Tough Week

Well!

This week has been a tough one. We have three progressing investigators in Coal Mine. We had two appointments this week, and they both cancelled. Because of the split, our teaching pool is half of what it used to be. We have spent nearly all of our time trying to find less-active members to teach, or tracting. Tracting has yielded no fruits thus far... It's disappointing to see person after person after person be "not interested" in the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that I know will bring so much joy into their life. They came down here to earth, and now they're completely blind. This is their opportunity to get on the path that leads them back to their Father, His plan all along; they just don't know it.

But I won't give up! The thing I've learned most this week is that members need to be finding people for the missionaries to teach. This is the Lord's time, and we're spending it knocking on doors. We should be teaching!! Please, please keep the missionaries in your area busy. I wish we could just teach lessons all day, but this week, that hasn't been the case.

So, my new companion! His name is Elder Kelly. He's taller than me (maybe 6'2"), he's 21 years old, and he's a ginger. His name is Charles Isaac Kelly (Charlie, Isac?!?), which I thought was quite the coincidence. Training is a big responsibility, but I think I'm doing alright. Elder Kelly isn't hard to train. He's really smart, and he's a great missionary. He's going to do great things on his mission. I wish we had more teaching opportunities for him to experience, but so far his idea of a mission must just be tracting. I have told him that there are usually more people to teach! We keep trying everywhere, asking everyone, anyone! for someone to teach. We've tracted into two pastors, who were both really nice. It's nice when people aren't disgusted with you. If anything, Elder Kelly's getting a great crash course in the tougher parts of missionary work, so the rest should seem like a breeze! Well, not really, but at least I'm sure we're both growing from this experience.

My hope and prayer is that the members in our area have the opportunity and courage to share the gospel, and to invite us to get involved. I'll just strive to choose the right and work hard, and I know the Lord will provide! There are ups and downs in life. I guess this is just a part of it! But I'm here to serve the Lord, and I'll continue to do that with all my might!

I hope you all are well, and that you choose the right, always!

Sincerely,

Elder Rogers

A Thought from Mom:

I know I probably already sent this one before, but it is one of my favorites:

"As you shed tears in your Gethsemane while others laugh with the sinners, don't curse the purifying fire in which you have been placed. Your challenges are divinely appointed and they will ultimately perfect you." Glen L. Pace