Preaching on a bus!

FAMILY!!!

 This week was a life changing week.  I don't know where to begin.  I only have time for one story, here we go. I had a zone conference here this week and it was great and it was also one that kicked our butts.  We got stacked on us a ton of standards that the natural man would willing and does willing reject.  But after I prayed for a softened heart I really love keeping all the rules, even new ones.  So here in my mission we do A LOT of contacting, every single day. The members are great at certain things but they struggle with others, as do all of us.  But the majority of the people we find to teach here come through missionary efforts even though we all know its more effective to find people to teach through members, anyways...after zone conference (which is were I got my package...Thanks MOM and DAD!!!) I was so pumped. In this mission we talk to everyone everywhere...except for some places like on the metro or on buses. Here it is against the culture to talk to people especially on transport.  People here have a mind set of "I do my thing, and you do yours" so even just saying hi to people on the streets is against the culture here and people think its weird.  I didn't come here to timidly preach the gospel to people that talk to us, I came to be bold and tell people truth.  So we were on a bus the other day, and I felt very strongly that I should get up and preach to a whole bus...which is SOOOOOO NOOOOTTTT NORMAL. But I didn't come here to be normal.  It was the perfect opportunity b/c there was no one standing up and we came to a stop light so the bus was quieter than usual.  My comp and I were in the very back, and I turned to him and told him kinda of jokingly slash seriously "Elder, I think I'm going to preach to this bus."  His reaction was NOT expected.  He just started coming up with excuse upon excuse about why I shouldn't.  We were on our way to a lesson and it was with a potential investigator. After the excuses, I told him I was doing it.  He told me " I will not support you" and he turned his back to me...I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  I said a prayer in my heart (which was pounding by this time) for strength b/c now I was on my own.  And the grace of God picked me up and walked me to the front of the bus.  I turned around and Held the Book of Mormon in the air and started sharing our message.  I was able to see the people who were interested in the message and those that weren't, so afterwards I walked to those who had made eye contact with me as I was speaking and gave the brochures about the church.  Done.  Was it hard? absolutely, but it wasn't until I realized that the worst thing that could happen is that I could get killed somehow that I was able to follow promptings of the Spirit.  I am supposed to be a witness of Christ "Even until Death", so I will be. My testimony of the support of the Savior gives in time of need grew so much that day after that experience. I learned a more profound meaning of what it is to be an example of the Believers.  You cant live off of borrowed light in the last day.  And I just working my hardest to gain as much of it as possible.  This story may not seem very crazy to you ,but i want you to know that it was one of the scariest and hardest experiences of my mission, but I can proudly say that I followed promptings and that God helped me out in my time of need.  I want the Lord to say," I can count on Elder Rooney, no matter what".  I don't know the result of those people that received those brochures but I am honored to have been the instrument of God in giving them to them.  After I sat down, NOTHING could get me down and I felt so strongly the strength of the Lord working through me.  It helped open my eyes even more that the message we have, that gives people that precious opportunity receiving all that the Father has.   I hope that all is well with the wedding and that you all have a wonderful week!

- Sean

The Middle Eastern connection

Hey!!

How was your week?  As for me here, I'm doing great.  My comp and I are finally on the same page and its such a blessing.  We have become master "planners" so that we came improve our efficiency. There are a ton of middle easterners that study out here and they are ALL Muslim! so its kinda hard to teach them but God's plan is truly amazing in that every time I say that my mother is from Iran...I have an instant connection with them. Its super cool.  I want you to know that my heart is burning with love for you and that I look up to you in so many ways. This week has been full of miracles.  I'm doing well, and I have received your package but I haven't opened it yet...b/c I'm in an area way far away from Donetsk and the package is in the same city as me...just not in my hands quite yet.   how are you? How is school?  Are you studying your scriptures everyday?  going to the temple WITH DAD?   Gosh I love you.  I'm pretty sure every one up here know ALL about you, they say I talk about you a lot... :)  Also, a missionary Tyler Stoker from Henderson, says Hi.  I went on a split with him and he did a great job.  He's still super new in the mission but he has a testimony and that’s all that you need to share this message.  Call Kyle some time, tell him how much you love him and that he is an all-star. he needs to hear that from you and Dad at least daily. If it doesn't have much of an effect on him now, It will in a few years when he is in the middle of his mission and his love and respect for you and Dad will grow more than you can imagine. I can't wait to see you again for Christmas!!   keep it up mom!!  Find someone to serve this week, and go serve them.  EVERY less-active member deserves brownies on their door step...just saying :)  
 Let ME know if I can do anything for you.
Anyways, I have to go but I love you!

Have a great week!

- Старейшина Руни

Transfer to Harkov

HI FAMILY!!

Thanks for you great emails. Of course I heard about the new missionary entry date, and I could be more stoked. The Lord is truly Hastening His work here and its SO EXCITING!! So, I got a transfer and now I'm serving in a place called Harkov! Its almost like actual Europe in some places its so beautiful! Its so crazy being here there are a ton students everywhere. And guess where they come from...yup Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, and every where else in the middle east. Its INSANE. We taught a guy named Rod who is from Iraq and he looks JUST like me. I'm not kidding, the longer and longer I'm here the more and more I realize that Mom and Dad getting married was NOT on accident. I have immense love for those people and every time i say my mom is from Iran, we have an instant connection. Mom, were you Muslim in Iran? if so, which one? Also, I'm going to master Farsi when I get home, I have learned some out here but I'm going to master Farsi. In our branch, we have a lot of Brothers. If you remember, they call black people here "N" words as apart of the culture, so missionaries call them "Brothas". So they are all from Somewhere in Africa, mainly Nigeria and Cameroon. They are SO awesome. they all speak English and almost no Russian so we translate for them every Sunday, they are so humble and I've met another person who has changed my life. His name is Harold and he is Tanzanian, he found the church and married a Ukrainian woman. He them Moved to Holiday Utah and lives there with his wife and kids. He is finishing up med school here and then will head back to Utah. But this guy has been and incredible example of charity and love. He has NO idea how much of an impact he has made on my life but I'll be sure to tell him before I leave. He bore his testimony about how he used to be young men's president for the branch here for about 5 or so years, and he had just been working and working with the youth, about 5 or 6 boys, to try get them stoked about the Gospel. He said that he would just pray and pray for them. Then when he moved to Utah he lost contact with them, but he still prayed for those boys all the time and thought about them all the time. So now he just got back to finish one last semester and he's been gone for a few years but he got a phone call from a missionary in our mission and the missionary said that he had some who wanted to talk to Herald...it was one of those kids he had been praying for all theses years. The kids name is Bodgon and he had been inactive for a super long time but he was now on a "mini-mission". Now that may not sound like a crazy story but when Herold was bearing testimony about prayer and about this experience, he got way emotional and I could FEEL his love for those kids that he taught. Herold changed Bogdon's life forever and he was able to see the fruit of his labor, what a blessing. I want to be like Herold. I want to give my ALL into every calling I ever get. I want to love people like he does. He has motivated me to be a person. so that’s kinda how things are, we haven't seen conference quite yet b/c the Russian translations take a week to get here, but I'll watch it in English! Also, my comp is a native but is most recently from Toronto...so its cool. I'm having a great time here, I love this place. The gospel is so awesome and I couldn't be more honored to be here at this time. Have a great week! I love you

-Sean

 

 

18 month mark!

HI FAMILY!!!

I love my family!! Guys, wanna here something crazy?? I hit my 6 month mark on Saturday...yes, that is is a sister mission. I am so stoked for the next 6 months of my life. I am going to kill it! I have been blessed with hope which leads to happiness, and I know that I am going to see great things happen in the next 6 months. I am now a pretty seasoned missionary and no where near fluent with this language, but I know that I know what I need to know in order to continue gathering Israel and yea that is what we are doing here. In one branch in the Europe East area there are members from ALL 12 tribes of the house of Israel...its so awesome to literally be apart of what has been talk about in almost every dispensation. This is the work of God and there is no stopping it. It sounds like you had some fun with Kyle coming home this weekend, that Jazz festival sounds great. I can't wait to dance again! Well, this week I received a transfer call and I am going to be leaving the prettiest most developed area in the mission...Center Donetsk. This place was (is) rad and there is so much always going on. My last 2 transfers have by far been the hardest transfers of my mission, but I have never learned so much. My comp has taught me so very applicable life lessons that I hope i never stop applying. I have never been happier until just now (a few days ago). The work here is picking up slowly but its picking up. I have a testimony of hard work and also of the concept of being Light -hearted. To me, light-heart is different than being light-minded. I feel that I can work and work and work and never stop but with my case...I run out of energy and crash eventually. There has to be a balance (this is just a lesson that I had to go through that is helping me live a happier life) with all things. I feel like sometimes I can get burned out, but with the concept of being light-hearted I can work hard and feel goo doing it. I work smarter with a better attitude, always engaged but not losing myself in obedience. What I mean is that obedience should be made a given, NOT a focus. once I allowed this concept to sink deep into my soul, my mission picked up a ton and I was so much happier. I also learned more about how if you love something, its easy to do. So love everything! And if you don't love it, ask God to change your heart so that you can love it. Sorry this letter is a bit short, I was talking to another sibling of mine. I have SO many pictures I want to send home, but none of these computers work with what I have, so ill send it ASAP. I love you all and pray for you always. Thanks for inspiring me to be a better person and family member. have a great week!!

-Sean