11-25-2013

to me
Nov 25

Details

Dear Familia dear, 

OH man, let me just first start of by saying this. Dad, you were right.  I thought I knew cold before, but I was very wrong.  Very very wrong.  IT IS FREEZING!!!! It was only like 34 degrees but it seriously felt like 20 below... rediculous!! BUT!  every hour you spend tracting or walking out in the cold is a blessing for your family.  So I'm racking up some blessing for the Sahagun's and probably enough that we could start sharing with the Knudsens and the Popes and the Allgoods as well!!  "Tis the season of giving.  

So for Thanksgiving this week we are going to the Whites.. they are a new family in the ward that we don't know that well, but cool thing we got double booked!! so we'll be having dinner (lunch) dinner is lunch here and supper is dinner, hope you followed that.  So we will be having two wonderful Thanksgiving feasts. Awesome. 

We had a really cool experience this week.  We were walking through westhampton cemetery so we could put our names on a clergy list. ( a wonderful finding idea from the front of our missionary planners) and the lady there told us that they didn't have a list like that that we could sign up on, then she gave us a bunch of names of a bunch of different funeral homes that were way out of our area that we could try.  We pretended like it was going to be helpful and left. We were kinda bummed so I decided that we should go look at all of the Jesus statues that they had all around the cemetery (there were many) we went and saw one of Jesus and a table with 11 apostles 2 of which looked more like women, slightly confusing.. then I remembered a statue of Jesus with the woman at the well at the corner of the cemetery that we passed frequently,  On our way over we saw this old guy unloading some cleaning supplies from his trunk.  He looked up and saw us and started walking towards us. He shook our hands and said "Harry Shaia"  We started talking and he told us that he was Catholic and that he was there visiting his late wife and son who had died in an accident and asked a little about why we were out here and what we were doing. Somewhere within 2 minutes of meeting this man he asked us if we would like to "join him for dinner" what? I guess so? he gave us his number told us to call him at 5:30 and tell him where to pick us up and he would have a reservation for us to eat at 6:30.  so we called him and told him to pick us up at our apartment and he did,  he took us to this Really nice Italian place called Brios, It was like 25 dollars a plate. maybe that's not that much but it seemed really expensive to me.  we talked a bit and at one point elder tirrell went to the bathroom so it was just me and Mr. Harry Shaia.  He started to ask me all about missionary stuff.  Did you know your companion before you came out? why do they move you around so much? who pays for all of this? all of the stuff that people usually ask us.  I answered question after question and then out of the blue he asked me this. " do you believe in Jesus Christ" I said "most definitely" He said" As the son of God?"  I replied again. " yes" then he asked again "that he came to save us from sin?" I confirmed again that that is what we believed.  He stopped for a minute, started chuckling and said, "I guess you are alright"

we finished dinner he then took us out to get some Ice cream at Burger King and took us home.  When we got home and he parked the car and said this " I don't think you truly understand, that you are a conduit of God to bring His message to the people here.  You truly are a conduit" he stopped, started to get really emotional and said " this Tuesday I'll be going to Mass, Know that at that time that I will be praying for you.  I  ask that you do the same for me."  we agreed that we would shook his hand and he left.  It was truly a miracle that we ran into this man.  We might not of converted him right then and there, but we made the essential first step for his testimony to grow. Planted a Seed!! Alma 27 by small and simple things!!! It was such a testimony builder for me and a great experience that I will remember forever! 

This is a great time to be a missionary, this Thanksgiving I am thankful for my family and friends that love and support me.  for the Gospel in my life, and most of all for the opportunity that I have to share it with the people here in Virginia!!  I love this Gospel and I love all of you so very much and I hope that you have a fantastic week!! I can't wait to here from you this Christmas :)  

The Church is true.

Love you all, 

Elder Nick Sahagun