Beautiful RIchmond

Family!!! This week has been pretty great!! Sorry this is going to be really brief!!  We got rained on a little this week. Talked to a ton of people (as per us) but we talked to this one kid named Jeff Hoffler and he is awesome!! He's like this 6' 7" 18 year old who plays soccer. He told us that he didn't really believe in God but that he had been looking to get back into church and figure out if God is real!!  He is super tight and super willing!! He is set to be baptized for Oct. 11th please pray for him!! We're meeting with him tomorrow at 4:30.  He was the only super solid new guy we found, we talked to and got like 15 kinda flakyish new people and their numbers so that's pretty cool.  I just can't tell you guys how much I love talking to students at VCU.  It is the best!!  I feel so fulfilled!!  

Tim Bruch a recent convert 

Story of the week, 

So these born again christian people come on campus and talk (bash) with us all the time, and hate is a strong word.. but we really really really don't like them.  We've talked to one in particular a couple times and he is super antagonistic and unpleasant.  We've told him (as nicely as we possibly could) that we don't want to talk to him anymore, so he leaves us alone.. BUT we were walking through the compass ( the student commons area) one night and we saw him talking to Sister Fowers, one of the sisters in my district who has been out for a grand total of about 6 weeks.  So me and Elder Hathcock were like "nope, not today sir"  and we went up to them and just stood there and waited for him to acknowledge us he said "do you want to join us?" and Elder Hathcock spoke up and said, "no we've already had this pointless conversation before, so we're here to rescue her." haha and then he just starts ripping on Joseph Smith about how he was an sinner and was going off about all of these things Joseph Smith supposedly did and I progressively was getting less and less patient, whenever we tried to speak he'd cut us off.. finally I spoke up and said ' SIR, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE JUST LISTEN.  He stopped and nodded his head.. I looked at him and said, " When you are without sin, you can cast a stone at whoever you'd like." He stood there silent looking really angry and I said, " Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and you will never know that until you pray,  we're not going to have this conversation again."  He stopped looked at all of us and without saying a word he shook all of our hands and walked away.   so yeah stuff like that happens here to and it's annoying but there must be opposition in all things!!  and we definitely have some awesome miracles going on right now!!!  I love being a missionary!! I love being (as President Perry my first mission prez used to say"  a conservator of truth! We all are, I loved Elder Hollands talk last conference about defending the faith!! and these days more than ever there need to be more saints who are willing to defend the faith!!!  I love you all so very much and hope you have a great week!! 

Love, Elder Sahagun 

September 8th

 My Wonderful Family!!!!  

This week has been a little crazy... and slow BUT STILL AWESOME!!!!  Mainly this week was slow because we had to move.. so yeah let me explain a little better...  so you said "So I'm confused about your you're moving,you're not moving.  So the couple missionary sister found you a place but it's just as far as the place you're already in, so you're staying where you are until you can find a closer place?  Is that right?"  and that would make sense right??  and that is exactly my frustration..  So we did move into that place that is just as far out of our area as our last apartment, even though it doesn't solve any problems.. because the whole reason we needed to move was that we could live in downtown right close to VCU.. but it's all good we're moved (partially) now and it super crappier than our old apartment, but what are ya going to do?

SOOOO Tristan James, hahaha so Tristan was suppose to be baptized this last week, but he fell of the edge of the earth so that didn't happen.  Tristan lives downtown on VCU campus, but he doesn't have a phone or any way of getting in contact with us, so the way we set up appointments was just by setting them when we met with him and then just hoping he'd show.  and this week he just didn't show.. and we have absolutely no idea where he went, so that could be something you pray for!! Pray that we'll be able to find Tristan and that he'll be able to be baptized on the 13 of September!! Miracles will happen!! So besides Tristan we are teaching a lot of people, but the most solid ones (ones that have a date) are these people Kristi Deguel- Kristi is super awesome and cute haha cute just because of the fact that she's literally like 4 foot nothing haha She has been way busy with work (she's a nurse) and it's making it hard for her to feel ready to be baptized so that is her struggle right now.. Rasheema Burgo-  Rasheema is awesome!!!  She is really awesome, we had a lesson with her like last week and set her on date for 0ctober 11th but she also works on MCV campus (medical campus) and is super busy so it's really hard to set up with her, but she's super solid and has such a great desire to learn.  Justin and Braden are roommates and we talk to them a lot, they are with an on campus ministry meaning they kinda do what we do on campus but it's more like a non-denominational club, but they said they could be any religion and still be in the club so they are willing to learn!! and Diamyn is a freshman, we took her on a church tour two days ago and we are meeting again with her tonight!! She is super crazy and funny and is kinda tip toeing her way back into religion, because she has had bad experiences in the past will this kinda thing but she could definitely be baptized!! ALL of these people could be and it's really exciting!! Pray that these people will continue to feel the spirit and feel that desire to be baptized!! because they are all ready!! :) 

I hear from Elder Crankshaw and Elder DeLaigle a lot!! It's really great to talk to them, I can tell that we've all changed a lot, but at the same time we're pretty much the same... if that makes any sense.. haha probably not. oh well. 

You have no idea how great it is to hear everything going on back home and don't even think for a second that it's boring or that I don't want to hear it!!  because it's great and I love it!! :) I love hearing all of the great things that are going on!!  So don't worry about that! haha and don't worry about me being unsafe on a bike anymore because.. I'm not on bike!! :)  I love being a missionary!!  I've talked to so many people this week who have said that they used to believe in God and now they either don't know or don't care what they believe anymore.. and it's really sad, I just want them to understand how much God truly loves them and desires them to have a relationship with Him!! I love being able to promise people blessings and testify of all of these things I've been able to learn for myself.  This Gospel is the greatest!!  YOU ARE ALL THE GREATEST!!! I miss you guys like crazy, but I'm super glad to be a missionary at this time in this awesome area with my awesome and probably favorite companion! I hope you all have a great week!! Testify to a stranger this week!!  and you will feel incredible!! I love you all!! sorry there are no pics this week I forgot my camera at home.... my bad

Love,  Elder Sahagun 

Laboring in the Lord's Vineyard

My awesome family!! 

 

So P-Day was changed to today because of Labor day, so my labor day was exactly that.. a day of Labor!!  which is really effective for family wards because everyone goes home to be with their families for the holidays and it's a great time to catch people home and teach them the gospel for most missionaries... for YSA missionaries on VCU campus, it's pretty much the opposite.  Campus was like a ghost town yesterday!  and it was very very hot, but we were still able to talk to some cool people so it wasn't all bad!  and the rest of the week has been awesome as usual so I really have nothing to complain about!

 

So Mom to answer your question the whole reason for us moving was because we live 20 minutes from downtown Richmond (where we do all of our work) so we were looking for a place to live in downtown Richmond close to VCU campus to help us save some miles and money so we can go home to eat instead of eating out all the time. So the office manager told us to go find a place, so we looked and found some that would of worked very well, then one of the Senior missionaries told us for some reason that she was going to take care of the situation for us... and she did she got us a nice little apartment 20 minutes away from VCU in the opposite direction... so there is really no point for us to be moving anymore but we are :) so as far as address stuff, we'll be staying here for a little longer and checking the mail here so just send everything to 2028 Timbershill for now, and for pants... just like tan, dark grey, black, maybe some other color I'm forgetting is cool, I trust a mother's judgement :) or you can just put the money for it on my card and I can get them out here, whatever is easiest.

 

So with our investigator Tristan, we're looking to get him baptized sooner than the 13th... probably some time this week or next,  which is tricky with our bishop, (please don't get me started)  our bishop has made up this ridiculous rule that we can only have two baptismal dates a month which seems like a great way to hasten the work.... NOT!!! I'm sorry it gets me really upset so I'm not going to talk about it.  I've talked to President Wilson about it and he has told me to not try and understand it because it is completely wrong. Tristan will be baptized, and that's all that matters :)

 

 I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!!

First day of school VCU

FAMILY!!! 

 

Another fantastic week to be a missionary!!! I really can't even explain to you guys how much I love it down here!!  Seriously, all we do is teach lessons and street contact, and occasionally contact a referral  AND IT'S THE BEST!!!  and it only got better this last week because Thursday was the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!! 

Writing on the street

There are so many people EVERYWHERE!!! I officially have used up all 5 of my potential pages in my planner, and am now using the rest of the pages with investigator and member slots (Heather can explain)!!  We've been able to find over 100 people who are willing to meet up with us and talk about Jesus!!!  Now the big challenge and responsibility for Elder Hathcock and I is to make sure that we stay accountable for the people that the Lord has trusted us with!!  We've been working on daily contact and just calling everyone!!  and it really helps out... but it takes FOREVER!! but it's definitely worth it.

 

Thank you so much for continuing to pray for miracles!!  They just don't stop!!  The miracle that happened this last week is probably the coolest miracle of my mission.  

 

Elder Hathcock

So Tuesday, we are contacting around monroe park, and president has asked that when we proselyte, that we split up so we can contact more people (obviously still staying within sight in sound).  So Elder Hathcock comes up to me after talking to this guy and says, man that was the craziest thing! He said he wants to meet with us, he's met with missionaries before and knows it true said he didn't have a phone but wanted our number so he could contact us, so I gave it to him and he walked away."  I was like yeah!!  that is awesome!!  He said, " no, it gets better, as he was walking away he turned around and said "hey!! I was thinking the 13th"  I said, "for what?"  he said, "for baptism"  at this point as Elder Hathcock was telling the story I completley lost it!  I was super stoked!! 

A tour of a Catholic Church

A couple of days pass and we don't hear from him at all, and we're starting to doubt that he was really serious, and that takes us to saturday,  Elder Anderson of the 70 came down to do a fireside for RC's and Gators, we were allowed to go as long as we brought one of the two.  We had asked everyone but no one was answering or they just had no way to get there.  So we decided that we'd just go contacting for the rest of the night.  We contacted for a little bit and ended up talking to this girl sitting at a table outside, she seemed a little interested, but got an urgent phone call like halfway through our lesson.  She walked away and I was a little bummed, and doubted that she would come back after she got off the phone.. and then out of the corner of my eye I saw some guy walking up to the table,  IT WAS TRISTAN!!  He apoligized that he wasn't able to get in contact with us and asked when we could meet up, we got him to come to the fireside with us!! and set up another return appointment.  When we got to the return appointment with him he was waiting patiently.. listening to mo-tab... me and Elder Hathcock just looked at each other and said, " Man, are you listening to mo-tab....." and he says "yes sir the one and only!!".  So we start our lesson with him and just asked him what he wanted from us as missionaries.  He instantly opened up and told us that he had been investigating the church since the 7th grade, he had never met with missionaries but he bought a ton of books like, True to the Faith, the Gospel Principles book, and Our search for happiness and he just learned the doctrine for himself. He read the Book of Mormon and gained a testimony of it's truth and divinity.  He testified to me and Elder Hathcock ( kinda like we should of to him) that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and that he truly restored Christ's church back on the earth.  the only thing that was stopping him from being baptized at that point was the fact that he was under 18, and his parents did not approve at all, he continued to read and pray, and tragedy struck and his father passed away, making his mother all the more against the idea of him being baptized.  He told us, " My mother doesn't approve but I need to be baptized, (then stopping and choking back tears said) I need to be baptized so I can enter the temple and do the work of salvation for my father."  The spirit was so overwhelming it was difficult to keep myself from crying, we testified that he would, and that we as missionaries would do everything we could to make sure he could be baptized by the 13th.   He came to church on sunday and introduced himself like this, "I'm Tristan, I'm getting baptized on the 13th of September so... all of your prayers would be appreciated.  I have just been blown away by how prepared and ready he is to be baptized and also by his understanding of how baptism is merely a gateway to so many eternal blessings and so much happiness.  I am so thankful that the Lord has trusted us with such a prepared person.  It has truly been a miracle and it has solidified my testimony that there are truly people out there who are prepared by the hand of the Lord.  People who are yearning for the blessings and the peace the gospel brings and all we have to do is open our mouths, extend a loving hand, and be an example of the believers!!  I love this gospel so much, I'm so blessed to be a missionary at this time,  The Lord is truly hastening his work at this time!!  I love you all so much!!! Have a great week!! 

 

Love,  Elder Sahagun  

Move in day for VCU

FAMILY!!! Mom!! I'm so glad that you and the fam are praying for miracles for me and Elder Hathcock here and let me just tell ya, the Lord has been so merciful by blessing us with tons of miracles this week!!  I know for a fact that's an answer to your prayers!!  There is so much good happening in our area right now!!  Move in day for the VCU students was the past 3 days, and it was CRAZY!!! 

Elder Tolman from Canyon View High School

There were (and are now walking around everywhere) SO many people!!  During move ins there were constantly people standing by huge piles of stuff on the edge of the sidewalk!  

One miracle was this.  I went up to talk to this girl named Sophia and her mom standing by some stuff and asked if they needed any help moving, they said no, but we got talking a little bit.  Sophia and her mom explained how she had been raised Catholic and been taught to believe in God but she had come to a point of searching, and was looking for a church to go to while she was away at college!  I Immediately jumped on the opportunity to testify and promise blessing!  I was so excited I gave her our number and then got her number on a mormon.org card (mistake) little lesson for ya'll.   Always.... write potentials' numbers down somewhere where it will not be lost.  Because that's exactly what happened.  At some point later that day I handed that card with her number on it to a random person..  at the end of the day when I realized it, I just felt sick.  Here was this awesome potential that the Lord had trusted us with and placed very nicely in our path and I had lost our only way of contacting her again.  I talked about it with Elder Hathcock and we came to the conclusion that as long as we had the faith that the Lord would place her in our path again.  I prayed super hard that night that we could have the faith to see a miracle.  The next day (sunday) we went out contacting early to see if we could find her and had no luck. We went to church thinking that maybe we really weren't suppose to run into her yet.  After church and a linger longer (ward activity with food)  we went back out and just stopped trying to look for her and just decided that if we ran into her that it would really be the Lord's will,  Right as we said that we made eye contact with some girl in a huge.. and I mean huge crowd of people and it was Sophia!!  She was super excited and asked how we were! and I had to tell her that I had handed her number out to a random person, but we were able to get her number and set up a lesson for this week!!!!  It was such and answer to my prayers!!! I was so relieved!!  I wish I could tell you all of the miracles of this week!! Like how some random girl and her guy and some other girl helped us contact people and find 15 potentials in like and hour!! but it would take a really long time!  We are having so many miracles!!  I know that the Lord is so ready to bless us with miracles!!  As long as we are exercising the faith and we go forth and DO!!!!  BE BOLD!!! I love this gospel!! I love being a missionary!!! and I love all of you!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!

August 12, 2014

Sis from Thailand, Heather knows her mom!

Steering Wheel Bike!

Woah,  Seriously.  This has been one of the weirdest weeks of my mission, as far as weird random stuff happening!!  Some of the stories will have to wait till I get home,  I don't want Mom to worry that much ;) but honestly, it is super fun!!  We talk to and get to know so many people!!!  It's super great!!  I mean before I came on my mission this is what I expected it to be like!!  and it's about to get even more jammed packed with people down here.  Fall semester starts Aug 21st and everyone has been talking about how crazy it's going to be and how many people there are walking around!! I'm super excited!!  There is one Place on campus called the compass and that is usaully the prime contacting location, just because everyone goes through there!!  I'll get a before and after pic of when school is out and when it's in so you can see the difference. 

Giant police head we walk past almost everyday

So this is my crazy story of the week

Elder Hathcock and I are just walking downtown and we see this random Homie (homless guy) strutin his way up to us he stops right in front of us and says, " LET US PRAY NOW!!" so he takes both of our hands and we get in this little prayer circle,  He looks at me and says, Brother you start us off!! So I start to say a simple little prayer and during the whole prayer this guys is bouncing our hands up and down and nodding his head going, "mmmmm Hmmm"  after I'm done he proceeds to raise our hands up to the sky, and say "Where at? Where at? Where at?" we say, "Up?" he say's " Up there PoP........ goes the weasle" and walks away haha The crazy thing is that this is not a random happening for us here in Downtown Richmond, crazy stuff like this happens to us all of the time!!  But I seriously love it!! We get to teach a lot of people just on the streets!! We're working on finding some more consistent investigators,  We have about 3 solid ones right now with about 40 potential investigators that we've found this past week, so we're working on getting them to commit to it, Investigate and be baptized.

Elder Hathcock,Elder Sahagun,and Woodstock :)

A cool Rockwall

I am so convinced that this gospel can change everyones life!!  I am super blessed to be in this area with Elder Hathcock right now!! I love you all so much!  and hope you all have a great week :)

Love, Elder Sahagun

Downtown Richmond

New Area

FAMILY!!!!

 

There is so much stuff going through my head right now at like a million miles an hour!! This past week has been AWESOME!!!  I'm super excited but I'm going to try really hard to be organized with this e-mail, cause If I told you everything that was going through my brain right now I don't think you could handle it..  So for the sake of being organized I'm just going to calmly answer all of your questions.

 

How is your new area? AHHHHHH my new area is the best!!!!!  I'm serving in the Chippenham YSA ward It's so much different, I'm gonna have to stop teaching people younger than the age of 18 or older than the age of 30 but I'm super excited!!!! and my district is awesome, it consists of AP's the Sister Training Leaders and another set of awesome sisters, and we all serve in the same ward!!!  I don't know if you remember Elder Collie form when I first came out.. but he one of my favorite missionaries and he is AP and the other AP is Elder Unga and he is just the most awesome person ever he plays football for BYU he's the nicest person you'll ever meet, he's a good looking Tongan and Heather should marry him :)  The only downfall of this area is that we don't get dinners at all, so we have to eat out a lott. ;/  where we prosy VCU/Downtown is like 20 mins away from our house so we leave the apartment and don't come back until 9 or 9:30.

  

What is your new companion's name? My new companion is Elder Kurt Hathcock!! HE IS AWESOME!!! He's been out for like 7 months or so and he is just down to work hard!! It's like we are the same person..

 

 Where is he from? He is form South Jordan OOOTAAAAHHHH

 

 What is your new area like? It includes 3 stakes!! including 2 that I have already served in previously. VCU campus is in our area and that is where we pick up all of the people that we work with, we just walk around campus all day and invite people and I LOVE IT!! School doesn't start till the 21st so the campus is kinda like a ghost town right now, so we just go walking around Downtown Richmond, which is crazy!!!  More crazy stuff has happened to me in the last week than has happened to me on my whole mission!! I have so many stories to tell about this place!! It is so fun!!  We talk to so many people and it's super suprising how many people are willing to listen to us!! We teach a lot more and that is always good :)  

 

What is your new address?

2028 B Timbershill Rd. Richmond, VA 23235 :)

 

 How are you feeling thus far about your mission?

I feel like I wasted a lot of time being homesick, I really wish a lot that I could go back to my first area the missionary that I am now, but I know that's something I'll never be able to change so I don't worry about it.  I feel like my mission has been perfectly tailored to stretch me to my furthest limits without breaking me.  There have been a lot of times where I've been in slower areas where I just felt like I couldn't do anything to improve the work, but when I did what I knew was right anyways, things always picked up and improved.  I really feel like thusfar on my mission the thing that I've learned the most is having the faith to fail.  To be able to have the faith to do everything you can the way you know is right and to fail miserabley but then to get right back up to find success.  That is something I feel like I have never have been able to do before and it was super hard but I'm super greatful that I learned that lesson out here instead of in real life. I feel super grateful for my mission so far.  The rest of my mission (I hope) will probably be spent here in Chippenham. President just announced how he's all about longevity.  Which is cool with me I'd love to die in chippy.  I'll send yall some cool pics of Downtown and VCU next week my camera died :(  I love you all so much!! Hope you have an awesome week!! :)

 

Love, Elder Sahagun