11/22 Happy Thanksgiving!

The branch building! We used it before but we grew out of it a few years ago so now we use it to teach seminary, english class, lessons and have activities

Our Apartment is mid-right

Our little gecko hanging around the dishes

Yat Tung Tsuen! One of the two main tsuens we serve. A tsuen btw is a group of buildings usually Big apartment buildings like this

Well the big week turned out to be a stake member coming to reorganize some stuff in the stake and then talk, but that's ok! We talked to Brother C about it and he actually gave us some cool info that it will probably happen near Christmas. Our Branch is huge right now. This week has been crazy! Elder Jensen and I spent little or no time tracting each day because we taught so much! We have been praying for miracles and they were rained down upon us this week: some of the less-actives that we met with letting us meet them again, and investigators bringing friends, it has been amazing. All the while Elder Jensen and I are just growing together. The Man from Katy, Texas never ceases to amaze me. He can remember any name or number or address after hearing it one time. He is awesome. The ward, as well, is awesome! They just love helping out and that changes the face of missionary work when they have that attitude. A-p and C's baptismal day is this upcoming Thanksgiving day, and that is what I am thankful for! I am praying so hard for them. Chanel is geared up ready to go but her brother just wants to make sure he knows God is real, he wants to believe it all, but he just doesn't think he has had his personal manifestation yet. Please keep them in your prayers. I love this work! Whenever a bad thought comes into my mind or any other nonsense, I just feel love the love I have for this work and these people. I feel like the Grinch when he has the X-ray of his heart, after delivering the toys, and it explodes basically. That's how I feel in a nutshell. With what the Lord is doing to me and these people, I feel overly blessed.

 

Thinking of A-Pang, this quote from President Hinckley has stood out to me, "No man can know himself unless he knows God, and he cannot know God unless he knows himself." I'd like to leave that for personal interpretation. It's a deep one. It has caused me to ponder if I truly know myself and on that note, truly know our Lord, as well as what I can do to better my relationship. 

I love and miss you all!! Take care in the cold lands of America!

--

Love,

   Elder Sargent

11/16 Joe!

Joe!

 Taters, carrots and chicken or ground beef with some special seasoning I made in my last apartment. Just like home.  Yum.  With Elder Jensen

Coming to you live from Tung Chung Hong Kong! Life is a amazing out here. Quick update on the area. I don't think I have mentioned it yet, but Tung Chung is home. It is just like Heber. Small town, nestled right at the base of all these huge mountains, half a minute from the ocean, just gorgeous. I love it. We run right up the canyon next to our house in the foggy, cloudy mornings with the peaks covered. I love it. Well, we were hoping it would cool off, and it keeps making a downward trend, but today and yesterday having been quite sunfuh: pretty hot, especially in suits. It should start making the downward trend here soon. The members are amazing! Just love them. They are so willing to help out. Right now we are sitting at branch status with around 50-70 people coming every week, and we have been told that we are SO close to becoming a ward, I could almost shout.  I was supposed to give a talk this Sunday, but Pres. Gong came up to me last Sunday a little awkwardly and said not to worry, he will have to catch me next month because a lot of important people are coming next week. We have been hearing a lot, and there is a ton going down out here. I am not inferring anything, just praying my heart out something really exciting happens this Sunday!! :)

The Language is coming as well. I have really seen the Lord work and the gift of tongues made evident every day. When the Lord needs me to talk, the language comes, and it comes better than I can imagine, then it is gone. We, as missionaries, are tools in the Lord's hands. It is coming better and better. It's hard, but so fun!!! Elder Jensen is great! He is such a ball of pure strength, intelligence, wisdom and power! I love the man. We work so well together. Unite and do the work.

What about us and our investigators?! Joe got baptized on Sunday! He isn't "our" investigator, but when someone in the area gets baptized, it feels so good. Elder Dale has been working with him for 9 months! So happy. As for me and Elder Jensen, mostly just me, I had a good realization. I feel like the Lord and Pres. Lam have put so much trust in Elder Jensen and I to do what we are doing, and I often just think about the numbers, and showing them that we are doing well out here. Not until I stepped back and just realized how stupid I was. I love these people so much and I haven't been treating them and looking at them the way I truly could be. Then the outpouring of love came for them. A-pang and Chanel got their baptismal dates for 2 weeks, Waiwai (Zoey) has hers for a month from now. Bro Au opened up. It all came out. I am so excited for the Tsang Family! We called Pres. Gong last night about Bro. Tsang because he is a less-active, and he said that as much as he's been coming to church lately, he can baptize A-pang and Chanel. This will be so good! They have bonded very fast to their step-dad in 9 months, and this should help so much. Sis. Tsang and the oldest daughter A-yan should follow quickly. So excited. The work is progressing. So fast, we hear of miracles every day. Stuff I just wish I could tell you all about!

I love you all so much. Keep up the work. My favorite quote from this week:

"The Kingdom of God or nothing." President Taylor

In Chinese, Yat haih Sahn ge gwokdouh Yat haih mouhyeh, or something like that. I think we all understand that. There is one goal at the end of this road, and that is the kingdom of God. How are we going to get there? What are we doing today to be that person? Only we can decide, but we are either completely on the Lord's side or we are not. The Lord doesn't take fence sitters and that's a testimony to me.

Love you all!

Love Elder Sargent

11/9 The Life of a Missionary

Well folks, Elder Sargent here. It has been an awesome week! I went to see big Buddha today, and to put it simply, he's big. haha It's been an absolute roller coaster this week! All of it in the highs! First off, Elder J----- and I started our 40 day fast. We fasted for a day and wrote down 40 things we wanted to change or "fast" from, in order to become clean and purify ourselves. We wrote them on cards so we can review our personal goals. Let me tell you, 40 things gets into the nit picky, but I can feel it. The small things are what count, and so often we over look the small things that have large effects. (got the idea from a talk I found) Immediately after we ended our fast, the windows of heaven opened for Elder J----- and I. We have been trying so hard to teach a true street lesson, (we have only gone tracting for maybe 10 hours so far this transfer) and just haven't been able to seal the deal.  But that night it happened, completely in and through the Spirit to Mr. C---. Then we miraculously ran into a former that neither of us had seen before that lucked into talking to her, when we both saw something funny happen and started laughing, we went up to her and talked. (what occurred is not important haha). Ran into her TWICE that day. Taught her twice and she now has a baptismal date. The windows of heaven have been opened up upon the humble duo of Elder J----- and Elder Sargent. The Lord blesses those who serve Him. That I know, however I also know that He blesses those who purify themselves for Him. Any one of us can have blessings beyond comprehension if we cast ourselves to Him. We already do have blessings beyond description, and when we humble our hearts and give back, the Lords outpouring is magnificent. I testify He blesses us everyday. I know it. I have seen it bless families, including my own. I hope to see it bless the T--- family, a very special family to me. The father is a less active, and then remarried to a great woman with three teen early 20's kids. So close to baptismal dates. They want it SO bad. They want to go to the temple and be sealed, but have work and a fear of commitment. They are SO close! I love them so much. Families are real. Eternal families are real. Oh, and Sunday, our ward had NINE less actives come back to church, we Elders Sang "I Believe in Christ" and President and Sister Lam came to our ward and spoke! It was Wonderful! I love and miss you all so much!!

Love Elder Sargent 

11/2 Miracle Week

President G is the BEST!

Well hey folks! Elder Sargent here. It's been an amazing week to say the least. We have been blessed beyond measure. I am well, just missing my baby brother ;) He hit the scales a little bigger than me and a little less than my linebacker sister, but we will see where he goes. I don't have a lot of time this p-day due to baby pictures, but I would like to share a piece.
The Lord's work is progressing. There is no doubt in my mind that He qualifies those He calls. There is no way Elder Jensen and myself should be able to do what we are doing. Last week, we witnessed more miracles than I could even count. We were able to contact several less-actives that haven't been contacted in months and years, yet so many of them happened to be home at the exact time we dropped in, all by themselves and so many were so willing to hear us talk. Seeing and talking with our investigators, I cannot help but feel so blessed. With my brother Brigham Boyd being born last Friday, I have felt so much more grateful for this Plan of Salvation that we have. I just wish to share it with everyone and it has strengthened my testimony so much, because we truly can live with our families forever. I believe that, nothing doubting. Having missed the miracle of my brother's birth, I feel the Lord bestowing upon me miracles I do not deserve. I have felt His hand in every second of this work, lifting me up and enabling me to do things that I cannot do myself.  This last week I have really felt a new feeling, a feeling that I have always sought after, and it is 'an eye single to the glory of God'. The faith and joy and obedience in the Tung Chung area is beyond what I can describe, far from perfect, but working! It is not a start at 8:30 am and stop at 10 pm kind of missionary work. The Lord can't afford that. I am coming to better understand this feeling, an eye single to His work. It is talking and discussing and pondering and constantly seeking for guidance on how we can best help our investigators and less active members. I haven't felt like this before, never have I felt this happy, been this excited, felt this consecrated. I have so far to go to do my part, and so much to change, but I am working. Elder Jensen is leading our companionship to achieve what the Lord has in store for us! Hurrah for Israel, the work is progressing.
Love, Elder Sargent