Called to Serve

11/12/12

Kamusta pamilya!

I hope all of you guys are doing good today!! This past week has gone by pretty fast. The days seem like weeks but the weeks seem like days. I don’t think anything spectacular or funny happened this week. OH wait. Yeah so I had to go to the health center cause I had a sharp pain in chest when I'd breathe deeply or eat. They told me I had inflamed cartilage in betweeen two of my ribs. They said its basically like spraining your ankle but instead the sternum. Didn’t know that was possible. I don’t even know how Ii could have done that! They told me to take advil so thats what I’ve been doing. It’s gotten better though... it just hurst at times when I eat and I swallow my food or drink. Hopefully it gets better this week! And also we did get like 6 inches of snow. I hate Utah. It’s been freezing here. I need AZ or Cali weather. It was so cold especially when we walked to the temple at 630 in the morning today!! Its terrible. My ears and nose get frozen then my lips are like ice scupltures! They just hang in place-frozen!! The worst part is is no matter how sunny it is the snow still doesn’t melt. Makes me grateful!! Well, me and my comps are still getting along! I don’t think I’ve been annoyed with them once! It’s pretty nice! I’m so thankful that I have two good elders as my companions cause I look around up here at some of the kids and I’m just like you got to be kidding me! There are some weird ones. I’m just thankful I got good ones!! We took some pictures as a distrcit but the computers here won’t let the computer upload them but Elder Andersons does so I’ll try to put my memory card in his camera and upload them from there! They aren’t the best photos but that’s what happens when you get a 19 year old kid to use your camera. I should’ve know better and asked a sister! haha

So mom sent me some questions that she'd like me to answer so here they are!

1) Departure date?

I think I leave the 31st. I dont get my itenerary till the like last week I’m here but they gave me a slip with my mailbox and it said the 31st. But the address you have still works so I don’t know really! haha

2)My schedule?

Everyday it’s wake up at 630 get ready leave the room at like 7 go to the class and do daily planning and study till breakfast at 8. After that the schedule just varies. I always have class for either 3 or 6 hours a day depending on the day then also I have additional study language study and personal study. Everyday we teach an "investagator" of the church in Hiligaynon. It’s so hard not to laugh cause we have no idea what we are saying and have no idea what the "investagator" is saying so half the time it’s just awkward silence. Then I start laughing and my comps start laughing. It was bad at first but we are getting better at it! It’s just hard to teach casue we don’t know the language yet! haha

3) New elders?

We got like 5 new elders and 3 sisters in our zone this past week. Some are going to Ventura California and some like Lubbock Texas or something like that. This next week we are supposed to get 16 new elders and 4 sisters. I've heard that the mtc is supposed to be getting like 700 new elders this week! That’s so many! It’s going to be crowded!

4)top three gospel things I’ve learned?

1) No matter how much language you know The Lord has promissed to loosen our tongues at that very hour as we study the gospel and the language and are diligent in our work.

2) Studying is an act of faith. As we are faithful, diligent and sincere about studying the Lord will bless you with knowledge

3) People are waiting for a message of happiness and the message that missionaries teach is what brings us happiness in this life.

5) Gym time is awesome! I look foward to it! All I do is play basketball! The competition is pretty fun but everyone hates guarding me cause I just make threes all day then when they try to guard me at the three I just drive right past them! It’s super fun! It’s like church ball but with a lot better competition!

6)There is an MTC choir. I haven’t done it yet. They practice Sunday and Tue. Sunday its during dinner and I’m always starving. Then Tues is usually when we have class or are teaching! So it’s hard to get there. I may try out to do a solo at like the Sunday or Tuesday devotionals in front of everyone! We'll see though!

7)I think I’ve brought everything. I did recieve your letter about those one pills you found. I have two bottles so I have one here with me! I didn’t bring L-lysine though and that would be nice cause I’m bound to get canker sores pretty soon!

8)I am warm enough! It’s freezing though! I’m not outside much but when I am I’m fine! Sleeping like a baby as usuall! My companions always make fun of me cause I sleep under my blankets like I’m hibernating! It’s the only way to sleep though! So much more warm and cozy!!! They also say I sleep talk all the time! haha!

9) I haven’t learned much about the Philippines. Haven’t had time to ask questions and all the questions that are asked I usually knew the answer to prior!!

Well fam! I love you but I gotta go!! The mission is great! The church is true! I know it from my own studying of the scriptures and praying for an answer! I wish everyone had the knowledge and blessing of the Lord that I have at this time! I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else than serving the Lord for 2 years! The people of the Philippines need me. For what I’m not quite sure yet but I’m sure I will know when I meet the first one I teach!! Love you all! Hope all is well!!

palangga,(love in hiligaynon)

Elder Sargent