YaMamma.....

Hey Family!
 That's awesome that the kids are in Costa Rica! I remember seeing pictures from my friend's trip there, its was beautiful.  It's definitely not the same weather here as it is there haha. The weather here has been way inconsistent, as in perfect weather to raining and gloomy in no time. Today is a rainy one.  Your trip to San Diego sounds like it was a blast. And I would NOT be against a trip to Costa Rica...that would only be too much fun. Kimi and Nate should save money and go to Brazil in 2014 for the world cup! and they should take ME!!  Soooo, my comp that went back to America is coming back on Wednesday!! WHAT!? that kid somehow just got 2 weeks in paradise and gets to come back...crazy.  Anyways, this week was great. I love being in a threesome actually. Its a blast, its like I'm training kinda, but is way fun.  Every day is a party. We got to listen to conference in our own LANGUAGE! I loved it, but we haven't seen all of them, but I learned a ton.  This week was chalk full of miracles!  but I just want to talk about what happened yesterday.  We have been working our butts off and having 2 areas brings a lot of work, but its so nice to be busy with lessons.  Lets just say that yesterday, there were 10 people at church that were not members.  What a blessing. So I LOVE making friends with the kids in the community, and we have been doing that.  We play these little Russian versions of tag with these kids that always hangout by the church bldg. They all know my name and most of them think that my name is "YaMamma"...its SO FUNNY!  in a game we play, its has to do with saying a Russian phrase that's the equivalent of "Ollie ollie oxen free" and then the person's name.  So its funny seeing a bunch of little kids running around yelling some Russian phrase then, "YaMamma!!" .  There was one time that I was playing b-ball with some little kids and they thought my name was "YaMamma", and I shot the ball and it missed and hit a car...and the alarm went off...the kids were running around yelling..."OOOOOYour Mamma set the Alarm off!!"....it was pretty funny, not gunna lie. Anyways, on Saturday there was a branch clean up day where we cleaned the outside and inside of the church. And when I was outside doing some yard work things out in front of the church I saw some of the boys and they all started helping!  They were painting, sweeping, picking up trash...2 of them came the next day to church, it was amazing. We also at church had a woman named Vera show up.  We got started talking about baptism and she had already told us about how she wants to be baptized in the summer, then after sacrament meeting we took her to the baptismal font in the church and she told us that she only wants to get baptised in "THIS church".  THEN a woman who just finished her mission in salt lake, met this woman a week ago at a place where they were both trying to get jobs, and started talking about the church.  Well her friend's name is Eena and she too came to church and speaks perfect English!  So we stole her after church and grabbed a less active girl who speaks great English too and found a room for a "get to know you lesson, that hopefully will turn in to a 1st lesson" lesson.  Everything worked out PERFECTLY. the spirit was way strong and it was just incredible.  And all of this happened b/c a member of the church decided to just open her mouth. The lesson with Eena was the best lesson on my mission and she was the 1st person that I've met that was truly elect.  Miracles were getting thrown at us like crazy yesterday.  I want to tell you all SO MUCH MORE but I cant write well or quickly for that matter, so it'll have to wait.  But those of you who have served missions know whats its like to want to write about all of the miracles but just simply can't.  After watching General Conference, I was over come with the feeling of gratitude.  I have been given so much and I hope to one day, BE ABLE to have the CAPACITY to express all the gratitude that my Heavenly Father deserves.  I don't even know if its possible but one day I hope that I will be capable of doing such a thing.   Thank you all for your love and support. Thank you all for your examples that have helped shape me to become the missionary I am today. I know that God loves me, and shows me a lot of that love through my family and friends. I love my Savior.

 have a great week!

-Elder Rooney

ps my friend Carely Wells got a mission call to Alpine, Germany!!  Also thank you SOO MOMMMMMMMMM for the package, it felt like a piece of California was sent to me!  I love you!