Monday, November 24, 2014

The First Week of a New Transfer

Monday, November 17, 2014

Baptism by Fire

Monday, November 10, 2014

Alejandro!

Monday, November 3, 2014

Halloween!

It's been a good Halloweek!

After preparing for the week on Monday, Elder Smith and I went with another companionship to Black Canyon National Park. It was saweet! A really beautiful canyon. I'll see what I can do about sending some pictures!


On Wednesday we had our Zone Conference, which you know I always enjoy. I was very uplifted and motivated! I don't know why President Murdock sent out that email about the iPads, because all he said is, "We still don't know." Thanks, President.

At the Trunk-or-Treat on Thursday, I dressed up as Elder Smith, and he dressed up as me. It got really complicated. I wore his tag and told people that I was actually Elder Smith, but that I had spent all day in front of the mirror making myself up to look just like Elder Rogers, and vice-versa! I'm not sure how many people understood... Anyway!

This week we also did quite a big of service for a member in the branch. He recently bought a new house, and is working on fixing it up. He has a lot on his plate right now, so we cleaned up his yard for him and picked up the thousands of little crab apples on the ground. It was some good, fun service! On Halloween night, we went back to his house and helped him install some blinds and change out some electrical outlets. I really like home improvement stuff! It's loads of fun!


On Saturday I went on exchanges to the Uncompahgre ward with Elder Jensen. This is his second transfer in the field, and he is from Gilbert, Arizona! He went to Highland High, and graduated the same year I did! Whaaat? When I got to their apartment I saw a family picture he had on his dresser and asked,"Is that at Freestone?" He was pretty impressed that I could recognize it from the trees alone. We had a great day out in the boonies (Olathe, Colorado). I got to speak English again, which was a little refreshing. It can be frustrating struggling to express myself in Spanish sometimes. We taught a great investigator of theirs who will be baptized at the end of this month, and a very firm old atheist man. We rebuked him for his blaspheming and called him to repentance. He didn't budge. But, it was a good learning experience, nonetheless. Elder Jensen learned the importance of rebuking with the Spirit, and not just out of anger or frustration! That's key.


On Saturday while I was gone, Elder Smith and Elder White taught Alejandro some important commandments to prepare him for his baptismal interview on Sunday. He came to church the next day and then passed his baptismal interview! Their family is so strong, and they're taking this change seriously. It's good to see. Very refreshing from the typical super-flaky Hispanic culture in the area.

Also a-typical is one of our new investigators Yuliana! She came to the Trunk-or-Treat with her son, and kept her commitment to read from the Book of Mormon! She's also one of the only investigators we have that asks questions about what we teach. Last night she asked us why the account of Joseph Smith's vision is different in his testimony at the beginning of the Book of Mormon from the account of the vision given in the Restoration video we showed her the week before. And that question led to a great teaching opportunity! We got to explain to her that the vision she saw in the video was the First Vision, where Joseph say Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and the vision she read about in the prophet's testimony was three years later, when the angel Moroni appeared and revealed to Joseph information regarding the ancient record called the Book of Mormon. I can't tell you how nice it was to actually be asked a question, because that means the investigator has actually been listening to what we've been saying! Unfortunately for us, Yuliana is just visiting family, and actually lives in Greeley, Colorado, outside of our mission. She'll be back there before the end of the week. But she seems well-prepared to investigate the Church no matter where she is!

The Church is true, and Heavenly Father answers prayers! I know it! Stay on the straight and narrow, and be happy! I love you all!

Sincerely,
Elder Rogers

It's been a good Halloweek!

After preparing for the week on Monday, Elder Smith and I went with another companionship to Black Canyon National Park. It was saweet! A really beautiful canyon. I'll see what I can do about sending some pictures!

On Wednesday we had our Zone Conference, which you know I always enjoy. I was very uplifted and motivated! I don't know why President Murdock sent out that email about the iPads, because all he said is, "We still don't know." Thanks, President.

At the Trunk-or-Treat on Thursday, I dressed up as Elder Smith, and he dressed up as me. It got really complicated. I wore his tag and told people that I was actually Elder Smith, but that I had spent all day in front of the mirror making myself up to look just like Elder Rogers, and vice-versa! I'm not sure how many people understood... Anyway!

This week we also did quite a big of service for a member in the branch. He recently bought a new house, and is working on fixing it up. He has a lot on his plate right now, so we cleaned up his yard for him and picked up the thousands of little crab apples on the ground. It was some good, fun service! On Halloween night, we went back to his house and helped him install some blinds and change out some electrical outlets. I really like home improvement stuff! It's loads of fun!

On Saturday I went on exchanges to the Uncompahgre ward with Elder Jensen. This is his second transfer in the field, and he is from Gilbert, Arizona! He went to Highland High, and graduated the same year I did! Whaaat? When I got to their apartment I saw a family picture he had on his dresser and asked,"Is that at Freestone?" He was pretty impressed that I could recognize it from the trees alone. We had a great day out in the boonies (Olathe, Colorado). I got to speak English again, which was a little refreshing. It can be frustrating struggling to express myself in Spanish sometimes. We taught a great investigator of theirs who will be baptized at the end of this month, and a very firm old atheist man. We rebuked him for his blaspheming and called him to repentance. He didn't budge. But, it was a good learning experience, nonetheless. Elder Jensen learned the importance of rebuking with the Spirit, and not just out of anger or frustration! That's key.

On Saturday while I was gone, Elder Smith and Elder White taught Alejandro some important commandments to prepare him for his baptismal interview on Sunday. He came to church the next day and then passed his baptismal interview! Their family is so strong, and they're taking this change seriously. It's good to see. Very refreshing from the typical super-flaky Hispanic culture in the area.

Also a-typical is one of our new investigators Yuliana! She came to the Trunk-or-Treat with her son, and kept her commitment to read from the Book of Mormon! She's also one of the only investigators we have that asks questions about what we teach. Last night she asked us why the account of Joseph Smith's vision is different in his testimony at the beginning of the Book of Mormon from the account of the vision given in the Restoration video we showed her the week before. And that question led to a great teaching opportunity! We got to explain to her that the vision she saw in the video was the First Vision, where Joseph say Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and the vision she read about in the prophet's testimony was three years later, when the angel Moroni appeared and revealed to Joseph information regarding the ancient record called the Book of Mormon. I can't tell you how nice it was to actually be asked a question, because that means the investigator has actually been listening to what we've been saying! Unfortunately for us, Yuliana is just visiting family, and actually lives in Greeley, Colorado, outside of our mission. She'll be back there before the end of the week. But she seems well-prepared to investigate the Church no matter where she is!

The Church is true, and Heavenly Father answers prayers! I know it! Stay on the straight and narrow, and be happy! I love you all!

Sincerely,
Elder Rogers

 It's been a good Halloweek!

After preparing for the week on Monday, Elder Smith and I went with another companionship to Black Canyon National Park. It was saweet! A really beautiful canyon. I'll see what I can do about sending some pictures!

On Wednesday we had our Zone Conference, which you know I always enjoy. I was very uplifted and motivated! I don't know why President Murdock sent out that email about the iPads, because all he said is, "We still don't know." Thanks, President.

At the Trunk-or-Treat on Thursday, I dressed up as Elder Smith, and he dressed up as me. It got really complicated. I wore his tag and told people that I was actually Elder Smith, but that I had spent all day in front of the mirror making myself up to look just like Elder Rogers, and vice-versa! I'm not sure how many people understood... Anyway!

This week we also did quite a big of service for a member in the branch. He recently bought a new house, and is working on fixing it up. He has a lot on his plate right now, so we cleaned up his yard for him and picked up the thousands of little crab apples on the ground. It was some good, fun service! On Halloween night, we went back to his house and helped him install some blinds and change out some electrical outlets. I really like home improvement stuff! It's loads of fun!

On Saturday I went on exchanges to the Uncompahgre ward with Elder Jensen. This is his second transfer in the field, and he is from Gilbert, Arizona! He went to Highland High, and graduated the same year I did! Whaaat? When I got to their apartment I saw a family picture he had on his dresser and asked,"Is that at Freestone?" He was pretty impressed that I could recognize it from the trees alone. We had a great day out in the boonies (Olathe, Colorado). I got to speak English again, which was a little refreshing. It can be frustrating struggling to express myself in Spanish sometimes. We taught a great investigator of theirs who will be baptized at the end of this month, and a very firm old atheist man. We rebuked him for his blaspheming and called him to repentance. He didn't budge. But, it was a good learning experience, nonetheless. Elder Jensen learned the importance of rebuking with the Spirit, and not just out of anger or frustration! That's key.

On Saturday while I was gone, Elder Smith and Elder White taught Alejandro some important commandments to prepare him for his baptismal interview on Sunday. He came to church the next day and then passed his baptismal interview! Their family is so strong, and they're taking this change seriously. It's good to see. Very refreshing from the typical super-flaky Hispanic culture in the area.

Also a-typical is one of our new investigators Yuliana! She came to the Trunk-or-Treat with her son, and kept her commitment to read from the Book of Mormon! She's also one of the only investigators we have that asks questions about what we teach. Last night she asked us why the account of Joseph Smith's vision is different in his testimony at the beginning of the Book of Mormon from the account of the vision given in the Restoration video we showed her the week before. And that question led to a great teaching opportunity! We got to explain to her that the vision she saw in the video was the First Vision, where Joseph say Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and the vision she read about in the prophet's testimony was three years later, when the angel Moroni appeared and revealed to Joseph information regarding the ancient record called the Book of Mormon. I can't tell you how nice it was to actually be asked a question, because that means the investigator has actually been listening to what we've been saying! Unfortunately for us, Yuliana is just visiting family, and actually lives in Greeley, Colorado, outside of our mission. She'll be back there before the end of the week. But she seems well-prepared to investigate the Church no matter where she is!

The Church is true, and Heavenly Father answers prayers! I know it! Stay on the straight and narrow, and be happy! I love you all!

Sincerely,
Elder Rogers


“There is no end to His power to bless and direct the lives of those who seek truth and righteousness.”


~Elder Boyd K. Packer