It's the thought that counts

Hello family and friends! Thanks for always sending your love! This week was a little hard for me but it's all good! Those weeks definitely come and go in the mission haha 

Well my comp and I are getting better we are getting a long it's just sometimes he does some dumb things that make me think WHAT THE HECK? haha but it helps me to keep my patience. God just wants me to master that! Patience.

But changing the subject.. haha this week we found a cool investigator....well our first one!!!! So hey... we are getting somewhere! It was interesting, we found her from the area book. I was looking at the old investigators and I saw that one of them had a baptismal date but she didn't get baptized and so it was cool! She was gonna get baptized a year ago but then she lost contact with the missionaries because she moved and now she's back so we will see if she is willing to try it again! Please pray for her so that we can have someone that can progress her name is Mari! 

Also this week actually every week we get help from the patriarch and wow he so willing to talk to everyone about the gospel its so great! Every time we see him he says hey missionaries I have a reference for you guys! So that keeps me going. Most of the references say we don't have time but hey it's the thought that counts! 

My favorite part about this week was that the branch president and I were able to play basketball together, he is so great! He is such a loving man, he is always looking out for me and always gives me a big hug. So when we played basketball together we really had a bonding moment and I have definitely gained his trust but wow he can play! haha 

Don't worry about me I am fine! Everyday when I get on my knees it gets all better! My friends in the mission have been helping me, they are awesome! Thanks for everything guys love you all so much! Have a good week! 

love elder santacruz

We help a member with her bakery shop ever week!

Sabaneta Rocks!

Hello everyone! How was your week!? I hope it was good! I am sorry that I couldn't write that much last week. This town is tiny and it only has 3 internet places haha and only one was working!
Well this week turned out great I am not gonna lie it was pretty tough at first because my comp and I kinda got in an argument, my comp has an easy temper! Luckily we worked it out and after that day we worked out and now we have been great ever since. My comp said that he doesn't like Americans but he is starting to warm up to me more haha don't worry God will help me keep my patience. I do love him though, he is an interesting guy! He is the only member in his family and he had a crazy life before!

So I told you guys that we have a new president in the branch and wow he is a powerful guy I will take a picture with him this week. Wow he is so special, he works so hard!  He is the poorest man in the branch. He has three boys and a supportive wife! This week he was trying to help us so much he wanted to leave with us a lot and he was also at every meeting. He sure does make me happy because he is a hard working leader! It is just what this branch needs because a lot of the members say that almost half of the town are less actives! We are going to change that! My district was so happy because they have been here for a long time and they hadn't seen any progress in this area and now they are finally seeing it! Those were the best things that happened this week!

I am loving every single second here! Sabaneta rocks! I know it will grow a ton and I am so excited to see it happen!
love you all and I am so happy that I am a worker in the Lords vineyard!

Shout out to my sister!!! ASHLEY!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Love,
E. Santacruz

Member of the bishopric his name is Machuca

Elder Pinales

This is what hard work looks like

Living with a Mexican

Hello everyone I don't have any time because there is only three internet places in town and two of them are closed and I am sharing a computer with my comp but wow what a crazy week. First off with my comp... we started off on the wrong note. My comp has a bad reputation in the mission for being the most disobedient missionary there is. That's what other missionaries were saying now. My comp is a little rough around the edges and I was completely nervous because he doesn't really get along with his comps and his attitude is kinda like he is here just to be here but I know that this week I have tried to give him all my love! I have seen the difference, he trusts me a lot now. He told me something that he has never told any one else and I was really grateful to see that he has put his trust in me! President had put me in this area because he said that there has been some disobedient missionaries before me and I can see the members didn't really trust them but now I things are changing. We have received 4 references already in these past few days and right there I am seeing trust from the members. Its going great, there is so much work to do but that's what makes it so much better! My comp is awesome and I am seeing changes in him already, he talks to me about his future and he is worried about it so we will see what he will do to try to finish his mission strong! We have a great time together, we talk all the time now and his favorite word is PINCHI hahahah Yep he is a Mexican haha but love you all and I hope you have a good week! 

love, 

elder santacruz

Conference is like Christmas

​Hey you guys! I Got transferred to.... Campo!!!  They are sending me in the middle of no where! Its called Sabaneta! It's 2 hours from Santiago and its such a hot village!

I think this is gonna be my last area! Crazy! My companion is a Mexican! hahah and wow he is crazy but I love his personality already. He doesn't care what people think about him but I still have to get to know him more! My district is only of four missionaries and the hermanas seem pretty cool, they like working with the elders and I am in another branch! I heard the president is new and he loves to work with the elders! I hope he does because that just makes the work so much easier. They say they do activities every week and that makes it really fun.

I said my goodbyes in La Herradura and wow it was so sad My whole family is there and they have been around me for so long, they think I am part of the family! I will definitely visit that area again before I go home! I definitely feel that I have accomplished so much there especially my last two transfers there. The area is expecting four baptisms and a family will get baptized! Carlos, the investigator is now in Mosiah and he went to go see conference and he loved it!! 

His baptismal date is on the 25 of this month so he will be a powerful member and who knows he could be a missionary!

Now the best part of this week was definitely conference  I hope you guys enjoyed it because I sure did! I love the talk by Elder Holland and really I loved the story of the boys. When the boy had to jump and reach for the edge and his brother had helped him from falling over! Wow I almost cried! I hope you guys watched and enjoyed every second of it! It's so funny that conference is like Christmas for us we are all writing down everything we hear and are going crazy like... wow, did you hear that! haha its so spiritual but I hope you all have a great week! Love you all! Bye

E. Santacruz

Last day at the house I was staying at in La Herradura

Restaurant after Conference