What is happening to enero.(January) It´s seriously passing SO quickly. Who knows. Sometimes I feel like God makes time go by faster because there is so much bad in the world and he just wants it to stop. Who knows. But this week me fue bien. More changes... ready??

 

NUEVA COMPANERA. (new companion) Ya, yesterday after lunch President called us and I saw his name on the cell and was like Hna Paz.. ¨contestelo¨ (answer) but she didn´t want to... but ya, to see presdiente name on caller id is nerve racking, but I ended up talking to him and he told me that I have a new comp and that she arrived today! She got here last night to Limache and is from Mesa AZ, not a Toro. Thankgoodness, but she was serving in Guatemala and there was a change in her mission and now she is here with me! She has 15 months in the mission and is awesome, just a good missionary. Wants to be obedient, wants to learn, wants to see milagros (miracles) so now we´re here in Limache and the other 2 hnas are in the other part of Limache! Lots of changes always in the mission!

It is my 7th change and 7th comp. It’s a lot of changes, just when we start working good together we´re seperated, but it´s all good. I trust president and know that he receives revelation. It´s good to be able to learn from all of them!

 

bueno, por mi amado chilenas: (well, for my  beloved Chileans)

Blessed with a baptism for Monsi and Ignasio, it was great. Ignasio was scared of the water but did great and when Monsi came out of the water she gave peace signs... so funny! But they were happy. Monsi told me it was hard for her to have Hna Riggs leave after 7 months, but that she was glad I was there to teach her this past week because she felt confidence in me and reminded her of Hna Riggs, so there is always a purpose! But it was great! Love baptisms :)

 

Silvana is awesome. We taught her a lesson on obedience and following the profeta(prophet) and during the video clip we watched she took out her tounge ring and said ¨lleveselo¨ (take it away) and that was that. I was praying that she´d have her own desire to do it and we wouldn´t have to tell her anything, and just to listen to the prophet was enough. The ring is now in my journal :) She is progressing well. Came to church and just loves it! She´s awesome.

 

Patricio, well we changed the boundries for our areas so lots of the people we were teaching, like Patricio, are now in the other Hnas area. Sad because we had lots of people but now we can work more in other areas. Patricio came to church with a megaphone attached to his car for work and when he was leaving I just heard my name ¨SARGENT¨ SO LOUD. It was embarrassing and funny at the same time. Just hope that quickly he understands what the gospel means in his life! and can change.

 

We need new people, we have great people, but that are really progressing well, not many, just why don´t people understand better the gospel and the blessing that come from it! But I know that this week, especially cause its only one area, we´ll see miracles!

 

There is the CUTEST little kid in the ward and after 4 months here of trying to win him over, I finally did. He told his mom the other day that I was his girlfriend. So precious. I think maybe for Jayda in 20 years....

 

The Book of Mormon is puro PODER! (pure power) if a person reads it daily, even if its a little part, they won´t lose their testimony. The people who don´t read it, don´t understand the gospel and what it consists of. Seriously, I love it. Everytime I read it I just feel so blessed to have it as part of my life!

 

Hna Contreras shared with me a quote this morning... it´s better to be respected than liked! I love it. So true, here in the mission missionaries can be disobediente just so people like them, but it´s so much better to be a good obediente missionary so people remember that about you rather than... oh ya, he was a lazy missionary, but a good friend.

 

Well, the mission is great. I honestly love it. It´s just great to be here sharing the gospel with the people. If anyone is thinking of a mission, just GO! The best decision that you can make. God will bless you when you get back. Just do it.

The church is true. God loves us. Cristo vive y gracias a él podemos regresar y vivir con nuestra padre celestial.

les quiero familia. les extraño igual. (Christ lives and thanks to Him, we can return and live with our Heavenly Father. I love you, family. Miss you guys too!)

 

 

Keep smiling,

hna Sargent

 



 

 

the herd was with me.

hna Contreras and i quickly... not the best photo, but atleast you ca see her face! 

 

monsi ad ignasio :)

hna paz and I. 

hola familia....

 

Can I just start by saying that the computer place we´re in right now has music on and it’s SO hard to concentrate because it´s music that I haven´t heard for 10 months now... ahhhh. All the classic oldies. Right now... Pretty Woman before this ¨its not unusual to be loved by anyone¨... ya, thats my worldy rant. back to the mish....

 

This week was good. Had cambios. (transfers) I´m still here in Limache with hna Paz and now we´re in a trio with hna Carrasco from Peru. It´s different to be in a trio, but we all were here in Limache so we´re used to each other. But its just for 2 weeks because new hnas come and ya, we´re not really sure what will happen but we just have to trust in the Lord. Hna Carrasco just finished her training, and hna Paz is in her training still (12 semanas)(weeks) so they´re young, but good. We are now all in 2 areas, it´s a big area, but it´s good. Have lots of people in the 2 areas so we just gotta work hard to teach all of them! But I´m happy to be here still. We´ll see what happens in 2 weeks.

 

Silvana, she came to CHURCH! It was a miracle. She didn´t sleep at all the night before but when we went for her she came and stayed all 3 hours. She´s doing good. She has piercings and when we taught her Ley de Castidad (law of chastity) and modesty she understood so hopefully she´ll stay strong. She really wants it. I think she has a little fear of her dad still that he won’t accept it but she´s strong and understands that its something she NEEDS to do. Just love her.

 

Alondra. sad news. I was really sad. We went to teach her on Miercoles (Wednesday) and she told us that she had bad news, Her husband doesn´t want her to go to church anymore. He doesn´t want to stay at home with the kids and I guess the other day after church it caused BIG problems. She feels like she can´t go if it’s gonna cause problems with her family and marriage. Even though she knows the church can help! So that’s sad, but we did pass by on Saturday and her esposo (husband) was home and we talked to him, so maybe it helped a little bit. Pray for them!

 

Monsi- she’s from the other side of Limache, the other hnas, but she got married Friday! yay! She was so happy. They got married in the church and Obispo did a prayer and everything. To be at her wedding made me SO grateful for the chuch and the power of Temple weddings that are FOREVER. I was listening to the person from the law (can´t remember in english the name of that person) but just was so blah what she was saying. I don´t know why people wouldn´t want to get married and be sealed for eternity after listening to her... but she will be baptized this weekend or the next! It´s so great. I feel like it´ll be hard for her because Hna riggs left, but not it´s really a test of her faith, I´m glad that I know her and her situation to help her really reach baptism soon!

 

Patricio... came to church again, has problems with Palabra de sabaduria, (word of wisdom) and has been super busy with work, but we´ll see. I think it´s either chau o bautismo. (goodbye or baptism) I think he´ll keep coming to church regardless if we´re teaching him or not, so there is hope. This week we´ll see! Also told me that when he saw a pic of the fam he was happy to see his ¨future family¨ (refering to me being his wife) ya... we gotta be careful with that....

 

This week some old man came up to me and asked if I knew the song.. New York New York (broadway) and if I´d sing it for him cause he´s always wanted to hear a gringo sing it... ha! So funny. So I did. Thought I´d make a wish come true. And no he wasn´t drunk, just old. Maybe he doesn´t even remember now!

I have had my testimony stregthened of God this week. Read Moises 1:35, incontables (incountable??) and that there are SO many worlds and stars and everything, but we are here in this tiny world to progress and He has given US the knowledge of how to return to Him. He has restored His gospel here on this earth for us. We have a prophet to guide us and to help us through these hard times. Sometimes its hard to comprehend all that God does. But one thing that I know is that He LOVES us and when we are following His commandments He blesses us.

 

Sunday Juaquin blessed the Sacrament. I feel like a mother. I just am SO proud of him and this change that he´s made in his life... we called him to put a cita, (make an appointment)  and he said he couldn´t because he had mutual. I was just SO happy. He is converting everyday more and more to the Gospel. His life will be forever different. I just pray that he´ll stay strong. His family life is hard, but he is solid.

 

This week I think I ate the best fruit I´ve EVER eaten in my life.... seriously, SO good. Have no clue what it’s called or where it came from but hna Paz and I are convinved it´s the fruit Adam and Eve ate. I´d have eaten it too.

 

Well, this week is good. We´re gonna be busy these next couple weeks helping people, visiting people, teaching people, helping the ward, ect ect. but it´s the best thing that I could be doing right now. I´m so happy here. I want to help people progress and understand the importance of the Gospel. It´s the best thing that we have in this world. It’s what everyone needs. It’s true.

 

I love you all familia, pray for you always and love hearing updates from you all :)

 

Until Monday...

Keep Smiling,

Hna Sargent

 

 

 

my comps now. trio

Monsi, just got married... not the best fotos. but she´ll be baptized soon! 

 

hna PAz and i

 

LOVE the fruit here.

yuseska. dauhter of alondra. CTR ring :) 

Elder Lino, Riggs and I, peace

Feliz año nuevo! (Happy New Year) Here in Chile, the people are still saying it in the streets. Kinda funny because in the states its like one day and ya, that’s it. But it was good to bring in the new year! We had a dinner with an investigator, and at about 10 I was tired, but I bucked up and tried to celebrate my very best! We went to the fireworks here in Limache with the other Hnas and one of their investigators who gets married this Friday to be baptized! Yay! But it was fun. Lots and LOTS of people, we had cute little party hats, and ooohed and awwwed at the fireworks! It was fun :) I have decided this holdiay is overrated, I love it because it´s a new start to things and goals, but the holiday in itself is not my favorite. Rather wake up the next morning with the desire to start all my goals and not feel tired! ha! Ya, I´m a 90 year old grandma! hahaha... 

 

This week was filled with goodness. I have decided I just LOVE the mission. It´s the best. There are days when I am tired, or when I just don´t know if I can take it more, but in that moment the Lord blesses us! a ver... this week:

Silvana, she´s awesome!! I´m so glad that we are teaching her. She hasn´t smoked in a week and yesterday accepted a fecha. She WANTS it. She has a testimony of the priesthood and of eternal families, and told us that she wants that. She was scared of what her dad would say last week, but yesterday said, ni importa (it doesn´t matter) what he says, I want to change. Now we´re just working with her and praying that for her b-day this weekend Word of Wisdom won´t be a problem! I´m nervous for that, but she´s great. Love her!

Juaquin, ok, I just love seeing the change in converts in the mission. I really think that is the BEST thing to see and the best way to see how people come to Christ! Ya, so yesterday, we were sitting with Alondra in Church and heard the door open, I looked to see who it was and Juaquin in a SUIT! usually comes in jeans and a bob marley shirt, so to see him in a SUIT I about died. Then we were listening to peoples testimonies and guess who walks past to go bear their testimony, Juaquin!! I wanted to cry, but I couldn´t because I was too happy. It was just amazing to see, I feel like this past week since his baptism he´s changed. Now he has the priesthood, and it was so great to hear his testimony. We´re talking to him about a mission, I want to buy him a PME (Preach my Gospel manual)  to study and prepare him to serve, because it´s a year away! I think just to see him at church Sunday was the ¨rose¨ of my week. The Gospel changes people.

Patricio- he lost a little of his excitement to do things and last week was SO hard to teach, just never could. He also didn´t come to church, tonight we have a cita, so we´ll see what happens. He is SO close and just needs to feel the Spirit more and talk less and listen to understand! But soon, he´ll be ready.

Alondra, she came to church again, she likes it, but can´t stay for more than the first hour, but shes super receptive! She’s progressing, gotta work with her to read, says she doesn´t have time with the 5 kids under 13, but she can do it! If she’s coming to church, she obviously feels something. Her daughter too came to church! I want her oldest son to come because I´ve seen the crowd he hangs with and if he was my kid, I´d want him in the church rather than with his friends. Haven´t met her husband yet either because he works everyday until about 10, but I want to meet him :)

Funny thing... so here transport is micro (bus) and my legs hardly fit in the seats so they’re usually in the aisle. I feel bad because when people walk by they always hit my legs, but there is no room. People always stare and laugh, oh when in Chile.

Also, this week, hna rigss and I were talking about the animals, the dogs specifically.. she goes ¨no puedo cantar, pero tengo amor por los animales¨ (I can´t sing, but I have a love for the animals) I lost it. It was so funny! It’s a talent some people have, I just don´t have it. Just want to express my love for Hna Riggs. I really love her. We are such good friends now, and I know we will be, for life, and will always have our time in Chile to remember. We´ve lived together every change except for 2 in my whole mission. We´ll see next week what happens. (p.s. email next week is Tuesday because of cambios) (transfers)

Today I mark double digits in months on the mish. Hard to believe.

Well, I love this work family. It´s amazing to see the change and the desire in people. The Book of Mormon is true. Everything we need to be happy in this life is in that book. It contains the answers to everything! I love it. I never get sick of reading it. Eveeryday I find something new that I can apply to change my life! It’s the work of the Lord. He loves us and wants the best for us! Christ lives. I know this church is true, I know that familias son eternas.  (are eternal) I am so thankful and everyday give thanks for allowing me this chance to serve here in Chile and to help people come to be feliz (happy) like we are!

I love you all, thank you for everything!

Keep Smiling.

Hna Sargent

 

 

 hna paz y yo en Chile.

 love these kiddos

Happy New Year!!!  haha...

 

 

Hola! I feel like it was forever ago that we talked, but just to start I want to say how MUCH I loved it. It made me realize that I miss you all more than I thought, but it´s all good. I got over that quickly, and still miss you, but not enough to come home, yet… you all looked great, sounded great and uplifted me tons!

I don´t think I thanked you enough for my Christmas package in Skype, but I LOVED it. Everything was just perfect. Gave Hna Paz a thing of hot tamales, sacrificio. And she loved them because they´re hot. But I loved everything! Thank you thank you!

We were blessed with a baptism this week! Juaquin! yay! Really, he has changed a ton, that’s one of the things I love of being a missionary is to see the change in these people! He showed up and was solo, and then about 5 minutes after showed up his WHOLE family. It was awesome. The ward support was super low, I just don´t get it. But he was happy, and honestly has changed and is now thinking of a mission slowly but surely. I think in a year it´ll seem more realistic to him! Good way to end the year!

Patricio... well, we got permission for him to be baptized which is a miracle. President approved it. Patricio wants to be baptized, likes church and everything, but doesn´t get it I feel like. He always has a TON of questions that are nothing to do with anything, but he wants it and thats what is important, just has to understand everything before he does it! The elders came and accompanied us on un cita (a discussion) with him. It was funny. With him I just need to have patience, fe (faith), and pray that he understands. He and his family came to a Noche de Talentos (talent night) (pic) and the miracle was that his ex came! She wanted to see what the Mormons were about and she liked it. Now I hope she realizes the blessing the church can be in the life of her kids!! Yay!

Alondra, she’s new. Found her, has 5 kids and is actually married. And accepted a fecha, (baptism date) we passed for her sunday morning to bring her to church and she was still asleep, but she got up, got a little ready and came with us with 3 of her kids! Her kids were tired and wanted to go home, but I honestly think she enjoyed it. Miracle that she didn´t stay sleeping. Hopefully she´ll come to see the blessings of the family the church has to offer and we can teach her esposo (husband) too. Familia!! (family) yay!

The other pueblo, elders in our district had a Noche de Talentos (talent night) in their capilla. We went because we had invetigadores (investigators) and participated in skits with the elders! It was really funny. Everyone loved them. I have them in film, but too big to send, sorry. You´ll have to wait until I get home to see the videos. But it was really good. A menos activo en our barrio (less active in our neighborhood) does magic, like, legit, and he came with his family and participated in the show. Super good that he came!

We also found an investigator there. It’s the daughter of a hermana (sister) that recently was baptized in that ward. Silvanna. She was so great, 20 years old, and wanted us to come to her house. Sunday we went and she is great. She’s met with the elders lots and has seen a change in herself since she’s met with them and wants it. She just needs to quit smoking! But we talked lots about it and she needs to talk to her dad because she lives with him. But she’s awesome, excited to see her progress!

Menos activas. (less actives) Seriously, I feel SO sad when they just don´t accept it. Or when they are too prideful to realize the real purpose of church, seriously. Sad. My goal for mission and aftermish is to HELP THEM! Mostly just need a friend and someone to invite them, don´t know why it’s so hard to do it for some people! But there are a ton here, and I love them all and my heart hurts more for them than for people who haven´t accepted the gospel because they KNOW!

I have a page full of goals for 2013, Luke 2:52 status. Thanks dad. I am gonna work on all of them!

The other day here in Chile was like our April Fools. Us hermanas played a joke on the elders and told them that the Hnas haven´t returned yet and we couldn´t find them. They were really scared and started running to the bus stop to come help us look, and we told them it was a joke. SO FUNNY. Mean, yes, but we had to. Gotta have fun on the mission.

Well, this was really scattered, but that’s how this week has been! Filled with goodness!

Love the mission.

Tonight we have permission to be out with members until 12:30. I’m gonna die of tiredness, but they have fireworks here and we can go, so I’m just gonna gut it up and do it.. only one New Years in Chile! Gotta do it right! Should be fun!

Happy New Years to you all. Where did 2012 go? Crazy fast! Can´t believe it! But it´s good. 2013 is coming and will be a GREAT year. I know. Lots that will happen.

Love you all. Thanks for everything!

Keep Smiling,

Hna Sargent

patricio and hijos and ex wife.

 otra con juaquin

 

 juaquins bautismo! his WHOLE familia came! so happy!

 

familia por Christmas Eve!



FELIZ NAVIDAD a todo mi familia y amigos que no estan aqui en Chile conmigo!(Merry Christmas to my friends and family who aren’t here with me in Chile) Sepan que siempre estoy pensando en ustedes, y aun mas este Navidad! (Know that I’m thinking of you, and even more this Christmas)

This week was just filled with goodness. I´m not sure if it’s because everyone is more focused in the Navidad, (Christmas) if it´s the warn weather, or if i´m just happy to be here. Probably a little of everything!

This week I was focusing on the service that was given to us as missionaries. It was incredible to see the smallest little things that people do for us make the world of difference. Really, I don´t think we as missionaries focus on the service that others give to us because we´re always trying to give it to others, but when we accept it and realize it, it´s amazing.

This week we had to go get something notarized for Hna Paz and her visa. We went to another Pueblo (town) to do it and we walked in and it was SO full. People waiting outside and everything, and it´s never full, usually empty. So we walked in and grabbed a number, it was number 76 and they were on 50! Ugh... we only had about an hour too, but these places take forever! We were waiting there for about 5 minutes, or less, and this young man, our age, walked up to us and introduced himself. Told us that he just returned home from his Mission to Asucion Paraguay the week before, found out that he met Shauna once... he arrived with the group of Hna Jara... I think, when you were training, and then he gave us his number (55) and told us he could come back in the afternoon. It was honestly such a miracle. One he had a number WAY ahead of ours so we didn´t have to wait too long, and two he knows Shauna. Christmas Service, number 1.

We were in a area of our sector late one night, it was like 9:30 and we left from the lesson, walking is about 30 mintues and the latest we can be in our house is at 10. We decided to go in a collectivo. (taxi) We asked him the closest he could take us and he brought us right to our neighboorhood, it was out of his course, but he did it and didn´t charge us anything extra like others usually do! Christmas Service, numero 2.

It was raining, all day one day... kinda weird because the weather has been warmer and then it was just a day of winter... I unfortuntely had to use my coat.. ugh. But we were visiting this menos activa (less active) family, the familia Tapia. We shared a message with them and then had to leave to get back to the house. In the rain. But after walking all day in it, I was used to it, but still, not my favorite. As we were packing up our bags to leave, Hna Tapia tells her brother, Rodrigo, to get the keys for the car and they´ll take us home! It was SO nice. Plus more time to share with them. Christmas service, numero 3.

Our house has a small yard in front of it, and it was OUT OF CONTROL with leaves and weeds and who knows what else. 2 hermanos from the ward, with permission, came and weeded TODO. (it all) Seriously, our house looks so different and it was SO nice because we didn´t have to use our time to do it, plus we don´t even have the things that we´d need to do it. Christmas Service, numero 4.

We as a ward went and sang to a retirement house. It was so special. I was on spot selected to sing a solo, but during the song I was just watching all these people, who have lost their minds, have bad health, and are celebrating Christmas without family, without anything, just each other. I had the most overwhelming feeling that these people are close to Christ. That they, just like us, are Children of God. They may have thought that it was service to them, but I felt like it was a blessing and service to me to be able to go. Christmas Service numero 5.

Those were just a few of the things that happened. But it really made me more focused in the true meaning of Christmas and think more of Christ through the week,

Patricio and his kids can´t get baptized. Found out this week that Patricio is divorced but his ex and him still live in the same house, and the wife has all the rights for her kids and doesn´t want them to be baptized. But they are progressing, reading, coming to church and everything! Just more time and patiencia (patience) with them.

Erika, still good. Went to the north with her family for Christmas so we won´t be seeing her until the next week. Kind of a bummer, but she’s good. Just needs to read more. She believes it, but needs to keep her compromisos. (promises)

Juaquin, had his interview and will be baptized this Saturday! YAY! Finally. He honestly has changed a lot and is talking about a mission. The BEST thing for him would be to just GO!! He has a tough family situation at home, so that makes it hard, basically is the support for everything, but he has a great understanding of the Gospel and can see the blessings in the lives of the people who have it contra (them that don´t have it!)

We had a Christmas conference... it was SO good. Learned a ton. Presidente told us Hnas that in Feb there are like 15 hnas (sisters) that are coming and then when April comes there will be about 50 hnas... I asked him what we´d do for training and all and he said some sisters will have to train 2 sisters at once... wow. Our zone did a FLASH MOB. It was bomb. I had to start it, but we did the song, 12 days of Christmas and changed the words... ha! It was awesome. Also watched the Christmas devotional. LOVED IT. The music was amazing.

Well, I can´t wait to talk to you all tomorrow. Yes, 3 your time! I am excited to see you all and be able to hear your voices.

Remember the meaning of Christmas and why we are celebrating it. Look to share your testimony of Christ with those who are around you and I know that your testimony will be stregthended. He Lives. Without Him, the Prince of Peace, there would be no way to have peace in the world. Through Him, everything is possible, and Christmas isn´t Christmas if Christ isn´t in your hearts like President Monson said.

Love you all. Feliz Navidad!

Keep Smiling,

Hna Sargent

 our zone this morning!!

 

the Hnas at the Christmas conference we had this week!

there are cherry trees here. I love them!! just ipick them off and eat them all up :)



 

Hola familia!

This week was really good, we´ve been running like crazy I feel like, but have found some solid people and have enjoyed working together!

6 changes, 6 comps, 6 reunions de cambios... I´m basically pro. It´s crazy. HOPEFULLY I´ll have this comp for 2 changes.. with my track record though, who knows!

My new Comp is Hna Paz from Mexico! She’s 23, 5 years in the church, and has a desire to work! I love that about her… always looking for ways to find people and talk to people. I feel like she already has lots of time here in the mish because it´s way different than with Hna Smith. Hna Paz talks lots, Hna Smith, not too much… just a funny difference. But she´s great. We get along well and I´m excited to cook some comida mexicana (mexican food) with her… I miss it SO much! Ha!

So last Tuesday we went to the mission home to pick them up, met with president and his wife with the nuevos. (new ones) I really do like seeing them. Sometimes I feel like we NEVER see them, but when I do I just feel love for them. They´re great. Solid members and obedient children of God. President told me as we were leaving. ¨hermana, tengo mucho confianza en usted, gracias por todo¨ (Sister, I have lots of confidence in you. thanks for everything) made me feel good to hear that from him! But we finally got back to Limache Tuesday night, and had about one hour to work and went on the hunt! Found a mom and her daughter that first night that accepted a fecha, (baptism date) but then we could never find them in their house through the week… reoccuring problem in the mish, never can find people! But I know that this week we´ll find them! They´re golden. But it was a good first day and I was glad to be back in Limache after 2 days away… I felt lost and like I wasn´t where I needed to be! Ha!

This week we saw a miracle, one of those stories that you´d read in the Ensign.. ya, it happened to us... prepare yourselves....

So we´re sitting in Ward Council and we hear somebody call out and yell, ¨hola?¨ The bishops counselor went to see who it was. He came back in a few minutes later and called us out to go talk to her... we went and she told us basically she wants to participate in a church and she has passed by this one lots and it’s always closed, but when she saw it was open she decided to pass and see... so we put a cita (appointment) with her that night, last night I guess. We went to her house and she let us in we began talking to her and asking about her life, ect ect. Then we asked her why she decided to come to our church to find us? She told us that the other day she prayed to ask God which church she should go to... and she felt ¨the Mormons¨. She told us that she was looking for us the past couple days to talk to us in the street but never saw us like she usually does, so Sunday she woke up and felt like she needed to go to the church and look. She went, and that’s when she found us. We taught her lots about Jesucristo (Jesus Christ) and she has so much of a desire to follow Him. She accepted a fecha for 30 of dic (baptism date dec 30) and was SO happy. It was a miracle. Erika is her name. We have a cita (appointment) with her tonight and I´m excited to go back. It´s just a huge testimony builder of 2 things.. This is the true church, she wouldn´t have felt that if it wasn´t, and that there are people who are ready for the Gospel NOW! No need to wait, people want it, they´re hungry!

Patricio, Bruno and Tomas vinieron (went) to church yesterday! We haven´t been able to teach them yet and they´re coming to church. This is another miracle. Everytime we´ve gone to teach them something happened that we could teach them or they had to go.. I think it´s Satan, but this week! When they get baptized.. I have the faith they will, just to tell you as a heads us, Patricio will need at least 2 people to baptism him. He is a big boy! But I think it´s awesome, good story at the least! I think his kids think church is so-so, but they just need to have friends in the church! and our ward is not that great at befriending people!

Yesterday we had ward council and it was the only church meeting I think in my life I have felt that much sadness. It´s sad. Seriously, I was thinking, this ward needs help. How are we as missionaries going to help people come to Christ when the ward has its problems. The leaders that were there were like, bickering, there was contention, and these are supposed to be the LEADERS! This ward is great, I love the members, but what they haven´t come to realize yet is that a ward is a team, there were so many times said, well I did that, and that other thing is your responsibility I just sat there in awe. thinking... no wonder that there are so many menos activas (inactives) en chile. Super, super sad. Sometimes I feel like they need Priesthood or elders to maybe help with those priesthood responsibilties, but we´ll see. Pres and obispo (bishop) have their own revelation!

This week I feel like I came to understand the Atonement better. So many times we hear people say.. ¨God understands that I need this thing¨ (cigarros (cigarettes), alcohol, café (coffee), Sunday to shop, ect) but it’s NOT TRUE. God does not understand because He sent His son, Jesus Christ, who felt every single thing that we´ve felt. It doesn´t matter if we smoke or drink because we´re stressed or sad, what we need to do is look to Christ for that extra lift of support and love to overcome what we´re feeling.

As for others, we have lots progressing and lots of people to teach, just gotta get them to understand the Restoration because honestly its the most important! It’s why we have our gospel.

It´s decided.. I will NEVER have a dog. I hate them.

In Eter 9: 19, what are cureloms and cumoms. It says they were most useful along with elephants, but what are they? anyone know? I was thinking maybe llamas or something??

Can´t believe I hit 9 meses (months) this past Friday.. really weird. We celebrated with pizookie. Hna Riggs hits 16 months today! CRAZY!

Well, life here in Chile is good! We decorated the tree mom! Thanks! Love it, and with the polarbear on top..it´s perfect. Christmas is rapidly approaching!

The gospel is true, we are so lucky to have it in our lives! Love you all a ton!

Keep Smiling,

Hna Sargent

sister missionary tradition here in chile. should be self explanatory!

love this photo. my ¨mission mom¨

hna Paz and i! from mexico!



Well, this week has been kinda crazy. Just lots and lots of different things that happened.

 

Well, first we had cambios.(transfers) Hna Smith left. Super weird because the training program is 12 weeks in total, and she left halfway through. But all is well. I am training again. I don´t know who my comp will be, I´ll find out today at 4:30ish. I do know that she is Latino though. I´m excited. Sometimes I think the Latinos have a more relaxed way to be a missionary, just more problemas con obedencia con exacitud.(with obedience and punctuality) not all. There are stellar ones too, but I´m excited to have a Latino so she knows that it’s good to have a schedule and follow every rule! So next week I´ll let you know who she is and where she’s from. Plus I miss Spanish so it´ll be good! You should be able to get on the mission blog this week and see pics. Usually they have them up! Yesterday Hna Smith left and I stayed the night with 2 other Hnas that will be training. We were working in one of their areas, they´re awesome. I felt that they were training me. Both are in their last 2 cambios. Awesome missionaries.

Hna Smith was super sad to leave. She was just getting the hang of it and was really progressing, but it´s good to have 2 trainers. I loved it. It was awesome. Because the first part was just getting used to everything, and then when Hna Tamayo came is when I felt like I really took off and was able to progess more and feel more confianza. (confident) I´m happy for her! We hope we´ll at least live together again one day! I was sad to see her leave, but am also excited to start again and help the new missionary get the hang of the mission!

Well, onto the week.

Investigadores. This week was really hard to find people in there houses for some reason. All of our investigators just weren´t home. So thats always frustrating a little bit, but I know that we were also blessed on finding others. I just don´t get why people don’t want to listen to the gospel all the time! It´s just such a blessing in their lives.

Irma. We had to drop her. It was SOOOOO hard. But I just felt like it was what she needed. I´ve been feeling it for a few weeks now. It´s hard though because ya, she had a fecha(baptism date) and was reading and all, but her desire to be a real member just wasn´t there. I think she was doing it for us. It was hard. I cried. Hna Smith cried. Irma was mad that we couldn´t come anymore, but for now I think it´s right. Sometimes I wonder and am seeking revelation to know what we should REALLY do.

Patricio, Tomas y Bruno. This random guy stopped his car one day to talk to us and said that his 2 boys needed help in English. We went by the other day and taught them a little English and talked about the BOM with them, invited them to church and put another day to come back and teach them. Sunday morning, guess who showed up to church and stayed for ALL 3 HOURS? They did. I was in shock. Patricio, the dad really liked it. Told us he wants to come next week. I think the sons were a little bored, but probsies didn´t understand all of it. But it was just incredible that they came. Patricio said he has always been looking for the truth and wants his family to be united and have good examples. He has some weird views, but really just needs the Gospel to help him! After church Sunday, he called us and asked what scripture in the Bible they used in the class. Pretty Solid!

Veronica- this lady is living the gospel with her family, just doesn´t know it yet. Has so much family unity, wants her kids to be happy. Eternal life is inticing to her, it´s awesome! We just have to go back this weekend to teach her!

Juaquin- still progressing. He is changing. He is way more alert in classes and honestly his aura has changed. His eyes have a light to them. Pretty sure he´ll be getting baptized soon, just gotta make sure it´s ok with President because he is younger than 18!

This week there was a RS once.(activity) It was all Christmassy (view fotos) it was really really good. I realized here at this activity what it means to be a member of the church. At this RS activity though, it was sad. There are lots of ¨cliques¨ in the soc soc here and it’s totally noticable. When there are investigators, it’s like pulling teeth to get them to sit and talk to them solo. It really makes me sad. We have these people there who are SO excited and people say hi and greet them, but they don´t talk to them, don´t ask anything about them, don´t invite them to their house por un NDH, es triste!! (for a Family Home Evening, it’s sad) It´s really made me realize that the mision is teaching me how to be a member of the church and how to be more Christlike and really help people come unto Him. That is why the church has so many menos activas, (less actives) mostly it’s because they don´t feel welcome, they don’t have friends, they don´t have a calling. We have to make sure they´re included and involved in the church and not just floating by!

This week we were talking and I realized that... to believe isn´t sufficient enough. We always need to be doing more than just believing. We need to act, we need to show God that we´re willing to do everything possible and when we are doing that we´ll believe more and our faith will grow.

We had lunch this week with a Hna en the ward. Real yummy. But that’s besides the point. We shared a message after lunch, like always, and her menos activa daughter was there. During the scripture, on prayer, she started crying and then was just opening up like crazy. Telling us everything she felt, how she knows the church is true, ect ect. it was AWESOME to hear from this one simple scripture that she felt so strongly the Spirit and that she was opening up to us. It taught me that the morning studies are so important because Hna Smith and I both were thinking that we should share prayer with them, and then this happened! Revelation is real everyone!

Oh my gosh... Hna Smith would kill me for saying this... but I´m gonna tell you anyways. She was walking and her 2 fingers brushed up against a cactus. She got all these little thorns in her fingers. So we went to find some tweezers to take them out. It was so sad, but so funny too.

Also, this guy who owns this store we always pass by invited us to go to the ¨aguas verdes¨ in Valparaiso. We told him that we couldn´t and he was like... don´t you want to go swimming with me? Ya, gross. We´re gonna try to avoid him the best we can!

The mission is emotionally hard I decided. So many ups and downs. One day it’s awesome and then the next, no one wants anything to do with you. You start loving these people, whether its companions or investigators or miembros (members) and then they just sometimes get ripped away from you. But that’s just how the mission is. I am learning tons and really figuring out how I want to be in my life with my family and as a miembro de la iglesia! (member of the church)

Well, time is about up, but know that I love you all dearly and miss you all. The church is true. The priesthood is on the earth. Stay worthy of it men! It´s powerful. I love the gospel. The mission is changing me for the better and I´m so grateful for that!

Love you all.

Keep Smiling,

Hna Sargent

 

found this oasis! lovely

 

 best present of the year to all of you :) (just remember who your favorite is!!)

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS :)

 

don´t know how this happened. you think it would have hurt.. right?

 

 

Hna Daine. love this lady. reminds me of Aunt Suzanne lots.