Bring a jacket!

I'm in Gunnison! Man, it's been an adventure.

Gunnison is an area smack dab in the middle of the mountains! It had been getting pretty hot in Grand Junction, but it's been snowing recently here in Gunnison! Our area is really big, so it's a car area! Woohoo! The town of Gunnison is only about 2x2 miles. Then we cover Crested Butte, a ski town to the north (they had it open for skiing this past weekend!! Whaaat? It's almost March!), Lake City to the west, and another town to the east or south... I can't remember exactly. But it's at least a half-hour drive to any of the outlying towns!

As you know, I'm training again this transfer. My new companion is Elder Sofele! He's from Hawthorne, California (LA area). He's a big Tongan elder, and he's 20 years old, so I still have yet to be the older companion. Anyway, we had a three hour drive from transfer meeting in Grand Junction to get to Gunnison! My new district is called the Mount Sneffels District. I know, it's a super funny name. I love it! In Gunnsion, we have sister missionaries serving in the branch as well. Oh yeah-- it's a branch! Man! First, I covered two wards, then they split it and I covered one. Then I got transferred and shared a ward with sisters, essentially covering half a ward, and not I'm covering half a branch! What the heck??

But I digress. We have sister missionaries in the branch as well, Hermana Stoeltzing, the Spanish sister that came into the mission with me (we actually sat next to each other on the flight to Denver!), and Sister Smith, a brand new missionary that was in the MTC with Elder Sofele. Sister Baker, from my MTC district, is also in the Sneffels district, and Elder Buhecker, my first District Leader! He's the one that provoked the snake on that hike a while back. Elder Hawkes, my MTC companion, is one of our Zone leaders, too!

The sister missionaries in Gunnison serve in a Spanglish area, since our branch encompasses Spanish and English, Families, and young single adults! There's a university in Gunnison, Western State Colorado University. There's a big W on the side of one of the mountains, and I'm told it's the largest collegiate letter in the nation. Umm... There's a problem here! I'm going to have to talk to some people about that when I get to BYU.

We have one really solid investigator, Michael, and several, ummm, developing(?) investigators. We're working hard, and I think I know a lot more about being a missionary now, so I hope to be a good trainer for Elder Sofele! He's a really great guy. We're getting along great, and things are looking up for the Gunnison Branch! The Branch President here is President Harvey, who is the son of an elderly couple that I was very well acquainted with in the Grand Junction 7th Ward!

It's a bit chilly here, but I'm finding myself turning the AC on in the car when it's 42 degrees outside... I don't know what's happening. Elder Sofele will be shivering in a jacket, while I'm fine and dandy without one! Anyway, I'm emailing at a library, so I have a time limit, and it's almost up! I love you all! Read and pray. The Church is true! Continue in excellence.

Sincerely,

Elder Rogers

A Thought from Mom:

“God not only loves the obedient—He enlightens them.” ~ Henry B. Eyring