Last week in the MTC!!

FAMILY!!! AHHHH IM ALMOST OUT OF THIS PLACE!! Cami, I feel for ya having to be here for this long. I mean, don’t get me wrong, its way dope here but its time haha. Dad, I took care of everything with my account, and I sent it off yesterday so hopefully things will work out! Also, thanks for your letter that sounded like so much fun on Sunday! I’m 20 now....crazy. So, I’ve been pretty sick lately and even on my birthday :(. There's this virus thing going around BYU and soon to the MTC I guess, so no one is allowed to make any physical contact ie shaking hands or anything. I don’t have that I just itch all over my body, can’t sleep, cough up storm, have the chills/sweats, and I’m almost always beat tired....but I’m getting better! It started about 4/5 days ago. I’ll be fine before I leave though. The carnival sounded like a blast dad way to go! K so thanks for the bear and the amazing card! Mom and dad I love you both so much. Kimi sent me a card and told me about her experience about when I was born...it was SO COOOL! Thanks Kim! Honestly, I get home sick every now and then. Not enough to want to come home, but just continuing to realize how great and fun my family is makes me think about home every once in a while. BUT I know that this is the place for me. It seems like things are going GREAT at home and I continue to see the blessings of being a missionary here and from home. K on to the good stuff. I GOT MY TRAVEL PLANS!!! I fly out from salt lake at 8:30 am on Tuesday morning. I fly to JFK (NY) and land at 3:12 pm. 5:40 I fly to Vienna, Austria and land at 8:25AM! Longest flight ever...then from there I fly (10:20 am) to Donetsk and land at 1:50 pm. I’m allowed to call in the airport so be ready for a weird number and ANSWER IT! But I’m only going to call in the morning from salt lake or from JFK but I wont have very long to talk...oh can you PLEASE send pictures!!!!! I leave Tuesday morning so send out quickly! Armdizzle sent me some and I love them! Pictures are super important for sharing with investigators in Ukraine I guess. So pictures of family, hobbies...etc. all of our TRC's went way better when we had pics of family and especially when the person we were teaching was a native. Oh and for the trip from JFK to Vienna, I’m only allowed to have two 50 lbs bags and one 17 lbs carry on....good thing I didn’t bring that third bag! But I’m over weight so should I send things home? or leave in free boxes in the MTC? let me know! Guys, I’m SO STOKED TO GET OUT OF HERE! Its gunna be absolutely nuts. Oh and where I’m at uses the pouch system for mail. The address you send letters to is the mission home address. Oh and I guess I need a bunch of stamps? I think it'll just be easier to email when I’m in the field but let me know what you think! K last thing real quick, Ricky Holland is stuck in Georgia for 4 days! I guess there was a volcano some where in the world and he can’t fly in to South America...crazy. Oh! and we got to hear from the general primary president last night for the devotional...it was actually pretty rad. It helped me realize that primary is so important cuz it helps build our foundation in the gospel. K I got to go! But it sounds like everyone had a great week!! Oh and will told me Kyle got a vespa? that’s SO SICK! (If that’s true). Tell garret I love him. I love you all!!!!!

Ct. Rooney

Week 9

FAMILY!!
Dad, I got your email about my account, I’ll see what i can do when I get the info. Also, thanks for writing me I love hearing about what’s going on. Thanks also to Cami for writing! I’ll try and write you today if I have anytime. That’s great to hear about youth conference that went down this past weekend, sounds like it was a blast. Today as we were walking to the temple I saw a whole deacon’s quorum walk in to do baptisms...it was such a cool thing to see younger people than me participating in the progress of God's plan. I hope that we never take that opportunity for granted. Kyle! I’m bummed you missed out on youth conference. But I’m glad that you and Dad are doing the "triple crown" together. Cherish your time with dad (and mom), cuz when you leave for school or mission, that’s all you think about. We have the best family ever. I’m so grateful for all of you. This Plan really is perfect and I can’t wait to share with others in 13 DAYSSS!!!! Last night we got to hear from Yoshihko Kikuchi....AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was an incredible talk and that man is so in tune with the spirit. He spoke about having your own "sacred grove", place where every morning you can go to where you can "subdue yourself" to God. He gave us these steps 1. Arise early, 2. Wash body, 3. New linen (get ready for the day), 4. Subdue yourself to the Lord, and 5. Wait for inspiration. He challenged us to do this and now I challenge you. He shared and incredible story about this and then promised in the name of Jesus Christ that if we do this sincerely....it will change our lives. Also, some not new counsel for our parents but very important counsel...m&m pray together EVERy DAY...go to the temple as often as possible...have FHE every week...and family prayer every day. I know that when we do the small and simple things that we will see more blessings in our lives than ever before. Satan may make this seem hard to do, BUT it’s not. Commit yourselves to doing these things no matter what, and you will see a change in your lives’. I so love being here on a mission. My family has prepared me well for this experience and I’m grateful for that. The Gospel is so important and it makes me sad that I never took advantage of the wonderful gift that we have as much as i should have...THERE IS ALWAYS time for the gospel. Make it a Priority in your life, and NEVER be afraid to share it with others. Families are forever and the more that I think about this concept the more real it gets. I did sealings again today and there are so many blessings that come from just being a part of this gospel is unreal. I challenge you all to take advantage of this gospel in your lives more and more. Kyle, go to the temple with your buds as much as possible. Those memories will create lasting impressions in your life. Mom, dad and Cami, the temple is where we need to be. Keep it up! Read and pray constantly. My heart is full right now and it goes out to all those that don’t have this amazing gift in their lives. Oh and help the missionaries some time cuz well...you have 2 out right now! Anyway, i love you all so much and i love getting letters from you! Have a wonderful week!!

Ct. Rooney

Week 8

FAMMMMMMIIIIILLLYYYY!!!
This week was a rush....I’ll start with a funny story. K, so every Sunday we have a devotional. You knew that, so this past Sunday my district was asked to give 2 people to give the prayer. So i volunteered cuz i thought it would be a fun experience. I BOTCHED IT!!! WHO does that?! I thought i was gunna be cake cuz it was in my NATIVE language...ENGLISH. Turns out i can’t speak that one either!! Right before i went to say the prayer (opening) this big bald dude who’s 6'8 comes and asks us "you ever prayed in front of 2000 people before?" I said no (at the time thinking it was gunna be easy) he said “just close your eyes it’s easy" then laughed like dad would've have laughed after asking us if we have holes in our chins cuz we spilled food everywhere. anywaaaaays...i get up there and close my eyes....i went blank....ALL of my verbal prayers are in Russian! i didn’t know what to say and the thought of freezing in front of 2000 people while getting filmed made it a whole lot worse! So i started feeling super uncomfortable speaking English then after i ask God to please bless HIMSELF...i just wanted to end the prayer as fast as possible hahaha. I felt so cool...not. So i sat down hoping that people would disregard my prayer...nope, not one bit. ALL the Italians in Jaroms class came up to me...and said" nice prayer elder" as they were giggling. Not to mention all of the other 150 Russians here that all gave me crap for it. Overall, it was super funny and still today I’m getting made fun of for it. Oh well. Thanks for your letters! I LOVE reading them (when i get any). I had a tough week this week to be honest. Not home sick or anything just internal battles with myself (companions, Russian 100%, etc.). I absolutely love the atonement. It is SO real. God can do EVRYthing and ANYthing for you if you trust in him and live worthily. I’m so grateful to be here. I LOVE the MTC, but i can’t wait to get out now haha. The spirit CAN be with us every second of the day if we live worthily of it. It’s all up to us. Mom and Dad, thank you for teaching me how to work. I see missionaries struggle every day because of their lack of work ethic. I’m grateful that we worked as a family the most. NEVER stop praying together and as a family. Make EVERY second with each other count. WE are so that we might have JOY. God loves you, i love you. Thanks for your examples. KYLE!!!!! Keep up the good work my man! i love you THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS much! I’m sending you something soon i think you'll like :) Cami, why are you such a baller? Keep writing me dude i love your counsel. And Kimi, this is the time. The time to ABSOLUTELY KILL IT MORE THAN EVER BEFORE! You’ve done an amazing job.
I love you all so much! I wish we could all be on a mission together. That would be the best thing EVER!
Have a great week!!
ct. rooney

Week 7

FAMILY!!!!
Sorry I don't know a missionary named Newsome? There are SO many new missionaries its nuts...ill keep an eye for him. SO...last night at our devotional, we heard from Elder Russell M. Nelson...no big deal! it was So RAD! we've been so blessed with being able to hear form 4 apostles already its crazy! he and his wife spoke about obedience. it was very powerful. i am getting over my companions haha but i still love them. i understand more and more every day that how the mission teaches you valuable lessons. it really does help you become a better person and helps you think about which kind of person you will end up being later on. my companions are really alike and the more i get to know them, the more i see myself less like them. but what keeps us glued together, is our purpose. and for the mission, that's all it takes. I'm learning how to celebrate our differences. its really hard tho when we have different goals in mind and each thinks their way is better or more effective (usually they have the same and I'm kinda left out) BUT...its OK. I'm learning and growing everyday how to be patient and how to be more and more flexible. the longer I'm here, the more i see that "You" don't matter. the mission isn't about me. its about the people you are being prepared for me to teach. its so true that forgetting yourself and going to work, truly makes ALL the difference. i love the examples i have and i CANT WAIT TO GET TO THE FIELD!!!! i got a letter from a buddy of mine a transfer ahead of me. I'll send it to you. he's in my mission and well....crazy. I'm doing really well. when I'm exactly obedient i feel invincible from the temptations of Satan. other times when I'm not...i feel temptations have more of an impact on me. BE OBEDIENT. we have rules for a reason and they WILL bless us if we follow them. I've experienced so many different emotions here that I've never felt experienced before. you truly have to experience the MTC to understand. I'm writing talks in Russian all on my own. Ive written 3 already and every time i try not to use the Russian Preach My Gospel (PMG) unless i need a quote. others basically just write paragraphs from PMG for their talks and i feel that they're cheating themselves of great practice. we're teaching all in Russian and have another TRC tonight. i don't think I've EVER studied so much in my LIFE!!! oh...i met the President of the GIRLS SCOUTS OF AMERICA yesterday...she's not a member and is from Auckland NZ so i told her to say hi to Todd Love. also the head of training for the MTC came up to me and said the Kimi was his favorite missionary to work with. I'm not surprised :) i got dads letter...Catalina!!!!!!?????? SICK that sounds like a blast. if i was ANYWHERE else but here i might have been jealous...but this place is too good and too worth it. k no time AGAIN but i love you all. have an awesome week... and KYLE STILL HASN'T WRITTEN ME BACK :) thanks for all the love and prayers.


-Ct. Rooney

Week 6

FAM BAM!
This week was SOOO rad. The MTC gets better and better! This week we got to hear from Cecil O Samuelson and Richard G. Hinkley...I know, I’m getting spoiled. We get the new Russians today...that means that I’m the "older" zone...crazy! Oh and don’t worry there only going to be 88 of them!! We’ve been talking a lot about being good examples this week. I’m literally making lifetime friends here. I LOVE my district!! My teachers are amazing and the spirit is so strong all the time. What I like most about the MTC is that there is NO excuse not to have the spirit with you 100% of the time. It’s all up to you. I’ve been challenged to memorize 250 verses in the scriptures in English and 250 in Russian....I’m at 14 I think haha. Also I’m going to read the BOM in Russian before my year mark. I can barely read it now...literally it takes me 30 min to read 10 or so verses haha. But that’s my goal. Also I’ve learned that in order to achieve something never before achieved, you must do things never before done. For example, my teacher told me that on his mish he and his comp wanted to do 100 pushups in a minute before the end of their transfer. So..they trained every night until eventually they completed there goal. So my district took on the challenge...at first all of us were trying the death challenge. Then eventually people started dropping out night by night. It became less important to them. Well, I got up to 78 but decided that 100 was way better than just 78. A few nights ago only 2 of us accomplished this goal. Me and Ct. Painter. Even though it’s just pushups, it was something that was important to us and that we desired to accomplish. At first it seemed impossible, then when we endured every time and did pushups even when we didn’t want to...eventually we accomplished our goal. It felt amazing. This taught me something....if I put in the time even when I don’t want to...if I’m obedient even when I don’t see a reason for the rule...if I endure to the end...anything is possible. Heavenly Father will do his part, there is nothing to worry about if I do mine. I was counseled to be tough, and to not try to be "cool". cuz I’m not "cool". The world looks at the missionaries...well...differently than how we look at missionaries. BUT that doesn’t matter because we have Heavenly Father. Ukraine seems impossible right now but I know that if I do all that I can do even when I don’t want to...my mission will be a success, baptisms or not. I love this gospel, it blesses us so much!! I will be that "fourth missionary" because it’s a goal that seems like too much, but its not and anything is obtainable with effort and the Lord.

I love you ALL!! have a great week :)
-elder ROONEY!!!!!!!!!!!

Week 5

FAMIILY!!
I'm early today, but still write me! k so this week was a rush...the older district left and I'm super sad cuz they were SO RAD! BUT, some of the coolest elders are serving in my mission so I'll see them. I'm getting a new mission president literally a week after I get to Donetsk. He's Bolivian and is in his 70's. I don't remember his name but I've seen pictures. My teacher is actually training him over skype in Russian and he said that he's way cool. But you wanna know what's COOOOOOLER!? Elder Neil L. Andersen spoke last night to us...that's 3 out of the last 4 devotionals we've had an Apostle! Before that is had been 14 weeks. AND I SHOOK HIS HAND!!! it was way rad. Some missionaries always wave to the speakers as they drive off and, well, he came by and started shaking hands, and I was there...it was way cool. I teach the 1st lesson in Russian tonight, I've tried it already a few times but tonight is the real deal. I'm kinda nervous because my Russian is scattered but I know know we'll be fine. My companions are rad except for one, he's actually kinda mean to me now that I think about it, so I'm really trying to see people as they really are, Children on God. I find that when I do that it helps me see the good in people and the negative things about them just go away. I challenge you all to do that, you will see a difference in how you perceive others. Literally all judgmental feelings will go away, because all you do is love them for who they are, because they're just like you....a child of God. I see elder Holland ALL the time! He's super funny. I turn 20 in a month! I just realized...oh and dad, for some reason I find my self saying "dad" jokes, all the time. Look what you did!! It's cool they're all funny...to me haha. How is everything? Kyle still hasn't written me back! But I get all of your letters, I'm so glad things are going well. OH and did you like my pictures? how about the tractor one....I thought it was more rebellious than a police golf cart haha. I want you all to focus on the small and simple things, like earnestly praying, and PONDERING the scripts. I know that as you do this, you will start to see positive changes in how you see things, you will start to see blessings that you have never noticed before. Also, continue to be missionaries, there is A LOT of work you can do especially at home. Study the scriptures, study the atonement, and do it earnestly, I know that you study these things, you will have a greater desire to share this AMAZING message with others. the language will come, I know this. God calls the weak (aka Sean) and gives them the tools that they need in order to do His work. I don't need to stress about the language because God had a plan, He had a purpose, and it's too important to have missionaries go out and not be able to learn the language. I know that I have to try my best and God will allow me the ability to speak all the Russian that it is needed, doesn't mean I'll be a killer speaker, but I'll know what is needed to do the work. The spirit will take care of all the rest. I Love you all SO much. Keep up the good work at home, and write me today! i'll have just enough time to read it :)
have a Great week!
Elder Rooney

Week 4

FAMILY!!!!!! This week was SO SICKKKKK! I love getting your dear elders thank you so much! This place gets better and better. Russian is coming along too, heavenly father is really helping me out. I can say the first vision in russian now which i never thought possible and next week we have to teach the 1st lesson in russian....sketch! Its gonna be a train wreck haha hows the fam? Thanks for writing me back bro, my district thinks you're a baller for dating some that's their age haha. Cami, I wrote you today but congratulations on the job! Brother Frisbee is the man, we're all blessed to have him in our lives. Did any of you read the "4th missionary"? slash did you send it to Kimi? the new Russians are coming in 2 weeks! that means I will have been here for 6 weeks already....oh and the new freshman (that started for byu this year) is going russian speaking and coming in with the new districts...which means I have gym time with him...which means that I am gonna play ball with him..I guess i'll go easy on him. So at lunch the other day, I got to meet a man who just got released as a mission president in Moscow and just got called to the 70. He is the area 70 over the Russia Ukraine mission areas. He was SO RAD! But he told us that the last group of russian speaking missionaries had a hard time getting their visas approved so when they did get approved, they all got there at the same time. He said that is was about 80% of the missionaries that are there now...welllllll they all go home in the end of the summer!! so what that means is that i will be with them for just under 2 months....that means that my zone will be the OLDEST out there in about 4-5 months....CRAZY!! he was telling us to get ready cuz before we know, we're all gonna be senior companions in about 4-5 months!! good thing Russian is really easy or this would be kind of scary to think about. so after the devotional, we have a devotional breakdown and discuss what we liked. well the thing that we talked about the most we're our mothers for some reason...sorry dad haha. but we were talking about how in elementary school we come home and mom asks us how are day went and then we just go absolutely nuts and tell her EVERYTHING. then when high school comes around and she asks us how are day went...and we say " good, later" or " it was whatever, can I go now?" and then when we hit college and we actually realize that we miss our family and that without our families we would be nothing...mom asks us how our day went (over the phone) and then we go absolutely nuts again and tell her EVERYTHING. well the same thing applies in the gospel. we start of as literal children then we start to grow up. when that happens, like in high school, we become childish...our goal now is to become like a child again. Through prayer and scrips (scriptures) and charity and love, all of the above, we can achieve this goal. God loves us MORE than our moms so in your prayers, become like a child. have an ACTUAL conversation. he's there to help us, use him. k out of time as usual, i love you all!!! have a GREAT week! (oh and having a great week all depends on YOU)

-elder Rooney