05.28.13 | Week 6-7 | Fort Lauderdale

Well Hello my family! Yes, I am officially in Florida! Its amazing here! So beautiful. Dad you probably already know this but the skies here and to die for. Sometimes, when I am having a hard time, I like to look up at the sky here and remember how blessed I am to be here. My pday is usually on Monday, but this week it was a holiday monday so it is today instead:) I am sorry mom, for making you wait. haha

So let me start you off with my first day here. My first day here we ate dinner at the presidents house with all the AP's. Ok, my president and his wife are amaizng. They are litterally like the two most amazing people I have ever met in my entire life. After that they had us go out and place Books of Mormons. Oh my goodness. I was TERRIFIED! but it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. I will never forget that. I wante  to just keep going, and going! Good thing I have a whole 18 months to keep going right? haha The next day we had transfer meetings. This is where I got to meet me lovely companion. They had a big projector up in the chapel, they went area by area, and announced who was serving where, with who. I got my lovely new companion/trainor Sister Bean. God blessed me so much with her. I know that I am with her for a reason. Her spanish is amazing, and she is just the most outgoing person in the world. She tells me all the time how grateful she is for me because I am willing to learn and to participate unlike her last companion who did pretty much nothing. Haha its funny becasue I feel like there is just so much more I can do to help. I feel helpless most of the time!

That first day we went out and went Harvesting. Harvesting is SO COOL! It's when we go knocking on doors, we say! "Hi i'm sister rogers, this is my companion sister bean, we are representatives of jesus christ. He has sent us here to leave his peace and blessing with you and your family." You would be so suprised how many people are so up for it! Oh I forgot to tell you. I am serving in Riverside Park North, Fort lauderdale Florida. Its the Ghetto and I love it:) The spirit is so strong when we say those prayers. I don't know how any one else in other missions get anything done! I now know why our mission is so crazy with baptisms! We do this every day and we see miricales every day from it. The spanish is coming slowly but surely. I get really discouraged sometimes, becasue I want to be as good as my companion. But then I have to remember that she has been out for 8 months and I have only been out for 1 1/2 or something like that. Which is crazy by the way.

Ok... I have a surprise for you. I ALREADY HAVE HAD MY FIRST BAPTISM! yes. I know. First week here and I have already gotten to experience that great experience. His name is Dairien, he's 19, and a CUBAN! Yeah. It was amazing. I will never forget that experience. We have so many potential people! The work is hastening that's for sure. Its so hard though. It gets hot and I get tired, but I just have to rememeber. I have no time to waist.

Last night I was actually have a really hard time. Just feeling a little alone, and one of the amazing sister in my apartment told me to go and read the talk today about the enabling act of the attonement. I read it today and realized I used that for my farewell talk. Its amaizng how much I have learned since then. It was like I was reading a completely different talk! I have to remember that I am far from alone. I feel almost like a broken Clay pot that was dropped, trying to find out what kind of missionary I am. But I know that as time goes on my pot will be glued back together, stronger than ever. I know that is a little cheesy...but my relationship with christ has grown more than ever. This has been such a humbling experience.

I went on exchanges on my 3rd day here. It was so fun. I went with a sister named sister Johnson. I will send pictures. But she serves in Pines. Its more rich there and hard to get to people. Lots of gated communities...So much different than the ghetto but I really learned a ton from her. We even got to go see the Fort Lauderdale temple being built! Ah! So pretty!

Ok another crazy story for ya. I am in a Tree-o again. I dont know how for sure it is or how long she will be with us, but a tree-o is hard! She is from Puerto Rico, well was serving there, and got in a car accident and had internal bleeding so they flew her here and she is in our companionship for a little until the 12 decides what they wat to do with her. Its been a rollercoaster ride. My trainer is training 2 greeniees. Its sometimes super difficult teaching with three people. ya know? but i know that everything I go through is just another lesson that Heavenly Father wants me to learn. I just have to remember that:) But yeah, Know that this is the best experience I have ever gone through, Its hard, but so rewarding, and I am having to rely on my father in heaven more than ever before.

My appartment is super nice!! I am spoiled haha. I haven't had the chance to ride my bike yet, but everyone loves it a lot:) I do to. I look at it all the time and admire it. I love you all so much! I don't know if I will be able to individually email you all back but know I love you and I pray for you every single prayer I say. I miss you all like crazy. I am so thankful for all of your support and what a great family you are. Have an amazing day family!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU ATON!!!!!

With a ton of love: Sister Rogers

 

05.17.13 | Week 5 | MTC

Family!!

P-day is the greatest day of all. I love being able to e-mail you! Thank you for all your emails. I am literally crying right now. Every thing is going to well for everyone. There is no other way I would want to leave you all. I am so blessed to have all of you as my family...I know I say that a lot but I am being very serious. I only have 3 days left here in the MTC. I don't know how that happened...honestly. Time FLYS. It's so bitter sweet. I have grown so close with everyone here. My district is my little family away from home. It's going to be so hard to leave the sisters that are going to Denver Colorado. My companion and two of the three elders are all going to my same mission. So we will be on the plan together:) Yesterday we had In Field Tranning. Its basically a 8 hour class for all the missionaries leaving this next week. It was SO long! but also very helpful. We learned how to really gain a relationship with the ward mission leader and the bishop so we can use members on our missions. Just like the missionaries do with dad:) I wish I could have dad as my bishop in Florida;) haha but we also learned how to contact. We have been doing that a lot this week. ITS SO SCARY. haha the idea of walking up to some random person and talking to them and sharing a message about our church IN SPANISH, gets me a little tiny bit nervous. Haha I have definietly learned how to rely on the lord in situations like that. I will be getting a lot of experience with contacting while I'm flying to Florida! Wahoo! Maybe I'll get to tell you a little about while I talk to you ON TUESDAY!!! AHHH! I cannot wait to hear your voices. Maybe I will bare my testimony to you in Spanish:) Mom, I can get a calling card here:) If I end up not being able to get one, I will write you and tell you in my letter today! Thank you for thinking about me.

Wow...I am just a super happy happy person today. I just got back from the Temple. It was so peacful. It was like you explained mom, sometimes you go to the temple and you never want to leave. Such an amazing place. I'm a little sad that was my last time attending the Provo Temple on my mission. I made sure I got a lot of food in the cafetiria for my last time:) That food is so good. When we were walking out of our session, some lady asked if we were missionaries, we said yes, and then she said that President Monsons wife passed away this morning......I'm sure you all heard but that just made me so sad. I began to think about how he was feeling, and I thought wow he is probably so sad...Those old men and their wives are the cutest. But then I thought so more about it and thought...if out of any one in the world. I bet President Monson is so happy that his cute little wife is with our father in heaven. She is where we all want to be. The other day at dinner my district and I were talking about how we think the second coming is near. Some of us were talking about how we dont want it to be, but we believe it is. Why else would we all be able to go on missions at such a young age? We are preparing the way! but we were all like I want to have a family, and experience all those fun things. But we thought more about it and were like, if we knew what was in store for us, we wouldn't even care about those things. We'd want to get straight to heaven. It's crazy how people don't know what more there is out there. We don't know exactly, but we know enough to be able to do our best here on earth so we can recieve the great blessing of living in our heavenly fathers presence.

I have had such a great week like I said. I have learned so much. It's been our review week. I finaly think I am beginning to understand things! I can pretty much say most things that I want to say. I learn something new every second. Its amazing. I am so glad that I am learning spanish. I am humbled every single day though. I have never needed help from my heavenly father like i have here. It's not easy. but I am so glad I have this oppertunity. I think that it is really going to help my accomplish so much in life. I am gaining the confidence that I never thought I could have. Its amazing. I love it.

I am a little nervous to get to Florida...Except I know that it will be just like the MTC. I did not like not knowing who my companion was going to be or what the food was like or how hard the spanish was, but It is all amazing. I have had to grow so much from everything, but I know I am givin everything I have and have gone through to strengthen myself. I LOVE IT! and I know the mission will be just like that. I get butterflys just thinking about it:) I start packing in a couple days. Wish me luck!! Also tell Jodi, Grandma Bullock, and Grandma Lucy thank you for the packages. You are right, I am so loved here. I love my family so much. How did I ever get so lucky? Love all of you so so much:)

I got the oppertunity to Host this week. Hosting is the Elder that helped me with my bags at the drop off. I was that person:) I cried every single time someone said goodbye to their families. haha I am such a baby. but its sad! can you blame me? It was so fun to be the first person that the sisters saw and talked to in the MTC:) I got a little lost. This MTC is a lot bigger than you'd think. haha I stay in my two buildings, go to the mail room, book store, lunch and I am good. So that was funny:) I'm a little blonde sometimes. We all know that though. Well family, I will send you pictures today and I will write letters. Know that I am so happy and so excited to wake up at 2;30 and get to the travel office at 3:00 AM on tuesday:) I cant wait to hear your voices. Just be ready to answer the phone at all hours. I'm not sure when I will have the chance to talk. It could be at like 6 haha. I know you love me so it wont matter

The next time I talk to you all is in the airport!!! yay!:) ok well enough of telling you how excited I am, I will let you all go. Have an amazind day my dear family. Tell tripp and coup hi for me. I miss them so dang much. I hope they havent forgotten about me. Maybe I can talk to them too on tuesday;) Ok, I love you all so much! never ever forget that. You are all such big examples to me<3

Con mucho amor, Hermana Rogers

Que Tenga un buen Dia!

Hermana Tanner and I the day before she left. She was the best. Gotta love STG girls ;)

District 38 Hermanas AKA my family

Once again, we all love each other a little too much ;)

Last Temple session :(

One last normal picture of Hermana Tanner and I :) I realized all my pictures were of me laughing. Typical.

05.10.13 | Week 4 | MTC

Hola mi marveoso familia!

How's my family doing?? I love you all so much and I get so excited to be able to e-mail you and tell you all about my week here in the MTC. Its litterally the most crazy / awesome / hard / overwhelming / spiritual place ever, like I have explained before. Every day there is a new experience waiting for me. My emotions are ALL over the place! I can't decide if that's a good thing for me considering that I already have that problem as it is...haha But no..this week was one to remember. I learned so much! The District above us didn't get their visas so they got re-assigned. Except for one sister Hermana Tanner. She is actually from STG! She went to school with Mike at Desert Hills. She was the only person in her distict to not get re-assigned. SO! They made mine and Hermana Petersons companionship a Tree-o. She Wasn't sure when she was going to get to leave. She was with us this whole week, and then two nights ago she got re-assigned to Louisianna Batton Rouge (dont know how to spell that) She leaves Wednesday:) I thought it was going to be really tough to adjust to having one more person in our companionship. Its already hard enough to have to be with one person 24/7 but three is another story. And she was also coming from a whole different situation. She was super sad that her whole district left her and it was kinda hard for her to come into a class that was two weeks behind her in spanish. Ya know it really has occured to me that EVERY LITTLE thing happens for a reason. She may not have needed to learn something from us in this week and a half, but we DEFINITELY needed to learn something from her. She is such a good teacher. The way she has helped us teach our investigators have opened our eyes tramedously. I KNOW with out a doubt that she was meant to stay here for a reason.

Like I said, this week has been one to remember. I had the most spiritual lesson with one of our investigators Catarin. We had been teaching her for quite some time now. We actually had already invited her to baptism but just was not ready. So we made sure she knew we understand but would love to keep on teaching her. She agreed. Then came one day we were teaching her about how her Heavenly Father loves her and wants her to be clean here on this life so that she can return to live with him again. She had gone to church that week before, so we also talked about the sacrament and what it can do for us. We were baring our testimony on our struggles in life and how we have come to know that we can be forgivin, and in Heavenly fathers eyes we are clean. I remember distinctly, I looked up and tears were rolling down her face. It hit me so hard, that the spirit was most definitly in that room. I looked at Catarin, it was quite for a couple of minutes. We just sat there and pondered about what was said. I went on and asked her, "Catarin, Que sentie?" (what do you feel?) she came up and said, I feel really good. really really good. I went on to explain that, that good feeling she was feeling, was the spirit. Heavenly father loves you more than you know. He wants you to come unto him. She was still tearing up. Another couple minutes went by and I looked up at her and said, "Segira le ejemplo de jesucristo y ser bautizada, por alguien que posea la autridad de sacerdocio de Dio?" (invited her to be baptized) She looked at us and said, "Si, Yo quiero que" (yes, I want that) We all just sat there and cried. Every one of us had tears in our eyes. We expressed how excited we were for her to follow the example of her father and be baptized. We asked her to say the prayer for us and while we were praying with her, as we were kneeling, i felt Heavenly Fathers pressance with me in that room. I felt him put his hand on my shoulder and say, "Good job Sister Rogers, Good job" I came out of that lesson with a feeling that I wanted to have for the rest of my mission. Its so cool to rememebr that that is my teacher I am teaching, who is playing an investigador. She didn't make herself cry. She was crying because she felt the spirit so strongly. I love this work more than anything. My testimony has grown more than I could have every imagined it would. I cannot wait for that to happen to the people in Florida, whos lives really are going to change because of this gospel.

As for today, we went to the Temple this morning. We did initiatories (?) It was honestly so cool. I had never done that before. Such a cool experience. The whole time I was doing it i couldn't help but think how lucky we are to be able to have this gospel, and the temple in our lives. I cannot wait till the temple in Fort Lauderdal gets dedicated. I want those people of Florida to have a temple so badly. I have been so spoiled to always have at temple near by. Mom, in your letter you said you could just sit there and look at the temple all day. I agree completly. Its so beautiful.

I want you all to know how much I love you, and appreciate all of your letters. They mean the world to me. Every time I read them, I just rmemeber how much I am blessed to have a family back home supporting me while I am here serving the lord. I leave in like a week and 3 days. I CANNOT believe it. the time is such an odd thing. I love everything about the MTC, and i have grown to feel so comfortable here. Haha somtimes I feel like the MTC is where I am going to be serving my mission. But nope, I get to go to florida soon! We will be getting our travel plans soon and I am so excited:) I will probably be on the plan with the gardener girl fromi grandma and grandpas town:) shes super cute, I have seen her around here a lot. So that will be fun:)

I have not written your letters this week yet, but after I do, I will get back on the computer or whenever I can today and send pictures:) I want you to know how grateful I am for you. When our teachers ask who we look up to I just want to tell them that I look up to every single person in my family. I HAVE THE BEST FAMILY IN THE WORLD! not a doubt about it. I love you all! I also cannot wait to talk to you in a week and three days in the airport:) be prepared! ;) have a FABULOUS day and know that you are always in my prayers :) don't worry about me. I am in the best hands anyone could ever be in. Heavenly Fathers....

Con Mucho Amor, Hermana KACEY Rogers

 

Hermana Gibbons and I right before gym!

I love packages! I got 2 in one day. That's like Christmas!!! '

Hermana Gailey and I on our Temple walk

I promise all we do is eat here.

Us Hermanas in our classroom

Trying to show how many days we have been here in my planner! CRAZYYYYYY!

Hermana Tanner, Hermana Peterson, and I. Our new lovely companionship:)

The Hermanas:)

I found someone with crazy hair like me!! I thought you would enjoy this. I know you miss my poofy hair;)

05.03.13 | Week 3 | MTC

My Familia que le amo!

Another week has gone by! CRAZY right?? This week has been definitely crazy. I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that this work is amazing. I know that I am not teaching "real" investigators yet, but it is so amazing what we are being trained to do. We are in class basically all day. If any of you know me, that's not my favorite thing to do. haha but! I am learning so much it's insane. I KNOW that without the the lords help i would not be where i am today. It's been three weeks, and here I am sitting with my companion teaching lessons to people IN SPANISH. Here I am sitting in class listening to my teachers speak in ALL spanish, and I UNDERSTAND! Here I am, talking to members (TRC) about their life and if there is anyting that we as missionaries can do to help them, then give them a little message. Its amazing to me what I can do in spanish in three weeks. Last sunday I gave the prayer in sacrament meeting. I had never been so nervous in my life! but it all went really well :) I have never prayed for more comofort, or more help from my father in heaven, then I do here. This coming week we have the oppertunity to skype with some native members for another (TRC) haha that to me is kinda of really scary. I can understand spanish but when natives start to speak really fast, i promise everything is one word. So...pray for me;) nah it'll all be good. It will be good practice:) Kort maybe suggested that I take a recording of me speaking spanish so you could all hear , i think i will do that and maybe once I gather up a little bit more pictures I will send you the memory card home and use the one I have here, that way you can see it:) then you can send it back to me when you get everything off of it:)

For my district, I guess you could say it has been a "bitter-sweet" week. We have all progressed so much on our spanish, so that is an amazing blessing for us. Like I said, the week was going so great! My companion and I committed one of our 2 investigators to baptism!! wahoo:) it feels so great here in the MTC when that happens, I can only imagine what that feels like when we are in the field. The other investigator of ours said that he is interested but isnt quite sure yet how he feels about that. So, we are going to help him get a testimony for himself. We explained to him that we are not here to force him to do anything but are so happy to teach him more about that Gospel, and how much his father in heaven loves him. One day we were sitting in class, one of the companiships had the assignment to go and do a demonstration for the new missionaries that arrived on wednsday. One of the Elders in the companiship didn't go so they did a split. He was acting like something was wrong and we sisters didn't know what was up with him. Later that day, Hermana Peterson just had gotten out of giving one of the best lessons to our investigator, and we see Hermana Gibbons crying in the hall. I go up to her and ask her what was happening and she said that an elder was going home. This came as such a shock to me. When you spend so much time with these people for 3 weeks you grow to love them like they are your family. We were all devistated. He said that "He felt that he could not be the best missionary he could be right now. He is going home and will take care of things, then in 6 months will be returning to serve a mission again." This took us by surprise. He wasn't leaving till the next morning, and luckily we had Hermana Child teaching us that night who is so intune with the spirit its insane. She was amazing with handling it. She invited us all to write down in our journals what the Attonement meant to us. Then we all came up with a question with what questions we had about the attonement. For investigators, etc. We all took one and searched the scriprues, found the answers and shared with the class what we had found. It was THE most spiritual meeting we had ever had. That elder could feel how much his Heavenly Father loves him, and how proud he is that he is not selling himself short. We were so sad to see him go, but are so happy that he is doing what we are teaching others they can do, and coming closer to christ by enabling the Attonement. Ever since that day, I have never been so grateful for the attonement. I have my own personal testimony of the attonement but cannot wait to share with the people of Florida, how much it can help them in their lives. Yes, a member of our small but amazing family is missing, but we know that he is in the lords hands and we will make sure we always remind him how much we love hime and want the best for him. We have such amaizing Branch presidency and they are always there to make sure we are holding up. Its a Bitter-Sweet situation. We as a district have grown so close from this. We are always trying to find ways to turn outward instead of inward and serve each other just like christ would. One quote that I heard this week that I just love is, "Dont ever forget, you get to live the same gospel as you preach." I absolutely love being on a mission. It is so hard, but beyond rewarding.

Thank you so much family for the letters and packages, I cannot express how much I feel the love from you. I have the best family in the world and it makes me so happy to hear of all the great things you are all accomplishing. You make Hermana Rogers, super proud:) Dad, I wish I could be there to hear all of your talks. I probably would be bawling right there with ya. But don't worry, everyone knows its allergies;) I love you so much dad. Your letters with all the great things that you are accomplishing, and all the miricles that you see happen are so uplifting. I love them:) I have been trying to notice all the tender mercies in my days. It is very easy to look past them, but it is my goal, at the end of the day to take a second and refect:) Mom, I saw Kira:) I have seen SO many people I know here its ridiculous haha. I went to the temple today and I just love it. The provo temple is so amazing and going with a bunch of missionaries, I cannot express how much of the spirit i feel. I could not have made a better choice to come on a mission. It is going to change mine and so many other peoples lives. I love you all so much. I miss you every single day, but you are all in such great hands. Have an amazing friday:) If you only get this email right now its because I took a break to go do laundry and eat lunch. But i will send pictures today:) I'll get to you all no worries. Time is just so short here! I ONLY HAVE 2 MORE WEEKS!!!!!! ah! haha pray for me. I pray for you in every single prayer I say. Which is a lot:) take care family!

Usteds son mi favorita personas!

Con Mucho Amor, Hermana Rogers

 

Me and Hermana Gailey on our date while our companions are at choir. We have too much fun together;)

Hermana Gibbons and I like to match. Like all the time. No big deal.

I miss my first name.....

Sister Hillsteads classroom is on the same floor as me! we see each other ALL the time! 

"I mustache you a question."

MY NAME TAG! IM A MISSIONARY!

My CRAZY CRAZY schedule

Kinda a lame picture, but our room check the girls that clean told us they loved the smell.. thats OILS!!

Oh and I love my family;)