Day after Christmas : )

So last week, I mentioned that one of the days I was alone with Elder Lamipeti. The day was going really slow because we didn't have any appointments and we were walking a ton. It was cold and it wasn't a ton of fun. We were walking back from the northernmost part of our stake to a house in the middle of the stake and I just had this thought to stop and knock on this one house that we were passing by at that moment. I fought it for a few steps and then I just turned around, back tracked a little bit, and knocked. A teenage Tongan boy answered the door. He quickly and warmly greeted us as Elders (which is a pretty sure sign that he's LDS, which he was) and he let us in. He immediately started offering us food, including some brownies right out of the oven. Now I know that you might've expected the story to end in a baptism, well it didn't. But that was the only house that day that we just randomly knocked, and it was a friendly member of the Church who really blessed two missionaries that day. It was just another evidence to me that Heavenly Father is taking care of me and that He knows when we're not having good days. And more importantly, He cares about it when we're not having good days. He really blessed me and Elder Lamipeti that day.

The other experience is actually quite similar. I was with E. Lamipeti and E. Heaton (on exchanges from another area) and we were walking through and apartment complex. We weren't tracting it, we were stopping by a specific address, but as we were walking we passed by an apartment with an open window. In the window we could see the backs of two people's head as they sat on their couch. The window was right next to the door, so I figured that if we knocked on the door, they would have to open it, because there was no hiding from us with that window  there. So we back tracked a few steps again and knocked on the door. An older lady from the Philippines answered the door and let us in. Her husband was the other person on the couch. Now, I'm sorry to disappoint you again, but they were both members haha. But, they explained that they were just visiting their daughter and son-in-law (who were members of the Church) and who had just moved into that apartment three days prior and who didn't know how to find their Church Building. So we met the daughter and son-in-law and helped them figure out where the building was, and then the son-in-law told us about two people that he wants to share the Gospel with. He said that he wants to wait a little bit, so we're still in the very beginning stages, but it sounds like two really solid potentials.

I know those aren't amazing miracles but they are small miracles to me. God lives and this is His Work, and He is definitely directing it.

I'm so grateful that I was able to see/talk to you all yesterday. I love you all so much. Happy Boxing Day! The next time I email you, Ricole will have a different last name haha. Congratulations Ricole! I'm so happy for you and Michael. Best wishes.

Love,

Elder Rogers

A pic : )

Here is the picture that is on Sis. Winn's website.  Love it!

English again!

Well I've switched languages again haha. I'm back in English. But it comes with a twist this time because my companion is from England. I'm learning British English now. So last Tuesday with E. Zambrano, the Zone Leaders came in the morning to drop off E. Drollinger, our new visa waiter, making us a quad again after the departure of E. Berrios. Minutes later I was told that I would be switched to the English program that night. The English elders in the same area were losing their Australian visa waiter and they had to replace him in order to ensure a quad in the english area because one of the elders recently had surgery and had to stay in to recover. So my companions now are Elder Little from England, Elder Lamipeti from Tonga (he had surgery), and Elder Bowman who is serving a series of mini-missions (that means he goes out for a few weeks at a time and goes home and then comes back) and ironically enough, my last area with E. Ramos was in E. Bowman's home stake. Weird huh? Oh, and last night I went on exchanges with E. Tiensuu who is from Finland. Pretty awesome. So it's been a great week because I got some extra study time when I had to stay with the recovering E. Lamipeti  in the mornings and then I got to go out and teach in English in the evenings. E. Lamipeti is out and about now, and I usually stay solely with E. Little now.  So that's the latest with me.

I realized that I forgot to respond to your questions about the missionary cookies. They were delicious! I took a picture of them before we ate them though because they were so cool. I'm glad I had four companions to help me eat them though. And thank you so much for the thermals! I love them.

So I don't know where I'll be for Christmas. I don't know if I'm temporarily here or not. Since E. Lamipeti is back on his feet they might put me back in Spanish. And Elder Bowman goes home this Thursday. So I don't know where I'll be or what language I'll be speaking next week or on the 25th haha. But I did find out that Skyping is an option for our Christmas phone call, but I don't know if I'll be to able to find a member who can let us use their computer for it. Especially, if I change areas again before then. So let me know in your next email what your skype information is, just in case we're able to figure it out.

Also, Mom, you might like this website. http://mamawinnsplace.blogspot.com/ It's the blog of our mission president's wife, Sister Winn. There is a picture of a real stud about one-fifth of the way down. I got Ricole's announcement! Holy Cow! She looks so great! 18 days! WHAAAATTTTT!!!! I don't even know what to say. I'm so excited for her! And I'm sympathetic for Dad haha. That's so cool about Sister Benefiel. I heard that 17 visa waiters are coming in tomorrow and 10 are sisters. Every spanish sister companionship is getting two visa waiters. We have spanish sisters in our district right now so there's like a 20% chance Sister Benefiel will be in the same district haha.

As for my visa, I don't know anything more than you do. They haven't told me anything else. I'm just kinda expecting it to take about three months. I think Heavenly Father's birthday present to me is going to be a plane ride to Brasil. It's so weird to think about Brasil now. It feels like I'm not going to go anymore. But I'm not complaining.

I love being a missionary more and more. I think about how I was when I first came out and I feel so different. I used to dread knocking on doors. I don't anymore. Tracting's not always fun, but it's not scary anymore haha. And teaching lessons is the best! Especially to little kids because they are so genuine and curious and (generally) happy haha. This week has really helped me to realize how much I love being a missionary. Although the vagabond visa-waiter style of missionary work is exciting, I'm looking forward to staying in one place for a while so I can really start to get to know members and investigators and the area as a whole.

Last week I kinda went on my Christmas rant in the email, so I'll simply repeat again that I love Christmas time! This is such a great work and such a blessing to be a part of it. The Gospel of Jesus Christ makes people happy. It changes the here and now as well as the eternal welfare of anyone who accepts it. Faith is such an important decision, one that cannot be imitated by anything else. It's such a blessing to be able to build my own faith as my fellow missionaries and I try to help others build their faith. And eventually, that faith leads to happiness, to peace, to all the things that we want the most. family, I love you so much. Please keep praying for me, and know that I pray for you. You are the best family in the world!

Love,

Elder Rogers

In the Spanish Branch

Hey so are people putting up Christmas lights in Santapoke yet? They are here and I love it. I LOOOOVe Christmas time, and Christmas Music and everything about Christmas. I love being a servant of the Lord whom we celebrate at this time of year.

 

Just so you know, last Thursday, E. Pavlakos, E. Pratt, Sis. Nielsen and I went downtown to the sheriff's office and got booked.... Just kidding. We only got background checks for our new visa applications and everything was clear. So that was cool to know that we took a step forward in the process. I'm grateful that I get to stay here for Christmas. The lights, the cold, the snow, the songs, they all just hit me straight in the heart. I try not to let it distract me, but I just love everything about this time of year. I could go on about Christmas, but I'll save that for later.

 

Something really cool happened yesterday. As you know, Fast Sunday was yesterday, and let me tell you, testimony meetings in Spanish branches are different than any one I've ever been to before. You know how one of the counselors from the bishopric usually starts it off and ends by saying, "The time is now yours..."? Well that was still the same, except it was in Spanish, but what was different was that while he was talking people starting getting up. At first it was just a couple. They got up and sat in the choir seats on the stand. Then more people stood up. It was a nearly constant flow of people standing up to wait in line to bear their tesitmonies. By the time the counselor finished, half of the choir seats were filled with people wanting to compartir their testimonies. The meeting went over by like 15 minutes as everyone from the stand bore their testimonies. The same exact thing happened in the second branch we went to yesterday! It was so incredible to see. There wasn't a second when someone wasn't moving towards the pulpit to share their testimony. I didn't catch all of the words that were said, but just the scene that I was seeing was just as strong as any verbal testimony that could be heard. I've never seen anything like that before, and I don't think I'll ever forget it.

 

I've found that the language barrier is kind of like a super filter to my own testimony. I have to think so hard when I bear my testimony as I try to translate from English to Portuguese to Spanish. There are often long pauses in between words, and even longer gaps between sentences, But I mean every single word I say in my spanish testimony. Every word is such a deliberate effort that it's nearly impossible for me to say anything but "pure testimony"  when I'm in spanish mode. It's been such a blessing to see my testimony from another point of view, to simplify it and distill it, and to share it with humble, loving people. Spanish has been a big challenge for me, but it's been a big blessing too. I love being able to share my testimony. My testimony has become more precious to me than it ever has before. It has become more REAL than it ever has before, and I feel so blessed to bear my witness of the reality and the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He truly is the Son of God, and He is The Savior of the World. He brings families together. He heals hearts. He performs miracles. He does it everyday. And He offers His Love and His Grace and His Mercy to anyone who will accept it. Family, I love you so much. Merry Christmas! Thank you for everything!

 

Love,

Elder Rogers