Sunday, March 1, 2015

Hellos and Goodbyes

Well hello everyone! I sure enjoyed this week wow it will be remembered forever! This week we had our baptism! We baptized Emmanuel Gutierez Reyes! He is the first of his brothers but not the last. the baptism was so awesome! Even though there wasn't a lot of support from the branch it was so spiritual! I love this family! They said the next time we pass by their house that the other two boys want to get baptized!!!! It was so cool! We will we need to work with dad also so that all of them can be together.

Also guess what!! I am not leaving the area!! haha I will have almost 8 months by the end of this transfer! I am still will my comp. Wow that's a lot of time but I am happy! I want to help this branch even more. In two weeks we will be moving to a chapel in another town so I wonder how the members are gonna act but will see. I have faith that they will pull through! 

I am kinda sad that one Elder got transferred... Elder Hollingsworth. Him and I have had 6 months together we arrived together but I guess we aren't gonna leave together. Oh well but wow he is probably my best friend here in the mission. He is like a brother to me and we get a long so well! You always see us laughing when we are together. We have seen so much together the ups and downs but I will miss him.
My week was excellent! loved it so much! 
love you all!
E. Santacruz

Not the Last of Elder Hollingsworth. He will be missed

Emmanuel on his baptismal day

So excited for him!

Reyes family. His brothers are next!


A Golden Family

Hello! 
This week was pretty crazy! We have been teaching the rest of the things to Emmanuel. He will get baptized this Saturday! He has been growing so much and is starting to being a different young man in just a short time. I love him as if he was a brother, he truly wants to change! His mom is so proud of him and she has so much more respect for him his mom is Hermana Reyes but I feel so happy that this family will keep growing. I hope their future will progress in the church!

This week we found a golden family! We found a family of five and the two parents are so humble and really smart. They know a lot about the scriptures and when we taught them they understood everything about the restoration. It was so cool. We invited them to pray about Joseph Smith and if he saw God and Jesus and if these things are true and they said yes! That lesson was so spiritual! I loved it so much it really made my week.

Today we went on a hike and wow we saw a waterfall it was so cool! I took a lot of pictures with my new camera wow thanks guys it was so awesome to get my package! You guys are the best I owe you all so bad! I hope you guys had a great valentines day! Love you all so much! 
We have changes next week so I think I will leave this area but who knows I could stay for one more transfer. W will see but love you guys that was my week.
Elder Santacruz


Emmanuel just got baptized

Hermana Reyes mom of Emmanuel

Beautiful Waterfall


My awesome Companion Elder Galvez

Elder Hollingsworth

Add caption

Its not about the number...

​Hey guys!!!! My week was way better than the last! 

First starting with Hermana Reyes she is a less active that we found when I was with Elder Vake. We found her one day when we went contacting! Now we have 4 months with her and she has been progressing a lot. She is not a less active any more shes active and none of her kids ​or husband are members of the church but we have been working with them all and two of the boys have dates for next week!!!! We will hopefully have baptisms next week I am so happy!!!! My first two in this area! I know that the Lord wanted me to learn something between that time, its not about the number its about having so much love for each one of the people! I love this area and I love Hermana Reyes.She is such a strong woman and she has changed so much. She has made me want to change myself even more. She used to drink but now she has been sober for about three weeks and she is still fighting against the temptation. 

Also this week I saw Elisa, Elder Matas soon to be wife, it was so cool! I surprised her at work she works in the city. She is doing good. She is planning on moving to the states in August and they are gonna get sealed in the Temple in September about the time I will be coming home so maybe I'll be able to go to their sealing haha that's crazy but she is doing good still strong in the church so I am happy that she will be blessed in that way. The Lord has more things in store for her! 
I am doing good with my comp hes such a good guy! I am still in the same pueblo La Herradura can't get any better than that! Love you all! Miss you all and I hope you have a good valentines! xoxo

Prayers are Longer, Shoes are Dirtier

This week was a little hard haha not gonna lie...... The branch is having a lot of problems. It was hard for me to take in. Some of problems was with some couples in the branch and it was with the families that are the strongest in the church. We found out these things this week. It was really tough to take it all in..but I know that I need to help these people and I know what we need to focus on. Last night we planned for an hour just talking about the families. We were talking about their situations and we talked about what we can do to change things up. I know that we need to help these people before we go to another chapel because then things will get worse.

I am doing okay! Don't worry this happens in the mission but the prayers are longer and the shoes are more dirtier haha this week we started to go to the gym. Wow I haven't been to the gym since Cristo Rey haha We are waking up at 6:00 so we are super soar and super tired after the day! ha 
Also we are still working with the two boys that have a date! We are teaching them little by little! Hopefully they will know the things in time but I have faith we can do it! Love you all! Miss you all! 

Shout out to my boiie home dog Jeff Carrrrrranza!!!!!!! Woot Woot missionary. So proud of you! You will be great!
Love,
Elder Santacruz

Keystone to our Religion

Hello guys! You will not believe how happy I am to have such a great comp! I love him!

Hes such a cool guy! You will not see us not laughing we are always cracking up and enjoying the work together! He is so humble! He is willing to do whatever I say! If we should go to that house or not to that house or if we should clean the house hes like yeah okay lets do it! I am like yeah!!!! Im like okay yeah lets do it!!!!!! In our first week we have already seen success. We had a family go to church that I have been teaching for a while now. So that was pretty cool! 

Also a couple that we have been teaching have been progressing. We had a lesson with the wife two days ago and the lesson was so spiritual. We talked about how the book of Mormon is the key stone to our religion. She heard our testimonies and she could feel the spirit strong enough that she was crying... tears of joy! I love that couple! They love us too the reason we know they love us is because they feed us always. That's how you know someones has love and trust for you in this country haha yeah buddy!
I loved this week! Love you guys thanks for fixing my card! You guys rock sorry that was a pain but everything is all worked out! 

Flippin Amazing!
Guatemala and Arizona 
Elder Galvez and Elder Santacruz

MY AREA!

God sent you

Wow this week I felt so great! Oh wait... Hi guys haha

Anyways this week it all started with a guy named Brian Honore. He is from the Bahamas, he was born and raised there and all of his family lives there. One day he went to the states because one day a guy asked him if he wanted to make some money and so what he did was help on a boat. They were taking shipment to the US, little did he know that there were smuggling illegal immigrants from Haiti so they all went to Haiti they got deported! He was in Haiti for 2 years and now he has 6 months here and he has been fighting to go back but they haven't been excepting him to go back so we have been helping him. We found him a lawyer so he can get him some help. The problem is that he is living on the streets and so we have been helping him. You know some of that stuff that you guys sent to me well......yea I gave that to him. He needed it more than I did and he is in the process of going back but he had lasted 30 months on his own not knowing french, Creole, or Spanish. He has been on his own without family! When he got all this help from us he was just like God sent you guys and he just started crying and just thanking me every 5 minute. He was just giving me tons of hugs haha he such a cool guy!
That was my favorite part of my week. My comp went home and now I have a missionary! My comps from Guatemala he seems pretty cool so we will se how thing go I know it will be a good transfer I can feel it! 

Put Forth Effort!

Hey Everyone!!!!! This week was pretty interesting haha but first HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The DR celebrates the new year really good hahah everyone was drunk hahah so we had a hard time meeting new people but hey its all good! This week will be better I can feel it! Yeah buddy! Hey good news we finally had some investigators go to church!!!!!!! It was so great!!!! Wow its like Christmas when investigators go to church! Especially because our area is so far away from the church that people just don't feel like it but this Sunday was dope! 

Guess what! A family that we have in our branch is not homeless anymore! We are building a house for them! Its so special that the branch is donating money for this family of 8! Isn't that crazy? This family has been living in a little hut so yesterday we started with the base we spent the whole day just making cement and just building the base it was so great, because this family is so special to us! Hopefully we can see the house done before I leave! I know I am going to stay for another transfer because the mini missionary is going home after this transfer!

But I hope all you guys had a special happy new year and that you guys put forth effort to your new goals! I love you all and miss you! I know that this is the truth that I share with everyone! 
love, 
Elder SANTACRUZ

Yeah I like to get my shoes cleaned. Its only 15 pesos

Working out every morning

We're cool

New Year New Goals

Hey guys!
 
Wow this Christmas was great! Even though it wasn't with you guys I had a great time. I enjoyed the time with you guys on skype, it was so cool to have my family in front of me! It was so nice to see you guys! 

We spent Christmas Eve with members and we ate so much haha by the end of the night I was so dead from eating food but  I definitely enjoyed spending time with our branch! We went Christmas caroling on the 26th and it was so cool, even though it was late we spread the Christmas spirit! 

Now its time for the new year and we all know what that means new goals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow bye bye 2014 so...... What are some of our new goals? 
Lets be more like Christ this year! We all need to work hard! I need to finish the hard work on my mission this year. I just want continue rising and I always progress that is my goal for the year!
 
I hope everyone has a good happy new year I love you all and I am grateful for each and every one of you! 
Happy new year!
love elder santacruz

Christmas Eve

Hey guys!! Happy Christmas Eve!!!!!!!! I am not gonna write a lot because well... tomorrow we will talk haha by Skype!!!!!!!! haha but this week was crazy I finally got rid of my sickness!!!!!!! Woohoo! I am not sick anymore! Thanks for praying for me guys I love you so much and also wow my package!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow it was so cool I love it!
I will call you guys at 6 o'clock here and I don't have a Skype account or maybe I do but I am gonna try to use someones but don't worry it will all work out! Love you guys! Hope you guy have a merry Merry Christmas!  

XOxoXOxo Elder Santacruz

Christmas Package

Love it so much!

Christmas Spirit

Wow! I just love the Christmas spirit! This week I was sick and I still have a bad cough and fever but don't worry I am still working! I still have to work! haha but this week my comp and I worked really hard and we have been sharing this video http://youtu.be/y1bxL85PGGM and we have just been sharing the Christmas spirit!

We met so many people it was so cool! We practically know everyone in our area! Hopefully we can start teaching some of the people! The work is still pretty hard we haven't had a lot of success which kinda stinks but I know that we will find someone ready to hear the gospel and accept it! Other than that we had our Christmas conference yesterday with the missionaries in the mission it was so cool! and the best part is that we had a turkey dinner and my plate had a pile of mashed potatoes I love our President, he is the best! It was really spiritual, President talked about how we can arrive to be Peter! and how he changed through his time with Christ! 
but I love you guys! Until next week! Feliz Navidad! 
Les Amo!
Elder Santacruz!

Christmas Caroling


Christmas Devotional

Christmas dinner

All my peeps

Thanksgiving

Hey guys! Whats going on!? How is everything going!? How was thanksgiving!? Oh and how was black Friday!? Wow we had such a good Thanksgiving! Elder Hollingsworth and I cooked all morning and it turned out amazing! We invited other missionaries so we had 8 others and we just chilled and just enjoyed the holiday! You know thanksgiving is not the same with out family no matter how good the food is! haha I miss you guys!

This week we have been working with David and Leonera its a young couple that we teach and they had been reading the book of Mormon. We gave it to them last week! They have been saying that all these things make sense but the only thing is that they are not going to church. We will talk about the importance of it this week! It will be great! Pray for them that they will go! 

Also I have a new companion! He's a mini missionary! He's only gonna be in the missionary for 6 weeks so will see what the Lord wants me to do! All is well.....I'll let you guys know in the future! But I get to stay in the area still yes! I don't want to leave yet I still have a lot of work to do still!

But wow who is counting down the days for Christmas! Wow less than a month we will be talking on the phone! yeah buddy! that's the best Christmas present ever! Love you guys! I have a lot of pictures to send so I wont write a lot but love you guys enjoy your week! 
love elder santacruz
p.s. wow thank you so much for my package!!!!!!!!! it was the best! love you guys!

I am Grateful

Hello everyone! wow the best holiday just hit!!!
I am grateful................
God, Family, the gospel, the book of Mormon, the prophet, Christ, the mission, temples, soda, pizza, toilets, hot water, 24 hour electricity, really heavy duty shoes, mud, my investigators, the members, the Dominican Republic!!!!....
I am grateful for everything and everything is a blessing! 

I LOVE YOU YOU ALL

I had a great week! My comp and I are getting better little by little I am getting more trust so that's great! The main story this week is a really spiritual lesson that was so great! We have a couple that we are teaching and one day we shared the restoration video and they watched it with us and they felt the spirit so strong, they were saying such cool things like...... yeah we have been praying and we think these things are true... I feel that God is trying to tell us something!!!!! I was so happy I was going crazy at night time when I was going to bed! Thanks to god none of that would have happen! Its crazy how people can change in an a second! love it! So we will see their progress in the future! 

Also a our secretary, mission leader left on his mission to Guatemala on Tuesday. He is such a good friend it was a little sad but great at the same! Stinks now because we don't have a secretary or a mission leader hahaha oh well its all good! 

But yeah tomorrow we are gonna go cook a little lunch with chicken and mashed potatoes at the church with the district its gonna be cool! Ill take pictures! but hey the next one we will be together! love you all and I hope you guys read  that scripture that I gave this week I want you guys to read Alma 1:25 meditate and pray and see what you all have to do! Love you all don't have to much fun without me! haha

Love Elder Santacruz

Our district



We are pretty much chefs

Chicken dinner!

Yum

Whats a Turkey dinner without Dr. Pepper?


Jeudy!

Young men Future missionaries

Armor of God

Yeah I know my English is terrible!!!!!!! UHHH hahaha I don't care! Ill practise it when I get home! haha

How was everyone's week!!!?? Mine was so great! We worked hard this week! All things are getting better with my comp! We are starting to work a lot better together. He has a problem talking and he didn't like talking to me in the start but hey things are looking up! I worked everyday to serve him I always tried talking to him even until I didn't want to! But then I really started to get to know him more and he has a really hard background! He is a good missionary he just needs the rest of the mission to help him! I love him a lot though!

We found a couple more people this week that might be interested in the message! We had received references from investigators which was super awesome! I was surprised that people we are teaching are doing missionary work! It truly is cool! I hope we all can follow the example of these people because a reference is really a Christmas present for any missionary! 

This week we have a chicken dinner we are gonna cook as a district! Its gonna be super dope we are gonna go big because its my last one and some others! We are gonna have a good fun time!!!! Oh and its gonna be a chicken dinner hahah there is no turkey here!!! ha lame.....

But also this week I was studying a great scripture that I want you guys to study! In Doctrine and Covenants 27:15-18.  I want you all to study it and ask yourselves how should I put this armor on spiritually! Love you all! and miss you! have a good week! 

Bunnies for days!


Do Not Fear Man

Hola! everyone! I hope everyone's week was amazing and that we all worked our best to serve the Lord!

This week we had put a date with a lady to be baptized! She accepted and I know that she will receive her answer in the time. She has to prepare herself to be ready to take this covenant with God! We had lessons with her this week and she had said that these things make her happy and that it gives her joy! That makes me really happy! Ill let you guys know about her progress!

So the families that we have been working with are still taking the lessons but we are mostly focused on 2 main families that are really working to change their lives!One family that we are teaching, the parents are reading the book of Mormon together and guess where they're at!! In Mosiah!!!! Yep its so cool! they say they love the book! They are a really poor family and they are not that intelligent but they want to keep working! Ill try to take a picture with them this week! They are awesome! 

Also this week we had a conference with all Santiago and it was so good! I love hearing President's advice but he talked about FEAR what are the things we fear in the mission and so he said that we need to fear GOD but not man! We shouldnt have fear to share the gospel to man and just be diligent to what the Lord says! Such a good talk! The things he told us to do I definitely want to work on through out the rest of my mission! 

That was my amazing week and I hope you all enjoyed it love you all! 
elder santacruz

Exchange for the day with Elder Hollingsworth!