2/28/2011 the Tall and Short of it......

Hi there family and friends!!

The first day I have used a short sleeve shirt is today.  The weather is crazy out here!!!!!!!!!.  It went from freezing to hot then from snow to warm rain and today it is 81 and tomorrow it is 53.  there is no telling what your going to get when you walk outside.  I went from a huge jacket yesterday to a short sleeve shirt today!
Last week it was warmer in VA than it was in AZ- go figure that one out!

Mom--Our apartment is clean.... well as clean as it can be.  the Deep Creek apartment is the 2nd oldest in the mission... let's just say it is a little run down.  The carpet... well it used to be white at one point now it is more of a tan with black and brown spots ranging from all sizes and shaptes.  The "best" part is the up stairs. EVERY step on the stairs creeks.  And everywhere you walk on the 2nd floor it squeaks or creeks.....

(yes I did mention to Elder Rogers to be sure to keep his room clean... 
does a Mom ever stop asking for that??) 
FYI-So I got to the apartment my first week and sat in my study chair 2 times.  The 3rd time I sat in it, it broke into 3 pieces.  Now this wasn't just an old wooden chair.  It was a nice folding chair that was padded.  I was later informed that the Elder that was here before me leaned back in his chair all the time, so the past month I've been sitting on an old raggedy coffee table to study!  its way low.... are you getting the picture?

(Okay Okay, another mom thing... 
I have asked several times about his apartment so I am finally getting some feedback!  
I think I got the picture....
good thing Elder Rogers knows how to improvise.... HA!)
Elder Rogers has a new companion. 

Elder Beus from Boise Idaho--(nearby town called Kuna). 

Koltn says:

He is 6 foot 8...... ye that's right 6 foot 8!!!!

It is crazy

I feel like a midget, but he is super cool!

We get along great and getting better and better at teaching together.  He likes the same football teams as me and has a lot of the same interests. He is from Boise Idaho.

(well a close by there is a town called Kuna)

He grew up on a farm and raises dairy cows.

He was a basketball player.... well of course he was!

Koltn also say:

So the "Experience of the Week"

Elder Beus is so tall that he has a special bike.

He calls it the Clydesdale.

Well his back tire was waaaaayyy bent up so it was hard to ride.  So the wind was blowing like 37 mph that day.  It made bike riding so miserable....  We were like 15 min away from the apartment and all of a sudden one of his spokes on the wheel poked through and popped his tire!  It sounded like a gunshot and we were in a ghetto part of the area so I got scared that my comp just got shot!  I turned around and he was smiling and said, oh well...... So we started the walk back and I told him that we were going to have to put the "old Clydesdale" down because it has lame leg!

So we have been hoofing it (no pun intended) since Friday morning and it really has narrowed our tracting down.  But we are still doing lots of work here in "Elder Rogers Neighborhood". 

It's good to hear Elder Rogers hasn't lost his sense of humor.  

Sorry for the generic pictures.  It would be nice to get a few pictures from mission land, but alas.... none have arrived!  All the images I have are the ones I make up in my own head! 

Elder Rogers Says:  Love to all Y'all from down here in Dixieland.

Miss Y'all too!  

I wear the suit, the book is blue, and the church IS TRUE!

2/22/2011 Transfers and Danger!

Yep, transfers are this week! 

I'm staying here in Deep Creek but Elder Logan is headed out.  He got called to be a Zone Leader.  I don't know anything about my new companion but I'll be finding out on Thursday.

(I imagine transfers can be a little exciting.  New area? New companion? 

but also a little scary- new area, new companion!)

It was warm last week but it was a fluke! Today the high is back in the 40's and the cold wind is blowing like crazy.  Brrrrr.  I still miss AZ.  Forecast for snow tonight and maybe tomorrow.  I would kill for some light, luke-warm, rain... like back home.  People are getting sick all over the place because it got warm and then cold.

( kinda like what we've experienced in AZ except the high is not in the 40's)

FYI- they closed one of our favorite neighborhoods because it is getting too dangerous!   

(um.... not something I like to hear! this is what I envision.....

Please say a few protection prayers for our missionaries!) 

I can't believe it either.  We had 2 very good investigators who were really progressing in there.  

Now we can't visit them, I hope we haven't lost them.  

(That's gotta be disappointing)

You asked for some good news:  idk, right now we are in a weird stage with the transfers and the baptisms so we are just rebuilding our teaching pools. 

(Not quite sure this is the kind of pool he is referring to-HA!)

But I love tracting and finding new people.

(that's my boy!  always a positive attitude and such a hard worker)
Tell everyone I said hello and that I love them all.  Its good to hear people still remember who I am.

Love you all!  Miss you all,  and remember

GOD is a MORMON!  Trust me... I know!

Happy Valentines Day! 2/13/2011

THINGS ARE GOOD!  

(Now what mom doesn't like to hear those 3 words to start off an email?)

I am not allowed to mention family names in email or letters but we have 2 awesome families that are our  families away from home.  They take good care of us. We love them!  The Ward is amazing out here. People are so much closer and everyone is more of a family then back home. 

(More music to a mom's ears!)

I have been given so many blessings.  I think that is one of the best parts of being a mission.  I am so grateful that I have the Priesthood and am worthy to use it.  It means so much more to me than I could have ever imagined back home.  The Power and Authority of the priesthood is what makes our church so different.

(A missionary is being the best he can be when he is learning and progressing- the more you learn, the more you can teach and share the Gospel with others who are waiting to hear!
we are proud of you Elder Rogers!) 

Family- the book of Mormon and the bible are unfolding to me.  

It is awesome.  I can't believe how much I am learning everyday!  

It is AMAZING.... 

I wish I could explain how much the spirit can help in the understanding I am looking for.

Miss you all and miss you so much. See you in 2.

Elder Rogers- its not 2 anymore-661 days! HA!

  

Elder Rogers Neighborhood update 2/7/2011.

Welcome 2 new members to the 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

They had 2 baptism this past week!

As per Elder Rogers :
Things are good!  The baptisms were on Saturday and they were awesome!   There is this family that is -my mish family! They are awesome and super kind!  The dad is a recent convert and he is fired up about the Gospel!  They have 4 little kids and all of the members of the family are soooo funny.  They feed us a lot and he goes out on splits with us a lot.  
Deep Creek Ward news:
Bishop Utterback is very interesting..... He tells it like it is to everyone.  He doesn't hold back and isn't afraid to offend someone.  He is AWESOME!! He keeps people in line but at the same time everyone LOVES him. 
Companion news:
Oh, Elder Logan says thanks for the mint goodies!  He wanted to know how you knew he liked mint?  That is one more thing we have in common.  Doesn't he know yet that mom's know everything? Especially those who are friends with their companions mom? shhhh : )

The work is progressing out here and I love it!  

The field is white and ready for EVERY MEMBER to harvest.  

Aloha from Virgina 

(must have been ward luau night? ha)

Deep Creek Ward!

Just a few of Elder Rogers words from his letter dated 1/28/2011.
"the ward is way into missionary work!  We are one of the only area's with a ward, a lot are only branches.  I wish I could tell you about each person.  I love them all.  The Ward has about 300 including less active.  There is just about 100 active that come each week.  But you have to realize the ward boundaries are 10 miles X 18 miles.  that is a huge area!  Not like in AZ where is it a few blocks.  We have 3 baptisms and my appointment book is booked solid. I love these people mom!  Tracting in the field is my favorite. I actually found my first 2 investigators  going door to door.  I get to share the gospel and I am so excited to share it with people who don't even know about Christ. " My testimony is getting stronger and stronger.  I didn't think it could but it grows every day.  I actually feel the spirit using me for its mouthpiece.  I love how strongly I can feel the spirit.  I know what Lehi meant when he fell into bed because he was overcome with the spirit.  I feel like that everyday and love sharing that feeling with others."  
I want to challenge our family to find a "Rogers Family Scripture"   Everyone start looking. When you find one that fits our family we will adopt it as our own!
Love to Mom, Dad, Kisha, Dan, Lincoln,Owen, Klete, Tatum, Wyatt, Unknown : ), Kelsey Beau, Acey Unknown : ) Grandma Grandpa and everyone else!  Miss all of you and see you in 2!
Elder Rogers   

1/31/2011 SPLITS- to divide into parts or portions

There is a missionary "lingo" called splits.  It is where a missionary companionship (2 elders/sisters) are divided and either given a member partner for a day, or another missionary partner for a period of time.  This week Koltn has been on splits with Elder Bigler from Portsmouth District while his companion Elder Logan has gone to the mission home with Elder Zaupp for training.
Koltn says: "we covered my area and his area all week. It was crazy! Elder Logan and Elder Zaugg ( BiIgler's companion) were in Richmond for a training seminar. It was good. Hard work but good.  Oh And we had an awesome day.... We went to 2 appointments that canceled and peddled down to the bottom of Bigler's area for one lesson and then back to the top of mine for another.... oh and it was raining the hardest i have ever seen it rain before, the whole time." 
As athletic as Koltn is, he never rode a bike.  We got him a couple of them as he was growing up, but they just sat there.  He just wasn't interested in riding them.  Its kinda comical that now it is his main mode of transportation.  He says he loves riding a bike because you can get "up close and personal" with the people on the street.  It will be nice to see a picture of him on a bike (if and when we finally get some pictures that is) 
More comments from Koltn: As for an experience tracting..... well we saw THE HOUSE like THE ONE but we saved it for last on the street so we started knocking on the other end of the street. We found one family to start to and the husband is a hunter. Then a few doors down, a huge guy told us how stupid we are and how wrong we are, and then proceeded to tell us where to go as he slammed the door. We laughed our heads off (when we left that is, cuz that guy was a 6'5", 280lbs, fully bearded, missionary eating machine). the house we thought was THE ONE ended up being a total bust. but the one right before was AWESOME!!!! it was a newly married couple and they said they wanted us to come back. He is a Pro BBQ cooker.... like he does it for a living. hopefully he will have some for the next time we teach them :)
One of the best things about Koltn is that he has such a positive attitude about most things in life. He learned that a long time ago and it has been prevelant in most things he accomplished.  He comments:I think missionaries have a hard time out here because they let things bother them. like if they get a door slammed in their face or a lesson goes bad or someone cancels.... I don't get that. Ha! Elder Logan asked how i could be happy all the time. idk i guess it is just the outlook on a mission.

Well that's about it for another week from Elder Rogers Neighboorhood.  

Keep your fingers crossed that soon we might get some pictures.