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.