CRAZY WEEK

FAMILY!!  

Me and Elder Jones love being missionaries!!  Time is going way to fast!!  Isata and Amirah are getting baptized this Saturday!! They are super stoked!! So are we!!  We had a pretty rough week, but not emotionally or physically or spiritually or anything like that. Just with like super angry people.. and it's not like it got us down or discouraged because I mean one angry baptist isn't going to stop us from spreading the Lord's truth. but it just made it really hard to find people to talk to cause they were all really angry. 

So Elder Jones got a flat tire, so our mobility is pretty much shot, and our calves are pretty much jacked now.  we're walking everywhere. and it's great and it's a little cold but it really doesn't matter.  We get to talk to a lot of people from this minor setback so I'm pretty sure that it was inspired and foreordained to happen.  

Pray for Ana and Makayla Lovo, I really REALLY want them to get baptized before I leave.  They are set on date for the 14th of February, but I mean prayers can never hurt anything.  Also pray for The Ramirez-Salvador family...  a sick family of 7 that also needs to get baptized before I leave!! AHHHH there is so much freaking stuff to do it's unreal!! the Lord has been so kind to us.  I know this work is true!!  I have a lot of stories for you guys that I can't tell you yet or you'd worry about me to much!!  I'll try and take more pictures this week so I can have some cool ones to send you. Love you all so very much!! 

Love, Elder Sahagun

My address is:

5486 Rector Dr. Woodbridge VA, 22193 

My dearest family!! 

    It's been such a great week!!  So many random miracles and funny things happened and I wish I could tell you everything.. but that would take forever and our member ride would leave us stranded at the library.  

    Mom, I've been doing pretty good with my book of mormon reading, I just read Alma 15-18 this morning.  I LOVE chapter 17 when the sons of Mosiah are bout to leave and go teach the Lamanites.  I feel like I can relate to that chapter a lot, and the courage reminds me just how great of a work that I have undertaken.  

Elder Sahagun & Elder Jones

    So I didn't tell you who my companion was last week because I didn't have him yet and I didn't know who he was going to be.  That's just how transfers work here in the Virginia Richmond Mission, but I got him now and I'm super excited.  I was super worried that my last companion would be one of those missionaries who makes it hard to work.  I am so blessed to have a companion who is quite the opposite. His name is Elder Jones, he's from Queens Creek, Arizona.  He's been out for 6 months, he came out in the same MTC district as Elder White.  We have so much fun doing the Lords work.  We just go out and talk to everyone and testify boldly and defend the faith when necessary and I love it!!  We've only been together for like 5 days and I know that he is the missionary I needed to be companions with in order to do all that I want this last transfer of my mission!! 

    One of the funniest things that happened this week was the funniest little black 7 year old kid named Isaiah.We saw him standing next to some old guy on the side of the road, so naturally we stop to talk to him (the older guy), but it turned out that this little 7 year old had a lot more to say.  He asked us what we do, we told him that we go all around Woodbridge and talk to people about Jesus.  After like 2 minutes the guy he was standing close to walked away, we asked Isaiah later on and he told us he didn't know the guy at all haha. We kept on telling him about what we do and  He said, " Oh well I'm a preacher. hahaha Just kidding.  but really you guys need to talk to my mom.  She loves Jesus more than anyone I know.. she must pray like every 5 minutes.. you want her number? We were like "I mean.. sure" he gave us his moms phone number and started asking more and more questions which was funny because he's the most smooth talking, charismatic 7 year old you'll ever meet.  Somehow we got to the point where he wanted to come out and contact with us.. we told him we couldn't because we were heading home for dinner, but he was pretty determined to come out with us. He was like "Oh! I'll come with you and just wait outside then when you're done we can go out.  We tried to tell him no, and I still don't know how it happened but some how we ended up standing there waiting for Isaiah to come back from asking permission from his mom to come out with us. Me and Elder Jones came up with a way to get out of it and when he came back we told him that we couldn't and that we'd go out another time.  He was a little bummed but he said, " Could I just breakdance for you really quick?? we were like haha ummm sure.  the he was like" okay, actually I'm just gonna rap for you.  could you drop me a beat? I started laughing but I was like okay, so I started beatboxing and managed to get my camera out just in time to get the most amazing video of a 7 year old kid free-style flowing.. haha it was priceless, remind me to show you that video when I get home.  After he was done I asked him If I could get a pick with him and we started to leave and I was like you're a pretty cool kid Isaiah, and he was like.  You guy's a way cool we're going to be best friends now!!! and he hoped on his little bike and road away haha it was the greatest and now we're going to contact his mom and baptize them both!!! haha It was the greatest and this story really doesn't do it justice at all.

   We are finding so many unique people out here we found at least 3 this week that are pretty solid, plus a family of 7!!  The Salvadors!!!  They are awesome and prepared! Please pray for them!!! I don't have a lot of time but I love you all so very much and hope you have a great week!! 

                                                             This is Isaiah #foreverthesickestkid

Transfers and Trunk-e-mails

Dear Family,

"Did you think to pray?"

SOO transfers calls were this Saturday, Elder White is leaving and it's official, I will be dying here in Prince William. Which I am completely fine with, It's going to be great!!!  We have like 5 people that need to be baptized by February!!!!  Isata and Amirah are going to be baptized for sure on the 31st.  I'm super excited for that.  Isata is like in her 30's and she is Amirah's aunt, who is 11.  Amirah lives with Isata and her less active husband Hassan and he is the legal guardian.  They are both way solid!!  I'm so excited to see them continue to progress.  Cristina and her 8 year old daughter are going to be baptized too!!  She is a single mom and she just wants church and God to be a normal part of her life again.  I love teaching her, she is so sweet. We had some push back with Jerry Davis this week as well as Yolanda.  They both called us out of no where and told us that they don't want to be baptized anymore.  Yolanda has always been super flaky so that wasn't a surprise, but we're pretty worried about Jerry.  We think that he might of gotten some anti by his family.  But we'll talk to him and work things out and it will be great.  There are so many more people that need to be baptized, it's crazy!! These last 6 weeks are going to be pretty busy. 

My thinking cap!

That is awesome!!  James has been keeping me updated on how the video was doing and I was so surprised!!  I never expected the views to shoot up so fast, but I'm really grateful that he was able to do that for me, he is way tight and I would go record with him every P-Day for the rest of my mission, but he's going back to Utah :(  I think he's actually leaving today which is really sad cause he's helped us out a lot. 

So I finally got "The Email".   This is what it said :

This is to inform you of your release date from service in the Virginia Richmond Mission on 25 February 2015.

Mom!!!!! That is crazy!!!  I set a goal to finish the Book of Mormon by the end of my mission too!! It looks like we are about in the same spot!!  I have to do the same thing to be able to finish by February!!  7-8 pages a day!!  Which is really hard, cause I like to use my personal study time to study things for my investigators, but I've been finding time here and there.  As I've been reading through the Book of Mormon for the last time on my mission I've been highlighting any time God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Ghost are mentioned.  It has been incredible.  I feel like it has truly helped me to keep the members of the Godhead at the focus of my study and I've been surprised just how much and how many various ways that these three being are addressed.  Such a testimony builder.

There are so many good things happening in our area right now!!  Isata Kamara and her niece Amirah who is 11 are getting baptized at the end of January!!  As well as our friend Jerry Davis!  They are awesome and we are teaching a lot of other people who need to be baptized like, Ana Lovo. So solid.  Yolanda Tilton, who just needs to have some faith.  Cristina, Who is a miracle waiting to happen.  and Chris Cuevas who is going to be baptized.  and so many more!! and I wish I could tell you about each and every one of them, but I have to much to say about each of them, and it would take forever.  We have been so blessed, the Lord has trusted us with so many of his elect sons and daughters!

I never did get those other letters from Christmas.. but it's all good.

It sounds like everyone is having a lot of fun!!! It sounds like a lot of fun stuff is coming up!!  I can definitely understand that you're excited for me to come home.  I am too, and I have realized that it's okay for me to be excited because I've also realized just how lucky I have been for the past 23ish months to be a full time representative of Jesus Christ.  I never really understood it before but I know with all of my heart that the time I've been given to serve the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength has been a privilege.  I haven't love every second of it, that's just honesty but I have loved every second from it, because from each and every second came the person I am today and the love I have for my Savior now and it's not done yet! I still have so much to learn!  There is more change through trial to be had in these last 50ish days.  More adversity to face and I'm so grateful for it, because of the person it has made me.. or rather the person He has made me.  I want you all to know how much I love my Savior and just how sure I am that God loves each and every one of his children.  There is no doubt of the pure love that God has for each and every one of us in my mind.  I love you all so very much, don't forget it. Have a great week!!! 

Dear Family,
It was no joke, the best Christmas present to be able to be with you guys for Christmas.   Even if it was only for a little bit over the computer haha it was seriously the best thing!  I love you guys!!   haha the work is continuing to pick up here!!  Just yesterday we went on an exchange and one of our zone leaders came and we now have 3 maybe 4 people set on date to be baptized here in January!!  It's so great!! The Lord is being so merciful and I'm just very grateful that he has trusted us to teach some of his most prepared children here at this time, especially towards the end of my mission. 

I don't have a lot of time!!!  Mom you wanted those song lyrics so I'm gonna use the rest of my time to type those up for you  I LOVE YOU ALL!! 

Sons & Daughters by Elder Sahagun Click to listen

Can I ask you a question about divine intervention?

and if I asked you right now would you shine some light down

and help me through this 

help me through this.

White shirt and slacks x5 a suitcase on either side 

Ignore the tear that's in my eye, do up my suit and swallow pride

Yeah this is what I've dreamed of, this is what I've lived for

This is what the pennies in my bank have all been saved for

A curbside goodbye my little sister starts to cry 

My family watch me walk away but no one thinks of asking "why?"

I can't believe my eyes so many people on this quest 

So many things that make us different, except for one name on our chest.

Sons and daughters of proud mothers and fathers 

You are chosen, you are called 

and you are not forsaken, He is with us all 

We are sons and daughters of God 

Now my breathings heavy, I'm pitted with survival

My pace is steady set for the extra mile

My heart is ready sights forward and focused

I'm dedicated and my foes all know this

My vision's clear, I know death is not the end for me 

I rep Christ the natural man is the enemy 

Yeah two years and I'm here to stand tall

Never trippin Never slippin, giving nothing but my all 

Chorus 

Now been gone a year is this where I'm suppose to be 

It's been awhile, I kinda miss my family 

Not sure it's worth it being away 

Try to talk to all the people they don't care what I say 

I got holes in my shoes and doubt in my heart 

I'm putting pieces back together just to watch 'em fall apart

Sit down and cry "Is there something I'm suppose to seee

I feel so lost and then I hear my Father speak to me 

"I know your run down and your soul feels broken 

but this is just a trial not a wrong path you've chosen 

It's rough, and I know you miss your family 

but your sacrifice helps others so they won't feel that for eternity 

Chorus 

Step off the plane so fast it could of been a dream 

The faces pass as I go through all the memories 

I'll never forget it that very first day 

I couldn't know it in the moment but know I wish I could've stayed 

I'll never be the same and I'll cherish every memory 

Those times I fell down never thought they'd mean the world to me

Got no shame became most of who I'm suppose to be

Forever changed with the bulk of life ahead of me 

Mom, look at me know can you tell me that you're proud?

Dad, can you tell this man is different than the boy that left your house?

Born of goodly parents and now I know my true identity 

These people all around are part of one eternal family 

Chorus

Lord, I just want to mention I think you answered my question

I wanna thank you right now for the love that I found

To help me through this, to help me through this 

You helped me through this

I love you all so very much, this gospel is soo true and I know it with all of my heart and I'm so very grateful to be a missionary right now, representing Jesus Christ and bringing His gospel to all of the sons and daughters of God.

I hope you all have a great week!!! 

Elder Sahagun

Dear Family, 

I'm so excited to be able to Skype you guys!!!  I feel like I have so much to tell you guys, but I'll probably end up forgetting by the time we get to Skype haha AHHHH it's crazy.. Dylan Lamb and Heather Jensen???  YEAH!! haha knew it.  that is crazy.  I can't believe Jared already got his release date.. .I guess I don't have one yet... maybe I'll extend?  I'll let you know when I find out.  SOO  for Skype, we'll be calling from our breakfast appointment at around 10 here so at around 8 your time be expecting a call :) we'll text to let you know when to be expecting it.  Can't wait to talk to you guys!!! See ya soon!! 

Dear Family,
Well it has been a great week of #sharing the gift with the people here in Virginia.  It is really really cold, but I bundle up and stay pretty comfortable so biking isn't too terribly awful!   Elder White and I are staying super busy with a pretty comfortable sized teaching pool of about 20 or so investigators!  It's really nice, but it can be stressful at times.  Weekly planning, which usually takes about 2 hours takes twice as long now which is really hard because no one wants to stay inside for 4 hours and plan when you could be sharing the gospel with people, but I do understand that it is a very important, if not the most important part of missionary work setting goals and planning is very crucial... but it's not always fun... and we all know that I do not do very good with things that are not fun.  but I've gotten a lot better since being on my mission at doing those un-fun really important things.  

The Ward is great!! We have been fed every single day this month and have meals planned though half of January as well,  It's a good thing that I'm on bike or it would really ruin my last 2 and a half months of my "6 months to sexy" hahaha mom, dad, and Heather.  Was that a thing in your missions as well? They are also really helping us a lot with exchanges, we have three nights a week where we have true splits (two people taking a missionary each) it really helps us to fellowship the people we are teaching!!  Currently we are looking at 4 or  people to be baptized here in the next two months!! 

If I had time I would tell you about each of them and how awesome they are but I really have like zero time..  so would you please pray for: Jerry Davis, Isata (ice-eh-tah) Kamara and Amarah Kamara, Darryl Chalmers, and Chis Cuevas..  Pray that they will be able to prepare for either the 27th of dec.  or the 10t of Jan for baptism!! 

I love you all so much and can't wait to see all of your faces!!! I hope that you have a great week!!!