Baptism!

May 15th Emails

hey Dad! it has been another good week. it was really nice to Skype yesterday, it really helps to keep me going and refreshes the missionary spirit. it is nice to be able to do that. we should be able to have another baptism in this area for sure, i would not be surprised. we just need to find those who are ready. 

so with the teaching pool, i told you about B yesterday, and we should have a baptism date pretty soon, but i really want to see some more progression before we make that actually happen. i want to see some more commitment, but i guess we will just have to follow the Spirit. he did not make it to church, cause he had trouble getting a hold of his ride. his phone was out of minutes, and so he was not ready when the ride came. J wrote us a little piece about his beliefs about what we are teaching, and i am afraid he is going about it in a secular way, just wanting to learn about Mormons for the sake of knowing about it. not sure where to go there, we will see how his reading has been going. D is taking a break for a while until after she has her baby, so hopefully she will recover quickly and we will begin teaching again. 

we also had to drop a few people, so you said it right, gotta build back up that teaching pool again (as always *sigh* hahaha). we should be able to find some people with C's help, although he is joining the army soon, so he doesn't plan on sticking around for long. we will have to pound the new member lessons with him, and really build the testimony that he already has. the baptism and the confirmation went really well, very Spirit-filled, at least for me. he seemed to really enjoy it all. 

sounds like you had good Sunday lessons too. we talked about prophets in gospel principles and the teacher used a really cool example for the lesson that gave me a new perspective on the need for a prophet. we did have a good dinner, Mexican food, which is my new most favorite type of food, it was awesome! 

speaking of stuff coming into your stock levels, are they making any new white handbooks or planners lately? there are rumors......just curious. that's too bad the Jazz lost, that sucks. hahaha there are some sports not meant to be watched in my opinion, just played hahaha--like golf. if you can call golf a sport, it's a game hahaha. 

one of the goals i actually set for after i come home, is to go to the temple once a week, i don't want to under-appreciate it ever again. the temple is so nice, you feel so at peace, and there is no better place to go and to learn from the Lord. i am excited to be able to go again in a few months when i leave, can't go any sooner than that unfortunately. i have been putting pictures of temples on my planners for a few months now, i love looking at the beauty of the temples. we are so privileged to have one right in front of our house! we sure are blessed. 

i was thinking about all the funny Indiana sayings after the call yesterday, hahaha i guess my mind blanked cause there are a lot more, guess you will have to wait :). thank you very much for the wonderful example you are to me! i love you Dad! have a great week! talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek

hey Mom, it was an awesome week. we had fun leading up to C's baptism and then actually getting to perform my first baptism was awesome, despite the fact i am now the laughing stock of the whole YSA  {Mom's note: basically C didn't bend his knees going down, and Elder Sed lost hold of him and C's head hit the side of the font. Ouch!} and those in the zone. it's all good though. 

it will be fun to have a new companion, something else i need to learn from someone. companions suck at times {hahaha!}, but they teach you so much. i really have loved all my comps. May is flying by, it's crazy to see the time fly by. 

i should be good on pump supplies for a bit, but i will need strips soon, i think. i guess my hardest day was probably Tuesday, it was just a weird day, and nothing was going on, so we were trying to figure out what to do, and then everything kinda fell through anyway. those days are always tough, i just want to be teaching and feeling effective. the best day was probably Friday, and part of Saturday. we had the baptism, and Saturday would have been better, but we had to fill the font, and that took all afternoon, so that got a little boring, because i wanted to be out working. it was a nice break though i guess. but that is the thing--if i take a break, i feel like i am sinning, so breaks are harder than working! hahaha

i will have to think about the birthmark package hahaha. not really sure what to ask for, because i don't want to have to pack anything extra around.  so i will think about it. i will need some new clothes when i get home, so maybe just save it for that, i don't know. 

that's awesome Mia did so well with her solo! she sounds a heck of a lot older than the last time we Skyped! as in, her voice has changed dramatically. oh, the MJH band though. Mr. King was a funny guy. that's good they did well. sounds like you all have fun stuff going on. 

Dad going to girls' camp? he is always surrounded by women, so why not spend a week with 20-30 more? hahaha. poor Dad! hahahahaha. 

that was really nice to see Brig walk around! he is a pretty cute little guy. sounds like you had a good lesson in your class. i love teaching with questions. it's like being bold, but not bold. cause the spirit is who really teaches when you ask thought-provoking questions. i wish it were easier to teach Hoosiers with questions. if you ask too many, they take it and run with it, like Sage when she would get out and just go! hahaha they love to talk about anything and everything! 

the best way to grow your testimony is to share it. that is why sharing the gospel is a commandment. it will grow your knowledge, understanding (understanding comes through study and then experience or the Spirit teaching you) and a stronger testimony. commandments are only given to make us better. i know that is true. just like the commandment to read your scriptures. God has given us his gospel in the form of a book. that book can teach the wise and the unlearned. they are meant to bring us closer to Christ, as we read prophecies about his life, ministry, and the wonderful things he has done for us. when we learn those things, and study them often, the Spirit is able to teach us and to give us divine guidance for our lives. i definitely saw that this week as on one of the days, i did not have much time to study that day, so i did some Book of Mormon reading. fast forward later on through that day, and we met someone who had some questions surrounding exactly the points that i had picked out of my reading that morning. it was a real testimony booster to me about studying and learning from the spirit. it will always prepare us and strengthen us. i am so grateful for the gift of the scriptures. i have really deepened my love for them recently, and i am excited to keep on studying and learning the gospel, even after my mission. 

something else i learned this week: a testimony is truth that we know, combined and coupled with life experiences that turn that into heart knowledge. and the best way to invite the spirit, is to share it. 

well, i have to go now Mom, thanks for emailing me! i love you guys so much! have a great week! talk to you next week!

-Elder Sedlacek

P.S. pray for me running the area--it's the first time i have run this one, and i don't know the layout all that well since i haven't done any of the driving here. 

A double header

May 8th Emails

hey Dad! it was a good week! C is doing great, and he is getting baptized on Saturday! he is having his baptism interview on Tuesday morning. he was not able to make it to church yesterday however, because he was called into work. so we will have a busy week--very morning this week we will have a lot to do with C to prep him hahaha. that is nice since mornings are usually pretty slow. we had one of our new investigators, B, show up to church with a member who got along really great with him. that was awesome. he had a great time and seemed to enjoy it. 

yesterday was a special Sunday too, cause we had Fast Sunday last week since this week we were having a regional broadcast covering from Indiana to Nova Scotia with Elder Oaks and Elder Gong (who is the area Seventy). it was really good, and they had a bunch to say about how to use the missionaries more effectively. it was good. 

we were also able to find a new guy named D who was referred to us by a member. he has some really solid potential. we had taught the restoration and that went super well. we are also gonna start working with that member's boyfriend, who comes with her to church every week, but has not been baptized. hopefully we can start changing that. 

we are working with a bunch of potential Elders lists to help us find some part-member families, so hopefully that will bring some results. the ward will help us, we just have to really try to get them to do it haha. 

oh yeah, the guy who showed up at church a few weeks ago, the brother of a recent convert, is getting baptized with C, it was super awesome to watch that happen. he knew instantly this is what he has been searching for, and now he is a doing really well. so we will have a double-header on Saturday if all goes right. 

sounds like you're having fun at work with all the mess from the orders. hahaha, does it ever end? probably seems that way sometimes, but hey, when it comes to covenants, the opposition will come i guess. i am glad Indiana does not have sprinklers, otherwise i would probably have been asked a billion times by now to help dig some up. hopefully you get them all running quickly.  well, the Jazz will always choke when it comes down to it, happens every year haha.  that's a super cool story about Karl Malone. those random acts of kindness really do help so much to bring people closer to the Savior, maybe not that one directly, but i find that in missionary work and reactivation, those random acts and friendships are everything.  

the scripture in the Book of Mormon that talks about how when the children of God were baptized and had their names recorded, they were commanded to "meet together oft" and to fast, pray and worship together. i find that especially important. i love church cause of how we get to listen to each others' thoughts and takes on different things in the gospel. it helps us all to learn and to be edified. when you have someone coming with friends, even if it is just for friends, most of the time they will start to feel the Spirit working in their lives and it will help them to grow a testimony of the restored gospel. i really like those chapters in Mosiah, and the first several in Alma, because they teach us so much how to be a true disciple of Christ in inviting others to see for themselves the blessings that the gospel brings. i am so grateful to be a missionary, you have to put up with a lot, but i know it is all a blessing that will help us grow as we share the gospel with others to help them grow as well. 

thank you dad for emailing! love yah! see you on Sunday :) have a great week!

Elder Sedlacek

hey Mom! it was a good week. it did go by fast, they just keep getting faster too haha! i got to go on another exchange to Elwood this past week with Elder Blanchard from Idaho. that was a good day. we had some dinner with an investigator couple; they fed us some dank ribs and chops, it was awesome. then they told us after dinner how they felt about how his father had died, and that man's wife was there too. they were very upset, because it happened just a year ago. as we listened to the thoughts and feelings being shared by this couple and the man's wife, thoughts of the Savior started coming to mind about how much he loves each of us and how families can be eternal through Heavenly Father's plan, and through the Savior's atonement. then something cool happened--so i am awful at remembering scripture references, i remember the words, but not good enough to recite them--but i had scriptures just start flowing into my mind, and i recited a few perfectly, and then explained them. it was really cool. the Spirit was super strong as we shared about Christ and the plan of redemption. it was an awesome experience. 

that was probably the best day of my week. it rained a lot and it was pretty gloomy the next few days, and it can make me feel sad sometimes when we don't have sun for three days strait. we were working with a poorer part of town most of those days. those days like that are always the harder days, for me at least, but one thing i had come to mind, that i learned about is how Christ spent his days with the "poorer parts of town." he loved them perfectly, and was devoted to helping them feel peace and assurance. he taught them and spent time with them, just because he loved them, and then i got chastened a bit i guess you could say. Because in order to be a true disciple, it doesn't matter what situation i am in or how uncomfortable i feel, God's children need help to find the truth. so i will be praying for more charity now hahaha. 

as of right now, i won't need any pump supplies for a while, i have a bunch right now and i think i will try to use it all up, it may even last so i won't need a whole shipment before i go home. 

as of right now, i am not sure when we will Skype on Sunday, but it will probably be in the afternoon time before 6 out here, so around 4 your time. i will try to have a member text you or something. that is cool you're almost getting done with school stuff, it will probably be nice to get a "break." i say that, but the girls will be home, so that will be "fun" hahaha. that is crazy the school year is almost at an end. 

i had been reading in the Bible Dictionary a few days ago about prayer, part of what it says is that prayer is not forcing our will on God, but rather to secure blessings the Lord sees fit to bless us with, for things we need help with. Heavenly Father does truly love us so much. he wants us to have all his blessings, but we do have choices, so sometimes we miss out on those blessings. any time he can bless us, according to our efforts to follow him, he will. we are so blessed just to have the gospel.  it's a major blessing to share it, i am so grateful for that.

well, i have to go now Madre, thank you for being such a support! and for all your prayers! have a great week! i look forward to getting to talk on Sunday! love you all so much! 

-Elder Sedlacek

Marriage is like rubbing two stones together to knock off the rough parts. Same story on a mission--it's life training!

Not sure what this is! 

Broke yet another gripper. 

Mountain biking for p-day! 

May 1st Emails

hey Dad! it's been another good week. can't believe it's already May though. C came to church yesterday, he is still working on his probation, so hopefully he gets that done really soon. we found a bunch of new people this week, which was good. we pretty much dropped J, and a few other people who are just not ready right now. 

yesterday especially was a great finding day, despite the hurricane force rain hahaha. it came in waves ;) we met a really cool guy named J. as we were walking up to his door, it was dumping, and i was like "yes! he will invite us in" (cause he did not have much of a porch). then second thoughts of doubt, like "nah, he won't," but he did! we taught him the restoration and it went really well. we also met a guy who is coming out of being homeless, and wants to meet with us mostly cause he has a huge crush on a younger woman in the ward hahaha. 

we met a guy named O, and man, he came to the door for the first lesson, and he looked just like Hancock! if you don't know who that is, look up a pic on Google. it was pretty awesome. he has some good promise as well, because he is trying to turn his life around. C is doing well, but it is worrying me because he doesn't have a solid fellow-shipper. i fasted for a good fellow-shipper to come along, but not really many people are reaching out. i want to take the focus off of us so badly. 

sounds like you had  a good week between the gym and the floors haha. that is good you're getting some exercise. i got my share today, ran 5 miles, and then went mountain biking an hour later, it was great! i caught some really good air a few times haha. it's not real "mountains" of course, but the hills make some good whoops and stuff. it has rained a lot here too, it's back to the monsoon-type crap ;). that is super cool about the Jazz winning round 1! that is so funny that Brig likes chocolate milk so much, he sounds like a funny little guy. 

that is so cool that Adam got his call, you will have to tell him congrats for me. speaking ASL would be pretty cool! that is so true about the comfort in the growth zone. i have seen that especially true over the course of my mission. Heavenly Father loves us, and wants us to grow, and have big spiritual muscles. each area and companion i have served with, i know is for a reason, if nothing else to help me change in certain ways. each one has had specific challenges and has made me have to recognize my weaknesses and then i can work on that particular thing, and do my very best to accomplish the purpose i have there. it makes a mission more fun when you recognize that the hard parts are for something specific Heavenly Father wants to add or remove from us. 

a wise hick once told me that marriage is like rubbing two rough stones together to knock off the rough parts. same story here on a mission. it's life training! hahaha. i also like the goals and planning, that was part of the personal revelation i received last week. i will send a pic of my planner hahaha. Pres. Welch helped to hammer this in to me. if you don't understand where you want to go, and you don't have a goal of when or how you want to get there, and plan to back it up, you won't get there. setting goals with God, is the best way to accomplish something, and then you come up with a plan and trust that God will direct your path or help you change your plan, he will help you achieve any righteous goal. i know that is true, i am still on track for my mission baptism goal, and there is not much that i have done to really make that happen, i just set the goal that God wanted me to set, and i try my best. i know this gospel is here to bless our lives, and if we live by its precepts, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. thanks for emailing me Dad, i love you! have a great week! talk later!

Elder Sedlacek

hey Mom! it has been a good week. yep, we have had some crazy rain, like hurricane force rain hahaha just without the wind, but hey, that's Indiana in the Spring! that's crazy about the hail around Bro. P's house. i did notice some leaves all over the running trail this morning, so i bet we got some last night, but i didn't see it.  

that would be super fun to have Jeff & Nicole come see me before i head home. i would just contact the mission office, i am sure they would love to set that up. that would be awesome. who knows, maybe i will get down to Bellbrook for my last area? that would be cool. 

we had a good week, we did find a few new people, mostly a bunch of crazy Hoosiers! hahaha. a few have some promise, like J, who has a small family. that would be cool to teach them. we also found a lady named B, she is a pretty cool lady, she is older, late 50's (and i just realized i called you both old hahahaha, whoops! just kidding, you're not old). she is showing some good promise, we have another appointment with her tonight. 

i know i always write about the area stuff to Dad, but your emails are always my favorite hahaha. don't tell Dad. ;) 

i definitely had a tender mercy, as a few prayers of mine were answered in a very nice personal way. my favorite person was probably the guy who looked like Hancock, he was a pretty cool guy! one challenge was a few days when we just ran out of things to do, so we just did out best to come up with something. that is where you really have to rely on the Spirit to guide you, but often times you are the one to act first, then the Spirit will tell you if what you're doing is right and the best thing you could be doing or not. 

that is funny about Brig and Grandpa's chocolate milk and the walking! i bet that is fun to see him doing that. he sounds like a funny little kid. that is cool about the Williams' and Adam's mission calls. if Adam still looks young like me, then yep, he should expect a lot of crap from people hahaha. you get used to it though, i usually don't care anymore. one guy made fun of me for "looking like Little House on the Prairie"--what the crap does that mean?! hahaha but hey, you just learn to forgive and forget i guess. 

it's so true, the gospel is really just learning how to be like our greatest example. the gospel teaches us how to be like the Savior. the commandments and the rules and laws we live by, are not just to help us be good people, they are helping us be more Christ-like. the blessings come after we have put the effort in to following him, they are gifts for doing what's right. we don't necessarily earn them, but we are qualifying for them. there are so many blessings that the Lord can bestow upon us, and so much joy we will feel if we just choose to follow his example. i know that Christ is the only means of salvation and true lasting happiness in this life, and serving a mission is a huge blessing that has helped to teach me that. i know this gospel is the way, and i am so grateful for it.

alright, well got to go now, thanks Mom! you're the best! have a wonderfully awesome week! talk to you next week!

-Elder Sedlacek

The Book of Mormon really does change anyone

April 24th, 2017 Emails

hey Dad, it has been a good week. we did find one more person to teach, as well as a few people we set up appointments with. the guy we found, L, is the owner of the orange truck that i sent a pic in front of last week. he is a pretty funny guy, and you can tell by the truck hahaha. 

we had such a great church meeting yesterday for all three of them, it was awesome. first we had C show up, as well as I and J, two returning members we have been working with. then the Sisters' recent convert brought her brother in law, who just got out of jail. the whole time he was very emotional and kept saying "he found the right place". it was so cool to see, he was explaining how he was feeling the spirit as we taught gospel principles. then after elders quorum, K totally opened up to him, and just straight up was teaching him better than we could have, it was so cool. K has been in the church for a year now. 

we have been kinda concerned for C, not having a solid fellow-shipper, but we helped him get set up to go help with a youth activity. they are doing archery, and he will help them. then a few members just started talking to him after church, and the dinner appointment we had invited him too, and he biked over, he would not accept a ride. he is super solid, but just has to finish his probation, that's the only stipulation. 

we worked hard all week! we are working some lists right now, and Pres. Welch gave us some new direction for a YSA program they are setting up mission-wide, so we have started working potential Elders lists. 

that will be good to have your old position taken care of, take some off your load ha. the floor looks so good, you did a tremendous job! that would have been fun to help with haha. that is funny about the gym, cool you won all that stuff. today we ran another 5.3 miles, i am starting to really like running haha. 

it sounds like you had a similar sacrament meeting to us, we also had a bunch of talks about the Book of Mormon. the spirit really came and was a lot stronger than usual. we had some really good speakers. I love having the gift of the Book of Mormon, it really does change anyone. one quote i really like out of Preach My Gospel, can't remember who it's by right now, but it says, "the study of doctrines will do more to improve our behavior, than the study of behavior will improve behavior." i really do find that true, and it's so cool to see it work in others' lives. 

i had some really cool thoughts come to me about the purpose of life, and then being anxiously engaged in a good cause, haha see if you can point out the scriptures that came to mind haha. and then a diagram came to mind, that i was feverishly drawing in my planner hahaha, it was cool. that is cool the jazz are still going, hopefully they did well. i have been studying a bunch about gaining knowledge lately. i really like the Book of Enos as well. (partly because he is hunting hahaha). 

missionaries are called to turn people to God, and shine some light, so they too can turn to God with us, and gain knowledge for themselves. if a missionary can do that, we have taught them successfully. the ordinances and covenants will follow, as well as greater light and knowledge. I love pointing people to the temple, it truly is the Lord's university. i know this gospel is true, and i am so grateful for the Savior, and that he helps us become better, as we allow him to. i know we have a living prophet, we can trust his words are God's words, because he speaks for God. i am grateful for his guidance. thanks for emailing me Dad! have a great week, love you! talk with ya later!

-Elder Sedlacek

hey Mom! it's been a good week, as usual haha. the weeks absolutely fly by, it's crazier as time goes.   sounds like you have had some good weather, it is pretty good here, not too muggy yet hahaha. it smells so good outside, and man it is green. the trees are fully covered with leaves. i did get the package, thank you so much! it's a big help. 

it will be crazy to have Jeff, Nicole & Brig within a few hours of me, unless i get exiled hahaha! President does know they are coming. Brig gets to experience Ahia! haha. 

Zone conf was really good as usual, it was in Fort Wayne, so it was a long drive, but it was worth it. plus i got to see parts of the mission i might not see again. 

one cool story, so we were driving around, and there is a less active we have been trying to contact for a minute now, but she is elusive. she has a really cool jeep with all the bells and whistles, so we drove past a Kroger's and she was parked out front, eating some food. so i was like hey! so we turned around and talked for a min, and it turns out her mother was in the hospital in Las Vegas, and she needed a blessing. so we helped her contact the Bishop of the ward the hospital was in. it was cool to see that happen, i normally would not even have noticed it was her Jeep, cause she had taken one of the racks off of it. 

prayers were definitely answered with people fellow-shipping C, that was awesome! i am really excited for him, he is doing really well. that is cool you are getting all your work done, i bet that is nice. the floors look so nice, and all the rugs look really good too, same with the truck ;) haha. it does look a lot better, i am sure that raises the value quite a bit to the house. 

that sounds like a good church meeting. it is so true in missionary work, and in any situation, service to others is an excellent way to gain charity for others. i could probably do more stuff like Elder V, and that is a good reminder. i am grateful for all the comps i have had--we may not all be best friends, and that's fine, but they are all great guys, and have taught me so much. i love being able to be an instrument in the Lord's hands, to teach others, it's such a fulfilling feeling. when we give our hearts to God, he can do remarkable things with us. i think that is the best thing about a mission, seeing your talents, gifts and experiences lifting others, all because Christ knows where to send us at the right time and place, if we listen. i love this gospel so much and i am so grateful for it.  

well i got to go now, thanks for emailing! love ya! have a great day! talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek

We help others become better, and bam! you yourself become better automatically

hey Dad! it's been a great week! we had a great Easter, and the highlight was that we had C at church again. we had a really powerful lesson about the plan of salvation with him, and then we put him on date for May 13th. there is a catch to that though, he has some things he has to get in order to be considered officially on date, but he has accepted it. we are so excited for him! he told us how much he loves the Book of Mormon.  he is already in 2 Nephi and says the questions we don't answer for him, are answered in his reading.

we had an interesting lesson with J the other day. we went in planning on giving a commitment lesson, but as soon as we sat down, he had the Book of Mormon open and was roaring to read with us. we tried to use the chapter he was opened to in our favor for the questions we had for him, and he took it and ran with it, and totally told us for about a half hour how much we mean to him and his conversion. the whole time i was like,"that is nice, but i would rather have him pointed towards the Savior." my goal is to have all my investigators converted to Christ and his gospel, not to the missionaries. it was totally unintentional and so now we have got to fix it, and help him see our purpose, and get him coming to church. hahaha it was really nice what he said to us though at least haha. Jk has sorta lost interest right now. D is doing well, we have been trying to meet with her again, but she is having her baby soon and busy with that. and the young kid, L, he is 10, we are teaching him, and he is getting permission to be baptized by his stepdad and then we will be able to have him get baptized as soon as we finish all the lessons. he is getting really excited though hahaha.

something really good happened to me as well this week, so i have been trying to improve my studies for a few weeks now, and i have been praying a lot about how i could do it. i had an idea come to mind, of something i could do to help me get more out of my studies. it seems like the adversary tries to distract me so much hahaha, and so i get lost in my reading a lot, but that was no longer a problem anymore. i have felt the Spirit so much more in my studies lately, and i have had some really cool insights come to me all week. i have been studying King Benjamin's address, and now those are some of my favorite chapters. i was able to learn so much about the Savior this week.  i absolutely know the Savior better than i did last week, i am so grateful for answers to prayers.

hahaha that is funny about demand for The Living Christ document, i have been studying that as well, i guess a lot of people have hahaha! hopefully you get the stock back in order soon haha.

the floors look really great from the pics Mom sent, good job! hahaha spring air smells so great. we ran 5 miles today, it was so nice to be able to get a great workout, it has been a minute since i have felt this good hahaha the trees were really nice to see all the colors along the trail. hopefully you get the mower out running again. that is funny you got the MLB app, everyone i have talked to that has mentioned sports lately has strait ripped on baseball and how it's so boring to watch. Hoosiers just like basketball! haha

thanks for the General Conference thought, i definitely know that is true. there is no feeling that compares to coming to know the Savior better and feeling the spirit. i have absolutely had the best few months of my mission lately (progression wise) and my testimony has grown so much, and i know that is where true joy and happiness comes from. i am so grateful to share it with others. thanks for the example you set for me Dad. love yah, have a great week!

-Elder Sedlacek

hey Mom! it has been a great week. it is always so nice to share about the Savior around the times of these holidays. it really strengthens my testimony. i did get my Easter package, thank you so much! i will have you know that my self control went out the window hahaha and i had all the candy finished this morning hahaha. i used to be so good with that! i really enjoyed it, and it was cool cause normally if they send a package it gets kept in the clubhouse till i pick it up, but for some reason, they put it in front of the door, and i would not have been able to get it til today, so that was a cool little miracle. 

we did not really find anyone new this week, except we started teaching one of the children that wants to be baptized, L. C is making such amazing progress, there is a less-active teen living next to him, so he was going to "drag him to  our church", yes he calls it his church too now. he has been telling us how he wants to be baptized a lot lately. 

i got stuck making an Easter dinner, although we were fed all week, so it was fine with me. i made some good green beans, those things are pretty dank if you cook them right hahaha. i eat a lot of veggies and fruit these days, actually that is what i eat--meat, fruit, and veggies, not much else. 

some challenges this week were just having appointments fall through as always, but hey it happens. and we have some people we need to drop. the biggest blessing and miracle i had was about my studies. i wrote about it to Dad, but my studies have been a world of difference better lately. that itself is an answer to prayers.  i love the Book of Mormon so much, it points me to Christ, and helps me learn so much about myself, how i can repent, and grow, as well as feel the spirit. that takes the cake. the past few months i feel like i have grown faster than at any other time on my mission. i truly feel so much joy as i repent, and that i can change. The gospel of Jesus Christ is something that i have grown to love more than anything else other than Christ himself, and Heavenly Father. 

i am legitimately jealous of Bryant and Cooper, it's not that i would do my mission all over again, but that they are going to experience more growth than they can even imagine, and the thing is, it's not even about us, it's about other people. that concept alone has helped me to understand the Savior so much better. we help others become better, and bam! you yourself become better automatically. 

that sounds like you have had a great Easter. i hope Brig loves his basket haha! the floors look so good, that is awesome you got them finished. it sounds like it will look really nice with the furniture. we had a good Easter sacrament too, we had some musical numbers and some good talks to go with it. Cooper will have fun in Chicago, that is a pretty crazy city, that's awesome. i know lots of people from Chicago, its supposedly like Cincy and Indy, those three cities have a reputation out here. that is so cool about Bryant and Guatemala, that is good to hear. it would be way cool to speak with him. that little punk needs to write me hahaha!

thanks for emailing every week Mom! thanks for the packages and all you do! love you lots!

Elder Sedlacek

My diabetes really is a blessing

Giant ice cream sandwich! 

April 10th Emails

hi Dad! it has been a good week. i got over the food poisoning, although it was rough for a few days, but now i am feeling way better! we did not find as many new investigators this week, but we did find a few. C is doing really well, we had a lesson on the Book of Mormon with him, and in 2 days he read the first 8 pages. then he came to church and loved it. he told us about a spiritual prompting he had at work, and the elders quorum lesson was supposedly really good and tied in with his own experience, so he really liked that. J has still been super busy, he was going to come to church and we had someone to bring him, and then last minute he got called into work. the person bringing him still came though, so that was good. Jk is kinda loosing steam a bit, he has not been reading too much, and won't really come to church, 'cause the one he goes to is right across the street, so that is kinda tough. 

we found a new lady, D, she is a young mother who is having a baby soon, and she seemed pretty adamant that she is getting baptized very soon, and liked the message of the restoration. we will be teaching her. we also got word that there are quite a few unbaptized kids wanting to be baptized, so we will be teaching a few children. that should be fun. it looks like a good transfer already. 

yesterday at church we taught the youth with the sister missionaries. teaching in a foursome is kinda weird hahaha. the lesson went really well, it was about missionary work, of course hahaha. we  had a bunch of scriptures and quotes that we shared with them, and then a video about some youth in a hood of Florida and how they are an example to others. 

i like that t-shirt, that's a pretty good one. sounds like you had a good trip, the pics look really good. that stinks you got the snow back. it has been almost tropical here, there is a good amount of humidity already and it's pretty warm and super green now. now back to real life then huh. so North Carolina won? that's cool. how did my bracket do? 

that quote reminds me about a song i have been listening to, all about turning your life to the Savior, and living like him. the thing i love most about the gospel and the scriptures, is that it's all about turning towards Christ. the gospel and everything we have in this life from Heavenly Father is meant to help us better our lives, and to find true joy and lasting happiness. i love reading the Book of Mormon. it helps me to spiritually ground myself each day, and i know it helps me not make so many mistakes all the time hahaha. i am grateful for the gospel and the chance we have to repent of all our mistakes. i gives me such peace and joy to know that i can become a better person each time i repent. thank you for emailing me Padre! love you Dad! have a good week!

hey Mom! i am doing much better, and i did have a lot of help with my diabetes. my numbers never reached over 250 while i was sick. Heavenly Father definitely took care of me. it really dawned on me, the morning i woke up sick, that i woke up a few hours before and drank some juice because  i was low and already feeling sick--but if i had not ran low, i probably would have been much sicker. my diabetes really is a blessing, cause i get to see miracles happen all the time with it, it really has given me so much greater an understanding of Heavenly Father than i would have. 

we did find a few more people, plus a a few children. i wrote about most of it to Dad, but one other guy we found, named T, he is a super funny Hoosier, and says all the Hoosier type stuff--like calling a grocery cart a buggy haha. he is an interesting guy and he already is talking to his friends about the church, and he has only been taught the restoration. 

we had C come to church, and that was really awesome. he enjoyed it thoroughly. i got to give a few blessings this week, that was cool, those are always highlights. i was giving a lady a blessing yesterday, and at the end i felt to express Heavenly Father's love for her and her family once again, and it came really strong, i could actually feel it, way more than usual, it was super cool. He really does love all his children so much. 

it sounds like you had a really good trip, and enjoyed nice weather, that is good. the weather has been great today, we had a really good run this morning with our member that takes us, i beat my time by 30 seconds, it was awesome. not really sure when my next interview is, it should be around the end of April or beginning of May. i really like flying, it feels really cool when the plane takes off. that is too bad you had to come back to snow. seems like it always happens that way, we go on a trip to warm weather, and bam! it snows hahaha. 

that thought is interesting. one thing Elder Holman really taught me, was about doing our best for the Lord. the early apostles may have been struggling, but they may have been doing their absolute best as well. that is why Christ is the perfect judge, he knows our efforts and our hearts, i find great comfort in that. i know that if we are always trying to be better, the Lord will bless us with power and strength to do better. he will change our hearts and lift us up, and make anything possible. i am so grateful for the Easter season and the gift of the atonement Christ has given us, to become better sons and daughters of God. 

thanks Mom for emailing me! love you! have a great week!

Elder Sedlacek

I am excited to see what happens

"They actually say 'set' here instead of 'sit'! :) 

Brand new puppies! 

hi Dad, it has been a good week. General Conference was super awesome. i received so much revelation for mission life, and surprisingly post mission too. just some things that i will do to help keep me grounded and safe. we did get a new investigator, named C who came to watch the second session on Saturday. he is super into scouts, like HUGE into scouts. he is 21 and helps out with Anderson's local troop a lot. we are excited to help him see the fruits of the gospel, and he will have many friends for us to teach. he seemed to really like it, and was excited to meet with us again. he even biked to the church to get there because he doesn't have a car. 

we did not find a whole lot this week, but we went back to see M & L, and their husband/Dad is NOT fond of missionaries, so we have to stay clear of there for a while. we were kinda bummed about that. we saw D & K yesterday, and really helped them learn more about the Book of Mormon, so we hope they are reading it. we have not been able to see J, he has been busy and also sick.  we watched all the sessions at the church. 

that is really cool to see all those people from different backgrounds around the world. we really are blessed, i have really come to know this from the areas i have served in. it's so nice to be able to live around so many people with the same standards. 

that is cool you're getting so much finished with the floors and everything. hopefully, you will have fun in San Diego! 

i don't know if i have a favorite talk, i really liked how all the talks flowed from the nature of Heavenly Father and his plan of happiness, to spiritual improvement and listening to the guidance we receive. i will think of a favorite for next week. sorry, i can't think much right now, i have some food poisoning or some bug that i picked up last night. i feel a lot better but i am still really weak. well, thank you Dad for all your support! i love you so much, have a great time on vacation!

-Elder Sedlacek

hi Mom, it was a pretty good week. i wrote about investigators to Dad. we did get one to conference-- that was super cool, especially since we had just barely taught him the restoration a few days ago. 

time is going by so fast, it is crazy! i got a lot of direction for the rest of my mission and some guidelines and rules for myself after the mission. the rules i have won't be easy, but i know i have to have them, 'cause God told me to. my favorite quote: "I never said it would be easy, I said it would be worth it."  

i absolutely loved General Conference, i felt the spirit so much! it is always humbling to feel the spirit confirm that God is proud of me and i am doing the right things. it was an interesting experience. we got to watch all the sessions at the church, it was nice. 

i did get the test strips! thanks so much for the treats! yes, i got the blue pair of pants. i did not have a return address thingy for the other pair, but i have been slimming back down, so they should fit better pretty soon. 

i actually don't have a favorite talk yet, although i really liked  S. Mark Palmer's! i have had a similar experience as those missionaries, just not with obedience issues. the rich young man parable was referenced a lot, i really like that and the story about when Jesus calls his apostles. they literally just dropped everything, and ran. the Bible video of it is amazing by the way. there were a lot of great talks, but the one thing that really stuck out to me from the first, was when Pres. Eyring was speaking. it finally hit me, that i am a true extension of Him to declare the truth. i made me sad to think i will be done soon. it has reinvigorated the missionary spirit in me. i am so grateful to have the opportunity to serve as a missionary and to feel the spirit all the time, and to see so many blessings each day, and best of all to teach the gospel. thank you for sending me on a mission!

that must have been cool to have some food cooked by Carli, i always like the South American desserts like flan and stuff. she's right, it is so important to communicate! the reason me and Elder Payne got along so great was because we communicated so well. 

that must have been really fun to have everyone home for conference. that is always a fun experience. hahaha that is so funny about Molly, she is such a diva, but she is not assertive about it at all except to us hahaha. that is funny. 

Elder Hammond and i are staying put this transfer! i am happy to stay another transfer. in the blessing Elder H gave me to help me early this morning when i was really sick, i was promised success and that i have been prepared for this, it was super awesome. i am excited to see what happens.

well, got to go now Mom, thanks for everything! love you all so much! talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek