March 17, 2015 - Ha'uki Sione

aLoHa eveyone!! 

This week was just splendid! As always, full of miracles and tender mercies.

-On Friday night Bishop Logan called us and asked us if we would speak on Sunday! We were the only two adult speakers, so we had to make it long :) But it was a wonderful experience, I love having more opportunities to share my testimony, especially with the whole ward at the same time. It's definitely true that when we have to give a talk/lesson on something, we usually learn the most from it. 

-There's this wonderful song in the hymn book called Israel Israel God is Calling. Numero 7. It's my favorite. One of my favorite couples I met when I was serving on BYUH campus made me a wonderful CD with this song on it sung in Tongan! In Tongan it's Ha'uki Sione. My favorite verse...

. Israel, Israel, God is speaking.
Hear your great Deliv'rer's voice!
Now a glorious morn is breaking
For the people of his choice.
Come to Zion, come to Zion,
And within her walls rejoice.
Come to Zion, come to Zion,
And within her walls rejoice.

I love this! I know that God speaks to us. The Spirit is very sensitive, so we have to make sure we are in the right place and mindset to be able to hear His voice. He is always inviting us to "come," never to go away. We are here at this particular place in this particular time because we are His choice people. And when we come unto Him, we are happy! We rejoice! 

So, be happy this week. Read your scriptures. Pray always. Pray meaningful prayers. Serve those around you. And within her walls rejoice!

I love you all soooo much!!

<3,

Sister Sabey

Pictures:

1- I'm addicted to pupusas. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

2- Our district... our name is #fajitanation (Our district leader's name is Elder Faitau, but when president first met him he thought his name was Elder Fajita, hence our name)

3- I saw a whale!!! 

March 16, 2015 - Member Letter

I received this letter from a member of Sis. Sabey's ward in Hawaii:

Sheri,

I got your email address from your daughter, Sister Sabey.  She is serving in our ward here in La'ie.  I just wanted to tell you what a great missionary she is.  She has had a great impact on our family.  She gave a talk in church today that was so heartfelt, and she really spoke with the Spirit.  She looked like an angel up there.  Every Sunday night we go to the Visitor's Center with our four young kids.  Sister Sabey takes the time every Sunday to sit with my eight-year-old daughter for about 20 minutes and just talk.  The influence she has had on my daughter is and will continue to be great.  She radiates a spirit of love to all who meet her.  We love all of the sister missionaries, but there is something super special about your daughter.  Thank you for raising such an angel.  She will forever have a special place in our family's hearts.  

With love,

J.M.

My Reply to her:

Dear J,

 Thank you so so much for your wonderful letter to me about Sis. Sabey!  That was so sweet and kind of you to think of writing me, and it made me so happy to hear she is helping people and touching their hearts!  I know she loves her mission so much, and it is because she gets to interact with wonderful people like you and your family.  What a wonderful thing that you visit the Visitor's Center each week!  I'm sure she loves seeing you there regularly, and I think you are so wise to take your children there so often.  

I would like to tell you a story about Sis. Sabey.  Our family visited the Laie Visitor's Center about 7 years ago while vacationing in Hawaii, and Sage (Sis. Sabey) was able to talk to the sister missionaries that were serving there at the time for quite a while as they showed us around.  I know she was in awe of them and looked up to them as well.  Sage has always wanted to serve a mission, and knowing this, as we were saying goodbye to the sisters and leaving the grounds, I looked at her and said "That could be you someday!"  Little did I know then how that would be the very mission she would be called to!  I feel like the blessings are coming full circle.  My hope has been that my daughter's service will inspire those she comes in contact with, to love and serve the Lord through her example and love of the gospel. I am grateful that she has been inspired by others, and what a blessing it is for me to hear that she able to return the favor to those she associates with, so thank you for sharing your thoughts about her!  It means so much to me!

Much love,

Sheri Sabey

March 10, 2015 - This is the Life :)

My dearest ohana!

How is everyone doing? It's so good to hear from you, I love being able to hear your wonderful stories and miracles and life updates. You all make me so happy :)

So this week has been nothing short of spectacular! 

Our stake has been doing this thing for a few months now, where in EVERY prayer we include asking for the Spirit to be poured out upon every individual living in this area. So, for the past few months in every blessing, personal prayer, companionship prayer, and all the prayers in between, we have been asking for that blessing. And you know what, miracles are happening! 

One family who has been less-active since I was in this area a year ago is starting to come to church every week, read scriptures and pray as a family. They're even going to the temple now! They sign up on our dinner calendar twice a week, so we get to spend a looot of time with them. It has been amazing to see how much they have grown!! It wasn't an immediate change, but over time, I know the Spirit was poured out upon them and helped their hearts soften and change. All those prayers really do make a difference. I know Heavenly Father is listening! I know this story sounds kind of simple... but something along these lines has happened to several families in our area since we have started saying these prayers as a stake, and it makes me so HAPPY. 

Prayer WORKS. We don't always know enough, and we can't always do very much for the people we love... but Heavenly Father knows everything. He makes all the difference. And He will, if we ask Him in faith. 

Well I love you all lots! Sorry I don't have a ton to update you on today! Have a happy happy week!!! 

<3, Sister Sabey

Pictures: 

1- Today we played ping-pong with one of our tram drivers Samita from Samoa! (ahem and in case you were wondering I beat him...:) 

2- Sister Rose in her natural habitat.. Her and Elder Rose (one of our senior couples at the VC) are finishing their missions this week... they will be very missed!!! 

March 3, 2015- Good Stuff :)

Aloha everyone! 

I hope everyone is doing well :)

This week was simply smashing! Here are some highlights...

-The AC is back. :)

-Last Thursday we had a four hour training from Brother Lusvardi, he's the guy in Salt Lake who's in charge of all the Visitors' Centers and Church History Sites. And it was soo good. :) He actually dressed in his tourist clothes for a few days before the training, and took our tram tour, took tours inside the VC, and pretty much watched us from the bushes to see what we are doing well and what we need to improve on. Haha he observed a lot, and it was all really helpful! He told one super inspirational story I want to share with you...

.. So once upon a time Brother Lusvardi and his family decided to go to Olive Garden for dinner. Once they were seated, an older waitress named Julia (it's Spanish so pronounce hulia:) came out to help their table, but instead of taking their order she took their menus away and said "I bring you the food!" They were kind of confused but they waited, and after a while she brought out a huge salad, and dished up a big plate for each of them. Then she said, "It's beautiful, no? Eat!" It looked just like everyone else's salad, but it was beautiful for a salad. So they ate, and then after a while she brought out more salad. They were kind of confused why they were just eating salad, but it didn't really bother them because each time Julia brought something out, she talked with them. They started getting to know each other very well, and the family could feel how much Julia really cared about them. After they left, that was the only place their family ever wanted to go again... not because they particularly loved Julia's salads, but because they became so close with Julia. She became like family to them. They became so close, that if they didn't come to the Olive Garden restaurant she would call them just to make sure they were doing okay. She called them when someone had a birthday, and would sing happy birthday to them. She was just a waitress, and all she had to offer the family was salad... but their lives were changed because of this true friend they made that day at Olive Garden. She had a love for them that is more than what is required of a waitress at a restaurant. All she had to offer was a salad, yet she loved and cared about them so much and made sure they could feel her love. As missionaries and members of the Church, we have so much more to offer people than salad. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ- we have what people need for eternal life and happiness. But they are never going to care what we have to show them if we don't first show them how much we care. The most important thing we can do is to help others feel the LOVE of Christ through us. I know that as we show others our love, they will feel the love Christ has for them. When they feel of the love in our hearts, they will want to come unto Christ, and they will want to know Him too.

Well, this email has become massive, my apologies!!! Moral of the story: the gospel is better than salad but no one cares about that unless we show them our love. :)

I LOVE you all so very much!!!!! Thank you for your wonderful examples and kindness!

<3, Sister Sabey

pictures:

1- transferly picture... sorry you probably get sick of getting this every 6 weeks

2- dinner with one of our lovely members Sis. Lautaha!

3- sometimes I think we don't get fed enough..... :)

Feb 24, 2015 - b l e s s e d

Aloha my lovely ohana!!

This week has been wonderful! I feel like every time I sit down to email I forget everything that happened all week.... plus the AC here is still out..... but I'll do my best to remember :) 

-Update on Fernando: He's doing really awesome! He kept his commitment of reading the Book of Mormon. He said that he just picked it up and opened to a random scripture, and it was a perfect for him. It was Moroni 7:16-19... which was pretty much the foundation of the lesson we had prepared for him that day. Thank goodness for the guidance of the Spirit in helping him to find that scripture! He asked us to text him every day to remind him to read the Book of Mormon, and so far it has been working great! He is so sweet and eager to learn. 

-Story: One morning last week I woke up and Hermana Castaneda was like... did you have some dreams last night?? Me: I don't remember.. why? Hermana: because you were talking in your sleep! Testifying of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, leaving an invitation to read it, and promising blessings." Haha! Success! I love being a missionary in my dreams!! 

-Transfer news: It's transfers this Wednesday... and ain't nothin change! Hallelujah! Same area, same companion, same pad, same bed..... yeah. Life is good. :) 

-In other news: I feel so BLESSED. To have this gospel, to be serving a mission, to meet so many wonderful people, to have the best family and friends in the world.... the list goes on.... but the moral of the story is that there is so much to be grateful for, no matter what circumstances we might be in. I love being a missionary, the Church is true, and living the gospel always produces HAPPINESS. :)

I love you so much! Sorry for the short email again! 

<3, Sister Sabey

Pictures:

1-sunrise... I'm sorry I know I do this every week but it's just ridiculous how beautiful this earth is!! 

2- aloha 'oe (goodbye) to Sister Fa'Onelua, she finishes her mission this week :( 

3- stake conference last weekend @ BYUH

Feb 17 - All is well, all is well!

Aloha!

Well I don't have a lot of time to email today... mostly because the air conditioning is out at the VC and if I stay for too long I might get heat stroke. But nonetheless, I will share with you the highlights of the week!

-Lesson with Fernando.... he's so sweet! He read the pamphlet we gave him on the Restoration like five times and wrote down tons of notes and questions. He still hasn't prayed about it... but I know as soon as he does he will know it's true! And we could definitely see a difference with him this time compared to last lesson, his heart seems to be more soft and open. Just the way we like it :)

-I finished the Book of Mormon again this week which means I get to start over, and it's so COOL. (It's true, by the way.:) I love starting with a fresh copy. There's one talk they show in the MTC by David A. Bednar called Character of Christ. In the talk he suggests that every time we have a question or we want to know more about a certain topic, write down your question, and then read the whole Book of Mormon cover to cover only highlighting the answers you find to that question. And by the end you'll have a whole book full of revelation just for that one topic! So it's been really cool doing that... I'm only a few chapters in but I feel like I've already received so much insight. 

Okay well I love you ALL a whole lot!!! The church is true!!!

<3, Sister Sabey

Pictures:

1- Our valentine, Kekoa <3 

2- Temple this morning

3- Sunrise! 

Feb. 10, 2015 - Happiness and Milagros :)

Aloha! This week has been pretty spectacular as usual. Full of small

miracles every day.

-We had a lesson with Fernando set up for Friday, and of course we were

excited to teach him again. We felt like we needed to have a whole lesson

on the Book of Mormon, so we studied and prepared for that. We both felt

super ready before his lesson, and we knew we prepared the right thing to

teach... but then when we showed up his wife answered and said he was sick

and we would have to reschedule. We were kinda bummed, but it was okay. And

then the next day we got a call from a lady in another ward, saying she has

a referral for us in our area! She said he's a non-member named Zach who

has questions about the Book of Mormon and that he wanted to meet with

missionaries that night. So we went to visit him, and alas! He did have

lots of questions and great desire to learn. I'm so grateful that we

prepared so much for Fernando's lesson, because everything we studied and

prepared for were the exact answers Zach was looking for. He gladly took a

Book of Mormon, and wanted to continue to meet and learn more! Sadly he's

moving today, to Sunset, which is still in our zone, but not our area:(. So

we can't teach him, but the elders definitely will! I am so grateful for

have seen God's hand in guiding us and helping us be prepared for those who

are prepared!

-We also had Zone Conference this week, which is always a delight. One

thing that Sister Warner talked about was how to change. And I really like

that topic because I have a lot of changing to do if I want to become who

Heavenly Father wants me to become. :) She said there are three steps:

1-stop doing something you were doing before. 2-start doing something you

weren't doing before. 3-do something differently than you were before. Try

it, I dare you! Change is good, and it's a good thing we CAN change. It's

kind of the whole purpose of life, so it's worth the effort.

Well I love you all LOTS!!! Muchos besos and aloha!!!

<3, Sister Sabey

Pictures:

1- Hermana and I are soul-sisters.. we always make the same face without

even knowing it :)

2- For p-day today we visited "China Man's Hat"

3- Laie zone at Zone Conference