In Which Our Patience is Tried

Dear Family-

This week was pretty tough! A lot of our appointments fell through, and there was a lot of time when we were wondering what we should do. This week was really a patience-trial week!

We did get in touch with a less-active family though! They let us stop by their house, which is on a little mountain. It overlooks the valley and is just so beautiful! They have a lot of citrus trees and gave us some fruit to eat. One fruit was basically a really tiny clementine, but it has a different name. They also have a goat and some Polish chickens...which we held! It was so awesome. The dad is fascinated with fossils and gave us a sharks tooth to keep and let us hold fossilized velociraptor feces! Talk about awesome!

Transfers are happening this week, and we found out that both Sis. W  and I are staying in San Bernardino!

Thank goodness! I love this ward too much to leave.

That's it for this week!

Love,

Sister Rogerson

Sister Rogerson vs Pit Bulls

This week has been really good! Yesterday we went to a training meeting with Elder Walker of the Seventy, and it was so awesome to listen to his council. It was also awesome because I saw a lot of my MTC zone there! It was like a huge reunion and I loved seeing everyone.

I led a lesson this week. We were visiting a less active, D, and we talked about conference and that turned into faith in God and it was just so awesome to be able to lead a lesson! I felt so confident because of the Spirit. I could not have said what I did without that Spirit!

I went on exchanges with our sister training leaders this week. It was a great experience! We found this 18 year old girl who actually lives in my area but was just visiting Redlands for the day. I got her information and we are going to try to contact her by the end of the week!

I got lovingly attacked by pit bulls the other day. Well they were someone's dogs, and she let them in, and they were just so excited that they jumped right on me and knocked me off my chair and bit at my ankles and feet, and stole the shoes right off my feet! I found a couple bruises and scratches from them. And now I am not that fond of pit bulls.

We also ran into some Jehovah's witnesses, and that was quite an experience. I didn't say much to him, because I wasn't sure if I would be able to control what would come out of my mouth, but I listened to what my trainer said and am trying to think of what I would say when that happens again.

Transfers are next week! I'm hoping to stay in my area (San Bernardino) and with my trainer, but if I'm transferred then that's where the Lord needs me to be.

Love you all and stay safe!

In Which We Pet a Goat

Dear Family-

This week has been really great! We taught a lot of people and I'm just so happy!

We taught this less active woman named Rachel. After we talked for a bit and shared a lesson, she said that she's grateful we came over and wants us to come visit her every week. The elders had not been able to get in to see her yet. This truly was a miracle!

Then we went to visit a couple. She's a member, he's not. He asked us how he can be baptized, and we told him he needed to take the missionary lessons and he asked us to come back so he can receive them. Miracle!!

Sis Wall and I have been trying to listen to the Spirit more, so we can be more directly guided to what we need to do. We were walking down the street and it's just so amazing to see us feel like we need to go a certain way, so we go and there's someone willing to listen to us. MIRACLE!!

I've learned that listening to the Spirit is absolutely essential in missionary work. As a missionary, you are given that promise of always having the Spirit, but it depends on if you are worthy to have the Spirit. I've realized that not having the Spirit = not being able to teach with the Spirit. It's something amazing.

This church really is true! Christ lives!

Love,

Sis Rogerson

Santa Anna Winds Blow Us Around

Dear Family-

 

Interesting week this week. Sis Wall and I had been trying to stop by this one house several times, and we could never catch anyone home. I had decided that they were ignoring us and one night last week, Sis Wall felt like we should stop by. I agreed, but in my heart I was doubting that anyone would answer. Someone totally did answer the door! We made an appointment and were able to meet with her later in the week. She is such an amazing woman with a strong testimony. It was such an amazing teaching moment for me.

 

This week the Santa Anna winds started. These winds are SO strong. They can get up to 90 miles an hour! They come from the mountains, and San Bernardino is in a wind tunnel basically. It sounds like a hurricane! Branches were all over the street, mailboxes were blown down, and flag poles were torn up from the ground. It was really crazy! Sis Wall and I got blown around a few times. It's so funny. We have to be really careful with our skirts!

 

We almost got chased by a dog. We were walking down the street and this big canine dog was on the inside of a fenced yard and all of a sudden he jumped halfway onto the fence and started barking. No joke, this dog almost jumped the fence! He was growling so much and barking. I jumped in the back of the car and cowered like a 5 year old. It was pretty eventful.

 

I hit my month mark this week! I've officially been a missionary for a month.

 

We also helped this woman out this week. Earlier, Sis Wall and I were venting about how we want to do service, but every time we ask, the people say, "Oh no, we'll just get the elders to do it." Later that day we drove by this man and woman who were outside trying to get a canopy out of their tree. It had blown into the tree and gotten tangled from the Santa Anna winds. We stopped and helped them. They rewarded us with Coke :)

 

General Conference was absolutely incredible!! There was so much that was fantastic, but something I really like is "Will I falter or will I finish?"

 

Have a great week!

Love,

Sis Rogerson