Hello everyone! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good day. haha Hope everything is going well as usual back home. Things are going really good here. This past week has been pretty crazy. It has included tons of driving... Lets just say over the past week, I have driven about 1000 miles. And total driving time... over 24 hours. Intense I know. The reason being is that on Wednesday, we had a zone meeting in Savana-Lamar so we had to pick up missionaries to go there, and then, we had a mission Christmas party in Kingston, so we had a ton of driving to get there, and then we had to drive the missionaries back to their areas, the furthest of which was Negril, and Montego bay, and then we had to drive back to our area, and then we had to drive to may pen and back. But this week has been really good though. I am happy to be serving here in Santa Cruz. The branch is awesome, and I feel like it is going to grow really fast. On Thursday, we had the Mission Christmas devotional. For the devotional, different missionaries read a script for all of the messengers of Christ's birth, such as the angels, and shepherds, and marry, and joseph, etc. It was a very spiritual devotional, and I felt the Spirit very strongly there. I felt what a privilege and honor and blessing it is to be chosen to also be a messenger of Jesus Christ's birth and of His special mission here in Jamaica. I was overwhelmed. As members of His church, we have the sacred honor and privilege and blessing and responsibility of standing as witnesses of Christ at all times and in all things and in all places. May we all hold up the light of Christ who is the light and the life of the world, who has ransomed us from death and sin, and who has shown us the way back to our Eternal Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Hey everyone! hope everyone is having a good Christmas break. Things are going really well here. I am loving my new area Santa Cruz. The branch is small, but I know that wont be that way for long. I have truly seen the Lords hand here already, and I know that He is in charge of things. We are currently teaching some pretty cool people, and we should see some baptisms really soon. This past week, I have learned a very valuable lesson on relying on the Lord/humility. On Thursday or Friday, we taught two different people at different times. In each lesson, the investigators had different concerns which rooted in fears that they had. One investigator thought they could not be ready for baptism in a month, and one investigator did not think they could be baptized again because they were already baptized in a different church. My companion and I would try to prove our points to them, but they would not budge, no matter how hard we tried. Eventually, in both of the different lessons, I felt an impression to invite the investigators then and there to kneel down in prayer and to ask if what we taught them was true. For one investigator we asked her to pray and ask if she could be ready for baptism. For the other investigator we asked him to pray and ask if he needed to be baptized again. We then told them to pause and pay attention to how they felt as they closed their prayers. In both cases God answered their prayers through the Spirit. It was incredible. As they prayed I could feel the Spirit and they could feel the Spirit. Their concerns were then resolved. The Lord is in charge of His work. No matter how much we previously tried to convince them with our own efforts, they would not move. Then, as they turned to the Lord in prayer He was able to answer the concerns and questions they had. It was a very awesome and humbling experience. This has happened several times as ive been on my mission. And each time the Lord has answered my investigators prayers. I know this Church is true. I know that God lives and that He does answer sincere prayer. I love you all

 

Elder Nugent

Hey everyone! hows it going? hope everything is going well. Things are going well with me. This past week has been pretty crazy, but I am doing very well. We have several investigators who are progressing really well and really want to be baptized. It is awesome to see the changes that occur in their lives as they accept and live the gospel. One investigator in particular has made a total change as she has been living the commandments of God. It is just awesome to see. The investigator is actually illiterate, but she has felt the Spirit many times in our lessons and in her prayers and at church. And she has a testimony of the truthfulness of the restoration of the gospel. On Saturday, however, I received a call that I am being transferred to be a zone leader in Santa Cruz which is located in the parish of Saint Elizabeth. The zone covers from Montego Bay to Mandeville. I am excited to go to Santa Cruz, but I am sad to leave Kingston. Over the past 6 months I have been here, I have truly grown to love the people. And I will be sad to leave them. I know that the Lord has other plans for me in Santa Cruz though. When we align our will with the Lord's will, we are able to do the Lord's work. The Lord knows what is best, and so I am very glad and excited to do whatever he wants me to do. I am excited to get to work in Santa Cruz and help the people there know the blessings of living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am loving my mission, and wouldn't rather be doing anything else. Love you all back home,

Elder Nugent

Hey everyone! hope things are going excellent. Things are going great here in Jamaica. I love my mission. I have really learned a lot, and I am changing. It is crazy how small acts of willing obedience and service change us over time. We may not see the change immediately, because we change in degrees. But we do change all the time. And as we pause and look back on our life we can see the change. Well this past week I have been pondering about living our lives and prioritizing our time for the things that matter most. One thing that I have funnily enough grown to hate on my mission is television. I cringe at the thought of how much time I wasted on the television and on facebook etc. when I was at home. On my mission, I have met many, many people, and when I get to know them one of the questions I ask is, "what do you like to do for fun?" The majority of the responses I get, sadly, is "I like to watch t.v. for fun". There are lives to bless, there is growth and progression that we need to make, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God. Are we using our God given time for things that have little or no value? As disciples of Jesus Christ, we covenanted to take upon ourselves the name of Christ. We promised to do the things that Christ would do. We promised to serve our brothers and sisters. In Omni 1:26 i think (forgive me if im wrong) it says we need to offer up our whole souls to God. When we offer up our whole souls to God and place ourselves in His hands, we become like Him. He turns us from the worn, sin stained, mortal beings that we are into gods. We can never allow ourselves to allow t.v. and anything else for that matter, to detract, and distract us from our duty to God. We must never allow ourselves to sell our souls for the television or anything else. Now im not saying that watching some t.v. is bad. We just cannot let it get in the way of us fulfilling our duty to God, and loving and serving all of mankind. We must never let anything get in the way of scripture study, family prayer, family scripture study, family home evenings, and everything else that we are commanded to do. I love this gospel with all my heart. I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I love all of you back home and here. May we all dedicate all of our lives to God, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Wah gwahn everyone! hope you all had an excellent Thanksgiving. For most of this past week my companion and I were sick, so we were stuck inside and there were no major events that happened during the week. We did get very accustomed to eating soup though... haha but everything is going good now. This past week, I have been thinking about how we are all at war right now against sin and the powers of darkness. We will be victorious if we follow Christ. There is so much that is amiss in the world today, but our Heavenly Father has given us the tools that we need to overcome all obstacles in our way. Among those tools are scripture study, family home evening, our families, a living prophet, prayer, and the Church just to name a few. When we fall and make mistakes, thanks to the atoning sacrifice our our Savior Jesus Christ, we may repent and become pure and worthy of one of the greatest gifts that our Heavenly Father has given us which is the Holy Ghost. I love my Savior and my God very much. I am grateful to be serving a mission right now where I have the privilege of helping others come unto Christ. It is one of the greatest privileges and blessings of my life. I am also very grateful for my family, and for the opportunity that I have had of being the son of goodly parents. It isn't easy to be worthy of being the son of Onika and Peter Nugent, and I am grateful for it. I love all of you back home.

Love,

Elder Nugent

Hey everyone! hope everything is going well. Things are going pretty good over here. We are working with a lot of really cool investigators, and this week has been quite excellent. The work really is growing here in Jamaica really quickly. The amount of missionaries here will most likely double within a year, so it is exciting to be here. One thing that I have been pondering on lately is how awesome it is to be able to serve God. He loves us and blesses us so much, and all he asks of us is to keep His commandments, and when we do he immediately blesses us. The happiest times of my life have been when I am serving God. I know that He sent his Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for us. I know that God lives. I know He loves us. Love you all,

Elder Nugent

Hey everyone! hope things are going well. I have been doing really well over here in Jamaica. This past week has been pretty good. It has been really busy though because we had several meetings and 12 new missionaries came to the island, so that is pretty exciting. The work truly is hastening throughout the world.The Lord is moving his work forward. And I am very grateful to be apart of it. It is awesome how much joy and happiness we receive as we serve others and keep the commandments and worship our Heavenly Father. I truly have tasted of the fruit of the tree of life as described in Lehi's vision many times in my life. And im happy to be able to help others taste of it as well. I love serving my mission. I love the Lord. I love all of you. Have an excellent week,

Love,

Elder Nugent

Hello everyone! Hope everything is going well. Hope you all have a fun and a safe Halloween. This past week has been another extraordinary week. It all started on Tuesday when we were informed that Hurricane Sandy would be hitting Jamaica. So we had to prepare a little for that. The following day the hurricane hit us. It was pretty cool to experience it. The Assistants and us stayed at the mission home because it is a more comfortable place to weather out hurricanes. There was a ton of wind and rain, I believe the wind was blowing at around 80 mph. We were all safe, but we had to stay in all day, so it got kind of boring. But it was a cool experience none the less. I can now say I have lived through a hurricane. The following days, we were involved in a lot of service in helping people clean up after the storm. There was one lady who had a huge tree blown on top of her house, so we and members of the branch had to cut it up with machettes and chainsaws. so that was pretty cool. we were out of power for a few days, but there were no major damages. We have been working with a lot of new investigators recently, so hopefully all goes well with them. As you all can tell the Jamaica Kingston mission is pretty much the best mission in the world. I love serving here, and I love serving the Lord. I love all of you back home as well.

Love,

Elder Nugent

Well, this past week has definitely been the best week on my mission. It was pretty awesome. On Wednesday we had a general authority from the quorum of the seventy named President Zivic come and hold a zone conference, which was quite delightful. I definitely learned a ton. It was cool because even though President Zivic didn't speak very good english, the Spirit was still present very strongly. 

This week was also very excellent because on Saturday we had the baptism of Brother Banhan. It was definitely one of the sweetest most spiritual experiences of my life, but in order to fully relate the events of the baptism, some more history behind the baptism will need to be given. 28 years ago, my grandpa baptized a lady who worked with him named Sister Banhan. At the time, Sister Banhan was married to Brother Banhan for about 1 year. He had gone through the Book of Mormon even before his wife had, but he did not join the church. About 2 years after Sister Banhan was baptized, she came to grandpa's office at work and she asked him for a blessing. At the time, Sister Banhan had been trying for years to have children, but she was unable to, and her husband was still not a member. In the blessing that my grandpa gave her, he felt impressed to promise her that she would have children, and that her family would be sealed together in the temple. A few years later, Sister Banhan had 2 daughters, but her husband was still not a member of the church. My grandpa promised them however, that when Brother Banhan gets baptized that he would be there. 

Now we will fast forward about 20 years over which time many missionaries and mission presidents taught and tried to help Brother Banhan receive the gospel, but he never decided to be baptized. The Banhan family decided to move to Kingston because it was closer to school for their daughters. On June 27, I was called to serve in the same branch that they attend (which is the branch that I am currently still serving in). About my second or third Sunday there, Brother Banhan who had not visited the church for some time, felt prompted to go to church with his family. After Church, my companion (Elder Conder at this point in time) and I set up a time to meet with the Banhan family, and Sister Banhan had decided to prepare dinner for us that night. At about 7 pm. As Elder Conder  and I parked the car, Elder Conder bore his testimony to me and told me that I had been sent here to finish the work that my grandpa had started. The Spirit filled the car. We then proceeded to the Banhan's home and sat for dinner. As we were eating, Elder Conder bore a powerful testimony to Brother Banhan and invited him to be baptized. Brother Banhan declined saying that he doesn't know if the church is true, and he doesn't feel committed to make that kind of a decision. We continued to bear testimony, and from that night, we began teaching Brother Banhan. About 3 weeks later, Elder Conder was transferred, and my new companion Elder Gurr and I continued to teach Brother Banhan. What pursued what was about 3 months of teaching, and testifying. Brother Banhan was making awesome progress, but he still lacked the Spiritual witness that he desired. We had many moments of tears and anxiety and feeling the Spirit in those 3 months. Brother Banhan eventually gained an intellectual testimony that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, but still he lacked the Spiritual witness that he was looking for to decide to be baptized. Eventually, we asked our mission president, President Hendricks, to come teach a lesson with us to Brother Banhan. We had an awesome lesson, and Brother Banhan was challenged to read the Book of Mormon up to 2 Ne 31, and then kneel down and pray to know what the Lord's will was for him concerning baptism, and then to commit to the answer he received. 

Over the following weeks, Brother Banhan read, and prayed. The night that Brother Banhan read through 2 Nephi 31, he decided to kneel down despite his 5 herniated discs in his spine, (a feat that he was unsure he would be capable of doing). And he and each member of his family offered a prayer to God. Brother Banhan was the last to pray, and after he humbly prayed, he received a witness from the Holy Ghost that he should be baptized. He was also able to remain on his knees for 2 hours during all of the prayers, a miracle in and of itself. That night, Sister Banhan called and informed me that Brother Banhan had decided to be baptized and that he wanted me to perform the baptism. That night, I was so elated that I could not sleep. She told me that She would call my Grandpa and schedule a time for the baptism with him. 

On October 20, 2012, Brother Banhan was baptized. It was one of the happiest days of my life. Tears filled many eyes. there were many people who attended. The Spirit was present very strongly. And Brother Banhan entered into the waters of baptism. It was awesome to say the least. 

Many miracles from the Lord occurred to allow this day to come to pass. No earthly power could convince Brother Banhan to be baptized. Only the Power of God could have allowed this day to come to pass. Only the Spirit could convince Brother Banhan of the truthfulness of the gospel. And by that same power I know that Jesus is the Christ, I know that this church is true. Glory be to God. 

Love,

Elder Nugent

Hello everyone, things are going excellent here in Kingston. This past week has gone by very fast, we have still been working on building our teaching pool, and we have met quite a few people, so we are excited to see if they will progress. On Sunday, I saw Mark and his family for a few minutes so that was cool, I was very surprised, and it took me back a little to see them. Man Alex and Sean and Maya have grown so big now it is crazy time certainly is going by too fast. this past week I have been thinking again a lot about the importance of families. The difference in happiness between families who live the gospel and those who don't is so apparent, it is unreal. a few weeks ago an awesome young family moved in from El Salvador. They invited us and the assistants over for dinner, and it was just awesome to feel the Spirit and to see how happy they truly were. As missionaries, we meet people/families that don't live the gospel, or don't even know the gospel, and there is a great deficiency of happiness that could otherwise be theirs if they would live the gospel. As the family a proclamation to the world states: happiness in family life is most likely achieved when founded upon the principles of the gospel. How true that statement is! It is the small and simple things that we do that brings to pass great things. little things like family prayer, scripture study, attending church, family activities, etc. goes a very very long way in bonding the family and inviting the Spirit of the Lord into the home. That is why the Prophets and Apostles and leaders in church constantly remind us of them. It is because those principles work! We just need to apply them in our lives. I am very grateful to be able to help families. The gospel has definitely blessed my family, and I know it will bless my future family when that day comes. Love you all,

Elder Nugent. 

P.S. the pictures are from conference, and also last preparation day when we went to morrant point where there was a sweet lighthouse that we were able to go in. 

Dear Family and Friends, hope everyone is doing well! im doing quite excellent here in Kingston. This week has been pretty busy and crazy. Many of the missionaries in the zone were sick, so we had to do a lot of driving to help some of them out. We also were busy with meetings. So, a lot of time was taken from proselyting. But, Conference was awesome! I loved it so much. That is way cool that 18 and 19 year olds can go out on their missions now. What a blessing! well things are going well here I have no complaints at all. sorry i dont have much time but next time there will be plenty of pictures to make up for it. But all is going well here. I challenge everyone back home to read the conference talks again and really seek to apply the messages that have been shared by our living prophets and apostles. Missionary work is the best. I am very happy and love serving God.

Love you all,

Elder Nugent

Hello Everyone! hope things are going well. Things are going excellent here this past week has been pretty awesome and crazy. Well I have 4 crazy awesome stories to tell:

1: Last night, there was a tropical storm, and all of the roads flooded, and we had to drive home from a lesson and the water came all the way up to the hood of the truck that we were in, which is pretty high off the ground. The engine almost got flooded but the Lord blessed us and we were able to get through. While we were driving through the deep water however, the water current pushed the truck and one of the tires hit something and the tire popped so we had to drive home on a completely flat tire which was pretty intense. But we made it home in safety.

2: A few weeks ago we taught and gave a blessing to a lady 2 days before she had to go into brain surgery to remove a tumor. We had an awesome lesson, and she felt the Spirit pretty strongly. As we were leaving the lesson, I felt impressed to tell her that if she forgets everything from getting brain surgery, that she needed to remember how she felt during the lesson/blessing and that what she was feeling was the Spirit. I didn't actually think she would forget anything but I told her anyways. She then had the surgery. After she had recovered, we went over to teach her and her mother, and she had lost all memory of us. She didn't remember meeting us or anything that we had taught her. As we began teaching her this second lesson, I told her what we taught her about before the surgery. I then told her that right when we left that first lesson,   we told her to remember how she felt and that what she was feeling was the Spirit. Right after I said that, the investigators face lit up and she said "I remember that! I don't remember anything else but I remember when you said that!" It was quite an awesome experience. I am very grateful that the Lord impressed on me to speak those words and that she did remember!

3: Another one of our investigators is progressing really well, and her life has changed drastically as she has been reading the Book of Mormon just these past 2 weeks.

4: At 11:37 pm. last night I awoke to a phone call informing me that the investigator who I told you about in an earlier email, who has been married to a member for 28 years, has decided that he wants to be baptized, and he asked me to perform the baptism.  I felt so honored, and excited. His wife was baptized by grandpa 28 years ago. Also, when we came to visit Jamaica when I was 6 years old we even visited his family in Linstead for a little bit. What a blessing and a privilege! Also, grandpa told them that he was going to fly down for his baptism! I was so thrilled to hear this news that I wasn't able to sleep at all last night. It is going to be awesome when he is baptized, and then when he will be sealed to his family for time and all eternity in the temple in 1 years time. I can't express my feelings adequately. It is just awesome to be able to participate in the work of the Lord. I left my family for 2 years so that other families can spend eternity with theirs. 

I love my mission, I love our Savior Jesus Christ, I know that He is the Son of the Living God. I love all of you back home as well of course.

Elder Nugent

Oh, also as of September 28th I have officially hit my 1 year mark. Sad how fast time flies. 

Hello everybody! How is everything going? Quite excellent I suppose. Things are going awesome here in JA. This week has been brilliant as the English would say. This past week was transfers. I am staying in the same area and have the same companion, but some other missionaries in my zone were transferred, so we spent a lot of time driving them to their different areas. We drove to Port Antonio, Portmore, Yallahs, and Spanish Town so it was a ton of driving, about 6 hours in total I believe. But despite all the time used up by driving, many of our investigators have made a ton of progress. We are teaching a lady and her baby's father currently. At first, in our lessons, the lady was not too excited, and she wouldn't read the Book of Mormon and participate much. But last week Elder Gurr and I went over and taught her. At the end of the lesson she was crying. We went over and taught her again a few days later and committed her to read the Book of Mormon.  In just 5 days, she had read all of 1 Nephi. She later told us that whenever she would wake up and go to sleep and in the middle of the night when she felt distressed she would just read. When we went over to teach her again, her entire countenance had changed. She was so much happier. She had felt the Spirit of the Lord. She told us that she knows that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that the Church is true. It was such an awesome experience. She will be baptized on October 27, because she has to get married to her baby's father who also wants to be baptized. What an incredible experience. We have received great, great blessings as of late. The Lord is building up the Church here in the Constant Spring branch, and I feel that the first ever stake in Jamaica will be established very soon. As you all can tell missionary work is awesome and I love being here. I know that this Church is true.

Love you all,

Elder Nugent

Hello everyone! How is it going? I'm sure things are still going well. I bet things are pretty cold there relative to here in JA. haha. But I hope school and everything is going well for everyone. Things are going really well here in Kingston. We are still working with some really cool investigators and part member families. One thing that I have definitely realized is that members are VITAL in missionary work. That is something I definitely need to improve on when I return home. But life has been good. Time is flying by way too fast. Something that I have been really thinking about this week is the dynamic nature that we as humans have. We are constantly changing. Every thing we think, see, hear, do, say, etc. either helps us to grow closer to God and helps us to become more like him.... or helps us grow closer to Satan and makes us more like him. Our decisions either help us be filled with light and happiness or darkness and misery. This is why it is essential that we are actively engaged in a good cause and that we are constantly seeking to do righteously, and that we absolutely refuse sin no matter how small it may seem. We are always getting either better or worse. If we choose to do nothing then we are getting worse. I have definitely learned much on my mission and have grown much, but I see so much where I need to improve and do better. I know this gospel is true and I know that Jesus Christ lives! And that it is through him that we can progress and become like God. It is through his infinite and atoning sacrifice that even when we slip up, we can change and become better. I love my mission and I love all of you back home.

Elder Nugent

Things are going really well here in Kingston as usual. This past week we have found many new people to teach, so we are in the process of teaching some new people. It has been great working with part member families as well. Time has certainly been flying by too fast. I have really developed a love for the people here. And sharing the gospel is just awesome. Sorry this email is short. I will be attatching a lot of pictures with it to make up for the lack of writing. Not too much out of the ordinary has happened this week. But this past week I have been thinking a little about the Title of Liberty in Alma 46 I believe. In it, Captain Moroni writes all that is important to him, and he holds it up and lets everyone know the things that he values and holds dear, and he is willing to defend them to the death. That is how we should be. We shouldn't be afraid or hesitant to let others know what we believe, but we should let everyone know our standards and values and we should be willing to defend them even until death. I know that this Gospel is true and that God lives. I love you all.

Elder Nugent

Hello everyone! How is everything going? School is back in session that is just crazy. But things are going really well here in Kingston. This past week was a little disappointing though. We recently learned that a few of our investigators who are really close to baptism are actually in a different branch's boundaries so we had to pass them off to a next set of missionaries so that was a little disappointing but as long as they get baptized its all good. Also, one of my investigators from Mandeville was baptized last Sunday so that is really cool. Sadly I wasn't able to attend his baptism though. But other than that this week has gone alright. We have been working a lot to find some new investigators. And as we have been finding new investigators I continue to realize the importance of member missionary work and home teaching. Members are vital for helping their friends and family members learn about and accept the restored gospel. The types of people that we should look for to share the gospel with are people who have recently had a birth in the family, a death in the family, have recently moved into the area, or are struggling with raising a family, and of course everyone that we come in contact with. People who are experiencing trials normally have their hearts softened and are more susceptible to feeling the Spirit and acting upon his promptings. So if any of you back home know of such people, work to share the gospel with them. Invite them to learn from the missionaries, and if you want, ask the missionaries for help in coming up with a way to share the gospel to your friends and family members. I promise the Lord will help you, because He has promised us already. I know this Church is true, I know that God lives and that he loves us in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,

Elder Nugent 

Hey Everybody! things are going really well here in Kingston. This past
week has been a little slow, but we pushed through it and are working hard.
Our investigators are still doing well, hopefully we will have some
baptisms really soon. I still love serving with my Companion Elder Gurr we
get a long well and time is flying by really fast... which i dont know if
that is a good thing haha. But I really do love it here. Glad to hear you
are all doing well in school and such. It feels like school barely started
from last year. But the mission is awesome. One of the greatest blessings
that I have received from my mission is learning to recognize and follow
the promptings of the Spirit. What a great blessing that we as members of
the Church have to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost as long as we
are worthy. One thing that I have been reflecting on this last week is the
importance of standing in Holy Places. It is so important that we only go
places where the Spirit can be. If we go anywhere where the Spirit cannot
be, we are in danger. The Spirit is available to protect and guide us. If
we are doing things or are in places where the Spirit cannot be, we are
placing ourselves in situations where we can be harmed both physically and
spiritually, and we can easily fall. It is essential that we stand in Holy
Places! I love my mission, and I love this gospel. I know it is true. I
know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. May we all stand in Holy
Places. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love you all,
Elder Nugent

Dear everybody back home and abroad, 

I am still doing very well here in Jamaica. We should be getting a couple of baptisms in these next few weeks, so iIam pretty stoked for that. Missionary work is just awesome. I love it so much. It really is crazy how fast the time has been flying though. it has been going by too fast. It is really weird because as missionaries we are literally set apart from the things of the world. I just have a whole new perspective on life. It is pretty awesome. this past week has been really good. We have had some awesome experiences finding people who have been prepared to receive the gospel and we will be having a couple baptisms in the next few weeks. This past week, I have been dwelling on how similar temple work and missionary work are. In reality it is the same work. As missionaries, we have the opportunity of providing people the choice to exercise their agency to choose eternal life or not. They can either accept or reject our message. They can choose eternal life or eternal damnation. As we teach them the gospel by the spirit, they receive the ability to choose whether or not to live the gospel. The choice is placed before them. And if they exercise their agency well they may recieve a fullness of joy and receive all that our Heavenly Father has. And also, they may have greater peace, joy and happiness in this life as well. When we do temple work, we also provide people with a choice. the choice is to accept the ordinances and covenants of the gospel and receive eternal life or not. In either case, we are acting as instruments in the hands of the Lord to help him to bring about his eternal purposes. How great a blessing! We are literally helping others make steps to receive eternal life! and for others to be eternally happy! I love missionary work. I love this gospel. I love my Savior.

Love,

Elder Nugent

Dear everybody back home,

How are you all? I am doing well here in Kingston. This past week has been a pretty normal week. We had transfers, so I am now with my new companion Elder Gurr from Canada. He is an awesome missionary, and we get along really well. Currently we are working with four really solid investigators, who have baptism dates in a couple of weeks. We have been really blessed here in Kingston right now. Currently we are trying to focus teaching those investigators who have been truly prepared by the Lord. It is amazing to see how the Lord prepares people to receive his gospel. We have one investigator who is 16 years old. She had secretly wanted to always attend our church, so she prayed to the Lord to provide a way for her to attend. a few days later, her next door neighbor who is a member walked over and told her that the Lord had told her to invite her to church. This investigator now has a baptismal date, and has a testimony of the gospel, and is progressing in accepting and living the gospel and will be baptized on September 1. In the latest Liahona, Elder Eyring tells us that the Lord will place those people who have been prepared to receive the gospel in the paths of those people who are prepared to share the gospel. What a great blessing! I challenge everyone back home to prepare your minds and your hearts to be receptive to the Spirit and to share the gospel with those whom the Lord puts in our paths. I know the Lord will bless us. I know that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know he lives in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Love you all,

Elder Nugent

Hello everyone, hows it going? Things are going quite excellently here in Kingston. On Saturday we recieved transfer calls, and I will be staying here in Kingston, but i will be getting a new companion named Elder Gurr. I will be sad to see my current companion leave. He will he going to Hopeton where he will train a new missionary. This past week has been awesome though. It has been amazing to see how the Lord has prepared people to receive our message. On tuesday, we got in a minor car accident when a car ran into us as we were driving through an intersection. We are all ok, and the car wasn't damaged very badly, but it kind of set our week back because we had to use a whole day to do paperwork and such. As a result, we were not able to see as many of our investigators as we would have liked to. Nonetheless, even though we werent able to teach them as much as we would have liked to this week, many of our investigators made more progress this week then they had ever made before. The Lord truly touched their hearts, and they had a great desire to change and repent. It was just awesome to see them make so many changes. This week has yet again been a testimony to me of the truthfulness of the gospel. I know this church is true, and I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I know that it is only through him that we can receive a fullness of joy. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love you all,

Elder Nugent

Whats up everybody?! How is everyone doing? I hope to hear from many of you. Things are going great here in Kingston though. I love serving here. We are working with many awesome investigators, and we have been teaching some awesome lessons. My companion Elder Conder is awesome. Everything is just going really well right now. 

Yesterday, we had probably the most spiritual lesson I have ever experienced on my mission. We were teaching the Husband of a member who was baptized by grandpa a long time ago. We even visited them when we came to Jamaica as a family about 12 years ago. Her husband has been putting off baptism for a long time now. In the lesson, we taught and testified to him. The spirit was so strongly there. It was indescribable. We invited him to be baptized. He almost committed, but wanted to pray about it, so we will be going back to their house tonight to hear the answer to his prayer. My writing cannot describe the lesson. Im sorry my writing is so inadequate at this moment. It is hard for me to express my feelings. I know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ and that this Church is true. The Holy Spirit has borne this to my soul many times and I cannot deny it. Love you all

Elder Nugent

Hello everybody! hows it going? long time no talk haha. Everything is going awesome here in Kingston. Currently we are working with some really cool investigators, so I am pretty excited to continue to watch them progress in the gospel. I love serving with Elder Conder as well. He is a great companion. He finishes his mission at the end of October so I will be sad to see him go. Things have been going well though. This past week has been pretty crazy we were in Portmore to train some Elders there for the day and then we had district conference on Saturday and Sunday, so we have been super busy. All of this busyness has been making time fly by way too fast. One thing that I have been reflecting on as of late is how the Lord always prepares a way for us to keep his commandments. Even when we see no possible way, there will always be a way prepared if we exercise our faith just like Nephi did when he recieved the Brass plates. Many times, we try to excuse ourselves and we lie to ourselves saying that the Lord will understand if we dont keep all of his commandments. Sometimes we say well im going through difficult times, or im struggling with difficult temptations,  the Lord will understand if I dont go to church or dont pay my tithing, or dont do some other thing which he has commanded. But the fact of the matter is that the Lord cannot look on sin with the least degree of allowance, and that a way has been prepared for all of us to keep all of his commandments. All it requires is faith and action. I have definitely been learning a lot on my mission. It has truly been the best experience of my life. I love the Lord I know he lives. I love my mission. and I love all of you. Till next week

Elder Nugent

Hey! hows it going everyone?! everything is going really well here. this past week has been awesome. to kind of switch things up this week, I am going to post something that we did each day of the week last week:

Monday: Preparation day. we purchased about 100 bananas for about 5 dollars. 

Tuesday: taught the gospel we had some awesome lessons. We also had an excellent zone conference

Wednesday: we went to Yallas to help the missionaries in that area to get more dedicated to the work. 

Thursday: We returned from Yallas and had an awesome day proselyting. We met many cool people, we are increasing our teaching pool

Friday: We had super planning for about 3 hours. We had brownies for lunch. We flooded the kitchen floor with the washing machine. We returned to Yallas, and had a very spiritual lesson with the missionaries there. 

Saturday: We had another awesome day teaching the gospel. I am loving life

Sunday: We had chruch, and taught even more excellent lessons. 

We are working with a way cool investigator named nicole. Hopefully she will be able to be baptized. She has a baptism date of Aug. 18. She is doing awesome. 

This week has been great. I love serving out here in Kingston. Elder Conder and I get along very well. We are doing work in the area, and we are teaching many, many prepared people, about ready to receive the gospel.

I love my mission, I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that he lives. I love and miss all of you back home.

Love,

Elder Nugent

Hello Everybody! How is everyone doing? I am doing quite excellent at the moment in Kingston. I love serving here. This past week has gone by really well and really fast. Currently I am serving with Elder Conder, we get along really well, so I hope we are able to be companions for a long time. The branch here is AWESOME there are probably about 70 people that come to church each week, and we get fed just about every day, so I can't ask for much better than that haha. Currently we are working with some really cool investigators that we recently met. A lot of them seem very interested and are really nice people, so I am excited to help them learn about the restored gospel. We are constantly on the lookout to find more people to teach though. Being a zone leader has been good. It gets really busy though because we have to carry a full proselyting load while also helping the other areas in our zone. I have definitely learned a lot from it already. I love how in life, if we make the correct choices we can constantly progress and become better and better. To be damned would be miserable. We need to ensure that we are always progressing each and every day. Always taking steps forward, and never taking any steps back. As Elder Conder says progression is perfection. Just looking back at my life, there have been so many times where I wasted time, when I could have been using that time to better myself in some way or another. We need to constantly look back and evaluate our lives, our dreams, our goals, and our expectations, to find what really matters most, and to ensure that we are always working to move forward. I love my mission. It is a period of time where super-growth occurs. I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who makes eternal progression possible. I love all of you back home. I know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Love you all, 

p.s. hope you enjoy the pictures. there are more, but just not enough time to upload all of them. they are of me with investigators, and members, and such. oh and you can buy a bag of mangoes like I'm holding up in the picture for about 50 cents here hahaha. livin in Jamaica.... 

Elder Nugent

Hey everyone! hows it going? everything is going well here. this week has been quite crazy and enjoyable indeed. As most of you know,  I was transferred on Wednesday to kingston as a zone leader. When we got to the spanish town branch for transfers, to my surprise they told me that I was going to drive the missionaries in my zone to their areas which consisted of the areas of Yallas and Portmore. The thing that was crazy was that the car that i drove was a stick shift, which i haven't really driven before. But the Lord always provides a way so I was blessed and was able to drive the missionaries through kingston to their areas in safety. Another thing about Jamaica, is that they drive very crazily and they drive on the opposite side of the road. So that was quite an adventure indeed. I love this area though. The members are awesome, and the branch that i am serving in is very large compared to my other areas. My companion's name is Elder Conder, and we get along very well so i am excited to be serving with him. This week, I was really focused on serving the Lord with all of my Heart and mind. As we truly submit our wills to the Lords will, miracles occur. Well I love my mission, I love the Lord and I love serving here. I know this Church is true and I know that Jesus is the Christ and that God lives. Love you all.

Elder Nugent

Peace and Blessings

Pictures will come next week

What is up Everybody? How is everyone doing? I am doing quite excellent here in my last week in Mandeville. I just found out two days ago that I am being transferred to Kingston on Wednesday where I will be a zone leader... and i will be driving. haha. I will definitely be sad to miss Mandeville. I have grown close to a lot of the members here and i will be sad to leave some of our investigators. This past week has been pretty good. on Friday we hosted a branch movie night, and there were several people in attendance, so it turned out pretty well. Our investigator didn't end up getting baptised yesterday because he is 16, and he needs his parents permission for baptism. At first, his mom was completely fine with him being baptised, but then his father, who lives in Germany found out and pretty much turned our investigators entire family against him. So for the past week we have been hoping and praying that he would be able to still get permission from his mom. And, on Saturday, his mother finally decided to give him permission, so he should be getting baptised this coming sunday. I will most likely have to miss the baptism because i will be in kingston, but i am so happy that everything will be able to work out for him. It was definitely a miracle from the Lord. I have definitely enjoyed serving here in cool cool mandeville as people call it. I have learned a lot from being here and from training Elder Olson. I am looking forward to being in Kingston it should be a whole other adventure haha. I definitely know that this Church is true and that the Book of Mormon truly is scripture from God, and the keystone to our religion. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that we are all children of God, and that he loves and cares for us. I love serving my mission. I wouldn't rather be anywhere else than right here. I love and miss you all still as always haha

Love,

Elder Nugent

Wah tah goh waahn Everyone?! haha. I am doing quite excellent here in Mandeville. Transfer calls are coming on saturday so i will find out if i am being transfered or not. How are you all doing? hope summer is going well. I cannot believe how fast time is flying. It is crazy. Let me update you on the story of my life:

First: the food challenge at Margaritaville last monday was a success. I ate the 4 patty 4 cheese hamburger with fries and a pickle in under 15 minutes. So I got a free t-shirt that is normally 30 dollars, and the meal itself which is normally 30 dollars was free for me! Yes! haha. it was a high risk, high reward meal for sure. It was pretty crazy though because margaritaville which is a huge tourist destination had a lot of people eating there. and then this guy with a microphone came and announced that we were doing the challenge and like 30  random people who were eating at the restaurant came and surrounded my table and there were all these people cheering me on. it was awesome hahaha. I am pretty much now a legend at margaritaville. 

Second: One of our investigators is getting baptised on Sunday! i am so excited. We have been working with this investigator for the past 3 months, and all of our hard work is about to pay off! We definitely worked through a ton of challenges, but we were able to overcome them together. This investigator is really cool. he is 16 and he is super excited for baptism. It is amazing the changes that he has made in his life, and he tells us that he is so much happier now. He has been a real testimony builder for me about how we never know who is prepared to receive the gospel. We need to share with everyone regardless of whether or not we think they will accept it. Because the Lord knows who he wants in his church. 

Third: as you can tell this past week has been quite excellent. We have definitely had our trials, but we are looking forward to what this week will bring. Being on a mission is definitely the greatest thing that i could be doing right now in my life. I have learned and grown so much. I still have so much more to learn and grow. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that he atoned for our sins, and that this is HIS Church restored to the earth. I love being here. It is quite an amazing experience. I miss and love you all.

Love, 

Elder Nugent

Hello everybody! how is it going? Mandeville is doing well. Time just keeps on flying faster and faster. It feels like yesterday I sent my last email. Things are going pretty good here though. One of our investigators is progressing really well and should be baptized in 2 weeks, so I am way excited about that. I am loving serving here though. We get transfer calls next week so i will find out if i will be staying here or if i will be transfered again. Today, we are having another zone p-day in Negril just like we had a couple of weeks ago. We are going back to that same restaurant called Margaritaville except this time, I will be attempting a food challenge there where I have to eat this huge hamburger with four hamburger patties, and fries, and a pickle in under 15 minutes. If i accomplish the challenge my meal will be free and i will get a free t shirt. So everyone be praying for me hahaha. Also, yesterday by permission from President Hendricks, Grandma and Grandpa who have been in Jamaica for this past week were able to come to the Mandeville branch. So, I was able to see them at church and after church Grandma's cousin fed us dinner so it was really nice. It was awesome seeing them there. It was kind of weird, but it was great.

This week, I have been thinking a bit about the Laws and Ordinances of the Gospel and how they help us to endure to the end. In conference, one of the talks given by a member of the Seventy was about how we need to be active in the Church and active in the Gospel. Just because we go to church, doesnt mean we are active in living the gospel the way we should. all of us as members need to focus on the covenants we have made, and strive to keep them and also to make higher covenants in the Temple. As we focus on the laws and ordinances of the gospel we will recieve direction in our lives. I would like to bear my testimony that I know that this gospel is true. I know Jesus Christ lives. I know that the holy priesthood has been restored to the earth, and that through it we may partake of the ordinances of salvation. As we worthily take part in sacred ordinances by his priesthood, the power of God is manifest. I know this to be true in my life and the ordinances I have been able to take a part in will continue to stand as a witness to me of the truth and divinity of this Church and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love and miss you all

Love,
Elder Nugent 

Hello Everybody! sorry for the lateness of the email this week. Today was pretty crazy. We went on a hike for P-day and it was probably the coolest hike i have ever done in my life.... and i have done some pretty cool hikes in my lifetime. We started off going up this mountain without any real trail, and we were led by these two twin boys who were 16 and an 11 year old boy. It was so sweet. We had to get up these huge boulders by climbing up these vines. On the hike, all i brought was a water bottle. But it was ok because it just so happens that the 11 year old boy is half monkey or something because he climbed up all these coconut trees and we had a ton of water from the coconuts. The rain forest we were in also had a ton of fruit trees growing. there were a million mangos, sour sops, jackfruits, sugar cane, breadfruit, etc. So we pretty much hiked an intense trail, and whenever we got hungry we ate fruit that was growing all around us. it was so cool. This has definitely been the funnest P-day i have had yet. But other then that, this week has been going pretty good. Elder Olson and I were able to go back out teaching. And some of our investigators have started to progress once again so that is a relief. Other investigators sadly are digressing, so we will probably have to drop them this week. One thing I have been thinking about this week is how our trials can help us to grow stronger. Whenever we have an investigator who gets close to baptism, a trial enters their life. Their trials either make or break them. THat is how it is with us in life. When we face our trials well, we grow stronger. When we do not handle our trials well, we often grow weaker. This past week has been really good, and i am excited to start this next week. I definitely know this gospel is true, and I know that Jesus Christ lives. I miss and love you all. Pictures will hopefully come next week from our hike and other adventures. 

Love,

Elder Nugent

How is it going everybody? Things are going alright here in Mandeville. This past week has been kind of crazy for several reasons. First, It is hurricane season, so it has been raining like crazy here, which makes biking fun... really it does. Whenever we go out, after we get  to our destination it looks like I went swimming with my clothes on, at least it cools everything off though haha. Also, on Friday Saturday and Sunday, my companion has been sick. He had a pretty bad fever, and pink-eye, and swollen glands, and a sore throat, and runny belly, so those past three days we had to stay in the house. So while he was suffering, I sprayed down our mold infested apartment with bleach so our house is now super clean which is nice. Other than that, this week has been pretty good. We were not able to teach much because we were stuck inside, but I was able to study the scriptures and the Church magazine a lot... Lets just say from now on you can all refer to me as the living Ensign haha. I love reading the Church magazines now. I definitely missed out in previous years of my life when I took no thought to read them. They are full of spiritual guidance. I encourage all of you to read them each month back home. Well this week hasn't been the best, but I have learned a lot. And I am excited to start this week. I love serving here. And time has been flying by way too fast. I know that this church is true, and I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that he directs the church through a living prophet on the earth today. I hope you all have an excellent week. It is crazy that it is already summer time. I miss and love you all,

Love,

Elder Nugent

Hello Everyone! how is it going? things are going all right here in Mandeville. This week has not been the best week for mandeville but we are hanging in there. First my companion was sick one day so we werent able to go out and teach. Second a couple of our investigators who we were working with, who we were really excited for and were progressing, pretty much dropped off the face of the world. And to top it off at the start of sacrament meeting yesterday there were only 11 members at church because it was a rainy day. It was a little frustrating, but I am just trying not to get discouraged and work even harder than ever this week to help as many people as possible come unto Christ. 

This week, I have been pondering on the importance of journal writing. Journal writing is an expression of gratitude, and a form of remembering the great things the Lord has done for us and those around us. In the scriptures particularly the Book of Mormon, there are countless references of remembering the great things the Lord has done. Remembering the Lord and the blessings he gives us daily helps us to live righteously. Another thing I have recently started doing better, is i have been keeping a study journal to record the things i learn during studies, and spiritual impressions that come to me. Writing in the journal has made a huge difference in the amount that I learn and remember as I study. I am able to remain so much more focused, and I am able to remember the things I study a lot easier. Elder Richard G. Scott said that writing spiritual inspiration down shows the Lord that we value it, and then we are likely to receive more. How true that is! I would like to challenge all of you back home to write in a journal daily. Also, I would challenge all of you back home to keep a study journal to use as you study the scriptures, and listen to conference, etc. Also make sure to write down spiritual impressions whenever they come to you. It is so important. Well I miss and love you all. I am having a great time out here. Last week I began a new transfer here in Mandeville. I still training my companion because new missionaries get trained for 2 transfers now instead of 1. You are always in my prayers. I know that this Church is true and that Jesus Christ lives and loves us. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet living today. And I know with out a doubt that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Blessings,

Elder Nugent

Hello everybody! How is it going? It is continuing to go well here in Mandeville. This week has been pretty good. Time has been flying fast, and our investigators are still progressing so I am pretty excited about that. Not too much new has happened this week. Still just working hard to help our investigators become truly converted to the gospel. 

Our apartment is still being invaded by flying cockroaches so that is always fun haha. Last preparation day Negril was fun. We went to the beach and chilled, and then we went to this place called Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville. It was pretty cool. Negril was so beautiful. I was thinking how blessed I am to be able to go to these places that many people spend their lives just dreaming about going to. And to think that I have the opportunity of living here for 2 years while serving the Lord. What a blessing. 

This past week, A lot of the things that I learned about in studies and such was about prayer. Prayer is so essential for us to come close to God. I read in a quote that it is through prayer that we come the closest to God. Prayer is truly a form of work, and is something that we must continue to develop throughout the rest of our lives. I have really been trying to improve my prayer relationship with God and receive revelation for my own life. In Preach My Gospel they say that the only way we can know of spiritual truths is through prayer. I would like to encourage all of you back home to continue to work on and evaluate your prayers. As we do so, we will begin to know God even more in a very real sense. 

I love serving my mission. I have definitely learned that there are many areas in my life where I can improve. Thank you all for your support through the years of my lifetime. I know that Jesus Christ Lives, and that He is truly our Lord and our Saviour. I know that this missionary work that i am blessed to take a part of is truly the work of the Lord. I love you all and miss you 

Love,

Elder  Nugent

P.S. the pictures are mostly of Negril last monday and also the picture where i look quite angry is when an investigator floured me on my birthday

Hello Everyone! wah tah goh waahn? Mi deh yah! This week has been quite excellent if i might say so. It started off about a week ago. My companion and I were out in the middle of nowhere teaching a great family the first lesson. It was the first time teaching this family so we didn't know the area well, and it was starting to get kinda late by the end of the lesson. After the lesson, we waited forever outside with a member to find a taxi, but no taxis were coming our way. I was getting quite worried, because I wasn't sure how we would be able to reach home. The place where we were at would probably take about 3 hours to walk back home. We all said a couple prayers in our hearts. Eventually, a police truck came and stopped because one of the police officers knew the member we were waiting with from way back in the day in high school. The member somehow convinced the police officer to give us a ride. As we were driving with the police officers, we learned that they had just intended to drop us off at a post office which was also clear out in the middle of no where. But, we were able to use our people skills and we became friends with the police, and they decided to drive us all the way back to the town. Later in the week I learned that police officers never give people rides. My companion and I were truly blessed by the Lord. He answered our prayers and provided a way for us to get back home safely. He also softened the heart of the police officers to give us a ride all the way to the town. What a blessing it was. I am so grateful.

Mandeville area is doing awesome though. We are working with several people who I feel have truly been prepared by the Lord, and this week we had more people in sacrament meeting than we have ever had before. The area is doing great, and we are starting to work with the members more in helping them to do missionary work. Well, Today will also be a good day. We are spending the day with the zone in Negril, which is at a beach that has 7 miles of white sand, it is very famous in Jamaica. It should be fun. Thank you for all your prayers and support. I am truly enjoying my time here in Jamaica. It has definitely been the hardest time of my life, but it has been the best time as well. I know that this is the work of the Lord, and I know that he hears and answers our prayers. I know that he loves us and that Jesus is the Christ, our Lord and our Savior. I know that we are led and guided by a living prophet to day. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

With much love,
Elder Nugent

P.S. picture should come next week.

Hello everybody! how is it going?! thank you for the birthday wishes, I appreciate it. This past week has been good. The Jamaicans have a tradition where when it is your birthday they throw flour all over you. They call it flouring. So, naturally, on Tuesday I was floured. Pictures will come next week. 

Everything has been going well here though. Yesterday, I gave the longest talk I have ever given in a sacrament meeting. It was roughly 30 minutes long. My companion overestimated the length of his talk so he only talked for about 8 minutes, so I had to make up the difference haha. It was good though. The mission has definitely moulded me into a better teacher and speaker. 

It is crazy how the mission has been changing me. I hardly have any fear about going up to random people on the street and talking to them. I love studying the gospel like never before. Before I came on my mission i thought gospel study would be like a chore, now it is something i look forward too. It is amazing to me how every time you read your scriptures you learn something new. 

Everything you learn, if applied into your life can help you become a better, happier person. Many people spend their lives searching for the secret of life, how to be successful, and how to be happy. The answer to all of those questions are contained in the scriptures. we just have to open them with an open heart and read and study and ponder and apply them into our lives. 

Time has also been moving than faster than ever now. It feels like every day i just wake up and then go to bed. Everything is moving like a blur. I love serving out here though. We are working with a really cool investigator who is 16 who should be getting baptised on may19. He is awesome. he has been reading and praying and so i am excited for him. training is going pretty well. 

My companion and I definitely have our ups and downs, But i am thankful because i am learning so much from this experience. After all, we go through troubles and trials so we can learn and grow. I love this gospel, and I love my Saviour Jesus Christ. I know that he lives and loves us. I am so very grateful for our living prophet who helps us stay on the strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life. I love and miss you all,

Love, 

Elder Nugent

Hey everybody! how is everything going? I hope you are all doing something fun for my birthday hahaha. Just kidding but I am doing great here in Mandeville. We have someone who should be getting baptized in 2 weeks so I am excited about that. A quick funny story is about to follow: so yesterday at church, out of the blue over 20 non members came to church. In church, My companion and I teach an investigator class where nonmembers go to sunday school. So in our investigator class we had about 25 people that we taught which is much more than the usual 5 that show up on other sundays. After the class I learned that most of those new people are students at a bible college and many of them are studying to become clergy, and they showed up to get more information about our church for a research paper. so, they came to the church and were all pretending to be investigators. It was kind of disappointing to learn that they just came to the church to write a paper, but hopefully the message of the restoration which we taught them will plant some seeds in their hearts, and hopefully they will be willing to learn more and find out for themselves that the church is true.

This past week has been good though. We have been working hard. Training a new missionary can be challenging at times, but I am definitely learning in the process. We had another cool experience a couple weeks ago with one of our investigators. I will call the investigators name Dr. M.. Dr. M has been taught by missionaries for about a year and still has not been baptized. Then, a few weeks ago he had a dream where he saw his dead grandfather and Joseph Smith, and they were friends. The very next time that Dr. M came to church we had a lesson about temple and geneology work. Dr. M had been taught about temple work before, but I think he really felt the spirit testify to him at church about the divinity of temple work and genealogy because right after church, He came up to us and told us that he wants to be baptized as soon as possible. He should be getting baptized a few weeks into May if all goes well.

I love serving here in Jamaica. Everyday I love this country more and more. And everyday I learn more and more. I love my mission and I love the people here. I definitely know that this church is true and that Jesus Christ truly lives. I know that we have a prophet on the earth today who leads and guides us. Sorry this email is a little bit shorter today too. But I am sending a couple pictures and pictures are worth a thousand words. so technically this letter is really long. haha

P.S. as of tomorrow I am no longer a teenager that is another weird thought. time sure is flying. P.P.S. The pictures are of our Preparation day. We went to Treasure Beach in Saint Elizabeth. The person that is in a few of the pictures with me is the companion that I am training. 

Hello Everybody, Long time no talk. sorry this email has to be pretty short, i just came back from the beach with my zone. Things are going well here in Mandeville my companion and I are getting along well. It is a little bit different training, because my companion looks at everything that I do and I am constantly teaching so I have to be at the top of my game, which I always strive to do anyways, but it just puts the pressure on a little bit more. This week I was also called to be a district leader so I will have to teach district meeting every week which i am excited to do because i always find that i learn much more when i teach others. Our investigators here are doing well though. We now have 7 investigators who have a baptism date. We should be baptizing a man in about 2 weeks. There is a really cool story about how he finally comitted to baptism, but that will have to be shared next time due to lack of time. But i am doing well here. we are working hard and staying busy. Next week i will also send some pretty sweet pictures. But I just want to let all of you know that I know this church is true. I am so thankful to be serving a mission and I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that we have a true prophet on the earth today. And we are so blessed to be living in this day and time. Well I hope to hear from you all very soon. I love and miss you all

Elder Nugent

Hello everybody! Long time no talk haha. I wasnt able to email yesterday because it was a national holiday in Jamaica and the email place was closed. I am still doing well in Mandeville. This week has been pretty crazy. My new companion was stuck in texas for a few days because of some tornadoes, so I was put with a missionary from another area close to mandeville for a few days. But, my new companion finally arrived safe and sound on saturday and we are doing lots of work here in Mandeville. He is a great missionary, and is excited to serve here in Jamaica. His name is Elder Olson by the way. The work has been going good here so far. We have three people with baptism dates and we have a lot more who are progressing slowly but surely. This week, I was reflecting on my calling and purpose as a missionary, and it really hit me that as missionaries we are called to represent Christ and help people become cleansed from their sins. I then thought of how much in my life I use the atonement, and the joy that comes from repentance and forgiveness, and it has really motivated me even more to spread the gospel to others. It made me feel kind of like Alma and the sons of Mosiah and also like Enos. In Preach My Gospel they tell us that as our understanding of the Atonement increases, our desire to share the gospel will increase as well. And I definitely know that to be true in my life. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and I know that he truly atoned for our sins. I have experienced the cleansing power of the Atonement in my life, and I love being able to help others apply that same power in their lives. Well I love and miss you all. Happy late easter! 

Love,

Elder Nugent

Hello everyone! Elder Nugent here. This week has been pretty good. It was a little bit tough because a lot of appointments fell through, but we were able to push through and have a pretty successful week. This week we also received transfer calls, and I will be staying in Mandeville and I will be getting a new companion who is a brand new missionary who i will be training. I am a little bit nervous, but im excited too. 

General Conference was really good too. I loved hearing all the talks and it flew by way too fast. Every session felt like it was only 30 minutes long it was so crazy. I definitely learned a lot of principles that will not only help me in my missionary work, but also when I come back home. I loved preisthood session, It really gave me a strong desire to serve the Lord and others with all ive got. 

I loved in conference how they also emphasized the importance of family. I never realized the true importance of family until I came on my mission and saw the effects of having unstable family units. I would like to add my testimony that strengthening the relationship that we have with our families is one of the most important goals and objectives that we should EVER have in this life. The family is so important. As a missionary I constantly try to find and strengthen families. The best way to strengthen and grow a family is on the principles of the gospel. These principles will cultivate love, respect, charity, service, and other essential attributes that are required for strong family units. Scripture reading, prayer, service, family home evenings, and spending time with family members are great activities to build the foundation of the family on gospel principles. All of these things invite and cultivate an enviornment where the Spirit can be present to make the family grow stronger. 

This gospel and my mission has definitely changed my life. I am so grateful for it. I know that Christ lives and that he atoned for the sins of the world. I am thankful for my family who have helped me become the person that I am. I love and miss you all

Love,

Elder Nugent