We have to do our best, and then the Savior will give us the power to accomplish the tasks at hand

hey Dad, so i had a good week. my new comp's name is Elder Erickson, and he is a boss! he is a great missionary and it is really nice to have a hard working comp. the sisters' area was shut down, so now our district is combined with the Liberty elders and sisters and my comp was made DL, because he has been out one transfer longer than me. so now we have the sisters' old car and we cover the whole ward, it is pretty huge. the area is shaped like a u. we used to cover half, but now we know the full, so i pretty much just got doubled in twice. i have to know the old boundaries and the new ones, so that has been fun. we also got a mini-missionary on Saturday morning, he will be with us til Saturday morning. it has been fun, he is a good kid and just graduated. he is going to start his own mission papers soon. we are still trying to work with Mrs. J. she is being a little hard to work with though, i think she does not like me at all--i think i offended her when i asked her to be baptized a few weeks ago. so yeah haha. i think she is trying to spite me or something--i don't know, all i can do is try my best to love her! her son B is awesome though haha. 

we pretty much spent the week using the car half the time to go meet the sisters' investigators, and then we biked the other half to see ours. we don't have a lot of miles to use on the car, so we still have to bike a lot. i am glad you liked the father's day card, i hope you had a nice father's day. that must have been fun to visit grandpa H. it is way cool you got out the row boat and went fishing! that is fun. hahaha but it's too bad you didn't catch any fish! i am glad that work went pretty well this week. 

what you said about true greatness is so true--we all want that perfection and greatness at something. we won't ever achieve perfection in this life, but we can achieve it in the next life eventually, with the help of the Savior. because of Him we have that opportunity to achieve that greatness we so desire. I know that because of the atonement and the Savior, we can accomplish everything. we have to do our best and then He will give us the power to accomplish the tasks at hand. thanks so much for all the support you give to me Dad! i love you Dad! have a great week and keep up the good work. talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek

hey Mom, so this was a good week. i wrote Dad about the investigators. i will tell you about transfers: so my comp's name is Elder Erickson, he is from West Jordan and is an awesome guy. he is 23 and an electrician. he has been out a year, so one transfer longer than me. that makes him DL. we took over the sisters' area because they got moved out. we got their car too, which is nice, although we can't really use it too much with the mileage limit. we still have to bike a ton. so we pretty much got doubled in again, that is twice in a row. hahaha the other half of the ward (the area the sisters had) is like another world! there are tons of Micronesians. they are great people and it is so fun to talk to them haha. i wrote pretty much all the other new stuff that has happened in Dad's email. 

we were able to see a bunch of grace this week. we found a few new investigators, but even Elder E says this is a tough area hahaha. we actually both served in Englewood, so we like to talk about that. he served there a few months before i did, just on the other side of the ward. i like having a bigger district now. one of my old STLs is in Liberty, so that is fun. one of the Liberty elders is one of my old ZLs so that is super fun too. we get along great. last p-day he roped me with his lariat. hahaha

those are funny pics of Brigham's hair haha. he is a cutie!  that must have been an awesome youth conference, it sounds like it went well. so i am guessing you enjoyed the Manti pageant, that must have been fun. did you go to the Palisades camp ground? that is fun one.  that is crazy that the B** brothers have already spoken together, seems like yesterday that Jake and i spoke! hahaha 

Mom, remember to go and record President Porter's talk for me please! that is such a cool story that Jeremy told in his mission talk. in this mission we have been promised we could all baptize in June. we are waiting for our miracle because right now it doesn't look like it will happen, but we are trying our very hardest and trying to exercise our faith. so keep praying for us! we will use that story, thanks so much for that Mom! that is awesome! well, that is mostly it for the week. i am hoping to send a package home this week, so if it comes don't scatter around all the stuff [Mom's note: worrying about his stuff being "scattered" is so Jared haha!] it should have some old planners in it, as well as the fitness watch.

i don't need anything sent with my strips, thanks Mom! i will watch for the package.

oh, Elder Hueman is in my district, so that is fun. i heard from one of the sisters who got doubled in to Englewood after i left that they are baptizing a few people i taught, so that was way nice to hear!

well, i have to go now Mom. thanks for emailing me. i love getting to email every week. thanks so much for all you do Mom! have a great week! i love you! talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek

When things get crazy, you need to settle in to the saddle

hey dad! so it was a good week, we worked really hard and we were able to have some success. we almost hit leadership goals, but i will get to why in a minute. so a few days ago, elder Bosworth started telling the Spanish elders about M and her parents, so they stopped by her house and decided to take over the teaching of her and her family. so we lost M, it is sad for us, although it will be better for their family. Ms. J is not really progressing at all, in fact she didn't even make it to church. i don't really know what to do with her anymore, she is a puzzle. the new family did not keep their appointment with us, so we will have to try to stop back by later on. so no one came to church, and that is why we did not hit our leadership goals. right now, we are going to have to totally turn around this area. 

tomorrow is transfers and elder Bosworth and all the rest of our district is leaving, so i am the lone ranger. i will most likely be the District Leader now, and no news if i am training or anything yet, so we will see. i am glad about the changes though, it wasn't always easy to get as much work as i would have liked to get done. 

i have really been studying in the Doctrine and Covenants recently, it is amazing. there is so much cool doctrines in there, and you just have to understand the Hebrew meanings a little to get it. i love that book. that is too bad about brother A, i love that guy. i hope he can recover soon. he has gone through a lot. in fact, i am sending home something from the air museum--you will have to show it to him. 

it sounds you had a really cool conference. it is true, you NEED to have a smile on your face, it is hard to have one sometimes, but it is worth it. 

thanks for all those updates on sports dad! they are great! that is crazy about that shooting in Orlando. thanks for that conf. thought, that is super good. that is definitely true, when things get crazy, you need to really "settle in to that saddle", i will definitely need to this transfer! having to help a new set of missionaries get doubled in and also try to turn around this area, we need to get some investigators working towards baptism. thanks for sharing that Daddio! 

it is good you got some grass planted, and rain? what is new hahaha! yep rain is something that we have to get rid of out here, we don't need it as much as you do hahaha. yep, i am staying hydrated in the heat and humidity--i drink SO MUCH water, like a gallon a day! i know that it be true as well, that this might be a tough transfer, but the Lord is going to be in control, and we will baptize in this area, i just have to do my best. thanks for emailing Dad, and all the gifts from my birthday! they were awesome! thanks Dad, so much! talk to you later! love you so much! have a great day and week!

-Elder Sedlacek

hey mom! it was a good week--i had a great birthday! we got lots of work done, and the package was awesome! i loved all of it! i did get my cake baked, it was a good cake and i shared it with our district and the Liberty district, and they all loved it. thanks so much! do you still have the receipt for that watch? i love it and all, i just can't connect it to a phone or anything, so i can't get all of the info to work accurately. 

the hardest part of the week was losing M to the spanish elders. i wrote about that in dad's email. and having no one come to church, that was tough too. the best part was having such an awesome day on my birthday, we got so much done, it was great! one tender mercy was a song sung in church yesterday, it hit me really hard just when i needed it, so my eyes were even watering hahaha! 

it was funny on my birthday, we had district meetings so the Zone Leaders came so we could exchange. so i took over the area with one of them. we found a bunch of people too, so that was awesome. anyway, they all gave me 19 birthday punches. hahahaha it was so funny. 

you will have to find something to do keep yourself busy hahaha. it is way cool you got to go to the temple this week. i can't wait to go to the temple again, it has been so long. that is good you got those plants started, that will be cool if they grow really well on the deck, and good the deer won't be able to eat them haha, here we don't have that problem at all. it will be way fun to go to the Manti pageant, that was one of the funnest outings we had with Bishop B. 

the pics are of our p-day activity last week, and some quail eggs i bought, and my birthday. 

thanks for all you do for me! oh yeah, transfer news! i am staying and elder Bosworth is leaving. in fact all the the other people in our district are leaving (just a set of sisters), so i will be taking over and helping them get doubled in, and most likely be the District Leader, so i have some work ahead of me! hahaha

Mom: I’m sorry the fit band won’t work for you….I wondered about that but decided to send it anyway because it was such a good deal. Can you mail it back? I’ll have Dad use it because I’m sure he can connect it to his phone. I’ll find you another band or pedometer you can use without a phone. Sorry about that!

I didn’t even realize it was transfers already!  That went fast! It does sound like you get to be DL now. I’m really excited for you. I’m sure you will do great! You’ve had lots of ideas for the area that you can put into practice now. I’ll pray that you are getting a great new comp. 

What song was it?

Elder Sedlacek: that is okay, yep i will send it home. i am sending home a package, hopefully today, don't worry about sending another watch, i think i found one that will work for like half off. i will see if it is still there. thanks for it though, it is really nice! i do have a pedometer already, so don't worry about it. thanks for the prayers. i cannot remember what song it was, i forgot haha.

Mom: Well, if that watch you found is still there, let me know how much it is.

I was curious about the song because Elder Baxter played a video for us of the Tabernacle choir singing “Does the Journey Seem Long?” and it was so great.  

Elder Sedlacek: okay, we will check today. that must have been a good song, that probably really hit home for you, that is good.

Mom: How are your strips? I just got a call that your next refill is ready to be picked up. Also, I’m getting calls from the pump supplies place, saying it’s time to reorder. Have you had another A1C? I just got another driving medical form for Dr. Lindsay to sign.

Elder Sedlacek: i did get my a1c, it was a 7.9 :( i tried my best, but it was hard to adjust with all the biking. it is doing good again though. go ahead and send the pump supplies and wait at least another week for the strips, or if it is easier to send them both go ahead, thanks mom!

well thanks for emailing me! it was great to hear from you! I love you mom! have a great week! talk to you later! 

-Elder Sedlacek 

The ability to choose is a huge blessing

hey dad, so it has been a good week. we did see some cool miracles. we had one day that was super hard--everything, everything, fell through! it was tough. the next day we went out to contact a referral, who was not home, so we 225'd the place and we knocked on a lady's door. she immediately said "oh, i have a church already" but we offered to share a message with her and she said no. so we gave her a card and then walked away. as we were walking away the door opened back up and she came out and told us to come back on another day! we were just like, "woah, that was sudden!" haha it was super cool. 

thanks for your prayers, they have definitely helped. all of our investigators made it to church yesterday, even M's son who does not like church. that was super cool. we almost got the meeting with President Porter--he was ready to come out and then one hour before, Ms J cancelled on us, it was discouraging. 

thanks for the advice dad, we will change that so we try to help people see what they can do for the church. that sounds like you had fun watching the baby! hahaha and you enjoyed your new kayak, that must have been pretty fun. that is too bad with the Utes losing, darn. that is so crazy that Sam and Jeremy are both home now, that is insane! hahaha i bet they enjoyed having a "companion" so they could feel some what "normal" hahaha i am glad mom got her answer for the surgery, it will all go well. that is super funny about you and Craig having grand babies at the same time, almost the same age! you two are pretty much brothers! hahaha. 

i like that talk from president monson. one of my companions believed in a set destiny, so you are already going where you are going no matter what. but that is not true, you have the ability to choose because of the Savior, he may know us perfectly but he still allows us to choose because he loves us. the ability to choose is a huge blessing, you can learn so much and learn a lot about Heavenly Father. the plan of salvation is the best. thanks for all your support, I love you dad! keep up the good work, grandpa dad! talk to you later! have a great week!

-Elder Sedlacek

hey mom, so this was a good week. we worked really hard. we didn't see as much success from it as we would have liked, but that will come soon enough. i wrote about church in dad's email. we did not get to meet with M this week because no members were available to come with us, so we didn't have a third male. our plan is to meet with her this week and we will be giving her a baptism date. 

i can't believe i am almost 19 either, you and me both. it is weird to think. i wrote about a miracle that happened this week in dad's email. it was super grace. my favorite person we talked to was the former member we are teaching, brother R. he is a cool guy. i have seen the prayers helping, thanks so much! 

that is good the girls are out of school now, i am sure that they are happy about that. that is super cool that you got your answer about the knee surgery, the Lord will take care of everything. see, you will always, if you go in the right mind set, get an answer that you need in sacrament meeting. it is the most important ordinance we do in the church--the only one we do for ourselves, over and over and over. 

i am sure you have loved being with the baby and Nicole, i bet that is fun, i hope you enjoy your drive today. that will be cool to have GAs at stake conference, that is awesome! it is super crazy that Sam and Jeremy are home now, that is weird! and super cool that Seth got his call. 

well, this week is already going great, we went to get our groceries and we were walking back with them and some random return missionary pulls up in a HUGE F350 with lift and everything. he let us in and gave us a ride to our apartment, so that was super grace as well, because we were already running late. the Lord is like, happy birthday Elder Sedlacek! hahaha

enjoy the pic of this country! sorry, i forgot to take a lot of pics this week. hahaha that is pretty much what most of my area is like, it is beautiful! and yes, that is how most of the roads are as well. hahaha

so how are you doing?

Mom: I am doing great! We are at Brig's two week check up, waiting for his turn. He's so cute!!

Elder Sed: that is good, he is looking pretty healthy!

Mom: Yep, he's doing great. 

What are you doing for p-day? 

Elder Sed: we have a zone p-day today, so we will be going to Hamilton to do something that supposedly costs only $5 bucks to do, so it should be good hahaha and guess what? i am enjoying a salad hahaha, they are pretty nice to eat, those salads. hahaha who would a thought?

well, i have to go now mom, thanks for emailing me, thanks for the birthday wishes and everything else! i love you guys so much, have a great week and day! love you! talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek