Week #27 1-26-15

Teaching Cassidy!

Getting his hair cut!

Surprise visit from Uncle Sam.

Uncle Sam got to feed 6 missionaries.

Hey everyone how is it going?? This week went really good! So some highlights for the week!

Uncle Sam came and visited me and bought us all lunch and it was really awesome! It was supposed to be just me and my companion but we needed a ride so four other elders came with us and he bought everyone's lunch! It was awesome!

Then we also found two new investigators this week which is really rare! One of them, we tracted into and the other was a refferal! So the one we tracted into is a 15 year old girl who has a really bad home life. Her whole family claims that they are "wicked"!  But she came to church with her friend like a year ago and so she was really willing to come! So hopefully something good will come of that! Then the other one is Cassidy! She is 11 and none of her family are members, but she loves church! We asked her if she wanted to get baptized the first time we met her and she said that she wanted to get baptized the next week! Haha We couldn't do that, but hopefully it will happen soon!

Anyways, That is what I got this week, but I know that as we work our hardest to keep the commandments and do everything we can, Heavenly will pour his blessings upon us! I love you guys and thanks for everything you do! Love ya!

Week #26 1-19-15

 His Companions, Elder Lagunzad and Elder Ward got transferred today.  Sister Gray and Sister Ho!  Sister Ho is headed back to Temple Square to finish her mission.

Riley's favorite missionary is Elder Christensen from Gilbert.  He is sad that Elder Christensen is headed home.  Mission complete!

Good missionary service.

That is weird to say! 6 months! Time is flying! I feel like I should still be in the MTC! Haha but thankfully I am not! Well this week has been really good! Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to Elder Ward and Lagunzad this morning, but I am sure I will see them again! Also, my favorite missionary ever went home today and I am going to miss him! Elder Christensen is a really good guy and he is going home to Gilbert and will be missed!

Highlights of the week:

We did service for this guy in our ward who was moving.  We filled a 20 ft truck full of stuff, and when I say full I mean to the top stuffed with boxes!  

Then on Tuesday we had splits and I went and taught the word of wisdom to this guy who is planning on getting baptized in February. So I didn't realize this at first, but the guy that came with me pointed this out to me. The most important thing we as missionaries see is a change of heart. And that night we saw this guy, Matt, change his heart. I  told him about C.H.A.T! Coffee and tea, Harmful or addictive substances, Alcohol, and Tobacco! And he didn't really have a problem with any of those except for the coffee. And after I told him that he asked why and this was my answer. I said " That back in the day when the W.O.W became a thing, they drank coffee and alcohol and smoked tobacco like it was a religion! And as our science has caught up we have realized that these things are actually  bad for us and they harm our bodies. So though we may not know it scientifically, coffee could be damaging our bodies and harming us and we just wouldn't know it!". And his answer was " You know I really only drink coffee in the morning, to wake up, but I guess I can switch to oranges because they have more potassium then bananas and that helps you wake up."! Haha I know it is a funny answer, but it shows how much faith he has! He gave up something he loved in a matter of seconds just because God told him to! I was really the one learning at that lesson that night because he was such an example to me and someday I hope I can have as much faith as him some day! I heard a quote this week, and I can't remember where it came from, but it was " We teach when we learn, and we learn when we teach" and it is so true! Whenever I learn something new, the first thing I do is talk to someone about it! And when I am in lessons teaching people I am learning things from them! I just challenge everyone to look for different opportunities to learn. Because Heavenly father is always trying to teach us something new! I love you guys and thanks for everything you have done and for all the support! Love Ya!

Week #25 1-12-15

Playing cards with members.

Linda Jensen lives in Nampa Idaho.  Her brother, David Bean, is in our ward here in AZ.  David connected the two of us and she has been so kind to Riley.  She drops in a takes him treats and makes sure he's okay.  Haha!  She just came to AZ for several weeks.  We finally got to meet in person and she brought me this awesome Boise State University shirt and a bag of Idaho potatoes.  So fun!

Well This week was a slow one! But the good thing is that it warmed up a little bit! So there are these things called INVERSIONS... they are freaking crazy! So we woke up one morning and we looked out the window and could barely see the tree in our front yard because there was so much fog! It was crazy! So then that night, when it got down below freezing all the fog froze and coated everything in a layer of ice! It was insane! We were like ice skating down the street! It was fun! Then I heard that the inversion can mess with peoples sinuses  and stuff so of course I got hit with that!  That day sucked because we decided to ride our bikes and we haven't ridden our bikes in like three weeks! I thought I was gonna die! Haha Really nothing else really worth mentioning except that we are teaching people! Oh and Sunday we had ward conference in one of our wards and it was really good! We were in Ward council with the Stake President and he was talking about the youth! He was saying how the youth do the most missionary work out of all of us and it is so true! They are learning how to teach people better then anyone, and all their friends are at the stage in life were they are making big decisions in there life where they need the gospel the most! And it is so important so I challenge anyone who is under 18 reading this to go invite your friends because they need it!!!

Love you guys! Thanks for everything! 

-Elder Rogers

Week #24 1-5-15

Hey everyone How is it going?? Wow this week has been a long one! I feel like it has been forever since I have heard from anyone! But thanks to the Pickrons, Butlers, Currys, Burnhams, Grandma Rogers, My Mom and Dad, and everyone else who has sent me something during the holidays! It really makes my day whenever I get mail so you guys rock!

So highlights from this week:

Wednesday was a weird day! So we went to this families house and did some service. We cleaned their house but is was more like take loads of trash out of their house! It was probably the nastiest thing I have ever done! I was on the verge of throwing up the whole time! We literally filled a dump truck up with trash and took it to the dump! And the worst part was the refrigerator! I had my nose under my Garment top a t shirt a sweatshirt and a jacket over that and I could still smell it! I was gagging the whole time! Everything was moldy and nasty! I barley made it through it!  I was gonna take a match and burn it because it would be much faster! Haha no it was actually a really humbling/ sad experience! Humbling because I realized how much I take for granted and I need to work on it! Sad because this family was living in terrible conditions and I felt bad for them!

New Year's was fun! We went to our ward mission leaders house and had a good dinner! They made us ribs and Homemade mac n cheese and it was really good! Then they made home made Ice cream and another family in the ward came over and we hung out and stuff then did some fire crackers with the little kids and stuff!  We had to be in at nine so we went home then! Then Elder Ward threw up and went to sleep and me and Lagunzad " Couldn't Sleep" until midnight! It was fun because we just talked and got to know each other better!

Then Friday and Saturday we went on exchanges! I was with Elder Olney who is from Showlow! We get along really good so we had a good time! We went out for Ice cream with Elder Van Wagoner and this family who bought us Ice cream and it was really good! Then on Saturday me and elder Olney went to this Jehovah Witness dude! He was really nice and let us in.. but he could talk your ear off! He started talking about the B.O.M and the next thing you know he is asking me about why should clip your safety belt on the inside of the Skyscraper instead of the outside! It was really funny! Well that is all I have for today, but I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers! No matter what you think, he is there for us! He won't give up on us so we shouldn't give up on him! 

Love ya

-Elder Rogers

Week #23 12-29-14

White Christmas!  With Elder Ward at a members house as it snowed on Christmas Eve.

Got this picture in a text from a member.  They took the Elders out for dessert!

This week we had Christmas and I got to call home and that was really fun! Christmas eve we went over to a members house so Elder Lagunzad could skype his family and it was fun! It was weird hearing someone talk in Tagalog the whole time! It was funny! Then Christmas day we got to call home which was really good! As far as missionary work goes, we really didn't get anything done! Everyone was out of town or turned us away because it was Christmas time! But that is okay! Next week will be better! I hope! It is New Year so we will see how it goes! I am excited for New Years Eve because we are eating with this super awesome family! He is our Ward Mission Leader and I am excited! So you will hear more next week! This week has been really slow so I am not sure what else to say so I love you guys and thanks for everything! Love you so much! 

Week #22 12-22-14

Reunited with Elder Hulet.  Riley's MTC Companion.  They're in the same zone now.

With Elder Cope and Elder Christiansen.  Elder Christiansen is going home.

With Elder Van Wagoner- first companion in the field.

Hey Yall Howzit??? Life in Nampa is pretty awesome except the fact that it has been raining the past three days so it kinda stinks! But that is okay! God still loves me!  Anyways, highlights of this week!

We had Zone conference this week and it was really good! I got to see a bunch of my missionary buddies and it was super fun! We watched Mr. Krugers Christmas and it was good! We also watched a movie called "The Last Leaf" and that was cool! It is about this little girl who is dying but she is waiting for the last leaf to fall off the vine outside her window! She is set on dying once it falls, but there is this old guy who goes and paints a leaf on the wall and she doesn't know so she ends up getting better and living! I know I just butchered that explanation but it was really good! It realated that to Christs Atonement. Oh also, The old guy ends up dying so that is how it relates! Anyways, you should go watch the movie because I do it no justice! Anyways, here are some pictures! 

Week #21 12-15-14 TRANSFERRED TO NAMPA!

District in Nampa

Good missionary friends napping after lunch- ha!

With Elder Vargas Ruiz

New companions in Nampa- Elder Lagunzad from the Philippines and 

Elder Ward from South Carolina.

Hipster picture of Elder Rogers!

Hey guys how's it going?? This week has been pretty crazy! We visited tons of people and it has been really nice! My comps are super cool! Elder Ward from South Carolina is really funny! And the stereo types of southern people are true! He refers to his fruit punch as " DRANK" and everything he see's that he likes " breaks his heart"! It is really funny to listen to him talk! My impersonation of him is getting better! Maybe I will come home with a southern accent! 

Then there is Elder Lagunzad! HE is super chill! He is from the Philippines.  He  speaks surprisingly good English! But I still have to teach him some of the funny words like DANGUS and DINGLEBERRY!! Haha its a good time!

The big highlight of the week is the ward Christmas party! It was really good because we had two investigators there who really enjoyed it! One of our investigators is a super awesome guy! He is 21 and he just got done with basic training for the Army! He was raised Jehovahs Witness but his wife is a member! So we are teaching him and they have the cutest little daughter ever! I can't wait to be a dad! Haha 

1 And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth. And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness.

2 And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.

Something I learned this week is that trials and blessings don't come separately! Sometimes when we are going through trials that is when God gives us our blessings! I think that is the best time to look for blessings because it makes us realize that the load we are carrying is lighter and that Heavenly Father is helping us through! I love you guys and thanks for everything! Merry Christmas! Love ya!