April 29, 2012

Hey loved ones,

I love being a missionary. It is so crazy how fast time goes by, I sometimes have that longing to go back in time or make it stop. I think I told you about this recently, I think that is my spirit longing for it's true state. Almost proof we are eternal beings.

 Some questions:

Can you send me a cookie recipe?

What is John Moore’s address? I wrote him like a month ago and still haven't sent it because I always forget to ask for the address.

Where did Belize come from? I am excited to hear about it.

For my Birthday present can I buy an odometer, speedometer thing for my bike. It's 700 dollars, that is Taibi. (25 USD)

What is new with everyone?

Rachel please email me! (You can count it as your birthday present to me.)

What's up with my investment with Aunt Sherrie's thing?

Well here is my letter to my president:

  Hey President,
Thanks for all you’re doing. This week has been good. I love how we see miracles daily. My companion is easy to get along with, I think I get more frustrated with myself then he does with me. Which is nice and I am learning a lot. I am working my hardest trying to use time effectively and always finding. I got to go on exchanges with Elder Young and had a great time. I learned how that by focusing on finding and not as much on baptism, we learn to not be so number focused and don't get so many people who go less active that have made covenants with god. I am learning to love finding, as my mom always says "First things first." Finding is first, after that things happen in missionary work. Thanks.
 This week I have better studied for investigators while studying, and hope to get good at that. I have felt recently that my studies are becoming more effective, which is nice. I am still enjoying my BOM studies and am seeing the doctrine of Christ in places I have never seen it before. It’s so fun. I feel that because we are studying teaching skills our teaching has become better. We are now much more unified and are teaching with unity and the overviews are making our lessons way better, the time part is helping not only investigators but my companion who loves to talk. I am going to keep this invite my whole mission now. I am loving my companion, investigators and area more and more. Thanks.

Elder Sabey

 TO answer our questions

What is your goal that you are trying to finish up before then? 

It's called Phase 2 which is a language study plan, of three phases and the third is all the characters in the book of Mormon. So hopefully I will be studying characters soon. :) I am so excited. 

 How are your discussions coming in Chinese? The discussions are going just fine. I think now most my investigators understand what i am saying now and my grammar is getting better. The Chinese is coming, just slower then I would like.

I hope your companion is feeling a little happier. I think he is but now he has another problem, he has dreamed about marrying a Taiwanese girl (On a mission in TaiZhong)(which he has been writing, but not romantically) multiple times recently and is thinking about it a lot.  He is having a hard time focusing, and asked for my help. Any suggestions?

  What's up with the black family?
They are super fun and nice but this week they were busy and we didn't get to meet with them.

Well this week was great. You probably want to hear about some of the miracles. I don't have any quite like Ian Darcey had (So cool) but I had some good ones. Me and my companions teaching transformed overnight and our lessons are way more powerful now. We had Elder Gong of the 70 come and teach us. We learned about being quick to observe and also the importance of the first vision. It is crazy how that one event was the thing that started the stone rolling and all doctrine can be traced back to it. Like the cone theory. Some doctrine: Eternal families -This is my beloved son. Notice how they are not in a distant relationship.  God is full of light and truth/is the light and life of the world: I saw a pillar of light above the brightness of the sun. God loves and knows us: Calling me by name. Revelation, Line upon line "It descended gradually until it fell upon me."

 The spirit was so strong in that room as we were discussing it my mind was truly enlightened and my testimony enlarged. Sister Gong talked about how a caterpillar will make a cocoon and in the cocoon will liquefy and then reshape into a butterfly, and how God's view for what we can be compared to what we are is even a greater difference then a caterpillar and butterfly. Some thoughts I had where trials can be the times when we are liquefied and have the ability to change who we are. We can stay in the cocoon and be stuck or fight our way out and become free and a new person. I think I have heard that the butterfly has to eat and fight its way out of the cocoon, which gives it strength to fly. 

 I also think the sacrament can be the liquefying time where we can choose to be made new again and become a better person or to stay in the cocoon. I read in Mosiah 25 7-8ish king Mosiah has records read to the people and they don't know what to think, they are filled with joy because of the deliverance of their brethren and with sorrow because of the death of many of their brethren. It made me think how often we assume we can only have one feeling. In elder Cooks talk “I hope you know we had a hard time" he talks about how "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" and we learn from trials. He quotes Neil A Maxwell who said something like having the stark contrast of the bitter right next to the sweet is essential in this short time in mortality. It got me thinking and I think I told you this before but like climbing a mountain, the view is made better by the climb. I think that the view our family had at the top of that 14er was very different then the view the people had who took the train to the top of it. Like swimming where you swim painful miles daily for the one minute of the race. Without the bitter the sweet really has no sweetness. The fall was essential and I am grateful to Adam and Eve for it. I am grateful for goodly parents who taught us to eat bitter so we can taste the sweet. I am grateful for the gospel and how it is the sweetest most desirable fruit out there, and through our bitter trials we can come to appreciate it more. This I know to be true.

 I love you and pray for you all.

Elder Sabey.

April 15, 2012

Hey my wonderful family,

I am so happy every time I read your letters. They are all great. I sometimes feel like Mom and Dad did too good of a job raising us, most teenagers have a falling away from their parents, and look forward to being away, married, etc. But I feel like the 8 of us are a family and it's weird to think of marriage where we won't be together for everyone’s birthday, Christmas, etc. I sometimes feel like life’s going by so fast, especially my mission, and long for my childhood back. We went contacting in a playground yesterday and when I entered I could still feel the same magic of the playground that I did when I was a child, but it was a dulled, smaller feeling. I had a longing seeing the little kids run around happy faced, and I was able to make some laugh a little, but was a little saddened, But then I contacted some prepared people and the magic of sharing the gospel was bigger and I left happy. I love sharing the gospel. I feel kind of like the missionaries in the spirit world where everyone I talk to doesn't have the knowledge, and are just drifting. Only the ones who have ears to hear listen. Here’s a story about one who had eyes to see. The mission president invited us to clear out our phone referrals (Kind of like texts from other missionaries with the information of people they contacted that live in your area.) by the end of March.

Elder Kemp and I are doing well and I think we even like each other now. He is a good guy, just didn't love his mission and still won’t open up. But we are learning a lot form each other. I think and I believe we will be better because of this transfer. It's the last week, we will see what's in store next week.

This is my letter to president:

First the phone referrals, Elder Kemp took most the responsibility for calling them daily and we now are up to date but still have 3 in the phone, but they were newer referrals. We also saw a miracle because of it. One of our new investigators this week was from the phone referrals and he meet on Saturday, and felt that his life is calm but has no direction or progression. He had talked to many missionaries before, but never had time, but now he does. He generally watches TV at home and hasn't worked out for a year, and was stuck in a comfort zone. He came to church the next day then came to our ching ke (dinner) Sunday night. He is a really prepared soul. Thanks for the invite.
About what I did to help my investigators is study more for them and think about them more. I am starting to pray for them at night too. We are having a lot of success with those we are finding but we are not finding as many as I want. Well it has been a great week, I got to go on back to back exchanges which were nice, and I learned a lot and saw miracles. All in all it has been a great week.

Cool miracle, I went on back to back exchanges with Elder Bowcutt and White whom I didn't love on my first exchanges with them. But because of Elder Kemp, I was able to enjoy them so much and am learning to focus on their strengths. They both felt the difference. With Elder Bowcutt we ran into a investigator on the street, and also had a beautiful lesson with a mom where I was able to use the letter I wrote to my mom about how some of the rules she gave us I didn't like but now am so grateful for  god giving us commandments, and knowing best. Then we planned a lesson for a gay guy who wasn't sure if he could be baptized because he didn't think he would give up being gay. He stood us up (slept in), but then we shared the lesson we planned and he understood and realized that Christ can change our very nature and he is going to be baptized. The lesson plan was spirit lead. I love missions, and how much I am changing.

Love Elder Matthew Sabey

ps please answer all the questions from last week!

Spiritual thought-

It was so weird no one did anything for Easter, in fact it wasn’t ‘til President Monson said next week we will celebrate Easter that I realized it was Easter. It was really special to have an Easter on a mission, listening to the prophet’s voice. The words of god. I am excited to read them again. I loved Elder Eyrings, “Give me this mountain” talk. When he said that,  I pulled out my planner that Dia made for me and showed it to my friend. It’s a picture of us on Carpenters Peak and say's "give me this mountain." I realized that now my mission is my mountain and He has given it to me, I just need to take it, hike it, or more likely bike it. I Loved President Uchdorf’s talk on not judging, I honestly had to answer yes to some of his questions, which shows I need to change. But only by listening to the word of God can you feel reproved but improved, and not hurt.  I loved President Monsoon’s talks, and how he at first seems light hearted and then how he can almost instantly bring power and truth out and have a prophet like demeanor. I love how he wrote 23 arms/military men monthly. I could relate to the arms men, by getting moms weekly letter, and every letter from any family member. It is weird how much it means to me. Today we didn't get to emailing until 4:15 and my whole day felt anxious. I just wanted to read your letters first. 

But maybe the most powerful part was when the Mormon tabernacle sung, " I see my mother kneeling" I hear the words she whispers, her plea to the father silences all my fears, and I am thankful love is spoken here.”   I believe now that I am so far away, I truly feel the power of mom’s prayers. In my mind’s eye I could see her kneeling, I could hear her words that she is praying for me and my companion, I know she is praying for healing, and each of her children daily. I can testify I know this, even though I cannot see it. I also know that mine is a home where every hour is blessed by the strength of priesthood power. Oh the power of a righteous father who has the priesthood, who can give blessings in time of need, and live worthy to administer. My home in Taiwan is blessed by that power which you gave me. Thanks. I am so grateful to have been born of goodly parents.

  I am moving, down the street about 30 minutes to Bade, and my new companion is Elder Ah Puck. He is from Hawaii and is great. He loves to talk and has great Chinese. I am staying in the same district, but my area is getting white washed by an old assistant and his trainee so I will still be able to see my investigators I love on exchanges and what not. This next transfer is going to be amazing!! I am so excited.   

 Here’s my letter to president

Well this week was crazy with Elder Kemp getting ready to go home, and then me packing for moving to Bade and preparing Tao 2 for a white wash. I loved general conference this week. It was so powerful, and gave me some good ideas on how to improve my missionary work. I loved it. I realized that whenever  any of the 12 apostle was called to talk, I got really excited, when before it was when my top 3 favorites were called that I felt excited. I believe being on a mission has helped me be more open and able to receive more. This week as far as missionary work goes we taught a bit and found a lot. It ws a little weird all week though. I am so excited for Bade and being with elder Ah Puck. Thanks.

Well I love you all and pray for you too. Thanks for all the prayers

 Elder Sabey

Wow, mom has an I-Pad and Dad has an Android 4G! When I get back I will be asking them for help with technology! I am glad ou guys are so gaoji.

Daniel wrote me!!

What does he think he's doing going on dates with those beautiful senior girls? Who gave him permission to be such a stud, and ask/answer them so creatively?  Oh, and not to mention Aceing a Calculous test! Also injuring his ankel but taking it like a man and getting off the feild by himself! Jiayou.
 Well here is my letter to my President,

Hey President,
I am so happy here in Bade, it is so fun to be with 4 missionaries in one appartment. I love my companion, the ward and my investigators. I am so greatful to be apart of this district. After last transfer I feel so glad to have someone to talk to and to be with people who are nice and fun. This week was intresting for me, Elder Ah Puck has a diffrent style of missionary work then I am used to. For finding time we go and visit former investigators, LA's, or members who need some encouragement, and then maybe tract a little around there. We saw many miricles from it. I love it, in Taoyuan we would go tracting, contacting,ect, and I would talk with many more people and get many more numbers, but not as many new investigators and that's what matters most.
  I feel like I should tell you though, my companion recently has been a little depressed, mostly about working with the other Bade companionship. One day they meet with a person we had set up becuase she came 2 hours early and they were there and she lived in their area, and also they didn't know we had set her up. But when my companion found out he was tiered from a hard days work and really had look forward sitting down and meeting with her. We went out and he said he needed sometime and then asked to talk to me and complained about all the unfair things that have happened wiht the companionships and cried talking how he felt. He said he didn't feel like doing work and had never before on his mission flet like that before. We prayed together and went out and worked, but he is still having a really hard time, i can tell. I also think that my being so glad to be here because of last transfer might be making him feel bad for not loving it here. I have talked with Elder Bowcutt about it and he noticed it to. I hope and believe things will get better. I would also love any suggestions.
Thanks for all your help, I am looking forward to interviews.
Elder Sabey 

 MY companion is a fun guy who is Hawaiian, and loves to laugh and talk. He comes from a poorer family and is impossible not to like. Even though he is not very obedient, he is a good missionary. He feels that as long as we are helping others come unto Christ who cares about rules. Which I can understand. He won’t break any commandments, just the small rules. But we saw many miracles this week. One day we got 5 new investigators. We were visiting a less active who wasn't home so while my companion wrote a note I knocked doors, and found a lao beibei (old man), who was willing to listen, maybe mostly because he was lonely, but we were able to share prayer and a little about the book of moron, and he set up for the next day at 11, then when leaving that area my companion said hi to a dad and kid and they nicely said hi back. And he rode on following me, I noticed we still had 5 minute so told him he could talk to them and he did and gave them our number.  He called that day (Which never happens, people never call back) saying that he had time that night. Then one of our appointments with a yu xiansheng, went great considering he brought 2 other friends who were also interested in hearing our message. That night we meet with the man and his boy and he is from China and has a huge accent so much that I wasn't sure he was speaking Chinese. I cannot understand him 1/2 of the time. It was hard but luckily we had a member there to help. He at first didn't believe in God but love prayer and committed to church. I think he now might believe. I love being on the lords errand.

 Spiritual thought for the week, I have always wondered what it meant to "speak with the tongue of angels," and lo and behold the answer or at least part of it was in the book of Mormon right after 2 Nephi31 where it talks about it. In 2 Nephi 32:2 It says "angels speak by the power of the holy ghost" and when you speak by the power of the holy ghost you are speaking the words Christ would speak.  I then took this as a definition and applied it to myself, and came up with this conclusion, when I speak by the power of the holy ghost I am literal a heaven sent messenger/angel to those I am talking to, and I am then a worthy representative of Christ because I am saying the words he would say. It uplifted me. I remember in conference when a apostle talked about how Christ will be leading us on our right and left and with angels round about us to bear us up, I looked to my right and left and had Elder Kemp and Sister Oler (Both of whom I have never thought of angels before) and felt that they were called of god to. This new perspective has really helped me feel less stressed. This work is The Lords work and it is my privilege to be a part of it. 

  I also feel that you all are angels in my life. I truly do feel your love for me and hope you feel mine for you.

Elder Matthew Sabey

 PS How are you all doing? When does BYU get out, it must be soon? What are your plans for the summer/ How are finals looking? Anything you want me to pray for? Anything you wish I would write more about? My companion likes doing 2 hours of emails instead of 1 so I will have more time. What's up with the face book?

Thanks for everything

  

April 9, 2012

 It was so weird no one did anything for Easter, in fact it wasn’t ‘til President Monson said next week we will celebrate Easter that I realized it was Easter. It was really special to have an Easter on a mission, listening to the prophet’s voice. The words of god. I am excited to read them again. I loved Elder Eyrings, “Give me this mountain” talk. When he said that,  I pulled out my planner that Dia made for me and showed it to my friend. It’s a picture of us on Carpenters Peak and say's "give me this mountain." I realized that now my mission is my mountain and He has given it to me, I just need to take it, hike it, or more likely bike it. I Loved President Uchdorf’s talk on not judging, I honestly had to answer yes to some of his questions, which shows I need to change. But only by listening to the word of God can you feel reproved but improved, and not hurt.  I loved President Monsoon’s talks, and how he at first seems light hearted and then how he can almost instantly bring power and truth out and have a prophet like demeanor. I love how he wrote 23 arms/military men monthly. I could relate to the arms men, by getting moms weekly letter, and every letter from any family member. It is weird how much it means to me. Today we didn't get to emailing until 4:15 and my whole day felt anxious. I just wanted to read your letters first. 

But maybe the most powerful part was when the Mormon tabernacle sung, " I see my mother kneeling" I hear the words she whispers, her plea to the father silences all my fears, and I am thankful love is spoken here.”   I believe now that I am so far away, I truly feel the power of mom’s prayers. In my mind’s eye I could see her kneeling, I could hear her words that she is praying for me and my companion, I know she is praying for healing, and each of her children daily. I can testify I know this, even though I cannot see it. I also know that mine is a home where every hour is blessed by the strength of priesthood power. Oh the power of a righteous father who has the priesthood, who can give blessings in time of need, and live worthy to administer. My home in Taiwan is blessed by that power which you gave me. Thanks. I am so grateful to have been born of goodly parents.

  I am moving, down the street about 30 minutes to Bade, and my new companion is Elder Ah Puck. He is from Hawaii and is great. He loves to talk and has great Chinese. I am staying in the same district, but my area is getting white washed by an old assistant and his trainee so I will still be able to see my investigators I love on exchanges and what not. This next transfer is going to be amazing!! I am so excited.   

 Here’s my letter to president

Well this week was crazy with Elder Kemp getting ready to go home, and then me packing for moving to Bade and preparing Tao 2 for a white wash. I loved general conference this week. It was so powerful, and gave me some good ideas on how to improve my missionary work. I loved it. I realized that whenever  any of the 12 apostle was called to talk, I got really excited, when before it was when my top 3 favorites were called that I felt excited. I believe being on a mission has helped me be more open and able to receive more. This week as far as missionary work goes we taught a bit and found a lot. It ws a little weird all week though. I am so excited for Bade and being with elder Ah Puck. Thanks.

Well I love you all and pray for you too. Thanks for all the prayers

 Elder Sabey