I will never forget the people who have helped to change my life. It's a bonus to have helped to change their's.

Hey Dad! it was a good last week, it went by so fast! it feels like it did not even happen hahaha. it was really fun to have Jeff and Nicole and Brig at church with me. the ward just ate it up hahaha. Brig was such a funny little guy--he was running and screaming after church, it was fun to watch him. 

Sadly, we did not find anyone this week. we saw K & R, and we were planning to have to drop them, but we found out we are both leaving the area, so we did not do it. no investigators were at church yesterday. we were not able to do a whole lot of teaching, which stinks. I don't know though, it was still a good week. we got to talk to a lot of people, but everyone we talked to was uninterested or did not show up when we were schedule to come back. even still, I felt like I had a much greater appreciation for the calling i have. to be able to do my best to fulfill it has always made me happy, but it was more fulfilling this past week because i knew it was not for much longer. 

Hmm... i am not sure why you would be excited for Wednesday....maybe you drank some bad milk, or forgot a party they will have at work? you will have to pray about that one hahaha!! 

that is a cool story from church. it is really amazing to me that God reaches out to us in such personal ways, all the time. He knows us perfectly, so he knows exactly how we can feel or see His hand and realize that we do have a connection with Him. that is really interesting thought about the lesson on James 1, i haven't thought about connecting it with our baptismal covenant, that is neat. 

I really like Elder Rasband's talk. it occurred to me that the first step to having the Holy Ghost with us is living worthily, and then all the steps after that come from our efforts to look for God's hand in our lives, and to seek out those promptings that will come.  I am still learning new ways that the spirit touches me, and it amazes me sometimes the many different ways I feel the influence of the spirit. we have agency to make choices for ourselves, but God will always reach out to influence us, so we can learn to choose the good, and not have to go through as much pain. 

I am so grateful for my mission, and that I have had time to feel and to listen to the promptings of the spirit, so that I could come closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. the Spirit will guide us to all truth, and I know that the path I have chosen will lead me to become who God wants me to be. I know that God lives, and that He loves me and all his children. I know that all good things testify of our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. I will never forget the wonderful things I have experienced on my mission, and I will never forget the people who have helped to change my life. it's a bonus to have helped to change their's.  Thank you Dad for all you have done to help me through the last 2 years! love you Dad! see you in 2...........days! hahahaha  

-Elder Sedlacek

Hi Mom! it was a very good last week. we worked hard, but we did not find the "fruit" we wanted. I know that there are still people out there to find. that was so crazy to have Nicole and Jeff show up to church! i was not expecting it, because Brother Gilbert is a cheeky little man, and told me she was not coming, so it was pretty surreal. haha I think it helped the ward, and they just ate it up, they loved it. everyone seemed to mention missionary work in their testimonies, so it was awesome. Brig was so funny haha, he is a crazy kid. 

this past week was a good way to end my mission. we even got out to one of the small towns in our area, and had a member drop us off there early in the day, and another one take us home at night. it was fun. we had a cool thing happen too. we were out on our deck, and we may or may not have been burning a shirt, but who knows?  and it may or may not have gotten a little smokey, so we may have shut the door and it may have latched shut and locked itself hahaha! I suddenly remembered Kelly teaching me how to break into a house with a sliding door hahaha, but that wasn't working cause the door was too tightly fit together.  i just kept trying, and then suddenly it opened. to be honest, we should not have been able to get it open, it was a miracle. 

that is good you stayed busy, busyness is happiness.  sounds like you had a fun week. that is good, because you're about to receive your little terror coming off a plane, you will need that rest. haha I did realize that i've had a few days beyond my two years, and I am lucky. pretty crazy that it has been over two years. it will be super weird to be home. it was weird enough yesterday to be hanging out with Nicole and Jeff at church. i was not even the slightest bit turned away from my missionary duties, or at least i tried not to be! I caught myself wanting to do that more than just visit with them hahaha, that was strange. it will be so weird to be home. 

yeah, Dad's full of talk, telling me that you might be at the airport. I would turn right back around if you did not show hahaha. here's my schedule for the next couple days: we leave here Tuesday morning by 7 am {wake up about 5:00 am} so we can get to transfers by 9 am, cause Elder Jasinski is training and has to be there early.  I get to just chill there, and then we leave for the temple. After that we go to the mission home and have a feast with President and Sister Welch. then Sister Welch has a bunch of stuff for us to do while we are at the mission home, like scrap booking and other things that women like to do. {haha just kidding}. Wednesday we fly out early, and i am SURE you have the time of when the inevitable happens hahaha. tonight we just proselyte from 6-9, so i have approximately 3 more hours to do really missionary things. 

true joy is what i have come to know on my mission. it is a gift from God, from serving Him with a true heart. that is the only way we can continue to progress, is to continue to serve with love.

well, i have to go now....for the last time. I will see you in 2................Days! hahaha 

I love you Mom! have a great 2 days! don't get too excited to see my beautiful face! haha

-Elder Sedlacek

I love these people, and I will absolutely miss them a lot.

hey Dad! it has been a good week. to start off the week we had an appointment set with a part-member family. they were just married, and the husband is not a member. he wants to take the lessons so he can at least know about his wife's church, but he has already come to church so many times that he is pretty much a member already.  he is a "dry Mormon" as they say haha. i am super excited to teach him, and he really likes us, we have similar hobbies. 

sadly, we did not find any new investigators. we talked to a lot of people who invited us back, but they did not show for the appointments. thus is mission life I guess haha. K and R are still kind of wavering right now.  we are in bad need to build a new teaching pool, so that is what we have been working really hard at. 

I got to have the Zone leaders exchange with us this week, so I had one of my good buddies, Elder Schott, come with me. he served with me in Englewood and we always have a lot of fun together, so that was nice. we had interviews with President Welch too. I had my departing interview, however hard that is to believe. He asked me lots of questions about my mission, and some of the people I have met, and some comps I have served with. that was a really neat experience i have to say. He totally said some things in line with my patriarchal blessing and helped answer some questions I had. 

we didn't have anyone who is progressing show up at church, although we did have C, who is a non-member waiting for his 18th birthday so he can get baptized. he is a great guy. 

I have actually been studying those same sections in D&C. those are my favorites. I have really liked section 1 of the D&C this past week. we had a big district meeting with Sister Welch and the Zone Leaders there, and I had based my training around it. it went really well. It talks a lot about why we even try to share the gospel, and the wording that is used is awesome. it's like verses 12-20 or something like that. it talks about sharing the gospel so that God's children might be blessed, and might implies a lot in that. it doesn't mean everyone will accept it, it doesn't mean we will be perfect at it, but it does mean that God loves all of his children enough to give them a chance to hear it and accept it. a mission is a sacred privilege to be able to give others that opportunity. i am very glad i have been able to be part of it! 

that would be so cool for Sarah to go on a mission, and that is crazy she is 18 now. oh man, I want to cut the lawn when I get home! haha I want to see if I can still cut it like I used to. I have no preference for any particular food, if anything my mission has made me very not picky with food, anything is good for me. 

that talk coincides with what President talked to me about in my interview. hahaha--we talked about marriage. He explained how finding is just the same as dating, and that you have to keep doing all the things that bring you a closer connection with God, in order for you to find someone who is also trying to do the same thing. It re-affirmed the goals that i have set for myself to keep progressing, and good things will naturally fall into place. I am thinking that going to the temple at least once per week will be the best thing to help me accomplish that, in fact i know it is. 

I am so grateful for the foundation that my mission has laid for me serving in the church, it is only what i can build on and add to that, that will stand the test of time. you can serve a faithful mission, but you're not done there, you have only laid the footings, and maybe some cement floors. you still have to build that lifetime of service to God. I am very excited for that. 

thank you Dad, for all the updates you send me, and your great example! I love you Dad! have a great week! I will talk to you next week, even though that is kind of a joke to email right before i board a plane! hahaha  

-Elder Sedlacek

hey Mom! it was a great week. Honestly, we did not find many people, but we did meet some cool people. I cannot explain the feelings i have for Hoosiers hahaha, but I love them, and I want to help them so much. it is only because of what we have with the gospel. I love these people, and I will absolutely miss them a lot. what comes to mind is the hymn that goes, "bright as the sun, this heavenly ray." it makes me sad my mission is coming to a close, because I won't represent the Savior for very much longer, but at home I will have all the time in the world to bring friends to the gospel, through various means. 

I wrote about the teaching pool to Dad, but we did not get to do any cut and dry service projects. we just do a lot of little things to help serve people each day. we always offer to help people who are out doing yard work and stuff. 

that pic with the cake? that was the best cake ever! it was decorated with fondant, and the Relief Society made it for Sunday after church, because of next Sunday being Fast Sunday. they know i am going home next week, so she decorated it for me. it was enough cake for the whole ward, it was awesome. 

that sounds like fun, Sarah having her birthday, and Mia getting to go to Southern Utah. that is a super cool story from that missionary's talk. that is kinda like Sister Boyd in Batesville, when we had a baptism my second week in the mission hahaha. 

Heavenly Father is very good at directing his children to the gospel, and we just have to trust as his laborers that he has people ready and waiting for us to give them a certain perspective on the restored gospel. the work truly is like a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, and it will roll forth simply by Heavenly Father preparing people to receive it. 

I had the great opportunity to do a couple of baptism interviews this week, and man, those people were prepared. it was so cool. one of the guys getting baptized has completely spun a 1-80, it was so cool to see the Lord's hand in preparing him, and the changes he has made. 

oh man, i can't believe it is my last week! I want this week to be the very best, and we will make it the best. we could use a better word for it, but we are calling it "Dank Week." hahahaha we have some good stuff planned to make it great. 

thank you for letting me know of everyone's good wishes Mom, I really appreciate all the support i have been given, I can't thank everyone enough. 

oh heck yeah! you don't know how excited i am to go hunting hahaha! thank you so much for everything--hunting, new clothes, all of it. you guys are the best! 

i still do have that little cooler for traveling with my insulin, so i should be good there.  i will have to throw it in the Welch's fridge the night before i fly home to re-freeze it.

well, i have to go now. thank you Mom for all you do! i love you guys so much! have a great week! 

talk to you next week!

-Elder Sedlacek

If we don't talk to God, how can we know God?

hey Dad! it has been a good week. we did not find many new people this week, but we are working on it. we have some plans we are rolling out. it should help us to be working a lot more with the members. we are still working with K and R, but D is kinda falling off the map. he still has some interest though. 

we did not get to teach as much as i would have liked, but as you know, finding and teaching is an act of faith. it takes faith of both the missionary and the investigator. it is meant to increase our faith, and to teach us to look to Christ. through being put into so many areas where we have had to build up a whole new teaching pool, it has really increased my faith, and taught me to come to know the Savior. 

I think it is interesting that my patriarchal blessing talks about living the gospel of Jesus Christ, and how much my mission has taught me to build a foundation of faith, which will carry me forward. 

we did get to do some service for one of the ward parties on Friday. we helped set up for the Pioneer Day activity, which took place on Saturday. a bunch of people brought "pioneer food" that consisted pretty much of rabbit and venison stew, heck yeah! it was awesome! hahaha 

thank you very much for that tie you got me! a real Distribution tie hahaha thanks! we did get some rain, although luckily we got inside for dinner right as it was going down, so we did not get wet. thanks for all the sports updates! i am glad the Sox are doing well. 

this week i was on exchanges with an Elder from the district in Winchester, and we talked to a guy about his high boy Ford truck, and it was sweet. then he showed us his F100 and revved it really loud for us, i will send a video of it haha. that is cool they are getting y'all into Just Serve. I actually got to participate in rolling it out when i was in Englewood. they could put a lot more projects on, because it seems there aren't ever any we can help with in our areas. 

i want to finish my mission strong, because i know how much it will help me. i am not about to leave my mission with the ends "untied."  we reference that talk by Elder Choi a lot, especially when it rains haha. i too know that in order to have a solid relationship with our Father in Heaven and the Savior, we need to be looking towards Christ with all diligence. by doing so, we come to know Christ, and how we can follow him. I also like section 1 of the D&C. it talks about the apostasy, and the restoration of prophets and the priesthood, as well as spreading the gospel. it talks about how we spread the gospel so that others may increase their faith, repent, and gain testimonies and relationships with the Savior and Heavenly Father. 

i am so grateful for the restoration of the gospel and for prophets who lead and guide us on how to come unto Christ in this life. we we look towards Christ through doing the simple steps of the gospel, i.e. reading, praying, practicing obedience to God's commandments etc. as we heed the prophet's counsel, we will come to know Christ. i am so grateful for my mission and for my testimony that Christ lives, and that as we found our lives on him, we will have great joy. thank you for your support Dad, and for your great example to me! i love you Dad! have a great week! talk to you later!

Elder Sedlacek

hi Mom! it was a good week! i did get the strips and stuff you sent, thank you very much! i really appreciate all you have done in sending me supplies the last two years! as of now, i should be perfectly fine to the end with pump supplies, and i am sporting the pink sites, thanks to the Jensens!  you will have to let them know. 

I have been serving my comp by just doing little things for him, anything huge, just cleaning and stuff like that haha. there was a man we talked to yesterday who mentioned that he is questioning if God is really there and whether he exists or not. it is sad, cause i have seen a lot of people like that. It helps me remember and strengthen my testimony of how God has influenced my life, and how much i see his hand everyday, and how much potential i have to see his hand more and more. I get the great opportunity to share that testimony with others, and hope i can make a difference and help them turn to God. that starts with an invitation to pray to Him. if we don't talk to God, how can we know God? we can't! we have to talk to Him, it's just like anyone else we want to get to know, we talk to them. 

i had a good blessing given to me this past week, and it was awesome some of the things it said. that was just one tender mercy. i also get to go on exchanges tonight with one of my mission buddies who is my zone leader, so that will be fun. oh man, i forgot to email Libby happy birthday! i am glad she had a good birthday. haha that is crazy you had your knee surgery a year ago, and i bet you love your knew knee. i like the picture hahaha.  

I truly was sent to a special people, they have such a faith in God. everyone we talk to mentions how they have a strong faith, and how much they love the Savior, and how much he helps them. those types of people are the humble people it talks about in the scriptures. I just wish they would listen to our message, because they already understand a lot about Christ, and that He does have a hand in our lives, but i know how much better it could be for them with Christ's restored gospel. 

we have so much more potential, and we can become so much greater through the help of our Savior. it is such a blessing to be able to help people to see that, and to build my faith because of people like that. I know how much this gospel will bless our lives, i am so grateful to have served a mission and for the time i have left to serve, and that i can always serve. the road never stops, and the gospel will never end, we can always be at least a little better than we were yesterday, and we can always grow closer to our Savior as we follow his teachings and commandments. thank you mom!

well thanks, Mom, for emailing me! i love you guys so much! have a great day, and tell Sarah i say happy birthday!  talk to you next 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

Anderson was pretty crazy this week, which means we were doing what we were supposed to do ;)

Lots of rain adds up to some flooding. 

May 22, 2017

hey Dad! it has been a good week. my new comp is a boss, and is a great example, he truly loves the work and the people, and so i have a few things to learn from him. he is from UPALCO Utah (Utah power and light company) a TINY town outside of Roosevelt. he's definitely a farm kid hahahaha. we get along really well.  C is doing really well! we had stake conference yesterday and both recent converts showed. C helped usher cars, so that was cool to have him out serving. we had a lesson with him on Friday--the new member lessons. he described the feelings of the Spirit he has been having, and it was really cool, he is totally drawn into the Spirit. W is doing really well too, he saw us at Walmart today and was like "SEDLACEK!" from across the produce stuff. it was pretty funny haha. 

we found a few more people this week. there's a part-member family, that we have been waiting for a chance to teach the husband. Tuesday right after transfers, we got a text to go over and teach him that night, it was sick! we taught him, and set a return appointment. then L got permission from his parents to be baptized, so we will be getting that done soon. B found out about a former member in the ward, who cannot return to full fellowship for a long time. i think B got hung up on the problem, but he won't tell us what it is, just that he still wants to be baptized. but he will not come to church until whatever the real situation is, is fixed. we talked to J, and he really likes Elder Mitchell, so we were able to address some concerns he had, so hopefully that helps. 

we met a ton of people, but no one kept the return appointments. it's sad when that happens. it rained pretty hard for a few days there, i thought there would be more flooding than there is. a lot of the farmers' fields are drowned, so they can't plant yet--it will make for a late harvest. some people have managed to get the planting done, so hopefully soon the rain will dry up. we did not get it too bad though. that is crazy that Utah got so much crazy weather hahaha, well that's Utah for ya. 

sounds like the popular teams are doing pretty well hahaha, we need some upsets. i have heard that after the Indy 500 goes down, that all the hicks start driving like mad out in the country. hahaha! i am excited for that :) 

that is so funny about Brigham and the cake, he is a funny little guy. i hope they enjoy the humidity, it's been sticky here lately.  you go to bed feeling sweaty, and wake up feeling sweaty, and come out of the shower feeling sweaty hahahaha. 

hopefully you get someone good to fill your old spot at work, that will be good. ever since Elder Nielson's talk, i have tried so hard to not just refer to the atonement as its own thing. Christ performed the atonement, and he did it out of love for us. he performed the act, so we need to acknowledge that. i have definitely felt the effects of Christ's atonement this week. i was a little worried about running the area, but every time i had something not work out, boom! we had something else to do. i absolutely felt the power that comes when you have to run an area for a few days. i have noticed that i can suddenly do a lot more--i had had a ton more things we can do come to mind with planning and things, and then the blessings that come. we had several miracles happen, it was so cool. 

i love the fact that your experiences help shape your testimony, and sure as can be, your life is tailored to help you become who your Heavenly Father wants you to become, if you choose His plan. i am so grateful for that wonderful aspect of the plan of salvation. we have the ability to choose, and from that springs the opportunity to grow. i know that if we choose Christ's will, we will succeed, and His act of the atonement will make it possible for us to accomplish anything with His help.

thanks Dad for all you do for me! i love you!

Elder Sedlacek 

hey Mom! it was a great week. Elder Mitchell is a lot like me, he even likes engineering and he welds sculptures, so pretty much we have the same hobbies. he used to wrestle heavy weight, but was never fat, so he is super strong hahaha. 

thank you for the prayers, i absolutely had help running the area this week, and now it is going great. one miracle we had was on Tuesday. we had a part member family contact us, to have us teach them. that was cool, because we have been waiting months for the opportunity. the other day, we felt like we should teach Brother E the missionary lessons so he could help his kids. his wife is not wanting any church right now, and then on Sunday we got a text from him telling us that L got  his mom's permission to be baptized. we were like, heck yeah! so we will get him dunked soon. i am excited for this transfer. we will work hard, and i know we'll accomplish a lot. 

the most fun lesson we had was when we taught C the restoration again. he described the Spirit he felt, and it was super cool to hear that. he truly is seeking the Spirit. we also had a really good district meeting. we had a training given on the talk at general conference about hearing the music of the gospel, and not just the dance--look up the Mormon Message based on it. i learned a lot from that video. as we were sharing it with an older couple yesterday over dinner, i had an epiphany per say. that happens a lot when teaching, i will either learn something from what i say, or have experiences like that, where everything about the gospel just suddenly makes so much sense. it's an amazing feeling. everything just made sense to me, i can't explain it over email, but it was cool. 

the most challenging thing was probably the first day with Elder Mitchell. it was kinda awkward. we didn't talk much, cause we didn't know each other, but heck--that always happens at transfers.  a funny story: so Anderson was pretty crazy this week, which means we were doing what we are supposed to do hahaha ;) we just were teaching a guy on the street, and we were just getting to a part about Joseph Smith, and then bam! his pastor shows up and calls him over. we were like "oh crap." luckily nothing happened in the way of any bashing. but then we said the closing prayer, and instantly a little way down the street a car wreck happened, and then the congestion in the road caused another wreck nearby. total chaos! {i got pics hahaha}. then a few hours later, we are walking around, and we heard a bomb go off. it was a crazy day! 

that is cool you got work and stuff all figured out, i bet it's nice to be done for the summer, huh? thank you so much for sending the strips and stuff! that is crazy about Sarah graduating and all the other kids getting so old hahaha. Brig looked really big in those pics! i am missing the total cute phases! that's okay though hahaha. guess what? you will have to take me to the dentist, or i take myself when i get home. i have at least one cavity. people feed us so much sweets, it's not good haha. 

that is so funny about Brig and his cake, he sounds like such a funny little boi. i hope Brig can eat like Jeff used to. sounds like you had a good time at the grill with all them. 

we also had a really good stake conference this week.  Pres. and Sis. Welch spoke, and yes, Sister Welch came up to me and inquired about my diabetes. hahaha! you can be sure she does hound me on that stuff, but in a good way, like you would. she and President spoke about missionary work, and tried to motivate the members (YES!!!)  

i am so grateful for the Spirit teaching us and others the gospel. Heavenly Father has specific ways to speak to each of us, and He does so through the spirit, and if we listen we can hear the still small voice, and/or thoughts prompting us to act. i am so grateful for that. all i can do, if nothing else, is to strive my best to follow the spirit. we are blessed as missionaries to have it with us so much, but if we blink we could miss it. you see the effects from it everywhere. it's so amazing.

well, i have to go now. thank you Mom! you're the best! i hope y'all have a great week! i will talk to you later! go eat some watermelon for me!

-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. 

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

Life really is meant to be enjoyed

hey Dad! it was a good week. we found a few new investigators this week, and that was awesome. we are pretty much having to purge our teaching pool right now--some people need some more time to wait. we did find a guy, J***, and when we showed up he was either drunk or really hungover. i guess the previous elders had taught him a lot, so we set an appointment, and hopefully he keeps it. we also worked with some part member families. we are teaching a member's son, S****, who believes in Viking gods, but he seems very unsatisfied with it and has a lot of questions, so we taught him about the restoration. we set up another appointment for tonight, so hopefully that goes well.

the sisters in our ward hosted a dinner on Saturday for less actives and non members, so that we could get some fellowship. we got D there, so that was awesome. not as many members showed as we would have liked, but it was a decent turnout. we did not get anyone to church this week, but we should be able to soon. 

i loved the Zone conference--i always like those, plus Elder Huemann gave his departing testimony at ours, so it was cool to see him before he ends his mission. he said he would be at my homecoming so we will see haha. 

another cool experience this week: there's a new restoration video, and we saw it, it's amazing! it is such a down to earth approach in my opinion, and it really strengthened my testimony. i recommend watching it. 

the way we think and our level of happiness is really a choice, i have learned that on my mission. there are times where things don't go as planned, or they don't work out at all, and you can either choose to be positive or you can feel down about it, but being down won't help anything. life really is meant to be enjoyed and i find if i am too serious or too high strung, it's not nearly as enjoyable. Heavenly Father wants us to be happy, we just have to choose to be.

that's not good the teams lost haha. hopefully they play better next time. thanks for the bracket, you should get it soon! that's crazy you are now getting to do those international calls, that will be fun haha. yeah, the weather has sucked lately! hahaha in Indiana there is a huge wind problem, so it gets cold like this and the wind starts blowing. it makes it so cold that i had to break out the thermals again hahaha. we were actually going fishing today, but had to cancel since it's too cold (obviously i did not make that choice haha) that is fun you got to go shooting. good work on the floors! thank you Dad! i love you! have a great week!

-Elder Sedlacek

hi Mom! it was a good week. i wrote to Dad about the investigators we found, and we found a few, so that was nice. the Zone conference we had this past week was really good. Sister Welch started it off by talking about chastisement, so i was like, ooh this will be good hahaha. i think it is safe to say that most of the missionaries were rebuked a little, if you can call it that. because when i say rebuke, i mean realizing something we should repent of, or change, stop doing, or simply to work on. i had some impressions about what i could work on, not outwardly, but more internal, with the way i look at things. so that was good. 

i pretty much wrote everything that happened that i can think of right now to Dad. you luckies, its all warm there, it should go back to being warm here pretty quick. i bet you are having fun waiting for the floors to be done, right? hahaha i bet it will look really nice! 

that is crazy Carli is home now haha, i bet it is weird for her. i still remember those days when i was so shy i would hide my face. you would always have to tell me to stop doing that hahaha. 

probably my favorite part of this week was the fellowship dinner the Sisters came up with, that was a really good idea. my fave teaching moment was a funny one i guess, we met a guy from Kentucky--he was a hick hahaha. he talked with us for a moment while he was filling the porch with smoke (blech) and told us about how his grand-daughter passed away recently, and he was really upset because of feeling like God lets things like that happen that hurt people. i hate when people feel that way, cause it's not true at all, it all depends on how you look at it. we bore a simple testimony that God loves all his children, and tried to explain trials to him. it was just a good learning experience for me i guess, those always help to strengthen my testimony. 

that sounds like a cool experience you had, that is pretty cool. i find that when impressions come, Satan will always be there to fill us with crap and try to discourage us. i find that happens to me a lot, but if we remember what it says in Moroni 7:13 (i think) it tells us about thoughts and impressions. it helps me a lot. that is cool you had that happen.  

well, it sounds like y'all had a good week, that is good to hear. that's about all i have for the week.

i have to go now, thanks Mom for everything! i love you all so much! have a great week!

Elder Sedlacek