atonement, God ran to the edge of Heaven. Even when He was dying on the cross, He asked that His mother be taken care of and promised the thieves next to Him paradise, and asked that the guards killing Him be forgiven. It was always about someone else in every instance. I need to do my best to make it about the investigator every time. Only then will I be successful at all. On Sunday we talked with the district president's wife, who was so kind. She brought to mind how we were prepared before birth to be missionaries, and it made me think about all the ninja missionary stories mom always gave me when I was little. I'm now that ninja missionary. She quoted Moses 7:62, where the "righteous" means the missionaries, and the truth means the Book of Mormon. She wants us to memorize D&C 121:34-46. That night we four roommates (Elders Tuau, Stevens, West, and I) locked ourselves out of our dorm. We had to get the security down with their keys to open it.

On Monday we got a lot done and felt the spirit. I learned to spend time with those who seek the truth. I really don't think I'm a very good missionary, but I know that the Lord will somehow make a mighty tool of me. I love Ammon, when he explained how great a missionary he was, and when chastised for it, he explained it was only of God's power. Elder Hanks said the following. "Testimonies are better than explanations", "Seeking the gift of tongues is seeking the Spirit, not your own wisdom (2 Nephi 9:28-29).  "Language is not a part of our purpose, but we are called to serve in that language to people who speak it." There was a scripture scratched into one of the bathroom stalls, Jeremiah 4:19-21, and at first I thought "Oh someone has a favorite scripture", but read it and take what you will.... or don't. It's potty humor.

 
On Tuesday I memorized 1 Nephi 3:7. We got a lot done and learned a lot. We taught another "investigator" (Hermano Kinghorn), and didn't do as well. We taught real members in Spanish, and they were patient with my imperfections. During exercise time, I've been getting pretty good at 4-square. I love being here on my mission, and I am working hard to be a good missionary.I really really just want to bring the joy that I know exists. Anyway, that was my fantastic and crazy and great week! I love you, family.  I love you guys.

Week 1 - Provo MTC

Hola! So, this week has been the most difficult but amazing week ever. Please, please forgive me for the lack of photos. I lost my camera and didn't take a single picture until I found it... in my satchel pocket... this morning. I made it to grandma and grandma's house safely, and spent the night there. I got to talk to Paisley- Mai, Ben and Kaye, and the first thing Paisley-Mai said when she saw me was "Danno!" I'm so glad she remembers me. We had a great time together, and the next day I left for the MTC. Halfway through the ride, when I talked to mom and dad, I realized that I left my navy blue suit coat at grandma and grandpa's house. Classic Elder Sant, right? I got to the MTC, and some guys took my luggage. I went to a class, and the teacher only spoke Spanish, even when I wasn't sure what she was saying. She told me to do a computer survey, and I wasn't sure how much I was supposed to do.   
I love my district; I am sure it was inspired of God! On the second day we all practiced Spanish, and it was a fun day, but it was so long, as Monday was.

On Friday, we taught our first investigator, and they did not go easy at all hahaha. We had to do it in Spanish. Later someone said that they saw garments on the guy, so he wasn't really an investigator, but it was still tons of fun. We heard this story about this Elder we have who had a turtle he bought for $15, and it one day ran away, and six months later he found it again, sent it to the vet because it wouldn't eat, and then died after choking on the pill he tried to give him... Those are the stories of the elders here...

  
On Friday morning, we went to a service cleaning, and that was a lot of fun. We cleaned the gym building. We learned a lot about missionary work, and got distracted easily because a teacher only comes about every other day so we can self-teach, and we literally have about 10 hours of class. We taught that "investigator", named Lorenzo, and it went really well. That night we had a devotional that was so beautiful. I can't even explain everything I learned, because it's been so much. For a break, 10 minutes every hour, we get a geography lesson where elder Bateman makes up the craziest things but makes it seem real.   

  
On Saturday we walked to the temple, and it was so cool. We found an elder Batman there. It was cool. It was a great experience. We also just had 10 hours of lesson time again, but we also taught Lorenzo. 

  
On Sunday we had a sacrament meeting. I hadn't ever, according to my memory, had such a spiritually uplifting sacrament meeting. Everything was so humble and beautiful. We went to a choir lesson, and it was really good.

  
On Monday we taught Lorenzo, and got him to commit to be "baptized" in two weeks. It's a lot of fun, even though everyone knows he's not an investigator. One thing I can say, and if you get anything out of reading this, understand that no matter how prepared you think you are, you are never really prepared, especially and without a doubt if you don't personally care about and handle well with every need of every specific investigator and person you meet. I love the history of Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah. It takes much of the book of Alma but it's so good. 

  
On Tuesday, we did something pretty cool. So, one of our elders is an engineer, and we were reading the Book of Mormon when Zeezrom tried to convince Amulek to deny God for 6 onties. We found the economic works of the people at the time, and it worked perfectly. This could be complete false doctrine, and it doesn't pertain to our salvation in any way, but we found, if calculations were correct, that 6 onties was about $7,000, and that at the time, they were probably in a time of inflation. It's cool.  

Today we went in the temple and did an endowment session. It was so great. I love the temple. While I do laundry, I am writing this letter. I absolutely love and miss you guys!

Arrived at the MTC

Hey guys, I made it to the MTC, and it was fantastic. I'm having a great time, and my P-day is on Wednesday. I love you guys, and I can't write too much. My companion here is a guy who's also going to Bakersfield Ca

Love,

--

Elder Daniel Jacob Sant

"Go and Do"