Oct 28, 2012

Hey everyone
Love you!

What is your favorite Chinese food? My favorite Chinese food might be
liang mien=cool noodles. It is noodles in a sesame sauce. MMMMMM. Also
dragon fruit.

What do you do for a workout? Because of my knee I generally just do
pushups and sit ups but if there is a game of soccer or basketball
going on I can't resist the temptation. Just got to play. Anyways I am
going to the hospital again today and will probably arrange a time for
my knee surgery. It is supper simple and totally not dangerous and is
nothing to worry about as far as I have heard because for the third
time my knee has ballooned out because my bursa is full of blood
and water.

Anyways about this week and the crazy miracle we have been seeing

This week was great, like always. I am not moving! Staying training.
I am so glad. I love being with two companionships in an apartment.
I love seeing the area grow; we just barely missed golden standards
this week, which is so cool. Hopefully next week we will be able to hit
it. What a miracle that would be. From starting an area with just one
investigator to a golden standard area in one transfer. I just stand
all amazed. The ward is so great and supportive, and is really helping
us out. The biggest miracle this week was on Friday we went to visit a
Ye family who had a 9 year old daughter not yet baptized because she
likes milk tea too much. We had no number but did have an address so
just went and when we got there the older already baptized daughter
came down and answered and we told her why we came and she was fine
but not to helpful. Then the mom was coming down the street and she
was so glad to see us and said we could come back the next day, and
said her older daughter didn't like church/young women’s, and said she
felt she really needed the missionaries help. I also invited them to
bring friends to the meeting the next day. Then the next day we went
and they had invited a 15 year old friend named Wang Bo Lun to the
discussion. It turns out the dad was less active (which we had no
idea) because of work, so we had a 2 potential investigators, a
daughter who didn't like church, a less active dad and a mother trying
to keep her family spiritually alight and who felt overwhelmed with the
responsibility all in one discussion. We shared President Ucthdorf’s
"The merciful shall obtain mercy" talk and then invited the two
potentials for baptism. They both set dates and committed to church
the next day. It was incredible.
Spiritual thought for the week:
I was reading in john and Christ heals a leper and tells him not to
tell everyone and he goes and tells it to everyone. I was like, “Are you
kidding me, how dumb can you be? I just don't understand.”  Then I
realized that it was so much like us, how often do we repent and
Christ tells us he does not condemn us and to go our way and sin no
more, and we just go and do the same sin. I certainly hope and believe
that the woman who was caught committing adultery and saved from stoning
didn't go and commit adultery again, but I admit I doubt she went and
sinned no more. I don't want to be all gloomy, but realistic. I
believe that when we repent he gives us the same invite and maybe our
spirits’ are willing but our flesh is weak and we sin again like Peter who
slept when Christ most need comfort. Who are we to judge these so
called idiots? But I realized that the lord giveth no commandment that
can't be followed. I believe that as we overcome the natural man we
can become perfect. Maybe not in this life but we can do it. We can go
our way and sin no more. Christ never said you dummy why did you go
and do that thing I told you not to do. He also never said let leprosy
come back upon you for you idoiousy. He loves us and is willing to
forgive us as many times as we repent. Like he did Peter. (Thanks
Brian for the letter.)
Here’s my letter my president:
Hey President,
Thanks for your time and sacrifice. I don't have as much time this
week to write so it will be quick.
Favorite BOM Scripture: 2 Nephi 26: 5 Christ will not give up on
anyone and invites all to come unto him. What is more powerful or
true. I also love Alma 7 11-13, Christ understands us and our
weaknesses.
As far as on the street goes, Ether 12:4- Help people know how
believing in god can bring a better life.
Miracles-
This week was great, like always. I am not moving! Staying training.
I am so glad. I love being with two companionships in an apartment. I
love seeing the area grow, we just barely missed golden standards this
week, which is so cool. Hopefully next week we will be able to hit it.
What a miracle that would be. From starting an area with just one
investigator to a golden standard area in one transfer. I just stand
all amazed. The ward is so great and supportive, and is really helping
us out. The biggest miracle this week was on Friday we went to visit a
Ye family who had a 9 year old daughter not yet baptized because she
likes milk tea too much. We had no number but did have an address so
just went and when we got there the older already baptized daughter
came down and answered and we told her why we came and she was fine
but not to helpful. Then the mom was coming down the street and she
was so glad to see us and said we could come back the next day, and
said her older daughter didn't like church/young women’s, and said she
felt she really needed the missionaries help. I also invited them to
bring friends to the meeting the next day. Then the next day we went
and they had invited a 15 year old friend named Wang Bo Lun to the
discussion. It turns out the dad was less active (which we had no
idea) because of work, so we had a 2 potential investigators, a
daughter who didn't like church, a less active dad and a mother trying
to keep her family spiritually alight and who felt overwhelmed with
the responsibility all in one discussion. We shared President Uchtdorf’s
"The merciful shall obtain mercy" talk and then invited the two
potentials for baptism. They both set dates and committed to church
the next day. It was inedible.

Relationship = good. My companion had a hard time on Friday, and cried
for 30 minutes while I made calls. I don't really know why and he says
he doesn't either but I am trying my best to love and help him adjust.

I am still learning a lot as a missionary and as far as Chinese goes.
Thanks
Elder Sabey

I love you all
Elder Sabey

PS tell Dia I am excited for her to become my sister then I can email her.

To answer your questions
I sent your mail ballot to the mission home so you can vote, so please
send it back ASAP. Mom said she sent you money. Was it enough or
should we send more? It was not nearly enough, try like 1000 off. LOL.
The money was plenty, thanks so much.
About voting, I don't think the ballot will get back in time, I here
it must get back by June 7th for it to count. Also I am pretty sure I
would need my social security number or license, all of which I lost in
my mind or literally.

Oct 21, 2012

Loved ones!

Nimen zenma yang? This week was so incredible; I am so excited to tell
you about it. But first I will answer your questions.

How is your companion doing? He is awesome. I enjoy being with him and
helping him to overcome some of his fears. He is willing to do almost
anything I tell him to do. He is also being more and more open with
me. Are you enjoying Chinese? YES! I love it. I passed off phase
three this week, which is exciting. I still don't have incredible
Chinese like the other three senior companions in my district, but
they all are seriously geniuses. I feel fine about my Chinese. I just
need to keep learning, man man lai. What about the culture? The
culture is also great. The food is amazing especially during cooler
times of the year. Also the culture is great for missionary work. We
rarely if ever get yelled at. It makes me so happy. Their method of
rejecting you most the time is saying “thank you, thank you” tons of times while backing away. It is hilarious. The best part is probably the
Taiwanese focus on family. I love it. Almost all families love close
to each other including grandparents, brothers and sisters. If not the
child of the grandparent will take his family to visit his parents
weekly. It is so cool. But also the reason for the heartbreak we had
this week. Our golden investigator we found, Zhou jiemie went to visit
her mom in Gaoxiong, and was gone for a week. While there her family
had an intervention with her and she promised them she would never
pray to our god again, and would support the family beliefs. It was so
sad when she told us, and my heart literally felt like it plummeted
to the ground. But enough on that. Mom said "I want to hear about
successes this week." Which is perfect because we had a ton.
This week on Monday we went on exchanges and I was with Elder
Johnson, my companion in AnKang. We went visiting LA's addresses and
one I must have read wrong and went to 23 hao, when it was 2 hao 3rd floor
so we went to the wrong place and there was no one home so Elder
Johnson rang the doorbell below and they let us in without even asking
who we were. SO we went up and lo and behold there was a family. They
were so nice and let us in and we got to share a simple message with
them, and are meeting again with them tonight. So a total miracle.
Then on Friday we went on exchanges again and I was with Elder
Kattleman who lives with us and is also a first transfer missionary. We
went to an appointment at a "family mart" and our investigator wasn't
there on time, but there was a guy sitting alone inside of it so we
went and started sharing with him about the gospel, and while sharing
with him 2 Pilipino women walked in and one said "Elder, I am so
glad to see you." So I talked with them while my companion continued
sharing with the other guy. Then went on to explain she was a member,
and had been in Taiwan for a year and hadn't found the church yet and
really wanted to come. But turned out this Sunday she was meeting with
her sister and had not time. Also she is a lu4chi3, so next week we
will take her from the family mart to church. The other Pilipino is
a catholic and said she might come next week to so totally crazy, then
they left and almost immediately the actual investigator came in and I
taught him while my companion taught the other guy. Then as we left
the family mart we saw a lady knock a bike over and went to help her
pick it up and she turned out to be an extremely less active member who
was willing to come back (or so she said, but on Sunday she didn't
come, but we will see). Then we went and did family picture contacting
(our plan) and we got a set up for the next day which went through and
he is also a new investigator, It was so incredible. I don't know if I
have seen so many miracles in such a short period of time. I also
think it was no coincidence this all happened the day after we got the
sad news from Zhou Jiemei. We also had two less active families that
we have been working with come to church. That felt great and one of
our investigators shanged wan ke, and got the feeling that god said he
could choose if he was ready and he said he was so he will be having a
baptismal interview this week! Then last night after church we went to
a referrals house and all we knew was that he might be divorced because
his daughter lives in Taoyuan. But it turned out that he was married
and his wife was there and we asked her to join in our lesson and she
did and they set a baptismal date! It was so great. We are now
teaching 3 complete families! God has blessed us so much.
This is my letter to president
Hey President,
Thanks for such a great training. I love finding families, and it has
really helped me enjoy finding them even more. This week we found 2
full families and one mother who brought her 2 kids. It was so
amazing. Your training worked. I will attach a part of my letter to my
family about the miracles I saw.
This week on Monday we went on exchanges and I was with Elder
Johnson, my companion in AnKang. We went visiting LA's addresses and
one I must have read wrong and went to 23 hao, when it was 2 hao 3rd floor
so we went to the wrong place and there was no one home so elder
Johnson rang the doorbell below and they let us in without even asking
who we were. SO we went up and lo and behold there was a family. They
were so nice and let us in and we got to share a simple message with
them, and are meeting again with them tonight. So a total miracle.
Then on Friday we went on exchanges again and I was with Elder
Kattleman who live with us and is also a first transfer missionary. We
went to an appointment at a "family mart" and our investigator wasn't
there on time, but there was a guy sitting alone inside of it so we
went and started sharing with him about the gospel, and while sharing
with him 2 Filipino women walked in and one said "Elder, I am so glad
to see you." SO I talked with them while my companion continued
sharing with the other guy. Then went on to explain she was a member,
and had been in Taiwan for a year and hasn't found the church yet and
really wanted to come. But turned out this Sunday she was meeting with
her sister and had not time. Also She is a lu4chi3, so next week we
will take her from the family mart to church. The other Filipino is
a catholic and said she might come next week to so totally crazy, then
they left and almost immediately the actual investigator came in and I
taught him while my companion taught the other guy. Then as we left
the family mart we saw a lady knock a bike over and went to help her
pick it us and she turned out to be an extremely less active member who
was willing to come back (or so she said, but on Sunday she didn't
come, but we will see). Then we went and did family picture contacting
(our plan) and we got a set up for the next day which went through and
he is also a new investigator, It was so incredible. I don't know if i
have seen so many miracles in such a short period of time. I also
think it was no coincidence this all happened the day after we got the
sad news from Zhou Jiemei. We also had two of the three less active
families that we have been working came to church which felt great!
Especially because we only had one investigator to church. That one
investigator shanged wan ke, and got the feeling that god said he
could choose if he was ready and he said he was so he will be having a
baptismal interview this week! I am so excited. Then last night after
church we went to a referrals house and all we knew was that he might
be divorced because his daughter lives in Taoyuan. But it turned out
that he was married and his wife was there and we asked her to join in
our lesson and she did and they set a baptismal date! It was so great.
We are now teaching 3 complete families! God has blessed us so much.
As far as my relationship with my companion, it's great and is
getting better and better. We are communicating better and i am
getting better at learning how to give him advice. I think we are
becoming a powerful tool in the lords hand. I feel like our area is
getting to become nearly as good as a normal area and better then
some, and to think that 4-5 weeks ago we had one investigator is
amazing, we are slowly but surely seeing this area grow into a fountain
of success unto the lord. I can testify it is the lord and not us doing
this work.
I feel like I am still learning so much from this experience, from
the extra hours of studying and opening this area. I am learning about
virtue and patience and faith a lot.
As far as language development, I passed Phase 3 with you. Yeah! I
am so happy. I am still just going through the cards and am focusing
on characters still. I felt when translating I had a few things I
wasn't able to translate directly but felt I got the message across at
least. Thanks for inviting me to translate.
Love you,
Elder Sabey

So spiritual thought for the week,

In the temple it talks about how they desire all to partake and then
give a simple invite, "arise." I think that is literally the invite
for everyone. The higher we rise the ore we can partake of. I hope to
continually rise. I know that is what god wants us all to do, it is
his desire. I love 2 Nephi 26:25. God will not invite anyone to depart
and go down, only to arise. Rise up over this worldly self and be born
again in Christ. A-men!
Well love you all and am excited to hear more from you.
Elder Sabey

Sept 24, 2012

Hey family! 

I love you all so much. Sounds like we will be doing 2 hours of email these next 2 transfers. So you can write me as much as you want and I will still have time to respond. So no more excuses for not writing a long letter (Josh, Dad (a few weeks ago), any one else who might be looking for an excuse not to write much to me.) 

So training is going well. My companions name is Richmond Thornley (facebook- Richmond Stirling Thornley), he was his high schools prom king so yeah. He is great and trusts me completely which is a good feeling and a huge responsibility. Kind of like a real baby. I have to help him learn how to talk, I have to help him get food and make it a transition from soft American food to hard Taiwanese food, teach him how to be a good missionary. My letter to president says a lot.

Here is my letter to president

Hey president,

 I am excited to be training and I love my companion. He is so humble and willing to do anything I tell him which makes things so easy. His Chinese is great, and he can be a fun person to talk to. But he is having a hard time adjusting to Taiwan, and becoming an agent and just going and working without me telling him what to do. I would love any advice. Every companionship study till now he has cried and I think a part of it is the spirit but I think a lot of it is he misses home and is having a hard time. I never really had that experience, so it is hard for me to relate, but I am praying/pleading for guidance and have received some revelation which has helped, I am just giving him tons of time to talk and ask questions, and try to always get his advice, and sharing an inspiring scripture daily. I feel like he completely trusts me which is so great. Our relationship is good, I love him and truly want to help him. But he is also fairly introverted so I don't know exactly how he feels about me. I believe he feels I am pushing him hard, which is true, but I am trying my best to slowly give him more and more responsibility like D&C suggests. 

  Miracles: Yesterday we saw a huge miracle! We were tracking and ran into a family with a 10 year old son and 6 year old daughter. They were so nice, and set up a time for us to come back next Sunday at 7:30. I enjoy tracking and have found around 4 new investigators from it on my mission, however I have only found a family once and they didn't let us come back. I am so excited for next Sunday.  There were many other miracles, like we got to attend a baptism this week which helped us focus our goals and was a great experience. Also the wards are so excited to have another companionship in their area, and already are supporting us. 

  The new area has two investigators that other missionaries were teaching and they are both set up for next week. I have contacted both bishops and am going to meet with them this next week. I wanted to do it the first night but didn't have their numbers. When I got here I felt like there was nothing missionary-wise going on in our area. I felt a large burden of responsibility, but I at church I talked with a few families and set them up, and have been calling many people and getting set ups.  I feel like the ball is starting to move but I feel by the end of this transfer our area will be thriving. It is hard work but exciting. I am so excited to see the miracles of meeting with members and the bishops. I have been trying hard to get the wards trust and am trying hard to catch your vision of missionary work. I believe it was inspired and am excited to tell you miracles next week. 

 I feel like am learning a lot as a missionary because I have never been senior companion or trainer before. I have never opened an area, I have never focused on relationships with the ward, and never contacted with a companion before. I,in many ways, feel as much of a greeney as my companion. But believe we are doing what the lord would have us do, and I am still so happy when working.

My language development is going ok, I can pretty much read the Book of Mormon now, which is exciting.

This is my report. Anything else you would want me to report on? Any other suggestions? 

  Love you and pray for you,

Elder Sabey  

So I am in a huge transition phase with a huge responsibility. It is kind of crazy, but I am happy, mostly because I have a new companion. It makes such a huge difference  having a good companion. I am glad for Brian and Dia and believe they will be a great companionship. I read in Mathew 19 I believe about how marriage is becoming one flesh one with the other, that is sealed by god and divorcee is bad because it is ripping apart that which god sealed together. Kind of cool. 

  Spiritual thought this week- 2 Nephi 25:26 and 26:24-25 are so great. Christ will not do anything that is not for our benefit and wants us to be happy, and we do that by rejoicing in him. Preaching of him, testifying of him. I believe that is the other reason I am so happy, even though have a lot of stress and responsibility.

  Love you all

Elder Sabey

Oct 1, 2012

Dearest family and friends,

I love you all so much. I know I say that right away almost every time, but I feel it is the first thing that comes to mind, and the first thing I want you to read. I just hope you know this is no vain repetition, but straight form the heart every week. 

Here is my letter to president,

Hey President,

 
This week was great. The key indicators for my area are still not set up so I will just tell you in the order listed in our planners 004135315415 and our goals next week are 00647440753. We were also able to visit 5 active families this week and our goal is the same next week. Hopefully next week you can get it set up.
 

This week was great. We saw many miracles. I was so happy. The miracles we saw include after one day of finding hard all day with no new investigators found, our zone leaders said that they found two new investigators for us. Another great experience was we went to a member’s house and shared a message, and asked for a referral and they told us about a family they think is prepared and have plans to introduce them to us, then I felt to be as PMG directs and ask, "if there is anyone else?" and they gave me another family and another friend who they think were interested.  It was amazing. Also once at a stoplight I had a really good feeling toward a mother with a toddler boy, but had already engaged another man, so I told my companion to talk to her and told him, "I feel great about her." So he did and she pulled over at her family’s bakery and gave us moon cakes and  milk and said she is really interested in Christianity. We were able to have a prayer with her and in the end she said, " I want to learn more about this." and set up for the next day. I have never really worked with members before and am seeing the help it can be. Having visited 5 families really helped at church to feel more welcomed. I feel both wards are totally willing to support us. I am so excited for this new area and honestly believe it will be thriving in a few weeks.

 Anyways about my companion, Elder Thornley's, progress--he is doing well. He is starting to talk to people without me telling him to and he is starting to understand more. We are working on contacting together, and are getting used to the area and each other so things are going better all around.  He is still having a hard time talking to strangers and often doesn't know what to say in contacting or in a lesson. I think that is because he’s never had a father, he is a little different than most missionaries and is having different problems than most. But his heart is pure and his faith strong. I think he will be a great missionary. Our relationship is getting better I believe.
 I am studying the New Testament which is so great. I am loving it. Thanks for the invite.
 My language is still coming along. I hope to pass phase 3 soon.
Thanks for everything, Elder Sabey

 

So yeah, things are going well. My trainee is very open with me which is so great. His personality is more introverted, and he has a hard time doing some missionary things but is a great guy and working hard to overcome the natural man.

This week was so cool, I am starting to find by the spirit better. This week there were two people when I saw them I felt like I had to talk to them, one of them I talked about in the above letter the other seemed hihao (fine) but in the end when I asked for his number he gave it to me. So we will see what happens. This week we visited both the bishops and they both gave me a list of names to go visit. Yesterday we went to visit the names and took a wrong turn, saw a family BBQing and contacted them, and the dad invited us to eat some shrimp, then I was able to share a simple message and set him up for Tuesday. Then found the right place and met a less active who hasn't been to church or prayed or read scriptures for a year, and set him up, then ran into a lady with a husky on the way to the next person’s home, and she committed to come to English class. Then we made it to another less active family and they were super excited to see us and we also set them up. Then went to visit the other bishop and told him about this experience and so he went and gave me a much better list of people to contact. I am so excited. Visiting the bishops was an invite from the president and working with members was also another invite. It was cool to see the miracles of following his invites.

Spiritual thought of the week: When Christ died the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom. I never realized that if there were no rips from top to bottom we could not go through the veil and enter into the celestial presence of god. Only in and through the atonement of Christ is it possible. I am so thankful for temples and the truth they bring to our minds and joy they bring to our lives. In nearly every letter I received you all talked about temples. In my study notebook I have a "Church/Temple" section and the weird thing is most of the entries are on the temple. I thought it would be the other way around. I am so glad to have a church that has temples.

 

Love you all,

Elder Sabey