Things couldn't be better!!!

HI!!!

  So going against moms request of writing a long email...I was talking to my siblings so this could be short, but I'll try my best!  This week was incredible.  My mission is going through an "up" right now and things couldn't be better.  According to transfer calls, I'm staying again in the same area. I'm really excited being that this transfer things are going to blow with our investigators!  Yesterday I translated for Sis. Campero b/c they showed up to our branch for church, so I sat up on the stand with President and did my best to translate from Russian to broken rearranged English (being that a lot of things don't translate well in to English) then from that to super simple English b/c She doesn't speak that well....my head exploded. it was fun though. I've been in this area since January and a lot of members here have become family to me.  I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!  they are so amazing and so strong with their beliefs.  Yesterday also, we had an amazing time on the streets finding Israel. This man came walked by and my comp stopped him and he speaks pretty good English but the cool part was that as he walked away, he told us that he had the chills and would be reading and waiting for our phone call...its was SO RAD!  last night wrote down 7 contacts in our area book...that NEVER HAPPENS its was so awesome.  I'm in love with the kids all around this area. today we should be having a pretty massive game of soccer with the missionaries in my district verse Ukraine...I'm really excited for it today. Its been so much fun walking around and hearing "Rooney! Rooney!" everywhere I go. I feel like I'm actually doing something here. The girl that just got baptized that I had the honor of being apart of, told us that she wants to serve a mini mission (go on a transfer long split with the missionaries) and that she wants to do it next transfer...she awesome!  I got to teach her the plan of salvation again and about temples and its was so cool to teach the doctrine to someone who is accepting and zealous to do more.  I love being a missionary and I cant tell you the things that I have learned. I've learned a ton about how true happiness comes from making righteous decisions. In 2 Ne 2:25 "men are that they might have joy" what do you think that means?  Were people in Heaven in the premortal life happy? were there some there that were not happy?  What happened to those that were unhappy? why were they unhappy? are they happy now?  They bounced with our brother out of the presence of God. They did not have joy b/c they did not live according to Gods law and His plan.  So, those who were happy and had joy, were those who followed God's commandments and did what God asked. SOOOO when it says that men are that they might have "JOY".  I firmly believe that we are here to make the Righteous choices and follow God.  If obedience to God's commandments =Joy...then "men are that they might [follow the commandments of God]". B/c by doing so, we are living according to the plan of salvation which is the reason that we came here.  There is my little study and I hope that it helps you out in some way, I love you all so much and I cant wait to email NEXT WEEK!

- Старейшина Руни

ps We had a hail storm and  crazy amounts of rain and it looked like I jumped into a pool I was so wet.

pss I'm going to Armenia on the 20th of June!! for a visa trip cool huh?!

psss i tried to send pictures and nothing happened :(

Mother's Day Call

FAMILY!!!

  It was so good to talk to you all!!  It’s crazy how today's technology allows us to do things like that. It was so much fun, our family ROCKS!!  It’s crazy, I wish we would have spoken 2 days later b/c we had President and Sister Lawrence from the (our Area President) come and its was NUTS!  they blew my mind with so many things.  Sister Lawrence is the smartest person I’ve ever met when it comes to the Gospel. She truly is a scholar and loves the scriptures.  I learned what it means to be a part of the House of Israel and I wish I could talk to you personally about it b/c I cant type for my life but I will say that my mind was worked over....hard.  I never knew the significance of being a part of the house of Israel.  I never realized how my role as a member of the Tribe of Ephraim truly meant, and now I can’t imagine doing missionary work or studying the scriptures without this knowledge.  It was so cool; we all got personal interviews with Pres. Lawrence and got to ask him anything we wanted.  He is a very wise and loving man, and I was truly lifted after I spoke with him. Well, I pretty much learned that our role as the house of Israel is truly an honorable calling. And we need to do everything we can to find our brothers and sisters b/c they're just waiting for us.  On Saturday, we had a baptism!  When I was in a threesome when my comp went to America, we had a member bring literally an acquaintance to church and she's 23 and speaks great English.  Anyways, she was the most elect person I have ever taught on my mission.  So technically it doesn't count as "my" baptism, but who cares she’s baptized and I’m honored to have taught her. Our 1st lesson with her, she was put on date and she has had crazy trails ever since then.  Her fiancé, to whom she was going to be married in 2 weeks, died in a car accident soon after she was put on date.  She's so strong and got a brand new job as a stewardess and had to change her schedule right after she just got hired. She was way scared obviously after just being hired but prayed and her hours were changed so she could come to church.  She truly has amazing faith.  I was asked to be a part of the confirmation yesterday at church and that was a huge honor.  I’m so grateful for this opportunity to be mentally and physically beat up here in Ukraine...b/c this experience is changing my life.  I know that the Gospel is true and will help every single one of us out.  I love my Savior.  Have a great week!

-Sean

Now you see him, Now you don't!!

Hey all!

 I cant wait to see you next week!!!! I'm going to try and work everything out with the whole Google thing.  I think I'm going to do the same thing that I did last time, sooo I'm going to try and call my Monday morning/ your Sunday night b/c I'll most likely be in an Internet club.  I'll try and be on around    730-8 ish in the morning (here...so like 930 or 10 on Sunday night for you) depending on if transport is up and running.  Just be alert to any email I send b/c it may change but for now that's the plan. If anything happens I'll send an email during the week to let you know.   Wow, I cant believe Tyler met Dianna...literally my best friend on the mission.  That's so crazy!!  This week has been full of miracles and I don't even know where to begin, but that's ok b/c I GET TO TALK TO YOU ALL NEXT WEEK!!  (by the way this email will be short b/c I'm going to try and set up that Google thing). OK so I'll tell you one story. our branch had a picnic thing on Saturday and it was an absolute blast.  There is a woman who grew up here and moved to America but is visiting and she is a professional piano player...and we jammed for like an hour an a half during the picnic and provided the entertainment, but that's not the story I wanted to talk about. So I was out by the picnic table thing outside getting some food and talking with some members when way at the end  of the parking lot I see this little boy, his name translates to Benjamin, and hes about 2 years old.  And I see him with a basketball that's bigger than he is and he's just having a good time.  Well, he wonders into the corner of the parking lot, and sits down with the ball on top a light green mat thing on the asphalt. and before you know it I see him disappear!!  Turns out the mat was covering a man hole thing...like imagine going out to the street and seeing someone sitting on a man hole then suddenly that person is gone under the street...and that's what I saw, and the kid was 2.  Me and the kids mom were some of the only people who even saw him luckily, so I went into a dead sprint to the other side of the parking lot (about half a football field away) going through scenarios in my mind of things I would see and/or and it was SO scary. Ben fell about 4 or 5 feet under ground and rolled half way under some other concrete thing under the street.  So I reached down and picked him up and he was balling.  He banged his head pretty bad but was virtually unharmed...miracle? yes.  It was so scary, my heart was pounding so fast.  But all is well and I was just happy that that fall was only 4ish feet and that there wasn't any water or anything crazy down there.  Anyways that's my story haha.   I have a ton to tell you when I see you,  but that's all for now.  I love you all so much!

Have a great week!

Patience, Patience...

HEY FAMILY!!!

 That's great to hear about seeing Casey Jones...that must have been so awesome! So Cami is now in Nashville...that's crazy, she's going to kill it out there. Its great to hear from you all.  So Mother's Day is coming up so I need your schedule soon to see when everything can go down. I leave for my new area tomorrow so I still have no idea when and where I'll be able to do everything.  Just let me know, I'm SOOO STOKED!  I feel like I just spoke with you guys. Time is Flying by faster than ever. The weather here is unreal right now, it gets me WAAAAAY surf trunky haha.  I have had such a blast in this area and I'm way bummed that I have to leave but I know that God's plan for me is perfect so I'm excited to have the experiences that the Lord has in store for.  So as I mentioned last week, Tomorrow I leave for my new area to a place that is on the Sea of Azod (?) and its called Mariupol.  I hear its fun and pretty down there but that with all of the factories...there is smog FOR DAYS! its a rule actually that a missionary is not allowed to serve there for more that 2 or 3 transfers b/c of how bad the air there is...so yea haha.  I just ended the hardest most trial filled transfer of my mission and I can say that the Lord has definitely given me some oppurtunites to become more like Him.  And dang its tough sometimes.  But as always, in hindsight we see how much we have grown and how immediate success is not always the Lord's way of giving blessings.  I learn more and more about the concept of patience and how patience isn't just sitting around and taking beatings haha but how we need to always be moving forward. Especially through trials that are difficult to overcome. I feel that when I have the faith sufficient to do anything the Lord wants (which to be honest wavers from time to time) my trails become less and less trying. They just become a way of life that I half expect to come at all times b/c once one trial is done, the next comes.  And with patience and unwavering faith, trails don't effect me as much b/c I have an increasing understanding of Heavenly Father's plan for me, or maintaining an eternal perspective.  Now the trick is (for me at least) how do I keep my faith from wavering?  Anyways, that's just some food for thought.  I can't wait to hear from you ALLLLL!!!!!  I hope that all is well and that you are all working hard.  I love you all so much.

-Sean