04292016 Cysts and the Base

This week just had some interesting but fun events. Elder Picard got a cyst on his butt. So we went to the doctor and he had to get an ultrasound and stuff. Anyway between calling Sister Morrise and the area doctor and stuff things ended up sounding maybe a little more serious than they actually were, so they almost sent him home like the next day, but after talking with the area doctor directly sending a picture and a measurement and stuff he just has to take the medicine and make sure it is getting smaller which it is. Then when he gets to America he can get it removed. So that was just some drama this week.

Then we were supposed to meet with Zach, but he was giving a responsibility on the base without much instruction. So he had to escort a bunch of Koreans who do repairs on airplanes and stuff onto base. But he left to do some work elsewhere, not knowing that was like super against rules. So basically the military police arrested all the Koreans, got statements and I think maybe even arrested him. But I think everything is okay now! But that all happened when we were supposed to meet, so we just were stuck waiting and trying to still get on the base so we could at least get to the member’s house and share with them a message which we eventually did.

Then Grace and Kevin were going to Seoul this weekend so they couldn't meet on Sunday either! So that was sad. But on our way home on Sunday night we happened to run into them on their way home from Seoul, so that was awesome to see! A small little miracle. :) 

I have been reading Jesus the Christ recently, and there have been a few things that stick out to me. One being just how perfectly everything fits together. Christ knows what is coming, and his teachings all build off of each other with amazing connectedness. Then I love a few things about the resurrection. One, that the first three people he appears to are women. Then that the next two are not the apostles but the two on the road to Emmaus. Just to faithful people who were discussing the scriptures. God truly is no a respecter of persons. He does also instruct the Apostles enough to lead his church, but he doesn't put them over the normal faithful men and women who follow him, in fact he appears to them first. (although probably less.) haha.

This week has been good! I love you all, and love hearing from you!

Hurrah for Israel!

-- 

Daniel James Sabey

04182016 What does it mean to accept the gospel?

This week was good! Transfers happened, we got sisters and a new elder in the apartment, Grace and Kevin have a baptismal date, Zach is progressing well, we got a new ward mission leader, and life is good!

So we have a Korean sister in our district who seems super awesome. She is great. Her companion, Sister Brooksby is also cool. She studied Korean for 4 years, had Korean friends, and is really good at Korean. So that is cool! Elder Miller is cool. He lived in a trailer and is a little strange, but I really like him! Nice kid!

We met with Grace and Kevin at the Winther’s again (the family who each got divorced and each had 2 kids and now one together, the wife is Japanese) Brother Jensen, the guy who has been translating/teaching brought his wife and daughter so we had lots of people. Like the first thing Kevin said, is that he wants to be baptized but he just wants to know what he has to read to prepare his mind for baptism. I wish more people asked that! So he wants to get baptized, after school, near his birthday, so that is when we are going to do it. June 18th I believe. So that was an awesome time yesterday.

Zach is a little quiet, but I just really like him. There isn't too much to say, but we taught the Plan of Salvation, and I realize more and more how meaningful it is. Actually that relates to another experience from this week. We met with a recent convert, Julie, a Korean-American who is now living in Korea teaching piano at a university. She got baptized but went inactive pretty quick. She was in a car accident and partially because of that she got behind at work and stuff and stopped coming. Anyway, she finally met us. At first we talked about temples. Then she said she doesn't like how we say we are the only true church. She also said some sisters told her that Mother Theresa  is not going to heaven. First off, never ever say that to anybody ever. Second, it is just flat out wrong. So as I was explaining to her what we believe, and how we really believe people of all faiths can, and will go to heaven. Ultimately my thoughts went to what it meant to accept this gospel. In one verse, I think it says only those who accept this gospel in this life can go to the celestial kingdom... Correct me if I am wrong. But anyway, I think that Mother Terrissa truly accepted the gospel. Whether or not she received the ordinances in this life or not. So I attempted to relate that too her, and tied it back into the importance of temples. Perhaps I was too aggressive, but in the end, she reconsidered a little, and said he wants to read a little more and I think we will meet her again several times. I offered to give her Brian's essay about that phrase. It may be a bit difficult, but I might still give it to her to read! Anyway a good week! I am excited for what this upcoming week brings.

This gospel is awesome, the Plan of Salvation is so helpful in this life, and brings so much peace, and Temples are truly sacred.

Hurrah for Israel!

-- 

Elder Sabey

04042016 Meeting wonderful people and lots of pictures

We don't get conference until next weekend, but I am glad I got a little preview!

This week was good. We met with a Korean guy we met sticker boarding--Sticker boarding is when we have a board and we write a question on it and have people answer it by putting a sticker on one of the four answers. We  then offer free English or try to give other things depending on what the question is. Recently we have been trying to get more people to our English class so we have been doing a lot of that for English. Anyway, this Korean guy-- He seems like a really nice kid. We maybe didn't approach it the best so He maybe felt a little weird with the 30 minutes about the gospel, but we will hopefully be able to meet him again, even though he is busy. 

Son Me Gyoung is the wife of a recent convert. She, I think, will eventually join the church, she just is stubborn. But I love the way she treats her adopted daughter who can be very strong willed and stubborn. She just loves her. And gently pushes without getting (too) frustrated. That is cool to see.

This week I was talking with a lady at the park who is a Baptist. Will my companion and her husband and kids played basketball with a bunch of Koreans, we just talked about the importance of families. She chose to home school her kids, and then they got stationed in Korea, so it worked out well, and she felt like it was confirmation from God. She too just was an awesome and kind person.

Then yesterday we had a goodbye dinner for a family in the ward after which we taught a lesson to Grace. During the party I just talked to one sister who is a convert to the church. She, I guess, was abused as a child, her father is in jail for 95 years and she hasn't talked to her family in like 18 years or something. But now she is an awesome member of the church. We talked about the temple, and she said something that reminded me of Brother Engel's talk. She said the most spiritual moment she had ever had in the temple was while cleaning it. He was cleaning the celestial room by herself. She noticed a place where the wallpaper was taken off and put like a patch on it, that wasn't done super well. She notices spots was the caulk was missing, and some dents and stuff. Then she noticed a stain on the on the chairs. This whole time she was getting a little frustrated. She felt like this was the Celestial room. It should be perfect. Then a thought/voice came to her head and said something like. Why are you mad, you are here, aren't you? She realized God wants imperfect people there/ all people there. Then she went to clean a picture behind a veil and it was a picture of Christ holding a black sheep. I loved that story.

Then we met with Grace. We were teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We watched one of the Bible video's of Jesus getting baptized. And there was a woman getting baptized and she felt like that was an answer to her prayer about baptism. She thought of herself being baptized and just felt a little confirmation which is awesome.

So basically what my week was was just meeting a bunch of cool people. I don't know how much I can do for a lot of them, but I feel blessed just to meet them.

I have been studying about the atonement in personal study. Just starting by going through all the scriptures in True to the Faith about the Atonement. So it starts with the Gospels, with the accounts of the atonement. One small detail I really liked, is in one on the Gospels, after they partake of the last supper, they sing a hymn together. I don't really know why I liked that, but I loved that music really is uplifting and sacred.

I love you all!

Hurrah for Israel!

--

Elder Sabey