Goodbye 2015!

Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone had a most joyous Christmas Day! Ours definitely was! There's nothin' like some good Southern cookin' to celebrate! And it was wonderful to talk with our familes! And it was also nice to relax a little bit.

On Tuesday, we had our Mission Christmas Conference. It was great! We watched "A Muppet's Christmas Carol" and were uplifted by many musical numbers. My companion and I along with four other Elders sang "Angels We Have Heard on High". It went well. To conclude the conference, Our Mission President and the Kinston Stake Stake President addressed us. Both messages were wonderful and the Spirit was ever-present.

Christmas Eve was also tremendous! My companion made both of us Egg Nog milkshakes and we watched "Mr. Krueger's Christmas". Then we read the Nativity story from Luke 2. It was a good night and we were both excited for the morning.

The central message of the Stake President was to Trust in God. And also to live so that He could trust in us. Does He trust us? He will always love us, but as we follow Him and trust in Him, He will have greater trust and confidence in us. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads,

"5 ¶Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

I know that He will guide as as we trust in Him. I invite each of you with this upcoming New Year to make a resolution to Trust and follow God more closely. Great blessings will come as you do.
I love you all! Have a wonderful week and a spectacular New Year's Eve!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Merry Christmas Y'all!

Hello Everyone!

This week was great! On Monday, our zone gathered together and we played some sports. That was really fun!On Wednesday we had our ward Christmas party. It was a success! There were so many people there. The whole gym was full and there were a lot of non-members and less-active members. The primary did a wonderful job singing and portraying the Nativity. And Santa even came!

On Sunday, our investigator came to church again! He's come two weeks in a row, so we're pretty excited for him! And what made it even better was that his girlfriend (who's a member) was feeling sick, so she couldn't come, but he came anyway! We had a wonderful Sacrament meeting. We sang in the ward choir and a great talk about peace and service and Christmas was given.
Oftentimes we hear the story of the first Christmas from the New Testament, but the people in America were also rejoicing and preparing for this wonderful event. Samuel the Lamanite prophesied,

"5 And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.
6 And behold this is not all, there shall be many signs and wonders in heaven.
7 And it shall come to pass that ye shall all be amazed, and wonder, insomuch that ye shall fall to the earth.
8 And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall believe on the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life." (Helaman 14:5-8)

We may ask ourselves if the wonder we feel when considering the birth of the Messiah is as great as the wonder of that people. Do we fall to the earth in amazement and wonder? Do we drop to our knees and express our gratitude to God for this miraculous gift? I would invite each of you to ponder the wonderful gift of His birth, ministry, and Atonement over the next few days and thank your Father in Heaven for it. I promise that a gratitude for Him will provide a sense of peace and that as we "...believe on the Son of God,...[we] shall have everlasting life." (verse 8)
I love you all! Have a Merry Merry Christmas and a wonderful week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

His Name is Talbot!

Hello Everyone!

This week was good! I met my new companion on Wednesday. His name is Elder Talbot, and he's from North Ogden, Utah. He loves baseball and has been doing really well so far! It was pretty funny because his MTC companion was also named Elder Rogers! So now there are two Elder Rogers' in the Virginia Chesapeake Mission! Haha President Baker said that it was a temptation for him to put both of us together. That would have been confusing.

On Sunday, one of our investigators came to church, so that was pretty exciting! And I was speaking in Sacrament Meeting, so that just made me want to do that much better. I spoke about the Holy Ghost and how he can bring a mighty change of heart in each of us. We also practiced singing with the Primary, so that was fun! We'll be singing with them in our Ward Christmas Party.

We've been sharing "A Savior is Born" with just about everyone that we meet with. I love it! The names of the Savior given in Isaiah 9:6 are just so fitting. "...Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." We are SO blessed to know of His miraculous birth! He loves each of us deeply. This Christmas season let us all remember Him and allow Him to be the center of our lives. I know He lives. I know He has provided redemption to all who will believe on His name. May we always believe on His name and act accordingly.
I love you all! Have a spectacular week!


With Love,
Elder Rogers

A Savior is Born

Hello Everyone!

This week was a good one! We Deep Cleaned our apartment, and now it looks real nice. We also had lessons with a lot of Less-Active families this week. What made it even better is that a couple of them came to Church! It's always a great feeling to see them there.

Tranfer calls were on Saturday! I was thinking about it and it seems like I've always gotten a transfer call if I wasn't in training myself or training another missionary. I began to think that this might be the first time that I'd go without a call...but then President Baker called us! He told me that I would be training a new missionary! This will be my 3rd time and I'm very excited! My companion is getting transferred to a city called Kilmarnock in Virginia. He'll be opening up the area. And the Sister missionaries that also serve in Mt. Olive are both getting transferred away. We'll be getting two Spanish-speaking sisters. Lots of changes.

Church went really well yesterday. The Spirit was present as many bore testimony of the birth of the Messiah. I love this time of year. I felt God's love as I listened to the words of His beloved servants yesterday during the Christmas Devotional. And again as I watched and shared the new video, "A Savior is Born". We are so blessed to have received this beautiful gift from God. He truly loves all of us so much and knows us so deeply. This Christmas season, may we all remember why we celebrate and offer our greatest devotion to God. Let us praise Him and serve Him. I know He lives.
Have a wonderful week and spread the Christmas cheer!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

P.S. "A Savior is Born" is found at christmas.mormon.org

P.P.S. There are angel lights going down main street here. They're beautiful!

Delicious Delight!

Hello Everyone!

This week was full of service! On Wednesday we helped out at a pig farm and on Friday we helped nail in some floor boards. I haven't used a hammer for a long time!

Thanksgiving was fantastic! Turkey, ham, rolls, cheesy casseroles, fried corn bread, pecan pie, and chocolate cake! It was delicious! And the family we ate with was really nice.
On Sunday, a less-active member we've been working with came to church! It was so wonderful to see him there! He enjoyed it and even came to the ward choir practice that evening! He was a Bass, so he sat next to me and we both had a good time!

On Saturday afternoon, we got a call and were asked if we could both prepare 10 minute talks to give at Sacrament meeting the next day! They were not sure if the concluding speaker was going to be able to make it to speak due to a death in the family. So we accepted and spent the next few hours preparing to speak. We actually didn't end up speaking, and the original speaker came and gave a wonderful talk! But I learned a lot from preparing a talk on the Holy Ghost and how He can change us. I felt His influence as I relived certain spiritual experiences in my life. He truly bears witness of the Father and the Son. 3 Nephi 11:26 teaches that, "...the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me..." I know this is true. What a wonderful blessing it is that we can all receive such peace, direction, and knowledge directly from God. I would invite all of us to seek those things, for I know that they will be provided as we do.
I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

With Grateful Hearts

Hello Everyone!

This week was a good one! On Tuesday we were visited by Elder Mervyn B. Arnold. I learned a lot, but what I remember most is the powerful testimonies born by Elder Arnold and President Baker. I love the Spirit that we feel when someone bears testimony of Spiritual truth. It is such a joyful feeling.

Later on in the week we went to an appointment with one of our investigators and were slightly disappointed to not find him home. But a blessing that came from that is that his cousin was home and said we could share our message with him. We had a great lesson and he was interested in learning more. As we make the most out of every situation we're in, we will see the Lord's hand working in our lives. There have been so many times in the mission where we went to a certain home or place with a particular reason in mind only to find out that The Lord needed us there, just for a different reason.

On Saturday we attended a baptism of a 9-year old girl the Sister missionaries had been teaching. The Spirit is ever-present at moments like that. It was a wonderful event.
On Sunday we had the chance to sing in the ward choir and begin preparing for some Christmas performances. It was quite enjoyable!

As Thanksgiving comes up this week I would invite each of you to offer a prayer to our Father in Heaven of only gratitude. I have found that doing this brings such a sweet peace. He has truly blessed us with all things. I love the words of King Benjamin in Mosiah 2:19 "And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!" I am so grateful for a Father in Heaven who has blessed us with all that we have. His love is great for us. The Savior's love is great for us. I pray that we can all be grateful to Him. Let us show our gratitude not only in thoughts and words, but in our actions. I know that as we do this, The Spirit of God will strengthen and uplift us and remind us all we truly have to be grateful for.
I love you all! Have a thankful week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Cotton Galore!

Hello Everyone!

This week was good! On Monday we had a Zone Preparation day! That was really fun and there are a lot of great Elders in our zone. We played some basketball and soccer and other sports. On Friday we had exchanges and we got to help out a lady fix some posts on her farm.

Two of the less-active families that we taught this week came to church! It was really exciting to see them there. There is such a joy in attending church and partaking of the Sacrament, and that joy is just added upon when others whom you love also come.

Tomorrow we'll be blessed to be visited by Elder Mervyn B. Arnold of the Seventy. I'm looking forward to it! I'm also excited to see many of the Elders I've served around.

This week we experienced a miracle! As we were tracting in an area we aren't in often, one man let us in his home. We taught the Restoration and he said, "That just makes so much more sense than what I've heard before." It was nice to hear those words. The Spirit was present as we taught him and we are excited for our next appointment.

I have been trying to ponderize verses of scripture each week and this week I chose Alma 60:23. Especially the second half. It reads, "...Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also." I know that this is a true principle. As we cleanse and purify our Spirits and inner vessels the rest of our lives will be purified and blessed. As we put Christ first, everything else will fall into place. What a blessing it is to have this restored gospel in our lives! May we all live and apply it as we draw closer to our perfect Savior.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

P.S. Here's a picture of me in a cotton field a year ago and then one of me in a cotton field this week.

Goldsboro Zone

Hello Everyone!

This week was a good one! I'm starting to get used to the area and we've been staying busy! This week we met several less-active members and got to know them. It's been wonderful to teach and love these people and feel the Spirit of the Lord as we do so. This gospel will truly bless all those who heed its message.

On Friday we had Zone Meeting! It went really well! I'm in the Goldsboro Zone now, so it was nice to meet all the different missionaries. This is the first Zone meeting in 2015 that hasn't been in the Kinston East Zone! We talked about helping investigators and members keep commitments and I was truly edified.

This week I thought a lot about Spiritual things and temporal things. In Matthew 26:41, the Savior says, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." What a true statement! There is great power in strengthening our spiritual stamina and relying more fully upon the Lord than upon the arm of the flesh. As we do the simple things like scripture study and prayer, our Spirits will be filled and we will receive strength to live our lives as the Lord would have us. He is so merciful and loving and He is waiting with open arms to help us in every aspect of our lives.

I love you all! Have a scripture-filled week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers


P.S. Here's me in a field and also a picture of our humble abode.

Mt. Olive Arrival!

Hello Everyone!

This week was a good one. It was full of change! On Wednesday, I met my new companion, Elder Funk and headed off to my new area. I've met a bunch of new people this week and have enjoyed Mt. Olive thus far! We live right next to the Mt. Olive pickle plant and some mornings as we go out to work,we can smell the fresh aroma of pickles! Haha so that might take some getting used to. My companion is really great, though, and our home is nice! Elder Funk is from Mesa, Arizona and he really likes trucks.

On Thursday, we saw a miracle! We were tracting and a man answered the door. He told us that he wasn't really interested, but went to get his wife. She wasn't interested either, but right before we were about to leave, I taught them briefly about the Restoration and how there were 12 Apostles on the earth today. That caught their attention and they let us sit down and share the message more fully. Afterwards, the man who at first rejected us apologized that he had done that. He was quite sincere and expressed how sorry he was. It is amazing how much a little understanding can change ones perspective.

We also had a Trunk Or Treat event on Saturday that was really fun! They had a little picture place set up that my companion and I got our pictures at. We also handed out some candy. It was a good time!

One spiritual insight that I had this week came as I ended my fast. I gained such strength throughout fasting and as I concluded, I read a few verses from Isaiah 58. The whole chapter is powerful, but verse 8 says, "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward." I know that fasting is inspired of God. I felt so much peace and courage as I fasted with real intent yesterday. As we obey God's commandments with a willing heart, all of the promises He gives are sure. He truly will grant us each blessing that He promises with unfailing certainty. His love is infinite. I pray that we will all strive to love Him as He loves us.
I love you all! Have a joyous week!



Elder Rogers

Mt. Olive, NC

Hello Everyone!

Well, I'm getting transferred! On Saturday, we got our transfer calls and I'm headed to Mt. Olive in two days. It'll be a little bit of a change, but I'm excited for it! Mt. Olive is in the Goldsboro Stake, so this will be my first time leaving the Kinston Stake in my entire misison! My new companion's name is Elder Funk, but that's about all I know about him so far since I haven't met him yet.

Our week went well. It flew by and we saw many miracles. One was a referral from a Less-Active member. He had invited his Aunt over to his home to learn more about the restored gospel. She was quite interested and even accepted a baptismal date! Another miracle was a potential investigator that we talked with a few days ago became an investigator. He had read from various places in The Book of Mormon and had questions and was willing to learn. We were excited to hear that!

This week I learned of the power and importance of humility. As we humble ourselves and rely on the Lord, our lives will be so much more joyous! In Proverbs 3:5-6, we learn, "5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Our Father in Heaven and His Son love each of us immensely. They know what's best for us. As we trust them and put our lives in their hands, they will do miracles and our joy will be great!

I love all of you. Have a magnificent week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Ponder, Pray, Prepare

Hello Everyone!

This week was a good one! On Monday we had many of the Elders in our zone assemble for some Basketball and games. It was great! We also had a couple opportunities for service this week, so that was good. We helped lift some plywood and also helped someone move. Both of them provided us with some sort of food! (Which was no requirement for us to help, but it's always nice)

We saw plenty of miracles this week! One of them was at a part-member family's home for dinner. We had planned to ask the husband who is a non-member how he felt about the church. Following the dinner, before we had asked him, he said, "I've got a few questions." We sat in the living room and answered questions he had about eternal marriage and families. He accepted an offer for him to learn more. We are excited for him! I marvel at the many miracles which the Lord places in our path.
My two companions and I spoke in Sacrament Meeting yesterday. It went well! Before I came on a mission I always thought that missionaries didn't get nervous at all to speak in Sacrament Meeting. I now know that they do. Not as much as we used to, but still a little bit. All of our talks went well and the Spirit of the Lord was present.

I felt the power of pondering this week. In 3 Nephi 17:3, the Savior tells Nephites that were gathered around Him, "Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again." He gave such a simple formula for Spiritual understanding. Ponder, pray, and prepare. I experienced this firsthand during one of my studies this week. Beforehand I prayed for some sort of spiritual enlightenment. As pondered and prayed, Heavenly Father gave that light to me, and since I was prepared for more, it was then given. I love Him so much. We are eternally blessed to have such a loving Father in Heaven. He loves each of us immensely. I would invite each of you to ponder, pray, and prepare. As you do, knowledge and light will be given and you will draw closer to the Lord.

I love you all. Have a fantastic week full of the Spirit!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Five Elders, Burgers, and Fries!

Hello Everyone!

This week was great! We found two new investigators that are quite interested in the gospel! On Tuesday, we had exchanges with the Assistants to the President and learned a bunch! The next day, I turned 20! It was a great birthday out here in the mission field! On Saturday was our interviews with our mission president. President Baker is wonderful! I learn so much from him each time I meet with him.

There's a recent convert who's 21 and preparing to serve a mission. We've been working with him and this past Sunday, we found out that he'll be receiving the Melchizidek Priesthood soon and can hopefully go on a mission in January. We're so excited for him!

We also took our recent convert, to a lesson with a less-active member of the church and they really connected! The Spirit was powerful and it was a wonderful lesson. He got us dinner afterwards, as well, so that was just the perfect ending to our time with him.

I've began to "Ponderize" as Elder Durrant counseled in General Conference. The verse I'm choosing this week is 1 Peter 3:17-18. Verse 17 reads "For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing." Let us each strive to do what is right, even when bad things may happen to us. The reward will be truly great in the Kingdom of Heaven. I know that Christ lives and He has experienced all things. Let Him lift your burdens.

I love you all, truly! Have a wonderful week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Listen, then Act.

Hello Everyone!

This week was quite busy! There were a few hurricane warnings, but we were blessed to stay safe. On Tuesday, we spent some time cleaning our carpets and headed up to Virginia for a leadership meeting! (I got some pretty nice landscape pictures on the way up.) Wednesday was our leadership meeting and the Spirit was strong. On Thursday, we planned for our Zone Meeting on Friday.
The Zone meeting was good! We talked a lot about faith. What a powerful principle! Faith was a large topic throughout the General Conference sessions this weekend. I felt my Father in Heaven's love as I listened to the words of living prophets. And that peace and joy was wonderful! But if the only thing these words accomplish is bring feelings of goodness to us, their purpose is lost. We must hear the words of Christ, then put them into our lives. We must listen, then act. That is my invitation to each of you. Ponder the words from our Father in Heaven given this past weekend, then live them. I promise that as you do, the power of God will enter your life. Repentance and dedication to the Lord bring the Spirit in a tremendous way.
I love you all. Have a wonderful week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Let Us Assist Him

Hello Everyone!

This week was a good one! Zone Conference was on Tuesday. President Baker had asked me to accompany on the piano for the meeting, so we spent a portion of our Preparation Day last week practicing for that! We also prepared for a 20 minute training on the Holy Ghost that Elder Dudley and I gave! You could say that we were pretty nervous for all of that, but I'm glad to tell you that it all went well. The meeting was quite spiritual and I felt my Savior's love as many testified of Him and this wonderful work.

We saw some miracles on Saturday! As we went out to work, we had hopes of meeting many Less-Active members. Those hopes were fulfilled later on and at every single Less-Active's home we went to, we were able to find them home! One lady even let us share a message with her and her father! We taught of the Savior and His Atonement. What a beautiful and pure doctrine! I'm so grateful for His loving grace and everlasting sacrifice.

The Primary Program was on Sunday and it was fun to hear all of the little children testify of eternal truths. I love all of the songs they sung as well. The Spirit was present and all were edified.

As I read Section 14 of the Doctrine and Covenants, I was impressed by verses 10 and 11. The Lord speaks to David Whitmer. He says, " 10 Wherefore, I must bring forth the fulness of my gospel from the Gentiles unto the house of Israel.

11 And behold, thou art David, and thou art called to assist; which thing if ye do, and are faithful, ye shall be blessed both spiritually and temporally, and great shall be your reward. Amen."
The word 'Assist' stuck out to me. This is the Lord's work, but He trusts us and allows us to assist Him in it. And as we do, we truly are blesssed both spiritually and temporally. I invite each of you to do just that. Assist the Lord in every way you are capable. Each sacrifice we make for Him brings all the greater blessings to our lives. I know He lives.
I love each of you and hope your week is a joyful one!


With Love,
Elder Rogers

P.S. Our parking lot is getting enlarged!

A New Beginning!

Hello Everyone!

This week was a good one! On Tuesday we began our trip to Virginia. Many missionaries and their luggages were transferred throughout the states of Virginia and North Carolina and it was a miracle that everyone ended up where they needed to be. On Wednesday, we met Elder Ferrero fresh out of the MTC. He's from Las Vegas and loves to read. He's funny and I'm glad to be serving with him. My other new companion is Elder Dudley. He's from the San Diego area and has been out for 10 months.

We had a great training meeting in Virginia and then headed back to New Bern. It's been a good week and we had such a wonderful miracle! As we were driving to a dinner appointment, the member who was going to feed us texted us and asked if we had time for a lesson afterwards because they had a friend who was interested in being baptized! We had time. The lesson went quite well and we were able to set this young man on a baptismal date! He had even asked for permission from his parents to meet with us and had attended church once already, so we were definitely blessed that evening. I love the many miracles that the Lord sends us.

I was touched by the words of Jacob, brother of Nephi this week. In 2 Nephi 2:6-8, he declares, "Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise." Jesus Christ truly is full of grace and truth. I love Him. He has given Himself as a ransom for sin. We all know this and should glory in His humble sacrifice. And how greatly important it is to make this known. In this is held the purpose of missionary work. To bring others unto Christ so that they may partake of His everlasting sacrifice. I invite you to tell a friend about this wonderful truth. The fulness of His gospel has so mercifully been given to each of us. Let us share it freely.

I love you all. I hope that you have a wonderful week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Unexpected Call

Hello Everyone!

This week was quite eventful, especially the latter end! On Monday, we said goodbye to Brother Melton, our ward mission leader. He's been great, and has done so much for missionary work here! Tuesday through Thursday were fairly busy with visiting investigators and members and sharing lessons, but Friday was the eventful day!

We were going about our day on Friday, just as usual. And then we got an unexpected phone call from our mission president! He called Elder Egbert to serve as an Assistant to the President and told us that he'd need to be up to Virginia that evening! So that's when our entire schedule changed for that day. He had to pack and get ready and a few hours later, we drove him halfway and the current Assistants took him the rest of the way! That was exciting!

Saturday was when we got our transfer call, though. I'll be staying in New Bern and getting two new companions. One, Elder Dudley, who has been out for over 9 months, and the other is a brand new missionary! So we'll be training him.

We also had a great lesson with a less-active member on Saturday! We brought our recent convert with us and he bore powerful testimony on the importance of daily scripture study. It was fantastic! Our convert is also going to the temple this Saturday to be baptized in behalf of his father, so that is quite exciting!

This week I was touched by the testimonies of Alma and Amulek in the Book of Mormon as they testified of Christ. Alma 15:16 states, "And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred;" Amulek gave up so much for the Word of God and for the Savior. In our lives, what things are keeping us from drawing closer to Christ? They are different for all of us, but whatever they are I exhort you to let them go. If something is keeping us from Him, it is not worth having in our lives. I know He lives. His grace is real. He loves each and every one of us. Put your trust in Him.
Well I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Plan, Plan, Plan.

Hello Everyone!

This week was a busy one! But also quite good. On Tuesday we went up to Virginia for a leadership meeting and I felt the Spirit so powerfully there! I always love those meetings. Thursday was our day of planning. We literally planned for almost the whole day! It was our weekly planning day and also we planned for our Zone Meeting and an exchange.

On Friday we had our Zone Meeting, which focused on Revelation through Church Attendance and it went really well! We also went on an exchange with the Assistants to the President and saw some miracles! We were able to meet with and later teach a referral from a member. We also met a less active member we had never met before, so that was exciting!

This week I was touched by a verse of scripture in 3 Nephi 18 when the Savior teaches about the Sacrament. It's verse 7. "And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you." I love the part that says as we partake of the Sacrament, we are witnessing to God that we remember Christ. How blessed are we to be able to partake of this sacred ordinance. I invite all of you to seek for and pray for a more sacred experience the next time you partake of the emblems of the Sacrament. I know Christ lives and we are immensely blessed to have an opportunity to remember Him each week and testify to God of our willingness to do all He asks.

Have a wonderful week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Triple Exchange!

Hello Everyone!

This week was quite a busy one! As the title suggests, we conducted three companion exchanges this week! We were with the Elders from Havelock, Harker's Island, and Washington all at different times throughout the week. We saw some miracles and had a great time serving with these Elders.

A week ago, for preparation day, we went golfing! It was actually a lot more fun than I thought it
would be and we all enjoyed ourselves!

Throughout the week we taught many lessons and I was grateful for the chance to have a lesson with a recent convert from Washington while on exchanges in Washington. We read from the Book of Mormon and learned from the prophets of old. The Spirit attended and it was great to see her again!

We saw some miracles on Sunday! One of our investigators that speaks only Spanish attended church. The miracle was that a member from the ward got along with her exquisitely and they enjoyed each others company greatly! Our recent convert, also blessed the Sacrament this week! It was his first time, so it was a wonderful experience for all of us. The Sacrament meeting was full of the Spirit and as we sung "How Great Thou Art" at the meeting's close, I was overcome with a deep gratitude for the Lord and all that He's done. How blessed we are to have the opportunity to trust in Him during this life.

As I may have mentioned in the past, we've been reading through The Book of Mormon as a mission. This week I was touched by Enos and his example of prayer. We are blessed with the capability to commune with our Eternal Father. We must always be sincere in this endeavor. Consider Enos' example of sincerity. "And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens." (Enos 1:4) Other parts of the chapter speak of a "struggling in the Spirit" and a "wrestle...before God". Surely there is no room for vain repetitions or apathy in our prayers. Cry unto the Lord and He will answer your prayers. I know He is there and He is yearning and waiting to hear and answer our sincere prayers.

I love you all. Have a marvelous week!

With love,
Elder Rogers

Tie-Breaker!

Hello Everyone!

This week was great! On Friday, we went on exchanges with the Elders in Harkers Island. We always see so many miracles on exchanges! We set one of our investigators on a baptismal date, found three new investigators, and stayed quite busy! It was fun to be with Elder Nipko for a day.
The day before that was my year mark and we celebrated it with our ward mission leader and his family! They're the best! After a tasty dinner of hamburgers and fries, I chopped a tie in half!
Sacrament meeting was absolutely amazing! 3 less-active's came! And one of them we haven't even seen in several weeks! There is such a joy that enters my heart when I see these people at church! The Spirit of the Lord was very present during our meetings yesterday and overall, it was just a great day!
As I think of one thing that I've learned on my mission thus far, many principles and truths came to mind, but I think the most powerful one is the truth that through Christ's atonement and our agency, we can do all things. This truth has been shown unto me as I've struggled and grown and overcome weaknesses, all along with the Savior by my side. Ether 12:27 states: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." I know this to be true. Trust in the Lord, and He will deliver you. His grace is sufficient.
I love each of you. Be your best and have a week full of faith!


With Love,
Elder Rogers

The Glass is Half Full.

Hello Everyone!

Well I'm gonna hit my year mark on Thursday! I can hardly believe it has been a year. Time flies when you're having fun! This week went really well and we were able to achieve the Standard of Excellence, so that was exciting!

One of our investigators came to Church this Sunday. She had met missionaries about 25 years ago and she still remembers the peaceful feeling of the Spirit that she felt so many years ago. What a wonderful thing! She has been progressing and we are excited to continue teaching her.
We saw many miracles this week, but one of them involved The Book of Mormon. We were walking around, talking with people one day and we stopped to talk with a few guys sitting in their yard. We introduced ourselves and our message, and showed them The Book of Mormon. Both of them asked if they could have one and said they were going to read it from cover to cover! This book has such an amazing power that if they truly do read it, they will surely receive a witness of it. I'm grateful to have its influence in my life and for the understanding and gratitude of Christ and His Atonement that is gained from studying this book of scripture. I invite each of you to study it daily. President Ezra Taft Benson once said, "There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book.You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path." What a marvelous promise from a prophet of the Lord. I know it to be true and promise that it can be yours if you simply act.

I love you all and hope you have a tremendous week!


With Love,
Elder Rogers


P.S. Here is a pic of the entire mission from last week.

Pig Pickin' and Spiritual Nourishment

Hello Everyone!

This week was fantastic! So much happened, so I'll try to hit the highlights. The beginning of the week was fairly normal, but Thursday was a Mission-wide conference in Virginia! We traveled up in the morning and returned that evening for a grand total of about 7 and a half hours of driving. It was definitely worth it, though!
It began with a Spiritual meeting in which our Mission President, President Baker trained us on different topics, but the core of it was the Atonement. How grateful I am that Christ performed this sacred sacrifice. He loves us all so dearly. I was called on, along with 3 other missionaries, at the end to bear my testimony of Christ, which was a wonderful opportunity!
Following the meeting was a pig-pickin'! It was delicious and we got to talk with and see missionaries from everywhere in the mission, so that was fun!
The rest of the week went well. We had Zone Meeting on Friday and we talked of and trained about The Book of Mormon! Our Zone is just great!
And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise." We can have hope through the Atonement of Christ. I know that. He can change us and transform us into people we never thought we could be. Our peace and joy can be greater than ever before and we can live with Him forever. What a wonderful thing to hope for! I love you all and pray you have a fantastic week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

P.S. Here's some pictures. One of them is with me and all of my companions still on their missions!

We All Deserve to Serve

Hello Everyone!

This week was great! We traveled up to Virginia on Tuesday for a Leadership meeting and this next week we'll be going back up to Virginia for another meeting/pig pickin'!(Like a barbecue) It's going to be a blast! The whole mission will be gathered together for the first time since I've been out here. We also received transfer calls and I'll be staying here in New Bern for the next 6 weeks with Elder Egbert, but we'll be getting another companion named Elder Johnson to work with us!
On Sunday we found 3 new investigators who all said they would be baptized! We're excited to be teaching them and look forward to seeing them progress. Our convert is also doing quite well. He sat at the Sacrament table this week and later bore his testimony during the meeting. The Spirit was quite impacting as many members shared their witnesses of restored truth. I'm so grateful for this gospel!
We had the opportunity this week for some different service projects, so that was good. We mowed a lawn (Which is quite different in the humidity!), trimmed some bushes, and moved some mattresses across the town. We felt better after each of these service opportunities. We also learned about Service during one of the classes on Sunday. It is true that "...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17) Look for opportunities to serve others, whether they're big or small. I promise that as you serve, you will gain charity for those whom you serve and you will draw closer to your Savior.
Have an amazing week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

P.S. We saw some beautiful sights this week in New Bern!