Dear Family!!!

This has been one of the busiest weeks of my mission for sure!! and I'm sorry I didn't get to send a very long e-mail last time.  I spent almost my entire last P-day preaching the gospel!!! Didn't really get a P-day!! but that's what you get when you have to work in two areas!!  So the Spanish is coming along pretty great!  I have said a lot of prayers in Spanish in the past couple of days!!  It is kinda hard being in lessons where I don't understand what's going on but, the spirit is still there!! Mom, your class looks so fun!! I know those kids just love you to death!!! So no that wasn't the guitar that you guys sent out to me, it was just one that the Woolfs had at their house!  but I'm so glad to have that little guitar out here!!  It has helped me so much!!  Whenever I get the free time I practice,  I can now play Nearer My God To Thee. and The first part of Michael Dowdle's ( the guy's CD I have out here with me) version of I Know That My Redeemer Lives!!! I got the first page of the sheet music for free on Ldsmusicnow.com!!  and would love to get the whole thing!!! It's an Amazingly beautiful song!!! So I have heard a little bit from Spencer, he said he is getting fat hahaha and that he is doing good! Which is good to hear!  It's hard to get a lot of information from those guys through e-mail cause we just have to send short little messages cause we have limited time :( which I hate, but it's good.   

The work up here in Woodbridge is just going Phenomenal!! We have 5 People on date to be baptized and hopefully 2 more here pretty soon!!! I love being a missionary!!  I really never thought that I would be able to say that.  I think I have found the Joy that comes with serving the Lord!  and helping people come closer to Christ!!! It really is incredible to see the change in people when we bring the gospel into their lives!! The Church is so true.  I know it with all of the Fervor of my heart!!! if that is even a word.. I love you all so very much and hope you have a fantastic week :)

Love Elder Sahagun 

Email and video from a member

Dear Parents,

It is a pleasure having your sons serve faithfully in our ward boundaries.  We are sad that tomorrow the Assistants to the President are coming to pick up Elder Gates, but we can only imagine the excitement the Gates family will be having this week.  

We have been blessed to have them in our home many times and I have had the privilege to go on splits with them.

We have also enjoyed their musical talents:

Click on the links below!

Elder Gates Singing Wanna Go Home

Elder Sahagun & Elder Gates

Hola!

Dear Family Dear, 

        Well it's been un semana Loca!!! The reason I say that in Spanish is because I am currently in the Spanish Program!! yes,  since Elder Gates went home early so he could go to school I have been assigned to be with the Spanish missionaries for the rest of the transfer! It's very humbling, I thought I knew my fair share of Spanish, turns out that I don't know all that much, but I am loving it! it's kinda hard sometimes in lessons cause I have no Idea what's going on, but it's a adventure for sure.  One of the lessons I went into Elder Scott asked the lady who she wanted to say the prayer and she pointed to me.  So I said the prayer, in Spanish!! Gift of tongues for sure I still have no idea all of the things that I said.

        So since Elder Gates has left I have been incredibly busy.  We've been covering our area and the Spanish area, and I've been filling in for Elder Gates as District Leader.  We didn't really get a P-Day cause we were teaching  lessons all day.  So that is why I am emailing you on a Wednesday.  I hope that all is well back home, I will write some letter next P-Day if things aren't too crazy.  I love you all so very much and hope you have an awesome week!! Predicard el evangelio!!!

Love, 

Elder Sahagun 

Dearest Family,

          It was soo good to hear from you guys this week!  It sounds like everything is just going fantastic!  It also sounds like you are gearing right up to go back to school :) I'm sure that is very exciting and stressful, probably more of that second one.  It's crazy that school is already starting back up!  This summer has just flown right on by!!  It's nuts!! Time never stops!! 

          

         It sounds like there are some pretty crazy things are happening back home!  I still can't believe that Kaycie got married!!! That just blows my mind!! and I can't wait to here where MaKenna is going!! I'm so happy that she decided to serve a mission!! she's going to be an awesome missionary! Definitely keep me posted on all of that stuff!!  Everyone is just serving the Lord!!

         That is awesome that you got to chat with Maggie!  I was wondering how everything was going.  I was thinking that I should write a letter to Dylan!! and now I know that I should!! Man her sister is having another kid! Julia is going to be a double Aunt!! if that is even a thing!! Speaking of Julia.. holy cow! Is getting your Gall Bladder out a terrible thing or what? I'm not even sure I know exactly what a Gall Bladder is but it sounds kinda awful!! I hope that she is alright, and I hope she is ready to go back to school!!  I will have to send her a get well card. 

          Well another week in good old Woodbridge, VA!! and things are just going great!! Had some pretty crazy things happen this week!! but there is too much, so I have to sum up.  This week we met with a lot of people, testified of the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and Invited EVERYONE to be baptized!! literally everyone, even if we have just met them, we testify of the priesthood power that we hold and invite them to come unto Christ by being baptized by someone holding that priesthood authority!! and it is just the greatest thing in the world!!! I just talk to everyone I see and then I extend the invitation, and if they deny it, I BOLDLY testify and leave them with a card with my number so they can call me when they change their mind.  If they accept then great!! We tize em.  Being a missionary is just the greatest thing and it has made me more bold and more full of faith then I have ever been in my life!!  I love being a missionary!!  It's hard.... no doubt about that.  but it is worth every second!!

Mom- I hope that teaching two curriculum goes well!  It sounds like a pretty crazy thing!  but I know that you can to it! because you raised 4 kids at 4 different curriculum levels!! :) I will keep you in my prayers love you most :)

Dad- Sounds like a pretty painful injury that you went through, I hope that you can recover quickly and that your foot injury will not hinder you school classroom preparations. sure love ya! :)

Tyler- Hope your excited for High School :) say hello to everyone for me, especially Maestra Duncan, and any other teacher who remember me there :)  and hey remember growing up is gradual, you don't have to do it all at once, so don't sweat it :) Love ya lots buddy

Jessica- I saw a little girl, playing with some Barbie dolls, and it made me remember when you were that little.. Stop growing up!! just kidding, Love you muchly p.s. I always find a way to win :)

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

Love Elder Sahagun

FAMILY!!!!! 

Man wasn't that family reunion just incredible and fun!!! I thought it was, remember how I was riding on a canoe with Quinn and Braden!! yeah That was way fun...But for real now, The family reunion looked like a blast!!! and I wish I could remember more about being there cause based on the pictures I guess Heather and I were there hahaha :)  Everyone looks so big!!! all the little babies are all growing up!! David is a little toddler!! and all the triplets? How tall are they now? It's hard to judge height by just by a picture hahaha :)  

 

So this week has been really sad. :( Elder Gates and I set up a pretty good week with all of these appointments and all of these people that wanted to meet with us and they all seemed to cancel right before we were going to go :( yeah I know really sad right.  I'm going to be in shock when I get home and I set up an appointment or a date and the person  actually shows up when they said they would be there.  It's going to blow my mind.  Like Kaycie getting married!!! woa!, yeah that blew my mind!!! I'm not going to lie, I think I'm up for a big challenge.  In about 2 weeks exactly my awesome companion will be going home.. and I just got here so I will most likely be staying, so that means I will probably be taking over the area and taking over as district leader... which is not a very big deal but it's a pretty stressful thing to me! so be praying that I can learn this area fast!  Cause Virginia streets are very confusing and you can't count on mountains as barrings because there are non... but the Lord qualifies the called.... :) 

Mom- I like carrots and corn, I'm making it official.  I'm not sure if it's just the lord helping me eat gross foods I don't know... but as of right now they are both pretty good and I thought you'd be very proud of me :) I miss you tons and love you soo much

Dad- I hope that everything goes well setting up the new classroom!! love you and miss ya papa

Tyler- Stop wearing my clothes.... :) just kidding I'm over it.  you better start bulking up though if you still wanna be able to beat me up when i get back.  I've been doing 100 push-ups a night so you better watch out :) I love ya buddy and I owe you a letter :)

Jessica- I was so happy to get your letter! and those are some pretty great drawings!! keep giggling and smiling!! I will send you back a letter soon love ya!

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

love Elder Sahagun 

Corn on the Cob!

Dear Family dear,

 

           Another week of being a missionary!!!! The work is just booming!! Elder Gates and I have found 9 new investigators in this past week alone!! We are definitely seeing the fruits of our labors!! and I am just loving every second of this transfer!!  I have been doing a lot better with home sickness and my anxiety is not bad at all!!  I know it's because I'm just losing myself in the work, and it is just sooooo great!!! 

          

         So I thought I got called to a stateside mission, but I have eaten more random foods and seen all kinds of people of different ethnicities, more that I have seen in probably my whole life!! and it blows my mind that all of these people would come to Virginia.... of all places these people come to virginia!! still haven't figured that one out yet!  There are a lot of Ghanaians, so many that my companion actually speaks "twi" the Ghanaians language!!! its kind of incredible to witness.  So I am attempting to learn so twi (pronounced chwee) as well.  and it doesn't go that well I just get laughed at by the Ghanaians,  but they are just the most humble great people and I love them and can't wait to TIZE EM!!! :)

         I'm kinda Jealous that you all get to see the entire family!! :\  I miss all those family reunions and cool things!! But I'm out serving the Lord, and that is a cool thing so it works out :) you should give Grandma one of the pictures I have sent to you and tell here to put it on the fridge :) and then send me a picture so I can know that I made it on the fridge :) 

Mom- I'm glad you got a vacation and am jealous that you got to go to the hard rock and also hope you realize how proud you would be of me right now, I'm going to tell you what I did and you are going to be like "wow, I am soo proud" I ate, wait for it.  A cob of corn!! that's right a whole cob of corn!! and the even more impressive part of that? I actually enjoyed it!!! kinda weird and freaky but It tasted kinda good :) 

Dad- You have no reason to be jealous of our Virginia storms out here!  I mean it sure does rain cats and dogs out here and we have some incredible lightning!!! but..... because of the freakish amount of trees that we have, I usually don't get to see that amazing lightning.  Ha ha it's all good though I really think you would enjoy these storms and I think about you every time it gets cloudy and it makes things a little bit brighter.

Tyler- I owe you a letter!!!  I'm sorry I haven't written you back!! I feel terrible... as I probably should.  I am teaching my companion how to play the guitar and it reminds me of how much I miss being able to jam with my little bro!!! Keep strumming and expect a letter!!! Love ya buddy! 

Jessica-  I hope you find this funny, because I didn't...  we were at a members house for dinner and the mom said, "Have you ever been told that you look like someone famous?'" I was like "Umm I don't know" and one of their daughters, probably around your age was like "He looks like Justin Beiber...." I guess some things never change.  The mom actually told me that I look like Aaron Carter... You will have to tell me if that is true cause I don't know what he looks like.  I love you muchly! and miss your giggles!! :) 

All in all a great week of preaching the gospel! I love you all so very much and hope you have a fantastic week with the whole FAM BAM!!! Tell them all Hello for me and tell them all that I miss them! 

Love you mostest!!

Elder Sahagun  

The clouds in Virginia are amazing!

This is Payson, the cutest little kid on the face of the planet!! every time we'd come over he'd ask us if we wanted to play "super mario a really really fun game that you don't want to miss out on!" I'm going to miss him!!

Dear Family dear, 

How is everyone!!! I'm SOOOO sorry that you didn't get an E-mail yesterday!! We had no time to do it, but luckily we get to do some E-Mailing :) 

I have to start off by saying "Tyler I see that you've been wearing my clothes.... not coool"  hahahaha just kidding I figured that that would probably happen.

So I'm in my new area!! I have been assigned to the Woodbridge Area to the Woodbridge 1st ward!! Exciting right?  It is... Woodbridge is up in Northern Virginia, It actually used to be in the D.C. South mission!! but with the mission split and everything it's now part of the VRM!! Which is cool :) So from what I know so far about Woodbrige, it is going to be a pretty cool area! There are a lot of people from other countries here!!! I have knocked on a lot of peoples doors that are from Ghana and a bunch of other places in Africa!! I also had some Ethiopian at the Belachews they are some LA members from Ethiopian and they are probably the most hospitable people I've ever met.  I've also been told that Woodbridge is the most humid place in the Nation, which is great news seeing how I am still on bike :) 

Elder Gates- "We are going to do work!"

My new companions name is Elder Gates, he's from Midvale, Utah, he used to be in the D.C. South Mission and he's awesome!! So incredibly like me!!  We are basically best friends already!! I am way excited to work with him this transfer!! We are going to have a lot of fun and BAPTIZE!!! I'm so pumped and sad because I know that we won't be companions for any longer seeing as this is his last transfer!! He goes home in August.... which means I will most likely be taking over the area and training next transfer!! :/ pray for me.. 

But everything is going good here I'm excited to be serving the lord in this area and can't wait to do more work!! I love you all and hope that you all have a fantastic week!! :) 

Love, Elder Sahagun 

This is me with the Buis family!! They were some members in Swift Creek that I will never forget!! We Skyped from their house, and they have helped us in so many ways!! I absolutely love them!!