Fasting,Prayer and Obedience

Família,

So I apologize in advance bc I had planned to share lots of great experiences with you guys this week but I forgot my notebook at home that would boost my memory to remember them all, AND this computer is not very good today! (very slow and not sure if all photos will even load) sorry!! but I will try my best to let you guys know how great the mission is and my week! So this week was awesome! We’ve been struggling to have success these last couple of weeks, and finally got down on our knees and fasted and prayed. Man does fasting, prayer, and obedience work! I have a strong testimony in these simple, true, gospel principles. We found so many elite families this week and had incredible lessons! So awesome to be a mere instrument in the Lords hands and work. So many miracles have happened this week too. For example, members of the church that we’ve been working with and haven’t gone to church in years and are part of other churches now returned this Sunday! We had a super powerful lesson with this women who’s been having a real tough time in life, gave her a blessing, and she came to church this Sunday and brought a f when she told friend even though she told us us she wouldn’t be there! The Lords really touches peoples’ hearts. We had 6 INVESTIGATORS at church today! And almost all from different families! and the other missionaries had 6 more as well!! This week has been full of hard work, challenges, humility, fruits from obedience, and success!! The Lord´s work is incredible! We have a few baptisms in our near future, and lots of new investigators which will probably have baptism dates as well. I love this true gospel and how much its blessing and changing the lives of others! so great to be a part of this great and marvelous work during this time. These are the best 2 years everyone talks about! Could never be so blessed! I’m a little bit nervous though; this Friday is transfers again, and I’ve been in Itaqui quite a long time! I don’t want to leave this small, Argentina boarder city where I was 1st born in the mission yet! The people and members are so incredible and I would miss them so much! and we’re about to have some real time success! but we will have to find out. maybe my work here in Itaqui has come to and end and The Lord has more plans for me elsewhere. I will go and do what the Lord commands! I trust in Him always. 

I love you family! have an awesome week and thanks for everything!

Love,

Elder Sargent

Why I chose to Serve a Mission

Hey guys! So at last zone conference President Parrela Invited us missionaries to email our families why we all chose to serve a mission. We all know the many wonderful blessings from serving a mission, but I wanted to take a small moment to share with you guys simply why I specifically chose to serve a mission:

Commandment of God- 1st off, I recognize that before this life I´ve made a covenant with my Heavenly Father that I will serve a mission. I don’t like to break my promises, especially the ones I´ve made with my Heavenly Father. I know this Church is true without a doubt, thus com certeza I will serve a mission!

Example and support of my family- I knew I would serve a mission when I saw my older brother leave for his mission as a teenager, and return home a man. I want to become a man too. A “walk about with God”, My mom explained to me. I have the greatest example of my father, who also chose to serve a mission. If there´s one person that I strive to be like, not including Jesus Christ, it´s my dad. I have the example of my Grandpa who also chose to serve a mission, and recently passed away. I have an incredible mother who loves me so much. I have the best sister in the world who emails me every week no matter what and is a perfect example to me of how righteous families are eternally blessed. I have the support of ALL of my family (parents, siblings, siblings-in-law, nieces/nephews, grandparents, uncle/aunts, cousins, and you name it!) They are so wonderful and I couldn’t do it without them. My family is my greatest motivation and blessing. I love them and want to thank everyone so much! 

Bring others unto Christ- I chose to serve a mission so I can help other families have the same knowledge, joy, and true happiness that I have with my family, for all eternity. Like the quote says, ``missionary: someone who leaves their family for 2 years, so that others can be together forever.`` My calling is to bring souls unto Christ. And that is exactly what we do. The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes families. When we accept Jesus Christ into our lives, we become one. The world stops, and we begin to truly live. Baptism is the opportunity for us to be cleansed from all sin, and to begin this new life: a life of peace, love, purpose, joy, happiness, and truth. This is how we live the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have faith, we repent, we are baptized, we receive the Holy Ghost, and we endure to the end. I know this is true! And that is why I chose to serve a mission. So that others can find this truth for themselves too.

We are family. And I love you all! 

(p.s- there are many, many, many other reasons why I chose to serve a mission but I just don’t have time to share them all!) I wish I could.

Family,

have a wonderful week and know that I love you all so much! The mission is great and all is well here. Sorry for not being able to share many mission experiences these past couple weeks, but I will try to focus more on experiences and stories next week. Again, I love you all and thank you so much!  

Stay strong minha família :)

Love,

Elder Sargent 

Eu sei que isto é a obra do Senhor, e que esta igreja é verdadeira. ( I know that this is God's work and I know that this Church is True)

Excerpt from his e-mail to his mom:

thanks for the email and update mom! You guys sound great! Love hearing all these awesome experiences, makes me happy :) so yeah the world cup is crazy here! and I’m getting the least of it in brazil (b/c state rio grande do sul is country territory,and itaqui is about as south as you can get!) but it’s still crazy! Everyone is always watching the games which makes it hard to work because we can’t watch or even ask to turn it off because it will offend them because of culture here! haha. It is  madness more or less lol. But awesome culture. When brazil plays its madness. no one is in the streets so we can only go back to apartment to study. But that’s hard too be cause we hear all of the cheering from the rest of apartment and Brazil in total!! When Brazil scores a goal, it’s exactly like new years in U.S. but every time they score!! Peopling cheering nonstop, horns, confetti, fireworks, people running around, etc! hahahahaha I can´t imagine in other parts of Brazil like the city. craziness! haha. but a cool experience! this month will be a little hard with missionary work! But I know we can have success still! :) I love you mom! have a great week.

p.s- share this with family too if they would like to know about world cup, thanks!

Love,

Elder Sargent

Oranges and Service

FAMILY,

This week was awesome and flew by!! So many things happened!

Here is a short summary:

I learned how to cut and eat an orange properly! haha (cut in spiral motion and eat from inside out! haha)

 Had a zone conference meeting with President  Parrela and Elder and Sister Soares from the Seventy!It was great! We learned a lot of great things! (this is when i received the package from Chan! Thanks!)

My comp and I had service project! (helped paint house of  our branch president)

also lots of amazing other things happened this week! Wish i had time to share them all!

Share with each other your emails bc each one has something good to share with the family that i wasn’t able to add here because out of time! thanks! I love and miss you all! have a great week! This week is a good week to be GREAT!

Love,

Elder Sargent

p.s- i love this gospel of Jesus Christ and know its true! :)

Monkey

Minha Família,

I love you guys!! Thanks so much for all of your emails and updates! Makes me smile to see how great you guys are doing. Keep up the good work! So this week was pretty normal: absolutely AMAZING!! Sure, has its ups and downs like always, but overall it´s INCREDIBLE! I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing it with the people of Brazil! I have so many cool experiences and wish I could share them all! Just know, I am doing greater than well! :) Oh this week we saw a monkey!! haha in the backyard of a members house now lives this monkey in the tall trees! they call him chico! haha they will call him and he will came down to grab a banana from them! so cool. many many many more awesome stories, but don’t worry I’m trying to write them all in my journal so one day i will be able to share them all! Family I love and miss you all like crazy! continue to stay strong and be happy! I love you!

Love,

Elder Sargent