Hello!

Hello Everyone!

This week was just great! Especially the weekend. We had Stake Conference in Kinston and Greenville and Elder Enrique Fallabella of the Seventy was there. Our Mission President and the Raleigh Temple President and their wives also attended, so we were greatly blessed. I learned so much, but if I could narrow it down to one thing it would be that I want to be as devoted and consecrated as possible, rather than merely doing the bare minimum. They talked a lot about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. In this regard you might think "What more can I do to draw nigh unto the Lord on His holy day?" rather than "Is it okay for me to [insert some recreational or inappropriate activity] on Sunday?"
It was also very enjoyable for me to meet with several of the ward members from my first area and shake their hands. Also, our investigator came! Along with the beautiful sunny weather, you could say it was quite an amazing weekend!
The Lord has blessed us recently with some investigators, or potential investigators from some of the members in our branch. I am grateful for this and my companion and I will do our best to help them receive the restored gospel.
I also learned from the conference the importance of sincerity. As we sang the song "The Spirit of God", I focused on the words and my heart swelled. I love the Lord and I am so grateful for all that He has done. I have noticed as well that when I study the scriptures with sincerity and desire I gain so much more out of them. I would invite each of you to live life with true and real intent and sincerity. Look for the good in all things and make the most of each moment. I know God lives and He loves each of us, His children. I love you all and hope everyone's week is magnificent!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

P.S. There was this sign that said 'Rodgers Town Farm'. They spelled it wrong. The good part is, my head fit the spot perfectly!

Miracles Abound!

Hello Everyone!

This week was amazing! Extremely busy and a little bit stressful, but mainly a miracle. It was such a joyful occasion to have an investigator be baptized..
This week was a miracle. And it all began with our goal to reach 100 I/O's (Or Invitations extended to others). My companion and I worked diligently to achieve that goal and by the time we were halfway through the week, we realized that we may be able to accomplish each part of the Standard of Excellence that our Mission President has set forth (15 Lessons, 2 New investigators, 100 I/O's, and baptism). We continued working and by the time Sunday arrived, the only part of the standard that seemed out of reach was receiving two new investigators. We were one short. But as we went out to contact people, the Lord blessed us with a miracle. One of the people we talked to about the gospel ended up walking to a member's home that we were going to. We met him there and were completely surprised! This member knew him and we were able to teach this man The Restoration and he became a new investigator. And to make it even better, this member who has been struggling lately with church attendance bore very powerful testimony of the restored church as we taught. We reached the Standard of Excellence and were thrilled! The Lord truly does work miracles in our day.
This week I wish to draw the connection between faith and miracles. In Ether 12:12, we learn "For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith." Faith is SO important! Namely faith in Christ. Because of its importance, we should all seek after it diligently by studying the words of prophets, modern and past. We also gain faith by exercising what faith we already have. I invite each of you to show your faith in Christ daily and follow Him. I know He lives and for that I will ever be grateful.
I love you all and hope everyone has a great week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Fantastically Delicious!

Hello Everyone,

This week went quite well! We have been teaching a fair amount of lessons and Holly is getting really close to baptism. We're almost as excited for it as she is! In other uplifting news, one of the Recent Converts who we haven't been able to see or get a hold of for three weeks came to church yesterday! It was such a joy to see him there, and it was even better when we taught him afterwards. We weren't exactly sure what we were going to teach him, but at one point as he was talking I received the impression that we should read the Parable of the Sower with him. I turned to my companion and whispered "Parable of the Sower" and he responded with, "That's exactly what I was thinking!" So you could say that we're growing in unity as a companionship.
On Friday we had our Zone Meeting in New Bern. We talked and learned about faith. I loved it! We learn from Ether that our faith will lead us to have hope and do good. "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." I would invite each of you to exercise your faith in Christ by doing good to your fellow men. I know that Christ lives and loves us. Through Him we truly can receive everlasting peace and joy.
I love you! Have a fantastic week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

P.S. I tried Sushi for the first time ever! Also, the subject of this email is in reference to the large cheese biscuit, and bacon-wrapped hot dogs that we had this week at members' homes!

He Lives!

Hello Everyone,

Happy Easter! I know I'm a day late, but I hope that everyone enjoyed this wonderful day of rejoicing! This week went really well for us here in Washington, North Carolina! The weather has been nice and several of our investigators have been progressing quite well.
I went to New Bern this week for a day! One of the Elders there is also from Pocatello, so we shared several stories and had a great time working together! I was proud of Elder Fuller as he led our area for a day. He did really well!
We have a new sister missionary in our District and District meeting went exceptionally well this week! The Spirit taught all of us many truths and we were all edified.
Our investigators have been doing well! We taught them several times this week and they came to conference! We were very excited and they liked it a lot!
I thoroughly enjoyed General Conference! It is always nice to hear the inspiring messages of God's servants. The many testimonies born of Jesus Christ, our Savior, strengthened my testimony of Him. I know He lives. He has overcome death and sin, and because He has, we can live with Him again. I invite everyone to listen to and relisten to the many talks given at conference. I know they can and will brighten our lives. I also invite each of you to watch the video on HeLives.mormon.org. It's a beautiful video about Easter and I really like it. Well I love you all and hope everyone has a magnificent week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

Listen to a Prophet's Voice!

Hello Everyone!

Let me just start off by saying how miraculous this week was! We were so packed with lessons and things that the week just flew by! Two of our investigators, are really progressing! This week they: Came to the family history center, met with us for a few lessons, came to the Relief Society Conference, and came to church! And...they loved it all! So you could say that we're pretty excited for them!
This week we also taught a few other families that are showing a lot of potential. One of them is a part-member family and the father who is a member hasn't been to church for 48 years...haha so that was a little bit of a shock when we first found out! But his wife and daughter are both interested in learning, so we just started teaching them all from the beginning. A miracle from that family is that their nurse was also interested in learning about the gospel, so we set up an appointment with her and her husband. We were about 30 miles from Washington, where we live, when we met them, but the nurse told us that she also lived in Washington. Haha and we later found out that she lived literally right next to our house!
Now I'll talk a little bit about conferences. First of all, we had our Branch Conference yesterday and there were several inspiring messages shared. Also, we had food afterwards which is always a nice bonus! Secondly, this upcoming weekend is General Conference. It will be broadcast on television and also online at lds.org. The Lord Himself will be giving us counsel and guidance through His servants. I exhort each of you to attend several sessions with questions and an open heart. I know that as you do, you will receive revelation concerning your life and how you can better it through our Savior. This is the Lord's church and He speaks in our day.
I love you all and hope your weeks are marvelous!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

P.S. This week we were walking around, talking to people and this cat ran up to us and just started following us! I decided that his name was Fido and he followed us for several blocks. We realized that he was probably hungry and so we stopped by a less-active lady's house who loves cats and she brought some cat food right out for him! She was happy to add him to her collection of cats!

I Love to See the Temple!

Hello Everyone!

This week was amazing! I'm just gonna start out with Wednesday, because that's when we went to the Raleigh temple and it was definitely the highlight of my week! We drove over in the morning and I was lucky enough to ride shotgun next to my Mission President on the way there! Haha I was nervous and excited! He is a very great man and I am grateful for all that he does for the Mission!
We got to the temple around noon and it was such a wonderful and spiritually uplifting experience! I'd go there every week if I could! But anyway, afterwards we had Zone Conference in the Raleigh meetinghouse and the whole meeting was centered on the temple. I was able to play the piano as the congregation sang "High On a Mountain Top" and "We Love Thy House, O Lord." And the speakers, including the Temple President, all spoke of the Lord's House. I loved it so much! The Spirit was abounding and I was refreshed.
The rest of the week was a miracle. We received 8 people who want to learn about the gospel this week! And we had some really powerful lessons, especially as we taught the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. I am excited for what the future holds for all of them.
On Saturday, Keith Buck was baptized! The senior couple here has been teaching him and we were all very excited for the steps that he is taking towards Christ. He was so happy and his testimony was so very powerful.
This week I would invite each of you to repent. Whether it is of a large misdeed or a little lie, each of us needs to repent so frequently. The Savior, Jesus Christ has provided us with a way to be forgiven of all things. His Atonement is infinite and so we should gratefully apply it often. Alma the younger describes his experience with repentance as follows. "And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!" True repentance brings true joy! I know that as each of us repent, our souls will be filled with rejoicing! The gospel of Jesus Christ is true and it is a gospel of happiness. I love you all and hope everyone has a fantastic week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers

P.S. There are some really beautiful white trees here!

Come Unto The Mountain of The Lord!

Hello Everyone!

That's right! We're going to the temple this week! The Raleigh one to be exact! I really just can't wait! The temple truly is the house of the Lord.
This week was good! We did a lot of street contacting and one of the days I was on exchanges with one of our Zone Leaders. He taught me a few things about street contacting. We talked with literally everyone! One of the people we talked to was about 40 feet away and most of the time I would have just thought she was too far away, but he said hello (Haha more or less yelled hello) and we went and talked to her. We had to kind of do a mini-jog to get to her, but it was good! So I learned from him that we should just talk to everyone, even if it's a little awkward.
One of our investigators is starting to come along a little bit. We went over last night with one of our members and had a really good lesson with him. He told us that he had read from the Book of Mormon, which he had never done before, and he really connected with the member. I am excited to see what the future holds!
I would invite each of you to attend the temple in the next month. It truly is the house of the Lord and we can receive so much peace and guidance in our lives as we make it a priority to go to that holy place. I know that if you will always live worthy of the temple, the Lord will bless your lives immensely. I love you all and hope everyone has a fantastic week!

With Love,
Elder Rogers