Once There Was a Snowman, Snowman, Snowman...

Wheek Whone of a Whay Awesome Transfer!

Shalom!

On Monday, we went back to Dos Hombres so the ghost chilli burrito could claim yet another victim: Elder Bartlett. There were six or seven people who tried the challenge, and three of them completed it! That was our p-day.

We had transfer meeting on Tuesday! Our ward got an additional Sister, Sister Jones from my MTC district! So now we have three sisters in the ward. Sister White was replaced in the Spanish branch by Sister Noakes, a sister who until this transfer had been an English missionary. All of the Elders in the district stayed.

We don't have \an extra hour of study in the morning now, since Elder Bartlett is officially no longer green! So between 10:00 am and lunch, we've been going out tracting and contacting people on the street. We've had some success, and it's really strengthening our finding abilities!

We pickerd up a new investigator, Shayla, who's father is a less-active member. She knows nothing about the Church, except what we recently taught her about the Restoration, so we'll see how that goes! We've got high hopes!

Chuck got a job working on an oil rig in Roosevelt, Utah. It's great for him, but he's gone all week! It makes it tough, but we're going to keep in contact with him and teach him as much as possible while he's here on the weekends until his baptism!

Great things are happening in our area! We tried to contact a member on the new move-in list. The member didn't live there, but a girl named Troy did. She told us she didn't know the people we were looking for. So, I told her who we were and what we do. I asked her if she'd like to hear a message about how the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored through a modern prophet. She said, "Yeah, actually. That would be great!"   ...What?...   I thought she must have misheard me, but nope! She was just ready to hear about the restored gospel! Since she lives alone with her infant daughter, we gave her as a referral to the Sisters. I hope things progress with her!

I LOVE being a missionary!

Be excellent! I love you all!

Sincerely,

Elder Rogers

Butterfingers gets a grip!

January 27, 2014

Salaam!

First thing's first: transfer news! The zone leaders called on Saturday night to give us the news that we are both being transferred to the Grand Junction 7th Ward! That's the ward we're in now; they were just trying to be funny. So Elder Bartlett and I are both staying here for another transfer! This is the first time I've ever had a companion for more than one transfer. We've got a lot going on in the area, including two or three baptisms this transfer, so we're both glad we get to see those through!

We're getting an additional sister in the ward, so there will be a tripanionship. One of the Spanish sisters is leaving, and an English sister is being brought in to learn Spanish. Other than that, no changes in the district!

Last p-day we went to a restaurant called Dos Hombres. They have a challenge there: eat one 2.5 pound burrito covered in ghost pepper chili in 30 minutes or less. Naturally, I had to try it.

Before the Burn! (See how happy I look!)

I didn't succeed. The ghost pepper is the hottest pepper in the world, as you well know. They let you drink water, but that doesn't help too much. But because it does help a little, I ended up drinking about five glasses of water by the time I got through the first pound and a half or burrito, which filled me up. So in the end, it was the spiciness and the quantity that got to me.

See how fast my hand is moving?! (Also, notice the red in my face?!) Man--this is HOT!!!

Oh well! We're going there again today, but I'm going to try and enjoy my lunch this time.

Yesterday was Chuck's scheduled baptism date, but we decided to postpone it for a little bit. We want to make sure he's fully prepared, and we feel confident that he will be. So we've rescheduled it for February 15th! He said he met a guy at work who also used to be a baptist, and who is also learning from the missionaries! That's awesome, because he works in the oil industry, where the people are really rough. He'd been having a really hard time there, but this should hopefully help out. He told us about one time when his co-workers were using really foul language and he made a comment about it. They got defensive and asked if he was religious. He said, "Yeah, I'm a convert!" They asked him what he was a convert to and he said, "I'm a Mormon!" Of course they mocked him, but he is proud of his faith and the things he's learning. We're really happy for him. He and his wife have talked about serving a mission when they get older! He talked to the bishop about serving a mission now, but of course he can't be a full-time missionary while he's married with young kids. But we'll teach him how he can be a member missionary!

We're still waiting on getting permission from Noah's mom for him to be baptized. I think I've talked about him before... But hopefully she'll come around and he can enter in by the gate! We teach him several times a week, and we're almost to the point of having to restart the lessons! It wouldn't be a bad thing, though, because he's taking a little time to absorb it all. He's pretty funny. We've been teaching him about the commandments recently, and principles from modern prophets that go along with them. He always commits to live the commandments, but one time he said, "Great! Now I can't date 'til I'm sixteen, I can't do stuff on Sunday, and I can't have coffee or tea!" But I think he understands the principles behind the commandments, and he's okay with living them.

We're going to have a good transfer. Keep choosing the right! You are choosing the right, aren't you? I hope so! I love you all!

Sincerely,

Elder Rogers

P.S. I don't know how I managed to get 41 ties. I actually have 40 now, because I gave one to Noah. I've probably bought eight or nine at thrift stores, and I got seven or eight for Christmas and my birthday... They just sort of come to me one way or another...

A Thought from Mom:

 

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.”

~J.R.R. Tolkien

Oh Happy Day!

January 20, 2014

Hello!

This week has been great! Elder Bartlett and I have been slowly improving the quantity (and hopefully quality) of our work. We've consistently taught more lessons each week than we had the previous week. This week, we had a ton of lessons with investigators! Chuck is doing really well, and he's going strong towards the 26th. He had his baptismal interview on Saturday, and it went really well. The Elder who conducted the interview was impressed with his testimony.

He will be baptized on Sunday at 4:00pm! He really does have a strong testimony, and I believe he's doing all the right things for all the right reasons. We're really excited for him and his family!

We're working with James for a baptismal date in February sometime. He has decided to be baptized, and we're just working on the details. It's going great with him as well!

The next time I email, I will know what's going on with transfers! This transfer seems to have flown by! A lot has happened, and the days just keep rolling. I never know what day it is anymore. Elder Bartlett will say something like, "Why aren't those kids in school?" So I'll think about it for a second and then say, "Because today is Saturday." And then we'll pass by a drug store on our bikes, and I'll think, Maybe we could go in and buy a bottle of water. And then I remember it's Sunday.

I have 41 ties now. When I get one more, I'll have enough to wear a different tie every day of the transfer! The tie rack I have in only supposed to hold 24 ties, so it's kind of full. I was looking at my ties the other day, trying to decide which one I wanted to wear, and then I had a thought: It will be so weird when I only wear a tie once a week. It will take me almost a year to go through all of these ties. Maybe I'll make a quilt out of them or something...

Anyway! All is well here in the Centennial State! We're excited for Chuck's baptism and for the transfer coming up next Tuesday! My thoughts and prayers are with you continually. Thank you for all of your love and support! Be excellent, and choose the right!

Sincerely,

Elder Rogers

A Thought from Mom:

“The intensity of your desire to share the gospel is a great indicator of your personal conversion.”

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

White Winter!

Hello!

This week has been great! We had Zone Conference on Thursday, which really gave us a spiritual boost. I always love Zone Conference!

Grand Junction District

 On Saturday we had a lesson with our investigator, Chuck. He recently married a member of the ward. We had taught him the first lesson about the Restoration, and went into our lesson on Saturday planning to talk about the Word of Wisdom. When we started the lesson, though, Chuck said that he was having trouble understanding what we had talked about last time. So, we went over it again, and tried to teach it more simply. After we reviewed it, he said that he understood. I felt prompted that we should read 2 Nephi 31 with him. So, we did! That chapter talks about Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. After we read it, we talked about the importance of baptism. Elder Bartlett extended an invitation to be baptized, and he accepted! We committed him to prepare to enter the waters of baptism on January 26th. We are praying hard for him to be prepared by that day!

We have an appointment with another investigator named James tonight. We've prayed and discussed, and we decided to invite him to be baptized on January 25th. I'll let you know how that goes!

We've been talking to a lot of people, teaching more and more lessons, and overall I've just been working hard and enjoying my mission! It's a great time in my life!


I heard that Justin and Rebecca were able to make the move to Albuquerque without too much trouble. I hope they're settling in well! Enjoy the Gilbert Temple open house! That's starting soon, right?

I hope all is well with everyone at home, or wherever you all may be! Remember to choose the right!

Sincerely,

Elder Rogers

A Thought from Mom:

"Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Happiness is to be found along the way, not at the end. For then the journey is over and it is too late. The time for happiness is today, not tomorrow."
~Joseph Smith Jr.


 

Y2K14

Hello everyone!

For everyone's information, I'm adjusting very well to Grand Junction. I think I've decided that I like living in big cities, but as a missionary I prefer smaller cities.

Things are going well here. I love getting exercise on a bike. It makes me feel... healthy! Our days are productive, and I'm doing well! We are in a new year! As anticipated, I've had problems remembering to write 2014 on our records instead of 2013. But I'm working on it!

Elders Bartlett and Rogers--Grand Junction, Colorado

Other than the new year, not a whole lot to report on! We keep teaching, preaching, expounding, exhorting, and hopefully soon there will be some baptizing! We just recently began teaching a man named Chuck. He just got married to a member of the ward's daughter. He seems sincere in his desire to change his life, and I believe he's been prepared to receive the gospel. At the end of our lesson, I suggested that he say the closing prayer. He did, and thanked our Father in Heaven for giving him a "warm heart" that evening. He said it was the first time he had felt that way. What's that? A burning in your bosom? He felt the spirit, and I believe good things will be happening soon.

Thank you for all of your love, thoughts, and prayers! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the monkey mug, which I use almost daily, and for the hot chocolate, which gives the mug a purpose. I hope that you all have a fantastic 2014! I won't see you this year, so make it the best you can without me! Be righteous examples, and be happy! I love you all!

Sincerely,

Elder Rogers

A Note from Mom:

"So why should we bear frequent and powerful testimony of Christ? Because doing so invites and becomes part of the divine power of testimony borne by God the Father and by the Holy Ghost, a testimony borne on wings of fire to the very hearts of investigators. Such a divine testimony of Christ is the rock upon which every new convert must build. Only this testimony of the atoning Anointed, Victorious One will prevail against the gates of hell."

~Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

 

Letter to Elder Rogers' Parents

Posted with permission from Brother Gum:

To the Parents of Elder Jake Rogers; 

I wanted to take a minute and express my deepest appreciation for the efforts your son has spent teaching me. He recently left our ward and the last I heard he was in Grand Junction area but what a GREAT YOUNG MAN you have.

His knowledge of the gospel and kind gentle teaching spirit has truly been a blessing to me. I am working my way back to church and I am expremely grateful for his teachings and friendship. One event that I will never forget; I just compiled a letter for my Bishop and scheduled a meeting with him. I had such horrible feelings after making the appointment I almost cancelled it. The next day your son and his companion Elder Brunson came by and I explained them the events and they offered me a blessing. The words of compfort and council given me that night were amazing.

Each time he was in our home I felt the spirit very strongly. It has truly been an honor to come to know Elder Rogers and I wish the very best for him. I had 3 of my 4 children serve a mission and I know the challenges those years bring. Let me reassure you his work is changing people's lives and he is doing a marvelous job at being a missionary. His lessons are exatly what is needed at the time. His knowledge of the scriptures is amazing and his desire to help is a perfect example everyone could follow.

I have delayed writing to you for some time. Life just gets so busy, for that I apologize.

Please let Elder Rogers know that everything is moving forward for me and great things are happening.
He has truly made a difference in my life.

Respectfully,

Mark Gum

In a follow-up e-mail, Brother Gum  stated, "I am eternally grateful for (Jake's) sacrifice to serve a mission."