Aug,
9, 2011
Hey family,
It's been a crazy first week. I love you all so
much. Just some business first, my mail
box was changed from 130 to 138 so send letters to 138, if you want to change
that on my facebook, my password is sfamily8, gmail-msabey8@gmail.com. Also did
anything happen with Aunt Sherry?
Thanks for your letters, I am so glad Daniel already
wrote. I would love to hear from the rest of the kids. Dad I loved your letter,
I am sorry I couldn't play Wally ball with you. This is my email, I will email
you latter today about my week but I got to go now. Hey family, A few more things, then my week.
1. I have gym everyday so another pair of underwear would
be appreciated. Also I have a wad of cash in my desk that is my tithing, could
someone turn that in for me?
Ok so my week was crazy. The worst and hardest thing is
my companion went home today. I don't know why, he didn't tell me anything, it
is not how I hoped my first companionship would go. We have been going to
interviews so I knew something was going on but he told me at 11 that he was
going at 11:30, so I helped him pack and sent him off. It is so weird to me, he
went to the temple with me today, and last night we were all laughing. I just
hope and believe I had nothing to do with it. I am tonight the branch will decided
what to do. Now on a more happy note,
this week has been filled with tender mercies.
Our "investigator" (the teacher next door) panjisheng has
started reading the Book of Mormon, and has committed to pray. I want to tell a
story about our last lesson; I started off by asking if he loves his family, we
knew the dad died so I promised him that through Christ’s atonement families
can be together forever. I asked how he felt when he read the Book of Mormon
and he said he felt good, I told him that was the Holy Ghost. Then my companion
taught the lesson where he tried to explain how to pray. We challenged him to
pray and he said he didn't know how, so we gave him the instructions in
Chinese, and told him this is how, he read it and we asked him if he could pray
and he said yes, we bowed our head and closed our eyes, and he read the
instructions as "the prayer", I realized and opened my eyes and he
was laughing to himself. It was funny, so after word I tried to tell him that
that was the instructions but I don't know the word for instructions, and the
word "fangfa"-method came to mind so I was able to explain that the
instructions were the method of prayer, and then helped him pray. That was not
the only time that I came to a stumbling block and the word I needed came to
mind. I am also remembering words from high school that I forgot without
putting in much work. The gift of tongues is real.
We had Elder Bateman and President Brown give devotionals
that were amazing, and I watched the testaments, and I got to go to the temple
today. I felt the spirit strongly in all of them. One was on faith, another
baptism, and even though our temple time was at 6:30 so we had to get up early
when I entered the celestial room I felt the spirit strongly there. What’s new at
home? Anything you want me to write about?
I love you all and pray for you each night. I think next week I will write down what I am
going to say so that I can type a longer letter, sorry if this is short.
Elder Matt Sabey
Aug. 16, 2011
So I just got a new companion today! His name is Elder
Verkler, and he seems super nice. This week I have been with my roommates as a
threesome, one of them lost a close family friend who died in her sleep at age
42. Reason was unknown. It was a shock and I didn't know what to say because I
have never had anyone I was really close to die, but then I thought about our
religion and how we know that Christ has not only atoned for our sins but felt
our trials and adversity also. I told him I can't relate to you but Christ can,
he knows exactly what you’re going through. It is so beautiful that a boy
totally separated from his family cannot feel alone in his trials here at the
MTC. I will tell you more about my companion next week, so far I know that he
is the oldest in his family with three younger brothers. He went to Carnegie
Melon for college and is a computer science major.
This week our investigator Pan, was dropped and we got
two new ones, a both our teachers who are Quio and You Dixiong. I have been
learning so many new words and am just beginning to learn new grammar. It is a
blast leaning the language, everyday you go home with at least 20 more words
you didn't know before. In tall lab (learning on computer so we hear native
speakers) I reviewed I think 96 words in one hour. It was intense.
Thanks for the letters, I loved mom's and Brian’s and
dad’s. It’s exciting to get letters. Grandma has sent me three already and John
Groberg has sent me one. I feel more popular here than at home, lol. It’s nice
to have a big family isn't it. TO answer moms questions yes I am keeping a
tender mecy and mission journal, but they are all combined into one entry. So
for our branch we all have to write a talk every week and then the bishop calls
2 missionaries up each week at random. We also have to write our branch
President every week, so it demands a lot but also its great. Brian thanks for
the advice on letters, and I read Nephi’s psalm today, you are so right, it
truly is great. Hurrah.
Some questions for
you, What ever happened with the play I wrote? Also how was Asher Lev?
Love you all a lot.
Elder Matt Sabey.
ps Why did you all write Elder, am I supposed to? I just
wrote matt, and remembered you all wrote Elder so wrote Elder?
I am about to read dad's email so will send you another
letter today hopefully.
Hey, great letter. I loved the funny stories? SO how
Europe coming? How’s Rachel? I here she is coming to Utah! That’s exciting, how
does she feel about it? What’s she up to? What does she feel about it?
SO mom sent the underwear here and I got them. I also got
the fruit. Thanks. I am having fun learning the language and our district
rocks, but we get out of task some times and don't SYL as much as we should.
Any suggestions?
Did I ever get my last pay check from Troy? Did Aunt sherry
ever send the paper work? You can check my email, the user name is msabey8 and
password is sabeyfamilyI am still open to suggestions on what to write about. I
am excited to here about europe. Also my
return date is projected august 22nd, is that after BYU starts? Love you all, Matt
Aug.
23, 2011
Hey guys so I wrote a letter but lost it, so I only have
20 minutes to write. I loved mom's and dad’s letters. My companions name is Elder Verkler. He is
awesome. He is nice, kind, a hard worker, and sings bass. We get along alright.
We have started to run and do abs together during gym time. Then I go play
b-ball and he does something else. I am getting better at ball, watch out
cubby.
My district is great, we all get along with each other,
and I like everyone. They get easily distracted, but when we have district
meetings it is easy to see they all have deep faith.
My week has gone
by fast. Here are the highlights. I loved my first TRC, however it was not with
random people, not enough showed up, it was with my companion’s older district.
This was so fun to see why everyone is on a mission and to get to know them all
with only speaking Chinese. I was smiling the whole time. I am in choir and we
are singing precious savior, which is such a cool song. I It is dynamically one
huge wave, and it is about the savior calming the storms of life. I love the
music, but also the director, they both are funny but also give great spiritual
insights. I will be here for general conference so might be able to sing in it.
Wouldn't that be so cool.
Our investigators
are all progressing, and I love teaching them. I am getting almost off of notes
for lessons. I am able to say what I want, and they understand. One asked if
what we were saying is that before birth we knew our heavenly father, and I was
able to respond by saying that a prophet said that after we die we will be
shocked with how well we know him, except for the word shocked, but he said he
understood. He truly understood our message. It's great.
Spiritual thought
for the week, I love the idea that we all have a time where we ask, Carest thou
not that we perish?” If we have him in our vessel, He will answer, and we will
not fear. For no ocean, spiritual or physical can swallow the ship where lies
the master of oceans and earth and skies. Also we all should want to be tools
in god’s hand, but you get to choose what told you will be. I imaging Mother as
a cello whose music envelops people, whereas bud corkin is a hammer. I don't
know, your thoughts?
Love you all
Matt
Aug 30, 2011
Hey if you get this before 4 can you send me the address
of the Condo?
Here are all my questions- No bee report? Are they all
dead?, Also who is Rachel staying with? What team did Cubby make? And I still
have not got a response on thoughts from Asher Lev. I really thought it might
help, but could hurt. I am interested.
Ok so my week was great, best yet. I am doing better as
SYL, but still not great. Class is almost all SYL, and I am learning maybe 25
words a day and one grammar rule. I need to work on characters. I got all the
ones we worked on this summer down, is there a way to send the slides from
Chinese class with the pneumonic? That would be a huge help. We spend about two
hours a day learning how to better teach and we spend about one hour a day on
the computer. This is some of my most effective time; I generally learn twenty
new words for my lesson, or investigator that I can use. I know all the vocab
for lesson one two, and first two parts of three. Before I came here I knew the
first part of the first discussion. I also review about 50 words, and listen to
15 minutes of talking and answer questions on what I heard to see how much I
got all in one hour. I am getting better. Then I spend the rest the one hour of
self-supervised language study on creating pneumonic for the words I learned
that day. It is kind of crazy that we really only have two hours a day set
apart for learning new words, but how much we still grow. We also have one hour
a day where the teacher "coaches" study, and we can study language or
do personal study or companion. Other than those two hours I SYL, use a little
notebook where I keep all my pneumonic and vocab. I pick up some, we have one
hour of grammar, and then we teach 2 investigators each day, but I just lost
both my teachers due to BYU starting, so now we have no native teachers. Sad.
So my companion is having interviews with the stake
President just like my old one did, I certainly hope he stays. Please pray for
him, his name is Elder Verkler. I have no idea what the interviews are about,
but We are having a great time together. We are used to each other and have a
similar since of humor, so we laugh a lot together. We run together, I was so
slow at first, we originally did like an 8 minute mile, but then I cut 20 the
next time, and twenty again the next time, so yesterday I ran a 7:20 minute
mile, I am excited for a sub 7 hopefully this week. we also do abs together.
it’s just nice having a friend as a companion, and I think he wrote home about
how he likes me as my next story will tell.
Stories of the week- So my companion’s girlfriend sent
him a package, but in the package was a Present all wrapped for me. The note
said from what she heard I am a great guy and would like to meet me. It was a
nice tie. My companion said she never gave him a tie. Awkward. But not really,
she writes him almost every day, and has sent him much more then ties. But it
was fun to joke about. I felt bad because I carried the package and her name is
Hannah spelled Hanne, and I asked him "Who is Hane?" Then she gave me
a tie. I really like it to. Sorry it's
so late, I didn't have time till now.
Sept 6, 2011
So this last week was crazy, as usual. It was the worst
and best yet, worst because my companion went home, and I miss him. We were
close, and it was great. But still it was a week filled with spirit. We had
President Holland give a speech on last Tuesday, which was amazing-and I will
let you know about it in a letter. Then with my new companions my roommates again, Elder Ping and Stark, it
was hard because they are not as hard working, or exactly obedient, but today I
had a good experience with Elder Ping- He said he never opens up emotionally to
people, but today he wrote me a poem and at was beautiful, but told me he was
struggling. I think I may be in this companionship[ to help him. I read in
Matthew 26 I believe that where two or more are gathered in my name there will
I be also. This helped me to know why we are in companionships, because there
Christ will be because we are always gathered together in his name.
I told you it was a spiritually uplifting week, let me
just tell you some of my thoughts and experiences, In 3 Nephi when the people
were going to kill those who believed on Christ because Samuels signs were not
given yet they said "For behold your joy and your faith have been for
nothing." I thought those were interesting things to make fun of because
Joy comes from god and also Faith is a belief in things that are true. So by
saying this they were almost bearing testimony of its truth, and then when the
signs happened and Christ came forth, they fell to the earth and were sad
because their "Great plan of destruction" was frustrated. I thought
that was interesting compared too the "great plan of mercy, then I saw it,
pre mortal life and war in heaven was written all over this story.
I have always waken up at 6:30 but have not always got
out of bed right away, but I have started to and I have had much more energy, I
think it’s partly attitude partly blessing.
Pres. Brown talked on Sunday and he talked about being
exactly obedient. It was powerful, but then the best part was that he did not
want us to be a failure, and the thought came to me that "You are nothing
but you are not a failure."
Then later on Sunday we had a devotional by Pres. Heaton
who talked about how missionaries worry about how they are doing, and their
communication with the investigator too much and not enough about the investigators
communication with god. We are a means but not the way. 90% of the work is done
by the lord. I remembered my father’s blessing and how I was told that I was
nothing, and it's not me that converts. I have thought a lot about this this
week and in district meeting today I was able to explain it. I also was given
the gift of tongues in English. earlier this week when thinking on the topic I
tried to remember who was the leader of that army that kept getting cut in
half, to prove it's the lord not them, and in district meeting I remembered
Gideon with no problem. I didn't look it up or anything. I bore my testimony
that we were nothing, we were 19 year olds who get paid about as much as 16
year olds. We are like Alma who was told he was boasting, he said "as for
my strength I am nothing" but the lord is everything. The story of Gideon and how he did it so we
knew it was the lord. Now we are 19 year olds and are nothing, but our message
is true and is everything, so we have so great a cause to go forth in.
Love you all. Elder
Matt Sabey
Thoughts on why Christ is a serpent on the rod- any cool
dual symbolism with Satan?
How about with climbing a mountain how on the ground
looking up we see a large area, and the going is easy, but there comes a point
where you have to look down at the rock beneath your feet to progress, but then
at the top you see a much fuller view than originally?
PS. Cubby no letter...
Sept 13, 2011
Hey you all,
It's crazy how in the world the MTC is but not of it.
It’s crazy to think that most my family is just a mile or two away, but it is
nice to know that my cheering for BYU and the Broncos made a difference last
year. Sorry but you guys might be in for a rough couple of years in the
sporting area. It was weird hearing that there are rebels in Lybia and there
was an earthquake and huge news like that from letters. This last week was good. I really enjoy
learning more of the gospel. I am excited to go out and share.
This last week was the ten year anniversary of sept.
11th.Did Obama give a speech? I didn't realize till half way through the day
when I was on lds.org and saw that the MoTab was preforming a sept. 11th
memorial thing and I wondered how many days till then and looked at my watched
and realized it was that day I wished I could watch it, along with the
devotional by Elder oaks that day but I knew I was busy. I felt bad not
remembering this important day, how quick to forget we can be. Then later that
day for the devotional Pres. Brown decided to commemorate Sept. 11th by showing
us a youtube I believe called I am overcome, and then the MoTabs performance.
It was great, I also got to watch some of the devotional that Elder oaks gave,
and finished it today. i figured maybe my family was doing the same. I loved
that thought.
Spiritual thoughts of the week are in 3 Nephi 19,13 the spirit fell upon them. I
thought that was interesting word usage because that generally is used for war.
Yet I also thought maybe a blanket, or both because it cleanses the sin with
fire, but comforts the person like a warm blanket. Any thoughts_
In either 6, 7and 8 it says That there were mountain
waves that crashed upon them but the boat was tight like Noah’s that no sea
monster could break it, and a in 8 it talks about how the wind never ceased to
blow toward the promised land, and how long were they in the boats_ A year
almost. I got from this that often out trials may seem like mountains in the
way, and will come crashing down on you they will bring us toward heaven, and
it may take longer then you thought but praise the lord as they did.
A few requests, what’s Ian Darcies, andrew Gibbs, and
alis adress? Also can I get his grace is sufficient and the four missionaries
talks? Lastly I am down to a 7:01 mile.
ps brian the hynm book is small, and I can engrave it, any
requests?
Love you all
Elder Matt Sabey
Sept
20, 2011
Hey you all, I love you, had to just say that.
Thanks for all the
letters this week, they really do mean a lot.
First to answer moms questions
My companions are Elder Stak and Ping. They are good
guys, and we are getting along all right, but its hard to be in a threesome,
and they are not 100 percent obedient, they take naps, and cheat on email time,
or get up late and go to bed late. But I still like them both and they both are
here for the right reasons.
No I don't have any native teachers anymore, but I listen
on the computer 15 minutes a day.
I do see Justin around, and am glad for that. We often
get in a little chat during a meal. I have not seen Ian, but I would freak out
if I saw him, could you check and let me know when he gets here. I mean he is
my future brother in law dui bu dui. My district is doing good all-around but
we have some slower learners and some extremely fast learners. Elder ping is
slow and Elder stark and I are fast. It makes it interesting, and I am sure
hard for the teachers. I love Sundays, but for some odd reason they are the
day's I feel most tiered. I generally watch talks or movie/Mormon messages on
lds.org. Some good ones are come what may and love it, and Sunday will
come.
Thanks for sending his grace is sufficient, I loved it. I
think he was truly inspired. One prophet I believe said that true wisdom is
taking something complicated, and simplifying it down so that even children can
understand it, that is what he did with grace. I think an investigator would
understand it.
In choir we are singing "consider the lilies of the
feild" I enjoy it, and I loved the insight the director gave that he got
from a primary kid. In the parrable of the 99 and the one lost sheep, we often
focus on the one lost sheep, but what about the 99? He heard a primary girl
give a talk where she said "there once was a shepherd who had 100 sheep,
he started counting them, 1,2,3...37,38,39...77,78...98,99. The choir director
never realized that he had to count and check up on each of his sheep before he
went for the one lost one. I thought the shephards more like tom, anne, bill, joe, claire, elle,... I know that’s
true that we are numbered and he takes care of those in his fold.
Spiritual insight of the week- Moroni 7 is about faith
hope and charity, and I think that the cycle is hope leads to faith which leads
to action which leads to charity, and the whole chapter ends in verse 48 where
if we are true followers of Christ and we see Christ, we will then begiven a
hope to be like him. The cycle starts again, at the end. I loved it. Eternal
progression is real.
I am writing a
poem I will send to you next week I hope.
I had a few extra minutes to type luckily. We got Elder
Nelson today. He talked about the Book of Mormon. It was cool. He gave us its
history and testified of its truth. I loved it.
I finished the Book of Mormon this week, and prayed to
know the truth, I had a good feeling, but not any different then I feel most
the time in the MTC. We also received the Book of Mormon Ensign, and were told
to read it for tonight. I did and enjoyed it. Then I wrote Andrew O as
prompted, and told him about it and as I was writing I realized that the Ensign
was part of my answer. I also realize that the talk today was also. I also
realized I will get a stronger answer by following it instead of just reading
it.
can you send the fourth missionary talk?
Also Gibbs address, and Tazes
Love you
Sept. 27, 2011
Hey You all, I
love you all so much. I am excited to hear more from you. This week has been
the best yet. Guess what- I am getting companion number 5! LOL I think I might
have the record for ever in the branch. Yet this time it's only good news, I am
getting a new companion because one person in our district is going to the
England Leads mission early, ironically his name is Elder England, and he is
the most proper American I ever meet. He will do great. I will get his
companion Elder Jasperson until we leave on the 18th. I am working hard, and learning a lot. I
got a 6:57 the other day, sub seven- oh ya. Yet yesterday I got a 7:01 again,
but I still felt good about it. I think I have a running partner again and that
will push me more.
A few questions-
Did any pay tithing on my last paycheck? If not please do and add a 3 dollars
in case I missed anything. I want to be a full tithe payer. Also I know I sent
in a request for my license extension, but don't know if anything came out of
it. I think they were supposed to send a sticker to put on my license. If it’s
there that would be great. Also could someone in Provo send me a bag of
balloons? I think that I could put them to good use in china, and only have
like ten. I have all the other equipment. I borrowed a copy of "The fourth
missionary from a friend and lost it and would really love a copy to give him
back if you could send that. Also when does Ian enter the MTC? I would have
written him today but mom made it should like he would be here soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment