In Which We Celebrate Christmas

Dear Family,

It was so great to see you on Thursday! You all look so happy and so tired. Don't worry, I felt the same!

This week we had one particularly incredible lesson. One of our investigators has been praying strongly to know whether he should be baptized. The only thing that is holding him back from baptism is that he has not received an answer yet. He asked us to have a lesson with him specifically on how to recognize answers to prayers. I love it, because that is showing his willingness and his true desire to receive an answer and act on it.

We have many people whom we are working with and I am so grateful to have them in my life at this time. Every area you are in, you learn different things from people and you know it's inspired that you've been sent there. I love it, and love the thing that I have learned so far.

Christmas day itself was so great. We saw many people and caroled and shared the story of Christ's birth with everyone we could. People were happy and called out "Merry Christmas!" to us. I love this time of year. It allows us to think more about Christ and His gift to us, and reminds us to think of it throughout the year.

I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Rogerson

In Which Transfers Come and Prayer is Powerful

Dear Family,

The news has come in! I'm being transferred from Fontana to Colton a week before Christmas. It will be an exciting time! I'm excited to meet new people and work with those who are ready to hear the gospel, especially during this Christmas season.

We had a really good lesson with D, one of our investigators. We've been working with her for a few months now, and she has never agreed to say the prayer during our lessons. We had a lesson specifically on prayer and how it is how we nurture that relationship with our Heavenly Father. We also talked about Joseph Smith and how it was his vocal prayer that brought the First Vision and thus the whole church came about.

We invited her, again, to pray at the end of the lesson. She shook her head, and we began to testify again that prayer is how we gain truth. I was praying in my heart the whole time that she would accept our invitation. Then D agreed to say the prayer! She offered the most beautiful and heartfelt prayer I've every heard an investigator say. The Spirit came into her home and it was one of the strongest experiences of feeling the Spirit I've had on my mission. Both Sister Hope and I left feeling spiritually uplifted and happy beyond measure.

I just want to testify that prayer is so powerful. It can and does change lives. It changes hearts and brings the Spirit. It is an open line to our Father in Heaven. How lucky are we to have it?? I am so grateful.

Have a great week! Love you all!

Sister Rogerson

In Which Illness Strikes. And I Remember the True Gift of Christmas

Dear Family,

Not much went on this week because I was sick and we didn't leave the apartment for a couple days. We have been busy helping people put up Christmas decorations, and we've gotten really good and putting up Christmas lights on trees.

It's been cold and rainy, so much that it started to feel like winter until today, when it's 80 degrees and we're back to summer.

I'm not really sure what else to write about, other than I think I slept more this past week than i have my entire mission.

OH! There's this amazing video that the Church has put out called "He is The Gift", on christmas.mormon.org. You can also find it on youtube, because it's the headline for the rest of the month!

How incredible is it that we can share the reason for Christ's birth with others? He was born, and that in itself was amazing, but why was He born? To make possible our salvation. His entire life, pre-mortal and mortal, was to prepare Him to do that. Everything relates back to the Atonement and how precious that gift is. We've been given so many gifts, but Christ, Himself, was The Gift.

Have a merry Christmas! 

Love,

Sister Rogerson

Elise and and Sister Hope in footsie pajamas