And She's Off!

Well, Sister Santos officially reported to the MTC this morning. I am Megan, her sister-in-law, and I will be in charge of keeping everyone updated on Pono's mission while she is away. Visit her blog to see her latest emails, pictures, and to find her current address. For those who may not follow her on facebook here was her final message (via her brother):

"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished,

 and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

I'm (Not me. Of course this isn't actually Pono. That would be against the rules.) off!!

Sister Pono Santos
MTC Mailbox #219
VAN-PV 1113
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

This is also in my info, and I'll (not me, see above) put my mission field address up later.

Write me (her)!! Thanks for all your love and support.
The Church is True!

Pono was beyond excited to leave today. She actually squeaked in the car as we got close to the MTC because she couldn't hold it in. I was so amazed at the fact that she honestly wasn't nervous at all. She will be an amazing missionary and we look forward to hearing all of her experiences. I will post an announcement on her facebook page whenever there is something new to read.

well, see ya!

Today, I needa pack like a crazy. But, I just thought I'd post one more time to say, "see ya later." because TONIGHT. I will be getting set apart as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (see also, L'eglise de Jésus-Christ des Saints des Derniers Jours!) And oh man. I'm excited. I dunno if there's an opposite of getting trunky... Like just being done with being home and needing to go on a mission, but if there is, I have that.

Yesterday, I gave my final farewell! (Of 3.) Which was great! And I got the opportunity to play a musical number with pup! We sang/played, "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul." And I've played it and performed it lots of times. But THIS was the performance I've been waiting for. It was beautiful, and the Spirit was there so strong! It was great. I love cello. And music. After, Uncle Kenny, Aunty Nettie, and Megan came over for lunch, which was waaay fun! We ate, talked, took pics, laughed. It was great.

Also! After much stress and freaking out. (Ok, minor stress and no freaking out...) I figured out what my mission scripture is gonna be!! 2Nephi 2:6-9. The whole thing is a bit long, so I'll bold the part that's going on my plaque. But oh I love this scripture!

"6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

9 Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved."

But I just love this scripture! This work is IMPORTANT!! It's amazing and exciting, but more than that, it is necessary! I'm so blessed to have this opportunity for the next 18 months, and I cannot WAIT to get going.

The Church is True!

Love, Soeur Pono Santos

my day in sanfran.

Today! I flew to San Francisco and back again. And I did some pretty cool stuff in between :]

The reason I was in SanFran today is cause I had to appear at the French Consulate to apply for my visa. So, I was there from this morning til late afternoon. And the fun thing was, applying for visas only took like 15, maybs 20 minutes. So, the rest of the time was free!

I got there and met up with Laurel and Katrina (who are both going to the same mish as me AND report the same day as me.) SO COOL! And then we caught a taxi to the consulate. We got there super early though, so we had some time to kill before. We spent it in a little shopping gallery (that reminded me of Covent Garden in London) and on the roof terrace which was GORGEOUS. Oh man I am in love with that place. The roof. It had flowers and plants all over and it was all landscaped and nice with benches and sunshine and yah. It was great.

We then went to the consulate and I got to speak a bit of french with the guy which was fun. Mostly though, he was just giving me directions in french cause he knew that I understood. SO FUN. I LOVE FRENCH. And I'm soooo excited to speak it ALL THE TIME.

After that, we started walking towards the pier. We walked through Chinatown and bought $3 memorabilia t-shirts and then got some delicious gelato in the Italian part of town. C'était delicieux! And, eventually, we made it down to the wharf and piers, which was fun! I gotta eat clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. OH SO GOOD. And we walked to the water and such. It was such a fun day!

And, it was great getting to know these girls that I will become so close to! They are soooo excited! Just like me! And it will be great working with them and getting to know them in the MTC.

Laurel (middle) and Katrina (right)

8 days. Word.

The Church is True!

my 4(ish) month wait.

On May 20th, 2012, I opened a large white envelope that would change my life forever. I know. I'm being dramatic. But it kinda already has, and I haven't even started yet.

I struggled through reading my mission name, immediately hopped on google maps to see where I was going, and then proceeded to have THE meltdown of the century. If you don't believe me, you can ask my witnesses that were there live. (J.J., Megs, Kalei, Elaine, Pup, Elise, or Ben.)

That was the middle of May. It is now September. September 2nd. And I have 10 MORE DAYS. And it's starting to feel real :]

I am oh so excited!! I just watched "Best Two Years," and on Tuesday, I fly to SanFran to apply for my visa at the French Consulate with two of my future mish buddies who are going to the same mission and enter the exact same day!

10 more days! I can hardly wait.
I may just be skipping into the MTC.

The Church is True!!

My current fave pic:

Sophie and I pointing to our missions!

the top 10 reasons I will miss p-town.

10. going to school
I know. It's weird. Especially since I've literally been going to school for the last 2 years. Straight. But I love school a lot! Especially this university! It's the best! And I will miss taking music classes and french. Luckily, I won't have to give up french on the mish :] But it's great here. The people, the learning and growing that take place, it's incredible. I'll miss the sporting events, the concerts, the socials, the service, the campus, the environnent, the classes, the professors, the studying, etc. Education is great. I love BYU! And I'll be happy to jump back into school and learning when I get back.

Go Cougs!

9. my job
Ok. My job is legit. I work in the Humanities Learning Resource Center (HLRC) in the JFSB. And it is honestly the best job I could have asked for. Especially for my schedule. Being a music major is crazy sometimes, in that you basically spend every moment outside of class and work practicing. So having this job which has a good amount of downtime where I can do homework and chill has been a major blessing. I'd like to teach french in the MTC or on campus when I get back, but we'll see. Cause I might be too crazy. I love it here! And I will miss my boss, Harold, and all my crazy awesome co-workers.

just watching general conference at work:

8. sunsets
The sunsets here are gorgeous! I think it's cause of all the smog. But I will miss watching the sun fall behind the mountains and the beautiful colors that paint the sky at twilight.

super cool sunset from a couple nights ago:

7. timp
Everyone that knows me knows that I have a strange obsession with this mountain. Every time I see it I yell "TIMP! I LUH IT!" Cause it's the best. I even prefer it to Rainier. It's a beautiful mountain. And I will miss seeing it all the time.

timp looks so ep right now! (that's for you Becs.)

6. the weather/my hair here.
Ok. soooo I actually have a disclaimer for this one. I hate snow. But, that wasn't a problem this last winter. So, I like the weather here. I love how dry it is and I love the heat during summer. I love the flash floods we get. Also, not to be vain or anything. hah. But my hair has never looked better. The dryness does miracles for my fro. And it's great. I also love when it rains but is sunny during the summer.

post sunny rain storm:

5. temples
I LOVE how many temples are in the area!! Ever since getting down here my freshman year, I have made it a goal to go to the temple every week. I've missed some weeks, but I've done pretty well! From walking to the provo temple with Jadeyn at the crack of dawn in the freezing cold every Saturday morning freshman year, to now, being endowed and able to drive, it has been such a blessing in my life. And there are sooo many temples all around me, that you can just walk into and do baptisms or sessions. I've also made it a tradition to go to the temple with my good friends every year on my birthday. I've done that the past 3 years. It's the best. I wish all temples had an open baptistry like the Utah ones. But yah. I will miss having 7 temples within an hour of me, especially since my mission won't have one. Temples are the best!

Laura, Becs, and I in front of the Provo temple on my 21st birthday!

My mother and I in front of the SLC temple after conference.

Heather, Elise, and I in front of the timp temple.

4. frisbee
I love how everyone plays ultimate here. It's the best! I love this sport and I will miss seeing sporadic games of frisbee all across p-town. It's the best! I will also miss playing a lot. There were weeks where I would play 5 games of frisbee. I will miss playing frisbee every Saturday with my sibs.

freshman year frisbee gang:

3. HFAC!
Ok. I know that this is a weird thing to miss. It's just that this place has literally been my home for the last few years. I have spent more time here than at home or any other place on campus. And I love it. I think I have now discovered all the mysteries of it too (except for the first floor). But it's the best! I will miss opening the building at 6am and closing it at 11pm. I will miss singing in the madsen, practicing in E-400, singing in the stairwells, playing in the dejong, chilling on the slab, getting ready for concerts in the F wing bathroom on the 5th floor, napping on the benches of the 5th floor, etc. Oh. And I will also miss the people that spend every waking moment in the hfac with me. My music major friends! I will miss phil and women's chorus more than I can say! The hfac is my turf! And I will miss it these next couple years. But I'll be back.

The beautiful building itself:

women's chorus:

phil-Heldenleben:

late night practice sesh on the dejong:

2. friends
My friends are the best! I've made sooo many good friends, from the ones that I've met in my wards to my french and music major buddies. I love all of them so much, and will miss them like no other! It's been a blast. I thank you for keeping me sane and making me laugh when I just wanted to pull my hair out from stress. And for crying with me when I just needed to cry. Thanks for believing in me and cheering me on! To those who will be gone when I return, it's been a pleasure knowing you and I only hope that our paths cross somewhere in the future. And to those that will still be here, I'll see you in a couple years! Ok. now come the pics. sorry. There's a lot. I just have soooo many friends! hah. jk.

my theory gang post choir concert:

Ben and I performing in the MoA:

My girl Cassie. French buddies for life:

Becs and Elise! post choir concert:

My grand canyon crew:

special olympics with Laura!

institute musical number with Ben and Elise!

wc concert with H and Risa:

b-ball game with Laura and J-Dawg:

Sharlee, Erin, Jeff, Dallin, and I!

the 4!

post recital!

I love all you guys! Thanks for your love and support over the years. See ya soon.

1. family
Ok. Having my family close to me these last few years has been the best. J.J. and Megs and Bels, Kalei and Elaine, and pup! My bff!! I have loved the family dinners, birthday celebrations, performing, frisbeeing, etc. It has been fantastic. And thanks for all your love and support and coming to concerts and all that jazz! I love you all!

Sounders game on the 4th!

my cute Bels.

Celebration of Christmas!

Me and pup after phil:

performing with Kalei and pup!

after opening my call:

smooz and megs at my concert!

Pup, Bels, and I!

Well. I'm signing out! Last post from p-town! Come tomorrow night, I will be back in my bed at home.

I love you all! See you in a couple years :]

The Church is True!!

bye best friend.

here she is! lil miss sunshine herself.

So yesterday, Wednesday August 1st, I had the opportunity to take Sister Elise Raycel Osorio to the MTC with her family.
It was great!!

i will miss this crazy.

I will miss her a ton, but I am just so excited for her! And so excited to leave. I held it together pretty well too. Only a few tears after she left. Which is a triumph for me; since I have the gift of weeping and all... But the thing is, I didn't feel like crying. I felt an immense peace the entire time. And I knew that this is what we're supposed to be doing right now. Even though it's hard, and even though we won't be together for a couple years. You see, Elise and I have been talking about missions since we met summer of freshman year. It's always been the plan, for both of us. So I am just so thrilled that they're finally happening!! Elise, now; and me in about a month. It's great.

I am so proud of her! And I can't wait to be in the mtc and then in New Caledonia and Vanuatu. It's gonna be awesomeeee.

And walking towards the mtc:

Bye best friend! See ya in a couple years.

Oh. And. if you're interested in reading all of Elise's fabulous mission adventures, HERE'S HER BLOG!

The Church is True!

on sleeping in.

So this morning I slept in until 12:50pm. It was horrible.

For those of you that don't know me, I HATE sleeping in. Especially that late, but just in general. It's horrible.

I am a wake up before the sun everyday type of person. Or wake up with the sun during summer.

So when I wake up and look at my clock and it says 12:50pm, I just about have a heart attack. Like, (Elise can vouch for this. Cause she's seen me like this a couple times,) I almost start crying when I wake up that late. It's horrible.

I always have this unshakable feeling of guilt that I just can't get rid of, and it's awful. haha. Like today, I asked Elise, "is sleeping in a sin? Cause I feel awful."

So yah. That is my take on sleeping in. Not worth it. Even if you go to a midnight premiere and don't go to bed til 5. Just wake up at 9. You'll feel sooo much better than waking up at 1. I'm so glad I will not be waking up at noon at all for the next 18 months. Yet another reason I'm stoked to go on a mish. haha.

But yah. The good news from all of this is that Dark Knight Rises was SWEET last night. It was good. Sad. But good. I recommend it. At least once.

My batman tat:

Well. Life is great. 8 days til my recital!

The Church is True!

when Thursday nights feel like Friday nights...

I'm exhausted. But happy.

You see, I fell into the summer "every night's a Friday night" trap. This has been a recurring problem this term, since I don't have school, but it's especially been an issue with Thursdays. I think it's cause it's sooo close to Friday, I just let myself believe that I can stay up til 2 and not pay the consequences. And then Friday morning rolls around...

But! It's great! I love it so much, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Last night, we played Rook for two ish hours and then, thought it'd be a good idea to go to Wendys. haha. THE BEST. It was great though. I'm gonna miss times like these.

And the effects of a VERY late evening:

haha. And. This is the first time I've gone to my 7:45 hour this summer.
Making progress!

Happy Friday!

The Church is True!

pinterest.

I just spent like an hour straight on pinterest.
embarassing.

But it's a great site.
I like it a lot.
You just gotta make sure you don't get sucked in.

My fave board that I've been adding to lately is called
All Things French.

And you can find it here.

Well. Happy Thursday!

16 days til my recital!

The Church is True!

pocket love.

So this week I got a package from mi madre and she mailed me dress that she made.

It's sooo cute! I luh it! It has POCKETS! Which I love.

If one day I am half as domestic as my mother, I think I'll be able to raise a family just fine. hah.

I wore it for the first time yesterday!

Pictures.

closeup:

And the whole thing.

I love life!

The Church is True!

drowned rat status.

So it FINALLY rained today.

Yes. This was the face I was making on my walk home this afternoon.
which caused one man to say to me, "Great weather, huh?" as we crossed paths south of campus.
The problem is, I can't tell if people are serious or not.
Cause I feel like they could just be mocking me and my smiling face. But who knows, maybs they're being sincere.

I just really love the rain. It feels like home. And it makes me happy.

I know I've said this before, but.

Overcast is my favorite color!

This was the damage when I had gotten home.

SO GREAT!

I love rain.

The Church is True!

I want to go hot air ballooning.

But seriously. Look how ep!

This was taken by my friend this morning when they were launching them.

AMAZING!

And my dream proposal?

Someone popping the question in one of these babies.

I would die.

Well. I love life!!

The Church is True!

West Indies.

PUP GOT HIS MISH CALL and he opened it LAST NIGHT!!

He's been called to serve in the WEST INDIES MISSION!! FRENCH SPEAKING!

THE BEST!

I'm SOOOO STOKED for pup my bff.

Oh. And he reports November 14th. So we'll juuuust miss each other in the MTC.
but it's cool Cause he goes in the SAME day as Hansen, so that'll be fun :]

I luh pup! I'm sooo proud of him! And can't wait for both of us to be on missions!

The Church is True!

sometimes I wonder why I didn't choose french horn...

It's just so ep!

I'm listening to Mahler 5 right now and it's INCREDIBLE. Kinda sad I missed it with phil. But it's ok.

Also. Mahler's a stud. I realize I'm only half way through his symphonies, but seriously. He must have been on some musical steroid when composing these cause they are all unbelievable. I legit get goosebumps at the end of EVERY ONE of his symphonies. Sometimes in the middle of the piece. Like, youtube his adagietto from the 5th symphony. It is hauntingly beautiful.

Oh. And the reason for the blog post title is because Mahler is like the king of brass. The parts they have are incredible.

And also I'm watching the Chicago Symphony and look who I've spotted several times.

I LOVE HIM.

Well. I love life. The Church is True!

p.s. Pup FINALLY has his mish call! He's opening it in a couple hours. More on that soon.