Not Particularly Famous Last Words - May 30 2016

Everyone.

It's been a while since I've updated you on how everything is doing. I've been doing awesome! Me and my companion have been working our tails off. We've been setting high goals and accomplishing them step by step.

Unfortunately, this might very well be my very last message to all of you before they take the black tag off my chest. Let me share with you my experience. 

A little less than two years ago, I dreamed that one day people would look me in the eyes and see Christ. I wanted to shine that light that my leaders shone and be as Christlike as them. I wanted to be an example of confidence and spirituality. I wanted to be this ideal, awesome and amazing elder Santos, an example to those around me. At the end of my two years, I can tell you that I didn't completely become the way I wanted to become... but I became what I needed to become. And I'm really happy with what I have. One of the things that we might forget as we serve the Lord is to forget ourselves. The arrows point inward really easily, but as soon as they point outward... that's when you shine the light. That's when you become a tool in the Lord's hands; a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I'm not claiming that I'm a selfless person... but I think about myself less often now. The Atonement helps us change he direction of the arrows. It has helped me.

There are millions of things that I could share with you right now, but let me just end with a scripture (that I've already shared before):

"And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles."

—Mormon 9:19

God exists. Miracles are real. I can promise you that the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ brought forth a miraculous power that changes one's heart and changes one's countenance. It can reach to our very core and work a mighty change in us. I'm grateful for the undying love of Christ. I'm grateful for the two years that I have been able to spend here in Japan. I will never forget the things that I've experienced here.

See you all on the other side (in other words: Facebook). Love ya times infinity!

～聖徒長老、ELDER SANTOS

PICTURES ONLY, SO SORRY! LUVLUV ～聖徒長老、ELDER SANTOS

Sakura Matata - april 4th

Hello everybody!

We went to see the sakura trees in Sannomiya today. There was only
one. But it was pretty!

It's been a good week. My bike recently broke, so I inherited a
"mamachari" (like a mama's bike) from one of the sisters that left a
little while back. It's super heavy and has the loudest brakes in the
entire universe, but oh well, I'll just have to endure these last 7
weeks I suppose.

Here's a really cool quote I found recently:

“Conversion means consecrating your life to caring for and serving
others who need your help and sharing your gifts and blessings. …

“Every unselfish act of kindness and service increases your
spirituality. God would use you to bless others. Your continued
spiritual growth and eternal progress are very much wrapped up in your
relationships--in how you treat others. Do you indeed love others and
become a blessing in their lives? Isn’t the measure of the level of
your conversion how you treat others? The person who does only those
things in the Church that concern himself alone will never reach the
goal of perfection. Service to others is what the gospel and exalted
life are all about.”

— Elder Robert J. Whetten, "Strengthen Thy Brethren" (April 2005
General Conference)

Love is something we should seek not to get, but to give. I love all of you!

〜聖徒長老、ELDER SANTOS