Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is We Are Powerful Beyond Measure.....

So these last few days my companion has been sick with a cold.  Also he has been slowly kinda working in lessons.  So yesterday I started out before we left for church with 4 different prayers before we left.  As we were at church we had preisthood where jokes were going around and for some reason my companion was making me angry.  I kept thinking of a lot of things to be mad at him. As we continued on in class I realized I wasn't going to have the spirit and help teach our investigators if I kept up the attitude.  As I sat in class wondering what to do, I said a prayer.  I asked for help and a reason why I was mad.  As I opened my eyes beginning to listen closely my answer came from a member.  We were talking about marriage and a brother who was an RM was talking about how missions prepare people for marriage.  As he was talking he said Missionaries learn how to let little things go that others may find annoying.  There and then I could feel and see my answer given to me.  Through this I was able to change my attitude and keep myself worthy to have a strong spirit.  Later in the day it was good, but we had no lessons and we didn't know where to go.  I told my companion to say a prayer in the open on the side of the street to guide us where to go.  Right after the prayer my companion said to go to a investigator we dropped, but what I felt was to go to a less active family.  This family has pretty much no desire for anything.  So as we headed over I really didn't want to go and in my head I just kept questioning why.  Finally I got the feeling to ask them if they needed help.  So when we got there we started with a prayer, talked a little, then I began to ask questions.  I didn't fully understand at that time but they needed no help I felt to end with no lesson and a prayer.  So I did and my companion said nothing but gave me a look like I was crazy.  So we ended and left.  I told him I was following the spirit and I didn't know why, but I felt like we needed to leave at that time even though it was a weird time to leave.  So my companion and I returned to our apartment, sat down and he told me this "Elder, I can teach you how to teach, I can teach you what to teach and how to begin a lesson an things like that, but through the spirit you learn how to follow the spirit".  I realized this was really the first time I closely listened and followed the spirit.  Even though nothing added up I realized my faith in the spirit is where it should always be.  Sometimes the spirit direct us in ways we may not know.  We must have faith to follow it and do what we feel.  The spirit not only can teach others, but those who desire to follow it also.  I asked you to title this with "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is we are powerful beyond measure" because through the spirit we may be led to do things we question, but we must trust that what we are following the way the Lord wants us to.  So thats what I learned yesterday.

Well I got to go, love and miss you all - Elder Sarmiento

I Am But A Tool For Our Heavenly Father........

Last night we taught a family and had an FHE (family home evening) with them so they can see how FHE is.  The mom is one of our investigators.  She is separated from her husband and all the kids live with her, they are all members.  We had a great FHE and then had her bare her testimony.  She said that she has had a tough time with her life and when we began teaching her was the first time she wanted to hear what we wanted to say.  She had a coffee problem, but since two week ago she hasn't had any.  We have given her a drink called Energen, its like Hot Chocolate with Oatmeal in it, and she also has said she wants to be a part of this church.  We already had a date for her on October 5th but we now know for sure she will be baptized.  It was a great time we had with them last night, and then we played a game where if you lose you get lipstick drawn on you.  In the picture you will see I lost the most... ha ha.

When we told Elder Sarmiento how proud we were of him and what a great teacher he is he responded with this "Thanks but something to remember is that I haven't really done anything.  I actually haven't done anything, what makes me effective is really letting the Lord through me teach and touch the hearts of man.  Like it says in God's Army, you don't convert people, your just a tool".

In my zone there is two sisters that came with me from the MTC.  I found out they are already training this next transfer.  For me I will just be with my companion hopefully and not be transferred, but after next week I wont be a trainee anymore!!!  I know for sure I wont be here for Christmas because there is a transfer in the middle of December and in December is my 6 month mark here in my first area.  President doesn't keep anyone longer in an area than 6 months.  I want to say because there is a lot of people we have found, but in order for them to be baptized it will be a while.

I haven't had the package yet, this Thursday we have a Zone Conference where there is bunch of zones they will bring together and the President with the AP's teach us stuff.  Maybe I'll get it then.  Well I got to go, its been almost an hour so I will talk to you guys next week.  Love You All!!!!!

We Are Promised To Know The Truth Of All Things.......

My week was great.  I have a good question for you.  Why are Sports so important?  Why do you think we have Sports here on earth??  Sports, if you think about it, after this life we not only remember things on earth but before life on earth.  Through sports we can learn the importance of pushing ourselves to the limit, like in Faith.  Sometimes in prayer we always ask for things and hope they are answered.  Do you know that always the Lord seeks for your faith before he answers your prayer?  Like in sports, in practice, you work harder and harder to become a better player in any sport.  In faith we are given challenges to strengthen our faith.  Now if a coach sees someone who isn't practicing as hard or trying, why should that coach play that player, or why would the Lord not answer a prayer if your not having or practicing faith in him.  It's interesting how we have all these things in life to learn about things we may not have a great understanding about, but through really studying the gospel and really having faith, we are promised to know the truth of all things.  For some reason I was asking myself about sports because I miss playing sports everyday and stuff.  I asked myself why I missed them so much then why we have them.  Through thinking about it I came up with that answer.

We have another Baptism next weekend. She is getting interviewed this weekend.  Sports, we only play on PDays at 5-6pm, otherwise its too hot, but we have only played Basketball and that was once.

So the White Guys in the Baptismal picture from last week is the other two Elders. All the other Filipinos in the picture are Mormons and are the recent converts friends.  The next Baptism that we have coming up is a girl who is 18 and we taught her the first lesson the same week when I had my first Baptism here.

Language Studying we do.....I am teaching my companion English and he is teaching me Tagalog.

Elder Sarmiento thought it was funny to find this....

Cassandra Eatery, just for his Sister.

A True Gift Elder Sarmiento Has....

Here is Pen & Ink (all dots) He Made of The Manilla Philippines Temple

Elder Sarmiento Over A Provence in Calamba

An Unexpected Miracle.......

This week I was able to Baptize a women, her daughter has given me a "Elder Teddy Bear".  It seems to stick with me were ever I go in this area.  The baptism went really well, my first while on my mission!  We may be teaching her parents in the future.  We also have 3 other investigators that might be getting baptized soon also.

Elder Sarmiento's First Baptism of someone he taught all the lessons to and then Baptized

You can see how Elder Sarmiento is so Tan....Look at his feet

So I have a really cool story to share with you, We actually had a wonderful experience this week that we didn't even know.  There is an illness here called Dengay, it might be spelled wrong.  Anyways this sickness you get from mosquitoes and when you have it you have a fever and it hurts to move.  For some reason here there is a treatment, but this illness is actually deadly.  We had a Priest in our ward who got it and they wanted us to give blood.  As Missionary rules state we cannot give blood.  So instead we gave a blessing at 7:00 on the way to a service project.  So we found the hospital and the room, met the sister and gave him a blessing.  As we finished we stayed a little and then left.  Yesterday we had Fast & Testimony meeting where when we walked into the Sacrament room the Priest was there sitting and waiting to take the Sacrament.  The father went up during testimony meeting and he old everyone the story how through the priesthood authority we healed his son miraculously in two days.  He was in tears and so happy that we did that.  He also said something interesting, is that we didn't stay and wait around but, he said they just did it and left continuing the work of the Lord.  This was an amazing thing that I didn't even know happened until yesterday.


 Theres miracles here and there sometimes.  The problem that seems common here is, people like the messages and stuff, but they want the miracles to convert them.  Its been really great and fun though.

The Typhoon water hasn't cleared.  Our recent convert is actually living with about 200 people on a school basketball court.  We also found out another Typhoon is on its way.  We have had an overcast for the last 2 days and it will probably rain either today or tomorrow.

So my companion is Elder Seggay and he is really been great.  He has helped me with teaching and improving.  The language is getting better, I have kinda hit a wall cause for some reason when  I thought I was almost there I feel like new words are coming out of peoples mouths.

I was able to see my Mission President last week and I was talking to him and his wife.  They asked how I was and I told them I was good.  My companion leaves after my 12 weeks of training ends so I told them I was happy that I wouldn't be training after 12 weeks in the field.  There is so many Missionaries some train after 12 weeks.  They told me after.... Hey you never know, so I might be training within the next few transfers.

Well we have a lot of cleaning to do.  A spider died on our celling in the room and ants got everywhere.  Now most are gone but we want to clean up and possible seal up the spot they came through.

This is some of the Ward Members attending the Baptism

Elder Sarmiento and Elder Seggay