In Which We Give Thanks

Dear Family,

This week was full of making plans for Thanksgiving! We made a list of families we felt like we needed to see that day...and we are going to end up with 6 dinners that day. One of the families we are going to dinner with is a potential investigator family, and we were planning on talking to them about coming over. Before we could do so, they called us and invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner! God is so great, that's really all I can say.

We've been talking a lot of what we can share on Thanksgiving with all these people we are going to see, and it's made me think a lot about what I am grateful for. Of course, there's my family and my mission and my companion. But this year I'm also especially grateful for general conference and ensign talks. I'm grateful for the people I've been able to meet the past year and for my testimony, which has grown immensely since I really started to concentrate on it.

I hope you all will think of some different things you are thankful for this year! God has blessed us with so many things. Why not look for them?

1 Nephi 1:20

Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Rogerson

In Which Many Changes Happen This Transfer. Just Not to Us.

Dear Family,

Transfer calls were this morning and both Sister Hope and I are staying in this area! We are both really excited to continue working with those people whom we have come to love.

We picked up a new investigator, J. He is one of our investigator's sons. We are very excited to continue to teach him. He has great faith in Jesus Christ already. That makes it easier to teach people the restored gospel. 

Many changes are happening this transfer. We have 15 new elders coming in and 3 new sisters. Areas are being divided and missionaries added to wards. The ward I'm serving in now has one set of elders and one set of sisters, but starting Wednesday we'll have 2 sets of elders and a set of sisters (us) in the ward. This transfer is also a 5 week transfer, because if it was a regular 6 week transfer then it would land on December 23. So many missionaries are finishing their missions in December, so about half of them are going home a week before Christmas and half are going home a week after.

Well that's all the news for this week! I love my mission, it's the best!

Love,

Sister Rogerson

In Which We Have a Happy Halloween

Dear Family,

This week has been really great! On Wednesday we had a baptism of a 9 year old girl. We've been teaching her for about 2 months and she got baptized! Her mom is a returning less active and they are both doing so well.

On Halloween we had to be in our apartments at 6pm, but that didn't stop us from hanging up Happy Halloween signs on 15 member's doors. I thought our ninja skills were getting pretty good, but we got caught a few times by the members. At one house Sister Hope had me distract the member so she could hang it up on the back of their front door and another time so she could hang the sign up in their bathroom.

It also got down to the 60s the past few days. Sister Hope and I got out our winter coats and scarves and felt like winter had come. Then we found out it's supposed to get back up to the 90s this week. I can't complain. Winter here is really just like spring.

I'm so excited for these coming months! It's going to be great, I can just feel it.

Love you all!

Sister Rogerson

A Slowish Week and a Surprise Investigator

Dear Family,

I think this is the first week of my mission that has gone by pretty slowly! It was still a good week though.

We picked up a new investigator, who was by the church building on Tuesday when all the missionaries were arriving for District Meeting. She asked if there was anyone who could tell her more about this church. We talked for a while, then she started to cry as she told us about her broken family and how she just wants relief from the emotional and physical pain she's been feeling. She got a priesthood blessing from some of the elders. It was a beautiful blessing, one that you could tell was directed strictly by the Spirit.

Sister Hope and I have both been kind of sick this week. Our baptism is on Wednesday, and we are really excited about it!

Not much else went on this week. Next week will be full of things to write about!

Until then,

Sister Rogerson

Elise and her companion went to a Halloween party dressed as each other. Freaky.

In Which We Attend a Conference

Dear Family,

Wow! This week we had a mission conference with Elder David F Evans of the Seventy. I'm always a bit nervous when General Authorities come, because they come to either tell us what we're doing right, or tell us what we're doing wrong. This instance was some of both. He talked to us mainly about seeking referrals from every teaching appointment that we are in. It was really inspiring to hear him say that, because that's what this mission's next step is. We're a progressing mission. It's cool to look back and see how the mission was a year ago and compare it to how it is now.

We have an investigator, 9 years old, on date for baptism for the 29th of October! She is really excited and has already made a list of friends she wants to invite. Little kid excitement is contagious! 

We've been also getting a ton of referrals from the MTC and Church Headquarters. This is a testimony to me that God's work is progressing and we need to prepare ourselves for the multitudes of people who will accept the gospel, because I truly believe that there are multitudes and thousands of people who are prepared.

I know this gospel is true! I know that my Savior and Redeemer lives, and that He is with all of us as much as we allow Him to be.

Love,

Sister Rogerson

General Conference and New Companion

Dear Family-

How did you like General Conference?? Wasn't it incredible?? There are so many things I learned from this one. There was a lot of talk about following and sustaining the prophet and about the sacrament. The sacrament talks especially hit me, because it really is one of the most sacred ordinances in the whole Church. And we are participants! We really do need to prepare to take the sacrament.

This week I got a new companion- Sister H. We knew each other in Redlands and actually drove up to Fontana together when we were transferred. We have been having so much fun together, and I feel like we complete each other in a really positive way.

In a few weeks, Elder Evans of the 70 is coming to tour the mission. He asked us to read a few specific chapters in the Book of Mormon and write some thoughts of what those missionaries were doing and how they were successful. We're so excited for this! There are rumors that we'll be getting ipads.

Things are great! I love seeing the gospel change people, even if it's only seeing someone have a new mindset about the LDS faith.

Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Rogerson

Fontana

Dear Family,

Sorry I've been slacking on writing for the blog. It's hard to remember!

This week was really great! We had an incredible lesson with D, whom we found a few weeks ago. D wants to be baptized, and we're striving for October 25. She's one of the people whom you know has been prepared by the Spirit to accept the gospel. I didn't know I could love someone so much so instantly.

I also was able to go to a baptism of an old investigator in Redlands. He is 67 years old and was just beaming the whole time. He bore his testimony and told everyone that this was the happiest day of his life. He has such a strong belief in God already. He is going to be a great asset to the ward.

It was great to have my testimony built even more. It was a really spiritual baptism, the most spiritual one I've ever been to. Not many people were there, but angels filled the rest of the room. You could feel their presence.

Those were the best things that happened this week. Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Rogerson