This week has been great! I continue to be amazed by the Lords hand. I have enjoyed seeing Elder Heywood here now and can't wait to see so many of my other friends come in. This week has consisted of madness because it has been the new Mission President seminar so they shut down the main building and cafeteria because all the Apostles have been around, as well as 130 new mission presidents and their wives! I also got to meet President Lam!! It was amazing. He is such a great man and I can't wait to serve with him in Hong Kong. He is a convert of 20 years (He's been going to church for just a little bit longer than me haha) and he has sent 5 of his own on missions. He has such a humble spirit to him and I can already tell he will change my life.
Elder G and I are loving it. Elder G is amazing. He is a powerful influence as well and a very quick learner which has made him the ideal companion. Love him. We also taught our last lesson to "Christina", who as I had an inkling to, was actually SW! She is also our new teacher too, so it's going to be fun having a fellow Heberite in the room. The language is still a process. I have come to a much greater knowledge of the Lords hand in all I do as a missionary. The Gift of Tongues is real. I testify of that. I can already pray in Cantonese with ease and teach small lessons. Without the Lords hand there is no way I would have been able to do that. I also spoke in church on Sunday on call (they don't tell us before hand who will talk). I figured I was speaking when President P and Brother W kept making eye contact with me haha. Sister M spoke right before me. What an experience. She is from Burhma and came to the MTC 8 weeks ago to learn English AND Thai. SHe didn't know a lick of anything anyone was saying and in these 8 weeks she has become capable to talk and teach in both languages. She leaves in a week and her sweet humble influence and strong faith will be missed in a zone of now just elders. She led right into my topic of faith, because one day, I want to be like Sister M. I came 15 minutes down the canyon to learn a new language and be able to understand what everyone was saying. She came all the way across the world to a whole new culture and to learn TWO new languages and unable to understand anything. She is awesome. In Alma 57 is the story of the stripling warriors (or stripling missionaries relative to myself). Having heard Sister M's talk I was moved to talk about these amazing young men. What faith they had! Having learned to act on faith in their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ they volunteered to serve their families and go to battle. With their great faith, they defeated the Lamanites and not one was killed. Now this is not the whole story but this is all I tend to focus on. What was made important to me was not only did not one die, but not ONE left the battle field without having been significantly injured. Not one was allowed to breeze through the battle, and neither will I. We as missionaries and individuals enter the battle field everyday. We enter with or without faith in Christ and his ability to save us and teach through us. I entered with a testimony that my sweet mother has helped me grow and nourish, just as these young men did. As I act on faith and love the Lord, He will help me. He will help me and support me throughout my service. Yet it will not be easy. Nothing in this life is easy and the Lord will not allow any of us through without being injured. We will have trials and hardships, but with faith in Christ, we will make it through. Our beloved Elder Bednar quoted, "Only after the trials of our faith are our blessings made manifest."Faith without action in just a good thought. I testify of that. As we act on faith in Jesus Christ He will make himself manifest in our works; He will support me and my desire to serve Him.
To the future missionaries and others. Leave yourself at home. The person you take to the MTC is not Elder Colt Sargent. It is not even Elder Sargent for that matter. We are all servants of the Lord. Who cares what we want, because in reality it is not our wants that are met. They are the Lords. As we turn outward to serve others we will indeed become as the Savior. I can become a mouthpiece and working set of hands only as I purify myself through Him for Him. There is no ME in the mission field. There is no I. There is only Him. And through Him can we serve Him.
I love you all and hope you are all doing well. You are all the best examples I could have ever asked for. Strive to be the person the Lord wants you to be.
PS *Missionary note: Bring extra workout socks to the MTC because 2 pair WILL NOT cut it. haha Mom please send me some! :) Oh and love your companion.
Love,
Elder Sargent
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