I am so glad I'm not the same person as before I came out, that guy's a jerk.

hey Dad! It was a good week. we found a few new people this week, which was awesome. it rained really hard on Tuesday, hard enough that we did not want to bike in the rain, but we felt we should anyway. that morning I had felt very impressed to see some certain people. as we got out to one of the homes, it started to look like it was going to rain super hard, so they let us in. we got to talking to her and her mother, and shared the restoration with them. it went super well! we then started back to our apartment with it now pouring rain, and that was super fun cause we got so wet! hahaha we had realized if we had not biked, we would not have caught them home. the storm also helped us get in to the house too. 

over the the next few days, we stopped by again. the son, who has been reading almost the entire Bible, but a Jehovah's witness Bible--uh oh! haha--was super interested, so that was super cool. We also had a good lesson with R and K, but unfortunately we had to move K's baptism date back. we were hoping to move it back without discouraging him. my companion had an impression to share a certain Mormon Message, and they really liked it. it illustrated perfectly what we were talking about, and so they had their hearts softened before we gave K the news. He was smiling towards the end of the lesson and he is going to work on getting more ready for the baptism, so it went really well. 

we did have my last Zone conference on Wednesday in Fort Wayne. they had me give my departing testimony, along with a few other missionaries who are also leaving. it was so surreal!! my mission has absolutely flown by and it's crazy that it is about to end. It helped me to deepen my love for the things i have learned, and it was a long drive back to our area afterwards, so I got some good reflection in. it made me sad to be leaving Indiana and Ohio, but the Lord has plans for each of us, and that does not include a lifetime of being a full time missionary. (i can still be a member missionary hahaha). I have grown to really love these people and this area so much, as well as my entire mission, it has been the best experience of my life. 

that sounds like a fun girls' camp you got to help with. it would be a good workout hauling all them young women up the giant tree swing! hahaha. oh man, i can't wait to go hunting in the truck :) I bet it looked beautiful with a trailer on it hahaha. 

that will be interesting to have that training, hopefully you don't get too behind on your regular schedule, that will be fun! that is a cool spiritual thought, thanks for sharing. i was studying D&C 132:24 and the whole section, it was a such an awesome study. it talks all about knowing our Savior better, and that comes through repentance, obedience, and serving our fellowman. the mission has brought me so much closer to the Savior, and that is through serving his children. at times when it was all about me, or how many i could baptize, I did not have the same joy as i now feel doing His work. it makes me so happy to be one of the Lord's representatives, to feel the sweet redeeming love for all of God's children each and every day.  thanks Dad! you're the best! love you Dad! have a great week!

-Elder Sedlacek

Hi Mom! it was a great week! Happy birthday Libby! she is 13?! that is insane! i did get the pump supplies, thank you very much! and i do need strips badly, like i am just about out, if you could send them today or tomorrow, that would be awesome!

i also forgot to mention, i accidentally destroyed my temple tie, and am in need of a new one before we go to the temple as my group goes home. i would severely appreciate if you could send me one, if it's cheap i don't care, i actually prefer that haha. 

i had written about investigators to Dad, we had a pretty good week for finding, and we had received some good revelation in Zone conference to help us start getting more referrals, which is what we really need hahaha. I gave my departing testimony after we sang Homeward Bound as part of the group that is coming home with me. it was so crazy to be on that side of the bench--i never thought it would happen, but it did, i was kinda sad deep down, but i am excited at the same time, it's a weird feeling. 

we had a stake president come and speak to us, and he talked about his mission way back when. he had a very similar first couple months as I did, so that was super cool, and i got a good impression about how my mission has gone, and that was even more cool. i am so grateful for my mission! also for the ability to repent and change ourselves. i am so glad i am not the same person as before i came out, that guy's a jerk hahaha, but the best part about coming home is that i get to attend the temple on a weekly basis now, and do all i can to progress, and i get to do it on my own, with the Savior's help, and apply all the lessons i have learned. 

i talked about the scripture i read and studied this week with Dad, it's D&C 132:24. that whole section was exactly what i needed to read this week, it was so awesome! i remember ending my studies that day, thinking "ah that was so. COOL!" hahaha. 

it sounds like it went really well at girls' camp, that is super cool! sounds like your new knee has helped you become a new Mom! that is great to hear. hahaha i'll bet there's a lot of laundry, but hey just think about how much laundry you used to do with me and Jake and Nicole hahaha. hopefully you get caught up soon! 

as i like to say, life is all about the climb, you come off conqueror, but you're going to have another good hike ahead of you, and then another, until you get to the top, but it is going to be a lot of fun. that is so sad about Trent, i wish i could do something to help. 

also Mom, one more question: could you send me the pic that was posted on Facebook with the birthday stuff from Zone conf? thank you very much for sending the others too!

i shared some videos in your Google Docs. thank you for emailing me! i love you all so much! i am so grateful for the gospel and the teachings of Jesus Christ, and that we all can have happy lives no matter what. i love you Mom! have a great week!

Elder Sedlacek

I know that the last few weeks will help me to stretch and grow as much as I can

hi Dad, it was another good week. lately we have been struggling to find people to teach, so that has been a little trying. we are still working with K and his wife, R. K expressed his desire to be baptized so that he can be sealed to his wife. they are both very excited to have him baptized, however, we are trying to help him get into the Book of Mormon more and do all the little things that truly converts people and shows true conversion. it is interesting to me, that because of the righteous desires these two people already have, we just need to help them channel it. we talked about 3 Nephi 27 with K and read some of it--we are leaving small reading assignments with him to help him start reading on his own. 

we also met with D and had an interesting lesson with him. he told us that he is not yet sure whether it is completely true or not, but talked about how he has been recognizing the spirit, especially when we meet with him. he told us that the wisdom that the missionaries have could not just be from us, that it has to be something greater. i was so happy to hear that! it hints that he is understanding the role of the spirit better than a lot of people do. we answered a lot of questions he had and re-discussed parts of the plan of salvation with him. it was a cool lesson. 

we don't really have many more people to teach who are progressing, so we are doing a lot of finding and just talking to everyone we can. we met a guy the other day, who was sitting on his porch, and as we approached him it was like I knew exactly what to say. we invited him to listen, and he said "sure, why not." so we talked a bit more, and then set an appointment. he told us about his life and how he wants to get back into religion to help him raise his boys. it is amazing to me how much the gospel and the teachings of Christ can strengthen our families. as we strengthen ourselves and do the little things with our families {like scripture study} it brings us together. 

it sounds like you had a super busy week with work and all that, that is good. good luck with all the new stores! sounds like it has been very hot. I bet it feels just as hot here though with all this humidity! hahaha it's been rather swampy here, but luckily it hasn't rained as much as last year. we have a lot of black raspberries here along sides of the roads, and mulberries too. they are so good! oh man, that's terrible we lost Hayward! our team is going to suck haha! 

it's so crazy to think that Dallin is home now, but I bet it was fun to hear him speak. 

that is interesting about the spirit and how if we don't listen to the first prompting, we are dismissing it. i could definitely do better at listening to the first prompting, so that is a good reminder. in Moroni 7:13 it talks about how the spirit and promptings can be summed up as a good thought. all good thoughts can come from God, so we should do our best to follow those good thoughts. 

my comp and I had a good conversation about how the spirit touches us. for the longest time I questioned whether i was feeling the spirit or not. i did not realize that the spirit we feel when we do sacred things is different than the spirit we feel day to day, or i should say the way we feel it. and it's because of the sacredness of those things we do, like partaking of the sacrament. it took along time to recognize that, but now i know that the spirit touches us each in a personal way, and there is a lot more ways than one. it is up to us to learn how to recognize it, and that is why we do the little things each and every day, so we can learn how we feel the spirit and become better at following it. 

i know that as we do the little things, we will have the spirit with us more frequently, and we will know it better, and come closer to the Savior. i am thankful for the scriptures and for the gospel, because of how it helps me and others. thank you Dad for all you do for me! i love you Dad! Have a great week! talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek

hi Mom, it was a good week. sadly, we did not find any new investigators, but we have a few referrals we are trying to contact. we are pretty much trying to contact everyone we can to see if they are interested or not. 

my new companion is a great guy. we get along well, and work together really well. i love the area, it's such a fun small town hahaha. it is so much like Batesville, and it's quiet and pretty peaceful. we gave several priesthood blessings this past week, so that was really nice. we also got to help give one of the converts the Aaronic priesthood and that was really cool as well. 

i am not sure i could pick one single scripture that helped me most, but just getting to read the scriptures each and every day helps so much. because of the new missionary schedule, we sometimes have meetings in the morning, and with the schedule we don't always get time to study in the morning. you notice a big difference. I love being able to study the scriptures every morning because of the peace that it brings and it truly aligns me more with the spirit. after i read, i truly feel normal i guess you could say. it makes me a happy missionary hahaha. 

the scriptures have taught me more about my Savior, and they teach me what i need to do to improve, and when i feel discouraged they give me strength and motivation to continue. i honestly have not thought about the goals for home a lot hahaha. i am trying to ignore going home i guess, 'cause it makes me feel sad hahaha. I don't feel ready yet, i feel that i still have more growing to do, but i will have to think about it i guess. 

thank you for sending me all my stuffs! how long 'til i can get more strips? i have about 1 to 1 1/2 vials left. that is so funny about Dallin being home already! i bet it's super weird going from Bolivia to Utah. that sounds like you will have a fun young women's camp, i bet it will go great! i sometimes feel the same way as district leader, i do not feel adequate, at all, so i have to remind myself that there is something the Lord wants me to help the other Elders learn. they are all younger than a year out, so i feel the great responsibility to help them. all i can do is follow the spirit and give my best efforts to help lead them and be an example for them.

most of all, our callings are to teach us. callings help us to feel the love that the savior has for all his children. as we stand in his place, he will give us charity and the things we need to serve with all our might. we each have a specific purpose, and we have to have faith that we can and will accomplish it with his help. darn, well that's too bad that Bryant and i won't speak together now, but it will be fun to go visit with him after he talks. i will also get to see my comps speak too haha. or rather, they can come hear me. Aww man, that's too bad Dallin claimed Brother Ricks, but it was inspired, it will be good to speak with Bishop Beynon! that will be awesome. 

yep, i do remember that lesson from Bro Ricks, and a few others that were like that. those, in my mind, were the best lessons we had. the spirit was so strong in each one, and i specifically remember when he taught us to "call out" the spirit, they were all very powerful lessons and discussions.  

i hope to be able to have the same conviction as Elder Hale, that I know my savior, and i know that the last few weeks will help me to stretch and grow as much as i can. i am so glad to have been serving a mission, to be able to learn what i have learned and still have time to learn more before i have to go. the savior has a plan for each of us, and i find true joy in doing my best to fulfill that plan. the gospel is our road map, and the mission teaches us the principles of the gospel in a very real way. i am so grateful for the time and effort and everything you put into making my mission possible! 

got to go now Mom, thank you for emailing me! i love you guys so much! have a great week! talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek

Connersville is a little town

Indianapolis temple 

Connersville is shaped like Utah! 

July 3rd, 2017 Emails

Hi Dad, it has been a good week. my comp's name is Elder Jasinski, and he is from Seattle. he has been out 8 months and we have a lot in common haha. he is the same type of mischievous person i am--he likes making things and tearing stuff apart like me haha. we have a good time together. as for the new teaching pool, there is not a whole lot, but we have a few people we are working with. there is a couple from Batesville. When i was there at the beginning of my mission, i taught the new member lessons to the wife, and now we are teaching the husband. he is way excited to be baptized, so we are trying to help him do better with reading the Book of Mormon.  we are also teaching a guy who is a member referral, named D. he has been coming to church every week for several weeks now, and only has questions about Joseph Smith, but he is coming along. we are also trying to help him read more, because....well, that's why he has questions about Joseph smith, 'cause he struggles to do the reading. 

there is also a kid in the ward who comes every single week, but his mom won't let him be baptized til he turns 18, which is not too far distant--it's this winter. he even brings bread for the sacrament. we have been working with his mom a little bit. 

we are a biking and walking area now, because as of last Monday, the other elders wrecked the car up in Muncie. so it will be in the shop for a long time, and we probably won't have one this transfer. so i get to get back in shape, which i am happy about! haha. that was fun to be able to see Nicole and Brig at transfers haha. Brig was so puzzled till he started to figure it out haha. then he was just pointing and smiling, and he also got to meet the Connellys, which that was super cool to see them. F is doing well, and still has his regular sense of humor. 

we have been doing some service for the members lately too. it's a very small ward, like only 40 attend on average. there is a man who just moved in and is renovating his house, so i got to help him install the toilet haha. then he drove us around in his BMW, which is souped up a lot, and man it's quick. 

sounds like you're pretty busy at work, that is fun haha. hopefully it's not too crazy for very long. it has been very warm and humid here too, so it has been just stuffy all week. of course the Reds are doing terrible, that does not surprise me haha. 

thank you for sharing that talk from President Nielson. that is interesting, because what we do as missionaries is help people to see their divine potential.  when you understand that and the plan of salvation, there is so much more joy, hope, and happiness. people don't understand the real potential they have, and it's sad when they are just fine with where they are at. we can become so much better than we are today, if we just accept the gospel and apply the doctrine of Christ in our lives. 

i am so grateful for being able to repent and change, so that i can become better. this gospel is such a blessing to our lives, and i am so glad to share those blessings with others. it is so cool to see people change their lives. thank you Dad for all you do for me! i love you Dad! have a great week! talk to you later! 

-Elder Sedlacek

hi Mom! it was a good week! me and my comp get along really well, and Connersville is a little town--i mean really little--so it's pretty fun. the ward is tiny, and that makes it interesting too. there are some awesome people in this ward, and i am excited to get to know them better. 

Sister Anders is a really nice lady, she feeds us weekly, so expect to have some pics sent weekly haha. the honey stick is like a Otter pop, but with honey, and when you bite the end honey comes out. it was pretty good. 

me and my comp like the same things, and get along really well. it's nice as well to be able to walk and bike and burn some energy. even if it is really hot, it's still nice. we live on a huge hill, so we get to walk up and down the steepest hill i have seen in a minute, every day! haha. for the 4th, we have to be in by 7 pm, and i have to be on a conference call during that time for training. fun for me! 

the biggest challenge will be having lots of people to teach. Connersville has a history behind it, and a lot of people have already been talked to, so it's going to take some hard work to find people. not having a car to get to the little towns surrounding us is a challenge as well. everyone knows i am leaving soon, so they look at me like i should be a perfect missionary, so maybe i can help them with that, 'cause that is far from the truth! haha 

that was so awesome to see Nicole and Brig. i was talking to another member when they arrived, and i just saw them out of the corner of my eye, and i was like "no fetchin' way!" hahaha it was super funny how puzzled Briggy was, cause you could tell he knew something was up, but when he realized who i was, he was just smiling and pointing at me. it was too bad i couldn't hold him!  it was really nice to see them both, and it was no problem at all. the Connellys even met them, so that was super cool. they really liked Brig haha. 

that is crazy you had your knee done a whole year ago, and really good that you have still been using the exercise bike. i bet it does help a lot. that will be fun to visit Logan. oh heck yeah, i am pumped about camping when i get home! everywhere in Connersville, they seem to love cooking over coals outside, so it always smells super good like camping,--it drives me nuts haha. i want to build a fire so bad sometimes!

that sounds like you will have a good girls' camp, that will be fun. we had good church meetings yesterday. Elder J and i had been challenged to bear our testimonies by Elder Dyches, on some pretty specific points, so we made it a point to do that yesterday. it really helped the meeting be missionary focused. it was really cool to see the impact it had. the ward is starting to get really excited to help, and there are a few members who help us on the daily. it's awesome to see. it is so cool to be a missionary and to help others feel the spirit. the Lord has plans for each and every one of us, and he sends his missionaries out to help bring about those plans. he gives us the privilege of taking part in it. it is such a blessing to me. i love being able to share the testimony i have--it may be simple, but it is a lot stronger because of my mission. i love being able to share those experiences. 

well, thank you Mom, for all you do for me! i love you so much! have a great week! i will talk to you later! have a happy 4th!

Elder Sedlacek

It's not endure to the end, it's endure through the end.

Emails from June 19, 2017

hey Dad! it was another good week. we did not find many people this week, but we had some really cool experiences, or at least i did haha. to start off, B is probably going to have to have a "drop" lesson, he has unfortunately not been telling us the whole truth and it's plain to see. he also hasn't really been keeping all the commitments, so it will help him in the long run. these lessons can really help people see what they are feeling is the loving guidance of God, and that they need it. 

we had a mission tour with Elder Timothy Dyches of the Seventy this week, it was super good. they talked a lot about finding, and surprisingly marriage hahaha. afterwards, we had an appointment with a less active member who is striving to overcome some problems. she had her sister visiting with her, and so we taught the restoration. that has been the single most powerful and spirit-filled lesson i have ever taken part of. as i recited the first vision, i literally started choking up, and luckily i got through it all the way without, but it was amazing. she knows the Sister missionaries in Eaton Ohio, where she lives, and never had them come back, but is now meeting with them. it was so cool. then we had another appointment with another less active, and her friends were there. she was busy, so it had to be quick, but at the end she invited all her friends to take part in the lessons. one of them did accept, although we have yet to make contact again for a lesson, just brief chats. 

that is only part of the good things that happened. i had a lot of cool thoughts this week. C and W both are now passing the sacrament, although C was not there yesterday because he ate some bad food, poor guy. 

that is probably really cool to be down in South America and to speak with all the natives and church leaders. it sounds like you have had a really good time doing it, you are lucky hahaha. you are in my friend Jordan's mission, in Montevideo. maybe you will meet his mission president if he comes to the ward you attend. that would be so cool to have a tour of the temple, i bet it was an awesome experience! 

haha you saw a VW bug and rabbit race! that is super funny, i knew a kid who drove a rabbit in high school. 

that is a cool thought about the growth of the church. the Lord is truly gathering those people who are ready to receive the gospel. He knows where they are at, and we have the blessed opportunity to participate in helping the Lord fulfill his promise to us that everyone will have an opportunity to receive the gospel {3 Nephi 16:11}. it is to teach us faith, and to strengthen our understanding of the doctrines that we cherish. as our own testimony grows, the flame of our testimonies grows brighter to share it, which means the work with members is a work to strengthen their faith to give them a greater desire to share what they know. i am so grateful for the blessing of being a part of this work, i know this gospel is Christ's true gospel. thank you for emailing me Dad! i have a letter for your Father's Day gift in the mail, happy late Father's Day! i sent it late since you would be gone. love you Dad! have a great rest of your trip!

-Elder Sedlacek

hey Mom! it has been a good week. we did not find many new people, but did have some great things happen. i wrote about some cool miracles in Dad's email. we had a really good mission tour with Elder Dyches of the Seventy. BTW, could you send the pics from FB of it please? they all talked a lot about finding and developing our skills as a missionary. we are coming down to the time when finding people is truly like the scripture in Joshua that talks about fishing in the holes and the rocks. prepared people are everywhere and we have the great job and blessing of finding them and witnessing the changes they will make. 

there is a lady in our ward who recently decided to return to activity, and from the first week a few weeks ago that she came back, to now, is a world of difference. she is wearing the same clothes, but you can see how much happier and brighter her countenance is. the gospel changes lives, and we need to share it. it says something profound in D&C 123: 12-13. it talks about "wasting" our lives for sharing the gospel, it would not be a waste obviously, but we should always have Christ on our lips. 

sadly did not have anyone show up to church, but next week we will for sure. we had a cool experience with Bro. E. he wanted to give up on church last week and has been struggling, so we shared a scripture with him out of the Bible--Romans 8: 11 i think it was. and it totally changed his view of the gospel right quick. when we came back a few days later, the spirit in the home was a lot more peaceful, and he had changed, he was a lot kinder to the children. it was super cool. 

the best part of my week was the lesson we had after the mission tour with a less active member and her non-member sister. as for a goal to finish my mission with--i want to finish my mission stronger than i have been and at a quicker pace than ever, sprinting through the finish! haha. it's not endure to the end, it's endure through the end. run Jack! 

my strips are okay, luckily i have been blessed to accumulate 2 emergency vials, so i have been on one of them the past couple days. i sent dad a card for Father's day, or a letter i should say, it will get there in the next couple few days. i bet it was interesting having him be gone so long hahaha. school crap again, great hahahaha. fun fun fun. thank you for doing that stuff for me! and for the strips too! 

that is so funny about Brig and the way he says y'alls names, i can only imagine what mine will be hahaha. he will probably be scared of me haha, i could see that. we have had some good weather lately. we have had some rain, and then some super hot days. the weather here is super unpredictable this time of year. 

Elder Dyches had President and Sister Welch leave the room for a minute, and we all thought of words to describe each one of them, wrote them on the board, and then had them come back in. President almost immediately said, "You didn't put sarcastic!" he does a really good upset voice even when he's not, so it was really funny. he told us to focus on finding qualities like that in our spouses, so like Sister Welch for Elders and President Welch for the Sisters. 

we also had really good talks and lessons on Fathers at church. the family is ordained of God, we are sent to each of our families for a divine reason. i am so blessed to have Dad as my Dad, and watch and grow from him. he is the next best example to me than the Savior and the prophet. i am so blessed to have both of you! we don't have the kind of family the world is pushing us to have--we have a family that is based upon the principles in Christ's restored gospel, and that is how we keep our families grounded, is upon the principles of righteousness. i could not ask for anything better in my family :) you have both taught me well, and continue to. thank you both for your righteous examples. wow, that's a long email for little old Elder Sedlacek hahaha you get lucky this week! :)

well, thank you for handling all that diabetes stuff for me Mom! i am of course Dr. Lindsay's patient, i am his diabetes prodigy! hahaha you're the best! i love you guys so much! love you Mom! i hope y'all have a great week! 

Elder Sedlacek

It's amazing to see people pick themselves up and show a desire to do hard things.

Found on the curb

Spend some time waiting on trains most every day

This is how much Elder Sedlacek likes waiting for trains

hey Dad, it has been a good week. we really did not find any one new this week, but that's how it goes sometimes.  B is doing a lot better this week. he started to read a lot more, so he is now past chap 12, which is great. he started devoting an hour a day to reading, and he started to go cold turkey yesterday on living the Word of Wisdom. the fire is starting to really burn for him, it's amazing to see people just start to pick themselves up like that, and to show a desire to do these hard things. commitments are kept, or should be kept, out of love for the Savior. to grow that love, investigators have to read and have an understanding of the atonement and the scriptures. i find it so amazing to see the drive in people to completely change their lives around for and through Jesus Christ. 

we have not been in contact with D lately, he has kinda disappeared. and the other people we found last week did not really keep their appointments, so we have got to find them again hahaha. one guy 'suddenly moved' and they don't have an address, just a street. so that is a little fishy hahahaha! 

we taught L a few lessons, but his parents are struggling to come to church, therefore he did not come, so we have to get that situation straightened out. the progress that B has made has been pretty cool to see this past week, so that puts the cherry on top for me. some people take years for a true conversion to happen, and some others it takes only a matter of months or even weeks. it is so cool to see that everyone is different. i am very blessed to have seen these conversions take place. and it's only upwards from there! 

so you're going international Dad, now you have to learn like 100 languages. you should go to the MTC again hahaha. that's so crazy the girls are graduating, that is just weird. it's been into the 90 degree weather here too, or close to it, and we had to bike half the week 'cause our car is in the shop. Elder H acquired some damage to it by cutting a corner too tight--it pulled off the running board. so we got some nice tans this week by biking hahaha. we turned all red, 'cause white guys don't tan. ;)

thanks a ton for putting me in for a tag! hope i get one, that would be fun. i would love to go with you and Jake, so i need to start getting into archery now too.  i will have to start lifting again. that is cool Ethan and Adam got to speak. we had Fast Sunday this week, and we also had some good lessons. we talked about the life of the Savior in Sunday school, it goes along really well with Elder Holland's video. i really liked how he talks about how it's extremely personal to work our our own salvation. 

i am one for working on things by myself, cause it's all me. but the beautiful thing about the plan of salvation, is even when my best is not good enough, Christ has already paid the price, so i can become better, and come closer to him in a personal way. trials and lessons are not always easy to learn, but i have never looked back at a trial with regret, unless i did not really learn the lesson being taught. it is always worth it to go though hard things. we always have a helping hand, Jesus Christ, and he will carry us when we can't go any more. i love being able to be on a mission to learn that it's me and Christ, and he is my personal trainer. if i follow him, i will do what's right, and what needs to be done. i  know this gospel is true, and i know it is only through the Savior that we are saved. thanks Dad for all you do! have a great week! love you! talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek

hey Mom! it's been a good week. we stayed busy and even got to bike half the week. so it was nice to get some good exercise, but man, i am a lot more tired than last summer hahaha! it was fun to get to bike around Anderson, but let's just say i now know why Anderson has a car, and i am a lot more grateful for it. I will have to tell you why later ;) 

i have learned a lot about love this week, because i have been praying for more and more of it, and prayer does work, just like always hahaha. this work is based upon love for people, and love for the Savior, most of all the Savior. every week brings new challenges that test my spiritual strength in different ways, and sometimes it takes a spiritual thump on the head for me to understand. eventually, i get it hahaha. i love that so much about a mission. you grow so much closer to Jesus, and the gospel is the doctrine to get us closer to Him. 

B is doing awesome, and getting super excited for the baptism. he is telling everyone about it! we also got to help C be ordained to a priest yesterday, that was awesome. it was a great week at church. i cannot complain. 

that is cool about the girls doing well in honors and grades. hahaha, i read that about what Nicole said about Cincy being wild, and it's true. she probably did not even see the worst part if she only went to the zoo! it's an interesting city to say the least hahaha. 

it's been warm and we have had the a/c on for weeks, but luckily we don't have to pay for air out of our own pocket. 

the one thing i know is that when the Lord has a lesson for us to learn, if we are doing the right things, such as serving a mission the right way, we will learn it, but it will not be easy, just as you said. that is really cool about Ethan and Adam, they will both do great. 

i am starting to feel the way that Jeff described the end of his mission hahaha, like he wanted to scream half the time, because of the mixed emotions etc. it was good for me to bike, because it really cleared my head. exercise always makes me a happier person, so that was a great tender mercy. it helped me blow off some steam hahaha. 

another cool thing that happened this week was how we got in contact with a less-active teen. he was baptized a few years ago, the only one in his family. we helped to remind him of his baptism, and he started crying as he did so, and truly felt the spirit. we talked about how only the gospel and Christ can bring us that kind of peace. he wants to come back to church, and even biked the whole 7 miles back to our place with us on his own bike. he is a great kid. it is so cool to see the spirit work in people like that. i love the scripture where it says his sheep hear his voice, and they follow him, and they know his voice. the spirit speaks to each of us differently, and in a way that God knows we can understand. we just need to listen. 

i am so grateful for the knowledge i have of how God knows each of us personally. i love the gospel, i don't have to worry about anything else but where i stand, and do my best to share my own testimony with others, and live in a way that i can take the spirit into their homes. i love it so much. 

that is so cool about Dad and his floor work, hopefully he wins! that is awesome! thank you so much for the birthday packages and stuff in advance! i love you guys so much!

well, i have to go now Mom, thanks for emailing me! and for all the birthday wishes and packages! you're the best Mom! i love you guys so much! have a great week!

-Elder Sedlacek

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

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

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

I am lucky to serve a mission!

It is bug season again....this is just one of the "weird" bugs in Indiana/Ohio.

Enjoying a feast of chicken wings.

Emails from March 27, 2017

hey Dad! it was a good week. we found a bunch of people to teach this week, it was awesome. we started off the week with one of the LAs we've been working with. we lifted weights with him on Monday, then he took us out teaching after p-day ended, to a gal we found the week previous sitting on her porch outside. she invited us back, and we taught the restoration to her. it made sense to her and she had no questions. the next time we went back she had to run to work or something, but her Mom said how excited she was about meeting with us, and that she was too, plus her two other daughters (teenagers) also want to come to church. we gave her the meeting times, and she is taking work off next Sunday to bring herself and her three daughters. we spent some time finding them rides, and so they will now be coming to our ward Family Home Evening that we have every Tuesday. that was so cool! 

we met another young couple that we taught the restoration to, they seemed interested, but they don't have much religious background--not even praying, so it is all new to them. we have another appointment set with them. there was one more lady, who is quite humble, and loves the Savior enough to make a poster of him to hang in her living room. she is quite busy visiting her son who does not live with her, so we have to go back soon and try to catch her. we took a high council member out teaching with us, to see J and we had an awesome lesson with him. the high councilor was quite bold, but J actually loves that, so it went really well. 

J*** is now reading the Book of Mormon, and we have an appointment with him in a few days with the ward mission leader, so hopefully it has gone well for him. sadly, everyone was busy for church except for a few less-actives we have been working with. 

the weather here has been amazing the past few days, it has been nice, and we have not had as many monsoons as last year so it has been good. people are already cutting grass here, it's as green as it will ever get in Utah already hahaha. i like that thought from your sacrament meeting. we see it a lot in missionary work, if you focus too much on you and how well you teach, find, etc. (i mean in an unproductive way) you will miss out on a lot of promptings and you'll miss a lot of daily miracles. 

that is good you have got the floors installed, that's awesome. i bet it feels nice to have it done. 

I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. often times when i read i get distracted so easily. i am sure it's the adversary trying to distract me, but even then, it still brings the Spirit in such a way that really helps me to refocus on what really matters. it takes time for me to put all the stories together, but i am starting to understand more and more every time i read. it really is written for our day and age. in the world today there is a lot of bad things, but the gospel of Jesus Christ and the gift of the scriptures teach us how to better ourselves, so we can avoid the problems that exist in this day and age. i am so grateful for the gospel and the Book of Mormon, as well as the Savior and his atonement. i am lucky to serve a mission! thank you Dad for all you do! have a great week Dad! love you!

-Elder Sedlacek

hi Mom! it was a good week! i am doing really good. i wrote in Dad's email about the awesome finding experiences we had last week. i am super excited about it, and to see what happens with all of them. one thing i have really come to recognize this week is just how much i love teaching the gospel to people. it always brings the spirit so that at least i can feel it. the spirit that is available to us as missionaries is such an awesome feeling. i have really learned about how i feel and recognize the spirit. for a long time, i was just expecting to know when i was feeling it super easily all the time, but that is not the case, i have had to learn over time how i feel it and to recognize it. it was frustrating at first. 

i read a talk that was talking about spiritual growth and it talks about how it takes time, so you won't hardly recognize it in yourself until you look back to who you once were. i find that super cool. i love the growth that occurs on the mission. probably the most challenging thing was having people cancel appointments we had been setting all week, but hey, that's missionary work i guess haha. 

it is fun to have diabetics in the ward here. it was weird, cause the sister was telling me all the carbs in the food she made, just like you used to do hahaha. oh man, that is crazy you got that letter about my travel plans.  and FYI, it is the 9th of August. we would spend the night in the home, and then you could pick me up from the mission home on the morning of the 9th, according to President Welch. and this is the last week of the transfer again, crazy enough. 

sounds like Dad did a great job of doing the floors, that is awesome.  that is super interesting about that thought. it is true, because where our innermost thoughts and feelings are, that is what we will talk about without even noticing it. i have been studying the Christlike attributes lately, and virtue, patience and charity all have a good connection to our thoughts. i love studying those gifts cause you simply ask for them, and do your best to receive and use them, and they come. the Lord is willing to give us any gift that will help us accomplish the tasks he has planned for us. i am so grateful for the Lord and his love for each of us. i am grateful to be serving a mission so that i can come to know him and Heavenly Father better. thank you for all your support!

i am sending a box home, there is a surprise in it for the family, you will have to take video or pics or something and send it to me so i can know how you all like it and how it turns out hahahah. just read the note i put in the box.

well, i have to go now, thanks for all you do! i love you guys so much. enjoy the surprise! talk to you next week!

-Elder Sedlacek