July 15, 2013

July 15, 2013

Family!

Things are going much better in Colorado. I'm getting into the lifestyle, and the days just ruuuuuntooogether. There's a lot going on!

We had exchanges on Thursday, and I was with the District Leader, Elder Beuhecker. Not my favorite thing. I had to go to their apartment, so I had to sleep in someone else's bed and use their towel and bring over all of my toiletries and clothes. I didn't end up bringing the right kind of clothes and... blah. Also, the work in the area I exchanged in is not going nearly as well as where Elder Curth and I are serving. But it was just for one day and now I'm back where I belong!

I think I may have grown since I left on my mission, because on Wednesday night I asked Jimmer how tall he was and he said 6'2" or maybe 6'1" without his shoes on. We compared heights, and I was about as tall with my shoes on as he was without his. He said I was probably about 6'0". I don't know if that's true or not, but we can just keep hoping! But anyway, Jimmer Fredette's parents-in-law live in our ward, so he and his wife came over to dinner when we ate at their house on Wednesday. Jimmer and Whitney live in Highlands Ranch (during the off-season). Jimmer also came to church in our ward yesterday because his and Brother Wonnacott's (his father-in-law's) wives were out of town. He's a cool guy. I told him when he goes back to Sacramento (to play for the Kings) he has to ask the elders in his ward if they know me, because there was a whole district in my zone at the MTC that was going to Sacramento.

On Saturday night we went over to the Holmes' for dinner. They just had a son return from his mission in Mexico and are sending one out on Wednesday to serve in Brazil. They invited all of their close non-member friends over for dinner and a lesson with the missionaries! So the two aforementioned sons, Elder Curth and I taught the first lesson, the lesson of the Restoration. There were twelve people there!! It was a good lesson, and the Spirit was there.

We have a few notable investigators progressing towards baptism soon. One is Danielle. Her husband is a member who has been inactive for a long time. He has two sons (5ish and 7) from another marriage (shared custody). The younger one is named Peyton. The older one, Xander (that's a guess on the spelling; it's pronounced "Zander") is super, super smart! We asked someone to read a scripture and he was so excited! We were a little apprehensive, it being the scriptures and all, and he being seven... But he jumped in and whipped right past words like 'repentant' and 'whosoever' without missing a beat! He's so cool. He loves the lessons, and any time we visit them he asks, "What lesson are we learning today? I want another lesson!" Anywhoo, the father, Bernie, knows a ton about the church, and his wife Danielle is really receptive and kind. They have two sons together: Wayne, who is about Isac's age, and Sterling, who is just a couple of months old. Wayne is so funny!! He loves it when the missionaries shake his hand or give him a fist bump! And Sterling always looks up at you and then gets this surprised look. Haha! Danielle is getting baptized a couple of weeks after they get married in October. She's totally committed to it, they just have to be married first. Bernie is going to baptize her, and then about a month or so later, Xander. They already feel like an active LDS family!

Another progressing investigator is Myrna. She's about 72, I think, and probably 4'6". She's really nice, and active in the bell choir in her Lutheran church. One of her big reservations about getting baptized is having to leave the bell choir! Her late daughter was married to an active member of the church who's in our ward. (Her daughter was also an active member).

We went to a farewell party for Travis Oldham (oldum) a while ago. He's going to Tai Chung, Taiwan! The exact same mission his brother went to!! He has a friend named Nicola who is an investigator. Nicola is 18 and just graduated. For the sake of picturing her, she has boy-short hair. We taught her a lesson last week, and she is so receptive and excited about all of the new things she is learning! She came to church for Travis' farewell two weeks ago, and then came to all three hours yesterday with his mom! She said, "It just keeps getting cooler!" I can see her getting married in the temple someday. It was so cool at church, because the speakers in sacrament meeting seemed to be hand-picked for her. They were all members of the singles' ward, and one was an 18-year-old recent convert who is a girl!! The Lord is in the smallest details of the Church. They talked about how the singles' ward has helped them remain active.

Those are our three that we anticipate getting baptized soon!

So! I will try to remember and answer some of your questions.

Elder Curth is from Ohio. And no, he is not trunky! He's been a trainer almost his entire mission, so he knows what he's doing, and on some level, I think he knows the significance of his influence on me. That could be one reason he's not trunky, but he's also just a really good missionary.

It's just me and Elder Curth in the apartment!

We do our emailing at the Family History Center at one of the ward buildings.

We have a car! We cover two wards right now, but rumor has it they will be splitting our two wards into two areas with this next transfer in August, which means I will need a bike. But guess what!! My companion is going home next transfer, and won't need his bike! He said he would sell it and all of the accessories to me for $250. I don't know if you put money back on my card, but you should. I didn't really lose my wallet that first day, I just misplaced it for about an hour.

We have dinner appointments EVERY night. A few nights ago, I was tortured when the bishop MADE me eat two ice cream sandwiches. I don't know how Elder Curth isn't fat. He eats at least three times as much as me. Last night we had Hawaiian haystacks! The brother served in the Japan East Mission from '70-'72. He says "Onu" to Dad... But HEY!! I met someone who served in the Osaka Japan Mission!!! A brother in the ward from Canada served there a few years after Dad left. I thought you would like to hear that, Dad.

 We eat lunch at our apartment. I bought a 12-pack of off-brand mac and cheese, but it was disgusting!!! So I got Kraft. Once in a while, like after weekly district meetings, we will go out for lunch. And yes, I have cereal for breakfast. Special K fruits and yogurt, or Malt-o-meal Mini Wheats, Cheerios, or Cinnamon Toast Cruch. They give us each a credit card with $139 per month. And they reimbursed me for the baggage fee I had to pay to fly to Denver.

It's been raining here a lot recently, which is ironic because they told us when we got here that the state was in a drought. But everyone assures me they've had more rain in the past two weeks than in the last four months. I don't like it when other people drive, so I can't wait until I'm the assigned driver. Or we're on bikes. D&C 61:3! That's one thing that makes me not feel too bad about the idea of being on bikes.

Way cool that you're loving the play, Dad! Hale is my second home! You look great in costume in that picture. Keep it up and enjoy it! Also, both of you keep it up with the gym! We worked out last Monday, and I was sore for a super long time. My left arm was hurting, so I kept stretching it, and it hurt worse and worse, so I stopped stretching it and used my shoulder bag (scriptures) as a sling for a couple of days. Now it's better! By the way, I carry that shoulder bag everywhere.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something!! But thank you thank you for the letters and packages! They mean the world and a half! Kai sent be a big package with a bunch of stuff, including a tie she made! It's a cool, teal, paisley one.

I will certainly try my very best to write to everyone who writes me and sends me things. It means SO much to me!

But in case it takes me some time,

Please thank Libby a bushel for the toffee! The night before we left the MTC, there were a bunch of Elders from another district over at our apartment, and we shared snacks and stuff. They loved the toffee, and someone asked me then next day if I had more! I did, so I gave him some.

Same with the zucchini bread! MAN that stuff is good!

Thank Allison Macpherson for the sweet letter, and tell her I will write her back as soon as I can. Tell her it means a lot!

Thanks Brandon and Marissa for the letters, I will certainly write you, too!

Thanks Isac, for the awesome picture!!

Thank you so much for the song and the picture, Carrie!!

I love you all and wish you the best with all that's going on in life! You are in my prayers!

Sincerely,

Elder Rogers 

P.S. I will try to send some pictures, but I make no promises this week. I forgot my cord. QUACK!

A Thought from Mom:

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our power to do has increased."

--A favorite saying of President Heber J. Grant

 

Here We Go!

July 8, 2013

Dearest Family,

Mission life is CRAZY! There's a minute to breathe every now and then, but that's about it. My mission journal will reflect that. My first day in the field-- I forgot to write! Oh well. The next two days I wrote about three words. There's just no time and I'm SO tired at the end of every day. On Monday we flew in to Denver. We got up and loaded onto a shuttle at 4:30ish AM. There were the 14 original going to Denver, and an additional 4 visa missionaries (waiting to go to Brazil) who were reassigned to our mission. President and Sister Murdock actually drove to Denver the Thursday before. They met us at the airport with the APs. We had a long orientation all day and individual interviews with the Murdocks. We had dinner at the mission home and spent the night there.

Then, on Tuesday morning, we had transfer meeting. I was assigned to serve with Elder Curth in the Ken Caryl / Coal Mine area (those are the names of the two wards we cover) in the Columbine Stake in Littleton, CO. Everything is named Columbine! Columbine Meadows, Columbine Street, Columbine High School (yes, THE Columbine High School). I have expressed multiple times how weird it seems to me, because the word Columbine is synonymous in my mind with the shooting. I told Elder Curth it was like naming a neighborhood "Al Qaida Meadows"... Anywhoo!!

We went to our apartment on Tuesday. We live in an older single sister's basement, Sister Dekle (dee-kuhl). It smells funny, the ceilings are low, we have no kitchen, just some hotplates, microwave, sink, toaster oven and a mini fridge. Oh, and the bathroom door doesn't close. My bed feels like someone took a mattress-sized slab of jello and put a piece of particle board on top of it. But I put a comforter under the sheets and it's not too bad, especially because I'm so tired when I go to bed. So, we have done about two billion and a half things since I got here... Even if I tried, I couldn't tell you all of them. We're working with a lot of less-active members. There's an unfortunate amount of them here... One is a midget named Chris. He's a nice guy. The other day, we had a steak dinner at a member's house, and then Chris took us out to Texas Roadhouse... Elder Curth is crazy and he ate a bunch at both dinners. He's not fat, though. He's actually really ripped, you know, like, in shape. By the way, this is Elder Curth's last transfer, which means I will be "killing" him in a few weeks. Everyone here is weird about going home. Whenever someone asks a missionary in their last transfer how long they've been out they say, "Just over a year..."

We have a bunch of investigators, and a few of them are nearly prepared to be baptized. A lot of them, though, have been taught for years and are making very, very slow progress. People have a lot of trouble with the Word of Wisdom here. So, rewind.

On my first night here, I was a little down about the apartment and the difficulty of the work and so on. When I got in bed that night, I squeezed Elder Monkey tight and felt pretty homesick. But not for Mesa. For the MTC!! I just wanted to be back with my friends in Provo!! I miss them all so much. Fortunately, though, one of them, Sister Baker from my district, is in my district here in the field!! We're actually in the same room right now emailing. The Sisters are much more mature than the Elders, even though the elders are older now... Most of the Elders here are immature and irreverent, with a little lack of care for some of the more simple rules. It's discouraging. I never really thought of the Tempe mission as a good place to serve, but now I know that it is an AWESOME mission! I'm jealous of the missionaries who get to serve there. I know I always said I wouldn't live in Arizona after I graduated from college, but I don't think I ever want to live anywhere other than Mesa/Gilbert. Except Provo, and maybe Utah, I don't know. But be glad about that! There are good people here, but it's just different and I love love love the social and spiritual atmosphere where we live (in Arizona).

So, to sum up-- This week has been difficult. I haven't received a single letter from home. Just your emails. I appreciate them!! I want to do the best I can as a missionary, but it's not easy. I want to be exactly obedient, and it's difficult. My favorite thing to do is personal study, because I feel really close to the Lord. I need to work on loving the people and forgetting myself. Days pass slooooowly. But Sister Piton in the MTC said that on a mission the days feel like weeks, the weeks feel like months, and the months feel like days. I'm working on being positive and just adjusting to missionary life, really. It's tough. I can't honestly say yet that I'm having the best time of my life. The MTC was GREAT! But I know that this is a furnace of affliction, and that I'm gaining so much in character and in experience here that I couldn't do any other way.

I love you all! My prayers are with you!

My address is:                      Elder Jake Rogers

C/O Dekle Home

7659 S. Holland Way

Littleton, CO 80128

Love your missionary,

Elder Rogers! :)

P.S. I'll try to send some pictures in a follow-up email.

A Thought from Mom:

D&C 84:88 "And whoso receiveth you, there will I be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

 

The 4th of July

So...I'm just sitting in the family room--fireworks are over, kids are in bed--and I get a text from a number...you guessed it...in Colorado! This is GREAT having a missionary in the states! So, this is what I see:
                                       

Dear Mom, 

Who has ever heard of a Missionary getting to go to a Rockies game on their fourth day in the Mission Field?? It's good to be me!

Your Favorite Son (Or it could be the guy--Brother Engle, Stake High Councilor--that got special permission to take him!)

So, Brother Engle and I had a great text conversation. Turns out Jake's companion, Elder Curth was in Brother Engle's ward for a long time. Brother Engle got special permission to take him (and his new companion, Elder Rogers) to the Rockies game on the 4th of July! How fun is that?!?

As we texted further, Brother Engle told me that Elder Curth is a great missionary and they are in a very safe area. He said that Jake is off to a very good start under very favorable conditions. He also said that he seemed pretty tired. He said it can take a couple of weeks to get used to the altitude--"you feel like you are carrying around about an extra 50 pounds until you get used to it" is how he put it. In addition to that, earlier in the day, the Elders had been out in the sun attending two ward parties, and they also had a couple of teaching appointments before the game. Brother Engle said that he should sleep well tonight!

7th Inning Stretch--Three Strikes You're Out in the Old Ballgame!

Getting Ready to go home...

Lookin' Good, Elder Rogers!  Lookin' Good!!!

Oh how I love that Jake is surrounded by such good people! I am grateful every day that he is serving the Lord and there are amazing things happening to him. Game on, Elder Rogers!

In-between the MTC and the First Letter Home from the Field

Elder Rogers' trainer at the MTC--Sister Piton. She was Jake's favorite. She is a convert of four years and she is awesome! (Note that he can't really put his arm around her, so he is "pretending!")

July 1, 2013

The phone rings at 5:45 a.m. Monday morning and awakens us from a dead sleep. Mark answers: "Hello?" Voice on the other end of the phone: "Hello." Mark: "Hello?" Voice: "Hello." Mark: "Hello? Can you hear me?" Voice: "Hello, yes I can hear you!" Mark: "Who is this?" Voice: "It's Jake!"  Mark: "Oh....HELLO!!!"

We didn't know he was going to call from the airport! He was actually using quarters in a pay phone!! He was doing very well. There were 14 missionaries going with him to Colorado that morning. He was ready to go and really excited. We only got to talk for a few minutes, and then there was a warning, "You have only one minute left...deposit more quarters for more time." Jake said, "I don't have any more quarters, so..." We finished up very quickly and said our "I love yous." He said, "I'll talk to you at Christmas." And then he was gone! It was so good to hear from him. He is well prepared and ready to go!

July 2, 2013

Mark gets a call from Elder Peterson in Colorado. He told us that Jake arrived safe and sound, but that he lost his wallet. He was hoping he would find it, but wanted us to check his account for any suspicious activity. I went in to the bank and cancelled his Debit card (they said I could re-open it within 14 days). Glad to know he arrived safely. He is serving in the Ken Caryl Ward in Denver. Right now he has a car, but with more sisters arriving, the sisters will probably get the car and he will need a bike!

July 3, 2013

Elder Peterson called from the mission home again. Jake found his wallet. Yay! I called the bank and they reinstated his Debit card! Glad we don't have to replace everything in his wallet!

Later in the evening, I got a call on my cell phone from a number in Colorado. It was Sister Murdock, the mission president's wife! She just called to tell me that they were excited to have Jake in the mission, how much they loved him already (they met him in the MTC), that he was a great young man and was going to be a fantastic missionary. We talked for a little less than ten minutes. What an amazing thing for her to do. They had only been in Colorado as mission president for less than a week, and she called ME to talk about MY missionary! It was a blessing to me! I am so grateful that he is in Colorado. I know he is being taken care of by not only the Lord, but a loving mission president and his wife as well!

The End of the Beginning

Family!

Today is my last P-day here in the MTC! It's also my second P-day ever... Anyway, today we get to go to the temple, which is amazing!! I have had an interesting week. Being in a tripanionship is tough. There are some benefits. Well, one. When we roleplay, we can have a companionship teaching an investigator. That's the only up side I can see. It's tough planning for lessons with investigators, because we don't seem to be able to agree on what to teach, which leads to conflict and frustration, which drives away the Spirit. Without the Spirit, I feel a little down, and I have trouble focusing on my studies, which makes it harder to feel the Spirit. It's a vicious cycle! So I've been struggling a lot with that this week.

However!! Yesterday was a great experience that brought the Spirit back into my life, and I am now at a better place than I ever have been in the mission! We had in-field orientation at the main campus all day, so I got to experience lunch and dinner, as well as a few classes and so on at the "real" MTC. I'm glad I'm at West Campus. I would be so fat if I was at the main campus. In gthe cafeteria at lunch, Elder Rodgers and I were stopped by an Elder Rogers who is going to Japan! What are the odds?!

Your question: "Have you seen anyone else you know?" Yes! I was looking around the main campus all day for someone I know, because there's about 3,800 missionaries there or something, so I figured I was bound to know someone! I saw a sister from my highschool. I think her name is Amanda. I didn't get the chance to talk to her, and I don't think she noticed me, but it was a learning experience for me. She had been in my seminary class one of the years of highschool. I can't remember which... But she rarely showed up, and I assumed she was disinterested with the Gospel. She has now made the decision to dedicate herself to the Lord for 18 months. Who am I to judge another?? Good for her. 

Also, just before I left after dinner to go back to the West Campus, I heard "Elder Jake Rogers!" behind me. It was Elder Nick Bingham from our Stake! He's going to Mexico, and he got here on Wednesday. (He's the one President Salmon asked to give a short talk in Stake Conference.) I sat near Elder Hausenfluck during our devotional on Tuesday, so I got to talk to him a bit more. At the broadcast, two Elders shouted to get my attention at the same time! Elder KJ Green, going to Brazil, and Elder Quinn Marble! (sorry these are out of order sequentially, I only have so much time to write, so I am just typing what comes to my mind). Also, Elder McLaws, going to Winnipeg, Canada from our Stake was in my zone until he left Wednesday morning.

I have to tell you about the devotional on Tuesday!! The guest speaker was Janice Kapp Perry. She wrote a slew of the primary songs, including "A Child's Prayer," "I Love to See the Temple," "I Belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints," "I'm trying to be like Jesus," "Army of Heleman," and "Love is Spoken Here." All of the best ones, right? She had us sing a medley of all those songs, and it was great. She also re-wrote the words to "As Sisters in Zion" (I'm not sure if she wrote the orgininal or not. I think she might have). She had us sing the EFY Medley with the new words, which have the sisters also focusing on their call as missionaries! So cool. Instead of singing "We will be the Lord's missionaries," we sang "We are now the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth!"

Brother and Sister Perry served a mission in Chile, and Brother Perry served as a young Elder in France. Sister Perry shared the story of how they met. Before I relate this story, you have to understand that they are 78 and 74 years old. Brother Perry has a very old, raspy voice, and shuffles as he walks. My point is, he's old. After his mission, Brother Perry attended BYU and was in some music programs. Sister Perry was also there studying music. They had a few classes together and Sister Perry noticed him, but she didn't think he noticed her. The time came for final exams. Sister Perry was next up to play a piece for her exam, so she was warming up the reed for her clarinet. Brother Perry, who was sitting next to her, nudged her. "What?? I'm up next!" she said, a little irritated.

"I was just thinkning... Those lips were made for something better than playing the clarinet." Needless to say, the whole stadium cracked up at that! Then Brother Perry got up from his seat on the stand and hobbled up to the podium. He put his hands on the sides of Sister Perry's face and planted a big one on her! The audience was laughing so hard! Then Brother Perry turned to us and pumped his fist in victory! All of the Elders clapped, and some gave him a standing ovation! He sat down, then got up and did it again. Quite an interesting devotional... Not typical, for sure. It's my only MTC devotional, so at least it was memorable!

We got to meet President and Sister Murdock! They are SO awesome!! I am so so so excited to serve with them! I would say more, but I'm running out of time!

Now to explain how I came back to feeling the Spirit yesterday. The in-field orientation was not our typical spiritual classroom setting, so our companionship was feeling a little bit of a lack of the Spirit. After we came back to the West Campus, we had an appoinment with our TRC (teacher training resources) investigator, Gabriel. He is from Chile and has a strong Christian background (he's Catholic). In our last lesson,  we had shared the message of the Restoration and invited him to read the Book of Mormon. He seemed a little confused when we left, but very interested. Before we went in to teach him yesterday, we sang "I Am a Child of God" to invite the Spirit. We had a wake-up call to the importance of our calling, and we made a true and sincere goal to be exactly obedient. As we felt neccessary, we knelt in personal prayer and asked for forgiveness for certain things (nothing too serious, but just losing focus, not being exactly obedient, etc.).

 We began our lesson with Gabriel by singing "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus," which we felt would invite the Spirit. After a prayer, he shared with us all of his thoughts about what we had shared the last time we met. He is so interested in the prophet Joseph Smith and his story. He said he started reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning. The VERY beginning, meaning the testimonies of the Three and Eight Witnesses, and of the prophet Joseph Smith. He said he also looked online for more information about him and found articles and videos (in Spanish) about his life and the first vision. He said (basically), "Why would he have continued to suffer all of that persecution for the first vision if it wasn't true? Why would all eleven of those men put their names on those testimonies for the world to see if they did not actually see what they said they saw, jou know?" (He says 'jou know' [you know] a lot!) 

He said he was excited when he read the prophet's testimony, and he felt somehow that he was also a witness to the first vision. He said he thinks he knows it's true (Elder Rogers translation: He believes it's true). Elder Hawkes and I shared with him that we would put our names right next to theirs in that book, and I said that I know he was a prophet, and that he saw what he said he saw. Tell the world, I would live and die for that testimony. He appreciated that. He said he wants to get baptized when he really knows that it is true. He said, "If all of this is true, jou know, my life... My life will never be the same, jou know?" I told him that he was right. His life would never be the same, but it would be better. The Spirit was so strong, and I gave Gabriel the biggest hug after the closing prayer. I love him, and care so much about his eternal salvation.

The Lord blessed us, I feel, for our new resolution to be exactly obedient. he allowed the Spirit to be in that meeting. Our obedience affected Gabriel's salvation. What a great responsibility, and what trust the Lord has placed in His missionaries!

We need help here at home. I'm glad to be serving in the U.S., where I can relate to people and help the Lord bless families right here where we need it most. Also, my district is so awesome!! We decided that they take those who were friends in the pre-existence and then put them in the same MTC district.

I appreciate all of your letters, the zucchini bread (Elder Hawkes and I love it!), and the love you send from home! I'm sorry if I don't respond to all of the letters, but I can only write back on P-day, and there's so much to do! I love you all.

For the mission plaque: 2 Nephi 31: 11-12

If he has the power, make sure Brother Nielson knows that the mission has NO commas in it: Colorado Denver South Mission

The Church..... Latter-Day Saints (with a hyphen)

I hope I didn't forget to answer any of your questions, but I feel like I did. Sorry! Stay true. Read, please read from the Book of Mormon every day!

Love,

Elder Rogers :)

MTC District

First Letter Home

Family!

Today is Friday, June 21st, my first P-day in the mission! The West Campus is awesome! Let me start from the beginning.

On Tuesday, Grandma, Grandpa and I went to the Salt Lake Temple. There was another missionary reporting on Wednesday in the session with us. He came up to us in the lobby afterwards and asked me if I was going into the MTC on Wednesday. I told him yes, I was going to Denver, Colorado. He said, "South?" and I said "Yeah..." He explained that he had a friend from high school who was going to the same mission and also reporting on Wednesday. He said his name is Jason Hawkes, and that if I see him, I should tell him Elder Jepsen says Hi. I thought, Oh, cool. I probably will meet this kid if we're going to the same mission. After that, we went to see the conference center. It's HUGE!

We had a great dessert at Dan and Steph's, where I met Sara and Daniel (they're so cool!). Andrew gave me two ties from his mission. I wore one of them to the MTC on Wednesday. We pulled up and some elders took my bags. I was directed to the multi-purpose building (a re-purposed chapel). I walked into a room that was kind of like a tall relief society room (hope that makes sense). One sister at a table waved me down and asked me my name. I said, "Elder Rogers." She flipped through a box of mini manila envelopes she had and said, "Jake?" Yup! Inside was. . . MY NAMETAGS! (among other things!!!)

Another sister took out one of the nametags and put it on my suit coat. It had a "dork dot" (a sticker) so people would know it was my first day. The sister asked to make sure I had been to the temple to recieve my own endowment, and that I had been set apart as a missionary by my Stake President. Then, I was given an MTC I.D. card. I looked at the envelope I had been given earlier and it had the name of my companion. Jason Hawkes. Whaaaat?!

I went outside where an elder helped me take my luggage to my residence. Then, all of the arriving missionaries met in the chapel for an orientation. We were directed to sit with our districts, and that's when we would meet our companions. Elder Hawkes is 6'5". One elder in our district just never showed up... We're still waiting for him, I guess. He's from Canada and it's my personal conclusion that he probably has visa problems or something. Who knows. Whatever the case, it's too bad... But his companion, Elder Rodgers (HA!) is a cool guy, and he's 6'2". Elder Hawkes is from Sugar City (Rexburg), Idaho, and Elder Rodgers is from Alpine, Utah.

Because Elder Goetz isn't here, we're a trio (or tripanionship or threesome). It actually works out pretty well, except that we all have to be together all the time. Three isn't as easy as two in that respect. Anyway, our district consists of us three elders, Sister Baker, Sister Bird, Sister Jones and Sister Remmington. There are four districts in our zone, and two of them have sisters. I'm glad we have sisters. They're awesome! They are really mature, but super cool to be around. Elder Rodgers (and his companion) and Sister Bird will be serving in the Florida Fort Lauterdale Mission, and the rest of us are in Colorado Denver South. 

At the orientation, the MTC presidency talked to us about a bunch of different things, and it turns out we WILL get to attend the "Work of Salvation" broadcast at the Marriott Center on Sunday!! Yay!! They have really strict guidelines for the sister missionaries' apparell. Elder Hawkes and I have the exact same suit from the missionary store (the striped one), very similar shoes, and he has two identical ties. So we're definitely twinning it up on Sunday for the broadcast. Go to it at the Stake Center and look for me in the croud of 3,000+ missionaries!

After going back to our residence to unpack, we went to "The Investigator Experience" at the chapel, where we had three experiences teaching three different "investigators" as a thirty-panionship. It was pretty rough. There's a lot to learn, and I already feel like my knowledge of how to be an effective missionary has multiplied a ton since I've been here. Our teacher for the experience was Elder (Brother) Christensen from The District (the missionary training videos)! I know you probably don't know this, but it's kind of a big deal. Like EVERY missionary since 2008 or so knows him, or of him, rather... That night, I saw Elder What's-his-bucket from our Stake, who's going to Winnipeg, Canada!

Yesterday was our first full day at the MTC. I had a tough time falling asleep, maybe some one-hour jetlag, maybe because I slept had slept in that morning, maybe because Elder Hawkes is the LOUDEST sleeper I've ever had to room with!! Poor Elder Rodgers had to pull a mattress in onto our floor to sleep. They have bedding here, in case you were wondering. We sleep at Wyview, and do everything everything else at Raintree. We get up at 6:30 (or earlier), get ready, and go do our personal study at Raintree with our district.

Our district is so awesome. Seriously. And Elder Hawkes is totally cool! He played basketball and has this sort of comedic mixed-feeling situation about the girl he left at home. Sometimes, he thinks she's way to sappy and says he'll break it off, and the next moment he's writing her a love poem. Elder Rodgers is also a cool guy, but a little more laid back. He played football. All three of us just graduated from high school and are 18. I feel sorry for Elder Hawkes, though, because whenever he says, "Elder Ro(d)gers!" we both turn around. We eat our food in the cafeteria at Raintree. I'm not sure if it was a cafeteria before the West Campus, but it is now! I think it used to be like a club house for the complex or something. The food is fatty, and we're all convinced they're trying to make us fat. But Elder Hawkes and I aren't giving in. We're not gaining weight! At least not at the MTC... At least not a lot... Hopefully... 

Today, we were walking into the cafeteria for lunch and I spotted Elder Hausenfluck!! small little desks attached to chairs. Our teachers are Sister Piton (Pea-tone), an awesome convert of four years who served a mission in Salt Lake, and Brother Cowan, who we haven't met much yet. Brother Cowan is cool, and he will be playing the role of our investigator, Mark, for the duration of our stay here at the MTC. We teach a single "investigator" twelve times before we hit the field.

Whaaaat?! He had just been transferred from the main campus on Tuesday, and he, along with every other missionary we've talked to who's been transferred, says that West Campus is WAY better! For classes, we meet in apartments, one district to a room, with small,

We have a ton of time to study throughout the day, and I'm loving it. They keep us so busy. I hope you're not offended to hear that I'm not homesick. Everyone tells me, "Don't worry, the first three days are the hardest..." And I'm thinking, Okay, so... What if they're not hard at all? So I'm hoping it doesn't just hit one day or something. I think I'm going to be just fine, and I'll do great emotionally! I have had a lot of revelation and guidance from the Spirit in study for my investigator, and for the talk all missionaries have been asked to prepare for for sacrament meeting. I have a color-code system going with the six scripture markers I have, and some of the pages in my Book of Mormon look like Christmas!! Time is running short, So I'm gonna close this email up.

I have a testimony of the Atonement, and of the Restoration of the true Church of Christ. It's growing every day. In the MTC, they don't teach you the lessons. In fact, they mostly spend time trying to get us to really soak in the idea that our whole purpose, everything, is to bring others closer to Jesus Christ. Invite others to come unto Christ. We study, we as children of God need to do that, and how we do it, but it's really interesting to me that no one has said, "Okay, let's turn in Preach My Gospel to lesson three!"

The Church is true. I love you all, and I miss you, but I love the work so much and I wouldn't rather be anywhere else! I love my Savior. I know He lives.

Elder Rogers