Tuesday, April 26, 2016

4/25 Update

Where to start. What a great Stake Conference! I absolutely loved it. Elder Wong (of the 70, the one that spoke in Cantonese at conference) had many things, as well as the other speakers, that influenced me. One is that there is good, better, best. As well, we have been doing a good work, but there is more. I don't think that I have been giving all I can. I feel like I have, at times, seen excuses or other reasons for not seeing the success I desire to see. As we talked during our Zone Training planning meeting, I really came to realize that I was just pushing down desires due to not seeing the results we desired. I feel like we often do this in life when sometimes things don't go the way we would like them to.
The area is doing great. We were able to schedule a few potentials and hopefully get them moving through, several have great potential. We, as well, were able to contact a great less-active named Ch that has just taken off! We met last week, then he came to english class and FHE, then we went with him and some members to stake conference. After he and the Bishop talked for a half an hour, then he hit it off with some other members on the piano (he plays the piano, violin, guitar, harmonica, and has perfect pitch... wow), he is a dime. Then on the way home he said he has a friend that wants to take the discussions and well, that he wants to go on a mission!!! So we are so glad the Lord has blessed us with the opportunity to meet Ch. Several investigators are seeing huge progress as well. A-Y came to conference and Brother P will be at church starting this month. He would like to be baptized ASAP, so at the end of the month. What we do have is doing very well, we will continue to look for others. Brother Hung should be reactivated soon and Brother L got out of the hospital and was at conference too! So we are just excited beyond measure to see these miracles all week long.

As for Elder Da, he will be having surgery next week on his jaw, 4 days in the hospital! Pretty impressive. He is pretty nervous so keep him in your prayers please.

Transfers are tomorrow, I believe the Heywood/Ritchie family has a cousin coming in... Maybe I will see him!

Elder Wong really quite smashed the congregation. I think it pertains world wide, but he talked a lot about our sacrament observance. Are we on our phones? Get off them. Even down to children distracting and what we can do to optimize our capability to feel the Spirit as well as not detract from others. He also talked about pride, which is another world wide problem. Get rid of it. He said it with power and authority of an authorized representative of Christ. FONGDAIH LEIHGE GIUNGOUH. That's how it is. I apologize, my english is garbage now. I can't write to save my life. Love you all!
Elder Sargent
I love Missionary work!!
I apologize for no pictures I forgot my adapter

P.S. craziest thing.. Had a full rack of ribs, and an 8  oz sirloin steak with all i could drink pepsi, courtesy of a member this week, as well as a super expensive Korean meal with our Bishop. What a miracle. Oh and I rode a members bike! So that's about where we are in Hong Kong. I forgot how good red meat is haha-- 
Love,
   Elder Sargent

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

4/18 Quick Summary


It has been a good week, still in a little bit of a slump, but we are on our way out. We have several potentials that are looking up this week. Hope to pick up some new investigators, as well find some new potentials. Most have just been from being out and about as we still haven't had much time to go finding. Brother Chow is still progressing, and we are looking to really press about baptism next time we see him. We talked about it a little on Sunday, we talk about it overtime, but need to really press the importance. Smoking is still his problem. A-Yun is still quite flaky. He came to General Conference and we had a powerful lesson on Friday with Brother Luk, and he said he would come, but no show. Can't decide how to really help him. He says he believes and does all we ask, but just won't come to church. Peter Poon is also well, he talked with his boss about having Sunday off and he got it! It doesn't start till next month, but hey, it's a start. So he should be set here soon. Our other investigators and less actives are doing well and we have seen so many miracles this week in finding and teaching them! 
As a companionship, we are doing well. Looking to tomorrow to see how Elder Daplins jaw is, he is nervous. We hope and pray all will turn out ok. We are going forward with faith. I have also slacked on really helping his teaching and speaking skills, which I have decided to really pick up on this week. So I accept the blame if there are inadequacies in our teaching. We need to be much better at following up and teaching on a more 50/50 basis. Sometimes I just get talking too much. We are constantly seeking to improve. Most of our lessons are with members in homes and he is quite good at maintaining that when it is him in charge. I myself, am striving to be better at meeting members, which we have been seeing immense success in. Has really helped out quite a lot. 
The Zone; doing well. We are also in a slump. Zone training was quite good last week, I absolutely loved it and we heard quite a few good reports on being able to hear from the ward and stake leaders. I thought it was quite a boost, and I am so grateful that they took time out of their day to come. Sad to lose Sister Takahashi and Sister Taylor, as well as Elder Dale soon, they will be missed dearly. I sure do love and look up to them. We had very few new investigators last week, and our MP to OL ratio was not really where we would like it to be for several areas, hope to work with the individual districts in getting members more involved and seeking to find more people to bring into the teaching pool. 
Loving life out here, can't believe how fast the time goes. Just can't believe it. Summer is here, it's hot and humid. Rained all week, been in the 80's with 100% humidity. Tuesday was the most fun during exercise I have ever had, no one on the soccer court and Elder Shipp and I had a great time playing soccer, and there was no on there because it was 'Autumn' rain! There was so much water we just slid around and would penguin slide after a pretty goal. Couldn't hardly see it was going down so hard. I love it. Missionary work, or... well I don't know. Just missionary work folks. Get involved. We all signed up and it's on the ticket requirements to the Celestial Kingdom, so let's get to work!
Love Elder Sargent

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

4/11 Characters!

It has been a good week! I absolutely loved conference. It has been a little bit slower these last two weeks, but things are coming. I really feel like we are putting all we can into our lessons and doing what we can, but we are still lacking in the new investigator category again, and are working with several members to bring friends to church. Our Elders Quorum activity is looking like it is going to bring some success. We are doing what we can, and praying the Lord will pick up the other side.
As a companionship we are doing well, Elder Da is still having pain as we have been working to get this figured out which has effected his desire to speak I feel. We were together quite a good amount this week. It seems like it is just the week and a half of MLC that we have so many meetings and so are forced to do exchanges to facilitate the work. So these upcoming weeks should not cause any problems. Trying to keep hopes and faith up with his language and jaw. His language skills have escalated so much in the past months. I tell him, but I am not doing well enough. He is the best companion I could ever ask for. I love him so much. He has taught me so many things, and I can't be grateful enough for my time I get to spend with him. 
The Zone is doing quite well, we seem to be struggling as a whole in finding new people to teach and most numbers seem to have taken a small dip these past two weeks and I am not sure why. Really hoping and praying the Lord can assist Elder S and I to know what we need to teach tomorrow. To keep the work progressing. I feel like there is a lot that we can improve in. 
Conference was amazing. A-Y and Brother C both came for two sessions, the ward has really taken over Brother C and I love it. Inviting him among many things. Our investigators, however how small the pool is, has really taken a large leap in progression these last two weeks
As well I started characters this week! Really quite fun, and I enjoy being able to read some of the text, and not feel like a disobedient missionary if I look too long at the characters haha. 
I  LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. Wish us luck at zone training tomorrow.
Love,

   Elder Sargent

Thursday, April 7, 2016

4/4 Bone Spoon

The biggest wasp i have ever seen that interupted comp study... I GOT IT! scariest thing ever.

Ever seen a conquered world?

Nature Walk

Where to begin. This last week has been moderately crazy. I believe I spent 24 waking hours with my actaul companion haha, and it looks like the upcoming week will be the exact same. This really has been a testing time for Elder Da and Elder Ch, as well as for our areas. It was pretty hard to keep scheduling people, visit members and all such. So we didn't teach as must as we would have liked to. However, many members took it up, and we didn't teach some of the times we normally would have. We had several activities this week, that had a great turnout. Had great fellowshipping and things went great. Even though the week was rough, it came out on a very good note. Elder Da and I taught combined Priesthood about missionary work! Which involves home teaching and serving our fellow ward members. Did some role playing and it was good to see so many enjoy it and have a turn in enthusiasm. Our commitment was to give a copy of the Book of Mormon away in two weeks. Then in sacrament, Bishop mentioned it and so did another Brother. It was amazing! Sad to see a few who still refused, but they will adjust.
I have really pondered about how to progress the ward. Our relationship, the work, everything.  My answer was simple because it came from the MLC topic, working with ward leaders. We need to get a better relationship with our Bishop and get things started from there. So I bore testimony of supporting our priesthood leaders with upcoming General Conference, but not just the Apostles, but down to the Stake President and the Bishop. He gave a strong testimony of missionary work before I went up. Then we hiked with several of the members we don't have a super strong relationship with today (including Pres. T and the Bishop). As well, got most all of them scheduled for dinner (I this week decided to overcome my fear of asking someone if I can eat at their house haha). The work is good. Brother P just got a new job and asked his employer if he could have Sunday off, but it was a negative. So he is now looking for another job. Really trying to find some more solid new investigators. Been lacking recently.
The Zone is well, looking forward to zone training, have our two ideas we are quite excited about. We plan on having several stake and ward leaders attend and talk about the work. As well, implemented the new numbers system for the districts, which is quite fluid.
The pictures of Elder Da... hahahahahahahaha funniest experience of my mission but I didn't think he would ever talk to me again. We had a member sister take us to meet a friend or two, happened to be Master L and his assistant, where she learns ancient Chinese medicine (that's right pops, I am coming home and I will know the REAL ancient Chinese medicine). Well, while Master L was working on someone, I mentioned to Sis. La that Elder Da had a jaw problem... bad idea. It all happened so fast! Next thing we knew he was pretty much in a coma! Kidding, but almost. She shoved her hands in his mouth and yanked his head around, twisted him in a pretzel, wouldn't let him get away as he cried "It hurts" in his cute Philipino voice. haha Right when he thought he was done and we were going to eat, (Imagine him crawling away) Master L set into him, used the Bone spoon (I don't know what that is in english sorry...) aw man I was dying. Just a funny story for you all. Fun stuff you do to your companions.
I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK. I LOVE CHEUNG SHA WAN. I LOVE ELDER DA (hopefully he loves me ;)
-- 
Love,
   Elder Sargent