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

Baptism of Artur

Hi!

Yes, I'm blown away that Cami is getting married but at the same time I hoped and prayed for it to happen so...I'm just happier than ever to see this happen.  I know that Kimi and Cami are now entering into a covenant that will enable them to be able to have all that the Father has.  I've been studying a ton about the Plan of Salvation and to be able to be so close to people who are applying the Gospel in their lives, its an honor and also motivating.  We gain spiritual (spirituality = the ability to recognize and act on truth) power when we keep true to the covenants that we have made with our Father in Heaven as mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants.  The New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage is one of the most, if not the most, important covenants we make with the Father in order to receive eternal glory with our chosen spouses. Thank you all for your wonderful examples for what it means to be worthy to be able to take part in such wonderful steps closer to Christ and our Father. Well this week for me was also one of miracles and tender mercies. I was able to take part in helping a chosen son of God take part in the first ordinance of eternal life.  He was found on the streets about a month ago and he was just super elect and it was a pleasure to have been given the opportunity to  take part in teaching him the Restored Gospel.  He showed up for his baptism on time and everything.  The man, who baptized him, was a kid Sergei.  He is 22 and we really wanted him to baptize Artur, and Artur let us know a few days before that he wanted Sergei to baptize him.  This was probably the coolest part of the whole event.  I got see a friendship INSTANTLY start after the baptism between Sergei and Artur, it was awesome to see the bond that came from the baptizer and the baptizee haha.  Sergei was so nervous and thanked us for the opportunity to take part in such an important ordinance.  Artur came to church the next day in a nice black suit and a tie.  Booom.  it was SO AWESOME!  I got to help give him the Gift of the Holy Ghost. And after everything happened, there was an apparent physical change in Artur's countenance.  It was one of true joy and light.  I got to sit in a front row seat to see this kid change his life and truly accept the things we taught, so awesome!  Things here in this mission are moving along. And time seems to be flying, thanks for the great news about Cami and I hope that everything at home is going along nicely.  Keep working hard fam!!

-Sean

September

Hi Family!!

 Its great to here from you.  Dad, keep working hard and fixing that house, I know that you will see way awesome blessings b/c of your service.  Mom, lucky duck...that's all I have to say. haha  This week for me was AWESOME!!  So about a month ago we met an 18 yr old named Artur and well, long story short, he is WAY prepared for the Gospel.  His baptism is on Saturday!!  My comp on a split contacted into him on the street and well, now he will be a member of the Church on Sunday...BOO YAA!!  Its been such a cool experience to see the change that has come into his life ever since learning about this way awesome Plan of Happiness that God has prepared for all of us!  Artur came to another activity and was just such an awesome help with putting things away and is just always ready to help someone.  He's a great example to me to always look for things to do to help.  Also, thanks to Mom, somehow I attract ALL middle easterners here.  Were at McDonald's the other day and this guy came and sat RIGHT next to me. and started speaking English to us.  His name is Yasir, and he's from Iraq and his family lives currently in Iran.  Yea...we hit it off. He is only 19 and looks like he's 27 b/c he always has a beard...even after he shaves. but he is SO AWESOME!  He came to an activity at the branch for "Harvest".  Its pretty much Thanksgiving for Ukraine..but I think they started celebrating it this year b/c I've never heard about it and it definitely did not happen last year haha.  But we ate a TON of borscht and Ukrainian dishes (most of which I will not miss after my mission haha).  Yasip later that night called to thank us and then asked if he could come to church and bring a friend...yea......we told him no....haha  Honestly I don't think I've ever heard those words on my mission and it as too beautiful to describe.   He makes me really appreciate people who go out of there way to say thanks and makes me want to be a better person.  The sad news is that we have to pass him to our other missionaries b/c he doesn't live in our area :(  But as long as he gets taught the gospel, that's all that matters!  We've seen a ton of miracles lately and Its been so great to have our eyes opened to the power of God.  I love being a missionary.  It has been way hard lately but I learning from my experiences and I know that they will bless my life.  I have such a love for the scriptures and have big plans for studying them after my mission.  I've learned how important scripture study is and I hope that I never lose this drive to continually read and think about eternal principles that will bless my life. I had a way awesome experience again with prayer on Saturday.  We had free time at night so we decided to go find this Less-Active guy named Yuri who is 31 I'm pretty sure.  Last time we went, he was drunk and just not doing well.  I've only met him one time and so we were hoping to get actual lesson with him.  So we said a very specific prayer that mentioned getting there, being let into the apt bldg (b/c if you don't have a key to these bldgs...you don't go in.  so you have to wait for someone to come out and not get mad at you as you try to swiftly move inside the bldg or call to someone to let you in, and people don't like Americans a lot of the time.), him being home, him letting us in and us giving a lesson to him.  So we set off in faith and hope that we were doing the will of the Lord and that everything would work out. And it did.  And to top off the night, Yuri's mom was there from Russia and is also less active.  It was so cool and we just felt so blessed to see everything work out and to see the mom who actually was excited that we showed up.  God loves all of His children.  It was a very insightful experience and I'm grateful that God allowed me to experience that.    Anyways, I'm doing great.  Bug bites here and there and scabies shows up every once in a while but for the most part, my heath is great.  The seasons are changing and Its way weird to be in the place I was a year ago, everything is so familiar.  Same place just different branch.  Thanks for all the love and support that you all give me.  keep working hard and doing the little things that bring joy to you life. 

 

- Старейшина Руни

Learn, Teach, Serve....

Thanks Dad for you letter!  

 You get a personal one today, b/c Mom wanted a personal one so I thought it would be good if you got one too.  You, my friend, are one of the hardest workers that I know.  And b/c of you, I have become self dependant but not only that, I have become (and am ever striving to become) more are more efficient.   We had a member of the 70 come in May and his wife is one of the most knowledgeable people that I have ever spoken to when it comes to doctrine and gospel things. In the first chapter of 2nd peter (vs 3-8 I'm pretty sure) Its talks about the things that we need to learn and apply in order to have our calling an election made sure.  If you notice carefully they are the same principles talked about in D/C 4.  I had a question that concerned the definition of "Godliness", b/c if I remember correctly Godliness adds to brotherly kindness (in 2nd Peter).  So I asked her what that meant.  The answer she gave hit me really hard, She told me that cleanliness is close to Godliness.  Why? b/c when things are clean, they are in order.  And God works with order. He is perfectly organized and perfectly efficient. I am trying to become like my Father in Heaven one day , so I have to start somewhere.  Dad, you are an organized person and work very efficiently.  That is a sign of Godliness, now I am in no way comparing you to God, however what I am saying is that you are very organized which allows you to do many things in a small amount of time, which then (b/c you actually do them) leads to you being a hard worker.  And b/c of your example, I have completely changed my life when it comes to that aspect.   Thank you for you awesome example and all of patience with a "selective" worker haha  me!   I have learned and have applied this concept in my life and am trying to become efficient and its made such a huge difference in my life.  As I have told your wife, I am the exact same kid from when I left when it comes to personality, but know that I have a real testimony and a passionate love for learning and achieving, I will accomplish a ton of things with the God on my side, through out my life.  Thanks for everything that you do!  I look up to you more than you can imagine.  Keep working hard.  Read your scriptures everyday with a study journal!  develop a greater love for the doctrine of the kingdom, and then once you've learned something, TEACH.  In D/C 88 78-83 I think, its talks about teaching and learning, and it blows my mind how important teaching is.  Pretty much learn as much as you can so that you can be a better and more useful tool in the hands of God to teach others and help build their faith.  I have also seen my life change b/c of a love for the scriptures but you have to write your thoughts and impressions down to show God how you treasure the things He gives you.   I could go forever but, I know that you and mom are being blessed b/c of the love rendered  to the Zaidi boys.  They will never forget you help, and I will never for get your example.   I love you will all I have (which currently is about 7 dollars and a badly worn pair of shoes haha but nonetheless, its everything)!  have a great week!

- Sean

Small and Simple Things....

Typical Hallway in an Apartment Building

An overnight boarder

Results of an unwanted boarder.....

Hey Fam!

 I guess last weeks letter didn't go through, but this week is so much better!  Its sounds like home is a party! as it should be....thanks for the updates!  This week I learned so much.  Especially about being grateful and using grace (the Enabling Power of the Atonement).  I know that If I am trying my best, God will handle everything else.   One way I use grace in my life has to do with waking up...every stinkin morning when I am SO BEAT!  And this is how its goes, I honestly try to everything in my power to be obedient...why? B/c when you are obedient, you are showing God that you are doing everything in your power to do the things He asks. Why is this important?  B/c when you do what God says, he is BOUND.  So when I give an accounting of my day at night before I fall asleep, I make sure to mention that I have done my best to do the things that I know I am supposed to do, then I freely tell Him that I hate getting up early in the morning :) b/c its soooooo hard for me (especially when I have a comp who has a sleeping disorder and can't get up unless I try and try and try to get him up)!  So what do I ask next?  I ask for strength and energy in the morning when I wake up so that I can be efficient and happy.  Then when the glorious alarm goes off, I make sure to remind my Father in Heaven of the need for grace in my life...then I act.  I move and get up, wake my comp up and reset the alarm for when he doesn't get up, clean the kitchen, then I get in my shirt and tie (b/c we have to be out on the streets at 7am everyday), wake my comp up again, reset the alarm, get my comp in the shower, make his bed, get his clothes ready for him..etc.  I do this to show God that I am worthy for the energy and strength that I pleaded for the night before.  And what happens?  God fulfills his side of the bargain.  I end up in the Best mood, ready to take on yet another day.  The Enabling power of the Atonement can be used in everything, even small things like getting up on time.  I know this b/c I have applied this lesson in my life and God has NEVER once let me down.  He loves me.  The thrill of God is mercy.  God is just waiting for any excuse to throw miracles at us and to bless us with tender mercies ( and I think he jumps the gun sometimes experiences that I'm sure I didn't deserve...but then again God has perfect temperance, or self control, that that probably is super unlikely to happen...God doesn't make mistakes).  I know that God knows me perfectly b/c I've seen time and time again tender mercies that have been so perfectly tailored to me that only I can recognize them as such.  I challenge to take this concept and use it in your lives.  When you do what God says he is "Bound", that's not a joke but the thing is, He is so willing to give that 

you will see the Heavens open up blessings that you have never imagined.  I know that God loves all of us and I know that we can bound him as we follow the counsel of His prophets today.  One of the things we have been counseled to do is to READ from the scriptures.  "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass", that doesn't mean just good things.  I want you all to realize that Satan is very real.  He If compared to a color would be the lightest shade of gray ( I think I've said this before, but its important to know!), Christ is pure white, and no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God.  Don't let Satan "pacify you and lull you down to hell" b/c it is "by very small means that God brings about the salvation of many souls" and there is opposition in all things, therefore you could say that by very small means Satan destroys families..."its not that bad"..."one SMALL time won't hurt".  I know that if we do the small and simple things everyday, great things will happen. We all need spiritual nourishment everyday.  "Spirituality is our true aim" (David O McKay) and spirituality is the ability to recognize and ACT on truth.  Soooo lets help each other stop living below our privileges and do the small and simple things so that we can use the enabling power of the Atonement to bless and guide our lives.  I love you all!!

 Keep working hard!

Sean

PS I met an Elder Stoker who said he's used my surf board and Hugged my mother more recently than I have...small world





Teaching in English!!

HI FAMILY!!

  Sorry I'm a day late today...we were way busy yesterday and couldn't get everything in.  But it sounds like there was a PARTY in Utah! That's what I like to hear.  My family is the best ever. Its crazy to see how much everything has changed.  And what the BEARDS Nate and Kurt?!!  Its game on when I get home...Rob's teeth look so great and everyone just looks happy which is all that matters to me!  Well we actually just got back from a lesson that technically doesn't "count" b/c we didn't start and end with a prayer but it was AWESOME!  We met this man named Richard and he's from Miami and has lived here for 5 years now and he works for this lady who has a private English school.  Well he invited us to go and so we went and met some awesome people.  But today he wasn't there so we were the highlight of the class.  There is a man who is a 7th day Adventist pastor and is way interested in what we believe in and he is just sooooo humble.  He started asking a ton of questions that lead into the plan of Salvation and other Gospel topics and it was so cool b/c the teacher slash owner of the school was there and since its a private organization, we were aloud to expound a bit on what we believe.  The teacher, Maria, started asking a ton of questions as well and the spirit was there and its was rad to see light enter into the hearts of these people.  Tomorrow we will have a lesson with The pastor, Vitally, and his wife in our mission office where we will give the message of the restoration and watch these people change their lives.  The elect will hear the word and these people and the ones asking questions.  They were so stoked after our lesson/visit that they invited us back anytime  we wanted.  Maria was asking us some awesome questions and we didn't have time to answer some of them so we wrote them down and we will answer them on Thursday when we will go back share with them what American brownies are [ :) ] and how we can live with our families forever.  I'm so stoked!!  It was so nice to be able to teach in my native tongue where I knew EXACTLY how to say anything I wanted.  So we're looking forward to tomorrow when we can share with these people the plan of happiness!! I'm PUMPED.  This gospel is SO true.  I love studying the scriptures and the getting the insights that God tenderly blesses me with.  My comp and I have gotten so close and we have been so blessed to be able to help each other through thick and thin.  I have gained a testimony about service in relationships this past week.  I have truly seen how, as Mike Rooney said" the key to having a successful relationship is when each person puts in 115% ".  Communication is so crucial with any relationship.  Anyways, missionary work here is awesome and service truly is the best and easiest way to live a more than happy life.  I love this opportunity to work on my own character and finding out what kind of person I am and who I want to become.  To end, I have learned that just as in the parable of the talents, we must look for the things that we are good at (talents) and USE them!  and focus on them to build them more and more so that when our Savior takes an inventory of our works, he can then add to our talents, but we must focus first with what we have...THEN we will have more added unto us.  This principle has helped me overcome my weaknesses in so many ways which is so cool to see b/c when I focused on what I AM good at (spiritual gifts), I will do so much to get better and better and eventually realize that when I was working on my strengths my weaknesses became stronger as well, soon to become "weak things" made "strong".  SO COOL!

anyways, i love you all so much!

-Sean

PS  when you write about NATE, please signify which one,  being that there are now two of them! thanks :)

Be Specific!

FAMILY!!!

  Thanks Dad for the encouragement.  I have read that talk but It always good to review, b/c just as the people in the Book of Mormon, we FORGET.  That's why the sacrament is so important b/c it helps us to always Remember our Savior.  I learned a lot about the Atonement this past week and I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to use it.  This week was crazy.  We have been seeing non-stop miracles and its awesome.  One thing that I started to finally apply in my life is that fact that prayer is more powerful than I think.  We read in the scriptures constantly about how miracles are wrought by a prayer of faith and its totally true!  I can't believe i never prayed (or very rarely pray for) specific things that need to happen.  We look at the example that Elder Bednar gave about how Nephi when tied up with bands by his brothers didn't just pray to "be saved" or to be "delivered out of his situation", but instead prayed for the strength to break the bands.  That is such a key lesson that I needed to not only learn, but to actually apply.  B/c it makes sense that God gives that which is good to "whoever asketh in faith" for it. So I have started to develop a faith in praying more than I ever have in my life.  I know that if we want to see a miracle, we must pray in faith and then ACT in hope that God really will bless us with what was asked for, but it needs to be in accordance to God's will.  How can we know if its God's will or not?  Have the Holy Ghost lead your prayer and pray in faith.  We had a few experiences this past week that really strengthened my testimony  about  how God answers prayers (which in my opinion is a miracle).  On Saturday night, we had 40 min until we had to be home and we had tossed the idea around of going to try and visit a less active member who we have never met or talked to.  We knew where he lived...ish and it would take around 20 min to get there and the only way that we could go would be if we got there, got into the apt bldg (which is hard to do b/c you have to have a key, and if you don't have a key you have to wait for someone to come out and then generously let you in..which also doesn't happen all that much), then he would have to be home, AND he would have to let us in and talk with him so that we could be on a lesson so that we could have until 9:30 to come home and still be keeping the rules....So we went off on our journey to a place where we have tried to go once before and we didn't get all the way there...and it was night time.  But, before we left, we said a prayer.  And My companion specifically prayed that we could get there, find him, and speak with him.  Which would truly be a miracle judging on my past experiences with less active finding here.  So we took off and a bus came right away.  I didn't know which bus stop to get off at but i had a small map with me and I tried to get off at a place that would be remotely close (b/c my map i have is pretty inconsistent with distances between places)...and so we got off at a stop that looked good and started walking...we literally walked straight and the bldg was directly in front of the bus stop that we "randomly" chose.  When we got to the bldg we were let in with in minutes...now that moment of truth. Is this man even home? and if so, will he reject us or let us in?   Well, he was home and let us in...and its was so cool.  He was drinking and we got to know each other a little bit so that we could try and build some sort of relationship of trust so that we could come back sometime.  The lights in his eyes were gone. Only a sad lonely soul who doesn't know it right now, but is searching for an escape.  The very escape that only the gospel has to offer.  So we set up a return appt with him and took off.  God answers our prayers when we pray in faith and ACT with hope that our prayers will be answered.  Hope (according to PMG) is believing and expecting something to occur.  Its a gift of the spirit that all should strive to develop.  We had a very similar experience happen, this time I said the prayer but since we both were acting in faith and were believing and expecting our prayer to be answered, it was and we saw a miracle.  God answered EVERY part of our prayer.  Specific prayers truly do receive specific answers.  I am so grateful to have applied this lesson in my life b/c it will forever bless me so long as I act in faith to receive.  Something funny that had happened is that my comp has a sleeping disorder ...he can't fall asleep well, but when he does, he can't get up...especially if he (by the way i totally just won these Ukrainian cookies from a woman who works here and I just told her that i told her that i don't drink...and SHE TOOK THE COOKIES AWAY!!! anyways...I'm over her) forgets to take his meds...so Waking up in the morning is super hard for him and he says a ton of stuff but doesn't actually get up until he's in the shower.  He was REALLY fiesty yesterday and it was super funny b/c he doesn't remember any of it.  He hasn't sworn at me yet but he flipped me off twice now and says the funniest things that make absolutely no sense.  He's really mean in the morning and he doesn't even remember any of it.  So I have full permission to throw water at him in the morning if he's not getting up.  He's one of my favorite comps and so funny but in the morning...its worse than Dad when your friends are over too late and your making way too much noise....So every morning is an adventure just to get him out of bed...On Saturday, he got out of bed but sat back down in our kitchen with his eyes open but he was still unconscious, so i dressed him.  Literally haha I put his shirt on, one arm after the other, and I tied his tie  and put it around his neck.  All of this while he was falling over b/c he was still sleeping...sitting up.  Its been fun.   Anyways, I love you all. Pray for miracles and then act with hope, and they will come.  You just have to open your eyes to see them.  Have a great Week!!!!

-Sean