Hey everyone! So this week has been great! I got a couple emails telling me to work on better details and answering questions so that’s something that I'll try on doing.  Some weeks it’s easier than others but I’ll try my best! I’m happy to report that I had a good week. I just put hard work into action and was happy with my efforts and saw some progression as me as a missionary.  

 

So to answer a couple things right off that bat...

 

There are like no street names in the Philippines. There are, but no one knows them. They just use buildings or businesses as landmarks then work their way around. The street we are on is called Gregoria though.  I’m not sure how big it is but there is a buliding that are a part is connected to thats called Markella then on the other side there is a big house. So maybe you can find something. I’ll try to find a address this week! 

 

4th of july! Sounds like you all had a great celebration. Not going to lie, I missed it a little. It may be my favorite holiday besides Christmas! It’s just a great day of food games and AMERICA! haha. Here in the Philippines it was just another day of work and walking.  We did make spaghetti though cause the apartment next to us has the other set of missionaries in this ward and there is an American, Elder Meek, from Woodruff Utah!  Sounds like a terrible town. 180 people only he said! haha.  But he’s a cool guy! Played sports and what not in high school! 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL THIS WEEK! MARK, SHAUNA, TYCE, AND JETT. July is just full of birthdays in this family! Hope the celebration goes well!! 

 

WHEN do you guys go to LJ!!! Take a nice wave for me! 

 

SO for this week! 

 

Pretty busy actually! Lots of teaching with members present which is good but at times members just say they want to go and I didn’t know they were coming with us so we have like 4-5 members with us. Way too many. Kinda makes me a little frustrated when Elder lets them all come without me knowing. Im good with 2 max. That’s all you need unless it just gets to relaxed in lesson or just too much of a distraction. Definitely something I won’t let happen anymore.  But besides that the work here is going.  THis week we were able to finally contact a potential investigator and it went really good...

 

Jefferson Benson - we were sitting in the house just kinda chatting with him and what not then Elder Dalumpines just whispers to me. Ikaw magtudlo sa iya. (you teach him). i didnt really know what he meant this time cause there’s been time where he’s said that to me and I’ve taught the whole lesson so I started and taught and just went the way I was feeling and just  focesed all on baptism and Gods plan for him. Finally Elder Dalumpines jumps in and talks about the gospel and we just had a good lesson. i was glad i was prepared and listened to the Spirit and led the lesson the way i thought it needed to go and turns our we have a BAPTISMAL DATE WITH HIM!!! It was great cause he said that he desires salvation and said that he would like a chance to have that gift so we just laid it out on the table and i think he really liked our message! it was great! im hoping to really progress with him and make something good! alot of prayer and study will go into this one! 

 

As for our other investigators they havent been at there house or still trying to figure them out. like they come to church but they have no desire to stop smoking or if they want to be baptized that dont have a desire to come to church.  

 

As for Richard we havent been able to find him again. we are going to search for him more this week. Elder Dalumpines said he saw him in town and he just kinda hid his face so maybe hes a little shy of us now or i dont know but hopefully something happens.

 

JR Amato- told us that first visit that he doesnt work and hes always home but whenever we stop by he is never home and his family says hes at work till the next day. so we arent really sure were he is at or if his family is making up accusess. just need to catch him at home again and be able to teach him.  

 

As for me and the work here i feel like im progressing. i feel like as i work hard the Spirit is leading me more and more. sometimes i feel like Elder would rather socialize with the members then work if its like 730. sometimes if we have no more teaching im fine with stopping by a members house and having them feed us but at the same time if we still have places to go id rather go there  and sometimes i feel like he gets a little annoyed or thinks im a kill joy but hey thats not my problem. Im just doing what i need to do. hopefully i can continue to work hard. thats my plan. im just tightning the belt and doing things how i want to do them cause when i do that i feel like im finding my purpose more and more and having more blessings and guidance of the Spirit come to me and the work!!!  

 

Im so glad to be here on the mission. this week has been great. still lots to work on. still lots to improve. still lots to teach but as i continue to push through it and give it my all the weeks move faster and the days get better! I love this gospel and the blessing it brings to me. I was reading in the Bible for personal study yesterday and this morning about when Christ got baptized in the different accounts but i loved how in everyone it mentioned that after he was baptized the voice of God was heard saying this is my beloved Son in whom i am well pleased. i was thinking how much that applies to us.  God is well pleased in each and every single one of us when we do the right things. perfect or not we are all His beloved sons and daughters and He wants the best for us. that's why He’s asked us to follow his Son. the example for all. that's why Christ came here. "not for the righteous but for the sinners" (luke 5:32)  def a good feeling i had reading this and hopefully its clear to all of you! THIS CHURCH IS THE TRUE CHURCH. THIS IS THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. THIS IS THE WAY.  

 

I love you all and miss you but i love this work. who knows about next week but all i can do is continue to do this work. the Lords Work!! How great a calling and privilege!

 

Love,

Elder Sargent!   

 

P.S.- again sorry about my spelling! im just losing it!  

 

 

 

 

 

me and a couple of the ysa in the ward. 2 out of three of them have there mission calls. the girl leaves july 18th to somewhere in the philppines and the guy in the blue shirt was supposed to leave to the provo mtc on the second cause he got assigned to Australia but he doesnt have his visa yet to australia so hes just waiting on that but the church told him hopefully he can leave on the 13 of august  

 

 

 

this is me and sis mayang. a recent convert in our ward as of last September! 

Hey everyone! So I've gotten like 3 mentions that today is my 8 months mark on the mission meaning that im 1/3 done. my time does move. I didn't really even notice this 8 month mark had hit me yet.  I realized it but it was never going through my head like holy cow. I'm at my 8 month mark. Good and scary. Nothing bad.  Good that time is moving and moving fast but at the same time its like ahh shoot. I've let time just pass. Still feel a little lost at times or like I'm at my 3 months mark again just cause of my progression I think can be better but I don't know how to progress. At times I feel like it's just time that I'm waiting on but at the same time when will that time come? But before I know it July will be over and who knows what this month will bring me.  

 

But as for this past week it was okay...

 

I'm still trying to figure out this area. It's different. Our area actually isn't like in the city. We have like 4 areas that we go to that all are like out in the bukkid about a 10-15 min tricycle ride away. So the teaching are still a little hard to have a lot a lot but we are definitely teaching more than Minapasok.  We have a baptism next sat the 13th which I'm looking forward to.  She's a 12 year old part member but she doesn't really have any support from her family cause the people she lives with I don't think are members. 

 

I can't figure out the area yet with our members and our investigators.  I've been trying to figure out who they all area and I'm getting a hold of the Less Actives but the investigators I don't know who they are yet. Whenever we plan to teach a investigator I ask Elder Dalumpines who they are and he just is like oh this is a house that has some investigators that we can teach.  It's almost like they aren't set in stone it's like if they are there they are there and we can teach them but they aren't progressing.  I'm trying to find some new ones that we can just start over and kinda reshape this area and the progression cause I truly believe that if we can get the ward to help this ward is going to be even stronger than it is. and it's a good ward! I like the membership support.  We always have referalls from the members but they never know the address or anything so we can't really contact them.  So maybe just a little bit more clarification on some things can help a lot here.

 

We did find a few new investigators that I'll update you with next week.  One is

 

Richard- about 14 years old. One day we were just taking a rest on a rock and this kid just sat down and started talking to us like we were best friends.  We decided to open our mouths and share a message with him so hopefully this week we can teach him again.

 

JayR Amato- about 22 years old. He was actually blessed in the LDS church cause his parents are members but split when he was still young. He's been interested in learning more about Mormon's and what not but he only believes in the Bible and likes when we have Bible references to our teaching to back up our points cause he wants to change but he wants to make sure that its like a legit plan for him and he feels like the Bible is the book to give him the answers.  So maybe this week we'll teach him more about the BOM and hopefully we have some progression. 

 

Well family.

 

I hope this answers most of your questions with the new area.  Kinda scattered brain but just a lot on my brain to figure everything out.  Lately I've been so tired and I have no idea why. I want to work harder but my body just drags and it's hard to focus at times and even harder to push through it. Pray for me that I'll have strength this week! Know that I love you all.  This work is true and it's hard but I'm chippin away at it trying to find my groove.  It will come. Like I said it's just time at this point and I'm just waiting.  I pray for you often and hope that all is well!

 

 

Love you all!!

 

Elder Sargent!

 

Well I have been transferred and made a Senior Companion. My New Companion is Elder Dalumpines from the Manila Area.  He just finished his 12 weeks training but since he's filipino he doesn't have a follow up so i was just made his senior. My New Area is called Kabankalan. its about 4 hours south of Bacolod.  Its a city so its pretty nice.  All the rooms in the Church have air conditioning which is nice! haha

So here is my week!

So monday and tuesday. so monday and tuesday i was in sagay with Elder Manu. that was a really good experience and that area definitely has some prepared investigators ready to be baptized. good opportunity to me to actually see some progressing areas after being in Minapasok for 6 months.  Tue after district meeting i got the call notifying me that i would be transferred so we had to go all the way back out to minapasok and pack up everything and clean up the house a little.  I thought there would be no more missionaries there but turns out that the the elders that got assigned there were already in the sagay zone and are now the Zone Leaders. So hopefully they can do something there.

Wed- bright and early we headed out to Bacolod to meet up with our new companions.  At the Chapel we meet at i saw a couple elders from my batch and Elder Leng. haha. that was pretty fun. Turns out the Elder Cannon is my District Leader! haha. we are both excited for that! should be a fun experience.

Thursday- thursday was a full day of work.  I was excited cause pure illongo but turns out its like my first week in the Philippines all over again. im not understanding anything. the vocabulary is way different here plus the speak way fast. im picking up maybe like 5%.  its bad. i don't know what else i can do with the language learning. every area in this mission has a different set of vocab and accent i swear. Just when i think i see a light the power goes out. its very difficult to grasp and figure out what else i can do. i know that i still have a long time but you think that 8 months out id understand more then 5 percent in the language i learned. But the work goes on.

Friday- i didn't wake up feeling too good. i thought i could just work it out but turns out that afternoon i ended up returning home and have had a flu the past days. ive spent my hours just resting and loading up on medicine and water.  Today i'm doing fine. my body is just in a little shock maybe cause its just stiff and i still have a runny nose but i think i'm on the mend. (i'd much rather take the flu for 4 days then a kidney stone for 8 hrs!)  

The new area should be good. have some good strong members that are willing to help and actually have teachers in all the classes! My new comp... he's good. he doesn't speak any english.  He's like 5'2 so i got a whole foot on him! haha.  he's kinda quiet around the house but he has good relationships with the members which is good. it should be a good companionship. i just need a little more time to figure out the area and then start finding teaching and baptizing.  (just wish i new the language)

Well family hope you all have a great week this week.  I'm looking forward to this week. We have Zone Conference tomorrow which should be good. i'm looking forward to that. hopefully my sickness doesn't stop my mind from working and i can get everything out of what president tells us.  Should be a good week of learning the language again and teaching and finding and strengthening this area. I've been called to lead this area for a reason so i will do all i can to do that! hopefully i can fulfill my purpose!

Know that i love you all! time moves quick. take advantage of it! do your part and the lord will do his!

Loves,

Elder Sargent

 

Me and my new comp Elder Dalumpines.

 

 

hey family how are you doing??? First Off HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL!!!  this week has been pretty good i guess. not much progress but not much digression either ill explain later.  But yes this week is transfers.  I was thinking this week that this week is transfers which means just 2 more transfers after this and ill be at my my 1 year mark.  crazy to think that way. that in about 18 weeks ill be one year down. its seems long 18 weeks but at the same time transfers just go by really fast. it seems like just 2 weeks ago i figured i would be staying again in minapasok with elder delos santos and no he's already packed and ready to go home. I have no idea what transfers will be except that i will have a new companion. i don't know where ill be or who it will be but i've set some new goals for me. I guess that i don't care who my companion is or what he's like but 'im going to live my mission the way i want it to be. after my training i think i was still a little shy with the members and with the people and just kinda let Elder Delos Santos come in and take Charge but now its going to be me. that's my goal. i realized that 'im definitely a better leader than a follower so tha'ts one thing i'm going to strengthen is my leadership no matter the circumstance.  

So as for this week kinda like a last farewell week for Elder Delos Santos. we spent alot of time at members house and while we still taught i wish we coul'dve taught a little more.  but at the same time a lot of our lessons fell through AGAIN!! 

Sis Maurine - For Sister Maurine she told us that tue was her only night that she could do it so we had a plan to go there tue but when tue night came around we had waay lalaki (no male) so without a male we cant enter in there house. we had plan to watch the restoration movie with her cause we talked about the restoration last time and she seemed to like it so we though that clearing it up with a video would be nice and she just just watch and lesson and take in the spirit. so HOPEFULLY WE HAVE A LALAKI THIS WEEK!!! 

Angelo - Angelo had had a fever for like 1 week so we were'nt able to teach him so we finally texted him again and he didnt respond so we just decided alright we'll just stop by cause maybe he just doesn't have load(money to text)  so we stopped by but he was kinda angry that we stopped by without texting him but we did so he said next time again. 

I don't know about him anymore.  he just come up with excuses now. hopefully i can work with him to find his problem before its to late.

Alota Family - Alota Family i think is a no go know since they moved. They still may visit the old house cause they have a farm area there so it may just be stop by and see if there and if not then continue on with the work.  

So that is pretty my week in a nutshell. for the first half of the week i will be working in Sagay with Elder Manu. he's been here for 6 weeks now in the field. he's the one i  went on splits with in Minapasok.  His trainer and E. Delos Santos are the same batch so they return to there homes this week. then the second half of the week i don't know who or will ill be and i really have no idea what will happen so i'm up for anything i guess! 

I Hope you are all doing good and having a good time. I want you to know that i feel your support here in the mission. Everyone in my zone says that im the the Dear Elder Owner cause i get so many letters!! haha.  I love you all so much and i hope you the Best.

This week should be good. i'm going to hit it hard! that's what i signed up for so that's the plan.

The Church is true! 

Love you all! 

Elder Sargent

 

us eating carabou. i dont know if we have those in America.

killing a chicken!!

dinner sunday night for the farewell of E. Delos Santos at the Stake President house!

 

THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT I DO MY WASH!!! 

 

Hello all again! Weeks just get faster and faster and faster! Like this week June is already half way done! Its crazy how time passes. Everyone says that the first 6 months are the slowest then the next 6 are faster then the last year is just a slide.  I compare it to a water slide. The first 6 months of this mission are like waiting in the line for a water slide. Just slow. Excited but just want to switch lines already cause you don't like wasting the time when there are other slides to ride but then you get to the top finally (latter 6th months part of the year) and are about 3 people behind from sliding. Still nervous cause you don't now what to expect but you can see that this slide has made everyone else down at the bottom want to ride it again but you still have doubts. Then I think you get to the 1 year mark and that's when the line conductor says "alright you can go"  you still are just scared nervous excited and just take that final breath and kinda scoot to the edge of the slide until you drop! that's what I feel like the mission is! So I’m close to the final drop! 

 

Does that seem like a fair comparison??

 

But anyway this week has been pretty good. 

 

Angelo- .... yeah.... hes been giving us excuses every night that he's busy. I’ve been praying for him that he'll have at least one night open were we can finish teaching him the RESTORATION!! The most important part! So hopefully this week na lang!

 

ALOTA FAMILY-  They didn't come to church. We stopped by Thursday the usual time they tell us to come by and only the daughter in law was there. She told us to come back on Sunday same time when everyone should be back or home. So Sunday we went there and only the son and his wife were there. They are actually moving this week like 4 hour walk into the Bukkid so probably wont see them again :(  but we taught them about the plan of salvation and they enjoyed our message. Hopefully sometime they can accept our message. I feel like we planted a seed and now down the road they'll be ready to accept! 

 

Sis Maurine- Sis Maurine is actually from a very small indian country. Starts with an A. I cant pronounce it. She has lived in Bug-ang for 19 years now cause she moved here for work with her sister, met here husband in Manilla and now lives in Bug-ang.  She is fluent in like 7 languages. Cebuano, illongo, english, indian, portugues, and I think one other.  Her English isn't that great but she understands.  I actually tried teaching her in English but my mind would just flip over in illongo. Kinda weird.  She said she wants to get baptized but her family is against mormons.  She said the most Humble Prayer at the end of the lesson.  just thanking the lord for sending us to help her get closer to Him.  I definitely feel like this is an "elect"!  We have a meeting with her tuesday so hopefully everything goes good!!

 

So its kinda back to Square one with finding but its alright cause its fun to find new people and hope that the except us!  This is Elder Delos Santos last week then transfers next week so hopefully he just works hard with me and doesn't become to trunkie! haha but I got faith in him!!

 

Well family that is my update for this week!

 

I sent some good pictures and am taking more! so be happy and cherish my face! haha!

 

Know that i love you and miss you all! not much else to say besides that!

 

The Church is TRUE people. The Book of Mormon is true. remember the words of Jeffery R. Hollands Grandfather:

 

  "No evil man could write such and book and no good man would write such a book, unless he were called of God."

 

I know that is true!

 

Love you all!

 

Elder Sargent! 

 

 

 

after we stopped by a little resturant that has a real american taste. the  pizza and hamburger were great then to top it off i had a chocolate banana shake!! PERPECTO!!! 

 zone pictures

Hello all! 

How are you all doing today this week this new month?? can you believe its already june. I remember thinking in January and February while struggling.... "ahh just get to june or july and you'll be fine.  I think im still not totally fine in all the areas i thought i would but i am definitely in a better place then i was then and im only doing better from now on hopefully! its so crazy how time goes fast doesnt it. like im 7 months out on my mission now. thats a long time. like i was thinking you guys probably tell people how long ive been out like a couple months ago like for example "oh yeah hes been out for three months." that just sounds like baby stage but when you say 7 months its like im experianced now. i dont nkow to me it just seems like ive graduated from baby missionary to like something more. 7 months. dasig gid( very fast).  

So this week has been pretty great! all though we are struggling wtih our investagators we have been tlaking to people like crazy just trying to find the "Elect" here in this area. We have some new investagators that we are excited about that excepted our first message last week pretty well and we are going to return to them this week so if anything good happens ill let you know about it next week! 

So for aour investagatros this past week... 

Little bit of a bummer but lots to work with them this next week.

So for...

Angelo: Angelo has been working all day this week. Hes been preparing the school grounds at the elemntry school casue school starts today. everyday we texted him asking if he was availible and he always told us i wont get back till like 10 at night! so we actually didnt have the chance to teach him this week but hopefully since school started we can find time were he is available.  

Alota Family:  So we had a great lesson with them this week.  we taught them about the WOrd of Wisdom. The father and the son are the only ones that smoke and drink and they admitted they just do it as a hobbie more then anything. so they realized the importance of it and commited to start living it. daily by slowly but surley stopping.  so then we told them that this isnt a commandment of Jospeh SMith but of God and to know that Jospeh Smith is a true Prophet they need to come to church. the really wanted to and were asking what time it would start and what they should wear. we thought they were going to show up but they didnt! ahhh. 

Now that we have good investagators we just need to find ways for them to progress to the best level that they can! 

As for the rest of this week. ive just been working on my understanding of grammer and hopefully that can help me understand better! ive also had two splits this past week. both missionaries were only 3 weeks in the field. one from manilla so pure tagolog and the other form New Zealand. pure english! so it was pretty differnet but fun at the same time. ive learned that if i need to train now i can do it. i can carry a lesson and find people to teach so that was pretty good.

Besides that thats about it here in Minapasok! Looking forward to this week and all that it has for us to do.  I know the church is true and that this work is only going to get better and bigger these next few days weeks months years! im excited and looking forward to it! Im just working hard and letting the lord do the rest! 

KNow that i love you all and miss you all! 

Sorry about my speeling and english. it has never been the best but its hard to type cause in my mind i think half illogo then half english so sometimes i have to sit and think of the word in english or prhase in english.! haha hopefuylly i forget english when i get home! thatd be pretty fun! 

But anyways love you and miss you all! and with that im off! 

Love,

Elder Sargent

 

Hey all! 

I'm so glad that everything is going good for everyone! For this week has been pretty good! pretty fast and I'm looking forward to this one! 

So just a low down on everything! 

So our teaching! we are improving our numbers and finding more investigators. We realized earlier this week some things we needed to work out in our companionship to make it better and have the spirit with us more and more everyday.  We realized that both of us were just waiting for the other person to act or take lead.  For Elder Delos Santos he just wanted to sit back and have me lead so i can learn then for me i just thought he was trunkie and just kinda lost his motive(which there is still a little) haha but we sat down and talked and finally had some communication on what to do to make this the best 4 weeks of his mission. I straight up told him that I'm fine  with leading but at the same time I can't be babysitting. I cant be the only one planning or deciding were to go or who to teach or just what to do! cause that's what i was doing and I wasnt getting any help.  He would always just ask me where are we going. or you plan. or just little things.  But on wed we finally talked it out and have doing   alot better with share of responsibility of 2 people in a companionship. I'm still leading but there is more help on planning or just deciding important things.  

For me I learned a lot. I really learned that if there is no communication in a companionship this work can't be done.  its true. the spirit leaves and wont help one no matter how hard he tries. I felt like after I had support of him the spirit came back into our teaching and we were able to increase our numbers and just have a better week.  Of course we aren't perfect teachers or companionship but everyday we have been trying to progress. i still see some areas that could work out a little more and can work on that this week! 

For investigators this week! 

So first

Alota Family:

So the Alota family. I'm not sure if I've mentioned them but they are all investigators.  There are 4 of them. Nanay and Tatay(Mom and dad) then there son and his wife. Nay and Tay are probably in there 60's and his son Joven and his wife Likem are probably 30ish and have one daughter maybe 3 years old.  so we meet them a couple weeks ago and teach them about once a week. last week we set a baptismal date with them but they didn't so up to church. This week we are going to focus on helping them progress and getting to them to church! 

Angelo Dela Cruz! so far he is our only progressing investigator. This week we plan on getting him a baptismal date. We had a plan last time but we brought our branch president and he just messed up the lesson. He didn't stop talking! haha. so this week na lang! 

pero im not sure about him! I faith with him but whenever we teach him he seems like he's not interested yet he still comes to church and does our commitments! 

So my fun story of the week! We went up to this one barangy with our branch president cause we had a potential investigator who we were going to stop by but she wasn't there so we just thought sige ah. (okay) we'll just teach to the neighbors around.  So probably 90% of this area is Seventh Day and the just like to debate about the Sabbath day. Our first house went really good. she was 7th Day but she was very interested in mormons and our culture and how I knew the language and she just thought it was really cool that we would spend time devoting to the Lord! then the next house! Here is my story! 

So go up to the door yell "Balay" which is their way of knocking here then the open the door invite us in and the debate is off! this lady just is asking questions and opening her bible then I'm just sitting there not understanding really I just know the topic then I was like well I don't want to sit here. How can I prove this lady.  So I think think think. then say....

"sister. may ara ko isa ka pamongkot lang sa imo" (sister i have one question for you)  "sino natuga sang modern day calendar"( who created the modern day calender") her response tawo gani(people) then i just was like exactly that sister. so I mean that Jesus Christ didn't make this calendar. Whose to say there were calendars back in that day that.  In the bible it just says 7th day. So it's not important that the sabbath day is on sat or sunday but that its the first day because after the ressurection of Christ that's when the Aapostles took the sacrament. It really doesn't matter the day we have a Sabbath but as long as you have one a week and rest from you labors as the commandment commands.  She didn't know what to say but was just like that's not the commandment the commandment is Sunday.

So she just wanted to debate.haha.

But thats my week in a nutshell! 

Hope all is well this week for all of you! Language is still a struggle but I try not to look at that anymore and just pray that God will bless me! Don't worry I will learn this language. and if I don't.. I don't know! haha but that's not the important thing. The important thing is that I serve with all my heart might mind and strength. the Lord didn't  send me to master a language but to master the spirit. to serve diligently and obediently and in return I can receive blessing for me and more importantly be a blessing for someone else! I see my time moving faster and faster which kinda scares me but at the same time its good I just have to work harder to keep up with it! 

The Church is True. Its truly a blessing we have a living Prophet.  Think about it! That's all I have to say this week! 

I love you all and miss you all! 

Elder Sargent! 

P.S.- sorry about the spelling! 

Here is a Picture riding on top of a Tubo Truck! or the big truck the use for loading sugar canes! seriously these trucks are large! I'll take a picture this week of a full one! But this is our Branch President Pilicano. this is after going to a little barangy(town) and debating with many 7th day about the Sabbath day! the story ill include in my big letter! haha

hey family! so can I just say it was great to skype all of you last week! it seems like a month has pasted already. kinda a long week but it wasn't a bad week. I think time was just running a little slow! 

But this week has been good! its been a good week of just focusing on new investigators and trying to find some people to teach. Haven't had much success yet but we may have some good future potential. 

This past week we went through our area book both potential and past investigators and we probably went out with close to 15 names one day in one area and just went out looking for them.  we found out that probably like maybe 11 of those 15 died didn't live there anymore or nobody knew them! haha.  so we just contacted those ones and set up days to come back to teach but when we came to the day and time they told us no one was home! kinda frustrating. but we just had some time before our next appointment about an 45 minute walk away so we went and bought some bread from a bakery and then stopped at a house to buy some water in there little store and ended up talking to her and passed on a restoration pamphlet. so i guess no effort is wasted. she didn't seem too interested but anyway we may stop back! haha. so then after our 45 minute walk we showed up to teach a less active Bro. Pilipil(ive mentioned him before) who is a returning member but then he'll miss one week of church so his time starts over. haha. every time! but anyway he was still out in the sugar fields working so we had his daughter in law go get him but they never returned so who knows but we ended up  meeting a new family and teaching them. we gave them a pamphlet to read but they cant read so I just told them to look at the picture and we'll explain them the next time and they agreed to do that! who know but hopefully! I forgot their last name though. the names here are all confusing! haha they're all the same or all nicknames so it's hard to keep them straight! 

So that's my run down on this week. At Church on Sunday we had one investigator at church then later that night we stopped by his house and taught him. he was very smart with prophets. he's my buddy here in Bug-ang so we always talk and i told him to come to church and he did. haha. he's friends with a member in town who spoke yesterday in sacrament meeting so that was good! so hopefully something can come out of that! his name is Angelo Dela Cruz.  Mga 25ish id guess. he works at the elementary school as kinda the security electrician and janitor so he just kinda roams around the campus all day.  

This week has been. still working hard with the language and not giving up. some days its good on both aspects.  I was listening to a talk by Uchtdorf on Patience this past week a bunch of times. he gave it during a priesthood session maybe a couple years back but it is a really good talk on learning and growing and being patient! but yeah its definitely a good talk for anything! haha but I feel like I've progressed in speaking this week! We'll see has this week goes! 

Missionary work continues to be great no matter the trouble problems and area. its what I signed up for and I continue to push through it waiting for that day were I'm the best missionary I can be! It's in the near future I hope! haha. I remember thinking when I first arrived here in the Philippines thinking oh just wait till June or July and you'll be fine with everything! Maybe a little bit of a estimate error but it doesn't get me down. I have just over 17 months to succeed. I can do it! even if it takes me another year! I can still do it! and that's all that matters! 

Well family! know that I love you all and miss you all! I love this work and love my mission but most of all I love this gospel. its true and I know it! I just have to teach it now! I keep you n my prayers and know that I am in yours because of the support I feel!  I know Christ is our Savior Redeemer and Lord.  He wants the best for all of us so that's why he suffered for us! I hope you all know that to! Love you all again! 

Sorry about the spelling! 

Until next week! 

Love you,

Elder Sargent          

 

 

so these first two pictures are a shirt this guy was wearing. i asked to take a picture. he's not a member but he's a friend of mine in town and a new investigator so it wasn't awkward... haha but it says my the horse be with you then sa likod(on the back) siling niya(it says) cause you look like a horse! its tagalog but Elder Delos Santos translated it! haha. i though that shirt would be the perfect family shirt! if only i can find that shirt! haha

me and a chicken getting ready to eat it. we bought a chicken the other day to raise for about a month until its big and then we will kill it and eat it! im excited to learn how to do all this for when i get home! haha

Hey mom and dad. we found a internet shop open! haha. so we decided to get on and send our numbers. i just decided to write you a little note and tell you all how much i loved skyping! thinking back i think i was a little shy. dont know. maybe when i return ill just be silent around you all! haha. i think thats most missionaries. but anyways! until next week! 

I love you all and miss you all! Happy Mothers day! you are the best mom in the world! I didnt know that adam gave hugs to others except his girlfriends but since he is my best friend i'm sure he did it for me to you even if he didnt realize it! only adam could fill in for me. right! hope that makes sense! but serioulsy! thank you for all you do for me. i love you more then words can explain! 

until next week! 

Elder Sargent

Hope you a had a good mothers day!  

 

Hey everyone! Can you believe where the time has gone. I feel like this week just blew by! I’m now closer to my one year mark than the day I entered the MTC and yet again another transfer week this week! I really have no idea what is happening or what is in store for me. I may just stay with elder delos santos... maybe I’ll be a trainer... maybe I’ll be a junior ...maybe I’ll be transferred! I really have no idea what will happen.  So sorry this email is so late today. We went with the youth in our ward to a  hanging bridge. I sent some pictures! It was so fun! It hung about 50 feet in the air and was about 100 feet long! Pretty good size! All the youth went swimming and cliff jumping into the river and I wanted to join so bad.  But I was obedient and didnt! haha But we had a nice little picnic up there by the bridge and all the youth enjoyed it! Good activity for them! I wish we had swinging bridges and rivers in AZ! haha

 

But this week has been good! Numbers still continue to be low here but we continue to work hard and find more investigators. SO FRUSTRATING.

 

So I told you all about Sis lovely and that she was already baptized so we decided to fellowship and continue to teach and teach their children! So it’s been going good with the lessons to the children. They have some trouble remembering information but when we give them a hint or two they ususally have it! But the frustrating part is that a investigator has to go to church 4X in a row before he/she can be baptized so we went in with a good solid lesson on commandments and obedience. We had a really good lesson... like really good. We had them thinking about why they need to be obedient and why it’s important. The parents definitely understood and we committed them to go to church and they thought about it for a while and then they finally said yes that they would. I felt good about there commitment to going to church but Sunday came around and they didn’t show up. It’s like dang. What can we do now? They understand they need to go to church. We had a two good lessons with them especially on Saturday night and they don’t come. I feel bad for them. They are like really poor and so I understand their problems but at the same time the Lord understands a lot better and He will bless them!

As for our other investigators we continue to find and stop by their house but we've yet to get one to keep commitments! So hard.  As a missionary I cant give up! I just gotta keep working!

 

As for last week Zone Training with President Lopez.... AWESOME!! He's really a good guy. He just knows the doctrine to every point and teaches is so clearly!

 

Our topic was the Lesson 1 in chapter 3 of PMG, or in other words, the Restoration.  If there is one thing that he told us that stuck out to me the most in that lesson is that he said... "When we teach the Restoration we need to take the Sacred Grove with us"  He had us, that had been to the Sacred Grove, explain what is was like... the feeling the nature and everything.  He said as the spirit dwells still in the Sacred grove and we can take the Sacred Grove or that Spirit and teach people to really know! He also said the most important thing you can do after you do that is to kneel when you pray at the end of that lesson. He said think about it... Joseph smith kneeled on a dirt floor that day. Most of your houses you go to have dirt floors. It’s bringing the Sacred Grove into their lives even more! I really liked that and I’m excited for the next time I have an opportunity to teach the restoration to my next investigator. Also at that Zone training we had American hot dogs. Like pure American. Even with American Heinz catsup!  It was awesome!

 

As for me, I am doing good this week! The language continues to be a struggle. My conversational skills are okay. My understanding is still struggling pretty bad and also my teaching. I just can’t express myself. It’s so hard to teach in another language cause so many thoughts enter in your mind but you don’t know how to say them or if you try you just stutter and if you do know how to say them they still don’t come out clear. haha. I’m not down on myself or anything. I just keep trying. I just wish I could’ve have progressed faster. It’s alright though... I still have a long time. I’m excited to see what transfers bring though. I think Elder Delos Santos wants to be transferred, but for me it doesn’t really matter. I’m game for whatever right now at this moment! Maybe my feeling will be different in like 2 days on transfer day but I’ve just decided that whoever my companion is I’m just going to take lead. It’s going to be my mission.  I’m ready just to learn how to do everything through experience. I can’t wait around for things to happen to me... if I have been!

 

I know the church is true. Maybe I don’t know all the doctrine or all the ins and outs of everything in life yet, but I do know enough to say that this Church is True!   I know that I’m here in the Philippines for a reason. I know that I do have a reason here but I’m not sure exactly what that reason is yet so I continue to find ways to really know why I’m here.  I know that that day will come though when I know exactly why I’m here. I’m thankful for all your support in everything that I do and I love you all very much! I

Love you and pray for you even more!

 

Love,

 

Elder Sargent

then the last picture is our lunch! Cannon(rice) chicken adobo(famous dish here) and isda(fish) 

so earlier today we went with the youth to this area with a hanging bridge! the first time i did it. i was scared so i returned. the second i did it. the third i did it with no hands then the fourth and so on it was like i was a natural pinoy(philippino) crossing the bridge. there were people crossing it with like bundles of bamboo on there right shoulder. these people have incredible balance here! not sure how they do it! but this is me on the bridge.

the youth in our ward and there leaders. the leaders are Bro Dave and Sister April. Bro dave is sitting next to me and sister april is above me in the pink shirt.  they just recently got married in the temple. Bro dave is a RM from the illongopo mission and sister april is a convert. they've been married a couple years now i believe. they are really cool. bro dave is the son of the stake president here in sagay.  

hello all again!! how are you all???

 

This week has just been like what the heck happened kinda for me! as in some how total we only taught 10 lessons...like total! haha. we worked for like 7 hours everyday as well. Seriously no one was home except for the kids that don’t work. Everyone else was working. Or they just said they were busy and said to come back later but in the area you can’t go back that same day because the houses are too far away from each other.  So the first part of the week I was just kinda down. Felt like I was just wasting time and not progressing still. Then on Friday I just got done with my self doubting and what not and just started smiling at everyone...talking to everyone and if I didn’t understand them I just shook my head and acted like I knew what they were talking about. I actually think my conversational skills improved alot and a couple members seem closer to me I think! haha. I wish I would have figured that out like 3-4 months ago! haha. But as for this past week yeah I was just very mingaw(poor) We don’t know what happened.

 

But as for our investigators I think this area is just going to need some miracles soon.  I realized yesterday that I’ve been here for 4 months and I haven't had any baptisms. I then realized that I haven’t had one progressing investigator here yet. Baptisms I can handle. You know the time comes for those but at least one investigator that keeps commitments would be nice. I don’t know how to help these people. I feel like I could if I could teach like I can in English but that’s not working too well for me yet so I’m just waiting for some time in the mission to just be a teacher and not a robotic teacher.  Maybe it’s the area, maybe it’s me.  Not sure. But whatever it is I think it’s just going to need some miracles. 

 

But don’t worry! I’m not down. I think I found a groove for me to see progression and actually progress these next few months. I just gotta keep doing my thing.  I’m actually excited for this week cause I’m going to just live with no regrets. If I mess up who cares. I’m American, of course I don’t know this language but hey I’m giving it my best and that’s where the blessings come. Its like P-90X. That’s a hard work out.  You cant jump in on day one without working out before and succeed every repetition with ease. But as you keep doing it and going hard, by day 90 you’re just ripped. Maybe you didn’t see progression while doing the program but others did. Then when you look back you see a bunch! haha. That’s my new program. M-2yrX. M- missionary! It’s worked for others that have worked hard so that’s my program. Work hard. Play hard. Live with no regrets!! 

 

Cant believe it has been 6 months on my mission already! Crazy. 1/4 done! Man time just goes by fast. But it’s good. I like time running fast but I just gotta run with it! I love this place here. The food, the people, the scenery. Sometimes it’s not the best but overall it’s the place to be! haha. I love this gospel..  the scriptures, the prophets, the happiness and the joy that I benefit from having it!  The church is true people. If you don't know it...figure it out. If you do know it..cling to it. That’s all I can say!

 

Looking forward to this next year and a half! I love all of you

 

Love,

 

Elder Sargent!

 

Me and elder pulsipher just trying on some crocs at the crocs store in bacolod! haha

this is me in bacolod last week. we ran into a missionary couple and they happen to be in uncle rays ward up in bountiful. i guess he was their home teacher.

Hey Everyone. sorry my letter is a little late this week but ive been in bacolod all day cause Elder Delos Santos needed a Xray for his depature in June so we have been at the Hospital all morning waiting then lunch and a alittle shopping but i didnt buy anything cause i didnt find anything. i was looking for a nice indoor/outdoor basketball like a spalding or willson but they didnt have anything good. i was also looking for a pull up bar but it was like 2000 pesos and huge so it wasnt worth any of my money! haha. but lunch was good. i wanted to go to Mcdonalds and get a Hamburger but we decided to go to a chicken and unlimited rice place cause it was much cheeper. it was way good though!

So Jealous mom and dad are in La Jolla right now! after my mission in the month of November i plan on going there then maybe hitting up the Christmas Devo in SLC! haha thats my plan for after mission but for right now i just got to take it day by day and progress to become better missionary.

So this week has been pretty good. a lot better then the last and it was pretty good. So just pretty much the same thing over and over. the Investigators we are teaching still aren't progressing when the say they'll do stuff. 

Bro Jomare- amo na gihapon(same as always). we continue to stop by and he continues to enjoy our lessons and ask great questions but he wont come to church. he has a baptismal date now for may 18th but just cause he doesn't keep they commitments I'm not sure if it will happen.

Sis Lovely's kids- there 10 and 8. not much to progress. we are just trying to work with the Parents and get them to church. they said they would both go and we even texted them Saturday night and they still said they'd go but they didn't. we stopped by later that day and they just said yeah we didn't feel like it. we didn't have money. just the same old same old. 

We taught a few first lessons this past week so hopefully i can report more to you all on them next week.  we taught a lot this week to new investigators trying to find some that we think are ready and willing to act on our message so hopefully we can continue to find more and teach more and have some success in this area! haha.

Its not the people that are bad. the people are great. just humble people that are poor but just there life style they aren't willing to give up anything for anything. they would just rather sit around all day and not really do anything. They say they will but in turn they don't. That's the hardest part about this area. Its just the people don't see the importance on acting on things because they never have had to act for anything. they've just grown up that way so i cant blame the people but just the lifestyle and the lifestyle of the area! budlay gid sia(its very hard)! haha!

But the work is going better. its a lot better with Elder Delos Santos then before my first 2 transfers.  Its hard to believe almost 6 months are now done and time will only get faster.  This past week I've seen myself through different eyes. I've been trying to connect with the people a lot better and find simple ways to connect with them and when i do that they seem to open up to me better and listen to me more.  I've seen the Future Elder Sargent and the impact that I can have on these people if I don't ever give up and give it my all to do this work but more importantly  do this work for this people here. I think the mission will only get better now and now is the time to really just go for it and do all I can to learn everything there is. if i wait any longer I fear it will be to late! so that's my plan! and as  do that I can promise my self that this will be the best two years of my life!

I'm thankful for all of your support and love that I feel here across the world! I'm thankful for this gospel and the happiness and the joy it brings to me and for the knowledge I have that it can bring that to other people.  I'm so thankful for my progression that I have had this week and pray that it will only progress more and not decrease! Salamat ko sa tanan mga bugay nga ang ginuo nagahatag sa akon adlaw-adlaw.(im thankful for all the blessings the Lord gives to me daily. I know this work is true and I'm proud to be here in the Bacolod Philippines Mission!

Love you all!

Elder Sargent

P.S-  Sorry waay pictures... waay time to send them! (waay-no/none)

 

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing good. I’m doing okay! This past week was a little rough for me but General Conference definitely turned that around and now I’m  doing great! 

 

So last week was just kinda hard for me. I felt like I was just being tried in every way possible. Just little things were getting under my skin. I was just struggling with the language  just little differences in the culture with me and Elder Delos Santos. Just being way tired and just the members.  I can’t really explain it but I just think I was very stressed with everything... just feeling behind the pace... not really sure if I’m progressing like I should or could but yet I feel like I try everything I can but things don’t come to me even when I pray hard and work hard. I really think this last week was just the Lord’s way of testing me and humbling me even more to really call upon Him and wait for His time.  But hopefully this week goes better and I know my purpose more because I feel like I was able to get a lot of unknowns-questions I had answered at conference. Funny how you pray for one thing but your answer was actually something way different. I still haven’t watched Saturday or Priesthood cause President wouldn’t allow us to go. I was a little mad about that just cause it’s only the Prophet and Apostles speaking to us, but I guess I’ll just wait for the April Liahona to get to me so I can read them. 

 

But besides last week we had an interesting week.  haha

 

This story illustrated here will just explains this area to perfection:

 

So all week we were excited to go teach Sister Lovely again and we did. Her and her husband (Bro. Joel- member:but inactive) have been living in Manilla for the past like 25 years so they were just all speaking Tagolog meanwhile I’m sitting there just lost but just kinda whatever cause it was Tagalog but once we started the lesson Elder Delos Santos asked if we could speak only in Illongo or Cebuano cause I don’t know Tagolog. haha (i dont know illongo or cebuano either!) jokes. just illongo! But the lesson was mostly Cebuano still. But I was able to follow.. didn’t really understand. But as we started the lesson we were just laying out all the ground rules for baptism and then out of nowhere she’s just like I’ve already been baptized. We were like what??? THE LADY HAS ALREADY BEEN BAPTIZED!!! idk know why she didn’t tell us but we were just like are you kiding me! haha. It was kinda funny but we are still going to teach them all again cause they don’t remember anything and they actually have two kids that are above 8 years old we may baptize if the lessons go good!! haha. That just explains this area. Sometimes its just like "do these people think" haha! I think things are only going to get better from this area. People have said that Minapasok is the hardest area in the mission just cause its way bukkid the people are uneducated, unmotivated, and don’t do anything. Maybe Tyler Sumner Can relate to that! haha. what was his first area by the way!

 

But family I guess that’s my story for the week. The other investigators weren’t home the 2-3 times we stopped by this week so that was a little bad but hopefully we can get them this week. 

 

So family! I know that this work is true. I know that this church is true and is run by Jesus Christ! It’s such a good feeling to have that knowledge. I realize happiness comes to those that know.  What a true fact. Like seriously this work is very challenging at times. Especially for the brain. Sometimes I want to quit and just go home but for some reason I’m still always happy. I never knew why but I’ve realized that it’s because again happiness comes to those that know. What I know, I can’t deny.  Because I know these things, I know there is a bigger picture that I can’t see and I know that I just have to endure and give it my best. It’s like in the Book of Mormon and in the Bible... those that believe and have faith are healed through miracles or produce miracles. I know that miracles can’t be produced without Jesus Christ at the center of everything.  I know that and that’s what brings me happiness!

 

I love you all. I miss you all. I love this work and continue to love... its all my life!  Just not right now!

 

Love you all!

 

Elder Sargent!

 

I guess you could call us the Mormon Batallion or just the MPA(thats the rebel army that lives in my area!) no big deal! haha

hey everyone!! how are you all! how was conference?? I don't get to watch it until next week because of the time change but I'm so looking forward to it! I wish I kinda got to watch it live cause I feel behind the ties now although I'm living in the future but its kinda weird! I hope you all enjoyed and ill make sure to take good notes and then report next week.  I only have three more conferences and I'm home. Weird though that I'm about three weeks off from my six month mark. time goes by pretty fast. And Natalie is home in like 5 months. crazy! But family I'm doing good right now.  This week was pretty good. we have a investigator with a baptismal date and maybe another this next week. ill talk about that more later on in the letter but I almost was going to die this week! I had Kidney stones! So crazy story!  

Haha. So earlier this week I thought I had UTI cause when I went to the bathroom I thought I had the burning feeling then on top of that i always had the need to go but couldn't or just dribbled a little.  so I started taking some ibuprofen and loading up on water but I still had the feeling. then about on Thursday after noon I had some pain in the lower back on the right side but only for a few minutes so I didn't think anything of it. Then Friday it was the same thing and just a little worse burning when peeing. But I slept through it and woke up on Saturday feeling fine. Then around 430 that afternoon I started getting excruciating pain in my back and it just killed. I called the mission nurse and she just said take more ibuprofen and drink a lot more water and hopefully that can take some pain away in the back.  But the pain didn't cease at all. It just keep moving around the lower back and finally worked its way to the front right in the abdominal area.  And that's when it just took off.  By that time it was about 630 and we were in the middle of a lesson and I was just breathing hard without breath just sweating and trying not to disrupt the lesson. Luckily the people have no electricity so they couldn't see my face but I'm sure I was just in pain.  After that lesson I seriously was just moaning and semi yelling (kinda like tennis groans and moans.. haha!) walking back into town were we could take a 10 min motor back to our apartment. on the way back on the motor I had to pull over cause I had to throw up and even that didn't help the pain. So I got back on the motor and got back to the apartment threw up two more times.  I called the mission nurse again and they told me they were going to drive two hours to pick me up and get me to the Emergency room cause they knew I had kidneys. She is a Nurse and her husband is a retired Pharmacist so they knew the symptoms.  Finally around 1030 still in pain they picked me up and hopped in the truck and we all went into Sagay to the Emergency room.  They loaded me up on some pain medicine and gave me some anti inflammatory pills for the burning when peeing and told me to drink lots and lots of water. That night and on Sunday we stayed in Sagay at another missionary apartment and camped out there and are still here in Sagay but are returning home today to Minapasok.  The doctor told me if I still had pain on Monday to come back and they'd run an ultra sound to see if I had a stone in there stuck but I'm pretty sure it's passed now.  I don't have any pain and so that's good! I'm going to stay on ibuprofen and water for the next few days but that's my story! Kinda crazy! I'm way tired now though. I think my body is just kinda in a hangover shock stage but I should be good! 

So that's that! oh and also we went out to church in Sagay and I was talking to the members and pretty much understood everything they said to me except a few words and I've decided its just the language they speak in my area is a lot harsher sounding and 80% Cebuano. I think I'll be good with the language but I just gotta keep working harder! haha! 

This week was pretty good though. We have been working with our investigators and we have a new investigator with a baptismal date. Her name is Sis. Lovely. Her husband is a less active and from Manilla and so we stopped by her house and she was there so we just committed her to baptism which she said yes to. hopefully we can progress with her and really get her committed! 

Our other investigators are doing good.

We are dropping Bro Simeon. all he does is debate and ask ridiculous questions like how many spirits we have in our body or where peter the apostle is right now.  haha. 

Bro Jomare. He's doing good. He's very interested in our message but for some reason whenever we teach him there is always a distraction for him. Like I mentioned last week a lady came in and just started debating then this week they had some visitors over that he didn't even know and then in the middle of the lesson they just interrupted us and were trying to get him to stop the lesson so they could get a ride home on his motor so we had to end the lesson short.  

Besides that's about it here in the mission life. I think I'm doing good.  haha I don't really know how to grade myself cause I try to help these people but they don't have any desire to change or progress. its just a hard area. I'm just glad I'm here for my first area cause things can only get better from here.  but I try hard and don't let them get me down! Sorry I don't have any pictures this week. I forgot to grab my plug for transporting pictures cause I was in too much pain to think.  But everything is good. doing good and looking forward to this week! 

Know that I love you and miss you all!  See you in like 580 give or take a few!  haha. something like that! 

Love you all! 

Elder Sargent!    

Hey family! i hope your easter celebrations were good back home. they dont celebrate easter here. i didnt even remeber it was easter really at all.  but that's okay.  so this week has been pretty good.  i am in the same area stil but elder leng is gone. he is now in the La Carlotta zone down south but i have a philippino companion now as my follow up. his name is Elder Delos Santos from Manilla Area. He is a way cool guy and reminds me of Juanse! we get along real good which is good. Its also nice because he cooks for me everyday at lunch and thats definitly a bonus! its always good filipino food. i plan on him teaching me how to cook!! but he leaves in june so hes a experianced missionary. his english is okay but is kinda good casue im teaching him how to say stuff in english and hes teaching me Illongo! and he speaks cebuano and he said that here in minapasok hes been speaking about 80% cebuano cause thats what everyone speaks here. so i guess you can pretty much call my area cebuano speaking! haha. WHY ME!! 

So the language this past week for me was struggling hard. i think that its just cause with elder leng the langauage was a lot slower so i could understand him but with elder delos santos and the members they just all automatically click and just go off on fast rants in the language. its been hard for me to understand cause its just a different pace but i think thats good cause i think maybe the harder ill listen the more hopefully ican pick up! haha. but ive been studying the language like crazy the past few days just using all my books really trying to learn this langauge but when real life happens i just freeze and struggle at times.  but i know that i can do it! i think that i just progressed really well the first couple weeks then after that just didnt really know what to do but kept trying but i think that with a new switch and a philippino comp ill be able to progress! i just worry sometimes that time is just rushing away and im behind the pace. I gotta keep running unless ill be lost for real! but im going hard trying my best knowing that i can do it! 

But having Elder Delos Santos here is awesome. he clicks with the people really well and our lessons are so much better. we've stopped by our investagator Jomare Chaves and the lesson was going great there were like 20 poeple in there really engaged then this baptist lady walks in the house and just ruined the lesson kinda. she was just debating againts us that jospeh smith is a god and jesus isnt our savior. but we turned the lesson around and just tried to get our people engaged again cause they lost interest the moment she was trying to debate us.  After words we got a ride home on Jomares Motorcycle and he was like sorry about that lady. Come back next Friday and she wont be here. so i think they knew that the lady just kinda ruined it alittle! haha. but its all good! 

WELL family! thats prety much it over here in the philippines! know that i love you all and miss you all! time has flown pretty fast but im just trying to take everymoment in and enjoy it! I know that the church is true and i cant deny that! i so thankful for your support and i can feel your lve here in the philippines and it helps me get through the days the weeks the months and before i know it ill be home. long time still but for right now im here doing the lords work and thats what im going to continue doing! even after my mission! 

Love you and miss you all! 

Elder Sargent 

 

 

This is me and elder delos santos eating dog!

about the dog! that meat was so tender and good! it was seriously way good! 

 

 

Hello all again! i feel like this week is going way fast and it hard to catch up at times cause im always doing something. i just need a nice nap to slow things down! haha

So Collin Mortenson! finally he got his call!! i told elder leng i would bet anything he'd be called to california! He just looks like thats his place. is it english speaking?? i cant beleive he leaves may 1. thats so soon! but good for him! now its just down to adam. im calling hes going to brazil or manila! thats my guess! foreign for sure! 

So this week has been good! very fast but good. this week we have transfers so i have no idea whats going to happen. most likely elder leng will get transfered cause he's been here for 5 almost 6 months here in this area! but who knows! hopefully i just get a good experianced follow up trainer! thats all either of us wants and we feel like if we get that our missions will be great and on the right start jsut casue we are so unexperianced and just kinda thrown into this situation together. so its been hard but definetly a good learning experiance!! 

So this week. we struck out with Jomare Chaves. We stopped by with our branch president two times but he just works late so its hard to catch him! so our plan is to take the new missionary in this area here and just go try to teach him to the best abilities! the good part is that he speaks english so if i get lost i can say something in english but i hate speaking in english tothe members that know it cause i just feel like its a cop put. plus those are the ones that can help me with the language the most! but sometimes i have no choice if i dont know how to say it! but thats good! We finally were able to teach with Bro simeon but he just always debates us and speaks pure cebuano. I think my plan with that is just to bring a trainer up or my branch president if im here still and just go teach with them and let them show me how to do it. cause i know how to teach lessons but its hard to explain certain points or help them understand the points and doctrine cause of the language barrier sometimes! but i dont give up. im just looking forward to this next week and seeing what transfers bring me. What ever it is im going to take the best out of it and really try to make everything the best and learn this language and learn just everything of how to be a missionary. i think i have a good idea but its hard to do it sometimes with little experiance and i dont really have a model to show me how to do it! but i think i can figure it our next transfer! 

So thats pretty much it.  Just a little expericane i had and im off....

This past week me and elder leng have been working with our Branch pres and he's just been helping us with introducing topics our translations into one topic into the next and He was just talking about the First Vision and how we dont have to recite the whole thing cause they wont understand all the words so he said to just make it our own.  My mind starting wondering a little bit and i was just thinking about the whole thing and how it happened and was trying to put my self in Joseph Smiths shoes and feel like how he would tell someone he saw Jesus Christ and God and then i was putting myself in an investagators shoes and thinking what are the most important parts to tell them. I was translating it im my mind saying... "Nakita ko ang isa ka hiligi sang kasang sa ibabaw gid sa akon ulohan" (i saw a pillar of light over/above my head) then i just continued then i got to the point of ... And isa sa ila naghambal sa akon nga ginatawag ako sa akon ngalan kag nagsiling... nagatudlo sa isa. ini ang akon hinigugma nga anak. Pamatii sia.  (one of them spake unto me calling me by name and said... pointing to the other. this is my beloved son. here him.)  

I was reflecting on that and the spirit hit me hard. "Ginatawag ako sa akon ngalan." ("Calling me by name.") HOW GREAT IS THAT LINE!!! i was thinking that more importantly at that moment in time. even more important then God and Jesus appearing to Joseph is that they CALLED HIM BY NAME! proving the point that God is aware of all his Children. He knows us and he knows us by name. he knows what we need. he knows what is best for us and so he called a prophet, by name, to restore the CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST. THE TRUE CHURCH AGAIN ON THIS EARTH!!! I just cant comprehend all of what happend but what i can comprehende is the spirit that bore witness to me once again that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. that we have the true church on this earth and that God knows us by name. he knows us beacuse he is the father of our spirits. He is our Heavenly Father.

Well fam and friends! i love you all and i hope you know that im doing great! everyting is good with me! thanks for your sipport and i feel it! even all the way across the world! 

Love you and miss you all!

Elder Sargent! 

Sorry for my spelling! Im forgetting stuff to easily already in english! haha 

 

this is one eyed money from Harry Potter! i thought skye and dee would like this! haha

A member writes the names of missionaries on their houses and this is my name i guess! haha

yeah you could call me guapo! 

 

im really only like 4 feet up this tree! haha. we just made it look like im way higher! 

me and elder leng just on a hill!