01152017 Winter, Service and Exchanges

Well we had the last lesson with Bak Tae Son and his wife. The English program lasts for 12 weeks. He said that he really loved meeting with us and thinks it is a blessing from God. He now tells his friends that we are good people, our church is good, and that the English program is a good idea, so he advertises for us but right now doesn't seem like he wants to only meet about the gospel! So it was a fun and sad goodbye!

The investigator that we found on the street for the sisters came to church. She seems to be progressing and what makes me so happy is that the sisters seem so much happier and willing to work hard now that they have an investigator!!

This week  was good! I went on exchanges with our zone leader which was really fun, did a lot of proselyting and got really cold!

We are on the down for investigators which is sad but we are excited about trying different ideas for finding!

Spiritual thought this week. I have been reading the Book of Mormon with the question How can we be obedient without perfect understanding? And I have been interested that often in the book of Mormon people are obedient because of the impart there actions have on others, or will have on others. I think as people as we consider the reasons we need to be obedient it is because obedience is the best way to help (or not hurt) other people. Often we think, if I am obedient, I will be blessed. But it may be even better to say, if I am obedient, they will be blessed!

In Gimpo we don't have much service but we are going to try to find some. We have done a fair amount of dish washing at these places that feed elderly people. So that is actually really fun! But my favorite service activity was helping this old lady take here trash that she collected to a recycling place! Super fun! She was just the sweetest lady!  She was a ward member!  The ward helped her get cans and newspapers and stuff and we just helped her move it all! I wish finding service was easier sometimes!

That was Bak TaeSon and his wife at our last meeting! I don't remember why we were hiding in the one but it was just funny! She lives most all of it but doesn't like the theme of "obedience." Also she is lazy so doesn't really like going to church or anything haha Just the weather this week was cold! So being outside for a while is annoying~! I think modern culture almost everywhere is against obedience!

 I think modern culture almost everywhere is against obedience! I have enough! It stays cold most winter! haha We have a conference around the holiday and we will have a speacial P-day so that is about it!

01082017 Cancellations, temples, relationships and funny story

Well this week we had a fair amount of cancellations. But it was still pretty busy. We had interviews with president, and had zone training. It was all good! It was fun because we have 3 missionaries, all Korean, who are finish their missions this transfer. So they gave there "last words." One of them I lived with for 6 months in Yeoung Doug Po.  It was awesome hearing his thoughts. He was a less active when he was in college, and didn't believe in God. Anyway, he talked about why he changed and how he truly did strive to be an excellent missionary and how he wants to do all that he can to make the church succeed in Korea. And how grateful he is that we foreigners come to Korea to serve his country.  I just saw a small glimpse of how good of a person he was. Interviews are always great!

With Bak Tae Son we shared about temples. He is such an open person and willing to accept our thoughts. However, he did say he is curious about what happens inside so he said he would look it up... which is a little scary.   But I tried to direct him to our website where we explain it! He is such a good man and I hope he will eventually get baptized!! :) I truly think he will!

I think one of my greatest joys in meeting other missionaries. I went on exchanges with Elder Morazan. It is just fun getting to know people and just meeting so many good people!

Spiritual thought! I read in Enos, and I loved a little pattern I saw. He makes mistakes, feels guilt so does what it takes to repent. He receives forgiveness and then turns outward to do missionary work. For him, the work was in vain. The Lamanites were too far gone. But he worked because it is worth it to work for the lord, no matter the result. I think you see that pattern in the scriptures a lot, and with lots of people in the church. Receiving forgiveness results in the desire to share the gospel! How beautiful is that?

Anyway, this gospel is awesome! And true!

Funny story for the week. We were knocking doors and we were right near the bottom. Elder Hunsaker knocked on the door, right as a food delivery guy was coming to deliver food to the same door. So the people in the apartment already let the delivery guy in the building, so when we knocked on the door the opened very excitedly with their credit card ready! My companion didn't see the delivery guy so just started talking. Everybody was a little confused but I saw the whole thing and just started laughing! He grabbed the pamphlet and then the food and we just walked away laughing! Good moments!

To answer your questions, the missionaries are doing pretty well. Our sisters have always been a little bit of a problem but we are working on them and we kind of got them an investigator so that is awesome! I have started assigning them to do things. And then I check in at weekly planning. So one does comp study and the other controls SYL, so I don't push it I just have them check in at the end of the week. The morale seems to be okay. I think there could be improvement there.

Hurrah for Israel!

-- Elder Sabey

01022017 New Year, Obedience and being liked

Well in Korea, everybody changes age on the new year, so in Korea I am now 23! So that is super exciting! Does that mean I am the same age as Rachel? or are you 24? 

We are going to a buffet with all the Elders in the zone, so we are just doing a few minutes of emailing now and will finish later. So, I will write fast, and if you have questions I will respond later.

This week was good! I think there were 2 highlights. I gave a district meeting on a Christ like attitude. I had just studied Elder Cornishes talk, in which he encourages us to never justify, always repent, and just try!  I related that to missionary work and gave examples of how we justify disobedience. And just was able to testify that happiness comes through obedience, but even when we are imperfect, God blesses us as we do not justify sin, but strive to overcome. It was a good meeting if I do say so myself... hahaha. :) I felt the spirit. And then yesterday, we were going to an area to proselyte and without thinking got off a few stops early, and then we saw this beautiful river walk thing, and my companions wanted to talk a picture. I normally wouldn't have but for whatever reason did. There we ran into a less active and his girlfriend who I had met one time before. He wanted his girlfriend to learn about the church so he brought her to church a while ago. So we just ran into them and he invited us to talk with them.  We went with him to a movie theater and watched a movie. haha, jk, we just went outside of the theater and they had tables to sit and talk. We talked and shared a message. It felt really good, to realized that God was involved in my mistakes and choices leading up to meeting them again!

Well my main spiritual thought comes from my district meeting. Rationalizing is never okay. If we accept shortcoming and strive to overcome, we can be happy! Even though obedience can be hard at times there is never regret!  I just thought once again how important obedience is. How important striving is. How important submission is. Anyway, this gospel is true! I realize more and more how big of a blessing this gospel is!

As far as investigators, we were not able to meet with a lot of them. Something that was awesome is that when we met with Bak Tae Son he said that he was a little confused why there is a lot of super negative things in the scriptures, he asked if there was not a better way. He said that through meeting us he felt that we are good and everything. Anyway, some of his friends told him not to meet with us when he started, but he did anyway. He went back to them and said that we were nice and everything. They said we were just deceiving him. So he then replied, "maybe your church is deceiving you!"  He really does like us, and feels that we and our church is good, just as of yet he doesn't have a huge desire to change his life.

I was a little confused, but I think age changes with this new year! But they celebrate the other one a lot more. It is easier because the school ends right before the new year, and their age is super connected to their school year so yeah! It is a ward of like 60 or so. It is good! Everybody is super nice and everything! In some ways it reminds me of a small American ward! I think things are going pretty well with my companions right now!

Hurrah for Israel!

Daniel

12252016 Christmas is the best

Well Christmas is the best. Sacrament meeting was amazing, and Jang Gyoung Su gave an awesome testimony. It just made me love him even more. He is such a good man striving to do what is right, for him, but especially for his family! Then I got to skype with my family, which is always amazing, and always feels too short! Then we went to our bishop’s house and ate delicious kimchi spaghetti! Then we had time to talk to people on the street!

Other interesting things this week: we went tracking and this guy opened the door. We asked, do you have time to listen to our message, and he said yes! I was a little surprised, so we went in and shared a message. I think he has some learning disabilities and I am pretty darn sure he has a serious pornography problem. He listened and accepted everything we said and we met with him two days later as well!  I am not sure we will continue meeting with him, but it was cool to have some success tracking! Haha

I love Christmas. people are just happy and turn outward on Christmas day, or during the Christmas season. People are more willing to talk! I think at Christmas time, we realize or feel how large the gift is that God gave us, so we and all men turn outward.  I am so thankful for the Christmas season. But most importantly I am thankful for God sending his son. I am grateful that Christ is our savior and judge, that with great mercy he will gather me, and judge me. That he only requires us to not give up, or rebel, but to keep trying and repenting. So I add my testimony to Jang Gyoung Su's that I will keep striving and working to live this gospel, relying upon God as I move forward. I am thankful to be here sharing that message of hope and peace!

Fun pictures... the super gross raw fish and Bun Dea Gi!

I am happy! I think there is some things that are particularly hard in Korea. The language and culture and stuff, so part of my feels like we are fighting a losing battle in Korea. The church I think is shrinking, and there are several people I have met that do not want to raise their children in Korea, which says something. Churches are crazy in Korea, and do things for money. Drinking and smoking is expected for males, so at times I feel like there isn't much I can do. Then I also have felt like Koreans, including members and missionaries, like American's because we are American's and cute and try to learn their language. But they don't really want to talk to us about big decisions or meaningful topics. So even if I feel like I have something to say in meetings or things, it feels like they would just listen politely and then go back to what they were thinking, because we say things in weird ways or whatever. But there are obviously exceptions. Some amazing members, our recent convert is amazing, and I have loved the couple we are teaching.

But more than feeling like I won't make much of a difference in Korea, I trust God. I know that through a mission, we can make a difference in at least one person's lives and that our efforts and strivings will not be in vain. I still struggle with some of the problems I had before the mission and I am striving to overcome. I have felt that god has used my weakness to help people, So I do not feel down. I am far, far from perfect and am striving to improve. It is an exhausting path at times but well worth it. 

12112016 New Companion, Wedding invitation from Old Companion

Well, this week I got Elder Hunsaker as my new companion. He is from Arizona. He is a fun and good kid! 

The biggest miracle this week was definitely meeting with "William G." He had been in the hospital and busy, so we haven't been able to meet for a long time. When we met with him the first time we asked about baptism and gave him a goal for baptism. Since we weren't able to meet with him we assumed he was dropping us. I texted him and invited him to English class again and he came. And after he asked if we could talk about the Bible. Anyway, long story short we set a new goal for baptism and hopefully now we will meet weekly! I just felt like God was aware of me and blessed us so much!

It is nice and hard having a third companion. I think talking to people is hard with three. They both kind of need me to understand what people are saying to them and so it is interesting. But just having a third person to talk to and laugh with is super nice!

This week there was a lot of traveling on the subway! So I took pictures today to give you a sense of Korea! Notice the phones!

Anyway, I guess my spiritual thought this week is pretty simple. I truly believe that God works through the people he calls. He works through the apostles, prophets, mission presidents, zone leaders etc. As we learn to obey those chosen leaders, there are blessings! This is one of the ways we show our faith in Christ, through following his chosen leaders! I have just recently gotten the General Conference magazine and I am so thankful for the amazing thoughts and words given to us in conference!

My Companion is getting married!

Anyway, maybe a lame email... I will send some pictures to make it more cool!

Hurrah for Israel!
--

Elder Sabey