Week 6

FAM BAM!
This week was SOOO rad. The MTC gets better and better! This week we got to hear from Cecil O Samuelson and Richard G. Hinkley...I know, I’m getting spoiled. We get the new Russians today...that means that I’m the "older" zone...crazy! Oh and don’t worry there only going to be 88 of them!! We’ve been talking a lot about being good examples this week. I’m literally making lifetime friends here. I LOVE my district!! My teachers are amazing and the spirit is so strong all the time. What I like most about the MTC is that there is NO excuse not to have the spirit with you 100% of the time. It’s all up to you. I’ve been challenged to memorize 250 verses in the scriptures in English and 250 in Russian....I’m at 14 I think haha. Also I’m going to read the BOM in Russian before my year mark. I can barely read it now...literally it takes me 30 min to read 10 or so verses haha. But that’s my goal. Also I’ve learned that in order to achieve something never before achieved, you must do things never before done. For example, my teacher told me that on his mish he and his comp wanted to do 100 pushups in a minute before the end of their transfer. So..they trained every night until eventually they completed there goal. So my district took on the challenge...at first all of us were trying the death challenge. Then eventually people started dropping out night by night. It became less important to them. Well, I got up to 78 but decided that 100 was way better than just 78. A few nights ago only 2 of us accomplished this goal. Me and Ct. Painter. Even though it’s just pushups, it was something that was important to us and that we desired to accomplish. At first it seemed impossible, then when we endured every time and did pushups even when we didn’t want to...eventually we accomplished our goal. It felt amazing. This taught me something....if I put in the time even when I don’t want to...if I’m obedient even when I don’t see a reason for the rule...if I endure to the end...anything is possible. Heavenly Father will do his part, there is nothing to worry about if I do mine. I was counseled to be tough, and to not try to be "cool". cuz I’m not "cool". The world looks at the missionaries...well...differently than how we look at missionaries. BUT that doesn’t matter because we have Heavenly Father. Ukraine seems impossible right now but I know that if I do all that I can do even when I don’t want to...my mission will be a success, baptisms or not. I love this gospel, it blesses us so much!! I will be that "fourth missionary" because it’s a goal that seems like too much, but its not and anything is obtainable with effort and the Lord.

I love you ALL!! have a great week :)
-elder ROONEY!!!!!!!!!!!