Faith, Hope and Happiness!

Family!
  It was great to hear from everyone today, I love you all so much.  The wedding is on the way and I'm sure that is a cause for much excitement. Its so great to see everyone moving and progressing, the same is happening here with me in Ukraine.  Its crazy that I'm even here...in Ukraine of all places.  So the update on my mission life....things are great.   In one year, I have had the opportunity to shake the hands of many General Authorities who have personally come and counseled us (with some chastizzzzzment) They have been: Elder Randall Bennett, Elder Larry Lawrence, Elder Gibson and Richardson (Young Men presidency), Elder Ronald Rasband, and Just yesterday Elder Don Clark.  Its been the coolest experience to see the church so young here and the Brethren send some "assistance" here to get things moving.  Well, the Clarks were here for a few days and conducted a District conference and also a Zone Conference for the missionaries.  Elder Clark said that he was on a special assignment to come to Donetsk from the Prophet, why?  I have no idea but I'm so blessed and happy that he came to us.  I was able to go to the priesthood session of District Conference and here are somethings that might be interesting (slash absolutely AWESOME) to you all. Why do we even have the priesthood? for a number of reasons but our purpose for the priesthood is to bless the FAMILIES of the earth.  How? with the priesthood we now can 1. preside in meetings that help bring to pass God's work and glory, 2. To perform ordinances, 3. to Serve, 4. to preach the gospel.  The most important organization is the FAMILY.  The next holiest place after the temple is not the Chapel but the HOME (he made sure we understood this). The most important meeting that we can attend after the Sacrament is FHE.  It makes so much sense to me that the priesthood is used for blessing FAMILIES.  Family, I know its not the easiest thing to do living apart from one another but you have GOT to try and do some sort of FHE with the people and resources you have.  Work hard to have strong family relations, it is one of the reasons you exist!  The priesthood is such an amazing opportunity to help someone else,  Start with the family them move to others!  I love the Gospel.  Also, our convert (Artur) showed up to the priesthood session, he was baptized a week ago, and Elder Clark made everyone stand in the room who did not yet have the priesthood and when he asked Artur why and found out he was baptized 8 days ago, he thanked him and said some way nice things to him in front of everyone (and this meeting was being broadcast everywhere), THEN asked him to bear his testimony in the general session...Artur showed up in a suit and a tie and sat on the stand with the mission president and Elder and Sister Clark and bore his testimony in front of EVERYONE...it was so awesome!  He was nervous so he asked me for some advice and its was awesome!  When he bore his testimony, the spirit was so strong and when he sat down he was just beaming...he also committed twice to serving a full-time mission.  He will change lives.
  Then yesterday was Zone Conference (as to why I'm writing a day late) we had an AMAZING time. I received the HOPE that I was needing to continue on.  My mission has been very difficult for me and I had lost hope in the future that I was going to be able to accomplish my goals and be able to do the things that God wants me to do rather than the things I want to do. And I have been struggling with this for a while now so I started studying up a ton on hope and how to get it and then USE it.  So on Sunday I decided to fast b/c this is something that I really really want.  After studying I found that when you have real hope (especially in the resurrection that you will in actuality be lifted up) you receive happiness.  And I realized that I haven't been very happy lately, so I fasted b/c I want to live after the "manner of happiness"!  Well,  after an awesome meeting, one of the assistants told me that Elder Clark wanted to have an interview...with ME!  Out of all the missionaries there, he interviewed 3, and for some reason I was one of them.  The Interview was great and nothing TOO crazy haha, but the fact that he was on a special assignment then interviewed only 3 of us...that hit me hard.  I had fasted the day before for hope b/c I was not happy, and then God answered back by giving me a very special opportunity.  God loves me.  I know he does.  I know that He sees our struggles and what we are going through.  He gave me the hope that I had been earnestly searching for b/c He loves me and wants me to be happy.  And He wants me to be successful (temporally and spiritually) so He has helped me out.   I'm am happy again, and I am determined to stay like this.  This was a weakness and now I am going to, through the Grace of God, make it a strength b/c I will not stop working on it until it does.   I love the Gospel b/c It pushes me to be better and to work harder and be more efficient.  I will be a DOER.  I am someone who Acts and is not acted upon, and I will determine my future.  This lesson that I am now applying in my life will greatly help me and my future family.  It will allow me to fulfill all of my goals  and I am so grateful to God for the opportunity learn and grow.   I love the Atonement and I love my Savior who gave  His life for me that I could come to this realization, that He descended below everything, and If I will submit my will to God's I can believe on the Words of Christ and maintain the hope (with action)  that it takes (for me) to receive all that the Father has.  The gospel is so awesome.  have a great week!

Sean