"Eating Monday"

Hey Fam,

Sounds like you had a party all week, that's so awesome to hear. Of course while being on my mission I have realized more and more how great you all are. I'm so blessed to have you all as shinning examples of how to love others and serve. Elder Southam told me he wrote you, go ahead an write him back when you get the chance, he has change my life and I am forever grateful for the love he has given me. Let him know how wonderful I think he is, truly he is a great friend of mine. The pictures you sent from the wedding are beautiful and the pictures of the after events were awesome. I appreciated the picture of my beautiful mom and my gangster dad wearing his hood haha, I thought that was way funny. I don't know the words that can describe how I feel about my family. Thank you for you wonderful smiles and strong testimonies. I have had a few comps that have not been raised in a similar situation as me, in the sense that their families were as solid in the gospel, and I have seen the blessings that come from having temple worthy parents and siblings, it makes such a big difference. This week was my first week with my new companion and He has been an amazing blessing to me. He works...that's all I could have asked for. We have seen such amazing miracles while serving together and there will be a lot more to come. I'm stoked that I have a young companion that still has the fire b/c he just wants to go go go go....and I love it. We are working so hard and seeing miracles. We are working with a young man named Sasha and he speaks great English. We found him on the streets during Morning Contacting and he has become such a great investigator and friend. Its been so fun to look back on my mission and see the friends that I have made that are not even members but they are still such great people. Today we will have a couple young investigators come with us to FHE at a senior couples' place to eat food and play games and introduce our investigators to members of the church. There are a lot of Brothas that come and they actually changed the name of FHE to "Eating Monday" haha, apparently there is always a ton of food and that is a major selling point to get people to go...and if you have ever worked with poor college students, you know first hand that if the word "food" is mentioned, then your pretty well guaranteed double the attendance haha. So I'm excited for that. Anyway, I hope you all have a great. Thanks for everything! I love you all

-Sean

New Companion in front of a Statue of Stallin

 

New Companion, YEAH!!

HI family!!

Wow...those pictures of the wedding were so RAD!! Cami of course looked beautiful. Dad has lost some weight it looks like...I'm impressed :) You all looked amazing and I'm sure that everything worked out great. Its great to hear that with 10 hours and counting the church was transformed and everything turned out. I don't have too much time to write today unfortunately, I was writing other family member...but I will update you on how I'm doing. I got a new companion! He is really young on his mission, he is in his 3rd transfer and had been such a huge blessing. He actually wants to work!! we have been working so dang much! We will see some great miracles by the end of this transfer. On Sunday, I translated for all the Brothers at church and m brain wanted to explode...its so hard! but I will have to get used to it being that we have a very young district...minus me haha so I'm the designated translator. our district is a "dating" district, which means we have 2 sisters and 2 elders. This was the same as last transfer, I appreciate sisters SOOOO MUCH!! they bring a special spirit with them. They bring with them Virtue and It is always a blessing to have them with us. Thanks so much for being such a great family. I can't wait to talk to you in a little over a month. Its starting to get cold again which is so weird to see again for the 2nd. We haven't experienced negative temperatures yet but that will be here come January...anyways, Thanks for all that you do! I love you all!!!

Have a great week! :)

- Sean

Learning about Truth

Hi family!!

 Its so great to hear about everything that is happening with the wedding. Its kinda weird to know that I will come home to a different family but change is good and necessary. I'm so happy for Cami that she has been able to endure through so much and now is seeing the fruit of her labor.  I'm proud of her. I hope as is well in the Rooney household as the wedding draws nearer. I look forward to Mondays when I can read uplifting words from a loving family, I appreciate you guys more than you can imagine.  Thanks for always being there for me, especially when I was struggling the most. My companions all know a ton about my family...for good reason too. Well, this transfer will end for me on Thursday and I'm excited.  My comp just now was great but I'm down for a change haha.  It was great b/c in the beginning of my transfer, my comp would get mad at me b/c I made him do comp inventory and other things that missionaries like to skip out on ( he didn't like to do a lot of things haha), but its ok.  B/c now he is actually a missionary, and not just someone on vacation in Ukraine.  It was nice to review out transfer together and watch the transformation that has taken place in his life. He is super obedient and can attest for the wondrous success that we have seen lately. We have been getting investigators everywhere and he was finally able to see some fruit of his labor.  This transfer I have learned a lot about truth. And about how when we are honest with ourselves, God will show us the truth, which a lot of the time are our weaknesses. And when we come to God with humility and pray for a changed heart that we will willingly change and adapt that which is of truth, we will see our lives transform as comp has seen his life change.  I know that we make some of the most ridiculous excuses sometimes in our lives, but when we face up to the truth and act accordingly, that is when we become men and women of God.  I know that God shows us the truth to help us become better. I love slash absolutely hate when I hear something that makes my insides turn upside down b/c I know that I have to change b/c of something I'm not doing (if that makes sense....its makes sense to me haha) and it gives me the opportunity to use the gift of repentance and align my will with God's.   Anyways, I love being here and being a missionary, I thank God everyday for the time He has given me to be here.  I love you all!!  have a great week

- Старейшина Руни