Spiritual ones

Hey mom! Yeah Christmas was super fun, i loved talking to all of you. I feel like Christmas was pretty cool. It was definitely one of my most spiritual ones. But I'm super excited to be there with all of you next christmas. I was looking at a picture of the family and was just thinking about how awesome you all are. I love talking about you and everyone to other comps. Haha but really, i had a good Christmas. The Lord really is so sweet. It was pretty hard on my greenie though. He's doing okay now though. I hope what you said about baby yoda isn't true😂 haha this Christmas I've really been focusing on the people involved with Christ's birth. Especially mary. Can you imagine raising a perfect son? I've been trying to put Christ in my studies more. And focus on his life. I love him, and his healing power. 

A real feeling and energy

Hi mom! I read a talk yesterday and it made me think of you! Ill send it after this email, it talked about how motherhood is the most divine calling. You are a queen!! I hope that this Christmas is fun, even though im not there haha. For us i think it will be pretty fun. We are sleeping over at the other elders house and having a Suriname missionary party tomorrow! Its been a good week, ive found something interesting, ive noticed such a power in service recently, not just doing missionary work to hand out books and tracts, but a real feeling and energy that comes. Making someones weight lighter by representing the Savior. I think Christmas is so great because of that. Last night we went caroling as missionaries and it was really powerful. Thank you for your influence of service. I remember caroling and not wanting to, but now that i look back, you helped me learn about that wonderful power that comes from service. I love you mom Mary Christmas! 💙

focus on what you have

Hi mom! We had a good week this last week, I'm so happy to hear about A baby, what's her name? That's wonderful to hear about h blessing. Families are so special and wonderful, especially when priesthood power and revelation are involved. I'm excited to see the future for this family. You are making such an influence on the lives of people around you through the gospel. Thanks for your counsel mom. I've found that as soon as i just start giving all credit to the Lord, more success and spiritual experiences happen. This past week we were on our way to a lesson with a member who had been alittle inactive. We passed a old man and a girl in a wheel chair. I felt that i should talk to them but kept biking but then the spirit said to turn around and so we went back. We started talking to the old man and everyone calls him "oppa" i noticed the girl in the wheel chair had a beautiful light with her, but she seemed sad. While we talked to oppa, the less active walked up and started testifying of the book of mormon with us and talked about how the girl in the wheel chair would have been a happy beautiful girl but because of her mom, she had ruined her hands and feet when she was little. I sat down next to the girl and talked to her while my comp talked to oppa. I said Hi! Im elder seffker! She said her name was rochel. I asked her what she liked to do for fun and she said she couldn't write, and so i said okay, well i can write/draw for you! She told me to draw a flower, and some more things. She said that she was 21 and that she liked listening to music and flowers. I made her laugh really hard acouple times (im a comedic genius i guess 💁‍♂️ haha) i asked her if there was anything we could do for her and she said she wanted to walk (i think she has constantly been told that because of her mom she can't do anything/be happy) the spirit told me to tell her that she should stop focusing on what she can't do, and focus on what she can do. I asked can you see? Yes. Can you hear? Yes. Can you be happy? Yeah. Can you be sad? Yes sometimes i get made and sad. That means you have a heart that works, you can feel. I told her that she had a beautiful smile. And i promised her, that one day she would walk, and then run, and then dance. And its through Jesus Christ. Discipleship is not having a bunch if baptisms. Discipleship is doing what the Savior would do and following the Spirit. Our goal should not be trying to build ourselves up and get credit. Our goal should be helping people feel the glory and love of God. He is great. He is merciful. His plan is perfect and all that is unfair is made right through Christ and the atonement. I love you mom

-love Scott

Missions are forever

Hi mom, yeah thanksgiving we didn't really do anything, to celebrate, but on saturday we all got together as a district and ate a bunch of chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes haha, it was a good time. We just had a district conference. A seventy came and spoke. It was cool, we talked about the light of Christ and the light the world thing. To be honest i was super tired and worn out by the end. The meetings went too long because of translation. The members didn't realize they needed to shorten their talks because of translation, so i was just worn out at the end of the day. I was alittle inpatient when we got to the apartment and for some reason less enthusiastic about the work because the conference was just soooooo long. But one thing that I've found about my mission, is as soon as i actually get out there and stop talking about change, but making it happen, i have so much more energy and enthusiasm. I'm alittle concerned/worried because the numbers are low in my area because I'm trying to balance getting all my studies in for my greenie, 1 hour of contacting, and all these conferences. My zone leader i think is concerned too, i don't blame him, but i remember that my success as a missionary is not determined by the numbers. Its determined by my willingness. I've got to focus less on the numbers and more on what is actually going on in peoples lives. There is a brother we are teaching who is in a wheel chair and has been to church for the past 5 weeks. He's going to be baptized on the 14th. At the conference i saw all of the members i taught and helped. The first baptism on my mission, scott, gave a talk on the stake/district conference. He talked about the youth program. I still remember teaching him how to give a talk when i was being trained. I felt like alma when he brags about the Lord. I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to see God change people and make them so different. Missions are forever, they don't end at the 2 year mark. Every member is a missionary. We can invite people to come and see in normal amd natural ways. I love you Mom i hope you all have a wonderful christmas season. We're coming up on your birthday, you've been a wonderful mother. I listened to the primary song "i know my Heavenly Father loves me" the song you'd always sing to me when i was little. Tears came to my eyes. Thank you for teaching my that my Heavenly Father loves me. That has carried me to my mission and throughout my life. The Love that you exercised for your father in heaven shined to your children, your influence has changed lives. I love you mom

Elder Seffker

He saves and redeems us!

Its a good time haha yeah i read james 1 this week too, ive decide im going to read jesus the christ  again. But read it slower. I am going to end it, at the end of my mission. Im going to be reading about christ's birth on christmas, have you seen that light the world short film they made? I think its one of my favorite vids released from the church. It makes you think about what they all knew about how important christ was from just prophecies. 

Christ lives. He saves and redeems us. I know that from personal experience. Love you mom 💙

Rhythm to Life

there was a baptism for the other elders investigator this week, and so we brought f, I think he really liked it. we sat in a lesson with him and asked him if he wanted to be baptized and he said yeah, it'll be good. I'm leaving my area after being here for 24 weeks, so now I'm going down to south zone, where it's pretty ghetto, should be some fun stuff. My new comp is E. M, and he's pretty cool. anyway in my studies this week I've been able to read alot more, because of having technology. here were some cool quotes from my studies this week:

"It is so easy to be confrontive without being informative; indignant without being intelligent; impulsive without being insightful! It is so easy to command others when we are not in control of ourselves. 

We should savor even the seemingly ordinary times, for life cannot be made up of all kettledrums and crashing cymbals. There must be some flutes and violins. Living cannot be all crescendo; there must be some counterpoint.

Clearly, without patience, we will learn less in life. We will see less. We will feel less. We will hear less. Ironically, rush and more usually mean less. The pressures of now, time and time again, go against the grain of the gospel with its eternalism.

Patience is, therefore, clearly not fatalistic, shoulder-shrugging resignation; it is accepting a divine rhythm to life; it is obedience prolonged. Patience stoutly resists pulling up the daisies to see how the roots are doing! "

-NEAL A. MAXWELL

anyway, I like how he says "Patience is...... accepting a divine rhythm to life" we can't constantly be having the most exciting things happening. anyway short email for this week but that's that 

LOBI!!

He will protect

This story is from this past week, We had another lesson with that guy named frank, now let me remind you, he is a very stiff old man, but the gospel really seems to soften his heart, we decided to bring a member to him, and i gave the idea of bro. S. s is alot like frank, really stiff, but really loving and nice. he'll tell you when you are wrong tho. anyway, before the lesson, we called him, and he was alittle stiff about where we should meet up, to go show him where franks house was. after the phone call, my comp said, "are you sure Bro. S isn't too old?" anyway, we got to the lesson, and this lesson would have either been super awesome, or they would have disagreed, and it would have been super bad. got into the lesson and they immediately hit it off. Bro. S said that he recognized frank from somewhere. they started talking about soccer in S. frank said you know de franco? the one with the short leg? Bro. s: yeah yeah, Frank: he's dead now. bro simons mouth hung wide open, no.....yeah, and you know Lagrange? he's dead too. no...... and then they talked about how soccer was good back in the day, but now it sucks, and then in the middle of the lesson, they talked about why dogs are so awesome. it was pretty funny, I was trying to hold back laughing a couple times. but anyway we taught him about the spirit world and how God loves all of his children, no matter age, race, or what ever. really awesome time. 

Hey mom, that story about a is awesome. I know the Lord will protect you too. that's one thinkg I've learned on my mission, is if you press forward with faith, and trust God, no matter where you go, He will protect you. I've seen Him watch over me alot. It makes me super happy that melissa is going on a mission, if the Lord tells you to go on a mission, it's mandatory. haha. but yeah, that's super exciting, she will love her mission. I am a big supporter on going on a mission. you have hard experiences, but they aren't as hard as they would normally be, because Heavenly Father lifts the burdens off your shoulders. thats what i noticed when I was in the hospital. he loves his children, and helps them, as they serve him. I saw the pics of remi, he is so big, thats so fun! I"m excited to see all you guys when i get home. Well thanks for everything mom, I love you 💙