Elder Matthew Page is finally home!

Words can not express the joy of having a missionary return home, so I won't even try. The pictures speak for themselves. It has been a whirlwind week, we have been sooo very busy. Steve has been out of town and all I want to do is sit down and talk to Matthew about his experiences, but Steve is not here and I don't want him to have to repeat everything. But he has Grown sooo very much, you see it immediately. He is slowly adjusting to life outside the mission. And it truly is an adjustment. But I look forward to the days ahead just being with him. I find myself just staring and him and smiling...I could not be happier.

Elder Page is missing all the excitement at home...

Hello Everyone!!!
Wow, it is beyond crazy to me to picture you all with Matthew. To be totally honest it makes me feel a little left out of the family, but, it is ok because I am proud to be able to say that my homecoming will be the biggest!! First time the whole family will be together in a long long time when I get back. :o) I am fine though so don't worry. Glad things have been exciting and busy as usual.
Thanks for throwing in the Liverpool update Mama. :oD Pray for Ben, if he looked terrified at his farewell, the first part of the MTC is going to be pretty dang hard. He and Ryan will do just great though. It is crazy to even think that we are all going to be missionaries after just growing up together.
Crazy Abby will be in College when I get back! Our family Christmas gift exchange is growing!! We now have Jacs and McKenna to throw into the name pile (might as well throw Marissa in there too!). I got Elder Smethurst letter but I just have been trying to get letters out to people with not a lot of time. It is still sitting on my desk to reply to.
I got to do a split with Elder Lay this week and it was so nice! I miss him but luckily as the Zone Leader I have communication with him all the time. Elder Ellis wrote Kirby because I made him. hahaha you never know!! Other than that, this week was a little stressful to be honest. My face has even broken out with Acne after way clearing up the last few months. The work has hit a stall here in the past three weeks. As a leader it puts pressure on you when your numbers tank. I am learning about communication and talking through things that is for sure. I am trying to do what you said though and just love the guy to death!! It is tiring but as I am loving him to death, it keeps things together alright. More than anything, like usual I am just tired, and this week we have two splits again and so it won't slow down, but I have obtained a firm testimony that the Lord will sustain us if we rely on him. I have a little less time than usual today so I have to go, but know that I love you all so much. Don't worry about me, enjoy your time with Matthew, just do me a favor and remember me in your prayers.
Because of my Savior, there is never any reason to worry. Doubt and fear are eternally opposed to faith!! I have faith in My Savior and this work and in all of you. The hope of the gospel can bring you through anything. That is something that I can promise. A favor mom, you may have already done it, but, the music from conference would be really nice. I love you all, have a wonderful week!!! I would love to hear from Matt a little more personally about how he is doing!!! hint hint!
Love Always,
Elder Zachary Taylor Page

Elder Page gets conference a week late...

Last night while emailing Elder Page, we happen to be on at the same time (me later than usual and him earlier than usual) PERFECT :) Any way it was sooooo fun to chat with him a while. It made him seem so much closer than he is. While emailing he was experiencing a pretty big earth quake. He says that they happen all the time, but this one made him a little anxious because it was so big, but all is well, and he is fine. I love that boy, he is always so very sweet to his mother :) He is growing so much and so fast. I can not believe he has been gone almost 9 months, its crazy how time really messes with me.

Hello Everybody!!!
Well where to start with this past week. One, I read Matt's last email and...wow...that is just crazy. Mom, you are probably going crazy with excitment! I dont even really know what to say about it. I thought a lot this week about my service as a missionary this week. It was a great time to do so figuring that conference was coming up on us this past weekend. I thought a lot about my service I have given as I am coming up quickly to a year on my mission. I can understand Matthew so well at this point. You do wonder about what you have been able to give and if the Lord accepts what you have to give.
Like Matt, this weekend at conference I recieved assurances through the spirit that this was God's work and that I truly am his servant. I have come to love this black nametag!!
You guys are probably going to have a crazy busy week with Matt coming home! Anyways, I will get on to more detail about my week. First of all, I am pretty sick. Not sure what it is or how I caught it but it seems like it just has to do with the combination of the changing weather and that I am tired and honestly, a little stressed. This week there was just a lot going on and I got less sleep that normal. We had a tsunami cleanup thing that I had to get up at 4 in the morning for, and then the next morning I had to get up and go straight to a Zone Leader Council, then we had to give a training the next morning, and then a huge Area/Zone Planning meeting that took 6 hours! Now, it may sound like I am whining (well, I am a little bit :)) but all of that led up to general conference. I absolutely loved so much! I could go on about how much I loved and learned, but based on the week I had I wanted to talk just a little about President Henry B Eyring's talk in Priesthood Session of conference and Elder Robert D Hales talk on Sunday morning. The combination of these two talks was enough to fill up my gasoline tank for another 6 months. President Eyring talked about how we have been prepared by our Heavenly Father to fullfill our priesthood assignments. He spoke of how the Lord will offer us opportunities to work and if we take them in stride then we grow. I have really felt that message in my heart recently. He said that The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood truly means to form a habit of working past the point when others would have taken a rest. Then comes the connection to Elder Hales talk. He spoke of principles like trusting in the Lord and patience and waiting. Through developing those traits we are fullfilling our Life's purpose. There have been times on my mission when I have wondered why I have been put in certain circumstances or why things happend to me this way, but Elder Hales said that we will find it hard sometimes to understand the will of the Lord; it is often given to us line of upon line. We must learn to wait on the Lord and maintain hope in his promises. The combination of these two talks taught me so much about how to live, how to serve a mission, and just more about my individual purpose in this life. Sometimes we may wonder about what the Lord is doing, but I have learned from experiences in my life that he ALWAYS knows. He is always giving us opportunities to take opposition and make it for our good. Life just requires hope. A hope in all things. Hope truly has become my favorite gopsel principle. It provideds an axis, and ancor for our lives. If we have hope in all things, truly everything, then our lives are on a foundation that cannot falter. As we all try to fullfill the many responisibilites that the Lord has placed before us, let us ALWAYS have hope in him. Trust in him. Have faith in his purposes for us. In so doing, we find the fullest measure of peace and joy that this mortal life has to offer. I know that The Book of Mormon is the true word of God. Like I have said before, it is either true or it isnt. If you care enough to really want to know, read it, you will find out that it is true. It teaches us about Jesus Christ. It gives us guidance, peace, and hope in our day. It is true. I know it is and I know that every single person can know for themselves. But, you have to try. I love you all so so much. I feel your prayers on weeks like last week, I will feel them this week as I have another week of 4 days of splits. Everybody have a wonderful week.
Have a wonderful dream week mom where Matty Patty comes home. :oD I love you Mom, tell Marissa that I love her like usual. :oD
Love always,
Elder Zachary Taylor Page

Elder Zachary Page learns a new lesson...

As a parent it is sometimes enjoyable to watch your children learn a few new lessons in life, lessons that really are not new at all, they are just suddenly appreciated.



Hello Everyone!!!!
Another week into the mission that has just gone so fast!! It killed me to hear all about conference from all of you guys!!! I am so excited for it but we don't get to hear it until this coming weekened. Can I just say perfect timing! It always just feels like right when you start to run out of gas and you really really need a boost that General Conference comes around! I can tell you that the timing couldn't be more perfect. Way to go with cooking the meat in soap Mom!! I cant wait to start singing songs about you and $teve!! hahaha Well, we went through transfers this week and it has been pretty interesting. Ellis Choro and Lay Choro are gone and the feel is way different around here. My new Japanese companion, Elder Watanabe, is good. We are still in the feeling it out stage and getting to know eachother still and figuring out how to do things the best and work together. It is going to be a good time working with him.
With the start of the new transfer and the new month, we are busy as every getting planned for upcoming trainings, splits, and meetings. This week alone is pretty crazy! This week we have Zone Leader Council again(it comes and goes so fast!). Then the next day we have to give a training on the Book of Mormon. The mission has obviously helped me grow in tons of ways, but something I have come to learn in my heart recently is about one of the aspects of the love of a parent. I don't think I will ever fully appreciate the parents that you and Dad were to me mom. You both loved me and raised me better than anyone could ever have and I am growing to appreciate that more. As a Zone Leader, we are always working for our zone, for our missionaries. We do all that we can to help them see success and to show them our love and support and just to make their missions a joy. Parenting is kind of the same, you bust bottom for your kids so that they can see success and joy. Sometimes you just feel flat out tired and even sometimes you complain, but I have come to taste of the joy that comes through that kind of service. You develope and love of the people you serve. You want to serve them more and you want to see smiles on their faces and excitement in their voices. I have come to be able to see that joy in my mission recently. I am grateful for you and Dad bustn' bottom for all of us kids, and I have come to see how much you truly love all of us even more. You can't even describe it can you mom? :o) As I keep going through life, I hope to better understand why my you and Dad did so much for Me, Dallin, Matt, Abbs, and Tory. I think about it sometimes. The soccer games, the dinners, the campouts, the homework, the trips, the staying up late watching movies when I just know you want to get some sleep. I think I am coming to better understand that love and I can't thank you and Dad enough for it Mom. I love you so much Mama, and Dad, you guys truly are, along with every other butt bustn' parent, the biggest blessing in the world to your families. This coming time is going to be a big growing time for me I feel. I don't know if she told you or not Mom, but Marissa is not going to write me for 3 months. I am going to learn from my exprience with my companion. I am going to grow in patience and humilty from the experiences on the horizon for me and I worried about it a lot this week. I had a wonderful experience before Elder Ellis left. I asked him to give me a blessing and in the blessing he said, "Be Still." I have thought a lot about those words a lot. "Be Still my soul, the lord is on thy side. With Patience bear, thy cross of grief or pain." I know with all of my heart that my Savior Jesus Christ is with me. He is on my side. Whatever our cross may be, no matter when, with patience bear it and all will be well. I am truly grateful to Elder Ellis and him being inspired to tell me to Be Still. This gospel is true. God Lives. Jesus is the Christ. I am going to just have another busy week ahead and it will be P-Day again and time will just keep flying by me. Justein Wilson, Marissa's sister wrote me this week and she said, "You can't wear the black name tag forever." I am so grateful for her words to me in reminding me how truly special this opportunity to serve is. I love you all so much. Mom, I love you so much. I miss you. Have a wonderful week and everybody please put a smile on your face. Live is so much more sweet with a smile!!
I love you!!
Elder Zachary Taylor Page

Elder Matthew Pages Last letter....hope you have a tissue!

It is a funny thing as a parent of a missionary. They leave home for two years and you are sad and happy at the same time. You miss them but know that what lies ahead for them is so worth the small sacrifice of time that you are apart. And then when it is time for them to come home, you feel the same thing all over again, happy and sad at the same time. You want them home but at the same time you miss all the blessings that have been coming over the last two years that they have been gone. What a wonderful experience it continues to be for me as a missionary mom, to have had two come home from serving the Lord, one still serving and more to go, and the blessing of loving so many more who have come to us from all over to serve us here in NC. I LOVE MISSIONARIES! The blessings are endless!!!! I am so greatful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows what we need so much more than we do and gives us opportunities to serve and sacrifice for others that they too maybe able to receive all that He hath. This gospel is true and for it I am so thankful.

Dear Family,

I never thought that I would be sitting down to write my last letter to you all. It still doesn't seem like I'm going home yet. The fact that I will be seeing you all next week still hasn't hit me :)

This last week was good. Conference was really good. It was so powerful & I really enjoyed priesthood session. I don't know who the speaker was because we only had audio in Willcox because the satelite wasn't working. He spoke about returned missionaries I felt that that talk was just for me & it was exactly what I needed to hear.

Also earlier that week I had the opportunity to go to the temple for the last time. It was a really sweet experience for me. I felt so much peace inside & as I sat in the Celestial Room I had a lot of time to reflect. I just thought back on the past two years. I prayed to feel that confirmation that my service was acceptable before the Lord. I felt peace, but not really the feeling I was looking for. I felt a little worried, but then realized I probably wouldn't feel it because I'm not done. :) I will work hard this last week. The temple is such a blessing I pray I will always strive to stay worthy to go.

I was sick on Sunday so I stayed @ the Bushman's & Elder Stringer went out with a member to visit people and attend conference with our investigators. It was just a 24 hour bug, but it wasn't fun. I'm fine now.

Well, other than not much for now. Anything I forgot to tell you all I will just cover it in our extremely long talks that I'm sure we will have :) It will be weird not to be looking forward to checking the mail like I have for the past 2 years.:)

I have loved the Bushmans alot. :) They are so nice and they are a family I would love to keep in touch with. :)

Elder Stringer is great as well. He's a solid missionary & I have no doubts about him taking the area. He will do great things.

In my last words to you all as a missionary in the field, I want to share my testimony. I know that God is so mindful and loving as our Father. He has a plan that is perfect and for our eternal happiness-through Jesus Christ this is possible. He is our Savior. I have felt despair and doubt from sin and mistakes. I've felt I couldn't go another day with the pain and burden. As I go to the Savior I receive peace and hope that all is not lost. We can be clean. We can be like Him and through applying His Doctrine we can know Him. When I stumble and fall and desperately reach out to Him and find that He was already there waiting, patient, reaching desperately for me too. :)

I have so many weaknesses and faults, but through Christ He makes my small efforts miraculous. I know that I have been called by Him to serve. I know I have been a small part in his Plan and that I was sent to Arizona to reach and touch lives. I have been simply the tool. I love the people here. They will always have a place in my heart. :)

I know that Joesph Smith was a prophet that restored the fulness of Christ Gospel. I have shared Joseph's account hundreds of times and I feel the spirit testify every time. It is true. He saw God and Jesus Christ. Through Priesthood Authority saving ordinances like baptism, can now be performed for our salvation. Our family can be eternal as we live the doctrines of the Gospel.:)

The Book of Mormon is scripture. I know it is true! I have read it many times and I find peace and strength from its words. I have prayed about the book and know it is from God. It contains power of testimonies of prophets of the Savior Jesus Christ. Through that book anyone may gain a testimony of this work. I've seen it!

The spirit testifies of these things and I pray I can live worthy of these blessings of knowledge. Not only can I have a testimony of them, but that I may be converted and act according to them.

I am a missionary of Jesus Christ! I am called of God! My authority is above that of the kings of the earth! By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ! He is my Master and He has chosen me to represent Him! To stand in His place, to say and do what He himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me! My voice is His voice, and my acts are His acts, My words are His words and my doctrine is His doctrine. My commission is to do what He wants done. To say what He wants said. To be a living modern witness in word and deed of the divinity of His great and marvelous latter-day work! HOW GREAT IS MY CALLING!!!!!

I love my Savior and pray I may always be worthy to be called His servant. His representative. His missionary. His Friend! :)

I love you all so much! Thank you for your countless letters, packages, messages, and prayers. They helped me more than you know! I can't wait to see you all soon and give you all big hugs! :) Have a great week!!!

See you next week!

Love,

Your Son & Missionary,

Elder Matthew Page

Me & Abigail having some fun!

We decided to do a fun deed! We can't say to who and where or when, we don't want to incriminate ourselves :) But it was so much fun, sneaking around in the dark! Happy Halloween!

Last week in the mission...

Hey Everyone,
Well, this past week went by pretty fast. We are just trucking along. More like me just trucking along. I'm not going to lie, I'm getting just a little anxious about going home. I feel like I'm in limbo. I want to just focus, but with coming home right in my face it's hard, and nobody forgets to remind me! :) Also I've realized one thing I will not miss is as a district leader makin calls at night.
This week one thing that as fun was that we helped a member out at a rodeo he was putting on! :) It was fun to watch. We helped at the end with taking the lassos off the calfs and also at the end we were rounding up the cattle. Elder Fredrickson and Elder Evans were crazy. Tey tried to ride the cattle and ELder Fredrickson landed in a big pile of poop! :0 It was a cool experience. Also the Brushman's were having family over this week so they took us out to breakfast on saturday and after we did a corn maze. It was lots of fun.
Other than that it has been pretty mellow. Me and Elder Stringer get along really well. It's been fun working together.
Tomorrow we are going to the temple. This will be my last one. I was lucky to be able to go one more time before I leave.
I'm glad th hear that things are good at home. I'm glad that things have kind of calmed down for a little while. I'm glad to hear that McKenna is doing well and that you are checking up on her. I'm so excited for her to come down.
I'm excited to see you all!!!! I hope you have a great week and enjoy General Conference. I know I will. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. You are always there for me. I will be susre to send off one more letter next week. Can you believe that I only have onemore letter to write! :)
I love you all and I will see you soon! :)
Love
Elder Page

Wow the lessons our kids learn...

Hello Everyone!!!!
Another week into the mission that has just gone so fast!! It killed me to hear all about conference from all of you guys!!! I am so excited for it but we don't get to hear it until this coming weekened. Can I just say perfect timing! It always just feels like right when you start to run out of gas and you really really need a boost that General Conference comes around! I can tell you that the timing couldn't be more perfect. Way to go with cooking the meat in soap Mom!! I cant wait to start singing songs about you and $teve!! hahaha Well, we went through transfers this week and it has been pretty interesting. Ellis Choro and Lay Choro are gone and the feel is way different around here. My new Japanese companion, Elder Watanabe, is good. We are still in the feeling it out stage and getting to know eachother still and figuring out how to do things the best and work together. It is going to be a good time working with him. With the start of the new transfer and the new month, we are busy as every getting planned for upcoming trainings, splits, and meetings. This week alone is pretty crazy! This week we have Zone Leader Council again(it comes and goes so fast!). Then the next day we have to give a training on the Book of Mormon. The mission has obviously helped me grow in tons of ways, but something I have come to learn in my heart recently is about one of the aspects of the love of a parent. I don't think I will ever fully appreciate the parents that you and Dad were to me mom. You both loved me and raised me better than anyone could ever have and I am growing to appreciate that more. As a Zone Leader, we are always working for our zone, for our missionaries. We do all that we can to help them see success and to show them our love and support and just to make their missions a joy. Parenting is kind of the same, you bust bottom for your kids so that they can see success and joy. Sometimes you just feel flat out tired and even sometimes you complain, but I have come to taste of the joy that comes through that kind of service. You develope and love of the people you serve. You want to serve them more and you want to see smiles on their faces and excitement in their voices. I have come to be able to see that joy in my mission recently. I am grateful for you and Dad bustn' bottom for all of us kids, and I have come to see how much you truly love all of us even more. You can't even describe it can you mom? :o) As I keep going through life, I hope to better understand why my you and Dad did so much for Me, Dallin, Matt, Abbs, and Tory. I think about it sometimes. The soccer games, the dinners, the campouts, the homework, the trips, the staying up late watching movies when I just know you want to get some sleep. I think I am coming to better understand that love and I can't thank you and Dad enough for it Mom. I love you so much Mama, and Dad, you guys truly are, along with every other butt bustn' parent, the biggest blessing in the world to your families. This coming time is going to be a big growing time for me I feel. I don't know if she told you or not Mom, but Marissa is not going to write me for 3 months. I am going to learn from my exprience with my companion. I am going to grow in patience and humilty from the experiences on the horizon for me and I worried about it a lot this week. I had a wonderful experience before Elder Ellis left. I asked him to give me a blessing and in the blessing he said, "Be Still." I have thought a lot about those words a lot. "Be Still my soul, the lord is on thy side. With Patience bear, thy cross of grief or pain." I know with all of my heart that my Savior Jesus Christ is with me. He is on my side. Whatever our cross may be, no matter when, with patience bear it and all will be well. I am truly grateful to Elder Ellis and him being inspired to tell me to Be Still. This gospel is true. God Lives. Jesus is the Christ. I am going to just have another busy week ahead and it will be P-Day again and time will just keep flying by me. Justein Wilson, Marissa's sister wrote me this week and she said, "You can't wear the black name tag forever." I am so grateful for her words to me in reminding me how truly special this opportunity to serve is. I love you all so much. Mom, I love you so much. I miss you. Have a wonderful week and everybody please put a smile on your face.
Life is so much more sweet with a smile!!
I love you!!
Elder Zachary Taylor Page

Wow the lessons our kids learn...

Hello Everyone!!!!
Another week into the mission that has just gone so fast!! It killed me to hear all about conference from all of you guys!!! I am so excited for it but we don't get to hear it until this coming weekened. Can I just say perfect timing! It always just feels like right when you start to run out of gas and you really really need a boost that General Conference comes around! I can tell you that the timing couldn't be more perfect. Way to go with cooking the meat in soap Mom!! I cant wait to start singing songs about you and $teve!! hahaha Well, we went through transfers this week and it has been pretty interesting. Ellis Choro and Lay Choro are gone and the feel is way different around here. My new Japanese companion, Elder Watanabe, is good. We are still in the feeling it out stage and getting to know eachother still and figuring out how to do things the best and work together. It is going to be a good time working with him. With the start of the new transfer and the new month, we are busy as every getting planned for upcoming trainings, splits, and meetings. This week alone is pretty crazy! This week we have Zone Leader Council again(it comes and goes so fast!). Then the next day we have to give a training on the Book of Mormon. The mission has obviously helped me grow in tons of ways, but something I have come to learn in my heart recently is about one of the aspects of the love of a parent. I don't think I will ever fully appreciate the parents that you and Dad were to me mom. You both loved me and raised me better than anyone could ever have and I am growing to appreciate that more. As a Zone Leader, we are always working for our zone, for our missionaries. We do all that we can to help them see success and to show them our love and support and just to make their missions a joy. Parenting is kind of the same, you bust bottom for your kids so that they can see success and joy. Sometimes you just feel flat out tired and even sometimes you complain, but I have come to taste of the joy that comes through that kind of service. You develope and love of the people you serve. You want to serve them more and you want to see smiles on their faces and excitement in their voices. I have come to be able to see that joy in my mission recently. I am grateful for you and Dad bustn' bottom for all of us kids, and I have come to see how much you truly love all of us even more. You can't even describe it can you mom? :o) As I keep going through life, I hope to better understand why my you and Dad did so much for Me, Dallin, Matt, Abbs, and Tory. I think about it sometimes. The soccer games, the dinners, the campouts, the homework, the trips, the staying up late watching movies when I just know you want to get some sleep. I think I am coming to better understand that love and I can't thank you and Dad enough for it Mom. I love you so much Mama, and Dad, you guys truly are, along with every other butt bustn' parent, the biggest blessing in the world to your families. This coming time is going to be a big growing time for me I feel. I don't know if she told you or not Mom, but Marissa is not going to write me for 3 months. I am going to learn from my exprience with my companion. I am going to grow in patience and humilty from the experiences on the horizon for me and I worried about it a lot this week. I had a wonderful experience before Elder Ellis left. I asked him to give me a blessing and in the blessing he said, "Be Still." I have thought a lot about those words a lot. "Be Still my soul, the lord is on thy side. With Patience bear, thy cross of grief or pain." I know with all of my heart that my Savior Jesus Christ is with me. He is on my side. Whatever our cross may be, no matter when, with patience bear it and all will be well. I am truly grateful to Elder Ellis and him being inspired to tell me to Be Still. This gospel is true. God Lives. Jesus is the Christ. I am going to just have another busy week ahead and it will be P-Day again and time will just keep flying by me. Justein Wilson, Marissa's sister wrote me this week and she said, "You can't wear the black name tag forever." I am so grateful for her words to me in reminding me how truly special this opportunity to serve is. I love you all so much. Mom, I love you so much. I miss you. Have a wonderful week and everybody please put a smile on your face.
Life is so much more sweet with a smile!!
I love you!!
Elder Zachary Taylor Page