Friday, July 22, 2016

7/18 The Best Area!

S W and Family

Been a really good week! Kind of a rough week getting members involved due to many last minute schedules and more our fault as missionaries, but it's been pretty good. The area has been as thus: Meeting several semi-active members and working on testimony. Most of them are just reactivated members, and or YSA. C is doing super well, and has voiced that he wants to go on a mission. This time more serious, his mother even brought it up. He is still 17 and has some time, but will be a great missionary. He already teaches great with us, still needs some strength, testimony, and doctrinal knowledge, so we have decided to start meeting with him once a week for "mission prep," and as well have really liked this idea and hope to get some of the other youth involved. There are a couple other YSA or Young Men that are preparing to go, or haven't made up their mind, so we feel like this would be a great opportunity to strengthen their testimonies as well as our relationships with them. Work even into opportunities to use their capabilities with friends. 

Investigators: Brother C is doing very well and is progressing. Doesn't seem to have any big problems right now, and takes everything in. So this week we are really going to try to work with him on knowing and praying for the truth. Aa is as good as it gets. Stood up to his friends about the gospel and even used a few scriptures from 2 Nephi Tree of Life story to combat them. He has become such a good friend. He takes all the commandments with "well if God doesn't want me to do it, then I won't do it, because He knows." He is such a good example. Our Gospel Essentials class teacher had him lead class on Sunday... He has been coming to church for a month. Doing well.  S W came to church on Sunday! With his wife and two kids!! It was a big step for him. Visiting them this Sunday, and hopefully we can extend a baptismal date. K is doing well, really close with the YM group, progressing, and hopefully can get baptized this next month, J as well is back most members refer to him as Michael Jackson, you could say he has swag, and doing really well also. I love the area, the investigators are doing well. Miracles. D, the only other real less active we are working with is so much fun as well. He is also in the early 20's area, and is quite powerful. Asked for a priesthood blessing last time we met as a result to the miracle that his stomach sickness had just been cleared that day. Now he can put back on the 30 lbs of muscle he lost this past year (He used to be shredded and huge). I love D!

Zone Training went really well I felt. Had a lot of good feedback. Had two discussions, Obedience and Language (as they took the ban off learning characters), followed by break out groups with the Zone Leadership focused on Baptism in the Doctrine of Christ. I emphasized and discussed HTBT and its role in inviting investigators to be follow the example of Jesus Christ, and be baptized, in the first or second lesson. Emphasis on following Jesus Christ. Too often we come off as just asking people to "be baptized" and it scares them off, therefore missionaries don't ask. Trying to work on that. 
  
 


A our good buddy from Canada. His mom is HKese, his dad is eskimo, he speaks pretty good english and a little chinese, and has a heavy Texan accent because he likes to sing country. 
 
A member treated us to McDonald's.  It is gourmet here in HK.
  


Our summer missionaries.

I think much of what I have been blessed with here is a result of all the many prayers in missionaries behalf, I really feel them. Especially those directly for me. I am so grateful for all I have and the many blessings and miracles which have been bestowed upon me. I still think I am the most blessed missionary out there. 
I love my life and my calling here in HK. I love the people the food, and sometimes the hot and humid weather! 
Ever Stalwart
--
Love,
   Elder Sargent

PDAY soccer fun



Wednesday, July 13, 2016

7/11 Extra early but NOT during REM

The Y family in our ward... they give us food every week and make us banana bread and cookies

Companionship study one day

Shout out to my cutest sister BROOKE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Look out folks she is on the streets.

Great weeks just keep on coming! A is doing super well, we need to get some more members involved with him though. Progression is great, and just going to keep on moving forward. A-Y is also doing well, very excited we could have him at church amd can continue moving on. Church has always been the hard thing and it looks like he has turned a corner for that. Brother C has been really moving forward on that note, and is also looking solid for his baptismal date. It should be a promising next couple months. Those are the investigators with baptismal dates right not and we are looking forward to extending a few more in the coming weeks with a few other investigators moving forward very fast. I am still quite confused as to why all of the people keep coming here and ending up in our area, we have just been so blessed. Especially these past two months. Brother T is doing great, looking forward to the Priesthood soon as well. Another miracle is we just picked up another great LessActive named D,  22 and went LA last year in Mainland, but just moved back down here. He is super solid, and should be a great addition to the ward. 

Elder R and I are doing very well together. I love working with him and he has spiced up the work around here. As well we have started waking up at 5:15 to give us some more time to study. I don't feel like I have had much time to study recently, and so that extra hour and a half (I said 6:00, but he refused because apparently that's in the middle of a REM cycle?), to study the langauge. I love it! That extra hour plus is so helpful and I have already learned so much using it. So we are doing well together. Love the work.

Ever Stalwart

-- 
Love,
   Elder Sargent

Saturday, July 9, 2016

7/4 Staying!!!

Bye Bye Elder N

Out with the old, in with the new

last district lunch after meeting

A great week! It is definitely a big change and a new start. Sending Elder Da to Tai Wai was tough. It is going to be really weird getting used to not having him around. From step training to now. 6 months, a long time. I will see him often though with Elder P. Bringing Elder R in has also been very fun. I love having him around, we were pretty good friends in the MTC, and so it will be a fun time bringing him into the area. It seems like he misses Wan Chai a lot, but he is getting adjusted. 

The area is well, this last week was very interesting, didn't get to see a couple of the investigators due to moving our companionship back to Kwai Fong on Wednesday, and then Elder Da on Thursday, but will get back into the groove this week. The area is thriving as it has been the past month and a little. Brother T was confirmed on Sunday, as well bore a good testimony after about God answering his prayers. I know the members absolutely love him and really hope his wife will have interest and come. The rest of the investigators are doing well also. A is progressing great, couldn't be at church on Sunday due to a competition, but still should be good for his baptismal date. Bro. C has been a waiting gold mine no missionaries have taken advantage of, just been waiting for the past few years. He is looking solid for this next month, we will review all the lessons, but he has been coming to church for a long time so knows and has heard all the lessons. Should be good. A-Y wasn't at church, frustrating, and  Bro. P as well.  Brother C was there and is progressing, wants to focus on baptism now as well, and so is K (who said he really thinks he can do it this time). Our ward is doing so well at working with all these individuals that they can, and we are seeing immense growth. The area is just flourishing. 

Companionship is great! It is a little different having a companion that is so much more out going. We really have a lot of big plans and teaching together has clicked pretty fast. It has just been full immersion for him in teaching the investigators, having had to split a few times already in these past few days. We are working well together, striving for obedience and I can't wait to see what happens this transfer. 

Sometimes things don't go our way, in fact, most of the time they don't, but what does go our way, is the attitude to we choose to react with. When we get fonged. That's just the attitude. Reel in your line and find a new fishing hole. 

I love the work! I can't believe how fast time goes. 


Love, Elder Sargent
Ever Stalwart