1-20-08
Letter from Jon received 1-30-08 through the mail.

Dear Mom and Dad and Family,

It has been a good week down here in the CCM in Peru. I love all of you and hope you are receiving my letters J! Mail is really slow but know that I will always write. We usually write on Sunday during free time and mail goes out on Monday. I want to tell you all about Peru and what is going on down here. I have received some of your letter and I love them. We cannot print e-mails so I don’t have a lot of time to read and write, but I will keep doing my best.
It has been crazy with the new President Groberg (Pres. Groberg is Elder John Groberg’s little brother) coming and Elder Nelson being here. Elder Nelson shook all the Elders hands. He gave all the missionaries an Apostolic blessing. He blessed us that we would have health and strength. He also said that everyone home praying for us would be brought closer to the Lord. He also blessed us that we would be able to teach in Spanish clearly. I felt the Spirit so strong and I was glad to be a part of the biggest event in Peru in a long time. The people just packed into this place to see the Apostle of the Lord. They people were so excited.
Things are still good in the CCM/MTC but It is going to be better when we are in the field. We are confined in this little prison of a place and really can’t see anything outside. I don’t have any cool stories, but I will.
Tomorrow we are going out to get our pictures taken for visas and traveling papers then we are going out tracking this Sat.---yikes! It is going to be so crazy, cool and scary. I will be with a Latino companion and we will be out most of the day. We will also get some time to shop for soccer jerseys and things. That will be fun!
Everyone is sick at one time or another. I got sick too. By the time you get this letter I will be over it. I am felling better, I had my companion give me a blessing. I gave my companion a blessing as well. Everyone has diarrhea, but we go on. Everyone is frustrated with the language, but we go on. Everyone has a bad day, but you go on. If it was not easy for Jesus why should it be easy for his representatives? Missions are hard.
I am not going to lie mine has sucked some days, but I know why I am here and I know that the sacrifice will bless my life, and others lives, and help those come to Christ and feel hope and know there is more to life than trails and hard times, but that we can be happy and live forever, if we do what is right, with God and Jesus and our loved ones.
I am really trying to have a good attitude. I have a goal to be positive about everything. Sometimes you just want to take a break, but we must puss forward. I am doing great!
We heard a talk today from Elder Holland, it was titled, “Don’t you dare go home” It was amazing. He said every good thing that has happened to him, every blessing in his life) has come from serving his mission. He says to embrace every day of your mission no matter how hard it is. He says a mission is God’s greatest gift to a young man and we must remember it’s a once in a lifetime deal. It is the most important work on earth, participating in the salvation of souls and helping to save lives for eternity. It really pumped me up! I’m excited to get in the field and I will be that much closer when you receive this.
I saw Braxton at a joint meeting and he looked good, a little burnt on his dome but good.
I also saw something funny the other day. I was at a meeting in a room where we have church. I looked under a chair and there was a pile of books. It was someone’s Spanish books, scriptures, “Preach my Gospel”…everything you need here on a regular day. I said someone is in trouble. I looked down to see if I could figure out who had left their books and I found a bookmark with a missionary tag that read Elder Birdsall ha!
He is not my companion anymore but he is still in my district. I have Elder Millett he’s a good kid and works hard. He is from Murry, Utah. I still see Elder Birdsall in class.
I love talking to Latino’s. The other day I was singing more than words in the shower and the janitor came in and was singing it word for word with me. He told me in Spanish (and I could understand him!!) that on his mission his American companion had music with CD called “Mom’s church songs”. So Pedro the janitor wanted to listen to that one. He said it had “More than Words” on the CD.
Now every time I see him he sings with me. I call him more than words and he calls me chillin, or kickin it dog cause he learned that too. Every time he says Que tal?
( How are you doing?) I say just chillin.
I really miss music and I think it would be fun to bring a couple of light conservative CD’s like EFY or Dad’s instrumental Indian flute CD (remember Ani?)
Music here sounds like smooth Cha Cha stuff. I like it, but a fun package would be some EFY stuff.
Also I want to hear what is going on with everyone’s school and work. Ani, Kylee Girl, D.O. Tell me who is going on missions too.
Dad I told Pres. Craig (the old MTC Pres) to look you up when he gets home. He said he wants to go fishing. I told him you would love to go anytime. Pres. Craig is a big fisherman. He would call me in just to talk fishing with him. I told him I could tell him anything he wants to know because My Dad and I are Tournament Bass Fisherman. He is interested in bass fishing but he is a stinking trout kind of guy.
I love to tell people how Dad and I only caught 25 fish the whole morning. We had to work really hard to win a bass tournament. 25 they say!!! Those sure were good times.
I have been a little plugged up als. The doctor says it is just the joys of rice and mystery meat. I am fine and if not I will be when you get this J I love you so much!
Siempre your Son, Elder Rogers
P.S. Every month anniversary for celebration, my district has what they call the “ugly tie day” We all wear the ugliest tie we can! We try to outdo each other! It is hilarious! Yesterday I bought one from a Latino for 5 bucks. It is a Picasso tie---ugly!!!