Century-the temperature and the school

Hello Everyone!

This week was great! I'll start out by explaining the title of this email. First of all, it was quite hot this week. 100 degrees and around that on Thursday and Friday! Along with the humidity it makes you extremely grateful for air conditioning! As far as Century, the school, we had transfers this week. There were 18 new missionaries and when I saw Elder Bennett, I exclaimed, "Are you from Pocatello??" He responded with, "I went to Century! Don't you remember me?" It was fun to see him. It's always exciting to greet and be with all of the brand new missionaries.

Sunday was pretty exciting as well. On Saturday we gave a call to an investigator we haven't taught in a little while. She could never come to church before because she worked on Sunday. But we just called her out of the blue yesterday and invited her. She came! Apparently she didn't have to work. Church was quite spiritual and we felt the great joy of the Sabbath Day.

I've been reading this week from the Index in the back of The Book of Mormon under the reference, "Jesus Christ, Atonement Through". I found a verse that I absolutely love! It is in 2 Nephi 11:5. "And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death." What a wonderful thing to delight in. God truly has created and carried out a plan of deliverance. I know that through Christ and His Atonement, we will one day have glorified bodies. We have divine potential. As we rely on Him, we will be given strength to make it back to Our Father as an Eternal Family. What joy we will feel!

I love each of you! Have a tremendous week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Remember

Hello Everyone!

Happy Independence Day!! Celebrate and eat and remember and reverence and be grateful and watch fireworks! We already did some of that at a pancake breakfast this morning for our ward. And we're definitely going to watch some fireworks and eat some more and celebrate this great country!
We had a great week! On Wednesday we had exchanges with one of our District Leaders. I was with Elder Johnsen for a day. It was pretty neat since we were companions nearly a year ago. Our investigator, who got baptized recently, came out to some lessons with us. He's got a strong testimony! On Thursday we met President and Sister Weed. As they walked into a chapel full of Elders and Sisters we all stood up. It was a sacred moment. They both spoke and introduced themselves. They're amazing! President Weed began his remarks with his testimony of Jesus the Christ. That was reassuring. Sister Weed also spoke, and she has a great sense of humor. They're from Las Vegas and President Weed was a Judge. I'm excited to serve with them!

I read some scriptures today about "remembering". It's an important thing to do! There are many things that are important to remember, but one of the greatest is found in Helaman 5:9. "9 O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world." I know that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our greatest Hope. As we remember Him, we will be fulfilling our baptismal covenants, and be filled with the Spirit.

Remember this day, the sacrifices made by many so that we can have religious freedom, freedom in this country, and deliverance from spiritual and physical bondage.

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Chesapeake, Your Faith is Shining

Hello Everyone!

This week was absolutely inspiring! Especially our weekend at Stake Conference. On Tuesday we got a mini missionary for the week. He's 18 and came from Virginia Beach. We saw so many miracles having him with us!

On Friday we went on exchanges with the Assistants, and Elder Fuller came with me. We had a fun time working together and reminiscing about our time serving together over a year ago. (I was his trainer in Washington, NC) Saturday and Sunday were Stake Conference. This was President and Sister Baker's last weekend as our mission president and wife. I love them so much and it will be hard to see them go. They have impacted my mission and my life immensely. They are both such stalwart examples of righteous disciples of Christ. On the Saturday session of Stake Conference, all the missionaries serving in the Stake (Myself included) came up front to sing the mission hymn as a special thanks to President and Sister Baker. Our mission hymn is "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy". It was such a spiritually powerful moment as we began singing the fourth verse, the mission verse. It reads:

Chesapeake, your faith is shining,
As the lights along the shore;
Reaching out to Father's children,
Guiding each to Him once more.

Let the lower lights be burning;
Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman.
You have rescued, you have saved.

Many tears were coming throughout the room as we felt their love and they felt ours. It has been such a blessing to serve with them. Each of us has the great blessing and privilege to let our lights shine.

I love you all! Have a fantastic week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Last Zone Conference

Hello Everyone!

Well this week was full of all manner of emotions. It was a good week! On Friday we had our last Zone Conference with President and Sister Baker. It was so spiritual. President Baker is truly inspired of God. The main focus of the Conference was consecration and devoting all that we have and are to God. We all left with a little more desire to do a little better. And we had the opportunity of hugging President Baker since they're finishing their mission soon. We are excited for President and Sister Weed to come in as well, though!

As I read 3 Nephi 13, I noticed an interesting theme in the Lord's Prayer. It reads:

" 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
12 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
13 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."

There is such an attitude of reverence, humility, and repentance. Our prayers ought to be the same. When we pray, we should acknowledge the great love and power of our Father in Heaven and thank him humbly for His loving grace. As our prayers are in the manner taught by Christ, we will be humbled and find joy in more and more. I know that God hears the humble prayer.

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Baptism!

Hello Everyone!

Our investigators were baptized this week! It was such a wonderful experience for everyone!Their son from Richmond, came down to baptize them. I gave a talk on Baptism how it is the gate on the path to eternal life, the path back to our Heavenly Father. After each baptism they embraced their son and there was such a sweet spirit there. Then their daughter-in-law sang "How Great Thou Art". I love that song.

They had a luncheon afterwards. My companion and I were there as the food was being prepared and cooked, so we went to ask what we could do to help. We were given the job of cooking the hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill! It was somewhat unexpected, but in a good way. Most of the burgers turned out great! I won't give too much detail about the other burgers. There were a lot of people there, and even some of their non-member friends! It was a great day!

This week I've been reading in The Book of Mormon a section commonly called "The War Chapters". I learned a great lesson in chapter 49. It talks of the Nephites preparations for war in verse 20 and in verse 23 states the result of their preparation. "Thus the Nephites had all power over their enemies..." What a simple, yet powerful principle! The Lord says in the Doctrine and Covenants. "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." (D&C 38:30) I know that this is true. We ought to be spending much time each day in spiritual preparation. if we do, we will be given strength.

I love you all! Have a fantastic week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Transfers!

Hello Everyone!

Transfers happened this week! My new companion, Elder Nipko, is from Ephraim, Utah. He loves basketball and has been on the mission for about a year. And he was in my Zone when he started his mission, so I knew him before! I was his first zone leader and now we're zone leaders together! Transfer day was fun and it was great to see many of my past companions!

We had a miracle on Saturday! We had a lesson set up for 1:00 with a lady, and we had a member who was going to come with us. About an hour or so before the lesson the member had to cancel on us. It was out of the way of many of the members in the ward, and so I knew there would be difficult finding one on such short notice. I offered a prayer to Heavenly Father that we could find someone to take. Then we started calling. After nearly exhausting our resources I had the thought of calling a Less-Active youth we have been working with. I almost expected him to turn us down because he had in times past, but he said he'd come! And he had a great time! It blessed him, our investigators, us, and it was a simple answer to a simple prayer.

As I studied a talk from the most recent General Conference from Sister Oscarson, I was touched by 7 principles that lead to conversion. "We all need to seek to have our hearts and very natures changed so that we no longer have a desire to follow the ways of the world but to please God. True conversion is a process that takes place over a period of time and involves a willingness to exercise faith. It comes when we search the scriptures instead of the Internet. It comes when we are obedient to the commandments of God. Conversion comes when we serve those around us. It comes from earnest prayer, regular temple attendance, and faithful fulfillment of our God-given responsibilities. It takes consistency and daily effort."

With Love,
Elder Rogers

P.S. Our Investigators are getting baptized this weekend!!

Pig Pickin' and Transfers

Hello Everyone!

On Saturday around 11:00 we got a transfer call! Elder Davis, my companion is getting transferred to a new area called New Kent. My new companion's name is Elder Nipko. I went on exchanges with him about a year ago in New Bern, NC! He's great and I'm excited!

Our miracle investigators are still doing wonderful! They're set for baptism next weekend and everything is in place for it to happen. We're all excited! Our Ward had a pig pickin' today, which is basically where someone cooks an entire pig and everyone works together to eat it! It was tasty!

This week I ponderized Matthew 5:14-16. This is Christ teaching His disciples.
"14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
I love where He states that men don't put the candle under a bushel. They put it on a candlestick so it's light can bless everyone. As I thought over this verse I realized that the restored gospel can be related to that light. Why would we hide the glorious light under a bushel? When one receives it all they want to do is put it on a candlestick so that everyone in the house can have their lives illuminated. I know that when we share the light we have received, our appreciation for the light increases. Christ is the greatest Light. May we let the warmth of His Light illuminate our lives and all that are in the house.

With Love,
Elder Rogers